Sebi is One!

The other day we had a chance to go to the first birthday party for Sebi Kim. She is my friend Peter’s daughter. Yes, Sebi is a cutie! This was our first time attending a first year birthday party in Korea.


Of course, it was complete with all the fixin’s! Great Korean traditional food. The good stuff! Yum!

A baby’s first birthday party (Chut-tol) is a big event for Koreans. One of the interesting things at the party was the Tol Table that was prepared by Peter and his wife, Jin Young Ha.


The table setting consists of different kinds of ddeok (rice cakes), fruits and other things needed for holding the Toljabee event.


Usually these items are a bundle of thread, a brush, a calligraphy set, pencil, book, money, a gavel, a computer mouse, etc. They are used to predict Sebi’s future during the Toljabee event.


Amanda, Adam and Alexandria watched with wonder as the party events unfolded...


So...in order to predict Sebi’s future, everyone counts to 3 and Sebi grabs something interesting off the table.

Depending on what Sebi picks up...her future will be told...

Needle and thread: Sebi will live long
Ujube: Sebi will have many descendants
Book, pencil, or related items: Sebi will be a successful scholar
Gavel: Sebi will be a lawyer or judge
Rice cake: Sebi will become wealthy
Ruler, needle, scissors: Sebi will be talented with her hands
Knife: Sebi will be a good cook

Mom had Sebi pick twice from the table...the first time she picked up a pink computer mouse.


...and the second time too!


Since Sebi picked up the computer mouse, it is predicted that she will follow in her father’s foot steps. Peter happens to be a designer for Microsoft. Peter was visibly proud.


Grandma was very happy!


So was Grandma number 2. Or Grandma number 1 depending on who is doing the counting...


Not your average pin-the-tale-on-the-donkey birthday party! All-in-all, a great event for the Wills kids to experience.

Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull

by Sean Stiegemeier
This is simply stunning... It is impossible to match the beauty of nature. I thought I would share it for everyone’s enjoyment. A nice way to kick off my summer of blogging...

High Tech Campfire

Have you ever gone camping and found yourself just sitting around the campfire with your friends and/or family, staring at the flames and embers for hours? If you think about it, your not doing much... Just roasting marshmallows and sipping a drink... The fire is truly mesmerizing... Yet you are still free to think, talk, sing, dance...whatever.


Today, our campfires are replaced by ginormous basement entertainment rooms with a 60" HDTV LCD instead of a fire. Less talking...so as not to disturb someone’s willful suspension of disbelief. Less thinking...movie stars will do that for you. No dancing or singing...rock stars can do that for you too.

Don’t get me wrong, that LCD screen can be a window to the world. It can take you to places you would otherwise not dream of visiting. Maybe...


Or is there is a compromise? I love the campfire, but appreciate what that LCD window can show me...

Korean Analog GPS

Korea is one of the most wired, high tech countries in the world. It is a hyper-competitive society where everyone clamors to own the latest and greatest high-tech gadgetry. The above, exclusive photo, is the latest Analog GPS Navigation System to hit the Korean market. I could not make out the brand...

...But check out the resolution of the display! I bet it is double the standard 2560 x 1400 ppi used by special ops military...complete with multi-colored mounting fixtures. This is by far the largest and highest resolution screen I have seen [mounted on a delivery scooter]. Shorter drivers may have a visibility issue, but I am sure those bugs will be worked out in the next model. A pocket version is rumored to be launching in the 4th quarter of ’10.

Clearly, this is a game changer that will give the iPhone and Google platforms a run for their money...