Powered By Community :: Cycling to support the CCFC Canada

Check out this ride, what I am thinking is...how do I continue their work/ride for the CCFC...and this is a feature documentary, so I have pre-ordered their new DVD! It's Amazing what cycling/cyclists can do!

Cycling Updates from S. Korea! (Part in Windsor, Part in Korea)

JB,

Your doing great work there in Windsor, and I'm glad to hear Crash Karma is rising up, hope to catch some tunes...I remember you playing with Tea P at the Pub (U of W)...and even Heart Plaza in Detroit if you remember that show...and even the Sandwich Concert Band where you originally inspired me to pick up some sticks for about 10 years. I was basement jamming for about that long, then finally switched to hand percussion on motorcycle trips to Vancouver (Beach drum jams @ Kits Beach) until finally I gave that drum away in California... Finally, I returned to Windsor and recruited [on contract] for UoW and needed a job, hence, coming to S.Korea, 4 days later I met my wife here, dated for 6 months, moved to Shenzhen, China for another year of teaching, back to Korea, back to Michigan (where I dissolved my finances into a Pre-Med program) A+ student with time expiring into a bottomless academic road which I couldn't possibly follow any longer. So, we had to throw in the towel there, and move back to teaching in Korea, in the fall of 2006. So, here I am working hard to pull myself through, holding a nice little family together with all my classes, 30 straight months of Korean ESL teaching without an international break or more than 5 days off in a row, $XXX,XXX saved so far, finally, I'm approaching the other side of life, the better half, where I can start focusing on helping others through charity donations or personal activity in campaigns like the Arctic Bike. ^^! This is the idea: Trying to put together an Arctic Bike for CCFC (Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Canada) next summer???, looks tough at this point with having sunk an investment into this apartment we finally have now, I really want to take that long bike ride once in my lifetime from the Arctic Circle (Inuvit,NT) to the end of the trail (St.John's, NF) or Urshuaia, Argentina. John C. Scott helped promote the Rubber Side Down/From the Rockies to the Rock where two riders from Amherstburg rode from Mile 0 Victoria to St. John's...and they filmed and made a feature documentary about the IBD diseases and their cause, raising over $60K before the movie had been released. My family has experience with this condition for many years, and I really wanted to do something about it. I think you've joined my group?? One - Bike, One Man, One Charity - Global Bike from the Arctic. That's what I am thinking about at this point, but I will need to move forward with promoting, gaining sponsorship, and building a base to launch this mission. I'm still teaching and will be for a long time to support my family here in Korea, but time off for a charity this big, would be well worth it. The logistics of this expedition are tremendous considering where I am right now financially, however, not unstoppable...I know how to camp by the roadsides and use duct tape or survive outdoors in cars or camps year round (4 seasons camping), I've also motorcycled 5 times across the USA and parts of Western Canada between 1994-1998, and 2000. Over 25,000kms in 60 days total, budget was very tight, rode a maximum of 36 hours straight on one tour b/w Vancouver-Chicago-Windsor. So, endurance riding is strong in me. Cycling isn't a problem, I could definitely go the distance for any charity.

If you have any ideas that would help me, or contacts or even music that could be featured in a documentary such as this one...any of your input/creativity would be a huge success. Nonetheless, thanks for t2b'ing and being a great person for our Windsor community. I'm still there in spirits, hope my small donation makes a difference.

Blessings,

BP in S.K.

Cycling Updates from S. Korea!

Andrew,

I met another cool rider from South Africa via Facebook. I have a Cycling Korea group and have received several offers to tour Korea now and another later this summer! My new friend Murray from S. Africa is a public High School teacher in the Taebaek Mountains (Kangwondo) but likes to spend the weekends cycling the East Coast. We rode a short route together last weekend (Donghae to Samcheok), he bused home from Samcheok, I bused with my student/friend Justin to Gyeongju, then cycled from there to Bul-Guk-Sa (Temple on a mountain, we actually just went to the parking lot only, and then had some hot drinks and then rode South to Ulsan (Justin left there) and when we spoke on the phone I was enroute to Busan solo. I made it Busan and finished the last 66kms to the North Express Bus Terminal. That bus roared all the way back to Osan, Suwon and Ansan. Only three stops so it was incredible time. The training was hard in the rain and the cold seemed relentless. Nevertheless, we had an excellent Spring training session in some serious mountain terrain and survived the soggy rain and pitch night from Donghae to Samcheok in mild showers. The worst part of the ride was probably the most memorable, but better headlights are in order to avoid sudden death, next time out I will be better prepared for night riding and not risking it all for speed, distance, and lack of traffic/pollution on the highway.

Warm Wishes from the highway!

My Favorite Adventurer Pages - Daily Blog Reads

Current Adventure Blog Reads (No order of greater importance, all great reads!)
#1. Nicholi Bangsgaard Bike WT http://www.worldtravellers.dk
#2. Alastair Humphreys Bike WT http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/
#3. Daniel Martin Bike WT http://www.koreatocapetown.co.uk/default.asp
#4. Olly on Virgin Global Row http://virginglobalrow.com/
#5. Antony Jinman Arctic Adventurer http://www.antonyjinman.com/
#6. Kevin Shannon Bike WT http://www.becauseitisthere.co.uk/ (Coming soon!)
#7. Family on a Bike Arctic to Argentina http://www.familyonbikes.org/
#8. Greg Mailloux & Vin Heney Powered By Community http://www.poweredbycommunity.org
#9. Ben Saunders Arctic Explorer http://www.bensaunders.com/
#10.Robert Hill No Guts Know Glory http://www.nogutsknowglory.com/24hours.html
#11. Rob Lilwell Cycling Home From Siberia WT http://www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com
#12. Paul Deegan Everest Mountaineer http://www.pauldeegan.com/media_appearances.html
#13. Rob Gauntlett & James Atkinson http://180degrees.co.uk/180degrees.html
#14. Ride Earth (Cycling's Best Continued World Tour http://www.ride-earth.org.uk/

Matthew's ONE, & I'm now back on the BIKE for ONE

Life continues to develop beyond my wildest imaginations in South Korea. We just celebrated Matthew's first birthday, a second to his earlier 100-day Korean traditional celebration. We had a wonderful party with family here in SoKo, and his grandmother did an exceptional job preparing a feast for our little king. Life is continuing beyond my wildest imagination. Warm Wishes to our friends & family, here and at home, and overseas.

Matthew's First Birthday & Great Arctic Inspiration link :: Thanks Al Humphreys for originally posting!!!

Needed a boost today. Busy with work (teaching) and finding new students showing up everyday without books, it can be a tiresome surprise in this field of ESL. It's o.k. I went in an made additional copies of the text and the classes went smoothly. Morning starts off with a 9-12noon advanced adult conversation course, then wraps up from 2-3pm with an advanced middle school English conversation course. This breaks up the week, since I'm working the Tues-Saturday deal, and covering nights from 7-9pm Mon-Fri still. Have to come up with more excitement in the night courses, students complained they want to study the textbook, must be a sign to be less exciting and turn the page.

Matthew had a nice little 1st birthday at his grandma's place, with his two great aunts (Como=Mi's father's sister & Emo=Mi's mother's sister and her husband, great uncle), great grandmother (Halmoni, and his Korean grandparents too! He wore the bling again, I think it's the same gold rings and bracelets from his 100-day celebration. He dressed in traditional Korean Hanbok and chose a pencil on the table, which signified that he would be/is a smart little boy. We ate delicious Korean marinated beef ribs, kimchi vegetable preserves, and all snacked happily on the tiramisu birthday cake I picked out. Mi Sung thought it didn't look like a birthday cake, but everyone loved it (including me!). Photos coming soon!!!

Hit the link: to visit the Kite Skiing page on Youtube.

36th Birthday was a super event in SK!

Had a festive 36th birthday this year thanks to many of my ESL students and friends in South Korea. I've been marooned on this peninsula since November 2006, 26 months and rising, celebrating several birthdays, completing numerous work contracts, beginning to raise a family (with Matthew/Min Jae now 10 months old), and of course taking the chance to meet new friends and face new global challenges in 2009. We can never predict the world economy (accurately enough to protect our investments), so I choose to invest in people, students and friends and family. It seems like a safe investment and how rewarding is that!? I've enjoyed reconnecting with friends/family on Facebook.com ~ So, I will give Kudos to them here. I've completed my work at AU in Anyang City, South Korea. The next year will be spent locally in Ansan, working and preparing for ONE, Cycle, One Man, One Bike, One charity, Ride from the Arctic 2010 to support my work with Kiva. Time is passing us by isn't it? Time to catch up with time and make every moment count in large amounts (donations/pledge drive) will likely start up in early 2010. Hope the winter passes with safe passage back in Canada/US considering the record lows and snowfall this winter, missed all of it, and I miss you my friends!!! Signing off, Warmest Wishes & enjoy life!