SKA Trip

On 6/17, The 12th day, this was the last day in Canada and to return to U. S. A.. After the great entertainment of Mr./Mrs. Kim including the very nice breakfast, we said 'Good Bye" to our friends at 9:02 AM, just as planned.

Today, there was not much problem except just one. After we entered to U. S. driving in Vermont, we were supposed to drive to Interstate Highway-87 which is the fastest route to Boston. However, the road sign was shown up suddenly to exit to the right lane to go to Highway 87 without any advanced notice and I was driving at the left lane. I didn't have enough time to change the lane and had to drive to another Interstate Highway 89. Interstate-89 was also the road to Boston fortunately but it took little longer time than highway-87 route. It looks like this is a general practice (?) in Vermont but it will never happen California. In California, all road signs are shown at least three times (3 exits in advance at least) so that there will be no surprise any time as I had in Vermont. I have traveled all over the United States but there was no state as California. California has most friendly and well advanced notice than any other states in United States. I had an appointment with Mr. Chi-Yoon Ahn, call sign of AD1AD, at 6:30 PM in Boston. He will meet us at our hotel at 6:30 PM. Therefore, I wanted to arrive hotel in Boston before 6:00 PM at latest. Through Highway-89, I thought we could arrive on time but was not sure.

On the way to Boston, we were passing through Montreal, which is a part of Quebec Province. Since I have never been to Montreal, I was thinking to drive around Montreal for a while. However, when I got into Montreal area, I gave up the idea immediately. There was no road sign in English. Not at all. I have no idea what all this road signs are. The names of roads and places are only shown in French. No English at all. What a stupid people they are!! Once, France (their homeland???) changed all road signs to French only removing all English from the road, their tourism industry had a serious problem because many foreigners didn't go France and they had no choice but to return to English about a year later, without any official notice (confidentially?). How many foreigners would speak French? They might think French is the best language but no body else think so. It is nothing but stupid people's stupid idea. I gave up Montreal and just passed through it.

Other than this problem, there was not much problem and we arrived at the hotel in Boston just on time at 6:02 PM. Rather than us, Mr. Ahn couldn't come to the hotel by 6:30 PM as committed due to the city traffic problems and arrived at almost 7:00 PM !! Very usual big city's afternoon traffic problem!! We met for the first time and went to famous Quincy Market for the LOBSTER. Maine State lobster is well known as the best lobster in U.S.A.. Because Boston has many electronic companies along Highway 95 to create another Silicon Valley, I visited Boston quite often when I worked for the Samsung Electronics Company and I went to DURGIN PARK restaurant always whenever I visited Boston, which is more than 100 years old restaurant in Quincy Market. During the dinner at Durgin Park, we had a quite interesting conversations about olden times ham radio in Korea. (AD1AD Mr. Ahn is same age as our sons and had Korean call sign of HL1AHK.)

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Day-13 : Boston - New Jersey

Day-13, 6/18, was supposed to be the easiest day to drive shortest distance from Boston to Newark, NJ, during this trip and I thought I know the areas very well because I have been to Boston and New Jersey area so many times. However, the traffic situations are totally different problems in both Boston and New Jersey areas as they are keep changing, worse and worse, just as any part of the world. I had to spend about 1.5 hours just to get out crowded area of Boston and another 1.5 hours to the destination in New Jersey area after we passed Tappan Zee Bridge. Thus, I planned to drive about 4 hours today but actually spent 7 hours on the road.

By today, we have just passed the half point of the trip, 13 days out of 26 days planned. Now on, it will be the trip to return home. It was not as easy trip as I have originally thought. However, we have passed half point somehow. We will stay 2 nights in the house of Dr. Dong-Wook Cho MD, my cousin in Newark, New Jersey. Tomorrow, we will meet Korean ham radio friends in New York area and relatives on the next day before we leave New Jersey heading to south on 6/20.

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Day-14, 6/19, was a great day in Newark, NJ. In the morning. We went to the cemetery of my uncle, father of Dong-Ik and Dong-Wook. I was there more than 20 years ago when I was working in Samsung and came to New Jersey for a business trip. However, it was the first time for Jane. The aunt passed away by a car accident in 1979, only a few months after she visited us with uncle and we took them to Yosemite, Lake Tahoe etc.. My uncle lived 12 more years and passed away in 1991 at the age of 81 which is my age now.

After the Cemetery visit in the morning, we went to the Poong-Lim Restaurant in Fort Lee to meet many Korean ham friends having the lunch together. I met 5 Korean hams there but, except HM1BA, Jung-Yang Park, I met all others for the first time. When I scheduled to meet HM1BA, HM1PW, Young-Soo Park, wanted to join. Then, HM1PW communicated with Korean hams in New York area and many wanted to see me (Very old timer of Korean ham radio society). We got together at Poong-Lim for the lunch and moved to a bakery nearby after the lunch for more talking. Nobody looked at the watch and, when we looked at the watch finally, it was already 5:00 PM. When we said good-bye to each other (or "73!" in ham language), the famous New York traffic problem had been already started. It took 1.5 hours to get back to the Dong-Wook's house compared to just 30 minutes required to get to Poong-Lim in the morning.

Well, anyway, we all have enjoyed the meeting for whole afternoon talking about old Korean ham history including my great service for KARL, Korean Amateur Radio League, and recent ham radio news in Korea and U. S. A. as if we are all old friends. We have talked about recent KARL's 60 years commemorative KARL News magazine which did not mention about almost 15 years of my great service for KARL at all, even a word, and agreed it was big mistake of KARL magazine not to mention my service at all, probably because most of early Korean hams are in the United States now and could not assist KARL editors. I might need to set up a ham radio station in home to talk with them over the radio, though it is not easy because of difficulty to install high tower for a efficient antenna. (A dream ???)

Out of attendees today, I have never seen all of them but HM1BA J. Y. Park. They were so glad to see me and we were also extremely happy to see them though it was the first time to see each other. MNI MNI THX to everyone at the meeting, especially HM1PW who has never met me but arranged this meeting.

Day-15, 6/20, was really a relaxing day in New Jersey. We left Dong-Wook's house in Short Hills at 9:06 AM, and drove only about 30 min. to Jane's cousin Do-Hyuk's house in Fort Lee, famous Korean Town. We stayed at his house a few days in August last year when we were returning from Viking River Cruise in Europe. We went to a new restaurant "The Plaza" opened very recently at same place where "Poong-Lim" Korean restaurant is located. (We had a lunch meeting with Korean hams yesterday at Poong-Lim.) Do-Hyuk's daughter Judy joined us and had a great time at his house and restaurant as well. After the wonderful lunch, we said Good-Bye to them little after 2:00 PM and drove to Hyo-Jin's house in Monmouth Jct. at the very south of New Jersey state. Hyo-Jin is my eldest sister's eldest daughter Myung-Hee's (passed away in Korea only several days after our visit to Hyo-Jin's house) eldest son.

We experienced several days which were supposed to be the easy days but became hard days, and 6/21, Day-16, was one of these hard days. On 6/21, we left Hyo-Jin's house at 8:19 in the morning for Annandale, Virginia, just west of the Washington D.C. to meet Michelle and to have a lunch together. Michelle is the daughter of Yo-Yoon Cho, (HM1AB) and Young-Hyuk, Jane's younger sister. After 3 hours and 40 min. of driving, I could arrive Annandale at 12:05 PM, only 5 min. late. We had a great lunch hour with Michelle and her 3 sons at Yechon restaurant, a Korean restaurant in Annandale and said farewell to them at 2:00 PM.

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The problem started from that time. I have parked my car at the backyard of the restaurant as the front parking lot was full. However, there was quite a crack of concrete and wheels of my car were dropped to deep ditch as shown in the photo. I pushed the acceleration pedal fully but could not pulled the car out. I asked a help to the restaurant but the guy there was a typical Korean. He said they are busy and can not help me. I complained you should have posted 'No Parking" sign but he was just repeating they are busy. No apology at all, no intention to help customer in trouble in their property. I gave up them and called AAA emergency road service. The guy on the phone said they will send a help in 75 min. - 1 hour 15 min.!!! I didn't believe this 75 min. and waited at the outside of the restaurant on very hot day (95F). Well, I saw a car with AAA mark coming in to the restaurant in only 15 min.. He pulled my car out in less than 10 min. and I was free from trouble. I really appreciated him and we started to drive for Richmond, Virginia, about 90 miles to the south where we were going to stay the night.

However, the traffic was so terrible on Interstate Highway 95 (see photo) and we could drive only 10-15 mph for almost 2 hours. (1h.45 min. for 25 miles, 14 mph in average). It was not a special day but a normal Sunday afternoon and I have never experienced this kind of wonderful (?) traffic jam - 25 miles long !! Almost 2 hours !! I was so tired and exhausted. When I have finally found a McDonald, we got out of freeway (or turnpike) and cooled myself down with a cup of coffee. I have had a terrible traffic problem in Boston and in New Jersey, but they were big cities and it might be usual to big cities at rush hour these days. However, south of Washington D.C. on normal Sunday? Where are all these cars going? Did they spend weekend in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D. C. and were going back home? I had no problem in the morning from New Jersey to Washington D.C.. But would it be this much crowded in the afternoon by now? I wonder how they could live with this kind of terrible traffic problem daily. However, when we returned to freeway after a cup of coffee, it was much better from there to Richmond and we could arrive Richmond hotel at 5:00 PM, not midnight !!! 3 hours for 90 miles! I was very glad I didn't plan longer day!! I could sleep very well in the night instead - straight 5 hours sleep without wake up at all!! Thanks to Korean restaurant and highway-95!!

It was a long day to drive 460 miles from Richmond, VA to Savannah, GA according to the plan of Day-17, 6/22. However, I-95 to south was not crowded and it was very smooth day without any problem. Yo-Yoon, HM1AB, in Florida warned me "Just watch out southern highway patrol, who pulls you off just a 5 mph over posted limit." sending me an e-mail. Therefore, I set the cruise control at 75mph, just 5 mph higher allowing many cars to pass me, that I don't allow usually. At least, it seemed to be a very easy day to enjoy the driving until 3:00 PM.

However, it looks like mother nature didn't like a smooth day for me. At 3:09 PM, suddenly, the heavy tropical storm started with thunder and lightening, and I could hardly see the front tip of my car. We pulled the car to the shoulder immediately, stopped there waiting the storm to be over, though there were many brave drivers still driving. I wondered how they could see the front. They might have special eyes perhaps. Very brave people!! We waited almost 30 min. at road side until the storm became weaker and we could see the front road to drive the car finally. I have traveled a lot around the United States but didn't have any heavy rain so far. I thought I am really a lucky guy. But this trip was a special trip with so many unusual troubles here and there I have never experienced before just to prove I can not be that lucky always. By the way, hello HM1AB, I did not see any highway patrol on the day. Am I a lucky guy again?

Day-18, 6/23, was really an easy day, driving short distance. We left Savannah, GA at exactly 7:30 AM and arrived Apopka, FL at exactly 12:00 PM. I didn't try to make it to happen but it happened.

Since this is a trip around U.S.A. and Canada, there is really no destination. However, Florida is the furthest place from our home and we are returning home from here, I have the feeling that we have finished our trip practically and we are going home now on. We also met most of friends and relatives we have planned to meet and there are only 3 more left to see, HL2AG in Huston, TX, HM1AT in Irvine, CA and HL1CG in L.A., CA. By today, we have completed 70% of our trip. The following photo was taken on the day the first ham radio station in Korea licensed to Korean Amateur Radio League had the first operation on 8/19/59, long long time ago. Look at HM1AB. How old was he?

In the evening of 6/23, NB2O, whom I met in New York, arranged a ham radio QSO (contact to talk) with Yo-Yoon Cho, KD1AB (Korean call sign HM1AB), in Florida at 7:00 PM. AB6BI (ščżřąŮ) and AD6XI (źş¸źŽ) in Los Angeles joined us and we had a nice talking for about 30 min. They tried ham radio station in Korea but the radio wave propagation condition was bad and failed. During this radio contact, I have learned one of the old timer HM1AI (źÁŘČŁ) lives very close to AD6XI and I was invited to come to L.A. someday to meet many ham friends in L. A. area. MNI THX (Many Thanks) AD6XI and AB6BI !!

KD1AB today.

After this great day without any problem, a big accident happened finally. (It seems we can not have any day without problem.) In the evening of 6/23, I spilled water to my notebook computer by accident. It was not a big amount but the water penetrated to the keyboard and keyboard was not responding at all. I waited whole night to dry but it was still not working at all in the morning of the next day. It seems the water shorted somewhere in the keyboard. The computer was permanently damaged and can not be used any more. It was the worst problem I have had during this trip.