<목욜정모> September 10th, 2009. Thursday meeting's topic

[뺑끼(운영자)]

Getting a Korean Driving License

By John Redmond

Getting around in Korea is pretty easy considering the amount of transport options. One is spoilt for choice both in the country and around town. Sometimes, however, a little flexibility is required and be it a motorcycle or a car it's a good idea to invest in a Korean driver's license.

Any vehicle above 44cc, not 49cc as rumored, requires the driver hold a valid driver's license. Driving on an international license in Korea is a probably the easiest legal way around this. But how hard is it to get a Korean driver's license?

Firstly, you have to remember that a lot of street signs in Korea are in hangul. Around major cities there's a fair amount of bilingual signage, but further out in the countryside it gets a little tricky. That's why some people prefer to do the written section of the test in hangul, the Korean alphabet. There is an English language version but it's available only once a month from 9 a.m. till midday.

As with most driving license requirements an eye test is mandatory. Following that is the written test. Most road rules these days are similar in most countries with the exception of legal blood alcohol limits, speed limits around schools and hospitals, and laws regarding priority bus lanes.

Once filling out the necessary paperwork, you need your alien registration card (ARC), three passport size photos and a native drivers license from a reciprocal law country.

These countries include the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland and Italy. If you aren't from one of those countries, then you need an embassy certificate along with your driver's license and ARC card.

English language road manuals are available for 10,000 won and the license application fee will set you back a further 8,000 won. The road safety and computer tests are done on separate days.

The practical driving section of the test is a little strange as the emphasis is more on passing the test as opposed to actual driving technique and you're graded by a sensitive computer. Most people have at least three attempts before they pass.

According to a posting on a web site, one user said, ``I took the computer test on Monday, the safety course on Tuesday (in Korean), had my first crack at the course on Thursday and my second on Friday (it's like an amusement park ride and a bit of a joke as far as that goes, but you kind of have to memorize the points where you need to brake, not let the speedometer get above some ridiculously low number, speed up at the right time, ram on the brakes and put the hazards on when the siren goes off, make a three point turn and get the rear wheels in the right place, etc.), and my road test on the next Monday (you need to have 10 or 15 hours of on-road experience before you take the road test).''

For more information on obtaining a Korean driver's license log on to http://www.dla.go.kr/english/02_news/news01.jsp in Korean and English.

redmond_john@hotmail.com

 Q)

1) Do you have a drivers license?

if you have it, how did you get that? OR

If you don't have a driver licence, what's your plan for driving license?

2) Your funny & sad story about getting a driving license.

3) What was the longest drive you've done so far?

4) Have you ever gotten caught by traffic violations? 

Overspeed? drunken driving? traffic signal violation? 

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Learn how to stop worrying

Here are 5 steps for seeing a problem in increments that can be handled.

For many of us, worry is a viable emotion, a place where we work out solutions to some of the conflicts and problems we all come across.

Perhaps the worst thing about worry is that by the time you realize you're overly concerned, you're also overwhelmed by the sheer bulk of the problem.

Practically speaking, most things are easier to handle in small pieces, and worry is no exception. Often, spending some constructive time to dissect the problem is all that is needed to set oneself on the road to a solution. Here are five steps you might deem helpful the next time you find yourself a traveler in the land of worry.

1. Constructive worry begins by taking the time to look at the problem. It helps here to write the problem on paper in an attempt to get perspective. Remember, even Adam had to name the beasts before he could rule over them, and the same principle applies when trying to put your finger on what is really bothering you.

2. Once you've identified your concerns, make a list of three things you can do towards solving or at least bringing a measure of relief towards each problem. Don't hesitate to list even those things you absolutely don't want to do. Just writing them down can lessen the power they can have over you to exacerbate your worry.

3. Take one problem at a time and implement just one of your solution steps toward solving the problem. For example, I recently had a problem on my tax return. I was so worried that I'd done something to cost us extra money that I was losing sleep. I called the IRS the next day, even though it was such a scary thought I didn't want to face them. Guess what. That phone call saved me hundreds of dollars. Had I just written a letter as I originally intended, I would have spent another month worrying about the resolution to the matter.

4. Sometimes the problem is beyond us. That's when it's time to get advice and help. A wise person seeks council. Don't be afraid to get the help of a friend or professional. Sometimes, just listening to yourself describe your problem can be very enlightening.

5. And yet, in spite of our best efforts, we can't solve everything. Some things must be turned over to a higher power. In some cases, it may be A-okay to let go of our expectations, or just learn to love. Sometimes, all we can do is let go.

Worry is not the enemy. But, our inability to handle worry can wreck our health and peace of mind. By implementing these suggestions, you may be able to better handle the 'solution process.'

Q)

1. What are you being worried?

2. Have you ever been so worried that you couldn't sleep well? How did you overcome that worry?

3. Besides 5 steps above, do you have any ideas to solve worries in your daily life?

4. We need to keep balance between spiritual and physical condition in order to live a happy life. What do you usually do to keep spiritual health condition?

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[깡-♡]

와- 진짜 빠르다 ㅋㅋㅋ

[뺑끼(운영자)]

ㅋㅋ 우리 가을을 잘 넘기자 ^^ 글구 목욜날 지숙이 왔었어!ㅋ 어쨌든 조만간 우리 Rat's go 하자!^^

[지수기]

응 목욕날 지숙이 갔었어.ㅋㅋㅋ 효진이랑 다 같이 모이자아아아.>_<

[SUNNY]

내가 일찍 올려 달라고 했거든 멋져요!!!

[Shin]

이그~~~ 부지럼 쟁이!!!

[Serena]

우리 회장님 수고 많으셨어요~^^

[Gunner]

예습... 끝 ~ ^^