Collecting

Two days ago while contemplating my student loans and line of credit debt, I realized that I was owed money from several sources. I made a larger than necessary payment to a visa card using my credit union's online banking the other day. I did this because I don't have a client card to replace the one that was lost last year. Anyway, and unfortunately, I made the payment to the old, lost visa card by accident, as the credit union didn't update my payee options automatically (I've since fixed the problem). I sent the credit union a message, and they told me to communicate again as they didn't want to talk through email. My old landlord still owes me most of the rent for almost the entire month of September--I paid early, but then moved out on the 3rd. He gave me 200,000 Won back, but kept the other part for "outstanding bills." However, the bills won't even come close to the balance. He now owes me about 250,000, but mentioned in response to my pestering him that he will transfer 150,000 on Tuesday. He wants to wait until the final bills come in before paying the rest back. I guess I just have to wait. My school also underpaid me by more than 100,000 Won. Finally, there's the government of Canada, which owes me my income tax refund, which I haven't filed.

So here's Nathan on the collections trail:

School: pestered repeatedly--amount paid back yesterday
Landlord: pestered two times--partial amount to be paid back on Tuesday
Credit Union: pestered two times--amount put yesterday on the right Visa card, which now has a $100 surplus
Canada: to be pestered on Tuesday. Filing income tax from another country is complicated.

Othmar Keel Wins Prestigious Swiss Prize

News via Eisenbrauns

Othmar Keel, Professor emeritus for Old Testament studies at the University of Fribourg, has been awarded the Marcel Benoist Prize 2005. This is the most substantial prize that is granted in Switzerland for outstanding scientific achievements. It is awarded once a year by the committee of the Marcel Benoist Foundation, headed by the Swiss minister of education and science. Othmar Keel is only the third representative of the Humanities to be honoured by this prize which usually goes to other sciences.

The committee was particularly impressed by what they call Othmar Keel's "eclectic interdisciplinarity", which has produced results that would hardly have been possible within the limits of individual disciplines.

More details may be found on the foundation's website in English, German, or French.

The prize will be presented on November 14, 2005 by Mr. Pascal Couchepin, Minister in charge of Science and Education, during a public ceremony to be held at Fribourg University.

I've read two of Keel's books, and a number of his articles. He is an excellent writer, and he presents the iconographic evidence of the ancient Near East in ways that are both interesting and illuminating.

Unified World Championship Underway!

Anand and Topalov both won with Black in a historic event: two of the highest rated players in the top five are absent: Kasparov, who has entered politics in Russia, and Kramnik, who chose to sit out, perhaps due to his declining ability. Also, Judit Polgar is playing, the first woman to play at a World Championship. The format is that of a double round robin, the fairest way to do things. In the future, I believe the World Champion will likely be defending his title in a match format, although I'm not sure. Anyway, go, Anand, go!

TOEFL Changes

Via EFL Geek, here is important news about some very big changes to the format of the TOEFL exam. There is going to be a speaking component. Some are worried that this will disadvantage the "Asians," and I'm not surprised given the way most hogwans work here, as they usually emphasize writing and grammar (and even then I'm doubtful about their effectiveness). The hogwan I work at emphasizes speaking. I think that this is going to have to lead to a paradigm shift in EFL education here in South Korea.

Engaged!

The picture above is my personal favorite of the two of us. Chae Young and I set a date (Dec. 25th), and yesterday we made the reservation. The 25th was chosen because this was the best time for my family to come out, and because that's the only time for the next several months when I can have more than three days off.