The end of winter???

I'll call this picture "All Dressed Up And Nowhere to Grow." Many of the trees here get covered in straw to protect them from the cold. I've been told that the straw also attracts the parasites from the trees and then the straw is taken and burned (although I don't know if they really burn the straw anymore).

I think that this has been a really mild winter. My friends have been complaining about the cold. I've been told that Korea has had record cold this year, but I don't believe it. According to Billy C. Mossman in Ebb and Flow, an account of the Korean War, during the war, "The ice (on the Han River) was solid enough to support pedestrians but not vehicles." This allowed civilians to retreat to the south side of the river. When I lived here in 1983, there were people walking and skating on ice along the shore. I think that it would take much colder temperatures for longer periods of time than we have had this winter for the river to freeze. It may be possible that we have had one or two days of record cold, but it has seemed pretty mild to me. As further proof that I'm not getting senile or just remembering how bad it was in "the old days," there is this article by The Korea Times online - Winter Getting Shorter in Seoul.

Despite my belief that it has been warm this winter, I did come across this sight. A sight which would inspire most Canadians. This is in front of City Hall in Seoul. I didn't go for a skate, but I might go down next week and give it a try. It looked like fun.
















At any rate, spring will be here soon, and cherry, forsythia, and magnolia trees will be as beautiful as ever.

Korean nationalism

I'm not very impressed with really strong nationalists at any time. However, the whole Hwang Woo-suk fiasco was a particularly sickening example of nationalism gone mad, not just because of his actions (which were plenty bad enough), but more for the large numbers of Koreans from all walks of life and, in many cases, in positions of authority who were upset, claiming that calling Hwang into question was a slap at all Koreans and at Korea's image. The negative pressure on the news team that broke the story was outrageous. And, still, after all of the evidence of wrongdoing, people protest.

Now I'm not sure if the translation was accurate, but let's assume that it is reasonably close. What does it mean when someone says, "We pulled out your hair in the name of Korea"? Anyone who thinks that this kind of behaviour is appropriate and somehow enhances Korea's standing is an idiot. This behaviour is infantile.

Hwang's fans show violent streak

February 23, 2006 ㅡ Supporters of disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk became violent yesterday while protesting at Seoul National University. About 10 people in front of the school's main administrative building ― mostly women in their 40s and 50s ― pounced upon research department head Roh Jung-hye, spokeswoman for the investigative committee, as she tried to enter the building. Ms. Roh spoke on behalf of the school's investigative committee, which investigated Dr. Hwang's stem cell fraud case.
Some protesters grabbed Ms. Roh by the hair― pulling some of it out ― and threatened her with foul language. "We pulled out your hair in the name of Korea," one woman claimed. Ms. Roh was able to escape with the help of security guards and was taken to the school's clinic, and was reportedly only lightly bruised.
Yesterday was the third day Dr. Hwang's hard-core supporters have demonstrated at the university, since the school's disciplinary committee ordered the scientist to appear before the committee to give his final defense.
Claiming that the results of the university's committee investigation were invalid, the supporters began with a quiet picket on Monday, but cranked up the level on Tuesday, by shouting and throwing eggs at windows.

JoongAng Daily

Korean schools

Over the 7 or so years that I have taught in Korea, I have taught quite a few teacher training programs for Korean elementary, middle, and high school teachers. I've always enjoyed teaching these programs. The teachers are generally smart and keen, and their English is often quite good. And yet...the Korean school system is almost universally despised by Korean parents, teachers, and students. As a result, thousands of students are sent abroad to study every year. My present interest in this was piqued by two friends who teach elementary school in Canada. They have often asked me why/how Korean parents can send their children (often frightened and unhappy) to schools in Canada. My friends say that these very young children who are sent to Canada to live with relatives or friends and really, REALLY don't want to be there. This is not like university aged students who can appreciate a new and exciting experience and who may, in fact, like the opportunity to be away from their parents for a few years. And, I don't understand it. Korea has good teachers. Korea has enough money in the country to fund good schools. Korea parents spend thousands of dollars every year sending their children abroad, and, if they can't send them abroad, they spend thousands of dollars every year to send them to private institutes at night. If that money was funneled into the Korean education system through taxes, they could have a first rate system. The teachers are there.

From another blog, I found a link to this news item, "New Immigration Strategy: Koreans Send Children to America for Adoption." I find this extremely disturbing. I often think that I will never understand Korean culture, and their attitude towards education is mind boggling to me. I don't understand how screwing up the important bond that should develop between parents and children can be compensated by get a degree at a university in Canada or the U.S. and then, someday, becoming a successful doctor. I don't think that any Korean can convince me that the parent/child relationship will ever be "normal." Will the success of the child bring face to the family? Is that enough? Is that the most important thing? Will the bond between parents and children ever be strong? What kind of parents will those children become someday? They won't have had a model of good parenting.

I know that the boarding school phenomenon is not limited to Koreans. I have had many British friends who attended boarding school. They didn't seem to be anymore screwed up than me. However, their relationships with their parents were very cool. Is this normal? Is it okay? I'm not sure, but I'd like to say to Koreans, "Your kids need you. Are they really better off if they spend years without you?" And for those Koreans who think that putting their children up for adoption is OKAY - no way. I doubt that those children will ever forgive their parents.

The social issues in Korea that lead parents to drive their children so hard to get into the SKY universities (Seoul, Korea, Yonsei Universities) need to be addressed. Everyone could do with a little lightening up. Please.

Character

I was looking in my fridge today and noticed something that I have had taped one the door for so long that I often forget to read it. I found this 6 or 7 years ago on the internet, but I can't remember where and I haven't been able to track the source down. It is, however, something that I have read many times. They are good words to live by.

---------------------------

Character

1. Get your camp in order. Clean up your messes. Pay your debts. Repair past damage and get it behind you.

2. Find meaningful work.

3. Educate yourself about what character is. Read up on it. Think about it.

4. Appraise your own character, determine what's lacking, and set specific goals to change your behaviour. Start with short-range goals and work up, examining your progress daily.

5. Seek role models and mentors for support.

6. Make truth a discipline. Don't toy with it and don't shade it. Go one day without telling any lies, then two days, a week and so forth. That doesn't mean using truth as a weapon to hurt people. Be clear about your motives before uttering what you assume is 'truth.' If it's a matter of telling your mate you like his or her new hairdo, even if you don't, then do the right thing; make him or her feel good.

7. Get clear about your life goals; then make sure your actions match them.

8. Keep your promises and commitments.

9. Learn how to evaluate the character of others, to get better at distinguishing the good guys from the bad. As Grandma would say, "Burned once, shame on them. Burned twice, shame on you." However, don't go overboard here: being a good judge of people is healthy for you, but becoming arrogantly judgmental is not.

10. Guard your reputation. It's your only one.

11. Before you act, think the action through to its logical conclusion. Philosopher William James said, "The moral act is to think." Says philosopher William Forthman, PhD, "It's almost always better to take the short-term loss - not to steal, not to lie, not to con people - and to operate in an honourable and trustworthy manner because, in the long run, that's a better policy for you. It's also a better policy for society."

12. Make a commitment to help others. Do volunteer work, mentor others - whatever suits you.

13. Keep practicing. To quote Aristotle: “We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”

14. Don't lose heart. Sure, there are lots of scum out there who seem to feel no pain getting away with murder, but remember to keep the long view in mind. All you need to do is look at history to see that what goes around really does come around.

Getting old

Last night, I watched Bill Murray in Broken Flowers and I have to say that it cut a little too close to the bone for comfort. I have had more than a few relationships over the years, and, for reasons that always seemed good, I have ended numerous relationships with nice women. I have never thought of myself as cruel and heartless, but I don't think I ever really really thought about the scars that are left, in many cases, forever. I am fairly lucky in that of the three women I was most serious about two are still quite close to me and we meet whenever I am back in Canada. I thank my lucky stars that they don't hate me. I guess it helped that our relationships never ended because of another person. Still, watching Bill Murray living out a somewhat sad, somewhat disfunctional life reminded me a lot of myself. Another of his movies, Lost in Translation, also seemed like a page torn out of my biography. A couple of months ago, I watched 2046 (a Wong Kar-Wai film) and felt the same close connection with another somewhat sad, disfunctional character, Tony Leung. I really liked these three movies, but they all left me feeling troubled by the flaws in their characters that feel so much like my own flaws.

Perhaps I need to start watching different movies. I think I'll put on a James Bond flick tonight and see if I can see myself in a more heroic role.

On a slightly different note, it's odd, but 20 years ago, when I was in Korea, everyone thought that I looked like Marc Singer. The little kids used to run up to me and shout "V" "V" - that was a tv series that was very popular here.



Well, okay, I wasn't quite that tanned.

Now, however, they all think that I look like Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford.





I know that I've aged, and I know that those two guys are still kind of hunky, but, hey, I'm not quite that old and wrinkled. Right?

I'm back

My vacation in Thailand is now over. I'm now back in Korea. I don't think that I've ever NOT wanted to return to Korea so much. It makes me sad.

I know it's not fair to compare Seoul (one of the most crowded, polluted cities in the developed world) with Koh Chang, an undeveloped tropical island. However, from the time that I arrived at the airport in Bangkok until I arrived in Seoul (after one of the most uncomfortable flights I've ever had), I really didn't want to come back. My first week and an half in Koh Chang was the most relaxing time that I think I've ever had. I really didn't do much of anything. I read, wrote in my journal, and lazed by the pool. No one bumped me. No one raced past me and then cut in on me. Everyone seemed to be genuinely happy to talk to me. The air was fresh. Everything was green. And, now, I'm back in Seoul and it's a little cold and very grey.

While on vacation, I made a number of resolutions that I hoped would help me to be happy living in Korea. I think I need to go back to my journal and reread those resolutions.







I hope that I can remain upbeat. I think that this next school year will be good despite the fact that they've already screwed up the students' registration for classes. I'll have to go in to the office tomorrow to see what I need to do. On the 10th (while still on vacation in Thailand), I received an email saying that all professors had to put their syllabi on the Sogang website between the 9th and the 15th. I didn't have the information that I needed for my classes nor login information so I couldn't do that from Thailand. I was told not to worry - I could do it when I got back; however, this weekend, I logged on and tried to do what they asked, but I couldn't add any information, so I don't know what they expect. It probably won't be any problem, but I wish it was planned a little better.

My Thailand vacation photos are available here.

I've always associated Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei with lush green and flowers.

The Horror!

The horror! The horror! (Okay, I stole that from Apocalypse now)...However, today, I was sitting by the pool listening the birds chirping and the geckos chattering. Then I heard the first strains of a Thai traditional instrument over the poolside sound system. First the tinkling of a traditional Thai bamboo xylophone. Then it became recognizable - I hadn't heard the song for many years - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree. I still haven't really forgiven Tony Orlando for that one. What followed was hours of a Thai Zamfir. Now I know that some western influences on Thailand have been positive, but traditional Thai instruments doing cover versions of old classics like The Beatles "Imagine" - it was unimagineable. I don't care what anyone says. It's just wrong.

I guess even Paradise isn't perfect.

Thai vacation

A full description with photos of my Thai vacation will have to wait until after I return to Seoul on the 16th and can upload some pictures; however, the past 6 days have been such a pleasant change from the crowds (11 million people) in Seoul and the horrendous air pollution there. I'm staying at a nice, small resort that is in the middle of nowhere. It's quite quiet and the air is fairly fresh. The temperature is pleasant and the humidity doesn't seem too bad. Most of my time here has been very relaxing. I get up in the morning and have a pleasant breakfast buffet (with lots of fresh fruit). Then I sit in the shade by the pool and read or write until lunch - puntuated with an occassional dip is the cool pool. Lunch is usually a nice light plate of fried noodles or fried rice - then back to the pool or gym. There are lots of birds, butterflies, and flowers everywhere. All in all, it is a very nice way to spend time. I don't think that I've ever had a vacation like this (where I haven't wanted to go anywhere or see anything). If I need a little more of a diversion next week, I might rent a scooter and drive around the island.

As with all of my recent vacations, I start out with great plans for self-development. Over the last few days, I've been reading "Everyday Ethics" and "Entering the Tao." I actually feel better in general. In my 20s and 30s, my favorite authors were Kahlil Gibran and Lin Yutang. I loved to read philosophical texts of all kinds. I developed an interest in Buddhism and Taoism. These authors and books were thought provoking and interesting. Then, at some point in my early 40s, I got lost. These books lost their ability to move me. In my 20s, I believed (and lived) the idea that conflict was bad. I would do almost anything to avoid conflict. I was also interested in other people and was an excellent listener. I think that I tried to move gently through life. Then, at some point in my 40s, I became opinionated, obstinate, and intolerant - much less interested in what other people thought especially if they didn't agree with me. I am much rougher than I would like to be. This blog has two purposes really. One is to let my friends and family know what I am doing, so there will be travel and cultural encounter features. The other purpose is to let my family and friends know what I am thinking. I will try not to be pompous and preachy. If I fail in that, I hope that someone will reach out and slap me.

Although I can't say that I really like "Entering the Tao," the author has suggested some goals that seem worthy of consideration:

1) mellowness of mind
2) a healthy, balanced life
3) an unobstructed, undefeated spirit
4) loving people and rendering service
5) unifying the body and mind
6) enjoying simple relationships and things
7) frequent self-examination of one's personal and public life
8) avoidance of obsession and extravagance
9) humility
10) constantly collecting the floating emotions that take you out of your center

Hopefully, the peacefullness that I feel now will stay with me when I am back in Seoul. I hope that this will be a good year.