"Number of Undernourished in NK Doubled"

From The Korea Times:

The number of undernourished people in North Korea has more than doubled over the past decade with a diminishing dietary energy supply despite the country's increased food production, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported.
The annual report, released in Rome on Wednesday, said the number of undernourished in North Korea totaled 7.9 million for 2001-2003, more than twice as many as the 3.6 million recorded for 1990-1992.

The dietary energy supply, measured in daily calorie intake per person, fell to 2,150 for the 2001-2003 period from 2,470 in 1990-1992, marking a 1.25 percent decrease, it said.

The Bethlehem Project

The Bethlehem Project relies solely on the support of private donors with a heart to feed the hungry children of North Korea. Without this generous support children will continue to be ignored and suffer from lack of food and easily preventable malnourishment.

www.bethlehemproject.net
bethlehemproject@gmail.com

Asia reach Ministries
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The Power of Infestations of Bacteria

I never understood why people chose to concieve children that could become infestations of bacteria. But on Wednesdays when the week is getting rough and no relief seems to be apparent, I can understand why.

When I'm fed up with the cold, with the workplace, and monotony, I am continually surprised and amazed at the patience that my students have with me.

Oh so thankful and blessed.

This photo was taken after the girls and I learned about winter. In the winter, birds don't have food. So, we made bird feeders. Unfortunately, I guess magpies don't like butter rolls, peanut butter and bird seed. The girls were disappointed the first day after we had made these feeders. Then after the weekend, we went back on the roof and they were somewhat relieved that a small flake of Lisa's butter roll was missing (possibly from ripping off while placing fishing line through the roll - but the girls didn't know that).

Next time, I'll be a better teacher and do some research on what kind of food birds like. I thought all birds liked peanut butter.

Favorite Pictures from Thailand

"After Laughter, Action"

I found this editorial in The Korea Times.

After Laughter, Action
by Coutrney E. Martin
Baltimore Sun News Service

If Marshall McLuhan was right that "the medium is the message," in the case of wildly popular fake news, the message must be: Laugh your head off or you'll just end up crying your eyes out. But what if a few angry and motivating tears are what we need? What if all this laughing is pacifying us - making us inert? I hate to say it - I love my Amy Poehler fix as much as the next gal - but I fear therapeutic irony is rendering us politically impotent.

We are drawn to fake news for obvious reasons. Reading witty Onion headlines feels a lot better than another depressing, straight news story. Watching Job Stewart's adorable and brilliantly timed shrug beats Wolf Blitzer's barely perceptible personality any day. Sometimes funny news feels more honest than the serious stuff the ironic take more close to the truth than the supposedly "objective" one.

Laughing is inherently healing, and in a time of secret government contracts and State of the Union addresses given in fake Souther accents, we all need a little relief. But like comfort food consumed night after night in place of broccoli, we are gorging ourselves on what feels good instead of processing what feels so bad - and doing something about it. Other than voting, when was the last time you performed a political act more public than sending a link to The Onion's funniest new podcast to your old college roommates?

These fake news juggernauts - Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, Seth Meyers and Amy Pehler on SNL, the folks at The Onion Web site - have such rich material because our government is so outlandishly corrupt. It is not their witty rendering of that material that we should be spending most of out time on, but the material itself. There is a role, a very necessary role, for humor and release in this depressing climate, but not as a complete replacement of our moral consience or outraged action.

Satire, of course, has a long and proven history as the source of bona fide social change. Aristophanes' "Lysistrat," Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," George Orwell's "Animal Farm" - all of these led to new public awareness that then led to protest, even some pragmatic reforms.

It seems that the difference between a satire such as "Animal Farm" and "The Daily Show" is that the latter too often makes us comfortable, satiated, even happy, as opposed to the very motivating and sometimes terrifying disequilibrium caused by Orwell. Rebels distributed copies of "Animal Farm," a novella satirizing totalitarianism, to displaced Soviets in Ukraine right after World War II.

But what are we doing with this knowledge, besides rehashing it at the water cooler the next morning? Contrary to Bill O'Reily's jealous claim that "Daily Show" viewers are all "stoned slackers" and "dopey kids," Comedy Central reports that Stewart's viewers are 78 percent more likely to have a household income of $75,000 and an occupation of "professional, owner or manager."

It appears that those of us who respond to ironic or "fake" news are a well-educated, socialy and politically aware, upper-middle class bunch. The onus is on us not to just get our jollies at the strategic spinning of our government's latest foible, but to do something about it.

I'm not advocating boycotting sweet Jon or leaving the Onion to rot. I am reminding us all, especially the young and appropriately outraged, not to let our laughter soothe our social conscience. We should be so uncomfortable with the state of things that we can't idly sit by, giggling at our daily dose of fake news and then falling asleep.

In this side-splittingly hypocritical country, you are entitled to the pursuit of happiness - so go ahead, laugh. But please, refrain from laughing until "it don't hurt no more." It should hurt. It should hurt so badly that you have to get up from the couch and do something about it.

Appropriately written,
T

The Korean People - Part II (Relationship between the North and the South)

In my last post about Korean society, I noted that as a result of Confucianism, Koreans are a very loyal people. This extreme loyalty is one that is really quite evident in the relationship between South Korea and North Korea.

Loyalty, as a result of Confucianism, has so deeply been rooted into Korean culture that even going to Hanil Super for that extra milk that is so desperately needed in the morning is symbolic of this trait. Getting milk at Family Mart could be a sign of disloyalty. While searching future employment, looking at different jobs simultaneously is considered disloyal. With such a deep tendency toward loyalty, it is no wonder that many Korean people (especially younger generations) are empathetic toward their brothers and sisters to the North. Even when children in my classes were given an assignment to create a new country flag, several made flags consisting of North and South Korean Flag symbols - in hope for unity. To make things clear, the people are in no way in favor of nuclear proliferation. They are rather solely in favor of unity of the Korean people.

It is important to remember that South Korea only very recently established its democracy just a little over 50 years ago. This is the same time of the North-South split. As a result, thousands of years of a united people has just recently divided.

From what I have observed, many younger Koreans feel empathy for North Korea. Unlike the West, fear is not a strong emotion when it comes to the possibility of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. One individual that I had spoken with stated that because the South was in such close proximity, there was no reason to fear. More of a concern is whether stocks would continue to plummet as a result of nuclear tests. If the South were to be attacked, the North would pay just as much as the South would.

I watched a segment where random, ordinary people were interviewed about the reigning political situation. A taxi driver and his customer were asked what they thought. They both replied that the international community ought to give NK some slack or leeway - because they are essentially the same people.

While the younger generations have compassion for NK, older generations keep memories of the Korean War. As a result, many lack the same compassion as their younger counterparts.

The population varies in thought. I believe that in the last election, the younger pro-compassion voters just missed electing a president that empathizes with NK. Currently, the Korean government has taken a single stance on the issue. It is my conjecture that as a result of pressure from the international community, SK has been a leader against the nuclear ambitions of NK.

The South has not only been a leader, but also a participant in one of the strangest and most peculiar military standoffs ever.

This leads to a topic for the next post – the 50 year standoff between North Korea and South Korea.

Highlights from Thailand - Day 1,2

On Day 1 in the afternoon we had a two hour drive from Bangkok to the beautiful beaches of Pattaya. That night in Pattaya was an interesting one to say the least. On vacations, people don't really ever say that they've seen too much. Most often than not, it's always "I haven't seen enough." Unfortunately that evening, I saw too much of Pattaya. With the language barrier (both Thai and Korean), as well as an overeagerness to experience all that a vacation could offer, I too quickly accepted an invitation with my tour counterparts that has forever tainted my life. I'll be more careful next time.

Even though my eyes were scalded, we had an hour foot massage that made up for some damage to my frail youth.

After a walk on the beach,and not enough sleep, we headed to Samui island in the morning for parasailing and banana boating. (boo-hoo no parasailing pictures)

After Samui Island, we went elephant riding. Our elephant trainer gave us grasshoppers he had made out of leaves.

I thought I was going to fall in elephant dung.

After dinner, we went on a city tour of Pattaya. Our guide led us around the city until we came across a bar that featured Muai Thai (or Thai boxing). While the boxers egged on the audience and asked for tips, we were more interested in these . . .

Grasshoppers, caterpillars, silk worms, and the crunchiest - scorpions. While eating bugs might not have been my favorite past time as a child (except for that rolley polley I ate from the waterose), the bugs weren't too bad. Eh, just like french fries. Good day.

Highlights from Thailand - Day 1

After gathering at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok last Tuesday, eight people with different likes, languages, and lifestyles connected with a single desire to explore the beauty and wonder of Thailand for 3 days.

A family of four (son - 호신 Ho Sin and daughter 신희 Sin Hee), a Korean couple living in America for over two decades, Karen, and I all embarked on this trip while we melted in Thai December heat (averaging mid-low 90s).

So as not to bore you with details, here are pictures of our stay in Bangkok on Day 1.

Bored in the Airport

The Grand Palace (which holds a replica of the Emerald Buddha)

I forgot where this was, but the King who built it was influenced by Buckingham Palace, thus the very grave looks on the guards.