"Korea Unmasked"

My most recent success in my recently developed "reading while I walk" routine is reading the comic book, "Korea Unmasked" by Won-bok Rhie, originally written in Korean and later translated by Jung Un and Louis Choi. I remember a former colleague telling me about this. At that time I was much less interested in reading. I didn't see how reading could make a difference in the way I think about Korea. One day, my wife was at Kyobo Bookstore, the Barnes & Noble of Korea, and she stumbled across this book in English and apparently my name was written all over it so she bought it for me. At that time, I wasn't quite convinced of my need to read more so I put it on a shelf. Also, I've never been interested in comic books to that degree which didn't help me in reading it as soon as I could have. After I finished the book about Boston which I posted about on this site I was desperately trying to find something I could read while walking to and from my office. So I grabbed "Korea Unmasked" and it turned out to be much more fascinating than I originally thought. The author of this book did a fine job of being frank about the strengths and weaknesses of Korea. One of the things I found helpful was the way in which the author compared Korea with China and Japan. I've always tended to think that the countries were basically the same but now I know the error of that way of thinking. Who would've thought that one country could be so monotheistic (Korea) while another could be so polytheistic while also being individualistic? Perhaps the parts I found the most intriguing were about church, education and the reunification of North and South Korea. There were times when I wanted to shout an Amen and there were other times when I must have been laughing hard enough on my way to work or home that students who saw me may have thought I was paranoid. It's really difficult to criticize a book like this. Naturally, being translated into English by non-native English speakers, the expressions were sometimes slightly unnatural and there were a few typos along the way. But I didn't find those shortcomings to be hindering in terms of my own understanding. I also think the book sometimes errs on the side of exaggerating but I think that is necessary to make the point to people from other countries. Now of course there are some aspects that make their way into conversations with Sinae, which she sometimes wishes I didn't remember and sometimes reminds me that is a generalization. But I think that just makes my point stronger that this book is worthwhile not only for people living in Korea but for people who want to know about Koreans who seem to be scattered throughout the world.

Koreans: The "Silent Immigrants" of Germany

Here is a link to a very interesting article on Koreans who either permanently immigrated to Germany or lived there short-term. There reason for going there would seem to vary from making more money than they could make in Korea at the time to making a significant difference in the Korean economy. The writer of the article above points out that Koreans became known as "silent immigrants" because they adapted so well to living in Germany. The Koreans' strongpoints were putting their all into education and studying as well as working hard. This would seem to be the trademark of Koreans around the world. I also found it interesting that Koreans who were involved in mining were hesitant to talk in-depth about it with Germans, presumably because of the stigma of mining in Korea. I'm glad Korea is paying tribute to what those Koreans did to contribute to the development of Germany while also making a big difference in their own country's economy. Korea Times is covering this story for several days. I think Goethe Institute is also worth mentioning for making a big deal out of this.

Reading Report: "The Happiness Project"

I just finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. I purchased this book a year-and-a-half when I visited the US for three weeks while Sinae stayed in Korea to focus on writing her master's thesis. She told me to freely buy books that I can bring back to Korea. I took her advice and as a result I wound up having to cram more books in my carry-on bag in order to avoid paying the surcharge for having an overweight bag. This book was certainly not the most earth-shattering read of all the books I've read, but it was indeed well worth the time I invested. The writer claims to be agnostic but displays herself as being very open to spiritual viewpoints and even speaks directly to churches interested in using her book as a sort of advertisement at the end of the book. As I read this book, and especially as I have finished this book, I think that this could easily be classified in spiritual formation circles as a rule of life because that seems to be exactly what the writer formulates. The basic premise of this book is that the writer dedicated a year to living a happy, more meaningful life and she did so by changing her outlook on life. Some things were very simple, like getting rid of clothing she hadn't worn in quite a while. But other things are more challenging like trying to respond to children without getting angry with them or simply managing one's mood more efficiently. To tell you the truth, the thing this book has enlightened me on the most is the necessity to be happy and that one isn't simply born happy without any struggle. I think it is safe to say that I have spent most of my life being unhappy. Before reading this book, the need to be happy never really dawned on me. I think I've lived my life as if I couldn't be happy because of the circumstances (Having to work for a live from the time I was in elementary school, having to support myself in college and seminary, not being supported by my dad when I went to college for the first time, not feeling "smart enough" to finish the assigned reading in my classes in college etc.). But now, looking back, I realize that I wasn't really trying all that hard. I tend to think that one of the influences that somehow unintentionally swayed me from seeking happiness was my class on the book of Philippians in bible school. The teacher emphasized that happiness is based on what happens and that joy is this Providential emotion Christians can experience. That somehow made me think seeking happiness was bad. So I didn't even seek after it. I still think I would complement what Rubin says about happiness with a more fundamental spiritual aspect (I would be Agnostic if I could but I became convinced that it is incongruous with reality given that we have to make choices every moment regarding things we can see, let alone things we can't see) but that doesn't take away from the strengths of her "argument" if we can call it that. I definitely resonate with what Rubin has written. The first semester I taught at the university where I'm currently employed, I often went into class feeling depressed because students didn't respond to what I said. As a result, I received low evaluations. As an attempt to improve those evaluations, I started every class with a big smile as much as possible. I tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever tried so hard to be more happy. And it apparently worked. Rubin calls this principle, "Act the way you want to feel". Without regurgitating the entire book, other relevant points include being oneself (not expecting "fun" things other people enjoy to necessarily have the same effect on me and also to not let that bother me), taking time to write down things one is thankful for, developing some sort of accountability group (My words not hers) and trying things that one might not normally engage in. There are many more things which I may try to develop more of but as I try to tell my friends when recommending good advice I read in a book which doesn't seem to have the same effect when I try to explain it to them in my less than eloquent manner, read the book and see what you think yourself.

Book Report: Boston Dictionary

The most recent book that I've read while walking to and from work is "The Boston Dictionary" written by John Powers and illustrated by Peter Wallace. This book was HUGE comic relief for me. It was especially therapeutic when I was having difficulty connecting with my students in class. I tried to show them "Bostonish" but they often missed the point. Even Canadian and American colleagues had a difficulty getting some of the jokes like, "How do you know when someone is a foreigner? They try to speak to people in English". I think the joke got lost in translation or else I'm just not good at telling jokes. Or as my wife, Sinae suggests, perhaps I tend to laugh at jokes more easily than most people. At the same time, this book was not only entertaining but it was also educational. Even though I only lived in the Boston area for 9 months, as I read this book which modifies spelling in order to underscore authentic Bostonian pronunciation, I recalled people I met in Boston who spoke EXACTLY as the writer(s) wrote this book. It is also educational in terms of the key places in Boston or what people do and why they do it. One of the greatest errors we folk from outside of Boston make is saying, "Pahk yi cah in Harvahd Yahd" is that it's impossible or at least illegal to park one's car in Harvard Yard. I won't spoil everything by telling you everything in this book. Sinae and I bought it at a souvenir shop in Boston but I'm hopeful that it can also be purchased online. There are other books that have also been written which I hope to read. This book is a little thicker than a magazine but nearly just as convenient to handle while walking down the street. But I must warn you: you may be perceived as being crazy because this book is so funny that you may find yourself laughing at loud.