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Friend Request

I've received a friend request from the President of World Bank, Kim Jim Yong. The profile picture is obviously his, using the alias Salem Peace, the gender is a woman, and recently he moved to Nigeria. I have received several friend request from people I don't know. Since Facebook friends of mine are distributed mainly in Korea and the United States, friend requests from strangers can be divided into Korean and American types. Korean: Most young women like the auto show models because it is a purpose to catch middle-aged men. You can check the current friends of the stranger sending the request. Most interesting thing is that her friends are mostly middle-aged men. Young women should have friends of their age ... American Type: Seven out of ten are uniformed women, and sometimes men in uniform. They work primarily on warship or in US bases in the Middle East or Afghanistan. It looks like that they try to take advantage of the social atmosphere full of respect and supporting for the troops. It is not common, but there was a request from a widow of a soldier. Maximum impact! In addition to the above mentioned, someone introduce himself(or herself) as a bank employee in the Middle East or Southeast Asia (twice in Cambodia). Most of the time it is the beginning of inheritance fraud. Making a Facebook friendship with people you know offline can be the beginning of safe social media and online activity.

#facebook #friend request

Koreans don’t like Trump?

Is it true Koreans don't like the Trump administration? If so, why. To a certain extent, it is true. Trump's America First policy doesn't go well there. For example, the Administration is asking the Korean government to pay more money for US troops in South Korea and trying to impose high tariffs on steel from South Korea. It seems that President Trump is doing everything his way, not listening to the other country's voice. Koreans tend to think of the United States as a big and generous country, like a good friend. A friend should not look to profit from friendship. I know, it is too naive a thought.

In the Korean language, the word for the US is "미국", pronounced mee guk, which literally means a beautiful or good country. All Koreans think so? Absolutely not. Whether they like Trump or not, there are people who understand the United States' position on South Korea. In my opinion, it is partly due to the Korean mass media which lean to one side.

I'm sure most Koreans(at least more than half) are still holding the belief that a good relation with the US is crucial for security.

#SouthKoreaUSrelations

Dryer vs. Clothes Line

In South Korea, the use of a dryer is not popular. I think there are several reasons for this. One is that they prefer to use clothes line to dry wet clothes under the sun. Ultraviolet light kills germs! Secondly, the cost of electricity is more expensive than in the US, so using a dryer may not be a good choice. Besides the house usually doesn’t have enough room for a dryer.

Before the apartment became so popular, the clothes lines and hanging clothes on it were one of the familiar views everywhere.

Is near neighbor better than a distant cousin?

A month ago the Korean Congress lodged the impeachment of President Park. Now the Constitutional Court is considering the case and it is supposed to make a decision in 180 days. In the last few months Koreans have been astonished every time a new fact or new allegation comes out. I cannot list all of the wrong-doings. Here I would like to focus on foreign relations with neighboring countries. President Park touted a friendship with China's General Secretary Xi. It rose to a crescendo when Park attended China's World War II Victory Parade despite several concerns from inside and outside of Korea. Many Koreans were hoping that their Chinese friends would persuade or press Pyongyang to abandon their nuclear weapons development. As you know, nothing happened and the threat from North continues to grow. Finally Park's administration decided to construct a United States anti-missile base. After this decision, the relationship with China is growing cold. The Chinese government has begun to put restrictions on commerce between the two countries. For your information, China is the biggest market for Korean exports and accounts for 25% as of 2015. I think the Korean government should have kept the same balance between the US and China from the beginning of Park's government because both are important neighbors from the standpoint of economy and security.. Japan recalled their Ambassador and Consul after the Korean civil movement group put a girl statue in front of the Japanese Consulate. They claim that the statue is the violation of the third clause which states "Not accusing or criticizing each other regarding this issue". In 2015 two countries' foreign ministers agreed about "Comfort Women Issue". The agreement includes - Japanese government's acknowledgement about "an involvement of the Japanese military authorities" - Japanese Prime Minister's most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women - Japan is to form a foundation for support of the former comfort women - Japan confirms this issue is resolved finally and irreversibly on the premise that it will steadily implement the measures. Koreans, at least half of them, are not happy with this agreement because they don't think the issue is solved and they are not sure about the Japanese officials' sincerity. Right after the agreement, Japanese politicians, including Abe and the foreign minister who signed the agreement denied that it was not forced, that is it was done on a voluntary basis. Although the impeachment is not ruled by the Constitutional Court, one of the possible presidential candidates has begun to talk about re-negotiation even though the agreement states it is irreversible. Among the mistakes Park's government has made, these two diplomatic failures will have a very long and negative impact on Korea's future.

Proofread by Maggie.

#South Korea #Impeachment

Can we talk?

(I wrote it before the election)

It is election season in the United States and currently there is a scandal related to the president in South Korea. Many people are talking about politics in both countries. Since the majority of my Facebook friends are living in the United States or South Korea, it looks like more than half of Facebook posts are about politics. I know politics is a very important subject because it can affect our lives a lot. It is a current trend that people are using social networks as their news source. It appears that people post their political views and the news, present the flaws of the other side and reassure people from the same side. It's almost the same as talking politics at coffee break. I would like to mention two things, the right not to hear political talk and the concern about social networks as a news source. If I don't like to talk about politics or listen to it at coffee break, I can just leave the place and return to my cubicle. There is nothing I can do to prevent viewing political posts on Facebook. They should develop some algorithm to allow individuals to choose how much they are exposed to the political posts. People like to hear what they think is right. They share the news which support them on social networks, and the news spread out and snowballed whether it is true or not. What I'm concerned about is that it can narrow the window to the world. The more people get the idea only from their friends who have the same, or at least similar ideas and listen the news from the media whose political view is aligned with them, they become more and more confident in their own beliefs with less chance of listening to the other side. I think we should be careful about social networks. While looking at this election campaign, I'm concerned about a growing hate between opposite sides. During the racial dispute in Ferguson, MO., the journalist, Gwen Ifill said "We can talk — and we can listen — if we only give each other a chance." She has a point. Proofread by Maggie.

#social networking #post-truth

The First Outing

It was the first outing of Wilderness Trekking School. In fact, it would have been the second if the first one had not been cancelled due to the bad weather. It was held in the open space across I-70 from Genesee Park. After the short lecture about map reading, all the students were divided into small groups led by three instructors. We needed to find the six different locations marked on the map using the compass. For each location, two people were assigned to be mainly responsible for the orienteering. Some were lucky to have a location easy to find, but some weren't. Mine was the very last one and was not too difficult. It was a joyful moment to find the tree tied by the yellow tape. During my search, I found a rusted horse shoe. I had no idea how it got there. I showed it to the instructor and he said it is a symbol of good luck. His words revived my diminishing hope and it didn't take a long time to find my location whether the horse shoe helped or not.

Proofread by Maggie

#Wilderness Trekking School #blooming cactus

Open a Window for a Soul

I have seen a very interesting TV commercial when I was waiting for getting my car's oil changed at repair shop. It was about the hospice nursing service. In the scene, old woman lay in her bed, and the nurse was taking care of her and narrating as below.

* * *

One night Berta told me about a tradition in Denmark. When a person dies, she said, someone must open the window so the soul can depart. I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Not tonight, Berta. Not tonight."

The nurse closed the window.

* * *

What a similar thought! Koreans have a memorial service during their two biggest holidays, Lunar New Years Day and Thanksgiving Day, and on the day when the deceased passed away. Before the ceremony, they open the door and remove any clotheslines in their yard. They believe that souls would be able to come and go without any difficulty by doing these. Whether there exist souls or not, how kind people is to consider soul’s convenience.

Proofread by Maggie

#Hospice #soul

New Watch

People say they don't have to wear a watch any more since cell phones do what watches have done. I am one who does not agree with this idea. Although I always carry my cell phone everywhere, I prefer to look at the watch on my wrist. Besides the practical reason of time-keeping, there is another reason to wear a watch. It can be a luxury item. I cannot deny that I would like to show off with a pricey one if I could afford it, however I am much more practical regarding watches.

When I decided on a few criteria, when I bought a new one.

It needs to harvest the energy from the environment where it is being used. I don't want to wind the watch every morning or to change the battery once every few years. It can be a solar watch, which generates electricity from the light. It can be a kinetic, which converts the kinetic energy to electricity. It can be automatic, which winds a spring by the user's movement.

It must show the time, day and date.

It must have a dual-time function, because I need to check time in Seoul frequently.

It must have all the above information on the dial or face. I don't want to push a button to check the other time zone or date.

It doesn't have to have bling-bling, but must have a decent design.

Its price cannot exceed $250.

I’d rather it be a radio-controlled one. Although watch makers are doing very well to make accurate watches, I want really exact one.

Based on the above criteria, I could easily narrow down the number of candidate watches. My final choice was the watch(LIW-M610D-2AJF) by Casio which makes a lot of cheap watches. The watches from the other brands cost a lot more than my choice.

A couple of months already have passed since I began to wear it and I am still satisfied with its design and functionality.

Proofread by Maggie

#Watch #Radio-controlled #solar

For years, Saudi Arabia has been living off one resource and one resource only: Oil. But now, the price of a barrel has plummeted, and the country is scrambling to adapt.

There is no income tax or sales tax. Of course, people don't need to pay property tax either. There isn't any tax at all. Healthcare and education are free. The utilities are so cheap that people don't turn off the air conditioner when they are out. On the other hand, movie theaters are not allowed so people have to drive to a neighboring country to watch a movie. Women cannot drive a car yet. Which country do you think I am talking about? It's Saudi Arabia. All of this is possible due to the oil money. Everything needs to be changed when the oil price plunges. The price of utilities is not cheap any more. The government is even considering to ask people to pay tax. The price of utilities is not cheap any more and the government is even considering a tax. Interestingly enough, the interviewee on the radio show said that he had begun thinking about the right of his opinion about the government if he is required to pay taxes. When he received literally everything, he only felt thankful to the government and didn't consider his right to his opinion. It will be very interesting to see if the low oil price can change the political perspective of Saudi Arabian.

Proofread by Maggie

#planet money #saudi arabia #oil

Credit Card Fraud?

When I reviewed the my credit card transactions, I found something strange. I was charged for something I don't remember purchasing. It was a payment to an on-line toy store which is in New Jersey. I have not been there in 5 years and there is no one to whom I gave a toy as a present. The card company homepage recommended to contact the seller first before I filed cancellation. I didn't want to do because I am afraid of making a phone call due to difficulties in speaking and listening to English. Besides I didn't know what I should do if they refuse a cancellation. Anyway I did make a phone call and said I was not able to remember the transaction. The representative asked me for the last four digits of my credit card and said they would cancel it without hesitation. It was so easy that I was surprised. After hanging up the phone, I thought my credit card information seemed to be leaked and I might need to re-issue it.

Proofread by Maggie.

#credit card fraud

Unexpected balancing weight on the wheel.

While driving to work, I felt like something was wrong. When the car ran faster than 60 miles per hour, the steering wheel started shaking. The faster I drove, the more it wobbled. I had to exit I-25 because I didn't know what was going on and what could be the consequence of this severe vibration. I thought it would not take a long time for the car to fall apart. If I had to deal with a problem, I preferred to take care of it on the normal road, not on the interstate. As long as the speed didn't exceed sixty, it was smooth. Upon arrival at work, I looked at the wheels. What I found was ice stuck on the wheel. It broke the balance of the wheel and caused the scary wobbling. After removing it, the car ran as it used to run.

Proofread by Maggie

#Balancing weight #snow #car

Recycling

The local government in South Korea has requested that people recycle ; so you can easily find multiple recycle bins next to the trash can. I need to get used thinking about how I should divide whatever I toss away because there are at least two or more wastebaskets.

Since moving here, I haven’t had recycling bins. It is because they charge additional money for recycling bins. Whenever I put something which can be recycled into the trash can, I feel guilty.

After I found the recycling facility run by El Paso County, I no longer need to feel guilty. They accept paper, metal cans and plastic bottles. I notice our trash can is less full than before. That means a lot of things are going to the recycle bin now,

If you are going to do the same, please avoid Monday. The employee told me when they empty their Dumpsters and they are usually full on Monday, (but I forgot which day that was).

Proofread by Maggie.

#El Paso County #recycle

In line all day long

My daughter’s name-change process is almost completed. We received the decree from the court and submitted applications for a social security card and a green card with her new name.

When I visited the social security office, the employee found that my driver license had expired a few days before. Because I had my passport, I could use it as a photo ID.

It was Friday morning, I headed for DMV office to renew my license. After waiting a long time, the clerk told me I had to visit the other office because my driver license was associated with my visa status. I have a green card now, but my license was processed before getting a green card.

When I went to the second DMV office, I had to wait a long time again to renew my driver license.

One of my days off was spent visiting three public offices.

Proofread by Maggie.

#DMV #social security #expiration

I went to France - Josephine Bake

Source of the photo(https://youtu.be/rEDPJg2ViD8)

“I wanted to get far away from those who believed in cruelty, so then I went to France, a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity.”

Josephine Bake was African American. She moved to France and became a famous dancer there. She and her French husband adopted 12 children from all over the world to demonstrate their belief that people from different religions and different ethnic backgrounds can live together. People called her family "The Rainbow Tribe".

What she said about France after she departed the US and the news of the Paris terror attacks contrasted in my mind over the weekend.

Was her belief of "The Rainbow Tribe" nothing but a dream? Where will a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity go?

Proofread by Maggie A.

#The Rainbow Tribe #josephine baker

America, American

Overseas travel was not allowed for Korean people until 1981. Before liberalization, there was a limitation on issuing passports for travel. They could get passports only for business trips, studying abroad and overseas employment. Besides the difficulty of obtaining a passport, there were few people who could afford the overseas travel at that time. Although Korea established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and China 10 years after, oversea travel was mainly to Europe and the US however the US was the most influential country from every aspects.

For a long time, the only way to experience foreign counties was the media, like TV shows and movies. Most of them came from America, as you can expect. I grew up watching “Little House on the Prairie”, and was excited to see how MacGyver solved his problem with very limited resources and awaited the next Tom and Jerry show.

The images of Americans in the TV shows and movies formed my thoughts about the United States,including the people, their culture and living. If I hadn’t moved here, I probably would have only a single viewpoint about the US and its people. I continue to realize my point of view was limited and sometimes wrong. I don’t expect to have a complete understanding about this country, but I think I am making a good progress.

One discrepancy between my pre-established ideas and the reality was about how Americans are moral. I could be wrong but generally speaking, Americans are very sound in their work ethic and their morals. It was quite a surprise and even a huge relief for me to realize this fact. I know we are seeing a lot of strange stories in the news everyday, but I am talking about usual people I meet here.

Proofread by Maggie A.

#prejudice #american #us

A Dog of Flanders

Source of Photo

When I was a kid, I liked to watch cartoons on TV. Most of the cartoons were imported from Japan and they were usually about adventures or fighting robots. There was one animated movie which was different from others. It was "A Dog of Flanders".

It was a story about a boy whose name was Nello and his dog in Flanders. He had no parents and lived with hos grandfather. His grandfather made a living by delivering and selling milk, however he didn't make much money. One day, Nello found a poor dog, who had been beaten by his owner and abandoned. He took care of the dog and they became friends. Nello was happy with his dog, Patrasche and his lovely friend, Aloise who was the daughter of the richest person in the town. Nello dreamed of being a good painter. Misfortune began to throw its shadow on him when his only guardian, grandfather passed away. He was suspected as the arsonist who had set a fire at the mill run by Aloise's father. On top of everything else, he lost the painting contest. Finally, he lost his house and decided to go to Antwerp Cathedral. For a long time, he wanted to see Rubens', The Elevation of the Cross in the Cathedral. He and his dog had a chance to go into it and see what he desired to see. It was Christmas Eve, next morning they are found dead. The joy of seeing the painting could not keep both hunger and cold from Nello and Patrasche.

A Dog of Flanders became very popular in Japan and then in Korea. As I said at the beginning, it was an unusual animated movie because it was a tearjerker. It was very(or extremely) hard for me to understand why a good person like Nello had to have such a misfortune. Still people of my age cannot help being lost in memories when they hear the theme song of this animated movie. This animated movie was based on the novel of the same title, written by French-English write Marie Louise de la Ramée. Very few Belgians knew about the novel until so many Japanese tourists asked about "A Dog of Flanders".

Proofread by Maggie A.

China’s V-day Parade

Who did fight with Japan in WW2?

On September 3rd, China will have a celebration of the victory to Japan. As you can expect, it will be huge in scale. Beijing eagerly wants to show off its economical and military power.

China invited several leaders from different countries but Japan refused the invitation and so did the United States however South Korea accepted it. For months it has been a political issue in Korea whether to go or not. President Park has tried to maintain a good relationship with China during her political career but many people concerned that her inclination to be close to China could undermine a relationship between Korea and the United States. Anyway, she decided to participate in the celebration. One question crossed my mind. Is the current Chinese Communist government the same Chinese government that fought with Japan during the World War 2? There were times when the Kuomintang and the Communists helped each other to fight Japan, but mostly the Kuomintang had two enemies, the Imperial Japan and the Communists. Practically speaking the Communists were the ones who took advantage of Japanese invasion. The Kuomintang government became weak while waging the fight with Japan and the Communists ware finally able to expel its Chinese enemy to Taiwan and to take over the Mainland. The contribution of the current Chinese government to the victory over Japan was not significant. This celebration reminds me of a Korean proverb. "Bear does its acrobatics and an owner makes money."

Proofread by Maggie A.

Written in August 2015

Link to Wikipedia

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