Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

It's weird.  For the first time in a long while I am not thinking about renewing with a school or combing the job boards for available positions in Korea.  I started getting emails from recruiting companies with lists of schools looking for the upcoming months, but I deleted them without even thinking of opening them.

Instead I find myself pouring over open jobs for NC, assessing the employment situation for my home state and going through my PRAXIS books, wondering what else I need to review in preparation for next year.  The good news is that elementary school teachers (the field I want to go into) are in demand, more than in previous years.  Before now, I cringed at the thought of going home because I didn't know yet what I wanted to do.  Now, I am ready for the day when I can close the book on my time in Korea and start the next chapter in my life.

I can't guarantee it will be easy or without struggle.  I can't say if things will go the way I want them.  I can't guarantee that I won't have a moment or two where I want to escape to a foreign country.  But I made the decision before I returned this year that it would be my last in Korea, and I'm sticking to that, no matter what awaits me at home.  Having given Korea a good chunk of my life, I'm ready to appreciate where I came from so much more.

Through everything, and even with this past year's situation being less than ideal, Korea has taught me a lot about myself.  It's taught me the value of human relationships.  I know that having lived as a foreigner in a country where many avenues of life are difficult to get into, I will never again look at those who come to the US for a new life the same way again.  Language, laws, religion, politics, health care, social status, education--all of these issues carry new meaning for me.  Talk about a real eye-opening experience.

Even with the uncertainty surrounding the 2012 Presidential Election and what may happen in the following months, I know that no matter the outcome, I will do my best to find a way to live back home.  I owe it to myself to give it a fighting chance.  I've been putting "real life" off as long as I have been living in Korea; now is the time for me to get back into the swing of things, whatever the future brings.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

This Should Just Be Common Sense, Right?

I can't say the same for other states in the US or even other countries in the world, but I know for a fact that we've passed a law prohibiting texting and driving in recent history.  I'm sure that law already took care of driving while on the phone as well, but it's been a few years since I drove so I'm a little out of the loop on that one.

But even with such a law in Korea, you would never know by the way people are always on their cell phones.  Currently, there is a fine of 60,000 won for any driver caught using his cell phone while operating a car.  The fine goes up to 70,000 for a truck or van driver, and is only 40,000 for a motorcyclist.  A lawmaker by the name of Kim So-nam wants to add bicyclists to the list of "vehicles" that would fall under this law.  However, this law would only apply to bicyclists riding in bike lines on the road, not your average sidewalk or park biker.

I've seen a number of people using their cell phones whilst riding bikes, and then watched them almost run into a pole, tree, parked car, other bicyclist, or pedestrian.  I know it's physically possible to ride a bike with one hand if you've got the skills, but it does put you a little off-balance.  And then add in staring at a tiny screen but not looking at what's in front of you?  It's a recipe for disaster.

Here, logic would dictate that ALL bicyclists, regardless of location, be prohibited from biking and using a phone.  It would save people a lot of damage, personal injury, and frazzled nerves.

How many injuries or accidents might we hear about before the law gets changed again?

North Korea and Russia and the 6-Party Talks

Anyone who has kept up with the news of North Korea in recent years is familiar with the ways this reclusive country attempts to gain aid. After repeated instances of nuclear threat, shelling of islands in South Korea, and torpedoing a South Korean ship, North Korea seems to be taking a higher road in its pursuit of fuel and food.

Kim Jong-il paid a visit to Russia this week to discuss and rejoin the 6-party talks over nuclear disarmament--with the intent of ending its nuclear standoff.

Russia had long been an ally of North Korea until the fall of the Soviet Union, after which North Korea turned to China for help. The Russian President Medvedev and Kim Jong-il also discussed the possibility of a natural gas pipeline funneling from Russia to South Korea. North Korea could stand to earn up to 100 million dollars each year from this venture, which would greatly help the ailing nation.

Seemingly, these recent talks and reduced aggression are moves to show that North Korea is still a powerful and great nation in the eyes of its people. These events happen just prior to the 100th birthday of its founder, Kim Il-sung, and in the midst of a power shift.

In addition to Russian and North Korean diplomats, the US and South Korea have been discussing when all parties involved will be able to return to nuclear dialogues. The 6-party talks also include Japan and China.

This news isn't met without skepticism, however, and justifiably so. What exactly are North Korea's intentions these days? Is this a momentary change of heart to generate some sympathy and aid? Or are there deeper internal struggles within the country that necessitate these recent changes?

How do you feel about North Korea and their recent cool-down in behavior? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Building a music bridge

Can music span a divide that carefully orchestrated talks cannot?  One man's dream is just that.  Inspired by his friend Isang Yun, who was exiled from South Korea for visiting North Korea, Charles Dutoit wants to bring the two Koreas together over a joint orchestra venture.  With tensions recently heightened by last year's attacks from North Korea, he sees music as one way of trying to bring these two countries together.  Yun was impressed with the skill of North Korean musicians during one of his visits to Pyongyang, and hoped for the divided nations to one day play together.  He believed it would help create dialogue that could lead to resolving the issues of North and South Korea.

Would such a venture be successful given the current political environment of the Korean peninsula?  Recently the North has embarked on creating a more positive public image, and has started showing more interest in Western media and society.  What will the next few years bring?  Only time will tell if this venture or other peace-making gestures will succeed.

What's in a Name?

Korean names, much like their Western counterparts, come with special meaning chosen by parents and elders in the family.  Before a child is born, the parents and grandparents visit a fortune-teller to choose the best name that will ensure the baby wealth, happiness, knowledge, or fame.  This is based on a number of factors that expectant parents will consult with the fortune teller.  Sometimes they will choose a name based on something that they like.

As a token of friendship, Korea has given several important government figures Korean names.  The latest in this list is President Obama, who says he is thankful for his new moniker.  His Korean name is O Han-ma, which really isn't too far off from his given last name.  To be honest, his last name already sounded like a Korean name to begin with.

Partying at the DMZ?

According to this news story, North Korea has accused US troops of partying and acting "rampantly" in the DMZ.  They issued a warning to South Korea stating that if the behavior continued, then the country would suffer the ramifications of such behavior, including "human damage."

What exactly is the "rampant" behavior?  The story states that US soldiers came within 20 meters of the DMZ with women, taking pictures and throwing bottles of alcohol over the border to North Korean soldiers.

This threat is the latest in a stream of North Korean antagonism towards South Korea and the US.  North Korea has been issuing these threats as a way of showing its people that the current regime is still standing strong.  As the transfer of power continues between Kim Jong-il and his son, North Korea is struggling to maintain control over its people--especially when considering the recent news of civil unrest and revolt in the Middle East.

What do you make of the story?  Is it just a ploy by North Korea to further escalate tension on the peninsula?  Or did the US troops act irresponsibily in their role as peacekeeping aid?  What do you think should happen next?