Today, I spent a hour in a temple called Myoung-jong-sa, which means bright-something-temple. I'll have to ask what "jong" means, the next time I'm there.
In university, after I discovered and became attached to Buddhism, I longed to see "real" Asian Buddhist temples. There were temples in Ann Arbor, and I often visited a a Japanese Zen temple close to downtown Ann Arbor. Yet I rather naively thought "it's not the same."
Myoung-jong-sa was the first temple I ever went to in Korea. It's an urban temple, meaning it's pretty easy to get to, sitting as it does right in the middle of downtown. My first room-mate Michael and I were walking downtown and kind of discovered it by accident. He wasn't even sure it was a temple, but I recognised some of the paintings and wall decorations. I still remember the thrill I had when I achieved one of my university dreams.
Despite being an urban temple, Myoung-jong-sa sits in a forested nook, which lends a nice backdrop to the temple; the birdsong lends a nice compliment to the fish bells ringing in the breeze.
As temples go, it is not a spectacular one, although I didn't know that at the time, of course. Since then, it has improved a good bit: a massive main hall has been built, for instance. It's three stories high, with a long balcony running all the way around the hall. Downtown stretches into the distance below you, and the view is incredible.
The new main statue, one of 1000-handed Kwan-seum (better known for her Chinese name, Kwan Yin), is quite large. Also, unusually for a Korean temple, she is multi-armed (12, I think). In each arm is a an object used to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings: a sword, book, bell, etc.
I spent the hour doing sitting and walking meditation. The new main hall is cavernous, a virtual barn of a temple. And I had the whole thing to myself for most of the hour. At one point some southeast Asians came in, which surprised me. Towards the end, a woman sat down with her back to the wall, and immediately began chanting "Kwan-seum bo-sal" again and again in a melodic voice.
Temples are always very calming places. I like to think of buildings as semi-sentient, that they've soaked up the events that happened within their walls. A house in which a murder has taken place retains an atmosphere of pain and fear, for instance. Buddhism is a religion of peace: therefore temples are islands of calmness and silence [even if they are in the middle of a city!]. For me at least, to enter a temple, is to enter a space filled with solemnity and silence. When I leave, my mind is settled, and I want to smile and give a "namaste" bow to everyone I meet.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
A White Flower for Roh Mu Hyun
The suicide of former South Korean president Roh Mu Hyun has become a huge public outpouring of grief.
All across the country, "satellite" funeral halls have been set up in public places. Always interested in Korean culture, I went down to see the Cheongju city one last night with my wife's family.
There were two "funerals": one set up in the provincial hall, and another set up in the park right down the street. We went to the hall one first, which was a quick in and out. You went in, took off your shoes, laid a white chrysanthemum on the altar, and then prostrated yourself two times. Then you signed your name in the guestbook, and out. The picture of Mr. Roh was in color, surprisingly, and he had the little smile he was famous for on his face. We picked up some candles to bring with us to the park shrine.
Then we turned the corner to get there, and holy crap! There was a line. Not just a line, but an immense snaking line that wove for hundreds of meters down the street. A line to bow twice to a picture. Interesting. We weren't going to do the bowing again, but we were able to wiggle our way into the park itself.
Hundreds of long streamers with mourning messages written upon them hanging from ropes strung between the trees. Lots and lots of pictures with messages written upon them. Hundreds of people milling around with lit candles. A video tribute of the highlights of his long political life.
The shrine itself was pretty much what we'd just come from, but on a little grander scale. I was interested to see that people were offering cigarettes to the former president. He had asked for one just before he'd jumped off the cliff, but his bodyguard didn't have any on him. The woman behind us had tears pouring from her face.
The actual funeral is on TV right now, and sheer masses of people are in Seoul for it. It is being held in the ancient Kyoungbuk Palace. Many of the mourners are wearing yellow, which was apparently a color connected with Mr. Roh. They just showed an immense line of colorful banners blowing in the breeze -- gorgeous!
The ceremonies will be Christian, Catholic, and Buddhist, as Mr. Roh was religiously flexible; he visited a temple on the last day of his life. He will be cremated later on today, and his grave will be close to the mountain in his hometown from which he jumped.
His suicide note said "Don't be sad". I wonder if he knew how upset the Korean people would be. Although, to be honest, I suspect this immense grief is a reaction in part to the extreme unpopularity of the current administration, just as part of the joy of Mr. Obama becoming president is that George Bush is no longer president.
A white chrysanthemum for Roh Mu Hyun. May your rebirth be a good one.
All across the country, "satellite" funeral halls have been set up in public places. Always interested in Korean culture, I went down to see the Cheongju city one last night with my wife's family.
There were two "funerals": one set up in the provincial hall, and another set up in the park right down the street. We went to the hall one first, which was a quick in and out. You went in, took off your shoes, laid a white chrysanthemum on the altar, and then prostrated yourself two times. Then you signed your name in the guestbook, and out. The picture of Mr. Roh was in color, surprisingly, and he had the little smile he was famous for on his face. We picked up some candles to bring with us to the park shrine.
Then we turned the corner to get there, and holy crap! There was a line. Not just a line, but an immense snaking line that wove for hundreds of meters down the street. A line to bow twice to a picture. Interesting. We weren't going to do the bowing again, but we were able to wiggle our way into the park itself.
Hundreds of long streamers with mourning messages written upon them hanging from ropes strung between the trees. Lots and lots of pictures with messages written upon them. Hundreds of people milling around with lit candles. A video tribute of the highlights of his long political life.
The shrine itself was pretty much what we'd just come from, but on a little grander scale. I was interested to see that people were offering cigarettes to the former president. He had asked for one just before he'd jumped off the cliff, but his bodyguard didn't have any on him. The woman behind us had tears pouring from her face.
The actual funeral is on TV right now, and sheer masses of people are in Seoul for it. It is being held in the ancient Kyoungbuk Palace. Many of the mourners are wearing yellow, which was apparently a color connected with Mr. Roh. They just showed an immense line of colorful banners blowing in the breeze -- gorgeous!
The ceremonies will be Christian, Catholic, and Buddhist, as Mr. Roh was religiously flexible; he visited a temple on the last day of his life. He will be cremated later on today, and his grave will be close to the mountain in his hometown from which he jumped.
His suicide note said "Don't be sad". I wonder if he knew how upset the Korean people would be. Although, to be honest, I suspect this immense grief is a reaction in part to the extreme unpopularity of the current administration, just as part of the joy of Mr. Obama becoming president is that George Bush is no longer president.
A white chrysanthemum for Roh Mu Hyun. May your rebirth be a good one.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Nice quote
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
[Thanks, Sonya from Texas!]
Now I want to go see "Groundhog's day" again!
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
[Thanks, Sonya from Texas!]
Now I want to go see "Groundhog's day" again!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Second Big Boom
Yet more bad news. This seems to be the week for it.
I refer to North Korea's second nuke test, of course. It's interesting how blase the people in Korea are about their not-so-friendly northern neighbor. But I guess they've been living with the threat of war for over 50 years now. It's a bit like the boy who cried wolf, but instead of wolf, he says "war". They've heard it all before.
South Korean people generally long for reunification with North Korea. Some Korean people believe that NK would never go to war against SK because their common ancestry. Others believe Kim Jong Il is pretty much the Devil in high hair and sunglasses.
During the Kim Dae Jun administration, things were looking up. President Kim had his Sunshine policy, which was basically a policy of gradual northern engagement. This policy continued under the next president as well. However, the failure of the sunshine policy can be laid firmly at the feet of the north. SK gave and gave and gave, and NK took and took and took, and gave very little back in turn. Eventually, SK got tired of this never-ending generosity, and the current president, Lee Myoung Pak, was elected pretty much because he would be more rigid against NK.
Wither North Korea? Who knows? But I can say this: the USA has an open-minded and liberal leader who would no doubt love to put a negative relationship in the positive column. If NK wants to change its relationship with the west, now is the time. But I suspect this will go the same way as the defunct Sunshine Policy. Like a feral cat, North Korea seems incapable of real trust and friendship, and seems to only snarl at an open hand.
And yet, neither can they continue upon their present path of militarism and starvation forever. Their country has an expiration date that is fast approaching. Kim Jong Il and his government would be wise to change their minds before somebody else changes it for them.
I refer to North Korea's second nuke test, of course. It's interesting how blase the people in Korea are about their not-so-friendly northern neighbor. But I guess they've been living with the threat of war for over 50 years now. It's a bit like the boy who cried wolf, but instead of wolf, he says "war". They've heard it all before.
South Korean people generally long for reunification with North Korea. Some Korean people believe that NK would never go to war against SK because their common ancestry. Others believe Kim Jong Il is pretty much the Devil in high hair and sunglasses.
During the Kim Dae Jun administration, things were looking up. President Kim had his Sunshine policy, which was basically a policy of gradual northern engagement. This policy continued under the next president as well. However, the failure of the sunshine policy can be laid firmly at the feet of the north. SK gave and gave and gave, and NK took and took and took, and gave very little back in turn. Eventually, SK got tired of this never-ending generosity, and the current president, Lee Myoung Pak, was elected pretty much because he would be more rigid against NK.
Wither North Korea? Who knows? But I can say this: the USA has an open-minded and liberal leader who would no doubt love to put a negative relationship in the positive column. If NK wants to change its relationship with the west, now is the time. But I suspect this will go the same way as the defunct Sunshine Policy. Like a feral cat, North Korea seems incapable of real trust and friendship, and seems to only snarl at an open hand.
And yet, neither can they continue upon their present path of militarism and starvation forever. Their country has an expiration date that is fast approaching. Kim Jong Il and his government would be wise to change their minds before somebody else changes it for them.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Buddha on the Ganges: a Visualization
It's a overcast day, the sky uniformly dull with pending rain. It's still hot though, and the slight breeze is refreshingly cool against your skin. The plants and reeds on the shore of the Ganges river are lush, thick, and vibrantly green. The warm smell of the mud is cloying at first, and slowly becomes comfortable. Lap of water and sound of frogs. A cobra slips through the reeds, not less than a meter away from your bare toes. And yet you feel no fear.
The Blessed River is wide here, and the hazy far shore is hundreds of meters away. The water is cloudy with silt. Blooming pink and white lotuses hug the muddy odoriferous shore; the lily pads are the size and thickness of dinner plates. A heron skims over the water, touching its wings to the surface. Buzz of insects.
The Buddha is sitting upon a rock several meters from the shore. The rock is spear-head shaped, and quite large and flat; it is not much higher than the water's surface, and one imagines that is probably underwater in the rainy season. It is surrounded by the lotus flowers on all sides, yet you have a clear view though them to the Buddha.
He is younger than you thought he would be. His face is thin and delicately boned. A slight scuff of black beard covers his lower face. His eyes are downward cast, as if he were looking at the bottom of the river, and half closed. His hair is long and gathered together in a ponytail, tied with a long strip of frayed orange cloth, and the ends are dancing in the breeze. As you had heard, his earlobes are long and bear the marks of piercing.
He is thin with his ribs showing, the Buddha, yet something more than skeletal; there is a solidity to him that belies his seeming fragility. He is sitting in lotus position, his hands folded together and placed in a loose knot in his lap. There is a smear of dried mud on his left bicep, and the upturned bottoms of his feet are brown with old, ingrained dirt.
You step forward for a better view, and a twig under your foot shifts and then snaps. The Buddha raises his head and opens his eyes. They are unsettling, those eyes, but you're not sure what it is that makes them so. They're just eyes... and then again, they're not.
The Buddha smiles at you, and puts his palms together and bows namaste-fashion. He beckons to you, still smiling, and indicates the space to his right.
You step into the blood-warm water that laps at your ankles and you sink a bit in the mud. You step forward into the lotuses, and their heady scent fills your nostrils. The water creeps up your legs, and the head-sized lotuses block your view of the Buddha, and you must push them aside gently. You lose sight of him completely, and with lotuses on all sides, you wonder if you're going the right way; you pull your feet from the thick mud with difficulty. The muddy water is up to mid-thigh now, and something living slides along your bare leg. And then, through the blossoms, his open hand is held out to you. You take it and are pulled gently upwards. The blossoms part, and there he is, smiling.
The Blessed River is wide here, and the hazy far shore is hundreds of meters away. The water is cloudy with silt. Blooming pink and white lotuses hug the muddy odoriferous shore; the lily pads are the size and thickness of dinner plates. A heron skims over the water, touching its wings to the surface. Buzz of insects.
The Buddha is sitting upon a rock several meters from the shore. The rock is spear-head shaped, and quite large and flat; it is not much higher than the water's surface, and one imagines that is probably underwater in the rainy season. It is surrounded by the lotus flowers on all sides, yet you have a clear view though them to the Buddha.
He is younger than you thought he would be. His face is thin and delicately boned. A slight scuff of black beard covers his lower face. His eyes are downward cast, as if he were looking at the bottom of the river, and half closed. His hair is long and gathered together in a ponytail, tied with a long strip of frayed orange cloth, and the ends are dancing in the breeze. As you had heard, his earlobes are long and bear the marks of piercing.
He is thin with his ribs showing, the Buddha, yet something more than skeletal; there is a solidity to him that belies his seeming fragility. He is sitting in lotus position, his hands folded together and placed in a loose knot in his lap. There is a smear of dried mud on his left bicep, and the upturned bottoms of his feet are brown with old, ingrained dirt.
You step forward for a better view, and a twig under your foot shifts and then snaps. The Buddha raises his head and opens his eyes. They are unsettling, those eyes, but you're not sure what it is that makes them so. They're just eyes... and then again, they're not.
The Buddha smiles at you, and puts his palms together and bows namaste-fashion. He beckons to you, still smiling, and indicates the space to his right.
You step into the blood-warm water that laps at your ankles and you sink a bit in the mud. You step forward into the lotuses, and their heady scent fills your nostrils. The water creeps up your legs, and the head-sized lotuses block your view of the Buddha, and you must push them aside gently. You lose sight of him completely, and with lotuses on all sides, you wonder if you're going the right way; you pull your feet from the thick mud with difficulty. The muddy water is up to mid-thigh now, and something living slides along your bare leg. And then, through the blossoms, his open hand is held out to you. You take it and are pulled gently upwards. The blossoms part, and there he is, smiling.
Terminator Salvation Review (minor spoilers)
On Sunday, I saw the movie "Terminator Salvation" with my friends Tim and Alan.
I did enjoy it. I did. But.
I found the movie unrelentingly grim. I don't need my science fiction happy-happy positive all the time, but there's a limit of how much darkness I can enjoy. The recent movie "The Watchmen" for instance, was also quite grim, but also contained a good bit of humor, and laugh out loud humor at that. Not so the new Terminator movie, and that's too bad.
In fact, the whole movie was fairly colorless: nothing was particularly bright, not even the blood.
Things that have been pretty fun or at least interesting just seemed to fall flat, as in the signature line which was simply delivered wrongly. It also seemed to be missing something vital about it, something that the other movies had, but this one didn't. I can't define it, but it wasn't there. I had the same feeling about the last "Aliens vs. Predator" movie.
There were also several things that seemed to stretch the credulity limit. Are we really supposed to believe Conner could just grab a motorcycle-bot, stick some handle bars in, and then be able to control it like a horse? Really?
The interplay between the two men, John Conner and Marcus Wright, was pretty interesting, and I wish they'd done a bit more of it. I would have also have liked see more of Marcus dealing with his ... special problem.
I also enjoyed seeing all the new robots, especially the giant one, which reminded me of my favorite Playstation game "Wander and Colossus". The special effects were quite good as well.
Overall, a solid if dull-black installment in the ongoing story. I look forward to the next one [I just hope it's better].
I did enjoy it. I did. But.
I found the movie unrelentingly grim. I don't need my science fiction happy-happy positive all the time, but there's a limit of how much darkness I can enjoy. The recent movie "The Watchmen" for instance, was also quite grim, but also contained a good bit of humor, and laugh out loud humor at that. Not so the new Terminator movie, and that's too bad.
In fact, the whole movie was fairly colorless: nothing was particularly bright, not even the blood.
Things that have been pretty fun or at least interesting just seemed to fall flat, as in the signature line which was simply delivered wrongly. It also seemed to be missing something vital about it, something that the other movies had, but this one didn't. I can't define it, but it wasn't there. I had the same feeling about the last "Aliens vs. Predator" movie.
There were also several things that seemed to stretch the credulity limit. Are we really supposed to believe Conner could just grab a motorcycle-bot, stick some handle bars in, and then be able to control it like a horse? Really?
The interplay between the two men, John Conner and Marcus Wright, was pretty interesting, and I wish they'd done a bit more of it. I would have also have liked see more of Marcus dealing with his ... special problem.
I also enjoyed seeing all the new robots, especially the giant one, which reminded me of my favorite Playstation game "Wander and Colossus". The special effects were quite good as well.
Overall, a solid if dull-black installment in the ongoing story. I look forward to the next one [I just hope it's better].
Bad News
Former South Korean president Roh Mu Hyun is dead. He committed suicide by jumping off a cliff.
When he was elected, he had a reputation for being free from corruption. Yet once out of office, he came under fire for allegedly taking money illegally. There was even a likelihood that he would be arrested. Not only was he in trouble, but his family was also implicated.
I couldn't believe it when my friend told me the news over the phone. It seems unreal that such a man, a former world leader, would kill himself. Let's hope that his death is not the beginning of a new round of suicides. Korea already has a huge problem with people killing themselves. In fact, the world suicide has recently been banned from Korean search engines, as people have been forming suicide "clubs".
I remember President Roh as being an adequate if not spectacular leader, and a man who always seemed to be gently smiling. It is hard to think of him being so depressed and unhappy that he would kill himself.
Two bows for Roh Mu Hyun. May he become a great and powerful Bodhsattva in his next life, one dedicated to the happiness of all brings. Om Mani Padme Hum.
When he was elected, he had a reputation for being free from corruption. Yet once out of office, he came under fire for allegedly taking money illegally. There was even a likelihood that he would be arrested. Not only was he in trouble, but his family was also implicated.
I couldn't believe it when my friend told me the news over the phone. It seems unreal that such a man, a former world leader, would kill himself. Let's hope that his death is not the beginning of a new round of suicides. Korea already has a huge problem with people killing themselves. In fact, the world suicide has recently been banned from Korean search engines, as people have been forming suicide "clubs".
I remember President Roh as being an adequate if not spectacular leader, and a man who always seemed to be gently smiling. It is hard to think of him being so depressed and unhappy that he would kill himself.
Two bows for Roh Mu Hyun. May he become a great and powerful Bodhsattva in his next life, one dedicated to the happiness of all brings. Om Mani Padme Hum.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
43 and that's okay!
It's that time of year again: my birthday.
I don't get hung up on birthdays like a lot of people. I generally look on them as a positive thing, a personal holiday. I'm getting older, that's true. Well, so what? As the Buddha said, getting older can't be avoided.
I was born in 1966, so that makes me 43 years old today. That's a good age to be, of course. Still young, but with the edge of experience.
I was born on May 20th, but I should have been born in June: I was 2 months premature. I spend several weeks in an incubator with a glow-in-the-dark plastic rosary hanging over my head. The rosary was a gift from a nurse, and I found it in one of my boxes last summer. My grandfather did not call the Texas relatives for a week, he was sure I would die. Not only did I not die, I thrived: I avoided all of the problems a lot of premature babies have, save being very short for many years.
I probably shouldn't be here. Living, that is. It was pretty touch and go, apparently. So I'm always grateful for my time here on Earth: every day, every moment is a gift. Maybe that sounds kinda hokey, a little too greeting card-ish , but that's okay, because it's true.
I don't get hung up on birthdays like a lot of people. I generally look on them as a positive thing, a personal holiday. I'm getting older, that's true. Well, so what? As the Buddha said, getting older can't be avoided.
I was born in 1966, so that makes me 43 years old today. That's a good age to be, of course. Still young, but with the edge of experience.
I was born on May 20th, but I should have been born in June: I was 2 months premature. I spend several weeks in an incubator with a glow-in-the-dark plastic rosary hanging over my head. The rosary was a gift from a nurse, and I found it in one of my boxes last summer. My grandfather did not call the Texas relatives for a week, he was sure I would die. Not only did I not die, I thrived: I avoided all of the problems a lot of premature babies have, save being very short for many years.
I probably shouldn't be here. Living, that is. It was pretty touch and go, apparently. So I'm always grateful for my time here on Earth: every day, every moment is a gift. Maybe that sounds kinda hokey, a little too greeting card-ish , but that's okay, because it's true.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Why Buddhism?!
I'm Buddhist. This often surprises people, especially Korean people who seem to think that all white Americans are Christians. Of course, a lot of Americans also seem to think that Americans should be Christians, but that's a different topic. So... why Buddhism?
I grew up Catholic, and faithfully attended our local church. Once I became a adult, however, I seldom (never?) attended church. I did not cease being Catholic, it just wasn't something that I often thought about.
After I graduated from high school, I went to a local community college to bump up my grades a bit before attending university. It was there that I first encountered Buddhism in a real way.
Everybody knows a bit about Buddhism, right? Meditation, fat guy with a smile, the Dalai Lama. And that was all I knew too. Then I took a course called something like "World Religions 101". We learned about Judaism (yawn), Christianity (yawn), Islam (yawn), Hinduism (hmmm!) and then Buddhism.
The Buddha and his Dharma and Sangha arrived with an earth shattering roar. Why did Buddhism appealed to me so strongly? I have no idea, but it did. It revolutionized my life. I was never quite the same after that class. Becoming Buddhist felt like ... coming home. Like becoming the person I wanted to be.
I began to meditate, visit local temples, read and write Haiku, became vegetarian, and read Buddhist book and Buddhist book (one of my early favorites was "Zen Flesh Zen Bones" by Paul Reps). I even thought seriously about becoming a monk someday. That never materialized, but I no longer think you need to be a monk to follow the Buddhist path. In 1997, I found myself taking a job in South Korea, a country with a substantial Buddhist history and culture. I couldn't have been happier.
It's been some 20 years since World Religions 101. I'm still in Korea and still Buddhist. I'll always be grateful to that class and teacher. Perhaps it was destiny: perhaps I would have become Buddhist without that experience, but on the other hand, perhaps not. Buddhism is now thoroughly fused with my mental structures and the way I conduct my life: I would not be myself without it.
I grew up Catholic, and faithfully attended our local church. Once I became a adult, however, I seldom (never?) attended church. I did not cease being Catholic, it just wasn't something that I often thought about.
After I graduated from high school, I went to a local community college to bump up my grades a bit before attending university. It was there that I first encountered Buddhism in a real way.
Everybody knows a bit about Buddhism, right? Meditation, fat guy with a smile, the Dalai Lama. And that was all I knew too. Then I took a course called something like "World Religions 101". We learned about Judaism (yawn), Christianity (yawn), Islam (yawn), Hinduism (hmmm!) and then Buddhism.
The Buddha and his Dharma and Sangha arrived with an earth shattering roar. Why did Buddhism appealed to me so strongly? I have no idea, but it did. It revolutionized my life. I was never quite the same after that class. Becoming Buddhist felt like ... coming home. Like becoming the person I wanted to be.
I began to meditate, visit local temples, read and write Haiku, became vegetarian, and read Buddhist book and Buddhist book (one of my early favorites was "Zen Flesh Zen Bones" by Paul Reps). I even thought seriously about becoming a monk someday. That never materialized, but I no longer think you need to be a monk to follow the Buddhist path. In 1997, I found myself taking a job in South Korea, a country with a substantial Buddhist history and culture. I couldn't have been happier.
It's been some 20 years since World Religions 101. I'm still in Korea and still Buddhist. I'll always be grateful to that class and teacher. Perhaps it was destiny: perhaps I would have become Buddhist without that experience, but on the other hand, perhaps not. Buddhism is now thoroughly fused with my mental structures and the way I conduct my life: I would not be myself without it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sports Days
Today is the beginning of the "Sports festival" at the Korean high school where I work. I was supposed to have 4 classes today, but all my classes were canceled, as apparently the students have to practice.
I have a confession: I've never been fond of sports: especially ones done with a team. I like physical activities such as bowling, pool, badminton, bike-riding, hiking, yoga, and walking. If I play a game, I prefer to do with a small group of people, as in under four players.
In America, we have football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. The big sport here in Korea is soccer. I know it's revered all over the world, but I just can't see the point of it. And people here go absolutely crazy over it!
In any game, one person will lose and feel bad; one person will win and feel good. In addition, a team sport sets up an "us and them" dynamic: good guys vs. bad guys. With an international game, nationalism becomes involved. I saw this dramatically illustrated when Korea and Japan hosted the 2002 Worldcup. Korea was "good", and everybody else was "bad".
Many people seem to think that such international sporting events help foster closer relationships between countries. I tend to think in the opposite way: such games instead reinforce racism and nationalism.
A two-day sports festival... at least the students are enjoying themselves! It's not often I see the students with such big smiles!
I have a confession: I've never been fond of sports: especially ones done with a team. I like physical activities such as bowling, pool, badminton, bike-riding, hiking, yoga, and walking. If I play a game, I prefer to do with a small group of people, as in under four players.
In America, we have football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. The big sport here in Korea is soccer. I know it's revered all over the world, but I just can't see the point of it. And people here go absolutely crazy over it!
In any game, one person will lose and feel bad; one person will win and feel good. In addition, a team sport sets up an "us and them" dynamic: good guys vs. bad guys. With an international game, nationalism becomes involved. I saw this dramatically illustrated when Korea and Japan hosted the 2002 Worldcup. Korea was "good", and everybody else was "bad".
Many people seem to think that such international sporting events help foster closer relationships between countries. I tend to think in the opposite way: such games instead reinforce racism and nationalism.
A two-day sports festival... at least the students are enjoying themselves! It's not often I see the students with such big smiles!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Going to Roma
I saw "Angels and Demons" with Tom Hanks last weekend. I quite enjoyed it. It wasn't as confusing as "The Da Vinci Code", and was certainly more accessible. The scenery was nice too, of course. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Castle Sant'Angelo, which I was very impressed by when I was in Roma several years ago.
I went to Roma after I graduated from Eastern with my Bachelors. I had this "Grand Tour" idea, to start from Rome and bike ride through Europe; I had planned to eventually end up in London. Sounds like a pipe dream, right? Well, I actually tried it. I quit my job and my apartment and flew to Roma to begin my journey. It was my first time on an airplane, and my first time traveling by myself.
The first thing that went wrong was that the airplane lost my luggage, including the parts I needed to put my bike together. Waiting for them to find my luggage, I spend two weeks in Roma wandering around and doing touristy stuff. Which was fine, as far as it went. When it came right down to it, I was lonely and scared being in Rome by myself. I eventually got the parts to at least put my bike back together, but then the roads and the Roman drivers scared the crap out of me. Thank God for open tickets! I went home after two weeks, and picked my life back up where I'd set it down.
I went to Roma after I graduated from Eastern with my Bachelors. I had this "Grand Tour" idea, to start from Rome and bike ride through Europe; I had planned to eventually end up in London. Sounds like a pipe dream, right? Well, I actually tried it. I quit my job and my apartment and flew to Roma to begin my journey. It was my first time on an airplane, and my first time traveling by myself.
The first thing that went wrong was that the airplane lost my luggage, including the parts I needed to put my bike together. Waiting for them to find my luggage, I spend two weeks in Roma wandering around and doing touristy stuff. Which was fine, as far as it went. When it came right down to it, I was lonely and scared being in Rome by myself. I eventually got the parts to at least put my bike back together, but then the roads and the Roman drivers scared the crap out of me. Thank God for open tickets! I went home after two weeks, and picked my life back up where I'd set it down.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
At a Korean Funeral Parlor
A few days ago, my wife's younger brother's older brother's father died. I I know you just went "huh?". Basically, it boils down to a Buddhist monk telling the mother her son shouldn't be raised as an only son in a family of girls (my wife has three sisters). A neighborhood boy was "adopted" as an older brother, and grew up frequenting my wife's family. Even now, he is often a part of any family activity (although he doesn't seem especially close to my brother-in-law). It was the father of the older "brother" that died the other day.
While my wife's mother died at home and the family kept the body there during the entire funeral procedure, in this case the funeral took place in a funeral parlor. However, other than the name, Korean funeral homes are quite different than the ones in America. [Cue theme to "Six Feet Under". ]
Funeral homes are generally large buildings with several funerals all going on at the same time. Usually, when you approach, you are gagging because of the several dozen men smoking on the outside steps (no women though; Korean women usually don't smoke in public). Inside, you first put money into a special envelope and put it into a special box. Lining the walls, there are all sorts of black banners with the Chinese characters that mean mourning on them, as well as "flower towers". It's quite busy and quite loud, with mourners from all the different funerals mixing together in the halls.
Inside the mourning room, you will be find the family members. The women will be dressed in white hanbok, and the men in thin yellow hemp robes with high square hats. The sons of the dead person are standing around a portrait of the deceased. This is a black and white picture with a black frame around it. The body and / or coffin is not displayed at all. The yellow-clad sons are keening a ritual funeral hymn and propping themselves up with a stick. They keep this up for hours and hours: my knees hurt just looking at then...
You go in and light some incense. Following that, you do two full-body bows to the deceased, and then two to the chief mourners (sons and guests bow together - the sons might do it several hundred times a day ). Then you sit back on your heels and exchange a few personal words with them.
And then.... you eat. You go from there directly into an loud eating hall, which is down the hall or attached to the bowing room. Last night there was kimchi soup, rice (of course), several kinds of vegetables, rice cakes, and meat dishes. And alcohol, of course. Koreans do nothing without alcohol, and funerals are not an exception. The whole extended family is there, and is in fact serving the guests. The "party" is open 24 hours the entire time of the funeral. Gambling, drinking, and talking is expected and encouraged. No showering or shaving is allowed for the family during the mourning time. The funeral home service continues for about 3 days before the body goes to its grave.
Traditionally, the son was supposed to spend 3 years (!) mourning the dead parent. He stayed in a small homemade hut and wore ragged clothing the entire time. Sometimes, you really have to wonder about Confucianism.
While my wife's mother died at home and the family kept the body there during the entire funeral procedure, in this case the funeral took place in a funeral parlor. However, other than the name, Korean funeral homes are quite different than the ones in America. [Cue theme to "Six Feet Under". ]
Funeral homes are generally large buildings with several funerals all going on at the same time. Usually, when you approach, you are gagging because of the several dozen men smoking on the outside steps (no women though; Korean women usually don't smoke in public). Inside, you first put money into a special envelope and put it into a special box. Lining the walls, there are all sorts of black banners with the Chinese characters that mean mourning on them, as well as "flower towers". It's quite busy and quite loud, with mourners from all the different funerals mixing together in the halls.
Inside the mourning room, you will be find the family members. The women will be dressed in white hanbok, and the men in thin yellow hemp robes with high square hats. The sons of the dead person are standing around a portrait of the deceased. This is a black and white picture with a black frame around it. The body and / or coffin is not displayed at all. The yellow-clad sons are keening a ritual funeral hymn and propping themselves up with a stick. They keep this up for hours and hours: my knees hurt just looking at then...
You go in and light some incense. Following that, you do two full-body bows to the deceased, and then two to the chief mourners (sons and guests bow together - the sons might do it several hundred times a day ). Then you sit back on your heels and exchange a few personal words with them.
And then.... you eat. You go from there directly into an loud eating hall, which is down the hall or attached to the bowing room. Last night there was kimchi soup, rice (of course), several kinds of vegetables, rice cakes, and meat dishes. And alcohol, of course. Koreans do nothing without alcohol, and funerals are not an exception. The whole extended family is there, and is in fact serving the guests. The "party" is open 24 hours the entire time of the funeral. Gambling, drinking, and talking is expected and encouraged. No showering or shaving is allowed for the family during the mourning time. The funeral home service continues for about 3 days before the body goes to its grave.
Traditionally, the son was supposed to spend 3 years (!) mourning the dead parent. He stayed in a small homemade hut and wore ragged clothing the entire time. Sometimes, you really have to wonder about Confucianism.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Rain and a funeral
I'm sitting at my desk at work looking out the window at the thin lines of rain. I have a good view: there is a large hill directly across from the school, and right now everything is green and beautiful with early summer. A nice respite from the hammerlike sun as of late.
I'm grateful to the rain. We've been in a drought lately, so it is more than welcome. And as I have to go to a funeral tonight in my wife's hometown of Eumseong (Korea), the drab grayness of the day is somehow fitting.
The funeral reminds me to be mindful. You never know when your next breath might be your last, so why not enjoy your life, or at least pay attention to it, when you have a chance?
I'm grateful to the rain. We've been in a drought lately, so it is more than welcome. And as I have to go to a funeral tonight in my wife's hometown of Eumseong (Korea), the drab grayness of the day is somehow fitting.
The funeral reminds me to be mindful. You never know when your next breath might be your last, so why not enjoy your life, or at least pay attention to it, when you have a chance?
Star Trek finally arrives!
I finally saw "Star Trek" last Friday with nine friends, and was duly impressed. Of course, I expected to be. I would give it an A- . Why not give it a perfect grade? Some of the humor fell flat (Scotty's little friend, Kirk's big hands); too many Dickensian coincidences, and some of the science seemed far-fetched.
Good things? The actors were bang on. The effects were brilliant. The score, although bombastic, was very good. The Easter eggs were fun (the barely scene tribble in the cage, for instance). On the whole, I really really enjoyed it. I've already seen it twice, and expect to see it again this week.
One thing I wondered about. The bad guy goes back in time. Does this event a) create an alternative universe a la the mirror universe and the "Myriad Universe" fiction, or does it b) wipe out everything that has come before it (All TV shows except Enterprise and all movies), and leave the future tabula rosa? Other fans are debating this same issue, I noticed, on www.trekweb. com.
Only two more years (give or take) until the next one!
Good things? The actors were bang on. The effects were brilliant. The score, although bombastic, was very good. The Easter eggs were fun (the barely scene tribble in the cage, for instance). On the whole, I really really enjoyed it. I've already seen it twice, and expect to see it again this week.
One thing I wondered about. The bad guy goes back in time. Does this event a) create an alternative universe a la the mirror universe and the "Myriad Universe" fiction, or does it b) wipe out everything that has come before it (All TV shows except Enterprise and all movies), and leave the future tabula rosa? Other fans are debating this same issue, I noticed, on www.trekweb. com.
Only two more years (give or take) until the next one!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Well, today is the day. "Star Trek: The Future Begins" opens worldwide today.
I'm excited. More than excited. Ecstatic, more like it. I'm sooooo looking forward to this.
All preliminary signs are that this will be a GREAT movie. Opening buzz has been mostly positive. Will I enjoy it? I certainly expect so. There has only been 1 ST movie I thought was really, truly, horrible, and that was ST: 9, Insurrection. (Gag! Shudder!)
I'll know tomorrow, and so will 10 of my friends who are going to see it with me.
I'm excited. More than excited. Ecstatic, more like it. I'm sooooo looking forward to this.
All preliminary signs are that this will be a GREAT movie. Opening buzz has been mostly positive. Will I enjoy it? I certainly expect so. There has only been 1 ST movie I thought was really, truly, horrible, and that was ST: 9, Insurrection. (Gag! Shudder!)
I'll know tomorrow, and so will 10 of my friends who are going to see it with me.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"Suicide top cause of youth death for a fifth year"
I just read in the newspaper (JoongAng Daily (English) May 5th, 09) that the leading cause of death for young people in Korea is suicide. Horrible, but not necessarily surprising. And people wonder why I don't want to send Leona to a Korean school... Oh, and this is the 5th year in a row that suicide has been the number one cause.
There is so much pressure on students here for academic performance, for passing the big university test, for getting into not only university, but the right university. I love living in Korea, and I love my job in a Korean high school. But I have no doubt that the education system in Korea is deeply flawed.
I feel always feel so sorry for students who commit suicide. As horrible as a student's life
can be, school is only temporary. Like all things, it passes. And the rest of your life is waiting for you beyond those minutes, days, and years. Unless it isn't, because you're dead.
There is so much pressure on students here for academic performance, for passing the big university test, for getting into not only university, but the right university. I love living in Korea, and I love my job in a Korean high school. But I have no doubt that the education system in Korea is deeply flawed.
I feel always feel so sorry for students who commit suicide. As horrible as a student's life
can be, school is only temporary. Like all things, it passes. And the rest of your life is waiting for you beyond those minutes, days, and years. Unless it isn't, because you're dead.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Buddha's Birthday!
In a little while, we (Helen, Leona, and myself), are off to Seoul for the weekend. May 2nd (4/8 on the lunar calendar) is Buddha's Birthday, a national holiday. This year it falls on a Saturday, so no day off school! Tomorrow, we'll visit Chogaysa (Temple). We always stay in a hotel right next to it, so we can hear the 4:30 a.m. bell, gongs, and drums. As hotels go, it's not a very good one, but you can't beat it for atmosphere.
Buddha's day is always one of my favorite holidays. The temples are covered with beautiful and colorful lanterns. Buddhists usually don't visit temples in a regular way, but they usually make a point to visit at least one on Buddha's day. One of the things to do is to pour water over the head of a golden baby Buddha statue. Delicious and vegetarian be-bim-bab is always served.
Also in the offing: an Egyptian mummy exhibit, a used book store run ("What the book", the best used bookstore in Korea), and walking through In-sa-dong, which is an "art street".
Happy Buddha's day! May your life be filled with love and happiness!
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