Graduation Day!

They were brave. They were nervous. They were happy. They were sad. They were dapper. They were stunning. They were stunned. They were blinded by flash photography. They were graduates.

See it all here.

Just saying....

Read this, and this, and this and this.....

Make up your own minds.

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

Settle Down!

The outrage over a cartoon printed in a Danish newspaper deemed offensive by many over the world has proven to be more volatile than the initial insult itself.

A Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, originally ran the pictures in September 2005. They were recently reprinted in a French newspaper and that is when the real trouble began.

Before I go any further, let me say that deliberately offending any religion is bad form. Whether one believes in it or not, a religion is something important to someone else and should not be taken lightly or cavalierly.

That being said, what we are seeing now is not righteous indignation but self-righteousness in its ugliest form.

Of course Muslims have every right to be offended by what they see as a slight to their religion. That is the privelige and right of a member of any free society. In the Islamic tradition, it is forbidden to depict the prophet Mohommed or any other prophet, for that matter. In fact, The Passion of the Christ was not shown in some Middle Eastern countries because Jesus is seen as a prophet (not the Son of God). If they so wish, they may have peaceful boycotts or write angry, non-threatening letters to the editor. What has become intolerable is the violence, slurs and just plain irrationality of it all.

The pictures first ran in the Danish newspaper (and other Scandinavian papers) after the writer Kare Bluitgen expressed his frustration over not being able to produce a children's book about Mohommed for fear that radicals may attack him. How right he was! Everything from boycotts of Danish goods and newspapers to effigy-burning and violence has turned what is claimed to be a dialogue about freedom of speech on its head.

There are so many things to be said here that is hard to know where to begin.

I don't think Scandinavian countries are friends of religion and I would hardly call any member of the European Union (or would-be members) forward-thinking because they co-habit and have state-run healthcare. Anti-semitism and anti-immigration feelings are on the rise in Europe. The vanguards of social "easy-does-it" are now at the crossroads of their very civilisation- they are dying and those who will not assimilate are moving in. Perhaps this is another topic for another day so I'll wrap this up by saying there is a huge clash of ideas and values (used in the loosest sense of the word). A dead Dutch politician and a threatened director are proof of that.

Were the cartoons a case for freedom of speech? Were they a way for opening a dialogue on the socio-political nature of modern Islam? I guess we'll never know because we're not allowed to talk about it. Ever. The slightest criticism of Islam or its followers is verboten. One can place the Crucifix into a jar of urine or smear an image of the Virgin Mary with excrement and its called art. One can depict the now-stricken Ariel Sharon as blood-thirsty and it's dubbed freedom of the press. Ancient statues of Buddha can be reduced to rubble and there is nothing from UNESCO. Were not these acts offensive? Of course they were but it doesn't matter. Not one of the adherents of these religions will burn effigies or attack consulates. It's okay to offend Catholics. Jews aren't people. Buddhists don't have feelings like the rest of us. Oh wait! None of that is true! It's not okay to offend Catholics or snide Jews or Buddhists! How wrong we all were.
Now to the crux of this post (at long last!)- why is it that if something even remotely rubs some people the wrong way everyone must kow-tow to them before it really hits the proverbial fan? It's not like Islam is putting its best foot forward in all this. What is going on is hardly civilised. "We're burning effigies now. Our next step is to blow up a bus!" These are tactics of ill-mannered, barely educated bullies who will not be rational at any time, even in their displeasure with something.

Just write a letter to the editor like everyone else!

Seolnal

In Korea, Seolnal is the celebration of the lunar new year. More commonly known as the Chinese New Year to many in the West, this celebration contains considerably less fireworks and dragon-dancing. Instead, people visit their families (usually the oldest son in the family plays host), play games and make manduguk (meat dumpling soup). Visiting one's family is no small feat during this time. The traffic is horrible. A two hour trip can take six hours because of traffic congestion. If you ever find yourself in South Korea at this time, count yourself lucky if you have nowhere to go. Sitting in traffic is never fun.

We had a new year's celebration at my school. There was a lot of mandu making. I was told that the shape of the mandu one made was vital to one's future so I tried to make the best shapes possible. We had a couple of students make some really attractive mandu!

We then played games. I was particularly amused by the human yutnari game. Yutnari is a sort of dice game played with four wooden sticks. The sticks have symbols on them. They are rolled and if the sticks are rolled in a certain way then a stone marker is moved along circles on a board. This time around, human "markers" were used. A kind of hackey-sack was also played, along with a game of kong noli, a game of jackstones. I never got the hang of these games so I just stood back and took a few pictures. There were no sebae (special bows given to elders)this time around so subsequently there was no sebaeton (customary money given for satisfactory bows) handed out.

View the pictures here.

Now What?

The Canadian Conservatives (in name only) won a minority government, ending twelve years of (l)Liberal corruption. I don't expect anything to get better, really. The country is one or two steps away from being either the fifty-first state or belonging to North Korea's puppet-master, China. There is still no law and order, or national security, 0.6 % percent of the population have officially made marriage a laughing stock, the healthcare system is down the tubes, there are too many fat and ignorant people who still have no clue what is going on in their country or anyone else's but they are damn sure that the Americans are to blame. But at least we have another government to blame for running what is left of the country into the ground.
A few questions-
the Bloc Quebecois, a party existing solely for the purpose of tearing the country apart, still stands because....?
Why did Political Barbie- I mean- Belinda Stronach survive? Did the wealth and privelige of this college drop-out carry her through?
For those of you who voted Liberal, it is obvious that reason, common sense, overwhelming evidence and crayons could not sway you from the unspeakable evil that is the Liberal Party of Canada and Hitler's brain that runs it. Nothing more can be said to you. I mean, if Scott Reid can run up a beer tab at the expense of other "beerswillers" and Marc Garneau's gaff about grants to the handicapped doesn't disgust you (because AdScam hasn't), then what can one say?
I should probably throw in a question about the NDP but are they really a party?
Anyway, the next four years should prove....something.... I have no strength left to wonder how bad it can get.

Meh New Year's

I personally have never understood New Year's celebrations. People act as though they are on the cusp of something new when, in fact, when they wake up (hopefully in the shorts they left the house with) they are just repeating the same, old routine as the year before. You begin something new when there is a life-change, like marriage, family or a new job. These things can occur any time. And shouldn't resolutions be made throughout the year? Shouldn't we all strive to improve ourselves daily and not just once a year?
Just some thoughts.

Be Merry, Dammit!

Can you believe adults behave this way, in this day and age?
Why must we say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"?
Why is it now a "holiday tree" and not a "Christmas tree"?
So what about Christian connotations about certain holidays, in particular, Christmas?

Grow the hell up, people!

Adults, by their definition, should be able to tolerate different ideas and inconveniences. Christmas certainly isn't an inconvenience for those who would like to have a day off from work.

Christmas is a specific holiday, not a generic one. If you remember my previous post on Christmas, Christmas has its own origins, history and customs. Could you imagine the reaction if one were to ask that Chu-Sok (a thanksgiving festival in Korea) be blended with American Thanksgiving in order to mollify those who might feel left out? Or if Diwali (the Indian festival of lights) was banned because some may not like the glare of lights? If these ideas are absurd, then so is the gradual- and blatant- eradication of Christmas.

If the majority of people happen to celebrate a certain holiday, then so be it. I am currently in South Korea where holidays like Chu-Sok and Seonal (the lunar new year) are the major celebrations, not Halloween, Christmas or Easter. Though the latter are celebrated in some measure, they are not observed by everyone. Instead, one sees the flourish of hanboks and huge brown pears. I am priveliged to see this side of a culture, something I might not be able to see at any time. If one is able to see and experience other cultures, or even indulge in their own, be grateful for it. It is better to live life than have no opinion or feeling at all.

Furthermore, in countries that claim cultural pluralism (I'm looking right at you, Canada and the US), I'm not seeing what the problem is. Is there a ban on Diwali or Ramadan and not Christmas? No, there isn't. There is room and freedom to observe whatever holidays one wishes to observe or not observe. Where is the threat? Where is the lack of movement or freedom of belief? Remember- midnight Mass was cancelled in Iraq last year for fear of terrorist attacks. Even mosques are bombed by the very people who profess the faith of those they wilfully kill. There is NO freedom in North Korea or its puppet-master, China. Feel restricted now? Didn't think so.

In short, just grow up everyone. Live and let live. Celebrate Christmas or don't. Just don't ruin it for those who do.

Emily Dickinson

December 10th is the birthday of Emily Dickinson. I would like to post one of her poems here.


BEFORE the ice is in the pools,
Before the skaters go,
Or any cheek at nightfall
Is tarnished by the snow,

Before the fields have finished,
Before the Christmas tree,
Wonder upon wonder
Will arrive to me!

What we touch the hems of
On a summer’s day;
What is only walking
Just a bridge away;

That which sings so, speaks so,
When there’s no one here,—
Will the frock I wept in
Answer me to wear?

Unpopular Opinions

Get ready to be offended.....

You know what? I liked Lord of the Rings. And the guy on Lord of the Rings who is now on Lost? I think he's a good character. I think he adds something to the show.

This "young and randy" thing on TV shows, especially the WB, is tiresome. Actors, learn to act, writers, learn to write, and TV audience, watch something else.

Mullets are BAD. Parents who let their children have mullets are bad parents.

Shut up, Volpe and Dryden. And Martin. And Layton. Shut up all of you. Haven't you ruined Canada enough just by living there?

People who let their kids eat snacks in church: God doesn't go to your house, whine if He doesn't get Cheerios and then leave bits of food on the floor. Don't do that to HIS house. Say no to your kids if they want snacks. Say no to them every once in a while. It will feel good.

Chretien: why do you have to be difficult about this? You. Are. Guilty.

To people who don't get that Chretien and the Liberals are guilty: I can't use crayons on this blog so I will do this very carefully. You know that $325 million donut and beer fund? It's gone, and they took it.

I've never felt rolled up jeans looked good. Never did.

To people who wear purple on a continual basis: you can wear another colour if you want.

Karma is God's way of showing you why you shouldn't laugh at people when they trip.

South Koreans are some of the finest people on the planet (unpopular in bits of North Korea).

North Koreans are people with real feelings (unpopular in North Korea, with the UN and the South Korean Teachers' Union).

Dogs are better than cats. There is no need to discuss this further.

Christmas is the best time of year, next to Halloween and St. Patrick's Day.

Advent

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said: "Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the House of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom will have no end." And Mary said to the angel: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered and said to her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done according to your word." And the angel departed from her."

(Luke 1: 26-38)

A Morning at the Folk Museum

We took our students to a folk museum. They gazed at the various models of Three Kingdoms and Silla dynasty clothes but the highlight for them (and us) was the pottery-making. Here are the pictures. Enjoy.

A Christmas Conundrum

Recently, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights called off its boycott of Wal-Mart after a disappointed customer, who complained that "Happy Holidays" was used to replace the greeting, "Merry Christmas", received a rather heated e-mail by an employee over the origins of Christmas. Ireing them (and justly so, in my opinion), the civil rights group called off the boycott after the superstore giant issued an apology. The media was quick to wrap the matter up by saying the argument was about saying "Merry Christmas", when, in fact, it was the rather belligerent e-mail from an employee who apparently doesn't know the true origins of Christmas.
Christmas, as noted by Clement of Alexandria, was first celebrated in Egypt in 200 A.D. in what Egyptian theologians at the time thought was the ninth month (believed to be the month of Jesus' birth). Clement also noted that the Basilidians celebrated the Epiphany and the Nativity of Christ in early January. In Rome, the early Church and civil calenders marked Natalis Invicti, the birth of Christ. But Christmas was not considered a major feast in the Church until the Middles Ages; Easter was. The word Christmas, Cristes Maesse (Mass of Christ in Old English), wasn't used until 1038.
The winter festivals of Jul, celebrated by the Scandinavians on the first day of winter, and Juvenalia, a Roman festival for children and the birth of the god, Mithra, were celebrated in December. As more people became Christians, these festivals were phased out. Symbols of these festivals remained only as circumstantial vestiges, like burning of the Yule log (a load of wood was given to a family when a child was born) or mistletoe (symbolising the crown of thorns used on Christ during His Crucifixion).

This brief history lesson aside, I think certain issues are largely forgotten. First, that Christmas is NOT a pagan holiday, or an offshoot thereof, nor is it a generic holiday. It is a specific holiday, very much the same way Saint Patrick's Day or the Fourth of July are (can you imagine if those holidays were changed to Irish Day or North America Day?). It is also a holiday that is celebrated, in form or another, by an enormous amount of people. They have every right to celebrate it in its entirety and without compromises, which, in reality, are nothing more than attempts to phase the importance and origins of the holiday (but not the holiday itself as it is too profitable. Not that I'm accusing Wal-Mart of doing anything for profit). And before I am inundated by posts and e-mails saying that all of this is in the spirit of tolerance and blahblahblah, when has a holiday that is not Christmas been forbidden? Simply because more people celebrate a certain holiday (and, in this case, Christmas) than others does not mean that the other holidays are outlawed, forbidden or deliberately forgotten. And when does tolerance, especially in countries claiming cultural pluralism, mean phasing out holidays or any other important observances because of what some claim is intolerance? Celebrate Christmas or don't. One has the freedom to do that in countries like the United States. I think the new catchphrase for tolerance should be: "Suck it up or get out".
More to come as Christmas develops.

Remembrance Day

Canada At War

Canada has had a long history of conflict, within the country and abroad, beginning with the conflict between the native peoples and European settlers (starting with the Vikings c.1000, continuing with the conflict between French settlers and the Iroquois, up until the appalling treatment by westward advancing settlers and the government of Canada) to current peace-keeping missions conducted by an under-funded and under-appreciated shell of an army.
The first conflict between native peoples and European settlers began with the Viking explorers in eastern Canada c.1000. French settlers fought with the Iroquois until a treaty was signed in 1701. Relations with the native peoples and new Canadians have run hot and cold. Nevertheless, the native peoples supported the new Canadians, most notably in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the War of 1812 (1812-1814) and both World War I and World War II, which saw the outstanding but barely remembered bravery of Tommy Prince (it should also be noted that, despite treaties exempting native peoples from fighting, the number of volunteers was greater than the rest of the Canadian population).
One of the most formidable battles between the British and French in Upper and Lower Canada (what are now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec) was on the Plains of Abraham in 1759 where Generals Wolfe and Montcalm were mortally wounded. The British gained the upperhand and appropriated the French colonies.
Canada's struggle with the Americans did not begin with the War of 1812 but rather, during 1763-1776, when the Americans, intent on overthrowing the British, tried to overtake Quebec. Though the Americans captured Montreal, they were repulsed at Quebec City and finally withdrew in 1776. Loyalists from the American Revolutionary War spilled into Canada and eventually settled there. There were a series of disputes prior to the War of 1812, a two year war which saw the Americans repulsed once more.
Some 40,000 to 60,000 Canadians participated in the American Civil War, some voluntarily joining the conflict and some deceived.
Canadians, as subjects to the Crown, were pressed into service during the Boer War (1899-1902) and the First World War (1914-1918). Canadians proudly went to war for a distant monarch unaware that the face of warfare had changed. No longer a gentleman's game, Canadians (fodder, like the Australians and British were) were crippled by mustard gas and machine gun fire. The capture (victory) of Vimy Ridge seems pyrrhic given the casualities- 3,598 killed and 7,000 wounded. Nevertheless, Canada earned a reputation as a fighting force worth noting.
It wasn't until September 10, 1939, that Canada did what it had not done before- declared war on its own. Canada sent 1.5 million personnel overseas. Canadians saw disastrous action in Hong Kong (which fell to the Japanese in December 1941) and the infamous raid on Dieppe (Molotov threatened to make peace with the Nazis if a second front wasn't opened and the result was the mess in Dieppe, which saw 807 men die on the first day; more would die in captivity). But Canadian forces bounced back with victories in Italy, northwest Europe and on D-Day, making the furthest inroads in a single day. Canadians also participated as pilots and communications specialists in the struggle against Japan.
The Korean War (1950-53)- Canada's forgotten war- saw the deaths of 516 men who died defending ground that would end up in the hands of the North Koreans. The Canadian navy supported the assault on Incheon (not far from where I live) and the Canadian Regiment launched an attack on the village of Chail-li. The war eventually became uglier, especially with the Chinese supporting the North Koreans. Patrols and securing prisoners became the lot toward the end of the war in 1953.
Contrary to popular belief, Canada did play a part in the Vietnam War, though the role was largely noncombative. Relief was sent to South Vietnam and Canadian negotiators assisted the Americans. There were, however, Canadian volunteers in the conflict, an estimated 10,000 volunteers. After the war, these volunteers recieved little help or support, either from the government or their compatriots.
The military today is largely under-funded and forgotten, despite the bravery and formidable service of Canadian sharpshooters in Afghanistan. It is also subject to the whims of politicians who treat conflict like gentlemens' games, which explains the under-funding of the army and the shocking lack of support for defensive measures, such as was seen in Rwanda when the failure to provide logistical support to then General Romeo Dallaire cost a number of Tutsi lives (Dallaire is portrayed, rather loosely, by Nick Nolte in the superb film, Hotel Rwanda).
This post is, by no means, meant to glorify war but to note how war shaped Canada and how Canadians should not forget that they were there, too.

(Huge thanks to the following informative websites and essays: The Canadian War Museum, The Korean War, "Aboriginal Participation in Canadian Military Service: Historic and Contemporary Contexts" by John Moses, Canadians in the American Civil War and wikipedia.com)

Freedom is Not Free

My second trip to the War Memorial in Seoul was as sobering as the first visit. The museum does an impressive task of presenting how war shaped a country slightly larger than New Brunswick. On either side of the entrance are the halls of the dead. To the right is the hall for the Korean dead- thousands of names of men who died for a homeland separated long before they could taste freedom from the then-tyrannical Japanese (the North Korean and Chinese losses run into the millions, victims all of lies from fat, horrible dictators who ordered men in waves against better-armed enemies). On the left side is the hall for the Allied dead. Five hundred and sixteen Canadians were killed in the Korean War. The war dead list for the Americans is so great that it is divided by state (just over 33,000).
Upon entering the museum, one is surrounded by busts of famous warriors of current conflicts (the Korean War and the Vietnam War). Most of these men were killed and awarded posthumously for their service. Further in are the exhibits of warcraft prior to the twentieth century, most notably Admiral Yi Sun Shin's Geobukson- turtle ship- an innovative sea craft that kept Korean soldiers in and the Japanese invaders out. This historical figure is almost mythical in proportion. Even the youngest kindergarten student knows him. The man's boldness and innovation saved a country- for a time. The visitor to the museum is treated to an impressive exhibit with moving models and sinking ships (reminds me of the sea battle in Ben-Hur).
The Korean War exhibits prove to be the most sobering. Carefully crafted and organised, one sees the photographs of war, models of sea and air battles, documents detailing everything from war reports to instructions from Moscow on how best to proceed, mess tins, tubes of toothpaste, uniforms- any relic from the war is preserved. One exhibit leads the visitor through a neighbourhood in Seoul. Seoul now is a sprawling morass of concrete, high-rises, signage and well-off professionals with the latest model of cell phones. Seoul then was a little better than a Third-World country ravaged by war and years of colonial rule. One can only imagine the abject poverty- the huts of straw and plywood, gruel-like rice burnt at the bottom of a dolsot pot (a stone pot still used today), children hungrily accepting a Hershey's bar from an American soldier, classrooms of tarpaulin and straw because the school building either does not exist or was shelled to the ground. It's hard to imagine Seoul ever being like that. You could not convince the current generation of such poverty or conflict because it has never been known. Not two hours from Seoul is one of the most dangerous places on Earth- the DMZ- a border of landmines, firefights and distrust. Yet beyond the demarcation line is the wealth and success of South Korea, something that could not have been possible had it not been for the sacrifice of others.
So what price should be paid for the luxury of eating when one wants or believing or voting how one pleases or the warmth and security of a home? What price would one ask for the thousands of South Korean dead or the Canadians or the vast number of American dead (and, it should be added, the financial and continued help)?
The dead would not ask for a price but should be entitled to do so should we forget.

The Mating Call of a Loser

Is there anything more pathetic than a washed-up and obviously corrupt politican? Look no further than Jean Chretien whose public whipping concluded with the first of Justice John Gomery's reports on the Adscam scandal, which cost the (largely apathetic) Canadian taxpayer $325 million. Instead of retreating in shame and contacting his lawyers, he did what he always did- lashed out in his usual ignorant and belligerent way.

Here's a gem:

"I'm not to take the blame for something that's not true."

It IS true. Your friends rolled on you. There was a paper trail. A big one. And you remember Sheila Fraser, right? The auditor who uncovered this mess in the first place?

Another bit of ignorance.

"It's a bit surprising that all the witnesses that could have said a nice thing about my administration, they weren't invited (to testify)," Chretien told reporters. "

Oh sure! They should have done that!

It's surprising that someone who trained as a lawyer could be that stupid and even more surprising that he's being such a twit about this. There is a saying in Australia: "Dead but won't lie down." That's Chretien, or his fool mouth, anyway.

Words from Justice Gomery:

"Since Mr. Chretien chose to run the program from his own office, and to have his own exempt staff take charge of its direction, he is accountable for the defective manner in which the sponsorship program and initiatives were implemented."

Accountability is something Chretien will not cede to, nor will the Canadian public allow. I don't care what trouble I get for saying this- I'll say it anyway. The second this crap hit the fan, where was the outrage? Where is it now? I've seen people go thermal at teenaged workers at Tim Horton's and the Bulk Barn for the loss of a precious sixty cents but when a thoroughly corrupt, arrogant and ignorant government steals money from them, the best one can hope for is a few angry letters in the National Post. That's not enough, and that's why people like Chretien (and Martin- don't think anyone has forgotten about you) can get away with their duplicitous crap.

Canadians, stand up for your country because the congenital idiots of Canadian politics (past and present) sure won't.

Halloween

I spent the entire day reading stories, playing games and handing out candy in a tight-fitting wig and some really funky boots. For the photos, see here .

Halloween Costumes

A source of anxiety for some is what they are going to be for Halloween. There are the usual suspects- witch, ghost, princess, guy from Scream. Others have had more original or unusual ideas- a Christmas tree, a poorly-written quiz paper, toilet-paper mummy. Let this be an opportunity to give ideas or opinions or share some unusual Halloween costume stories.

It's a Good Season, Charlie Brown

Every morning, I count down the days to Halloween with my kindergarten class (they forget to add in Saturdays and Sundays). They grin with anticipation of they know not what. We have been preparing them for this day and I really hope they enjoy it when it finally comes. I teach at a hogwan (a small private school) in South Korea. Halloween is not celebrated in South Korea, save for the small North American migrant population, so the whole thing is treated as a novelty. In fact, I was treated to a few delighted looks as I walked about a major shopping centre in a witch's hat (I had just bought the hat and they didn't give me a bag for it. No, I'm not ashamed.). I scurry about trying to find ANYTHING that resembles Halloween. The last couple of years in Korea have been quite lucky in that regard.
I'll let you know how it turns out.