From Farwell To Korea

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Some Food For Thought

"Free medical care for illegal aliens and now free airfare support for returning home, are you out of your mind? We are paying our tax to send you for free? Get those crazies out back to where they come from."

"I am against multiculturalism. Look what happened to Spain once they accepted Muslim migrants. Look at Mexico after NAFTA….Against multiculturalism… No to voluntary naturalization… "

"Why are we supporting foreign workers with our tax?? That foreign migrant bitch better shut her hole."

It is problematic for Saenuri (roughly the Korean GOP) to have nominated a foreigner. What next, a gay Assembly member…?

I know in the USA a lot is being made of immigration. Sure, it's a touchy topic which generates a lot of strong feelings. I'm also sure that most of you have never been an immigrant. Well I am one, and I've gotten a completely different view on immigration since coming here. I'm not sure if it will make a difference to how many of you feel, but read this website and see how people are treating immigrants where I live.

For the sake of background there have been two major news events in Korea related to immigration. First, an immigrant killed and chopped up the body of a Korean girl. This also caused the chief of police to resign because the woman did in fact call the police but they thought it was just a domestic problem (so not a problem). Also a naturalized citizen (a Filipino lady) became the first to be selected into office.

With that in mind, read these translated comments that have been posted all around the web. Twitter, facebook, newspaper articles. And remember; a good amount of them are directed at someone you know- me. I hope seeing this issue as a people issue, not some vague political concept will open your mind a little to how you view immigrants.

Xenophobia Against Newly-elected Filipina-Korean Spreads Online

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A Must Read

My dad's told me this story a number of times, and it's one of my all time favorites.

http://louadams.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I Went to the Museum and Took Some Photos

A crown from the Goguryeo kingdom (37 BC- 668). The Goguryeo kingdom at it's height stretched from the middle part of what is now South Korea to the edge of Inner Mongoila.

One of my favorite pieces of Korean art. The Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. It's just awesome.

A crown from the Gaya confederacy (42-532 AD). An interesting note about Gaya. According to most people, Gaya was a major exporter of goods and culture to Japan. However, during the time of Japanese occupation (1910-1945) the Japanese claimed that the Gaya area (a quite small area actually) was in fact a Japanese military outpost and they used this "fact" to justify their colonization of Korea.

This is a gold cap that goes under the king's crown. Shilla period 5th century.

National treasure number 91. Man riding a horse, a ceramic figurine from the unified Shilla period, 6th century.

Ceramic figurines from the unified Shilla period, 6th century.

A stone coffin adorned with the four guardian deities: Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Red Phoneix, and Black Tortoise and Serpent. Guess which side this is... from the Goryeo period, 918-1392.

Taoism.

A copy of "Jikji" the first book ever printed by movable metal type in 1377. The original is in France, but Korea wants it back. The book is about "Seon" which is a Korean school of Buddhism which predates the more well known Japanese "Zen."