So it’s April 17 here in Korea.

So it’s April 17 here in Korea.  That means it’s been five years since my mom died.  For the past few April 17s I’d post something on facebook like, “fuck cancer.” I’d get a lot of people liking that post.  Some would be friends and family that knew the reason I was posting such a comment on April 17, others maybe lost someone to cancer and I’m sure others think cancer is a shitty thing that ought to be “fucked.”  

Well, this year I feel different.  I am engaged, and will be starting a family soon.  And, well, it’s pretty painful to know that my mom will never know my future wife nor will she know any children we might have.  When she was sick I’d never cry, at least in front of anyone.  But rest assured on the ride home I’d cry my eyes out.  The main thing that hurt was this fact: she’d never know my family.  Sure that was a bit selfish, but everyone dies including our parents and us. To me, so much of who we are, if not all of who we are, is made up by our interactions with others.  Furthermore, knowing the people who were close to your loved ones help you to learn more about said loved one.  

Fast forward to now. My fiancée will never know my mom.  Sure, she’ll learn about her from stories, but it’s not the same. She won’t know what it’s like when mom watches America’s Funniest Home Videos.  She also won’t have to go through all the bullshit my mom put my brother’s wives through during the beginning of their marriages.  But, good and bad, it’s all a part of it. And now, five years later who am I to blame?

Hint- it’s not cancer. 

If you are reading this now, and you smoke- stop.  I told my mom to stop smoking for at least 23 years.  She didn’t.  After we had a meeting with the doctors and they told her that only chance to live was if she stopped smoking, she didn’t.  (Sure, in hindsight it wouldn’t have mattered, but we didn’t know that at the time.)  Now I know that quitting isn’t easy.  I watched my mom try, on and off, basically all of my life.  I think if you keep trying to quit you might be able to.

If you don’t quit, you might die from something else before you get cancer.  Sure, YOLO and all that.  But remember, my mom was never going to die from smoking.  She was sure of that.  That is something that happens to other people, not us. Of course when the cancer spread to her brain she could hardly function, when she was just using her “reptilian” brain…can you guess what she was doing?  She kept moving her hand to her mouth as if she was smoking.  After she could no longer function, that impulse to smoke was still there. And if you are smoking, don’t worry that will never happen to you.  Just like it would never happen to mom.  

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

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

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival

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."




The world's first metal moving type. It's the size of my thumb nail.

흑석동

Seoul Tower At Night

Happy Teacher's Day

A handmade heart shaped cookie and a sweet letter...the best Teacher's Day present ever! Thanks Stella :)

Questions From Students

Here are some questions, and comments from some of my new students.




Dear jashua~

hello~teacher^^~ my name is kim eumsu~I'm in 6-1/I'm very please to meet you!
BECAUSE your class is very ecxiting and interesting!~~~
of coures my friends think so, like me^^
umm.........I'll ask for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,★


how did you think about our school?
and who is your respectful person?
last,,,,,,Please Explane U.S.E to me~
please remember me! and your eyes are very nice^^

Good bye~See you at next class~!♡







Hello Mr. Joshua?

I'm Kim Ju Eun.
I have a question for you.
There are so many beautiful and amazing cultural properties in Korea.
So, do you like Korea's cultural properties?
And what is that?

Thak you.^^








Dear Josua

Hello I'm 6grade class 4 my english name is James.
I have questions
Do you like winter Olympic?
What kind of Olympic do you like?

Your follower James.

More Photos

Songgwangsa








단국대








Bukhansan

Hungry Hungry Hippo Class!!!!

I teach Hippo Class science. This is the class that made me love my job, whenever I walk into the classroom, I'm met with at least 4 if not 8 hugs. Cute little buggers, huh?




Jocelyn and Elin, playing with the science project. We took a small bottle, wrapped wire around it, and put stryofoam balls at the ends of the wire to make a "water strider." Here, the girls are seeing if it floats. Cue dave letterman, "Will if float???"



"Teacher, why do you have fur?" Yes, that is a direct quote, from Grace.




Watch out for Alex, he can kick very high. He, "Goes to the taekwondo."




Elin, with a cute head band. Why is she wearing it? Who knows...





Edwin: "Joshua Teacher, me! Take a picture of me!"

*I take the picture and show it to him*
Edwin: "Wow..."





Sharon, I love this little girl, and her shirt which reads, "Pop Punk Star"




Studying areodynamics with Alex, Amy, and Sharon.

A New Photo

My Top 48 Songs of The Last Decade

Why 48? Because I'm sure I missed at least two song to add to the list, that's why.



48. Scottie Doesn't Know by, Lustra

47. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo by, The Bloodhound Gang

46. Blinded By the Lights by, The Streets

45. Tie My Hands F. Robin Thicke by, Lil' Wayne

44. Alive With the Glory of Love by, Say Anything

43. Insomnia by, Electric President

42. Dinner's For Suckers by, None More Black

41. California by, Phantom Planet

40. Failure By Design, by Brand New

39. Can't Stop Partying F. Lil' Wayne by, Weezer

38. Walking With a Ghost by, Tegan and Sara

37. Jet Pack [English Version] F. Stylistic Jones, Zeebra, Sef Cobane by, Drunken Tiger

36. Wonderboy by, Tenacious D

35. Come Close f. Mary J Blige by, Common

34. You by, Atmosphere

33. Your Little Hoodrat Friend by, The Hold Steady

32. The Horse by, A Wilhelm Scream

31. In Color by, Jamey Johnson

30. Like the Angel by, Rise Against

29. Hide and Seek by, Imogen Heap

28. Young Folks by, Peter Bjorn And John

27. Heartbreaker F. John Legend by, MSTRKRFT

26. How Low by, Against Me!

25. Just Feat. Phantom Planet by, Mark Ronson

24. Katydid by, Will Stratton

23. Back to the Motor League by, Progahanhdi

22. Smash Your Head by,Girl Talk

21. Skinny Love by, Bon Iver

20. Wake Up by, Arcade Fire

19. Oxford Comma by, Vampire Weekend

18. Here's Looking At You, Kid by, The Gaslight Anthem

17. Hope There's Someone by, Antony & The Johnsons

16. Wagon Wheel by,The Old Crow Medicine Show

15. Spiritual by, Charlie Haden & Josh Haden

14. Furr by, Blitzen Trapper

13. Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground by, The White Stripes

12. Staring At The Sun by, TV On The Radio

11. Postcards From Italy by, Beirut

10. Paper Planes by, M.I.A.

9. Such Great Heights by, The Postal Service

8. Ms. Jackson by, Outkast

7. Mad World By Gary Jules and Micheal Andrews

6. Hurt by, Johnny Cash

5. Lose Yourself by, Eminem

4. Yes We Can by, Will.I.Am

3. Left and Leaving by, The Weakerthans

2. Chicago by Sufjan Stevens

1. Keep Me in Your Heart by Warren Zevon


Some thoughts:

As I look back on the decade, a lot of things have changed in my life. At the start I was a freshman at Michigan State, and the end I was living half way across the world. To me, the most significant event that's happened in my life during this time was the passing of my mother, and that is why Warren Zevon's Keep Me in Your Heart is the top song.

I noticed a few trends with these songs. Many of them I first heard in a movie soundtrack, (5, 7, 41, and 48), and one became super popular from a movie (10). Also, two of the very best song are covers (6 and 7). And a few have a Michigan connection (2, 5, 13).

Best cameo- 39.
My favorite band- 30.
My favorite video- 13.
The best song I randomly found- 24.
The video you need to click on- 35.
The song I most loved the first time I heard it- 2.
The band you should most listen to if you haven't- 18.
The songs I think everyone will like, if they haven't heard them- 11, 25.

My Favorite Christmas Song!!!

Out of the Bubble

One of the weirdest things about living overseas is that I am no longer a part of the US news cycle. The only way I can keep up with things is on the internet. Many news events are covered in the Korean media, however all of that content happens to be in Korean. A language which, as it is, I don't know.

This means that I haven't seen that funny commercial. I tend to know what movies are coming out because I am friends with the marketing person at a large theater chain, and two of my friends run a non-profit theater. However, I have no idea what movies are good. Sometimes I can tell on facebook that a movie is popular because so many people talk about it in the status updates.

FYI, New Moon was just released here. Dec 2.

But to me the weirdest thing is that being outside of the news cycle, I can really see how stupid some things are. Seriously, it's none of anyone's business what Tiger Woods was doing a few nights ago. He really doesn't own anyone any information.

Why should he? Because he's famous? That's just stupid. He is just a guy. Sure he wife prolly pounded the crap out of him with his own golf club. So what? Really, it doesn't affect your life at all.

Also, American politics make me want to punch kittens. Guess what, health care is too expensive. It is. And jerks at insurance companies are getting rich off of you. And so are politicians. And no, you won’t turn French if the healthcare bill passes.

Speaking of politics, I read where Obama hasn't done anything yet, eh? You all know he has been president for less than a year right? Are we really already looking at his legacy? The media keeps talking about it, so do you too. I know, I understand. I used to have an insatiable thirst for news too. But with the internet and who knows how many all day news channels, it is just too much.

I've been able to spend my days playing with little kids, and my nights working on hobbies. I can read a new book, study Korean, or take some photos. Guess what? It's really nice not knowing every last detail about the latest scandal. I mean, the police report from the Tiger Woods thing is pretty easy to figure out between the lines. Do you really need TMZ to tell you what happened? And, really, do you care? At all? If so, why?

My recommendation? Turn your TV off, grab a book and find a cup of something nice to drink. What I wouldn't give for a root beer float right about now.




(my hobby)

Twitter

Just so you know, always be sure to check my twitter feed on the right hand side of this page. It's updated a lot more, because I can add photos from my camera phone to it. It's much easier than adding here. So please, check back every so often, and take a look.

Coffee Time

As you can tell, I like going to cafes. The pictures below are from my new favorite cafe. I'd like to share with you a story from that cafe.

I go there one day, and there is this 40 something man in a power suit sitting at a table. He has a nice attaché case, a few pens and he appears to be working very hard on something. He's got a rather large piece of paper, about the size of a poster board, but it's just paper. I thought, maybe he's doing some design work or something.

I see that he's got three or four other papers arraigned very neatly around him, and he keeps looking at them. Blue print specs maybe?

Finally, I go up to the cafe counter and I see what he's doing.

The three or four papers are covered with zigzag scribbles, each different colors. And the huge piece of paper? It's nearly completely colored.

I ask the owner about it, her English ain't so good. She grabs her Korean to English dictionary (everyone has one on their phone). The Korean word for "crazy" and "annoyance" show.

Turns out, he comes every few days, sometimes for up to 5 hours.

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

Well i just had my birthday, and here are some photos to prove it!




This would be my very own coffee flavored cake. Which was given to me by Hyun Jin, who runs a nearby coffee shop. She said she choose that cake because I'm a "Coffee Monster."



Always the Farwell Eagle, even far from home.



Soo (my 친한 친구,feel free to use google translate if you want), lighting my candles. Each long candle is for 10 years, the shorter ones... well I turned 30 so who needs them?




And finally Hyun Jin preparing to give me my awesome gift. Not only does she run a cafe, but she's studying graduate level courses in Beauty Sciences. It's actually a very popular field of study here. And it's pretty serious.

16,000th Photo

I went for a bike ride and I took this photo. I rode outside of the strictly "urban" area, and found this little bit of rice. In the background you can see some smaller buildings, a couple churches, and those big buildings in the back are the kinds of buildings that must Koreans live in. Interestingly, this was exactly the 16,000 photo I've taken with my camera. Yay!