Liquor Burger Is Ours!

Another big move in our lives is in progress. Jeong Mi and I are opening a bar! While our stress level has increased by a million percent, it's really exciting and scary.

We already signed the papers and put down the deposits. We're now working on our interior changes. The bar was a foreigner bar three years ago, but was most recently a hostess bar. That means the interior is ugly, terrible and all black.

We also have to strengthen the stage and take out some shelves, as well as adding a hot water dealie and tiling the kitchen floor.

We're really only spending as little as possible for the opening. It'll be just enough to change the color of the walls, and do the necessary things first. Once we get rolling, we can make other changes as we go.

We're looking to open Chuseok weekend, and then have a Grand Opening the weekend after. Everyone get ready for Liquor Burger! We'll have events, specials, cheap beers, mini-burgers and a patio!!!

Check out some early pics before renovations.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/liquorburger/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Liquor-Burger/267569009939523

http://liquorburger.com

Twitter.com @LiquorBurger

Getting Laid Off: Doesn't Feel Great

I've been quite busy lately, and with good reason. It turns out that the Hambak English Center will lose its funding from the district office at the end of the budgetary year in December.

The last we heard is that we'd be funded for one more year, so this was a surprise. It was also a bit of a wake-up call. As stable as I thought this job was, it just goes to show that nothing is set in stone. I was expecting to sign up for one more year at Hambak, and then look to other options.

But timing is pushing me in another direction.

While I am upset about this, I don't blame the school. They want to keep us. My contract ends in October, but they're offering me the option to stay on until the end at the end of December. So I'll be the last native speaker to have worked at Hambak English Center.

It's a nice gesture by the school for a few reasons. One is that I don't have to scramble to find a new place to live. Two is that it gives me two more months of paychecks and pension contributions before I'm cut off.

So really, as losing a job goes, this really isn't the end of the world.

To add on to the relief pile is that we'll finalize our marriage license on Tuesday, and then go about changing my visa to an F-2-1 from my current E2. As far as I can tell, an F-2-1 (spouse visa) gives me the opportunity to really do anything I want as a job over here.

And it turns out, Jeong Mi and I already have a plan. We are going to open a bar. It sounds like a strange idea considering there are endless drinking establishments here. But the options aren't endless in this neighborhood for places where teachers and other non-Koreans can go and feel welcome. Now, there are places we can go, but welcome is not always there.

I've been lucky to find a good hangout and friend in Radio and Woo Min. But he is trying to sell. He has been for awhile. We actually talked about buying his, but one of the required deposits is far out of our range.

But what we did find is a bar on the second floor of a building on the main drag. While that is sometimes seen as not good for business, this bar has an outdoor patio, which really boosts its appeal. It also used to be a foreigner hangout three years ago. Some of my current friends had gone to the old place, but turnover here is so high that most people don't remember it.

And while I was stressing about making sure we'd do enough business to make a decent living, I came to the realization today that with an F-2-1 visa, I'm not limited to one job. So I can teach English part-time with any company or do private lessons to supplement the bar. I could easily make enough teaching a few hours a day, three days a week to completely pay for the rent for the bar in any given month.

We also have some ideas to draw in enough teachers and other foreigners that are unique to the area specifically, and Korea in general. Jeong Mi will make these awesome mini-burgers as our specialty food item, and we'll have a variety of event nights throughout the week to try to turn our place into a good hangout. Of course, we're not forgetting our Korean brothers and sister, as we'll have soju and a few popular bar side dishes from which to choose.

So I haven't updated in awhile, but I think you guys can understand why. I'll have a more uplifting post in a week or so. Jeong Mi and I leave for Vietnam for our honeymoon from the 14th through the 18th. We're very excited.

So think good thoughts for us as we take our trip and come back to embark on a new career opportunity as a small business owner!!!

The Wedding, Family and All The Fun Times

This might be a bit of a long post, but there's a good reason. I saved up EVERYTHING we did during my family's time here, and I'm going to throw it all out here. I usually throw all my pic links at the end, but look for them throughout this post.

Also, you can check out my dad and mom's blog for another perspective on the trip. You can find dad and mom's blog here.

I won't type too much, as I'll try to let the pics do most of the storytelling, but get ready for the show!

June 24


The family arrived right on time, and Jeong Mi was at the airport to meet them with a call van. We got them back to their rooms quickly, and then went straight to the hanbok store. We had to get there quickly so we could catch the baseball game.

While there, my parents got measured and picked the style they liked. It all went smoothly, as my parents were also meeting Jeong Mi's parents again for the first time in a year.

We got out of there quickly to head to the baseball game, but the rain would take its first point from us, as the game was called off. You'll see the rain becoming a common, unwelcome theme throughout the trip.

We ended up just going back to my neighborhood to eat lamb skewers at my favorite place, and then we headed to Radio to introduce my family to my friends and the place where I spend the majority of my weekends.

June 25


Jeremy, Melissa and Alan had a morning and afternoon to rest, but Mom, Dad, Jeong Mi and I had to get up early-ish. We went to the wedding place to check out a ceremony, so my parents would have some idea of what was going on. Though they didn't need to know much, it was good to see.

After that, we went back to Yeonsu-dong and ate at a galbi restaurant with Pel, Kim and Popper. In an unprecedented event, they all decided to stay with us and join us for a trip to the norarbang. There are a million in the area, so we picked one and hit it. We had a great time singing and hanging out. We took a lot of good pictures and great videos.

Check out the June 24 and June 25 pictures here!!!

June 26 - Wedding Day


As I've been saying, if it rains, it might as well be a typhoon. And that's just what we got. A tropical storm blew through the morning of the wedding. While we were covered under tarps, the wind still whipped in and brought some splashes of water with it. To add to the fun, Pel and Popper got stuck in an elevator, and made it only minutes before the ceremony started.

Unfortunately, that means they couldn't carry me in, but Jun and Oson stepped in alongside Barry and Woo Min, and it was as really fun experience. While I was carried in, I was goofing around by peeking around the shade and generally just having a good time. Then Jeong Mi came in, and the wedding was underway.

The ceremony itself was short, but ours added other things on to stretch it out. We had a drum band play for at least ten minutes. Our fathers both tossed roosters. I carried around basically my whole family and her family on a piggyback ride. We also had the ceremony where the family members each come up and say nice things to us. Then we took a bunch of pictures. I also translated the whole ceremony through the mic. I didn't expect to, but I guess it was bound to happen. While fun, those things definitely tacked on time.

There was hardly any food left for us when we finished!

After that, a big group of us headed back to Radio for the after party. Woo Min really worked hard that day to help organize all our friends and then host us after the wedding. We had a blast hanging at Radio. We even got to do the Chicken Dance!!! A Bruckart wedding can't happen with that!

Check out wedding pictures here!!!

Keep in mind that we have a ton of wedding pics. This is just a first uploading. So if you keep checking back, there will be more and more. This will at least give you a taste of what happened that day.

June 27 and 28 - Gangwondo


While not yet a honeymoon, really, the days after the wedding provided us a chance to take a trip with Jeong Mi's parents as well as my family. We went to the northeast coast to the province of Gangwondo. It's my favorite place in Korea. It's all nature and beaches and mountains and trees and rivers. The air is fresh and clean, and it's just beautiful.

On Monday, we checked out a beach and a few different spots to catch a good view. We then got to our pension and grilled as much meat as two families possibly could. We also toured a South Korea ship and a North Korea submarine.

On Tuesday, we headed up past the 38th parallel to a lookout that is less than 5 kilometers from North Korea. From the mountaintop, we were looking straight into North Korean territory at some of its mountains and islands. It was an incredible site.

After that, we checked out the DMZ museum and headed over to Mount Sarak, where we rode the cable car up and hiked onto one of the peaks. What a beautiful view! I definitely want to go back in the winter time.

Check out the pictures from the Gangwondo trip here!!!

June 29 - DMZ


This day was another early morning riser. This day was special because we were going to the DMZ. We left our place at 6 a.m., and headed into Seoul. That's where we would catch the bus to the most heavily armed border in the world.

Just crossing into the civilian territory is almost surreal. Soldiers check IDs and passports, and they warn you not to take pictures. Though, if the barbed wire and armed guards weren't all over, the countryside would be just beautiful.

Unfortunately, rain once again reared its ugly head. But that didn't hurt our first plan. We went to the third infiltration tunnel made by the North Koreans. Once there, we strapped on our helmets and rode the tram underground. The tram tunnel was made by the South Koreans, but we soon stepped into North Korean-made territory. The tunnels were tight and small. An average person couldn't stand straight up. The helmets came in handy for a few people on the tour. It was interesting to think that these tunnels exist and were once used for terrifying things. On top of that, there could be many more tunnels around the DMZ.

After that, we went to an observatory, where we saw ABSOLUTELY NOTHING because of the rain and fog. Then it was onto Dorasan, the northernmost train station between North and South Korea. It was previously used to make cargo deliveries, but in recent years, trains hit that stop for some workers, and then come right back. It's another surreal area, almost like a ghost town.

Our last stop on the tour (besides eating) was Imjingak unification village. There was really nothing to see there. It's mostly set up as propaganda. I think the tallest viking in Korea is there (!).

That was it was the DMZ. The idea of it is scarier than being there. Of course, being there when a war is actively happening would probably be a nightmare. I couldn't imagine fighting in the heat and humidity and the heavy forests. And don't even start thinking about wintertime. Yikes.

Check out DMZ photos here!!!

Coming back in from the DMZ, we stopped at Jeong Mi's parents' place. We had a great meal at a Jajangmyeon restaurant, then went to their house to watch some of the DVDs and picture slideshows her dad made for us. It was really fun.

June 30 -- Wolmido and Baseball


We woke up Thursday morning late, because it was a planned rest day. But seeing as the weather was nice, I wanted to do something relaxing. So we headed to Wolmido! Wolmido is my favorite place in Incheon. It's the site of the famous Incheon Landing, and is now home to an awesome boardwalk with rides, drinks and fun.

We got there around 4 p.m., which is a bit unfortunate, because the place really starts rolling at night. Also adding to the bummer factor, is that they are now doing construction on a large chunk of the boardwalk in order to expand it into the sea area.

We still had a good time, because almost all of us got on the slingshot. It's a wonderful ride that does what it says and shoots you into the air. Though we all only paid for one trip, business hadn't really started for them yet, so he gave each of us to big rides. It was a great time. Even Jeong Mi and Dad got on the ride.

Then, since the weather was holding out, we got to go to a baseball game!!! This was really exciting for me. Baseball is a really different experience here. So we sprung for tickets almost behind home plate, got our thunder sticks and enjoyed a really great game.

We got on the jumbotron a bunch and mom even won a free pizza for a dance contest. We even saw an almost-fight between the first-base coach and the ump. Incheon lost, as usual. I'm sure me being there hurt us. But it was still a great time.

Check out Wolmido and baseball game pics here!!!

July 1 - Seoul Bus Tour


Just like last year with Mom and Dad, we took the family on the Seoul Bus Tour. It's a great tour that is only 10,000 won per person, but takes you to basically every big spot in the city. This year we went to Gyeongbokgung (Sejong's palace), Seoul Tower, Itaewon (only for lunch!) and Insadong.

This was really the only time we got to spend in Seoul, but it's a cool trip and worth a day on anyone's schedule. I didn't take too many pics, but mom has a bunch more in her blog.

Check out Bus Tour pics here!!

July 2


Saturday was really just a day to relax. We went to Outback for some actual good food, and then I took Jeremy shopping a bit. Melissa and Alan came over to our place and hung out. Then we went to Radio for a couple hours to hang out and wind down. Woo Min and Jun surprised my parents and family with some very nice gifts. I have some great friends here, and I'm glad my parents got to meet them all.

July 3 - Farewell


We woke up early-ish on July 3 to meet Jeong Mi's parents for one last meal. We went to a nice meat restaurant in the neighborhood, and they got to chat (through me) one last time on this trip.

We then loaded into the van, and headed to the airport. For the second year in a row, I watched my family take off from the airport and head back to The World. It's always hard watching them leave, especially when I don't yet know what my own future will hold.

We had a really incredible time and things went fairly smoothly. Unlike last year, where a day of translating would force me to take two recovery days from mental and physical fatigue, this year was a piece of cake. What a difference a year makes, huh? I only needed my dictionary a couple times at the DMZ, but it was mostly in my ear hole and out my mouth hole without even stopping to think anymore. And it didn't wear me out at all. It felt pretty normal.

I'm so thrilled my family could make it out for my traditional Korean wedding, and that they could see a glimpse of my life over here. Any of you other teachers -- or anyone living here -- who has a close family, get them to come out and spend a week with you. Even though it can be a bit stressful, it's totally worth the time and effort.

As for the rest of my family, we look forward to partying with you guys back home and celebrating American-style as soon as possible. Anyone who stuck with this through the end, thank you so much! Keep checking back for picture updates.

Once more to my family, Jeong Mi, her parents and my friends: I love you guys! Thank you so much!

Family on the Way

Dad, Mom, Jeremy, Melissa and Alan are on a place right now. They should be almost in San Francisco. Then they hop on a direct flight to Incheon. They get here tomorrow at about 2:55 p.m., if all goes well.

Tomorrow might be a busy day. We're going to the hanbok shop, then, hopefully, to a baseball game. Let's hope the rain gives us a break for a few hours tomorrow evening. And then, of course, for a few hours on Sunday morning/afternoon.

It's going to be a fun week. Wedding, here we come!!!

Plastic Surgery Capital of Asia

CNN has been doing a lot of stories lately on Seoul. Most are pretty forgettable, even if you've never stepped foot in South Korea. For example, one reporter went to various places in the city using her bank card. She used it on the bus, taxi, subway and at restaurants. Let's face it, that's not too far off from many places in the world.

But one story stands out today. It's something that interests me because so many people do it, while so many others think it's stupid. That thing is plastic surgery.

Korea is one of the leading plastic surgery nations. One of the doctors CNN interviewed says his clinic is called the "plastic surgery capital of Asia." The main focus of the story is about the double-eyelid surgery, which is extremely popular here.

The girl they profile is a 12-year-old (so probably really 11 by international standards). She thinks her eyes are ugly, and is excited for the surgery. But her mom says she didn't asked for it. No, no. Mom is MAKING her do it.

A week or so ago there was outrage in America over a mother supposedly giving her young daughter Botox injections. People were livid. Yet, here, it's perfectly acceptable to have an elementary school child get surgery to change her appearance.

Most of the time, in my experience, the surgery makes hardly any difference. It's only noticeable if you have a before and after picture next to each other. Even the, the changes are so subtle they can be hard to spot.

The doctor in the story says:

'"They always tell me they don't like their faces," says Dr Kim, explaining what his patients request prior to surgery. "They want to have some westernized, nice faces. They want to have big eyes like westernized people, high profile, nicer noses."'

An interesting counterpoint is what an Asian American magazine editor gave:

'"They're making a statement about their own race, about where they come from, who they are," says Wong. "They're not doing it on purpose. They're not saying that they think they're inferior looking. They're not saying they're ugly, but that's the message that they're giving nonetheless."'

The story goes on to say that there's even a surgery now that is performed on toddlers to snip a muscle under the tongue, with the belief that it will help them speak English more clearly. Because, you know, everyone who speaks English had their tongue muscles snipped.

I know very few Koreans -- guys and girls -- who haven't had some form of plastic surgery, though it's certainly more rare with my male friends.

Either way, it's an interesting read on a cultural difference. Check out the story here.

 

Nation Finally Taking Notice???

I haven't written about suicides in Korea in a long time. It's not that interesting to me and, frankly, it's a sad topic about which I don't want to write.

But a slew of recent suicides at Kaist, one of Korea's most prestigious universities, is making me wonder if the country will finally take notice and do something instead of just continuing to take the top spot in OECD rankings for suicides year after year.

Check out this article in the New York Times about what's happening. The article paints a pretty accurate picture of student life here, from my experiences anyway.

As much as Korea has changed over the last 25 years -- and will continue to change -- I doubt they'll ever snap out of this. Suicide is almost encouraged when someone is humiliated or, more appropriately, humiliates themself in some way.

I don't want to write about this anymore. It's a bummer. So read the article and let me know what you think.

Thank Goodness For A Break

It's been awhile since we got some time off, and Geoff and I were lucky to get a long weekend thanks to Children's Day and our school's anniversary last week. Our friends weren't all so fortunate to get the Friday as well, but we did all get the Thursday. We ended up turning a few rest days into a great weekend.

On Thursday, Will, Onson, Bryan and I played soccer with Woo Min, Jun and their friend, Bo. We went to a local park with some indoor-style soccer courts. We didn't beat the high school kids we were playing, but there're a host of rules and cheap tactics the Koreans use at this court of which we couldn't take advantage.

One is that any time they got the ball in their defensive zone, they simply went to the corner with it, and we HAD TO BACK OFF. Even in our defensive zone, they expected us to give them room when they went to the corner. It was stressful. They also cherry-picked like crazy. I realize there's no offsides, but there's a sense of courtesy and fair play that they didn't care about. Speaking of fair play, one time, their goalie left the box with the ball. When the ball squirted back into the box, a defender ran back and picked it up with his hands, like he was now the goalie. They also played it back to their goalie constantly and the keeper would just pick it right up. I'm not saying we're super good, but I am saying that we play fair.

On Thursday evening, we went out to Guworldong. It used to be one of our favorite squares in which to hang, but we've largely lost interest because there was really a lack of things to do when you can't sit at a table outside in the summer. But there's a new-ish bar there that has super-cheap drinks, as well as some new chicken places and a host of other new batting cages and games and whatnot. We took it all in and had a fun time.

On Saturday, Popper, Kim, Pel and I went to the baseball game to watch Incheon lose to Kia. There were so many people that we had to sit way up in the upper decks. We also got in using some sneaky method through a scalper. We basically followed him in as he showed the gate people already-torn stubs. Very strange. But we got in for 5,000 won each.

On Sunday, we headed to Wolmido to take advantage of one of the few days during the weekend with no rain. It got a little chilly at night, but we had a lot of fun. I took some pictures, but the stupid Microsoft pictures manager decided it didn't want to rename my photos, and simply deleted them. The good news is, we will be making our way back there frequently during the summer. It's so nice to hang out on the boardwalk and listen to the live music and watch the people walk by.

It's going to be a good summer.

See the Wyverns pics here!

Check out Guworldong shots here!

25 Manners

Here's a little column on 25 manners kids should know by the time they reach age 9. Certainly when I was growing, my parents stressed all of these to me (Except for the one about the phone. I rarely introduced myself first unless it was for a professional call.).

Here's the article!

Now, we can't expect kids to remember or adhere to these all the time. But if they are at least putting forth the effort, it's a relief. I also realize there are some cultural differences at play between Korea and America.

But even with that in mind, take a look around at many Koreans you either know or just pass by while walking. It's beating a dead horse to bring these things up again, but it's also a fun way to vent.

Check out the list. Any other manners you think Koreans -- especially students -- should learn?

North Korea's Facebook Page

Cracked.com is one of the foremost contributors to research and information on the Hermit Kingdom. They are presenting, for the first time, the Facebook page of North Korea.

Check out the page here!!!

And don't forget to check out the number one dictator on their most recent crazy dictator list!!! You know him, you love him. It's Kim Jong-il!!!

Update On The Yeonpyeongdo Attack

Apparently, the North attacked the South's island of Yeonpyeong because the South was holding some military exercises there. That would be like the U.S. attacking Canada because they wanted to do basic training with their Army.

Here's an updated AP story with more details.

I had a discussion with Bryan about how the news feeds into the fear, but some of these quotes from President Lee Myung Bak are pretty severe this time around.

He said:

'"Enormous retaliation should be made to the extent that (North Korea) cannot make provocations again," he said.'

That's pretty intense. To make sure the North can't attack or provoke again would basically need a full-on war ... again.

The island is about 80 km (50 miles) from Incheon. It's not as close as I thought. But that's still pretty close for an almost-full-on attack.

More Shots From The North

North Korea is once again pushing the South's buttons by firing on Yeonpyeongdo, a small island off the western coast of South Korea.

Here's the AP news story.

Here's the Aljazeera news story.

Here's the CNN report.

Both stories include some pictures.

Apparently, there have been at least four casualties, as well as a number of houses being destroyed. It prompted a quick response from South Korean marines.

I'm usually pretty quick to write any crazy North Korean news off, but the past few months have seen the most shooting between the two countries in a very long, especially being condensed in such a short period.

First, the Cheonan ship sank in March. I was pretty skeptical about the North's involvement, but now I'm pretty much convinced they did it. Actions speak pretty loudly, after all.

Because after the ship incident, troops from the North once again fired on the South in October, right before everyone arrived for the G20 summit.

And now, they're firing once again. Keep in mind that this time is not too far from those of us living in Incheon. I used to tell my family and friends not to worry, but now I'm actually a little nervous about all this activity. On top of that, we get to hear continual 'scare' stories about this nuclear reactor that's taking shape.

I know that news feeds the masses a healthy dose of fear. I've managed to think rationally about it before. But even I am concerned about why all these military exchanges have been taking place in the last 8 months.

Let's hope we hear something more solid on this soon.

North-South Gunplay

Some North Korean troops fired at South Korean troops across the DMZ on Oct. 29. It happened about 56 miles northeast of Seoul.

What does it all mean? Probably nothing. I rarely post news stories anymore because most of them are boring. Even the interesting cultural stories don't really pique my interest very much anymore. I'm sure that people in America see more about the North-South conflict than I do. You guys could probably be filling me in on details.

Anyway, here's the link to the BBC page.

Unsure Times Continue

They already started interviewing new secretaries for our English Center. That was a good sign. It sucks that Sunny has to leave, but it was comforting knowing we weren't going to be flapping in the wind while they dragged their feet.

But when it rains it pours. The principal told Ridia that the November Market Day would be our last one. He thinks it's a waste of money. But he's retiring in February. What stops us from bringing it back. Let's hope this new person is cool, whenever he or she arrives.

Ridia also said that, in general, she thinks the principal isn't happy with the English Center. I don't understand that at all. What we're finding out is the principal's outward attitude and inward emotions can differ wildly. That means that even though he's smiling on the outside, he could be stewing deep down.

That puts us all in a precarious position. I don't want Sunny to leave. That's obvious. But Ridia is the absolute key to how successful we've been. If she's not there, I'm afraid of what might happen to the atmosphere at the center. Keep your fingers crossed, please, because we might be facing some rocky roads ahead.

Sad News From Hambak

Keeping with standards and traditions, South Korea once again set out to rain in everybody's parade. It's kind of like ... well ... that one guy we know who always rains on everybody's parade.

Anyway, I posted a note recently about how great things are going here. My new contract, my fat bonus and my time with Jeong Mi are just the tip of the really-good-stuff iceberg.

But South Korea sucked me in with its ups, and is now laughing at my face during the downs.

We found out yesterday that our English Center secretary, Sunny, will not be re-hired. They told her this yesterday, as well. Her contract ends on Saturday. Thats right. They told her and us that her contract would not be renewed with only 4 days to spare.

This is bad for many reasons:

1. Sunny is awesome. She is super fun, and we could always count on having someone cool around when we do work-related activities.

2. She's a good employee. They give her way too much work to do, including stuff that she shouldn't be doing (sending out invitations for the principal's daughter's wedding) and she did it without raising a stink.

3. We are short a person in the English Center. That means Sunny's responsibilities will fall to Ridia until they hire someone new. Knowing the system, that means we could be short one person for while. And realistically, we could have used another person as it was.

There was no reason given for her not being re-hired. There are a few ideas floating around. One is that because the principal is retiring in February, the administrators thought the new person would want someone fresh. A second is that this is the end of Sunny's second year. That means that after this renewal, she would leave yearly contract status and become an official employee. The thought is that the administrators want someone who they can get rid of in the short term if need be.

Regardless of any hairbrained theories, this is bad all around for us. We like working with Sunny and don't want to see her go. Even if the new person they hire is just as good, no one can compare to Sunny for her personality and the hard work she put in here.

We'll miss you, Sunny. Sorry that even at a good school, people can become victims of a bad cultural system.

Starcraft Is Dumb

I mean, seriously. The game is like 100 years old, but Koreans still play it like it came out yesterday. Popper and I were talking about whether they would start playing Starcraft 2, and he had a good point. They will start playing when it's also 10 years old and no one plays anymore. That way, they can feel like the best.

Anyway, check out this article talking about how ridiculous the Starcraft culture is in Korea.

StarCraft is Practically Korea's National Sport ...

And America mocks you for it.

Check out this great video by Cody at cracked.com. He's doing a tutorial on a StarCraft-type game and getting destroyed by his Korean competiton. Good stuff.

Another Reunion Planned

North Korea's Red Cross is proposing another meeting of separated families between North and South Koreans.

These stories are incredibly heartwarming. Yes, it's terrible that there are people stuck across the border in the first place, but to see a family member you haven't seen since the 1950s and aren't even sure if they're alive has got to be one of the most wonderful feelings in the world.

Some really nice video always surfaces after these events happen, so I'll post that as soon as it comes out.

Here's one of the meetings from last year:

'Yoon Ki-Dal, 88, of South Korea thought such a moment would never come. After leaving his son and daughters when they were babies during the Korean War, he was able to hold the hands of his North Korean children last September. 

"Father, we thought you were dead," his daughter, who was in her 60s, told him, her face trembling.'

Again, it's just brutal that two bigger governments (The USA and USSR) could have agreed to separate an entire country and separate millions of people.

But at least there is enough cooperation for a few hundred families to meet every year. If that doesn't inspire hope, I don't know what could.

 

Wedding Pics and Tiny Update (Anger)

Here are the pics from my sister's wedding. Notice how happy I am during most of the images. I will not be that happy again for a long time.

While I was at home, I scratched my eye. I think it was because of the dry air in the airplane and the hotel, and not enough downtime in between the trip over and trip back. Because my eye was irritated, I must've scratched it when removing my contacts.

I'll give a description of the trip later, but as for now, I can't even open my left eye because it is throbbing with pain. The doctor told me that I can't wear my contacts for at least a month, and gave me a bunch of pills and drops. So the next month of my life is going to be pretty terrible.

Check out the wedding/travel pics here.

Lee's Major Flip-flop

It turns out President Lee Myung-bak isn't so tough on those North Koreans after all. Though the tough love approach is essentially what got him elected and what he's stuck to throughout his presidency, he's now changed his mind and offered a re-unification plan.

The plan incudes a unification tax to help shoulder the enormous financial burden that would pop up.

Lee said that one of the main goals of this peaceful community is to de-nuclearize the North. But I have one cynical question: By unifying, isn't the North staying a nuclear country, just under a different name???

Lee must be all about making friends now, because he is even pushing for improved ties with Japan. What's next? Dokdo-shima?

Lee has his work cut out for him if he thinks this is even remotely possible. It's about as likely as merging the United States and Mexico. And at least those two countries have better food to work with.

Gulf of Tonkin All Over Again?

On Aug. 4, 1964, the US Military claimed it was attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by some Vietnamese torpedo boats. The supposed military action promted President Lyndon B. Johnson to pass a resolution that basically started the Vietnam War. Yes, I realize it had subtley been going on for years before that, but this made it official.

Is the sinking of the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea destined to be next. We know for a fact that a ship sunk, but we have no actual evidence it was done by the North Koreans. All we have is their nasty reputation and past battles in that area.

Regardless, the US and South Korea are having some practice time in the Yellow Sea to show off just how big their balls are.


This week, the two buddy-countries are putting on some more war games. We all know what happened last time someone played war games. Let's hope this doesn't turn out as badly.

Of course, if thermonuclear wat breaks out this time, we might need more than Matthew Broderick and a Commodore 64 to save us.