Korea Travel Guide - Hotels in Korea

How Much Money Can You Save Teaching English in Korea for One Year?

2010-10-26T08:00:00.001-07:00

Individuals who come to Korea as English teachers are typically serious about growing their savings and/or paying off debts. And for good reason: South Korea provides the most prospects to earn a lot of money and survive on a little of any nation hiring foreign English teachers.

Income
Let's take a look first at potential earnings. Wages for full-time positions usually are around 2.1-2.5 million won. We are going to use 2.3 million four our reference because it is a quite normal salary. Along with your paycheck, your net profit should include a few additional payouts:
An end-of-the-year incentive corresponding to one month's wages.
Your employer's contribution for your federal pension (4.5% of the monthly wage)
How about we add it all together:
Monthly income x 12 27.6 million
End-of-contract bonus 2.3 million
Pension payout x 12 1.24 million
Total:31.14 million

Moreover, just about all full-time agreements have housing provided along with round trip travel to South Korea. Though these items aren't really part of your income, they bring us to the next component of conserving money...

Living Expenses
Rent
Unless of course you get a part time job or choose a special program that uses an hourly rate, your apartment in Korea is going to be free. You will have to pay for your own utilities, which vary depending on where you reside. I was located in a somewhat costly high-rise apartment within down-town Seoul, and my utility bill was about 150,000 won. We will employ that for the calculations, although most can count on paying a lot less.

Food
Dining out throughout Korea can be very affordable, specifically if you enjoy Korean food (I really like it!). Cooking at your home is even more inexpensive. Food staples like eggs, rice, and specific meats normally are cheaper than what you would spend back home: by way of example, eggs tend to be 3,500 (≈$3USD) for a package of thirty from the grocery store across the street from us. In-season fruits and vegetables can be found in marketplaces (and in all likelihood from the gentleman with his truck parked down your block) for extremely affordable prices. My grocery bill is usually 30,000 each week. Just in the interests of creating a generous estimate, we will employ 50,000 as our estimation for one person.

The only way to really blow your budget on meals in Korea would be to eat out too frequently at Western eateries. But fundamentally, as long as you keep your On the Border trips to a minimum, your dining expenditures should really be nicely under 300,000 won per month.

Health insurance coverage and Tax
These kinds of bills are automatically taken off from your paycheck. Pension payments are deducted, as well, however I have not listed them here as you get them back 100 % at the end of the 12 months (together with your employer's identical payments!). During my initial year, I paid out 30,000 won in income tax and 60,000 won for health insurance coverage every month.

Getting Around
One good thing about getting your apartment put in place by your company is you will not need to commute to work. A lot of people, though, may wish to travel to different parts of the city several times per week. A half an hour ride on the Seoul Metro (normal coming from nearly all areas of the city to the downtown area) costs 1,000 won (≈90¢USD). Do a comparison of that with New York City's flat rate of $2.25 or Tokyo's 190 yen (≈$2.25) for the same journey! Taxi cabs start off at 2,400 won and tend to be about half as expensive as NYC or Tokyo (rough approximation alert!). I am quite active--I ride the metro five-or-so times per week and take a couple of cabs during the weekend. All this results in around 80,000 a month on transportation.

How much can you save?
The costs we have added up so far make 620,000, which subtracted from 2.3 million leaves 1.68 million of extra income each and every month. The quantity of that you decide to invest in traveling, shopping, going out, etc. is needless to say your responsibility, but it really is quite simple to save at a minimum one million from just about every paycheck. Include your year-end bonus plus government pension pay out of 3.5 million, and you will be able to put away 15.5 million or higher by the close of your year. Check out XE.com's currency converter to see what that means in your home currency!

FIFA World Cup 2010: South Korea Vs Greece Preview

2010-10-25T07:45:00.001-07:00

If you want to know who the most successful football team from Asia are, look no farther than South Korea. They have featured in all the world cups held since 1986.

In the 2002 World Cup that South Korea co-hosted with Japan, South Korea stunned the world, when they entered the semi-finals at the event.

Nearly a decade later, the Asian football giants will seek a rerun of that feat. But before that, they must get past the group stage, and their immediate stumbling block is Greece whom they will face on Saturday, at Port Elizabeth.

In 2006, South Korea failed to get past the group stage, and they will want to achieve at least that objective, this year.

The match against Greece could prove crucial in helping decide which of the two will accompany Argentina to the round of 16. With Nigeria the fourth team in the fray, this is one of the tougher groups, and an upset or two could liven things up.

Going strictly by current form, South Korea should pip both Greece and Nigeria to the second spot in the group. The Asian team went unbeaten through their qualification matches, and in warm ups to the event in South Africa have got the better of Japan, Ecuador and Ivory Coast.

And in a match against European champions Spain at Innsbruck, the Koreans came close to holding the Spaniards to a draw; Spain managed to eke out a 1-0 win on the back of a late goal in the 86th minute by Jesus Navas.

Greece have qualified for the event after a long gap of 16 years. Their 1994 campaign in USA ended on a tearful note after they were demolished in all three group matches, while conceding 10 goals.

Greece followed up on their shock win in Euro 2004 by not qualifying for World Cup 2006 and by failing to win a match at Euro 2008, as defending champions.

As in Euro 2004, the absence of expectation could work in Greece's favour in World Cup 2010, according to their German coach Otto Rehhagel. Greece will look to the fleet-footed Celtic striker Georgios Samaras to provide them the initiative. The World Cup is an opportunity for Samaras to prove his unfulfilled potential where it matters most.

South Korea captain, Ji-Sung Park, will bring his hyper energetic self to bear in midfield as he orchestrates his side's campaign, in South Africa. His experience with PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United should prove handy in seeing his side past the group stage.

In a closely fought must-win game for both sides, South Korea have the edge.

FIFA World Cup 2010 - South Korea Vs Uruguay Round 16 Preview

2010-10-24T07:30:00.001-07:00

Finally, the men have been separated from the boys and the knock out round begins on Saturday in Port Elizabeth, with the first match scheduled between South Korea and Uruguay.

Uruguay have been impressive from their first match against France. In pre-tournament previews, South Korea were not expected to make it past the group stage, but here they are. The stakes are much higher than they have been so far in the World Cup. The winner of this match goes through to the quarter final. Any mistake by a player on either side could be the last one, for his team. A flash of brilliance could be the difference between winning and losing.

Two-time winners, Uruguay, have been a revelation, whether in their passing or finishing. They have changed their game plan according to the situation and opposition. Whereas they attacked against South Africa, they chose to defend against France. They could have chosen to play safe and drawn against Mexico. But the thought of having to facing Argentina in the round of 16 in case they finished second in the group was sufficient motivation for Uruguay to go on the offensive against the North Americans.

At about half-time Luis Suarez got what proved to be the winning goal of the match, when he headed home a cross from Edinson Cavani on the right. But for Oscar Perez's bravura performance in the Mexico goal, Uruguay should have won by a handsomer margin. Diego Forlan has come to the party at this World Cup, with two goals, and a fruitful partnership with Suarez.

The Uruguay defence has been a veritable fortress guarded by Jorge Fucile. Edinson Cavani came into the team as the third striker, against South Africa, and his great showing since has ensured him a place in the starting eleven against South Korea.

South Korea began well with a disciplined game against Greece which they won. they were completely out of sorts against Argentina, and conceded 3 goals in the second half after drawing level at 1-1 virtually at half-time. Their third match against Nigeria went to the wire with Yakubu missing a sitter with only the goalie to beat. That goal would have meant Nigeria qualifying by virtue of a better goal difference.

For Nigeria Kalu Uche got an early lead. South Korea responded with a goal each from Lee Jun Soo and Park Choo Young, to go 2-1 up. Nigeria's equaliser made it 2-2, and that was the final score.

At their best, South Korea have been resolute, and loathe to give up easily. At their worst, they have been inconsistent, losing focus, and failing to convert all their opportunities.

Skipper Park Ji-Sung has led the team well, with Chung Young Lee and Sung Yong Ki contributing their mite. Keeper Sung Ryong Jong has also pulled his weight under the bar with some spectacular saves.

Diego Forlan has been the man of the moment for Uruguay, and how far they will go from here on in the tournament will depend on Forlan's performance.

Midfielder Park Ji Sung has exemplified South Korea's industry and resoluteness with his creativity in the middle.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is likely to stick to attack with 3 strikers and with Forlan playing deep in midfield, Suarez will have to lead up front.

South Korea's Manager Huh Jung Moo will stick with a defensive 4-4-2 formation. Hyung Cho will give midfield protection to the back four led by Jung-Soo Lee and Young Pyo Lee. Park-Ji Sung in the middle will assist Ki-Hun Yeom and Chu-Young Park, with passes.

Uruguay have shown themselves to be creative and opportunistic compared with the workmanlike Koreans. Creativity will win the day.

The Korean Way

2010-10-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

In the 1970's, a certain Korean visited the Philippines. He was amazed and envious on what he saw. He prayed, "Lord, please make Korea as green as the Philippines." A couple of decades passed and a certain Filipino was invited to Korea for a visit at a prayer mountain there. On their way to the site, they passed through the green fields and forests. He was astounded and cannot help it but to compare. He then prayed, "Lord, please make the Philippines as green as Korea."

Funny but it is a painful reality. But would you believe that Korea was not that progressive then as they are right now? They actually passed through a long learning process. And the people behind were not the prominent figures of society, but the ordinary ones. These people had asked what they could do for their country, not what their country could do for them.

In World War II, Japanese Imperial Army ransacked both their natural resources and national treasures. Their food crops and forest products were seized by Japanese soldiers. Years passed after the devastating effects of World War II, civil war erupted. Korea wage war with itself. Later on, it was divided into North and South.

As South Korea was recovering from the ravages of war, an ordinary citizen made an extra ordinary contribution to its struggling economy via innovative farming. His style is unbounded from traditional to one of the most effective at that era. With the support of his family and workers, harvests multiplied. In just a matter of years, his success and method were being followed. He became an inspiration and later on inspired the head of state. He was even recognized by political figures. Later on, a law was passed urging other Korean farmers to follow his footsteps. Other Korean leaders then were inspired and saw the potentials in turning agriculture as a backbone of their struggling economy. They have developed it as their stepping stone to what they are right now, and they succeeded. The farming style was named, "Canaan farming." And a farming school was even established out of it. The man behind was an ordinary farmer-entrepreneur who started from scratch. His name is Kim Yong-Ki. This serves as proof that even sweet potato could change the course of history, if we are determined.

This ordinary man's achievement later on inspired Japan and other countries. In 1966, one of Philippines most prolific and prestigious award giving bodies has recognized his contributions. He was a "Ramon Magsaysay awardee for Public Service." The Board of Trustees recognized his example of Christian principles practically applied to improve agriculture and imbued rural life with new joy and dignity.

KIM YONG-KI is a son of ordinary farmer parents, Kim Choon Kyo and Kim Kong Yoon. He was born on September 5, 1908 at Nungnai-ri, Wabu-myun, a rural community of Yangjoo County, Kyoungi Province, in the central area of the Korean Peninsula. His father had attended a Presbyterian school and his mother was a devout, practical Christian. Kim was the fourth among 5 sons. Kim's childhood was very normal yet well read and was tasked to help his parents in the field. The vision of rejuvenating Korean rural life led Kim to establish Canaan. It started on his youth days.

He was 23 when he inherited from his father a small farm in Bongan, Kyoungi, not far from his parental home. His faith, good example and hard work had influenced for a better change the plight of the common man in farming. The farm was a wasteland so he elected to plant sweet potatoes because they would grow in poor soil and under any climatic conditions in Korea. His determination and practical approach had produced perhaps the best sweet potato and an outstanding farmers in Korea.

In the previous year KIM had married Kim Bong Hi, who became his partner in the enterprise. First, the idealistic young husband sent his bride, who had received only a primary education, to Seoul for further schooling. Living was never easy but there was satisfaction for the family in the produce of their labor. The KIMs' three sons and two daughters, like their father, began as small children to share in the family work.

After seven years of experimentation, KIM developed a method for storing sweet potatoes for 12 months which highly trained Japanese farmers had failed to do. The achievement called him to the attention of Japanese officials and the secretary to the Japanese Governor of Korea paid a visit to his farm. This success confirmed his decision to be a "studying farmer." Since then he has continuously experimented to increase production and up-grade field crops, vegetables, fruits, and livestock, and better preserve and store produce. The Bongan farm flourished in the 15 years from 1930 to 1945.With his desire for an expansion, Kim sold the Bongan farm in 1945 and reinvent everything. He bought in Koyang County of Kyoungi Province another piece of wasteland where he established an entirely new settlement. In it he established not just a farm but a community with school was for farmers.

KIM and his family are the core faculty of the Canaan Farmer's School, working from four in the morning until 10 in the evening. But they also invited well experienced and specialist lecturers. And in just a matter of four years, less than 2,000 men and women have trained. The school has revolutionized farming then on their area and made new breed of farmers with openness to new ideas. Of course, they learned the basic planting and raising of field crops, vegetables, fruit trees, strawberries, bees, rabbits, goats, cattle and much else. Self esteem and contentment was also uplifted among farmers. The sense of nearness to God and nature that this allows; these they have carried with them to other villages.

It was in the 1950s that KIM moved to Yongin County where he led in creation of the Farmer's Evangelical Folk High School. After five years he could leave this institution to the management of associates and move on to found the Canaan farm and school. Kim has literally influenced the spiritual awakening of farmers in Korea on that era.In just a span of five years, KIM sold the Koyang farm and again "ventured for victory" on a piece of mountain land in Yong-in County of Kyoungi. It became the core of a third "model" village. There KIM organized an Evangelical Farming Institute and a Farmers' Evangelical Junior School. But this farm was again sold after three years to intimate friends in the community who are not farmers but have continued the Evangelical Junior School using KIM's principles.

Later Kim purchased in 1954 the 10,000 pyung plot known as "Whangsan," or "Wasted Hill." (roughly three and one-half hectares). KIM wanted now to be near the capital so that more people would see what could be done with unproductive land. It was located only some 40 minutes by local bus from Seoul, near the southeast boundary of the city in the administrative district of Pungsan Ri.He was finally recognized by the Korean government in 1960. He received the Cultural Award from the Minister of Public Information and the following year a citation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

In 1962 he received three letters of appreciation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, from the National Reconstruction Movement Kyoungi Branch, and from the Minister of Public Information, as well as a citation from the Governor of Kyoungi Province. The Chief of Staff of the Korean Air Force addressed a citation to KIM on June 26, 1964 and earlier invited him to lecture before a group of officers and enlisted men. His audience was so enthusiastic that similar lectures were arranged at every airbase and the Air Force sent enlisted men to Canaan Farm for training. In 1965 KIM received a third commendation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Government officials have asked KIM what they could do to help but he refuses assistance: "Please do not make any disturbance," he requests, "that is the best way to help me."KIM's success symbolizes the hope of all Korean farmers, and perhaps even in other nation. He has proven to himself that even a waste land can turn out to be your dream land. But what amazes me is that in spite of his attained status, he never forgotten where he came. His success is also the uplifting of other farmers below him. His motivation is to serve his fellow farmers. "His Christian devotion and patriotic zeal are the source of abundant inspiration to all Koreans," as the title of his book suggests, he has shown to Korean farmers 'the way to a true living'."

Wal-Mart - Eyeing The Global Market

2010-10-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

Wal-mart, the largest retailer in the world was established in US (Arkanas) in the year 1962 by Sam Walton, and grew steadily with sales figure of $218 billion and some 4500 stores by 2002. In the early stages Wal-mart operations were confined to the United States, where it established a competitive advantage based upon a combination of efficient merchandising and progressive human relations policies, probably taking a leaf out of the book of F.W Taylor.

Wal-mart was among few of the companies to implement information system to track product sales and inventory. Among some of the other successful strategies Wal-mart implemented were sharing widespread stock ownership among employees and pass on some of its benefits as low prices on to the consumers. With having substantial market share in general merchandising where it already had huge market presence, allowed the company to successfully foray into food retailing and make a huge dent in the market share of some of the established supermarket.

The competition in the domestic market by the year 1990 made Wal-Mart to think of expanding and by 1995 they were already present in 50 states of USA and by the year 2000 the company decided to go Global as they could sense saturation in the US market.

Going global was not such a smooth sailing though for the company, the critics wrote them off saying Wal-mart is to American a company to succeed in the global market. They predicted that constraints of Infrastructure, logistics and different consumer preference and some well established retailer's presence would make it difficult for the company to succeed globally.

Unperturbed by the perceived constraints Wal-mart started its global venture in 1991 by opening its first store in Mexico, as a joint venture with Cafera, one of the largest retailer stores in Mexico. As predicted, Wal-Mart made a number of mistakes that seemed to prove the critics right. Poor infrastructure, crowded roads and a lack of understanding with local suppliers, many of whom could not or would not deliver directly to Wal-Mart stores or distribution centres resulted in stocking problems and raised costs and prices .There were also problem with merchandise selection as most of the items housed in the Mexican shop were similar to that of/in the US, which did not go too well with the Mexican market.

Learning from its mistakes Wal-mart adapted itself well to meet the local environment requirement and needs. Some of the initiatives taken by the company to resolve the current crises included:

o A partnership with a Mexican trucking company which helped the company to dramatically improve their distribution system.

o A more careful approach towards stocking practices meant the stores sold merchandise that appealed more to the local tastes and preferences.

These strategies started paying rich dividends to the company and in the year 1998,Wal-mart acquired a controlling interest in "Cifera" and by the year 2002 Wal-mart was more then twice the size of its nearest rival in Mexico with 600 stores and revenue of more then $10 billion.

With some great results in Mexico, Wal-mart followed the same strategies and subsequently entered into eight other countries. It entered into JV partnerships with other retailers in Canada, Britain, Germany, Japan and South Korea .In Brazil, Argentina and China Wal-mart established its own stores. As a result the company had over 1200 stores outside the United States, 303,000 associates and generated international revenue of more then $35 billion.

Wal-mart continued its steady growth globally in spite of the few early difficulties it faced, and registered high growth rate.

o In 2004 Wal-Mart generated over $256 billion in global revenue, establishing a new record and adding more than $26 billion in sales. The Company earned almost $9.1 billion in net income and grew earnings per share by over 15 percent.

o Subsequent to fiscal year-end 2004, in February 2004, the Company completed its purchase of Bompreco S.A. Supermercados do Nordeste ("Bompreco"), a supermarket chain in northern Brazil with 118 hypermarkets, supermarkets and mini-markets. The purchase price was approximately $300 million.

o In 2006 Wal-Mart net sales rose 9.5% to a record $312.4 billion. Net income rose 9.4% to a record $11.2 billion. Our earnings per share grew double-digits from $2.41 to $2.68 per share.

o In 2006, Wal-mart were doing around 20% of there business abroad. Wal-Mart's marketplace is clearly the world.

o Wal-mart has total International portfolio divided among three of the Geographical locations(The Americas, Europe and Asia) with Americas - 71%, Asia - 17%a and Europe - 12%

While store development and expansion has experienced significant growth, it is not the only measure of success. The division has posted impressive financial results as well. Wal-Mart International announced that 2007 fiscal year end sales reached $77.1 billion, a 30.2 percent increase over the previous year, and that operating profit rose to $4.2 billion, an increase of 21.5 percent over the prior year.

Looking at some of the key information pointers above, Wal-Mart U.S. expects to open over 305 new, relocated or expanded units in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2007. Wal-Mart International plans to open over 220 new, relocated or expanded stores in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2007. The company further plans to continue acquisitions where they can add strategic value to the business.

In the year 2007 Wal-Mart were hit by twin turmoil's in the housing and credit markets, which further fuelled there, reason to look beyond U.S. and identified India as one of the potentional growth market. Wal- Mart which already pulled out of Korea and Japan this year, were constantly on a look out to enter the India Market and there reasons were quite obvious.

India being one of the emerging markets was an obvious choice for Wal-mart with an estimated 12 million kirana shops in India. Of these, the largest consumer-goods companies in the country are only able to service less than 10% of them. This means that 90% of these small stores are not directly serviced, providing a large and new market opportunity for the joint venture. However entering a country through the wholesale channel will be the first time for the Wal-mart globally.

After years of looking for a way into India's fast-growing but highly protected retail market, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is trying a backdoor approach teaming up with an Indian phone company Bharti Enterprises to court the country's burgeoning middle class. India's Bharti Enterprises plans to invest up to $2 billion to $2.5 billion by 2015 in setting up a nationwide chain of supermarkets and retail shops in partnership with U.S. chain Wal-Mart. Together, they will set up 15 wholesale cash-and-carry stores over the next seven years. Focusing on the wholesale segment is Wal-Mart's best immediate option, given that India restricts direct foreign investment in consumer retailing. Despite obvious cultural and business challenges, Wal-Mart International has experienced success because of its ability to transport the company's unique culture and effective retailing concepts to each new country. The company makes a concerted effort to adapt to local cultures and become involved in the local community. Associates respond to customer needs, merchandise preferences and local suppliers. By serving each hometown in the same way, Wal-Mart International has realized significant growth with potential for much greater development worldwide.

In 2007, Wal-Mart International has opened around 320 to 330 units in existing markets. Relocations or expansion of existing stores has accounted for approximately 30 of these units, while the remainder represents new operating units for the company.

In the coming year 2008, The Company projects its capital spending in fiscal 2008 to increase by approximately 2 to 4 percent, which compares to the 15 to 20 percent increase forecast for fiscal 2007, Wal-mart, believes that capital spending in the U.S. will be approximately flat to the current fiscal year. This reduction in growth is expected to result from: building fewer U.S. units; anticipated flattening of construction costs; improvements in the distribution centre network; and design efficiency."

Daegu - Warm Welcome To The Fashion City of South Korea

2010-10-21T06:30:00.001-07:00

Perfectly set up in a basin with a backdrop of low mountains, Daegu or officially known as Daegu Metropolitan City is the fourth largest city of South Korea and is situated southeast of Korean Peninsula. This fascinating destination of East Asia is the capital city of Gyeongsangbuk-do province and is also a main tourist destination of the country. Whether it is the colorful cultural scene or the magnificent historical sites or the new trendy fashion style, Daegu has all attractive features to captivate travelers.

Serving as a centre of transportation junction of Geumho and Nakdong rivers, this modern bustling city of South Korea is very well connected with all the regions of the country through various modes of transport. Among all modes, Daegu Airport has a special place as it connects the city with international destinations. But the first thing that comes to mind spontaneously when we talk about this modern city is its textile industry sector. Known as the "Fashion City" of South Korea, the most significant shopping area is the central business district known by the name of 'Dongseongno'. There is plethora of department stores also, most of them are the part of international or national brand chain houses, from where you can shop till you drop.

Traditionally speaking, civilians or natives of the area are very conservative, modest, hard working and patient. Buddhism holds the faith ground but Confucianism and Christianity is also quite popular in Daegu. The transform from the traditional outlook to the modern world is clearly reveled from the architecture style. However it does not mean that the old world lost its charm in front of modern vibrancy. Some of the notable landmarks of this dynamic city of South Korea are Apsan- a mountain that has many trails, Buddhist temples, and a Korean War Museum, Palgongsan- historic centre of magnificent Buddhist temples, Dalseong Park- a breathtaking site situated in 1500 year old earth fortress and many more.

Hotels in Daegu:

Being one of the main tourist destinations of South Korea, Daegu is thronged by number of travelers from all over the world every year. To accommodate travelers of every category and class, this bustling city offers variety of accommodation options. Whether you are a high class business traveler or a vacationer or a budget visitor, each area of this city caters the needs of accommodation according to your budget efficiently.

If you want to stay in comfort with opulence amidst serenity then you can opt nay of the luxury Daegu hotels. While the budget hotels of the city provide comfortable yet inexpensive accommodation facilities along with good value for the money. So choose according to your need and budget and do a little bit of research before making selection from wide range of Daegu Hotels.

Supermarkets, Kimchi and Tea - Spending Time in Seoul, South Korea

2010-10-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

Before talking more about Kimchi, which I am sure most Koreans have looked for in the index of this book (before considering if this book was worth buying) let's talk first talk about supermarkets in Korea. I have always felt that visiting a supermarket in a new country is a good way to get an initial insight into the new culture. Certain things such as yogurts, washing powders and soft drinks may be pretty much the same worldwide, but a stroll down the meat section in Korea can be very different from the meat section in England or America. Pig's heads and types of fish you have not seen before for example, become noticeable. In the fruit and vegetable section you see types of fruit that are unfamiliar to you and a few vegetables that you do not recognise. All of these new things you would not find in supermarkets in your home country, but they are popular and part of the diet in Korea.

In Korea, Chinese medicine seems to be very popular and as a result, supermarkets often stack traditional remedies such as deer antlers, which are thought to be able to give energy and strength. On first seeing them, I thought they looked unappetizing, particularly with them being cut into thin bloody slices. They are nevertheless very popular as a remedy and are also quite expensive. I tried a medicine that contained deer antlers extract, ginseng and other herbs and my taste buds did not quite agree with the taste BUT I felt more energetic. I think though that the way in which the taste made me almost jump out of my skin had something to do with the sudden burst of energy I felt. I get the same feeling from drinking a full bottle of Soju!

As well as certain types of meat, Korean supermarkets often offer a great selection of items such as 'Tofu' (dubu) and 'Kimchi'. Tofu comes in many different types in Korea, usually varying according to the consistency. Tofu tastes great in soups, especially in one of my favourite soups 'Sun-Dubu'. I prefer the soft tofu of 'Sun-Dubu', more than the hard Dubu which I also experienced in soups - but cut into slices or diced, and fried.

The speciality of Korea, which I had expected to find everywhere and which was everywhere, is 'Kimchi'. Kimchi may be mentioned many times in this book and it is unavoidable. It is like writing a book about England without mentioning football, pubs and London; or writing about America and not mentioning the 'B' word - Bush or baseball; or writing about the French and not mentioning how much they hate visitors speaking English rather than French in their country.

The importance of Kimchi became clear almost as soon as I arrived in Korea. Not only did the subject of this phenomenon in Korea come up in conversations in classes, but there are also dozens of variations of Kimchi on display in the many supermarkets. It was clear early on from my students, that Kimchi is more than just a food. It is a necessity. A passion. An essential ingredient of Korean culture! Many students told me off how when they go abroad, they miss Kimchi more than anything else. One student said that he missed Kimchi even more than his own family and friends, when abroad.

I learned after a few months in Korea that there thought to be over 100 different types of Kimchi and different types of Kimchi according to the area of Korea. Cheju island for example, have Haemul (seafood) Kimchi and Nabak (square cut radish). Kangwon Province has Chanran (fish paste and sliced radish) Kimchi and Ojingeo Mu-u (squid radish) Kimchi. Ch'ungch'ong Provinces have Gul Ggaktugi (oyster and sliced radishes) and Hobak (pumpkin) Kimchi.

I actually like Kimchi quite a lot and I never hesitated to eat Kimchi when this cabbage, garlic and chilli based food was on the table in front of me. My own favourite is Myeolchi Kimchi - made with a dried fish base and strong seafood taste. Many English teachers in Korea love it as well. I could never eat it for breakfast though. Many people from Anglo countries dislike Myeolchi Kimchi, but they do often like other types of Kimchi. The fact that many Koreans eat Kimchi at every meal including breakfast shows the depth of passion for what is considered a National treasure.

In addition to an amazing colourful display of different varieties of Kimchi, ready-made Korean specialties such as Korean pancakes, cold glass noodles, cooked vegetables and sautéed mushrooms can be found. A warning though! Be careful of Korean bread, as things are not always as they seem. What looks like a normal Western loaf of bread, can when you bite into it, leave you with a mouthful of cream. The centre of the bread is often full of cream and it can be quite a surprise the first time: not because there is anything wrong with cream, but just because you are not expecting it, and you are caught off guard. I do not know why there is cream inside the bread, but there is. It could be because Koreans usually eat rice at every meal, rather than bread, hence bread for Koreans is more like a dessert. Maybe it is a new thing in Korea just to keep the Westerners on their toes!

As an Englishman, the tea section in a supermarket can be very important. Green tea and barley tea are common in many Korean supermarkets and the quality is always good. The problem for an English person though, is that black tea is the most common type of tea drank and in Korea, the only black tea you can normally find is Twinings. Twinings and all other black teas I found in Seoul, were less than half the strength of black teas on sale in England. When I visited the U.S., I always had the same problem finding a good quality cup of black tea so these days when travelling, I usually take some good tea bags (a good brand of Indian tea on sale in England) and a travel kettle. I even have to send it to my English, Australian and South African friends who work in Korea. Tea is probably as important to many British as Kimchi is to Koreans.

In the English language there are even expressions which use tea in the expression; such is the importance of tea in British culture. A typical expression is: "I wouldn't visit the South Pole for all the tea in China". Not "(to do something) for all the tea in China" is a common expression in British English to express when there is no way you would do something. Maybe there is a proverb or expression in Korean involving Kimchi.

My Presidential Slogan: I Shall Go To Korea!

2010-10-19T05:30:00.001-07:00

I decided the reason my presidential campaign never got off the ground during the last presidential election was because I never had a slogan. For this campaign I will not make that mistake again. I took immediate action to find a slogan.

Being a direct mail and mail order marketer I realize that any such slogan must be tested to see if it is effective. One trick we use is this: We steal other people’s headlines and slogans if they fit our situation.

The fact of the matter is that I needed a proven slogan; one that had actually gotten somebody elected to President of these United States. I decided to steal President Eisenhower’s slogan: I shall go to Korea!

Ike never said what he would do once he got to Korea.

I’m sure it was not what I was doing in Korea in 1951-1952 which was dodging Chinese artillery and mortar shells.

Maybe if Ike had used the words I will go to Korea! somebody would have asked him what he would do there. Shall left no doubt in anybody’s mind that Ike would nuke North Korea and Manchuria to boot!

In advertising you don’t want to tell the reader of your slogan too much. Read some history about Ike and his slogan at http://tinyurl.com/mc2ot

Ike’s opponent was the very bright Adlai Stevenson from Illinois. Adlai was an elegant speaker. Unfortunately he used big words that most Americans had never heard before.

Here is what Adlai said in his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention: None of you, my friends, can wholly appreciate what is in my heart. I can only hope that you understand my words.

So he knew he had a problem. Read his speech at [http://tinyurl.com/mjub7] Of course hardly anyone understood his words or his deep thoughts. He may as well have been talking to a pile of cucumbers.

Ike supporters wore badges that said, I like Ike!

Well, the fact did not help Adlai that even those of us who understood Adlai Stevenson’s speeches and voted for him, actually liked Ike.

My dad was a county commissioner in Utah and President of the Democratic Sage Brush Club. He lost his reelection because of the Eisenhower Landslide. He got more votes than any other Utah Democrat but that didn’t help. Eisenhower took more electoral votes than any man in history. Even the Democratic South voted for him. See http://tinyurl.com/9xqqc

Adlai Stevenson was the antithesis of our current President Bush. He would have made a great president if someone other than me had voted for him. I knew that he would lose the election. I voted for him so he wouldn’t look unqualified to be President.

I didn’t have to do that for President Bush.

Anyway, I’ve got to get out of here. The postman just brought my 2 1/4" Bench Press Button Maker System. Those of you campaigning for my election can find a button maker on the Internet. Make sure you buy a big supply of blanks to go with it.

Here is what each button (badge) should say: I like Taylor Jones, the hack writer!

Also make some buttons that say: Taylor Jones, the hack writer, Shall Go To Korea!

You might have to get a bigger button maker for that.

Well, just make some buttons that say:Send Jones to Korea!.

That will have Kim Doo-bong (1948-1957) and Choi Yong-kun (1957-1972) rolling over in their graves, and Kim Il-sung (since 1972) will be shivering in his rocket-propelled nuclear boots.

Olympic Tributes - The US Men's Volleyball Squad

2010-10-18T05:15:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles 1984- David beat Goliath!

In spite of the Soviet-led boycott, the 1984 Olympic Volleyball Tournament was a successful-the USSR, Bulgaria, Poland and Cuba (the originally qualified teams) were replaced by South Korea, Tunisia, Italy and the People's Republic of China. The USSR had one of the world's best volleyball teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. The Soviet men's volleyball team won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 1981 World Cup. On October 15, 1982, in Buenos Aires, the USSR demolished Brazil (15-3, 15-4,15-5) for the men's World Championships.

The United States caused an upset by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final of the Volleyball Tournament for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. It was a momentous win for the American people-who invented the volleyball in 1895.

America -a dark horse of the championship- had won the opening match from Argentina 3-1 (15-6, 15-7, 10-15, 15-8). The South American team had worked since 1977 under the tutelage of Young Wang Sohn, who had been one of the best coaches in Korea. In the early 80s, the Argentine men's volleyball team toured widely in Tokyo, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Bremen, Leipzing, Paris, Sofia, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, Rome, Milan, Praha, and Rio de Janeiro. In 1982, the Latin American team finished third in the World Championships. In 1983, Argentina had also won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. In this tournament, Argentina beat the United States for bronze medal. The next day, America down Tunisia 3-0 (15-3, 15-2,15-3). In a subsequent match, the U.S. team defeated team South Korea-bronze medal at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi (India). The score was 15-13, 15-9, 15-6.

On August 6, 1984, the men's team from the United States suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Brazilians-who had won the Pan American title and the South American Championships. In the second round, Canada lost to the United States. In the final match, the U.S. team showed all their cards. On August 11, America, under the brilliant play of Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly, demolished Brazil 15-6, 15-6, 15-7. David defeated Goliath! For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the American team won the volleyball championship. Its progress in the volleyball was spectacular. They finished 13rd place at the FIVB World Championships in 1982, behind the USSR, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Bulgaria, Poland, China, South Korea, Czechoslovakia (now Slovak Republic), Cuba, Canada and East Germany...

Seoul 1988- USA vs USSR

From 1985 to 1988, the U.S. men's volleyball squad won almost all the major international titles. It won the 1985 FIVB World Cup and the 1987 Pan American Games. In 1986, this squad also earned the World Championships in Paris, France. In the final, they beat the Soviet Union -which had boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics- 3-1 (12-15, 15-11, 15-8,15-12). On October 2, 1988, the United States made Olympic history by defeating the USSR (currently Russia) 13-15, 15-10, 15-4, 15-8 in the final match of the Olympic Games in Seoul, the capital city of the Republic of Korea. America successfully defended its Olympic title. The most valuable player was Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly-the best known face of American volleyball.

Beijing 2008-The confirmation of world-class status

The U.S. Olympic Committee scored a major triumph at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics , when the American volleyball squad earned the Olympic gold medal. The U.S. men's volleyball team, in their third Olympic final, upset team Brazil -2004 Olympic champion and 2007 World champion- in four matches to take the Olympic title. William Reid Priddy, a volleyball player from Virginia, said, "My first emotion is shock. This is extremely emotional for so many reasons. We've all invested our lives in this sport, and to hear our anthem played, that's something you think about when you're 12 years old".

Hugh McCutcheon, the man who coached the United States to victory in the 2008 Olympic Games, was born and grew up in New Zealand. Until 2007, he was an unknown coach. During his childhood, he enjoyed volleyball at school and later qualified as a member of the New Zealand junior national team. He is one of the world's leading authorities on volleyball.

The Olympic champions are: Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, California), Lloy James Ball (Fort Wayne, Indiana), Gabriel "Gabe" Gardner (San Diego, California), Sean Michael Rooney (Wheaton, Illinois), Clayton "Clay" Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii), David Cameroon Lee (Alpine, California), Riley Salmon (Amarillo, Texas), Thomas John Hoff (Chicago, Illinois), Scott Touzinsky (St.Louis, Illinois), William Reid Priddy (Richmond, Virginia), Ryan Madsen Millar (San Dimas, California), Richard "Rich" Lambourne (Louisville, Kentucky).

The United States is the only country to win Olympic titles in two different centuries: Los Angeles (1984/ 20th century), South Korea (1988/ 20th century) and Beijing (2008/ 21st century)...

Iran, Syria, North Korea - Lessons in Diplomacy

2010-10-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

Diplomacy has always been our first line of defense, the civilized way to resolve disputes between dissimilar ideologies. Not talking with diplomats of sovereign nations is not diplomacy. Withdrawing diplomats from sovereign nations is not diplomacy. It is arrogance.

This Administration does not recognize the value of cultural understanding and art-of-the-deal diplomacy. Practiced effectively, which preferably is quietly, diplomacy preempts costly wars. Refusal to recognize a sovereign nation that values saving face is insulting to them. Instead of opening an office on Iran's doorstep in Dubai, which we have done, why not work behind the scenes to open even a one-room office in Tehran. Put a diplomat there with a desk and a phone and start listening.

Secondly, behind closed doors diplomacy has always proved more successful than saber rattling. The Europeans understand the wisdom of having their representatives in countries with opposing ideologies. Why don't we? We have many talented Americans no longer in office, that are up to the task of opening doors, experienced former public servants who know something about diplomacy-former Secretary of State James Baker, former Senator George Mitchell, former President Jimmy Carter, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen. Madeleine Albright went to North Korea on invitation of the little dictator. Maybe she didn't accomplish much, but nothing beats boots on the ground and tux at the table.

What about Syria, the other Middle East thorn in the side of the Administration? What do we know about them, their relationship with Iran and Hezbollah? Wouldn't it be to our advantage to have an American representative occupy an office in Damascus, even if all he does is listen? Where are the State Department's young bilingual Arabists? They should be sitting in the cafes of Damascus and Teheran-listening! Unfortunately this President doesn't want to listen. He prefers bullying from the bully pulpit, issuing ridiculous ultimatums to an unstable North Korean dictator.

North Korea is run by the most secretive gang of crazies on earth. While their dictator, Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il, with the utmost cruelty starves millions of his people to death, he has armed to the teeth a million man army ready to swarm over South Korea on his whim. We don't know how imminent a nuclear threat he really is, just that he is one.

Is this caricature in high heels and high hairdo delusional or a genius? Apparently Kim has a vast collection of movies, cognac and beautiful women for his insatiable pleasures. He wants our attention and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. Why is the Administration so stubborn about six party talks vs. one on one? Whether or not the dear leader is a megalomaniac, talking with the enemy is not the same as sleeping with him.

For those who care to know more about the Executive Branch of government, herewith Diplomacy 101: The chief diplomat of the U.S. State Department is the Secretary of State who reports directly to the President. There are numerous under secretaries, deputies and assistant secretaries. All sovereign nations appoint diplomats as ambassadors to countries with whom they want to maintain diplomatic relations. All embassies are located in capital cities. For example, the most recent American Ambassador to Iraq is Zalmay Khalilzad in Baghdad. Yes, he's an American citizen. Ambassadors are also appointed by their respective countries as representatives to the United Nations in New York. John Bolton is the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.

"Simplicity-Courage-Humor-Soul"®

For North Korea - A Jug of Water

2010-10-16T04:45:00.001-07:00

I first saw Richard Wurmbrand at a men's meeting when I was 14 years of age. Don't remember a word he said, but do remember how he stripped himself to the waist to show his audience holes bored into his body during confinement in Communist prisons. This was my first step toward the persecuted church. I went to his (Romanian) homeland twice in the 80's and twice more after Communism was gone, when guns on every corner had been replaced by cell phones. Worked for the organization he founded as a representative for a year. I shall always honor this man who lived a life of incredible suffering coupled with incredible joy and victory, a living proof to all who cared to look of the reality of the Christian message, and the Christ Himself.

Brother Wurmbrand started a mission to the Communist world that later evolved into a worldwide effort to be a "Voice of the Martyrs." One of his target lands was, of course, North Korea. He told the story of North Korean children whose ears were punctured by cruel men so that they could no longer hear the Gospel message. What a parable these children became of a nation. Chosun's collective ear has been punctured by the cruel government that leads it to destruction at this very hour. A nation that cannot hear the Gospel is condemned to suffer the worst Satan has to offer.

What can we do? Christ suffers in North Korea. He calls His people to pray, to give, to go, to weep. He literally aches for our attention. Again, Wurmbrand, and a story he loved:

He said that there are many "tales" told of the Christ that do not claim to be "inspired" yet they paint a reality about Him. One is about how Jesus asks one of His disciples to fetch Him a jug of water, as He is thirsty. The man immediately leaves on his errand. He sees a woman carrying such a vessel. She is a beautiful woman. He is so struck with her beauty that he follows her home . He falls madly in love with the woman. Marries her. Three children are born. He literally lives in a paradise for 20 years. Then disaster strikes. Wife and children are all killed, and the man is desperate.

Soon he hears a voice from Heaven. It is the voice of the Lord, asking, "Where is that jug of water?" For though 20 years had passed on earth, only a few minutes had passed in Heaven. The Lord still was thirsty.

Is it too far-fetched to imagine a thirsty Christ in North Korea asking His disciples for some refreshment? How long must He wait and how many distractions will keep us from obedience? And how many North Koreans must keep suffering while we are occupied in making ourselves happy?

Most Popular Sports Around The World

2010-10-15T04:30:00.001-07:00

All types of sports are popular globally, but what sports can we call THE most popular in the world? Some of the answers may surprise you.

It's no surprise that football, or what Americans call "soccer" is the world's most popular sport to play and to watch. An estimated 3.5 billion people either watch or play football. The World Cup is the global championship of the sport and this tournament is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the highest rated sports on television, with many countries tuning in en masse to watch their country's team play. Football is popular in all of the UK, Europe, Asia as well as South America. However, with so many other sports being popular, the Unites States still lags behind in their interest in "soccer".

Next, we have cricket. This sport which consists of a bat and a ball, has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and it is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 billion people watch or play cricket each year.

The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and that is field hockey, with an estimated 2 billion players or watchers, mostly in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and around Africa. This sport tends to be played in high schools in the United States, usually by girls only.

Coming up next is tennis. Not so surprising, but there are an estimated 1 billion players and watchers of tennis around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in richer countries, including the United States, Asian countries, Australia and Europe. There are four main tournaments in tennis, called "Grand Slams" at which players from many countries play. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, Wimbledon and then the US Open in late August. The Grand Slam tournaments tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.

Next we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, all over Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Volleyball is a popular high school sport in many countries due to it's team centered play and lack of specialized equipment requirements.

Also popular is table tennis, otherwise known as Ping Pong. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million watchers or players. Table tennis originated in England as an after dinner activity for Victorians in the late 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is popular in many countries but is especially popular in China, Korea and Singapore.

After these sports, we have a triumvirate of more mainstream American sports including baseball, golf, American football and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or watchers worldwide.

Widowed Spouse Aid and Attendance Benefit - What You Aren't Being Told

2010-10-14T03:45:00.001-07:00

We are going to talk about a non-service connected disability benefit for the widowed spouse of a war-time veteran. Primarily these will be widowed spouses of veterans who served during the period of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Hundreds of thousands of veteran's widows do not know about this VA benefit. They mistakenly believe that their deceased spouse who was the veteran needed to have seen or been in combat. They are often told that the veteran needed to be wounded or killed in action to be eligible for any VA benefits.

These are all false!

The veteran needed to be on active duty for at least one day during the "official" time of WWII (12/7/1941 - 12/31/1946), Korea (6/27/09 - 1/31/1955) and Vietnam (8/5/1964 - 5/7/1975) and served at least 90 days of total active duty.

The eligible arms of service are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and for WWII the ocean-going Merchant Marine civil service crew-member. The veteran must have been discharged under honorable conditions to be eligible.

The VA's widowed spouse aid and attendance benefit can provide up to $1,057 per month in financial assistance if certain qualification criteria are met. And, the veteran being killed or wounded in action is not one of them!

This VA aid and attendance benefit typically increases every December based on the governments cost of living index used by Social Security. Basically, that is the VA aid and attendance benefit will change by the same percentage that Social Security changes their benefit.

Unfortunately, for 2010 there is wide speculation that there will be no cola increase in the benefits.

Lets look at how a widowed spouse of a war-time veteran can get this VA aid and attendance benefit:

First, the time of service we discussed earlier.

Second, the widowed spouse needs to no longer be able to safely drive a vehicle. (That means no driving)

Third, your private doctor needs to document on a medical evaluation form that there exists the need for assistance of another individual for activities of daily living. These are common tasks such as grooming, dressing, bathing, hygiene, needs of nature, eating, etc. Someone suffering from dementia, blindness or is wheelchair bound will also qualify.

Fourth, liquid assets should be below $80,000. The older the widowed spouse is, the lower this amount should be. Liquid assets include cash, stocks, bonds, IRA's, money market accounts, 401k accounts, annuity funds, U.S. savings bonds, certificate of deposits and mutual funds. The primary home, personal property and a vehicle does not count as liquid assets. If there is a second home or collectible item(s) of significant market value, these would count as liquid assets. The good news is that presently the VA allows transfers of assets without any exclusion or look-back penalty.

Finally, the amount of VA benefit that the widowed spouse is eligible to receive monthly is determined by calculating what the VA calls the "countable income". This essentially is total household income from all sources including dividends and interest minus qualified medical and care expenses.

The VA has a very specific list of items that they will allow to be subtracted against the income to arrive at the countable income they will use for eligibility and qualification. Many expenses people want to use are not recognized by the VA as qualified expenses.

The sad fact is that the VA does not make the process of learning about this widowed spouse aid and attendance benefit easy to do, nor do they make the application process easy to understand. Luckily, help is available from various sources. Make sure you, your mom, dad or grandparents know about this widowed spouse aid and attendance benefit available from the VA.

North Korean Gulag

2010-10-13T03:30:00.001-07:00

North Korea is a land we need to love and pray for. Absolutely no attempt is being made to defame or deride a person or a nation by the following descriptions. But the story must be told by a free people. Holding our mouths shut may be "wise" but for the victims it is fatal.

Mr. David Hawk describes the entire hierarchy of prisons to be found in North Korea as a "gulag" reminding us of the terminology tossed around decades ago when even at that time we humans thought we had come of age. But the problem persists.

If you have a problem with claustrophobia as do I, the subject matter here may be difficult.The thought of going to an enclosure where I will be locked in for an unknown period of time is pure torment. Add to it that I go there because I was hungry and looking for food, or because I am a Christian, or because I accidentally crumpled a newspaper with a picture of my government's leader on it... unspeakable horror.

Hawk divides the NK prison system like this:

First there are the Kwan-li-so, to which a prisoner is banished for life with his entire family. It is run by the federal government. It is huge, covering as much as four or five hundred square miles! Tens of thousands of prisoners can be in such a place. The prisoners are "politicals" , that is, persons who said or thought something against the government.

The Kyo-hwa-so is smaller. There is much hard labor. It is for those who commit "normal" crimes, but some political prisoners are mixed in. Sentences are set. But many persons die due to the hard work expected of them before their sentence is up. The true "penitentiary."

Then there is the Ka-mok or Ku-ryu-jang. These are along the northern border, where escapees can get to China. When it is their misfortune to be returned to their home country, it is here that they are interrogated and punished. We'd call this a "jail."

The jip-kyul-so is for low-level crimes and for repatriated refugees. They can stay here for up to six months of hard labor. Here there is a high death rate because of the nature of the work and the serious lack of food.

And then there is the ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae, where sentences are even shorter, created by locals to deal with the over-flow of famine-related cases.

Odd. Here we say that misfortunes such as hunger are worthy of compassion, aid, support. We may nopt agree with "religious" people but we have a certain respect for them. And one may speak against leadership freely here, even try, using the system available, to replace that leader. All these things are worth of imprisonment and death "over there."

Continued tip of the day, and the only real reason I share all of this: Prayer really does change things, people, and situations. So pray!

Unknown Facts About Cuba's Athletes

2010-10-12T03:15:00.001-07:00

DID YOU KNOW ...

Taismary Aguero was born and raised in Cuba before becoming a naturalized Italian citizen. She is one of the most famous volleyball players in the 2000s. Under the hands of Taismary Aguero, Cuba won the gold medal in volleyball in the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. However, she escaped to Italy in 2001 and having won a national team call-up became the first naturalized volleyball player to score for Italy. Perhaps her greatest triumph was captaining her new country to their first World Cup triumph in Tokyo, Japan, in 2007. Ironically, Italy, led by the amazing play of Taismary Aguero, defeated Cuba 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-16) in the finals.

Cuba did not sent a boxing team to the 1985 World Cup in Seoul, South Korea's capital. Why? Because Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz did not recognize South Korea as an independent and sovereign country. There were many famous boxers who did not go to Korea: Juan Torres Odelin, Pedro Orlando Reyes, Arnaldo Mesa Borell, Jesus Sollet Tomasen, Adolfo Horta Martinez, Eduardo Correa Ferrer, Candelario Duvergel Odelin, Angel Espinoza Capo, Julio Quintana Martinez, Pablo Romero Hernandez and Teofilo Stevenson Lawrence.

Ramon Fonst Segundo has won more Olympic gold medals than Teofilo Stevenson (boxing), Alberto Juantorena Danger (track and field), Mireya Luis Hernandez (volleyball) and Felix Savon Fabre (boxing).Who is he? Ramon Fonst was a famous fencer in the 1900s, 1920s and 1930s.
He was born into a sports-oriented family in the Cuban capital of Havana on August 31, 1883. His father was a sportsman in the 1870s and 1880s. Like Jose Raul Capablanca (chess) and Eligio Sardinas Montalvo (boxing), he was an athlete who always competed with love for Cuba.
Ramón Fonst obtained 125 medals in competitions held in Europe, Latin America and North America. In the 1900 Olympic Games in France, Ramon won the gold medal in the epee event, and in the 1904 Summer Olympics in the United States, he won three gold medals. In 1926, he won two gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico City. Certainly, Ramon Fonst is the greatest Latin American athlete of the 20th century.

In the early 1990s, large number of athletes began leaving their country because of poor economic conditions there and severe treatment by the secret police. Many sought refuge in the United States, Spain and Canada.

Cuba sent 2 athletes to the 2003 World University Games, which were held in Daegu, South Korea. They were Yordanis Arencibia and Yurileidys Lupetey ( judo).

The 1987 World Junior Volleyball Championship was boycotted by Cuba. The place: South Korea. For the first time since 1978, volleyball players from Cuba did not part in an Olympic tournament. The team Cuban did not defend its world title it had won in Rome two years before.

Cuba sent 120 athletes to the 1973 World Student Games, which were held in Moscow, USSR (currently Russia).The Cuban contingent participated in nine Olympic sports: basketball, athletics, fencing, gymnastics,volleyball, waterpolo, diving, tennis and wrestling. The best athlete was Alberto Juantorena, who won a gold medal in the men's 400 meters.

The Second Baseball World Cup was played in 1939 in Cuba. Three teams took part and the hosts beat Nicaragua in the final in Havana.

In 2006, Osmany Juantorena Portuondo was the 18th Cuban athlete to be disqualified for drugs. He is Alberto Juantorena's grandson.

The Cuban dictatorship restricts the sports people's contacts with non-allies nations (especially South Korea, Poland, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Hungary and the Czech Republic). It allows few Cuban athletes to travel outside the country.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW THAT:

Like Alexandre Alekhine (France), Bobby Fischer (USA) and Garry Gasparov (Russia), Jose Raul Capablanca y Graupera is considered by experts as one of the most important chess players of the twentieth century. He won the title of world chess champion from 1921 to 1927.
Where was Jose Capablanca born? He was born on November 19, 1888, in Havana.

The problem of illegal drug usage among Cuban athletes closed the competition in the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. The most notable disqualification was Cuban weighlifter Daniel Nunez, who had won a gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, URSS. He was voted athlete of the year for 1982 by Prensa Latina.

Jorge Enrico Blanco was one of the Cuba's best known and well-loved boxers. Why? In 1967, he won the Pan American lightweight title.

In the Olympic Games of 1904, the Cuban fencing team won 8 medals (3 golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes).

Maria Teresa Mora Iturralde was a famous chess player. In 1922, she won the National Chess Championship of Cuba.

From 1954 to 1968, Bertha Diaz won 258 gold medals. At the Pan American Games in 1955, she won the 60-meter sprint and qualified for the 1956 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, she escaped from Cuba in the 1960s when it became a communist dictatorship. In 1956, she set a new Pan American record of 11.20 seconds in the 80-meter hurdles.

In February 1950, Rafael Emilio Fortun Chacon set a new Cuban and world record in the 100-meter sprint at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala City.He was born on Agust 5, 1919, in Camaguey, Cuba.

Manuel Sanguily became the first Cuban swimmer to classify in the finals at the Olympic Games, where he ended seventeenth in the world in 200-meter breaststroke style competition in Australia in 1956.

The Cuban volleyball team is a disaster. Why? Because more than 14 volleyball players sought political asylum in Europe and Puerto Rico (2001-2007). They included: Raydel Poey, Yasser Portuondo, Javier Gonzalez, Javier Brito, Maikel Salas, Yosleider Cala, Osvaldo Hernandez, Dennis Angel, Alexis Battle, Laseer Romero, Ramon Gato, Jorge Luis Hernandez, Ihosvany Hernandez and Leonel Marshall.

To North Korea - Never Forsaken!

2010-10-11T03:00:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of Psalms that I would like to read to a North Korean saint. The Book of Psalms was written largely under duress by suffering saints who trusted God for their deliverance. Take number 37 for example, by King David.

"Don't worry about evildoers... they will soon be cut down like the grass."

"Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness."

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

"Evildoers shall be cut off... but those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth!"

Verse 25, following, may give some people pause. I admit I struggled awhile with it, knowing what I do about the situation in North Korea:

"I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread."

Have the righteous been forsaken in North Korea? Oh no! Not at all! We who know God know that in our worst moments He is there with encouragement, refreshment, hope and material aid as needed. We believe that such is the case with saints in this prison land. We see with the eyes of Elisha who refused to use mortal sight and could envision the hosts of angels surrounding him, giving him the majority in every battle.

With God's Spirit, God's angels, and the provision of God's people coming in from all over the planet as the need of North Korea is presented to the Body of Christ, how can these saints be considered forsaken?

We are not intimidated by a one-million man NK army. The very gates of hell cannot prevail against the church of Jesus Christ, wherever it is. We fear not those who kill the body but cannot touch the soul. Oppressors, without knowing it, are creating martyrs and heroes whose glory will shine forever. They are sending people out into eternity where they cannot touch them ever again but where they will be embraced by the Father Himself. They are rousing the worldwide church into action. In other words, they are is doing the very opposite of what they want to do! They are building the church, not destroying it.

How marvelous are God's ways! He can take a hardened Pharaoh and get glory from him. A Christian-killing Saul of Tarsus is putty in his hands. We know not how the NK saga will end, but we know that God's glory will be gotten one way or another.

Psalm 37 again: "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble, and the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him!"

A Popular Sport - Tae Kwon Do

2010-10-10T02:47:00.001-07:00

What do you do after you've finished your homework? Want to try an activity that is healthy, fun and exciting? Try tae kwon do. The World Tae Kwon Do Championships are going on in Beijing now. Watch and you"ll learn something about this popular sport.

Tae kwon do is a martial art. It comes from South Korea, but is popular around the world.

In Korean, tae means "to kick or strike with the foot"; kwon means "fist, or to strike with the hand"; and do means "way". So, tae kwon do can be seen as "the way of the foot and hand". Tae kwon do mixes everything together: skills, self-defense, sport, exercise, fun, and philosophy.

Tae kwon do is a really popular sport. It has millions of followers in nations all over the world - both kids and adults, men and women.u

Tae kwon do was formally named in 1955. It became an Olympic sport in the year 2000.

Tae kwon do bases itself on eastern philosophy. It puts harmony in human life in first place. This can be seen in the tae kwon do costume.

Each part of the costume has a special meaning. The trousers mean the Earth. The belt stands for man. The upper clothing means heaven. The belt - a circle - means the circuit of human life between heaven and earth. The clothes" white color stands for purity of heart and peace.

There are many belts in Tae kwon do training. Do you know what the belts mean?

1. White: This is the belt worn by beginners.

2. Yellow: This is the color of the sun. It stands for the birth of new energy in a learner. The learner is getting to know some of the basics of the sport.

3. Green: This is the color of living plants. This belt shows that the learner is making progress.

4. Blue: This color refers to the sky. It means that the learner is reaching higher, like a plant growing towards the sky.

Black: Black is the opposite of white. It means that the learner has great skills. It also says that the learner will never be beaten by darkness.

5. Red: It is the color of danger. The learner should keep in mind that tae kwon do is for staying healthy and for self-defense, not for attacking others. He or she should learn to control his or her movements in practice.

6. There are nine Dan degrees for learners wearing black belts.

The North Korean Martyr Who Was Killed Twice!

2010-10-09T02:31:00.001-07:00

North Korea's church history is rich with accounts of martyrs. We know this is information that the church of Christ treasures, and we pass it on to you.

We're studying Korean Church History and have gotten to the war years, "II" and Korean. It was during this time that young Christian teacher Sung Du died twice.

When the Japanese ruled Korea in the early part of the 20th century, this novice yielded to pressure and began to worship at the shrines set up by the invaders. What a disappointment he became to himself and his peers. Not unlike our own falling away under the pressures of materialism... but that's another story.

Sung Du repented. "I will die before denying the faith again!" he promised. He was given that very opportunity. Twice. He accepted it both times. One canceled out his denial, and the other... We will allow God to offer His own praises on that day, but isn't it wonderful that a man like Peter, who denied 3 times, was permitted to accept 3 times (John 21)?

Sung Du went to seminary to prepare for the ministry. Ordination followed. His first assignment was a church near Suyang-Ch'on. The Japanese were gone. But the Koreans, under Communism, turned out to be worse. He was arrested and sent to a mine as a slave laborer, a practice which continues to this "enlightened" age of our own in dark Chosun.

Brother Sung believed that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and that work should not be done then. He refused! He was therefore beaten. This is the Communist response to any number of ills. They beat him so badly that it seemed he was dead. Since he was "dead", they threw the "corpse" into the river. Watching church members dived in when the Communists went away, and pulled his body out .

They took him back to the village to prepare him for burial. But - and I know you are way ahead of me- he was not dead! (Sounds like a Dae Joyoung episode, only this one is true!).

Months later he was again preaching, almost as strong a testimony as raised Lazarus. But the Communists arrested him again. This time they shot him. They wanted to be sure.

Of course we know the rest of the story. Sung Du woke up once more, in the arms of His Saviour, and he waits there for the rest of us to die for Jesus and join him there. Are we willing to die, even once?

(Some of preceding ideas from Hefley's By Their Blood.)

Thank God for the Korean believers!

Get Paid to Attend University

2010-10-08T02:16:00.001-07:00

School-leavers keen to take a degree but scared of accruing thousands of pounds of debt in Britain are being offered tempting packages - and the chance of an adventure - by Asian universities. Harvard and Yale, the prestigious American universities, already offer lucrative funding to poach the brightest British teenagers. But now they face new competition from the East. Universities from South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand recently visited London to promote themselves to a British audience.

Many of their courses are taught in English, and they are trying to lure school-leavers by claiming that studying abroad will make them more attractive to future employers.

While American 'Ivy League' universities offer some generous bursaries, including living costs, competition to get a place is fierce and few succeed.

Students are expected not only to be academically brilliant, but well-rounded individuals with plenty of extra-curricular interests. Emma Watson, the Harry Potter actress, has reportedly visited American universities with a view to studying there.

Now Asian universities want to muscle in on the act. Eleven of them visited a university fair in London recently to find out how to market themselves to British teenagers. They could find a receptive audience: fears over the recession mean increasing numbers of sixth-formers are questioning the cost of a degree - and how much value for money it represents.

A government review of England's top-up tuition fees will take place this year, and is expected to recommend that the £3200 cap is raised, or scrapped altogether.

Many students already graduate tens of thousands of pounds in debt, and going to university could suddenly become even more expensive.

Free flights to Asia

Some Asian universities are offering free tuition and subsidised living costs - with flights thrown in. Those wanting to attract British teenagers include Hanyang University in South Korea, which has campuses in Seoul and Ansan City.

A spokesman for Hanyang says: "Asian universities are trying hard to internationalise and to diversify their campuses and curriculum, and to bring in more international student groups.

"So far they have focused on North America, but universities such as ours now need to diversify into other regions, especially into Europe. The UK is naturally the first priority because its students speak English.

"This is our very first contact with the UK and British undergraduate candidates. They are probably completely unaware that they can come to Korea and take all of their courses in English.

"Companies such as LG and Samsung are increasingly seeking to recruit staff with international awareness and experience. One of the best ways for a student to demonstrate this is to have studied abroad in a country such as Korea, where they can take their course in English and be fully immersed in a foreign culture at the same time."

Others keen to attract British school-leavers include Hiroshima University, Japan; King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia; National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan; and Mahidol University, Thailand.

Open chequebook

A spokeswoman for the university fair said Asian universities were "bringing their chequebooks". She adds: "It's a new concept breaking boundaries in international education. Asian universities are targeting both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the UK, enticing them with full tuition fee scholarships.

"For example, all degree-seeking international students who enroll at one Korean university receive scholarships, which include tuition fees with monthly stipends that can cover living expenses. In addition, first-year students receive reimbursement of their one-way flight to Korea.

"Students attending National Yang Ming University in Taiwan who are eligible for the Yang Ming University Scholarships will have their tuition fees, accommodation, insurance and miscellaneous costs covered. The UK's top student talent is also being sought in the Middle East, where some universities are prepared to pay over US$20,000 per student per year, including a round-trip flight."

But leading headteachers questioned whether many families would be prepared to let their children travel so far.

Empty nest syndrome is anguish enough for some parents, particularly if their son or daughter moves to the other end of the country. They may say a firm 'no' if their child considers Malaysia rather than Manchester.

Pat Langham, headmistress at the independent Wakefield Girls' High School, and former president of the Girls' Schools Association, said: "I'm not sure they have the credibility of British universities and I think parents would be very worried indeed.

"Students are still quite young at 18. We always say to our pupils you should go far away enough for parents not to be able to pop in to see you, but somewhere close enough for them to reach you in an emergency."

Hotels in South Korea - In Proximity to Tourists' Attractions

2010-10-07T02:03:00.001-07:00

South Korea, known as the 'land of the morning calm' occupies the southern half of the Korean peninsula. It is a major economic power and one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. It is 13th largest country in the world and fourth largest country in Asia. Not only this, but it has 6th armed force and 10th largest defense budget in the world. It is one of the leading centers of industries in the world; let it be science and technology, infrastructure or information technology. It is neither lagging behind in steel production, Shipbuilding, automobile production nor in refining industry. The storehouse of so many industries and features is also a choice of tourists.

The most famous historical tourist attractions in South Korea include Seoul, Gyeongju and Buyeo. There are many landmarks, peaks, caves, islands and beaches that have attracted tourist from the world across and for their accommodation, hotels in South Korea has brought up remarkable developments with several facilities and amenities. The most popular cultural hub in South Korea is its capital city, Seoul, which is one among the top 20 world class cities. Seoul has many tourist attractions such as 63 building, which is one of the tallest buildings around Han River. It is multi-tourists complex with varies ways to gather fun and excitement. It is even known as the 'Golden Tower'. Its observation tower gives you a clear view of surrounding city and the Incheon Sea.

Achasanseong fortress is one of the places worth viewing. Similarly there are many tourists attraction in the city and many Seoul hotels in the center of the city or around famous tourists' attractions. Many of these hotels provide rooms with mountain or river view along with well maintained cleanliness and in-room facilities.

Kwangju, the 6th largest city in South Korea, is also one of the major economic and political centers of South Korea. It is also known as the city of art in Korea because of the famous Art Street, which consist of many stores specialize in art supplies, traditional and modern paintings and high quality ceramics pottery. The National Museum and the National Cemetery are other places of interest in the city. All these have attracted tourists and gave foothold to Kwangju Hotels in the country.

Similarly there are many hotels in South Korea that are established in the center of its main cities and offer excellent accommodation to tourists. They are famous for their attentive service and warm hospitality. It ranges from luxurious hotels to cheap hotels in South Korea that can suit the taste and budget of every need.

North Korea's Unique Educational System

2010-10-06T01:46:00.001-07:00

From North Korea comes yet another witness of the reality of life there. All life? No. All the time? Of course not? But this man was there. He saw first hand things that should not be seen in our world. No attempt is being made to "defame" a nation, only to allow the West to understand that something must be done.

He is Kim Tae Jin, and comes to us by way of China, North Korea, China again , North Korea again (this time through the prison system including well-known Yodok), again China, Mongolia, Seoul. And that's just the outline of his story.

His father was Chinese military, so he started out there. But he and his Korean mother returned in 1961 to North Korea when he was five. Went through the standard educational system, got a job, all in South Pyong-an Province. At age 30, a full grown adult, he decided to visit family in China. There he was arrested and forced back home.

Then he was passed through North Korea's other "education" system, where one learns even more. The lessons are about fearing and then hating the government, though that is certainly not what is intended. First, there is torture in the "People's Safety Agency" near Chongjin. Four months later, more torture at the "National Security Agency" . He was eventually accused of treason because of his family visit.

And the torture? According to this eyewitness (and who can know better?) Beatings. Sleep deprivation. Forced to kneel or sit motionless for hours. Not permitted to wash, thus fleas, lice. Freezing temperatures in the jail cells.

Then on to "university", if I may continue using the analogy. The "Revolutionizing Process Zone" at Yodok. Four years six months. A slave labor camp. Helps the body. Helps the mind. Not only that, all this free labor helps to keep North Korea's economy barely afloat. Farming corn. Cutting trees into firewood. Making furniture. Serving the whims of the government.

So what's so bad about farm work for a prisoner? Hey, after 8 months in confinement as described above, that's what the prisoners think at first. "I can move around!" But the food is meager, and was even before famine rations of the mid 90's. To survive, he has to eat plants, grasses, rats, snakes, frogs. People around him are dying from starvation every week. He is personally witnessing public executions of those trying to escape. Still enduring beatings. Sit-down-stand-up exercises until he can barely sit up.

Four and one half long years. But at least, now free at last. Happy? No. His wife has to denounce him. It's the rule. Denounce and divorce anyone suspected of treason or you are supporting him and may be punished yourself.

Five more years. Finally he must leave this cruel land. Off to China. Off to Mongolia. Seoul in 2001.

I tried to warn you. It's not pleasant . Let us bear Kim Tae Jin's name to the Father tonight, along with all the other Tae's who are still at Yodok, Hoeryong, Chonjin, and all the others. How helpless we feel. But let us keep believing that God is working in all of this, having His perfect will. And as Mary said to the servants at Cana, "Whatever He says to you, do..."

Say the word, Lord. And give us your grace to obey it.

How to Choose Your Cort Acoustic Guitar Models

2010-10-05T01:30:00.001-07:00

Cort Guitars is a manufacturer of guitars based in South Korea. Cort Guitars is a well known and largest guitar manufacturer on the planet. It also produces various instruments for other companies.

How did Cort Guitars start? Jack Westheimer went to Japan and built commercial connections with various Japanese guitar manufacturers during the '60s decade. Some of the brands connected to Westheimer were Cortez, Pearl, Kingston, Teisco, Cort, Silverstone, to name a few. Jack Westheimer subsequently founded Yoo-Ah Company, with Y. Park as his business partner, in South Korea. Later, it became known as Cor-Tek Company and later, Cort Guitars.

Despite being a famous brand name in guitar manufacturing and producing, Cort's main production is not on creating Cort brand guitars but rather contracting work for other companies. Many large companies contract Cort to built guitars at a low price, and place their brand name and price it at a much higher price.

Here are the available Cort acoustic guitar models:

* AS Series
* CJ Series
* Classic Series
* Earth Series
* EVL Series
* Jade Series
* Luce Series
* SFX Series
* Acoustic basses

Available Cort electric guitar models:

* Matthias Jabs Series
* G Series
* Jazz Box Series
* VX Series
* Zenox Series
* M Series
* X Series
* KX Series

Available Cort bass models:

* Gene Simmons Axe
* Artisan Series
* Action Series
* GB Series
* T Series
* Curbow Series

Notable guitar players that used the Cort acoustic guitar include Larry Coryell, Ricky Garcia, Billy Cox, Matt Murphy, Neil Zaza, TM Stevens, Brendon Urie, Hiram Bullock, and Francis Dunnery.

Unlike other guitar manufacturers like Gibson, Fender or Guild that have their own 'signature', Cort does not have one. Instead, Cort Guitars produces a variety of guitars to fit different guitarists for every genre of music: rock, folk, jazz, ska, acoustic, electric rock and more. Their large line of guitars includes a variety of Cort acoustic guitar models, bass guitar models, electric guitar models, electric bass guitar models and more. Everything is available for whatever type of guitarist, a good quality product set at a highly competitive price. Companies that contract Cort include ESP, Ibanez, G & L, Schecter and Avalon. Avalon notably, based on Northern Ireland, reportedly sold 8,000 guitar models and increased their income by more than 50% in one year when they contracted Cort to build lower-priced guitars for them.

Aside from manufacturing instruments for other companies, Cort guitars also created a line of high quality instruments under Parkwood that does not feature Cort's name or logo. The brand is sold exclusively in big box stores like Guitar Center, all manufactured in South Korea while the Hybrid series come from Indonesia.

Cort acoustic guitar models, bass models and electric models are all available in major music stores and online music stores. For more information on their Cort acoustic guitar and other models, you can browse for reviews or simply check their official website. Find the one you want and get ready to be discovered! See more detailed in http://cortacousticguitar.com/

Busy Lifestyle of Tourist Spot

2010-10-04T01:00:00.001-07:00

Visiting Korea as a tourist

It is a very important thing to distinguish between North Korea and South Korea. The two nations have vastly different aspirations and international relationships. North Korea is a closed community that is prone to occasional spats with the USA. The South seems to have embraced capitalism. That is a contrast that will continue to grow as the people discover the elements that make this thing work. It is not easy to look at North Korea and therefore this article will concentrate on the South for the tourist. One of the things to look at is the Nanta Theater. This is the focus of the culture and art of the Korean people. The tickets are fairly cheap but it does pay to make advance bookings. That way the visitor will not be stuck in the middle of nowhere trying to make sense of the trip when they could have been doing something else. The Historic village gives an insight into the traditional lives of the people that live and work in Korea. Visits to the Historic village are organized through the tour operator and they are almost always excellent value for money.

Those tourists that like the busy lifestyle will look to the Myeongdong. This is an area that is full of activities from shopping to other major financial transactions. There are many designer shops to look at and the prices are fairly reasonable. Therefore the visit to the area is one of the things that must be taken into consideration. There is a flea market with shops and a visitor center. Lotte is also a great shopping center. The types of shopping that are done in Korea are rather more extreme than is expected in Western Europe. The National Museum of Korea is a focus for those travelers that are interested in the history of the place. It is one of the great locations and the visitors can really enjoy the buzz that surrounds the area. The Seoul Tower is a monument that marks the city in a special way. It rises above four hundred and eighty meters. This is a great attraction and the views are to die for. In the end it will make all the difference in the way that the issues are handled. The system is absolutely fabulous.

In using the tour guide there has to be recognition that South Korea is very similar to any other developed nation in Western Europe. It also means that the people that visit the area should be prepared to be surprised. Of course the visitor will have to make do with the elements that work for that particular location. However in the main South Korea has been a great destination for all the visitors and is set to continue to be one of the great locations. In due course there will be elements that build on the knowledge and take it to the next level. It is a location that must be explored to the full because of the unique features that it brings to the table.

Tattoo of Tiger

2010-10-03T00:15:00.001-07:00

Belief old tattoo tiger

When we think of a creature powerful and ferocious that is lurking in the forests, we think immediately in tiger which is one of the most ferocious predators and faster they can roam the woods. Apart from that, we can surprise us with the capabilities of tiger especially with its nature sensual. May be have ways where we could express our true appreciation of this animal and can also represent different kinds of meanings and one of which is to have a tattoo of tiger in our body. Here are some of the ancient meanings that the tattoo represents the tiger and that could involve him and internal personalities.

What does the Tiger

One of the known facts is that the tiger represents a potent symbol across Asia and has been one of the tattoo designs in various countries on the continent such as India, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, China, as well as other Asian countries.

The Western countries or European countries using the lion as its symbol of energy and the tattoo of tiger also represents the rights, energy and decency of all kings. And in countries like Korea, associate tattooing of tiger as the king of the animals while in countries of India, which are as gods Shiva, the tiger associates as the messenger of God. The tiger is powerful, creator and destroyer, life and death, a symbol of energy and strength.

When you think of tattoos tiger, usually means having an energy unmatched which also represents like animals that could be their protectors.

In China, use the image of tiger to protect their homes against evil and to believe that with their qualities and ferocious attitude, the Blind of any damage.

If you feel that sensuality, powerful and fierce of tiger might choose this design for his tattoo.

United States Foreign Policy - Why North Korea But Not Myanmar?

2010-10-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

The United States has been at the forefront of moves to weaken the North Korean government. It has forwarded and approved United Nations Security Council resolutions that impose a truckload of sanctions against what they call a "rogue state". However, a similar dictatorship exists in Myanmar (Burma) and yet nothing much has been done on it. Why is this so?

First, let us discuss the geopolitical aspect. The United States, geographically, is nearer to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago. At a time of war, it can directly send troops from home to these places. Sites like Camp Humphreys in Anjung-ri and Pyongtaek, South Korea and the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Japan, are directly have direct sea routes to the United States waters.

On the other hand, Myanmar is more complicated. Going there would mean going through numerous national boundaries of Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Thailand and many more. At a time of war, this can prove to be too perilous for US forces, as they will be subjected to much hostility in the process. Thus, protecting East Asia is more beneficial to the US than protecting Myanmar.

Second, East Asia has a bigger and richer economy compared to Myanmar, which virtually has none. Protecting the stability of East Asia will be economically more beneficial to the United States as it will ensure the continuity of active trade with the US. Most of those that surround Myanmar, on the other hand, are still developing, compared to electronics giants South Korea and Japan.

Furthermore, the United States has troops deployed in many other places in the world. It is also fighting simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Adding Myanmar to the list will mean additional budget deficits, something that is very difficult to defend in congress. If Myanmar is included in the picture, US forces will be spread too thinly, something that is a no-no when it comes to conventional warfare. In short, there is very little economic incentive to help Myanmar, compared to helping South Korea.

In short, politically and economically, Myanmar for the United States is not too interesting.

Famous Martial Arts of Japan, Korea and China

2010-09-30T23:45:00.001-07:00

Watching martial artists perform stunts is such a wonderful experience, but only few people know about the origins about the different martial arts we have today. Japan, China and Korea are the three major countries that practices martial arts. We have listed some of their major martial arts and its history.

Japanese

The Japanese martial art is believed to have origin because of the caste system of Japan which prohibited the use of weapons by people who are not a member of the warrior class. Martial arts that originated from Japan are diverse, and are way too different from those of other countries.

The following originated in Japan:

• Judo - The art of judo was developed by Prof. Jigoro Kano in the 19th century. Judo is not more of killing and winning fights, it also trains the person's body and spirit.

• Karate - It is closely related to Chinese Kung-fu and Korean Taekwondo. The word Karate-do means the way of empty hand because practitioners of karate do not usually use weapons. Karate has two traditional performances, namely kata and kumite.

• Aikido - It teaches a person to overpower his enemy by using the least energy he can without inuring to the two of them. Aikido was developed by Ueshiba Morihei. Steven Seagal is a famous Hollywood artist who practices this.

Korean

This is not new to Koreans anymore. It has been practiced in Korea for more than 2,000 years already.

• Taekwondo - It is the most well-known martial art of Korea and it also happens to be the national sport of South Korea. Taekwondo focuses more on kicking than any other methods of fighting. This is based on the principle that a person's leg is the longest and the strongest weapon a martial artist has, thus making his kick the best physical weapon available.

Chinese

This has been practiced for a very long time. It has been practiced for more than 2 millenniums. It involves hand to hand combat and also the use of different kinds of weapons.

Wushu - It was developed more than 2,500 years ago in China. The style is not only intended for fighting and defending, it is also a means of promoting a person's healthy exercise habit. Modern wushu is divided into multiple disciplines, these includes kung fu and taijiquan.

Today, newer types of martial arts have been evolving and these are a mix of old and new techniques. One thing that is common among them all is their unique way of teaching discipline and, of course, the art and skills of self-defense.

Things to See on Your Holidays in South Korea

2010-09-29T23:15:00.001-07:00

Yet another country in the East Asia, South Korea is the other half of North Korea. It has been divided with the Demilitarized zone and remains as popular as it did before. There are thousands of tourists who throng to visit this place, since they are curious to know more and wish to learn about the differences between the countries.

People who are obsessed with nature, and make sure to not affect their surroundings, South Koreans are very humble and down to earth. They make sure everyone is comfortable and then take care of their own needs, being self less at times.

When visiting South Korea on a holiday, make sure to keep this list of five things ready on hand, so you don't miss out on the must see sights that this beautiful country has in store.

Gangwon is said to be the most popular destination by the Korean government and it is located in the central region in South Korea. Nearly 3/4th of the land is mountainous, and it has two regions each with its own identity. The Eastern runs along the coast, while the western faces Seoul and southern part is the inlands. This is where one begins their climb on the Diamond Mountains and to the Mt Baekdusan which lies in North Korea. This place is beautiful in winter, with snow covering the mountains and there is white snow everywhere.

Seongnamsa is a temple that should be visited and it is regarded a masterpiece. A walk along the 800 meter stone path leads to the park entrance and thereon to the temple. Once you reach there, take a minute to admire the pagoda at the top of the temple, and the various bamboo trees around it.

The Korean folk village is situated on the banks of the river and is a quiet place where the locals go about their daily routine. This is a place that gives the visitors the chance to be part of the locals and learn their way of life. Cooking, gardening, local traditions are all displayed by those who live here. There are parades, dance performances apart from all this, which makes it more fun for families, especially with kids.

Dodong Mineral Spring park is another popular tourist destination. To catch the beautiful sunset and become one with nature, it is best to come to this mineral spring park. The geysers and the park are a visual treat for anyone coming here. There are stories surrounding this park that if one where to drink the water from this mineral spring, it could cure their ailments, since it has medicinal benefits as well.

The most beautiful place in all of Seoul, Gyeongbokgung is the grandest palace around. It has been around for nearly 300 years, and there are English tours conducted around this place for interested tourists.

Tourist Attractions in Gyeongju, South Korea

2010-09-28T23:00:00.001-07:00

Korea has many tourist destinations, and Gyeongju has a vast number in a small area. I have listed the main tourist destinations as specified by the official tourist map of Gyeongju. As you can see, there are many locations to visit and many things to see. If you are in a certain area (i.e. Down town Gyeongju) you could quite easily see most of the major attractions if you wanted to, as they are often quite near to each other. All of the down town attractions are within easy walking distance of each other.

If you go to either down town Gyeongju or to Bomun Lake (where you will find the best international hotels) in spring - early to mid April - you can witness the blooming of Gyeongjus' cherry trees. They are absolutely beautiful and should definitely be on your itinerary if you want to visit Korea. Gyeongju is a tourist friendly town, and assistance in English is often available. Many American and British travellers make their way through Gyeongju, and foreigners are often seen cycling through the streets, and especially along side the river.

Once you are in town, you can get assistance from the tourist information center, in English, by dialing 1330 from a local phone. They have assisted me on occasion by providing me with local bus times and costs, among other things.

As a fresh addition to the population of Gyeongju, I would highly recommend visiting us, and seeing why they call it "Beautiful Gyeongju"

Recommended Tourist Destinations.

The down town of Gyeongju City

Daereungwon Royal Tombs
Wolseong Fortress
Imhaejeon Site (Anapji Pond)
Gyerim Forest
Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory
Gyeongju National Museum
Bunhwangsa Temple
Hwangnyongsa site

Mt. Namsam area

Oreung Royal Tombs
Najeong Well
Poseokjeong site
Samneungol Valley
Yongjangsa site
Namsan Buseok Rock

Bomun Tourist Resort

Bulguksa Temple
Dong-ri, Mok-Wol Literary Museum
Seokguram Grotto
Bomunho Lake
Gyeongju Folkcraft Village
Silla Arts and Science Museum
Gyeongju World Expo Park
Silla Millennium Park
Gyeongju World

East Sea Area

Gameunsa site
Royal Tomb of King Munmu (Daewangam Rock)
Igyeondae Pavilion
Girimsa Temple
Golguram Hermitage
Gampo Port
Beaches

Western Area

The Tomb of King Muyeol
The Tomb of General Kim Yu-sin

Northern Area

Oksan Seowon/Oksansaesim Village
Yangdong

What You Should Know When Applying For English Teaching Jobs In Korea

2010-09-27T22:46:00.001-07:00

When we are talking about Korea we mean South Korea which is more developed than North Korea. Because of this fact a lot of people who live in this country need to learn English as their second language. For this purpose they have well established government program which force the citizens to learn English language since they are young.

The demand for English teaching jobs in Korea is very high and this demand is continuously increasing. So, if you take a quick look in search engines about this topic you will find numerous vacancies available. But, are all there vacancies sincere? The answer is no. You can be easily cheated. Because of this I'm writing this article to state the basic things that a person who is looking for English teaching jobs in Korea should know.

First of all, you should take a look at the internet search engines, internet sites, magazines and newspapers which are offering English teaching jobs in Korea. As I stated above finding this kind of job is easy. After finding the job that will suit you should take closer look at the terms and condition stated there. If the terms and conditions are meeting your requirements regarding the salary, accommodation etc, you should get as more information for your employer as you can. Collecting information about the school which is offering English teaching jobs in Korea is one of the most important parts that you should do before applying for that position. Failing to gather information you can be easily cheated. You can contact the previously employed English teachers in that office or you have the second choice: to contact the manager of the school directly by phone. If you are still satisfied with the terms offered you can apply for your job.

The applications should be submitted at the address stated in the Job advertisement or it can be fulfilled directly on the internet. On the internet you will be required only to write your basic data and to send some kind of resume or curriculum vitae. Before applying, you should be sure that you have all needed experience, degrees and certificates. In some cases certificates are not necessary but people i.e. teachers who have them have some advantage in the beginning. Also, more experience you have in ESL teaching higher the salary will be.

People who have found English teaching jobs in Korea have found them in the major cities in Korea. This should not be exemption and for you. There are some vacancies in rural places in this country but the salary in this towns or villages is significantly smaller. The accommodation will be paid for you if it is not otherwise stipulated in the agreement you have previously signed and you will have annual paid vacations. By accepting English teaching jobs in Korea you actually will learn new culture and tradition. Every teacher that were in Korea is satisfied with the attitude of the people there toward the work, and this means that you should not have problems in performing your job.

Toronto's Koreatowns - Experience Korea on the Other Side of the World

2010-09-26T22:32:00.001-07:00

Are you interested in Korea? If you happen to live in the Greater Toronto Area, you're in luck. Head over to one of Toronto's two Koreatowns at either Yonge and Finch or Bloor and Christie and you'll get to experience plenty of things Korean.

1. Korean food is absolutely delicious, but not nearly as popular as other Asian cuisine, and that's a bit unfortunate. If you'd like to give Korean food a try, head over to the Oh Geul Boh Geul in the North York area. There you'll be given more free side dishes than you can possibly eat, and you'll be treated to some really delicious unique food. My favorite is the Mul Neng Myeon, which is a cold buckwheat noodle in delicious broth. It's too difficult to explain, because there aren't many foods you can compare it to. Just give it a shot and you'll see: you'll be coming back there all the time.

2. Are you interested in Karaoke, but too shy to sing in front of strangers? Try a No Rae Bang, which is a private singing room, where you and your friends reserve a room and sing your guts out. No shame, no embarrassment. Have a good time with your friends and sing your favorite songs in Korean or English. Head over to the XO at Bloor and Christie and get a room right away!

3. Korean supermarkets offer a wide variety of produce and ingredients that can add a new twist to your regular meals. Add some kimchi as a side dish for dinner. Throw in some rice cakes in your stews. For a snack have a choco pie. You won't regret it! Check out the supermarket at Bloor and Christie and feel free to experiment!

Altogether, Toronto's Koreatowns have many more things to offer, so whether you're a home sick Korean or an inquisitive non-Korean, you can find all you'll need right in your own city.

Asian Medical Travel Destinations - Focus on South Korea

2010-09-25T22:19:00.001-07:00

Korea has long been a leader in global economics and continues to be one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. Modern architecture and ancient dynasty landmarks provide tourists with numerous destinations to visit and the friendly people and traditions of South Korea enthrall and captivate travelers from around the world.

South Korea, the home of the first cloned dog, remains on the cutting edge of technological advances in medicine and health care. Excellent and skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and some of the most advanced healthcare facilities in the world continue to draw medical travelers to South Korea for medical treatments and procedures in organ transplantation, cancer therapy treatments, dental care, plastic and cosmetic surgery and many others.

Influx of Expats To South Korean Medical Facilities

Medical care costs in Korea are generally ten times less than costs found in the U.S. South Korea is the leading healthcare country of Asia and provides world-class medical and health care in non-profit organizations and facilities that place patient care above profit. Government agencies accredit all facilities and hospitals, ensuring quality of care throughout the country.

South Korean medical facilities such as world renowned Wooridul Spine Hospital and 365 mc's Bariatric Surgery Center and Obesity Clinic are just a few of many famous, accredited and modern facilities that offer a variety of orthopedic, spinal care, sports medicine, obesity and bariatric surgical procedures to international travelers, and attract Korean, Chinese and Japanese citizens not only from Southeast Asia, but Australia, the United States, and Europe to return home to receive superlative and experienced medical care.

Rising healthcare costs, long wait times, and the lack of adequate insurance coverage prompts many expats to return to their homeland for quality and world-class care. South Korea has long been known as a leader in medical care fields and specialties, and according to the Medical Tourism Magazine, Korea has become a medical power that should not be underestimated.

One of Korea's most notable treatment facilities, Wooridul Spine Hospital, has 25 years of experience and management in spine disease diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Physicians and surgeons at Wooridul Spine Hospital have developed their own surgical methods in the treatment of a variety of spine injuries and claim 99.9% success rates.

Medical Tourism in Korea

South Korean physicians, surgeons and medical facilities take pride in their ability to utilize cutting edge medical technology, developed surgical methods and procedures, and the best in high-tech equipment and utilize a model of patient-oriented service that provides superlative care not only for expatriates, but international travelers of all ages, cultures, and demographic backgrounds.

Medical Tourism Initiatives

Medical tourism in Korea is increasing and is rated as one of the top three Asian destinations that attract not only expatriates but foreign tourists. The Korean governments is enthusiastically and vigorously creating an increasing services and plans for overseas tourists, regardless of cultural background that take advantage of Korean professional medical services and technologies, especially in cities such as Seoul, Daegu and Jeju.

The Korean Tourism Organization (KNTO) is targeting medical tourism developments in her major cities to attract 10,000 foreign patients a year in coming years, including services such as the static and plastic surgery in Busan, the Jeju Healthcare town on the island of Jeju and Wellness Park, designed as a high-tech medical complex for specialized treatments.

Korea continues to provide familiar, excellent and experienced medical services to expats returning to their homeland while the same time providing affordable and world-class quality healthcare in all fields and subspecialties.

A Summer in Korea

2010-09-24T22:01:00.001-07:00

It's not unusual to set a little money aside to attend a martial arts camp or seminar. The summer before law school, I did one better. I traveled to South Korea for intensive hapkido training. In the process, I had a lot of fun.

This wasn't the first time I'd been to Korea. I had previously lived in Kangnung. I trained in hapkido and ki gong (breathing exercises) and earned a black belt from the Korean Hapkido Federation. I traned at the Hapkido Choiyukwan under Young-Jong Kim and Jun-Kyu Lee. While I was living there, I taught English at a hogwan (private academy). Korean students attend these academies after their regular public school classes to get ahead with their studies. This time I wasn't there to teach, however. I was there mainly to train.

When I arrived in Kangnung, I planned on spending the month living in one of the yokwans (cheap hotel) that are so abundant throughout Korea. However, Lee would have none of that. He and his family lived in and ran a minbak (an inn) near the beach. He insisted that I stay in one of the rooms without paying. Not only did I train with my instructor, be we did everything together, including going to the beach and movies.

4 Classes Per Day

When I first arrived, we had class four times a day. The first class was at 6 a.m. The following classes were at 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. The times changed during summer vacation. The first class was bumped back to 9 a.m., followed by classes at 3, 5 and 8 p.m. Either way, I had four classes per day plus plenty of extra training between classes.

Typically, I'd go to class in the morning and then go back to Lee's home to rest before the next session. After lunch, we would leave early so we could pick up some of the other students for the next class. This is common practice throughout Korea. Whether it is a martial arts school or something similar, a driver would pick up the other students in a minivan and drop them off afterward. We did this for every class. After the third class of the day, we would go home t eat dinner and practice various techniques before we went to the last class of the day. This was usually the longest and most intense class of the day because it consisted mainly of adults. It was usually 10 p.m. before we had the school swept, the water bottles filled and were ready to go home. By the end of class, our uniforms were soaked and we were spent. In these classes, we spent a lot of time sparring. Believe me, I went home sore on more than one occasion.

Generate Power

The type of training I did depended on the class. The early classes had younger students, so I often helped with the instruction. There were also several new students, so I usually worked on the basics with them. This was particularly enjoyable. It's not only a way to better yourself, but the kids were great to work with, too.

Regardless of what class we were in, Lee always made sure that he taught me at least one new technique. This meant that I was learning between four and six new techniques per day. After class, I'd write the new techniques in a notebook along with the other notes from class. Each night, I'd review everything I learned that day before I went to sleep. The next day, I'd practice everything I had learned before he taught me something new.

Wednesday's class was always different because we always worked with weapons. although we primarily worked with the staff or short stick, we sometimes worked with the bamboo sword. During the free time between classes, Lee also worked with me on various cane and belt techniques.

Besides all of the traditional hapkido I was learning, I also received an added bonus. Kim was teaching and working with Lee and a few of the other high-ranking students some striking methods called kwon sul. These drills involved a variety of strikes, including punches, ridgehands, spearhands, backfists and others. The key to these drills is shifting your body weight to gain the maximum power for your strike. It was always amazing to see how much power my instructor could generate with the slightest motion. Naturally, I jotted notes about his technique into my book every night.

Hapkido and Taekwondo

While the weekdays were reserved for hapkido, the weekends were for rest and relaxation. I spent those summer weekends visiting new places with my fiancee, Yi Saeng Ham, going out with friends and resting from the week's grueling schedule. Like all vacations, the time flew by much too quickly. Before I knew it, I had to return to the States.

I realize that not everyone has connections to go to Korea to live with an instructor. However, there are many opportunities for people to visit Korea and train in various arts, including hapkido, taekwondo, and other arts. I encourage anyone to visit and train in Korea. Without a doubt, it will be an experience you will always remember.

The Sights of Seoul

2010-09-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

Trailing, ever-present, behind Japan in the race for the world's most modern society is South Korea, a quietly-developing nation of quirky, intelligent fashionistas with a culture all their own. Seoul is the humming capital of South Korea - an enormous metro area of greater than 10 million people - one of the biggest cities on earth. Seoul teeters between its long historical past crowned by the temples and shrines which still give the city an air of serenity, and the modern buzz of international commerce which characterizes South Korea today.

Gyeonbok Palace

For hundreds of years, this sprawling ornate palace complex was the seat of Korea's Joseon imperial governments. The original palace was constructed in the 1390s and reconstructed in 1867. Sadly, the palace was terribly broken during war, so it's still going through repairs. Today, it is available for tourism as the Joseon Palace Museum, and houses the Korean Folk Museum, too. The palace consists of a number of stacked pagoda-style gates at various ends of the complex, and the interior comprises many courtyards layered within one another.

Cheonggye Stream

Though it has flowed through Seoul for centuries, this small river was converted into a public green space just five years ago, when it opened as a public park and recreation area in September 2005. When Seoul was 1st developing, Cheonggye Stream was covered by infrastructure, and later an elevated highway was built over it. When the government made a decision to reconvert the area to a green space, the highway was removed and parklands were installed down both sides of the river, as well as a walking path, bridges and gardens.

Bukchon

To get a feel for a more historic side of Seoul, wander through this neat series of suburbs exactly where imperial officials and royalty once resided. Some of the traditional Korean houses, known as hanok, are preserved well here - many still inhabited by local residents. This area is also a haven for fashion and food and is developing into 1 of the best preserved cultural centers in Seoul.

Namdaemun Market

One of the biggest and most well-known markets in Seoul, this pedestrian-only shopping district nods to a time when Seoul was less car-friendly. Hundreds of shops, stalls and vendors line the narrow streets of the congested Namdaemun Market, and here you can find all types of goods, particularly handbags, shoes and clothing.

Namsan Tower

This hilltop tower features fantastic vistas of the Seoul city scape from the vantage point of a small mountain near the city center. Namsan Tower, also known as N Seoul Tower, was once the tallest building in Asia and has an observatory deck that enables circular views of the entire city. The tower can be reached by a variety of modes, but the coolest is a cable car that speeds you up the south slope of the hill, with breathtaking views of downtown Seoul as you go.

Chains of Love

While going to Namsan, you will definitely want to partake in this strangely romantic tradition, whereby lovers place padlocks along the chain link fence that surrounds the base of the tower. Each and every couple brings two locks and chains them together to the fence to represent their eternal love. The fence now has thousands of locks hooked to it, creating a truly unique creative installation that also has a great meaning.

The Story of Chosun, Part 1

2010-09-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

They say all of history is "His story." I agree with them. As I begin with you today an accounting of some of the major moments in Korea's past, I offer the accompanying encouragement that what I shall be sharing is not just the past. You will see how Korea was shaped and eventually prepared for the call of God on her life. Yes, the Gospel finally came to that land, and has produced in the South a harvest unimaginable.

But it took a long time for the Koreans to see their need and to reach out for something better than they had. Because of that long refusal and/or ignorance of the Good News, the pattern of independence followed by attacks and foreign domination and independence again, clung to this nation for thousands of years. Homer Hulbert, who will be our guide through most of this history, lived in the 19th - and wrote at the beginning of the 20th - century:

"Hulbert saw that Koreans of the nineteenth century were held captive by a small elite group of aristocratic bureaucrats whose vested interests lay in maintaining government by intrigue and corruption and in keeping the people as isolated as possible from the egalitarian influences of the West..."

That was true then, it was true through much of her history, and even to this day, a portion of the peninsula is dominated by an oligarchy. This particular dynasty of our day represents a foreign power. It is an alien government, a decidedly non-Korean turn of events. But all of that in good time.

For now, let's go back to the beginning, as far as we can anyway. Using Hulbert's classic 2-volume set, History of Korea, 1905, we begin.

PART I: ANCIENT HISTORY. 2322 BC- 892 AD

Legend has it that Korea was founded by a "son of God", God being the creator "Whanung". This was supposed to have happened somewhere between the days of the flood and Abraham. So far we're not as distant from the truth as you might expect. Following the flood account in your Bible is the story of the beginning of nations, especially focusing on one Nimrod, the real man behind all the myths of ancient peoples. Korea's mythological wonder man is "Tan-gun." Tan-gun was born when Whanung breathed upon a woman who wanted a son. That sounds pretty Biblical too. (Did I mention that the woman had once been a bear?)

It is not Seoul but Pyongyang that is Korea's first capital. Today this city is North Korea's number one place. Tan-gun reigns there until about 1122 BC, around the time of the judges of Israel, then disappears from the earth. If long lives trouble you, remember that our Bible has a Methuselah.

The word "chosun" arises during this period. "Land of morning calm" will be the idea attached to the Korean peninsula. And it probably had its calm moments. But the name, historically, is as meaningful as Jerusalem, "city of peace." It's a great idea, and in the future the idea will be realized, but for now...

It is from China that Korea is to be given its first major endowments:leadership, poetry, manners, music, medicine, sorcery, silk culture, weaving. And many attempted take-overs.

For the next 1000 years, the area covering the two provinces nearest Pyongyang today is governed by one Kija and his descendants. Kija is the son of Li, who is the 2nd son of Wuyi, Emperor of China in the 1100's BC. Kija first becomes an advisor to Emperor Tajung, known as the "Nero" of China. Kija actually places himself in exile but later is granted permission by the Chinese government to set up a kingdom on the nearby peninsula. It is independent of China, yet China seems to have regretted the decision at times, and tries to bring it under its control. All these attempts are rebuffed by the growing people group in Chosun.

This Kija kingdom is the first recognizable dynasty. One dynasty will follow the other in Korea until South Korea forms a republic in the mid 20th century. The world is hoping for the end of dynasties altogether in Korea. Somehow the word hasn't gotten up North that dynastic power is not the most efficient way to deal with 21st century citizens.

That's where you and I can come in and change Korea's history. Heart-felt, gut-involved, loud persistent knocking on the door of Heaven. Jesus has let us know that that kind of prayer really does work. Will you join multitudes worldwide in this movement of true liberation?

Korean Folk Songs

2010-09-21T21:16:00.001-07:00

The music of Korea is over 1000 years old. Isang Yun - a musician teaching in Berlin included Korean songs in his course which was later brought back to Korea. Like all other strong influences, war definitely had its impact on Korean music. Korean music is mostly influenced by shamanistic and Buddhist thoughts. The dance, drum and the sinawi dance music is clearly evident in folk music.

The Dongbu folk songs are unique in various areas and are typical about the styles. The songs from the Jeolla and chungcheong area are known as Namdo folk songs. They are full of drama and the collections are tasteful. The Pansori and the Sanjo were created out of Namdo music. The music of Jeju from Jeju Island is simple and rich in their compositions. The Pansori is actually a one man show which involves dialogues, enactment, dance and a drummer assists with the rhythm for the singer. The Pansori is done at a stretch for eight hours. It is actually required to make the voice hoarse by shouting, so as to become a Pansori singer. The props include a handkerchief and fan.

A troupe of thirty musicians performs the Nongak. The Sanjo is a tempo based playing which accelerates and moves to a high tempo. The musical instruments of Korea include Kayagum which can be played in the solo style, duet and as a group of three. The instrument has to be placed on the lap with the tail on the ground level. Tanso is the wind instrument and played along with the flute. The original bamboo of Tanso is now replaced by resin. The sound produced is pure melody. Yanggum is made of bamboo and is a string instrument almost as big as a piano. The fourteen keys which is now increased to the count of twenty six keys. Most of the string instruments of Korea in the contemporary folk times are made of silken threads.

There are bowed, plucked and struck varieties in the folk string instruments that encompass the Geum, Bipa, Sohaegeum and Yangguem. There are flutes, horns and oboes and mouth organs and also the jeok, so, Hwa, Dae piri and Nagak in the wind instrument folk variety. There are other chimes, gongs and cymbals of various varieties in the percussion musical instruments. Folk songs are still evident in the villages. Rituals, ceremonies and festivals mark the occasion with traditional Korean folk's songs. Though a evolution is also seen in the making of musical instruments, traditional Korean folk songs bring pure melody.

Olympics Games - Football

2010-09-20T21:03:00.001-07:00

1908: London, England, Great Britain won the gold medal in soccer in the IV Olympic Games. The silver medal was won by Denmark.

1912: Stockholm, Sweden. Great Britain defeated Denmark 4-2. The bronze medal was won by Holland.

1920: Antwerp, Belgium. Belgium won the gold medal in football in the VII Olympic Games.

1924: Paris, France. Uruguay won the gold medal in soccer in the VIII Olympic Games.

1928: Amsterdam, Netherlands. For the second time, Uruguay won the gold medal in football in the IX Olympic Games.

1932: Los Angeles, California (USA). The football tournament was cancelled.

1936: Berlin, Germany. Italy defeated Austria 3-2. The bronze medal was won by Poland.

1948: London, England. Sweden won the gold medal in football in the Olympic Games. Sweden defeated Yugoslavia 3-1.

1952: Helsinki, Finland. Hungary defeated Yugoslavia 2-0 for the gold medal. The bronze medal was won by Sweden.

1956: Melbourne, Australia.The USSR (currently Russia, Georgia,Estonia...) captured the men´s soccer gold medal, with Yugoslavia finishing second and Bulgaria third.

1960: Rome, Italy. Yugoslavia defeated Denmark 3-1 for the gold medal. The bronze medal was won by Hungary.

1964: Tokyo, Japan. Hungary won the gold medal in soccer in the XVIII Olympic Games. The silver medal was won by Czechoslovakia (currently Czech Republic) and the bronze by Bulgaria.

1968: Mexico City, Mexico. Hungary defeated Bulgaria 4-1.

Final results: 1.Hungary; 2.Bulgaria; 3.Japan; 4.Mexico; 5.France; 6.Guatemala; 7.Spain; 8:Israel; 9.Colombia; 10.Guinea; 11.Brazil; 12.Nigeria; 13.Ghana; 14.Czechoslovakia; 15.Thailand; 16.El Salvador.

1972: Munich, West Germany. Final results: 1.Poland; 2.Hungary; 3.East Germany; 4.USSR; 5.Mexico; 6.Denmark; 7.Morocco; 8.West Germany; 9.Malaysia; 10.USA; 11.Iran; 12.Brazil; 13.Myanmar; 14.Sudan; 15.Colombia; 16.Guatemala.

1976: Montreal, Canada. Final results: 1.East Germany; 2.Poland; 3.USSR; 4.Brazil; 5.Spain; 6.Canada; 7.Mexico; 8.France; 9.Israel; 10.Guatemala; 11.Cuba; 12.Iran; 13.North Korea.

For political reasons, African countries (Nigeria, Zambia and Ghana) did not participate at the 1976 Montreal Games. Uruguay qualified for the 1976 Olympics, but it did not participate. Uruguay was replaced by Cuba.

1980: Moscow, USSR. Final results: 1.Czechoslovakia; 2.GDR (East Germany); 3.USSR; 4.Yugoslavia; 5.Cuba; 6.Kuwait; 7.Algeria; 8.Iraq; 9.Nigeria; 10.Colombia; 11.Venezuela; 12.Costa Rica; 13,Syria; 14.Finland; 15.Zambia; 16.Spain.

For political reasons, many countries (Iran, USA, Ghana, Egypt, Malaysia, Norway and Argentina) did not participate in the Olympics Games.The United States was replaced by Cuba.

1984: Los Angeles, California (USA). Final results: 1.France; 2.Brazil; 3.Yugoslavia;4.Italy; 5.Canada; 6.Chile; 7.West Germany; 8.Egypt; 9.USA; 10.Qatar; 11.Norway; 12.Cameroon; 13.Morocco; 14.Costa Rica; 15.Iraq; 16.Saudi Arabia.

1988: Seoul, South Korea. Final results: 1.USSR; 2.Brazil; 3.Sweden; 4.Italy; 5.Australia; 6.Argentina; 7.WGR (West Germany); 8.Zambia; 9.Tunisia; 10.Guatemala; 11.Iraq; 12.China; 13.South Korea; 14.Nigeria; 15.USA; 16.Yugoslavia.

1992: Barcelona, Spain. Final results: 1.Spain; 2.Poland; 3.Ghana; 4.Australia; 5.Italy; 6.Qatar; 7.Sweden; 8.Paraguay; 9.USA; 10.Kuwait; 11.Colombia; 12.Egypt; 13.South Korea; 14.Morocco; 15.Mexico; 16.Denmark.

1996: Atlanta, Georgia (USA). Final results: 1.Nigeria; 2.Argentina; 3.Brazil; 4.Portugal; 5.Ghana; 6.Mexico; 7.France; 8.Spain; 9.USA; 10.Tunisia; 11.Australia; 12.Saudi Arabia; 13.Japan; 14.Hungary; 15.South Korea; 16.Italy.

2000: Sydney, Australia. Final results: 1.Cameroon; 2.Spain; 3.Chile; 4.USA; 5.Japan; 6.Italy; 7.Brazil; 8.Nigeria; 9.South Korea; 10.Honduras; 11.South Africa; 12.Slovakia; 13.Kuwait; 14.Czech Republic; 15.Australia; 16.Morocco.

2004: Athens, Greece. Final results: 1.Argentina; 2.Paraguay; 3.Italy; 4.Iraq; 5.South Korea; 6.Mali; 7.Australia; 8.Costa Rica; 9.Mexico; 10.Ghana; 11.Morocco; 12.Tunisia; 13.Japan; 14.Portugal; 15.Greece; 16.Serbia & Montenegro.

Send Free SMS Text Messages Online

2010-09-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

The way we communicate with each other keeps changing. Once, we relied on letters, telephones and fax machines but now we prefer speedier and sometimes less intrusive forms of communication like email or instant messenger. Even more popular, however, and a phenomenon of communication experienced worldwide, is sending SMS text messages to each other via cellphones (also known as mobile phones or cellular phones).

So, what is SMS?

Short Message Service (SMS) is the general name for the technology which enables people to send and receive text messages via cellphones (or mobile phones).

The GSM digital mobile phone standard (popular in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and some parts of North America) state that: "Messages can be up to 160 characters of text in length". CDMA networks allow greater message size and operate in North & South America, Asia (China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, etc).

(In actual fact, most modern cellphones using the GSM standard send messages larger than 160 characters, but they do so by sending multiple messages of 160 characters. That means that when you send a message of 330 characters in length, you have actually sent two messages of 160 characters and one message of 10 characters.)

SMS messages can comprise of words, numbers or an alphanumeric combination; binary format is even supported.

Technically speaking, SMS is a store and forward service. This means that messages are not sent directly from sender to recipient, but always via an SMS center instead. You have a limited time to download or receive your messages (this happens automatically when you switch your cellphone on), otherwise the messages are removed from the SMS center concerned.

Message delivery (or failure) can be confirmed, too.

Note: this is a limited definition of sms. A fuller explanation can be found at

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texting

How Can You Send SMS Text Messages For Free?

Sending SMS is a great, quick way to communicate with friends and family. Unlike sending email, though, sending SMS messages is often not free. In the United Kingdom, for example, messages often cost £0.10 per message. And with people sending tens or hundreds of messages each day, costs can mount up.

So mobile phone companies design payment plans that allow you to send a certain number of text messages free per month. Or, if you pay enough of a monthly fee (or top-up your pay-as-you-go phone often enough) you may even be allowed to send an unlimited number of sms messages for free.

Still, this is a costly way to send 'free sms'.

A much better way is to use so-called 'free sms sites'.

Yes, there are many, many websites that allow you to send free SMS text messages online. Simply type in your message at such a website, then the cellphone number you wish to send a text message to, and click the send button. Sometimes the messages are delivered immediately, or within the space of an hour or so. Also, quite often there is no need to register to use the free sms service.

Example free sms sites include sms.ac, cbfsms.com and Fonetastic, and you can now find free sms on myspace.com too.

Like anything else on the web, some free SMS sites work better than others. For example:

* Some open for business one week and are closed the next, unable to recover their costs of delivering thousands of sms text messages. (There is always a cost associated with sending sms text messages online for the sms site concerned.)

* Some free sms sites work in one country but not another.

* And, most worryingly, some free SMS sites are simply not free -- either it costs the person to send the sms messages, or it costs someone to receive them.

Basically, a lot of free sms text messaging sites start out free, then either stop working or start to charge.

That's why a visit to a free SMS directory, where sites are reviewed or commented on, is recommended. For example, there are more than 150 free text messaging sites currently listed at TextMeFree.com.

Is Sending Free SMS Really Safe?

Yes. Usually.

It should be safe to send free text messages using a text messaging site, but many people have been caught out by services that sneakily get you to first join a subscription service, that often costs several dollars per week. It can be quite difficult to unsubscribe from such services, too.

Generally speaking free SMS sites profit from the advertising on their websites or in the actual text messages being sent; these sites don't normally abuse their relationship with the people doing the SMS texting. It's also generally true that text messages get sent quickly and people do not receive so-called SMS spam on their cellphone or mobile phone afterwards.

Again, a good free SMS directory will provide enough information about a free sms service or site for you to be able to decide for yourself.

Sending SMS text messages to your friends and family is quick, easy and fun. But it doesn't have to cost you anything, if you find and use a free SMS text messaging site that lets you send text messages to the country where they live. Happy texting.

Basic Facts About The Korean Language

2010-09-18T20:34:00.001-07:00

The Korean language is spoken by the entire population of North Korea and South Korea. While there are certainly differences between the Korean dialect spoken in the north and the one spoken in the south, the dialects are mutually understandable.

The Korean language is also used in the autonomous region of Yanbian which is in the southern province of Heilongjiang in China.

Approximately 78 million people speak Korean, including communities of immigrants now living in the former Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, United States, Brazil, Japan, United Kingdom, as well as the Philippines.

The so called denomination of the language varies between both Koreas. In South Korea it is usually called Hangugeo or Hangungmal. Officially the name given to Korean is gugeo which means "language of the country.Colloquially speaking it is also referred to as urimal that literally means "our language."

North Korean typically refer to the Korean language as Chos nmal although it is also called urimal. The standard of North Korea is based on the way it is spoken in the capital P'yngyang while in the south the standard is the way it is spoken in Seoul. The differences between these two forms of the Korean language does not make it impossible for speakers of either group to communicate with each other because the differences are more or less equivalent to the Spanish spoken in Spain and the Spanish spoken in Latin America.

The origin of the Korean language is not yet clear. Some linguists say it belongs to the group of the Altaican languages whilst others put it in the same group with the Japanese language in one single group: Korean-Japanese.

Since neither of these two views have been demonstrated decisively, those who do study the language prefer to refer to the Korean language as a language significantly distinct from the aforementioned groups. From a morphological point of view, the Korean language uses agglutination which is the process of adding affixes to the base of a word. Korean maintains a grammatical syntax whose base is Subject-Object-Verb. Japanese, Vietnamese, and the Korean languages are influenced heavily by the Chinese language.

The system utilized for writing Korean is known as Hangeul, and it is at the same time an alphabetical and phonetic system. It is quite common to use the vocabularies that come either directly or indirectly from the Chinese language.

Rocking on Korean Electric Guitars

2010-09-17T20:15:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to add a new electric guitar to your collection? Just starting to learn how to play the electric guitar and aren't sure where to start shopping? Korean electric guitars have a long history in the music business. They are generally quality products that are made available on the market at a very affordable price, and they can be found at most average music stores. These instruments will serve beginners to advanced players well, while offering a variety of options and styles.

You might have heard talk about Korean guitars. Generally, it is common knowledge that these guitars offer the highest available quality for lower prices than comparable models from other competitors. Some of the Korean electric guitar brand names are not as well known as more popular American and Japanese guitars; however, you might be surprised to find out what notable partnerships Korean guitar makers have established. Consider these manufacturers that have been rocking the electric guitar business for years.

Samick

Korean owned and operated Samick is one of the largest guitar makers in the world. They manufacture over 4,000 different guitar models under 400 brand names. You might be surprised to find out that many popular brand names like Washburn and Gibson purchase their guitars directly from guitar giant Samick. The fact that many trusted guitar sellers and makers trust the craftsmanship of Samick is a strong indicator that the company is offering a quality product.

Cort

Cort is a well known guitar label that features a broad spectrum of products. Not only does Cort feature its own label, but high-end guitar makers have been contacting Cort to produce their guitars, due to both high quality construction and in efforts to make affordable models available to their customers. Cort is a tried and trusted entity in the Korean electric guitar market, and their products are making some great noise.

The Benefits

If you have reservations about purchasing Korean guitars, consider the following factors. Parts for these instruments are abundant and easy to find. Your local music shop will carry a vast array of pickups, machine heads, and fret boards that will fit your Korean-made electric guitar. The cost of repairs and adjustments will be minimal, because these guitars are easy to service.

The Downs

Many Korean electrics are produced in mass quantity. Their margin for error is low, but the production techniques still yield margins for error nonetheless. If you are interested in a high-end electric guitar, your style options may be limited from Korean vendors, as they specialize in the low to mid-level instruments.

When purchasing an electric guitar made in Korea, you can rest assured that it comes from a place that knows how to handle six strings on a piece of wood. The years of experience and notable accomplishments of Korean guitar makers have not gone unnoticed. A Korean electric will provide you with years of musical enjoyment, and give you the opportunity to expand your horizons as you advance your guitar skills.

The History of Hyundai

2010-09-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

If you live in North America, you likely are now very familiar with the Hyundai line of vehicles. Back in 1986, the first Hyundai was introduced to the market - an Excel - and the company's line up has changed dramatically since that time. Hyundai produces much more than cars; in fact, by the end of the last century Hyundai became one of the largest companies in the world. Let's take a look at this Korean based multinational corporation and the company behind Hyundai vehicles.

It was back in 1946, just one year removed from Imperial Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula, that a new company was birthed in what is now known as South Korea. Hyundai Motor Industrial Company was founded by Chung Ju-yung, a child of northern Korean peasant farmers, and in 1947 Ju-yung launched a second company, Hyundai Civil Industries. Self educated, Ju-yung transformed the entire Korean economy with the tight control he exerted over his Hyundai companies.

The first Hyundai business was tasked with building automobiles while the second Hyundai company concentrated on construction. Indeed, much of modern South Korea's infrastructure was built by Hyundai in the period after the cessation of the Korean War in 1953 and on through the 1970s. Dams, an expressway, a shipbuilding yard, and a nuclear power plant were all built by Hyundai Civil Industries, while Hyundai Motors produced cars made primarily from Japanese components. Hyundai's influence stretched far beyond the Korean peninsula as the company won contracts to build an expressway in Thailand and a major port in Saudi Arabia. Clearly, Hyundai dominated the Korean market and quickly became a major player on the international scene.

By the 1970s Hyundai began to build vessels as well as shipyards and by 1986 Hyundai produced its first vehicle made entirely from Korean components. From the 1980s forward Hyundai added additional specialties including the building of semiconductors and magnetic levitation trains.

All hasn't been glossy for the company, however. Decades of labor problems culminating in new employee safety standards put in place from the 1990s on, tempered the Hyundai mystique. Indeed, up to that time the company was cited for having the worst safety standards of any corporation in the industrialized world.

Cars were another source of problems for what became known as the Hyundai Group. Although now manufacturing their own vehicles, the quality of Hyundai vehicles for the first decade was considered by automobile experts to be sub-par. Today, Hyundai vehicles and Hyundai parts are, for the most part, slightly above average in quality compared to the industry as a whole.

With Chung Ju-yung's death in 2001, Hyundai was divided up into three separate companies: Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Hyundai Motor Group, and Hyundai Engineering and Construction. Today, all three Hyundai companies continue to compete successfully in the global marketplace thanks to the vision of a peasant farmer.

Free Vampire MMORPG

2010-09-15T19:47:00.001-07:00

A Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game or MMORPG is a game that is exclusively played over the Internet. This computer role-playing game is played by several thousand of players brought together in a huge virtual world. The game world and game characters are maintained on servers. The player is typically connected through a client program with the server. The client usually includes only the data for displaying the game world (graphics, objects, music, ...), while the game mechanics are managed and processed on the server.

The content in a MMORPG is comparable with other computer RPGs, but the emphasis in MMORPG is more on the interaction between players and player groups or guilds. Like most RPGs, you can improve your skills or unlocking new skills by solving tasks and missions (quests), or by killing monsters.

MMORPGs are usually supervised by the developers and they do evolve over time. New content (eg new continents in the virtual world) are usually added in expansion sets to keep old players and to entice new players. The costs for maintenance and operation of the server, as well as new developments are usually passed on to customers through monthly fees. These usually vary according to duration of the subscription and quality of the game. There are also free to play MMORPG where players are charged to acquire rare or unique weapons.

Vampire MMORPG's emerged early in the 1990s from the Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs). The first vampire graphical MMORPG is Neverwinter Nights which was released on 1991. It offered the player the benefits of a make belief vampire world together with interaction with other players.

In Korea the same year appeared in the Kingdom of the Winds is the first playable MMORPG over the Internet, with a relatively simple top-down view graphic. As the import of game consoles in Korea is banned, internet connections was the new way to reach a wide audience of new players.

Improved VA Disability Pension Benefit With Aid and Attendance Entitlement

2010-09-14T19:30:00.001-07:00

Attention WWII and Korean War Veterans - The VA will provide you financial assistance to help you or the widowed surviving spouse pay for long-term care.

This financial assistance provides needed money to help these elderly war-time veterans (and their widowed surviving spouse) receive in-home care or offset the costs of an assisted living facility.

And the best part, you don't need to use official VA care or facilities. This financial assistance can be used to pay independent home care agencies and non-government run assisted living facilities. Many families also can get this VA financial assistance to pay a family member to provide the care.

This little-known veterans' benefit is commonly called the "Aid and Attendance" benefit. It is officially called an "Improved Disability Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement" that provides a tax-free monthly amount up to $1,644 for a veteran or $1,949 for a veteran and spouse.

Widowed surviving spouses who have not re-married are eligible for this same benefit but by a different name. The official name of the surviving spouse benefit is "Improved Death Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement". This benefit also provides a tax-free benefit equal to $1,057 monthly.

This "improved" VA disability pension benefit can be used to pay for in-home care, assisted living facility costs or nursing home care. In addition other qualified uses include medical expenses, prescription drugs, incontinence supplies and more.

Five Steps of Qualification
1. To qualify for time of service, the WWII or Korean veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day of service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946 for WWII or between June 27, 1950 and January 31, 1955 for the Korean War.

It does not matter if the veteran's active duty was stateside or overseas. Discharge from military service also must not have been under dishonorably conditions.

Note: Surviving spouses who remarried a non-eligible individual or whose marriage to the veteran ended in divorce are not eligible.

2. To qualify physically, the veteran (or eligible surviving spouse) must be age 65 or older (to not have to prove they can no longer work) and need help with basic activities of daily living tasks such as eating, dressing, grooming, proper hygiene, bathing or going to the bathroom.

Being blind or use of a wheelchair for mobility also physically qualifies the claimant. The claimant must also be no longer able to safely drive to be considered home-bound.

Physical qualifications should be documented by your private physician. You do not have to use or visit a VA doctor.

3. To qualify financially, the veteran (or eligible surviving spouse) must have limited assets (typically under $80,000) excluding the primary home and a single vehicle. Note: The claimant cannot be driving or they will be ineligible for the benefit.

The amount of benefit that the claimant can receive is based on a two-step calculation.

a. Add up all annual income from social security, retirement pensions, interest, dividends, annuities, etc.
b. Subtract from this income total the annual recurring out-of-pocket medical and prescription costs, the cost of private supplemental health care insurance, any long-term care insurance, and long-term care expenses from in-home care or an assisted living facility.

The resulting amount is called the "adjusted countable household income". This amount is then compared to the maximum VA disability pension benefit. The difference is the benefit amount you will receive - paid in 12 equal payments.

4. The maximum VA disability pension benefit for 2009 is as follows:

Single or widowed veteran = $19,736 paid $1,644 monthly
Veteran with a dependent (typically spouse) = $23,396 paid $1,949 monthly
Un-remarried widowed surviving spouse = $12,681 paid $1,057 monthly

Let's look at an example:

Sam is an honorably discharged Korean War veteran who lost his wife 6 months ago.
He suffers from dementia and can no longer drive or live alone. His family has moved him to the Great Home Assisted Living facility where many of his friends also now live.
His adjusted countable household income is a negative $-1,000 (Social security and a small pension from his work at the Tool & Die Company less his qualified medical costs of assisted living, prescriptions and medical insurance premium).
He has less than $10,000 in savings and after the reverse mortgage is paid off from the sale of his home he will net $50,000.

Since Sam's qualified medical costs exceeds his income he qualifies for the maximum VA disability pension benefit, or $1,644 per month.
This means that Sam now has $644 in income each month after paying his qualified expenses instead of having to take $1,000 from savings each month for his care.

5. How to Apply

To learn more or to understand how to successfully apply for the Aid and Attendance benefit from the VA, visit www dot VeteransCareAdvisors dot com. The Aid and Attendance Handbook will walk you through the process and help you better understand the paper work, required documentation and what to expect during the claim processing.

Asian TV Channels Available In The USA

2010-09-13T19:18:00.001-07:00

Asian TV channels now available in the United States can enhance the viewing pleasure of many Asian Americans. Keeping up with events in their homeland is as easy as turning on the tv. There are a lot of channels available now from Directv and Dish Network. So for those who are not aware of them, we have Korean and Vietnamese channels. They are listed below.

DirecTV Korean

CTS is a premium network which brings to you 24 hours of Korean Christian programming, including sermons, testimonies, praise and worship, documentaries and news.

MBC One of the most watched channels, MBC is a 24 hour Korean broadcast network. Catch some of the most popular children's programs, latest news and drama everyday.

SBS Stay in touch with what's happening in Korea through this 24 hour channel with latest information, variety shows, and hit dramas.

SBS Plus Catch the best of Korean "Halliyu" with popular drama, movie programs, and other original programs - 24 hours a day.

YTN Korea's first round-the-clock news network.

Directv Vietnamese

SBTN Saigon Broadcasting Television Network is the first 24-hour Vietnamese programming network in America which broadcasts a great mix of news, sports, variety, movies, talk shows, children's programming and more - all in Vietnamese.

TVB Vietnam Catch up on the best TVB dramas and telemovies from past and present dubbed in Vietnamese including themes such as martial arts, costumes, episodic, modern action and situation comedy.

VHN--TV A visual treat for those of you who want to get acquainted with the Vietnamese customs and traditions, this channel believes in creating awareness and education. Features news, drama, education, public service, comedy (traditional and contemporary), entertainment and variety programs.

Dish Network Korean

ARIRANG TV broadcast live from Korea 24-hours-a-day, Arirang TV showcases entertaining and informative programs for viewers of every age and background. Programming includes Korea's latest box office releases, news, sitcoms, dramas, quiz shows, financial updates, music, documentaries and current affairs programs.

BTN is a 24-hour Korean-language Buddhist channel. BTN's programming includes Buddhist news, ceremony, priesthood, worship, mass, world temple tour, vegetarian cooking, meditation, yoga, missions and much more from Korea.

JSTV is the #1 rated 24-hour-a-day Korean-language Christian channel in North America. JSTV's programming includes Christian related news, business, music, bible studies, gospels, worship services and much more. JSTV will also broadcast locally produced programs and programming from the Korean broadcasting channel commonly referred to as CBS.

KBS WORLD, a Korean-language channel with English subtitles, is a general entertainment channel which is the oldest and most popular broadcasting station in Korea. Programming includes the most watched news, sitcoms, dramas, documentaries and current affair programs.

ONGAMENET is a top-rated 24-hour Korean-language gaming channel. Ongamenet's programming includes gaming industry news, video games, pro-gamer league, competitions and other game-oriented programming straight from Korea.

WOW-TV is a 24-hour-a-day Korean-language business news channel broadcast from Korea. WOW-TV's programming includes economic updates, the latest stock market information, real estate, e-business, news and much more.

So there you have it, 14 different channels. Entertainment for the whole family, young and old alike. Instead of seeing a five minute clip of news from the Asia, watch indepth coverage of the same event. It's like bringing your homeland in to your livingroom.

Korean Electric Guitars - Some Useful Points to Consider

2010-09-12T19:03:00.001-07:00

If you are planning to buy the best quality guitar, then go for the Korean electric guitars. These are the latest electric guitars that are fully equipped with advanced technology and great looks as well. Be it microphone techniques, amplifying features, strings or other important components, these new guitars have got every reason to lure you to learning the musical instrument. The latest news about guitars says that a large number of mid to high quality guitars are now being made in Korea. This includes both acoustic and electric guitars. In terms of price value, the Korean guitars starting from low-priced to the highly expensive ones are all very impressive. The electric guitar market is almost flooded with companies distributing Korean models with their own brand names on them. You can find lots of such companies on the Internet. Browse through them and select the model you want to buy.

Korea has got the world's largest guitar manufacturers with brand new models coming every now and then. Different factories are associated with manufacturing different models. The music companies and distributors generally don't bother about which factory makes what model. Even the company websites don't keep any information on such records. The advantage goes to the companies. Anyone can make or design any model and put its name on the model. It is very much common and acceptable that the guitars made by different factories in different countries can carry the same brand name. You can search online to buy the best quality Korean electric guitars. You can opt for low price, high quality, new pickup technology or any other advanced feature. The choice is yours.

If you choose Korean models, then the brand names means very little. All you get is the best electric guitar with fully equipped features. Korean electric guitars are found in a wide range. There are Agile, Alverez, ESP, Dillion, Cort, Carlo Robbeli, Michael Kelly, Peavey, Washburn, Raven, Raven West, Hamer, Schecter, Samick, G & L Tribute, Xavierre, Tokai, Jackson, Kramer, De Armond and Some Fender Squire, to name a few model. Before buying any guitar, you are required to make a brief study about the important specs of the guitar and its manufacturers. Such reviews are helpful as they provide all the necessary information for buying the best guitar available in the market. Approach those sellers who are ready to reveal the manufacturing details of their products. This prevents you from buying a low cost instrument at a higher price. You can visit different online stores to see the range of models and prices available.

Building a Collection of Military Patches

2010-09-11T18:31:00.001-07:00

Collectors have been collecting military patches and insignias for centuries, and it is a great choice for collectors who have limited storage space as well. In fact, it has become quite a popular hobby with collectors and it seems to be quite addictive also.

Collectors today have found that military patches are relatively inexpensive to ship, with the majority of these patches being very reasonably priced, especially when you take into consideration the fact that as a collector you are acquiring a piece of history. Generally, collectors do not have any problem locating the patches or insignias they are searching for, because the number of military patches and insignias available are limitless.

The majority of collectors will use the Internet as a way of buying, selling, trading, and researching patches and insignias, which basically means that there is a wider access for collectors to a wider variety of patches, insignias, and information than there ever has been before. Several collectors may choose to collect military patches and insignias simply because of the sense of pride they feel toward their country and all those soldiers who have lost their lives in their fight for freedom. Military patches are proudly displayed on uniforms of servicemen and women and will always be sought after by collectors.

Military patches and insignias are actually designed to show loyalty and courage, which are quite colorful and unique. Military patches are worn by all branches of the military service and some collectors have decided to collect them from one specific branch, while other collectors will collect them from a variety of military branches. There are two common types of military patches and insignias, which includes shoulder insignias and unit patches. Shoulder insignias are typically worn on the sleeves of soldiers of the uniform to indicate their rank. A unit patch will reveal the soldiers unit that they are assigned to.

Collectors who collect military patches and insignia, may also collect medals, knives, bayonets, surplus equipment, clothing, helmets, hats, combat boots, dog tags, and other military supplies and collectibles. If a collector is curious about a certain war or if the collector has interest in a particular war, then they may collect patches and insignias from that war. The United States Army has produced insignia using a variety of embroidery that was done with machine techniques, with some of them being very old and having very nice characteristic features.

The first embroidery work was done in the United States during the late 1880s on Irish swing-needle machines, but domestic machines were also used and these techniques are still used by other countries that embroider patches with great skill and artistry. The United States Army actually wore tunics and jackets in khaki color from World War II to the late 1950s, but the official name of this color was olive drab shade number 33 or number 51. Patches on the shoulder from this period were either a tan color with a pale khaki edge or they had no edging at all.

Collectors found that United States servicemen within Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines had a unique charm of their own. Other patches, such as the Thai-made patches are the finest, which used small panels of matched silk to make up the background colors, but the least favorite patches were the Vietnamese-made due to the fact that they were often put together on a domestic sewing machine.

Trading Forex - New Korean Currency Crisis?

2010-09-10T18:15:00.001-07:00

Back in 1997 major financial slump rocked number of countries in Asia, an event that became known as "Asian currency crisis". Effected countries included Taiwan, Thailand South Korea and others. One of the memorable comments of the time came from one of leading Thai politicians. He blamed this whole mess on speculators, with George Soros being the main culprit. The remarks went so far as to public statement of "not being able to guarantee his safety if he visited Thailand". Quite ominous.

The fallout in South Korea was brutal. The US Dollar has about doubled in value against the Won, with USD-KRW moving from just above 800 in early 1997, to 1600 by the year's end. Local stock market suffered similar fate, as did all areas of economy. Perhaps most telling was an enormous spike in unemployment, as the jobless rate soared to almost double digits, with about 9 million people out of work.

This author observed the aftermath first hand, during one of his business trips to South Korea at that time. Collapse of once high flying conglomerate Daewoo under burden of debt. The sight of many construction projects suspended or stopped all over Seoul and Pusan. Daily failure of scores of small business. It was good time to visit South Korea, due to low prices, but very difficult period for residents.

The country has rebounded nicely since then and became one of Asia's most dynamic economies. KRW strengthen considerably reaching level 900 against USD in 2007. The stock market has recorded double digit gains in four of the last five years, gaining 32% in last year alone. Korean companies like Samsung Electronics Co, and Hyundai Motors Co, have established themselves as some of the world's leading corporations.

Things have changed in 2008. Challenges like high oil prices, inflation, external debt and account deficit have shaken investors confidence. While many countries have seen outflow of funds into the dollar, this process became especially painful in South Korea. The Won has become the Asia's worst performing currency, loosing 20% to date. Stock market was no better, falling 25%, with farther sell off of equities expected.

These developments created widely spread comparisons to situation from 1997 and were quick to be picked by the press. International Monetary Fund disagrees with this assessment and expressed confidence by saying that South Korea is a mature and resilient economy with country's fundamentals much stronger than a decade ago. Korean financial authorities, however, felt obligated to act by intervention on Wons behalf in the open market. This seemed to stop the bleeding for now.

What can be expected next? In all reality, 1997 type sell off is extremely unlikely. As South Korean economy is cooling down together with the rest of the world, Seoul might not be able to stop bleeding of the stock market but there is one thing they can do- keep intervening on behalf of its currency. Unlike before, there are huge foreign reserves, about 250 billion dollars worth of, and they can be used to support Won.

Very likely scenario, as of this writing, is continued fall of Korean equities, in tune with broader stock declines. The Won should also keep dropping, but in much more measured and steady pace. Central Bank has not mentioned what the comfortable level for USD-KRW is, but as we noticed over last few years, major trends are very powerful and can go through any "line in the sand' drawn by anybody.

Current rate is around 1150. Even with expected interventions, Won can easily weaken to 1300 and maybe 1400, but far short of the previous low of 1600. Also, one shouldn't look for a fast move, but rather steady depreciation, lasting a year or two. This is not a situation for active traders, but for those who prefer longer term positions current development might present good opportunity for farther selling of KRW.

Tae Kwon Do - The Way of Kicking and Punching

2010-09-09T18:00:00.001-07:00

Tae Kwon Do (TKD) is a true fighting weapon, and a true fighting art. It originated in Korea. It was the main fighting form for the Korean army. TKD is one of the most popular martial art in the world. In TKD there are many different aspects with in the art, such as the mental tough ness, and the physical toughness. There are two main types of this secret martial art. There is sport tae kwon do and there is also kukkiwon. In other word you have classic or traditional tae kwon do and sport tae kwon do. There many tae kwon do techniques, in cluding kicking, punching and TKD throw. TKD is mostly known for there high flying jump kicks and spinning jump kicks.

In the begging.

The fighting art was started in Korea during the Koguryo Dynasty (37 BC - 668 AD) and there is some very early evidence of the fighting art dating back too 3 ad. Archeologist has found paintings on the walls of thumbs with man fighting with the kukkiwon style are the earliest sing of tkd. The fighting art has changed and evolved through out the centuries. It wasn't till 918 that tae kwon do became the main training routine for the military staff of Korea. Princess and kings also loved the TKD sport, and would have many tournaments called Subakki, they would even hand out prizes for the winners. Beginning in 1392 and ending in 1910 the yi dynasty would turn TKD in two a national sport and they keep some traditions alive.

Modern influences

During the occupation of Korea in world war two, the Japanese people tried two banishd Korean coulters, banning everything from food and celebrations and they even tried two vanishing Korean history. After the war Korean martial art schools called Kwans, they had many different influences, with fighting arts from china, Japan, Manchuria. In 1971 TKD was officially known world wide as Korea's national martial art. It wouldn't be till the 1950s that all TKD schools are unified under one system. Today we know this system two be a killing martial art. TKDis practiced in 123 countries and there are over 30 million students, and 3 million black belts world wide. TKD and judo are the only two Asian martial arts that is part of the Olympic Games.

Final thoughts

TKD seems to be an ever-flowing stream of beauty and strength, Tae Kwon Do is more than a sport -- it is a craft of virtue, and a vessel of excellence. Tae kwon do demonstrates great control and excellent percussion, it takes many upon many years two perfect this striking art. Tae kwon do. "the way of kicking and punching."

Why on Earth Are We Doing "Training" With South Korea in the Yellow Sea?

2010-09-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

It seems like Kim Jong-Il, the notorious leader of North Korea has been a thorn in the side of the US State Department, the US military, and the United States for quite some time. It also appears that China doesn't really wish to do a lot about it, because it bogs down the United States and actually helps China serve its own political will. One issue that not a lot of people are talking about is the fact that the United States does have the power to go in and stop North Korea from proliferating nuclear weapons.

Not long ago, I was talking to a former military and CIA friend of mine at the local coffee shop and he made the most dubious comment; "Why had Earth are we doing training exercises with South Korea in the yellow Sea, and bringing an aircraft carrier with six squadrons, fully armed into these naval exercises, when we could just as easily have used that money to launch an actual attack on North Korea?"

In other words, what he was saying is why are we so busy trying to show a sign of force, rather than just going in and getting the job done - sounds like someone has been studying way too much Sun Tzu. In other words, solving the problem once and for all, and allowing the world to take notice, and to put Iran on alert that if don't stop enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons, to give to terrorists to; "blow Israel off the map," which Ahmedinajad likes to say when he gives speeches in his own country, that they are potentially next.

Indeed, I thought about this for a while, and it appears to me that if the United States Military is going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and dispatch an aircraft carrier for a war game exercise and training with our South Korean allies, then shouldn't we forgo the training mission and just take charge of the North Korean problem?

All this political posturing, and sticking our chest out, yelling and screaming, seems rather childish. It seems it would be much safer, smarter, and quicker to merely go in and do our business, and get the hell out. Please consider all this.

Cause and Effects of Korean War

2010-09-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

The Korean War took place between the time period of June 25, 1950 and July 17, 1953. The two Korean regimes fighting against each were the Republic of Korean supported by the United Nations and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its allies.

Korea was an independent nation since the 7th century. However, certain parts of the country came under the Japanese jurisdiction as a consequence of the war that took place between China and Japan during the years 1894 to 1895. Korea was engulfed completely by the Japanese forces in August 1910. With the culmination of the Second World War, Korea was taken over by United States and Soviet Union in unison. The US authorities sought help from the United Nations to end the issue of a conjugated occupation of Korea.

To resolve the conflict, the United Nations suggested elections in the country, which were drastically opposed by the communists in North and South Korea. While the United Stated desired to prevent the multiplication of communism; the Soviet Union wanted to extend it as far as possible throughout the world. With Kim II-Sung at the helm of affairs in North Korea supported by the Soviet Union, forces under him attacked South Korea under the anti-communist government of Syngman Rhee on June 25, 1950. China plunged into the war in order to gain mileage against the probability of a US invasion. The war ended on July 27, 1953 due to armistice. However, this was a momentary cease fire without the signing of any long term peace treaties.

One of the most obvious effects of the war as in the case of any conflict was high numbers of causalities. The Korean War widened the gap between the United States and the Soviet Union on the issue of communism. The war also propagated animosity between the US and China. As a direct consequence of the fear of the repercussions of communism, the US arbitrated into Vietnam to abolish the possibility of another North Korea. South Korea became a permanent location for the American military troops. Despite the armistice, the actual war has not ceased since then. Korea remains bifurcated with the two sides on constant war readiness. The economic wide between the two sides has also deepened with the passage of time.

While South Korea has progressed economically and technologically; North Korea remains as a poor and immensely militarized country. The nuclear tests and numerous missile tests conducted by North Korea pose a threat to South Korea as well as Japan. The eight point peace agreement signed by the leaders of the two sides of Korea on October 4, 2007 did open avenues of talks, peace, economic cooperation, renewal of highway, air travel and train services. However, the unification of North and South Korea still remains a dream in the hearts of many.

Teaching in Korea - Advice For Teachers Going Abroad

2010-09-06T17:16:00.001-07:00

Teach abroad and explore new cultures, foods, and languages. Watch how you blossom and feel your senses heighten while discovering a new world outside of home. Traveling and working abroad can always be a lot of fun and excitement for the everyday adventure-seeker to the sudden vacation-taker; teaching abroad is even better. It's perfect for the outgoing/spontaneous types looking for a new thrill while earning some extra bucks (U.S. tax free) and affords you a great feeling of aliveness when in a foreign country. Teaching in Korea is just the ticket if you've got the urge to teach overseas!

Teaching Abroad - Research Before Departure

I made the mistake when I first decided to come to South Korea by jumping into a contract with a private institute that I thought was well-established. The next thing I know, I received an email stating the school no longer had any funds to hire me. By this point I was devastated. I purchased my passport, internationally mailed a couple of packages (mail rates are from $60-90 US), purchased my transcripts and several ID photos, plus emotionally focused on this one goal for three months; (my fault) I was crushed. Luckily, I was able to get a refund and all my materials returned within the next week; but some people are not so lucky.

Hagwans or Government Schools in South Korea

Usually teachers will find better pay, more vacations and nice incentives at government public schools and universities (also more organized). Private institutions or hagwans can be a hit or miss. I have a friend whose pay is decent at her hagwan but works from 9am-8pm everyday. Some universities will have you work on weekends too. Make sure to check out your contract and decide what works best for you; you have a choice. Also, if you want to sample Korean-life for a short while without committing for the whole year, find winter/summer English Camps at universities and established hagwans.

Comfort Level When Submitting Materials

When finding a school in South Korea you will have to go through a fairly long process. Obtaining copies of transcripts, updating resume, taking 2-4 pass port photos from FedEx Kinkos, and applying for a passport early, will help you through the long process. A new Korean Government rule states that teachers now have to send over original diplomas from an accredited college in order to proceed with hiring. I was extremely leery about this, (I still haven't told my mother) but found it to be safe and a normal practice. I received my materials the first day I landed in Korea.

Speaking 'Korea-Glish' with Students

As told by my assistant Korean teacher, Jesse, some children are quite versed in their own version of the English language. They will speak a combination of English and Hangul, but in reverse, which is similar to their native tongue. (Example: verb + noun + subject/ Hot the boy is now).

I also noticed a small number of store fronts with 'Korea-glish' titles; see if you can figure them out: Take On Me, Roni Pasta, or Steak Pan Fried. While teaching English in South Korea it'll be your job to help guide students with structure and pronunciation flow.

Eating with Students

It is custom to eat with your students during lunchtime. The teacher will always be served first and this will feel slightly awkward if your the type to nurture kids before your own needs. Before the students begin eating, since you would be the elder at the table, kids wait for you to begin eating before they can begin (but not always for the younger kids).

Know English Games

There might be times when class has come to an obvious stagnation and you will need to liven things up. My school suggested in our contract to bring ideas for some American games. At first, I miss understood and purchased the game 'Twister,' which still came in use, but later, landed students attention with words games such as: word Suduko, Mad Lib's, team spelling contests, seven-up, hangman (clean version) and even duck, duck, goose for the little ones.

It's Showtime!

Every school will at some point have a school performance at one point during your teaching career. It will either involve dancing, singing, reciting English, a speech contest or showing art of some kind. Some kids embrace this and do really well, others will be reluctant up until the day of the show, then show a stellar performance because their parents are in the front row. Also, performing and being creative is a nice break from the everyday learning experience.

Kids are crazy in Any Culture...but that's the Fun Part

You will soon notice after the first week of teaching English in South Korea that (or maybe second if they're nice) children will start blossoming into their true selves. Not much discipline is put into play so it will be up to you to settle things down. My advice is to set the tone early, gain respect, then soften up later (my mom's approach as well). Kids get really excited and want to play once they feel comfortable around you. They will try and ask personal questions, want to take pictures of you with their cellphones (yes, they all have them), draw people dying on the board (not sure why they are obsessed with killing), sing songs, tell jokes and pretty much act like regular kids would. Here are some practices that work for me: stay very still and stare down the loudest one, try counting down from 5 to 1 really loud and whoever is last to sit gets negative points, have a negative and positive point system, talk to parents, inclusive fun time for well-behaved students after lunch, small gifts for positive reinforcement (not bribery), or try looking on the Internet for more ideas.

Most importantly, have fun and don't forget to site-see on the weekends - (you originally came to travel and explore a new world).

Note: If you are looking for the big city lights, western infused-style foods, subways, loud music, and a dense population, then the major metropolitan of Seoul, S. Korea will be your Asiatic New York City.

If you are looking for rich Korean foods, folk artisans, villages, hills and country try any school outside of the Seoul.

Korean Plastic Surgery - 3 Common Misconceptions About Going Abroad For Cosmetic Surgery

2010-09-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

As the rates of travel for cosmetic surgery increase, so do the misconceptions that Korean plastic surgery is best performed abroad. But that's not always the case.

Here are three things to consider about traveling for your plastic surgery:

1. Surgeons in Korea are more qualified to do Asian cosmetic procedures.

The medical education here in the United States is globally regarded as the best in medical training. Surgical advances along with research in plastic surgery are still regarded as the best in the world. While it is true, surgeons in Korea have usually only operated on "Asian faces", quality over quantity should be the ultimate factor when choosing a plastic surgeon.

2. It will be cheaper to have the surgery done in Korea.

While fees for surgery maybe slightly lower in Korea, one must factor additional costs associated with traveling to a foreign country to have surgery. Airline tickets, hotel fees, and meals can easily push the cost of the surgery higher than prices here in the US. Additionally, the stress of traveling to a foreign country and the risks of potential complications are also inherent costs associated with having surgery in Asia.

3. I can fly into Asia and come back home soon after without any worries.

A major role in achieving optimal results is having close postoperative care with your surgeon. Having the ability to reach your surgeon and freely communicate your concerns is one of the most important things I recommend for a prospective patient.

If you've been considering going abroad for cosmetic surgery for any of these reasons, I highly suggest you consider other alternatives before making this decision.

The Trumpet Of The Lord Shall Sound

2010-09-04T16:48:00.001-07:00

It was one of our favorite songs. "When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more." Back in the days when I first heard and sang that great hymn of the faith, I had never seen the Biblical status of the trumpet, the Hebrew shofar. A quick study reveals this dynamic instrument, the horn of a ram, in battles, in praise to God, as an instrument of warning. But for us in this later generation, perhaps its most compelling usage is as the signal of the end.

Sounding much like the Spirit's words to the prophet Daniel, the New Testament's Seer, John, is shown a mighty angel (Revelation 10) with a mighty announcement. He plants feet on land and sea and cries out like a lion, lifting his holy hand to Heaven, and swears that time shall be no more. Just like the song said.

He goes on to tell the exact moment of that ending. It will be signaled by the sounding of the last of a series of seven trumpet blasts. Mere poetry? In the next chapter that very trumpet, the seventh, sounds off. Immediately the kingdoms of this world fall to Christ Jesus! His wrath falls on the planet. There are judgments and resurrections. Time as we know it has ended.

Knowing that the seventh trumpet is the last trumpet before the very end helps clear up a mystery that modern pop theologians have introduced in these modern days about the timing of the second coming. For John is not the only one who mentions a trumpet at the end. Jesus and Paul do too.

Jesus says (Matthew 24) that after the tribulation period, nature will give out, Jesus will appear, and at the sound of a trumpet, He'll gather His own to Himself. We call this gathering the rapture today. That word has scared a lot of people away, but all it means is that we go from where we are to where He is.

Paul, in I Corinthians 15 says that one day we will all be changed from these vile bodies. It will happen in an instant. And that instant, he says, is the last trumpet. "For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed."

The message is clear and consistent. World chaos. World war. World dictator. Then suddenly in the air Jesus appears. The angel sounds the shofar, and off we go forever to be with the Lord. Great words of comfort. Great words of hope.

I cannot end such talk without another plea for my brothers and sisters suffering in North Korea and other prison lands where the Gospel cannot be preached freely. Let us continue to ask God that this wonderfully good news of an eternally righteous government where there is no poverty or death or suffering will be allowed to be spread up and down Korea's mountains and valleys. Ask God to add souls to His eternal Kingdom, to teach them His Word, to prepare them for that last trumpet sounding "when the dead in Christ shall rise and the glory of His resurrection share."

North Koreas Hotel of Doom

2010-09-03T16:16:00.001-07:00

As Asia has risen in statue during the last 30 years, with City planners across the whole continent, designing and building bigger, braver and taller buildings- North Korea started their own moral boosting project in 1987, the Ryugyong Hotel..

Today it dominates the skyline at the hermit Republics capital- Pyongyang, an unfinished empty shell, and what many architects claim to be the ugliest building in the World or simply the Hotel of Doom.

North Korea's recent history could be symbolized in the history of the Hotel of Doom. In 1993, funding simply ran out, as the nation fought mass food shortages and some International Trade sanctions. The Hotel must of stood there, decaying as millions were hungry, and many people simply died of starvation.

The finished shell sat dominating the hermit republic for 15 years, as Malaysia built the new symbol of its prosperity, the Petronas Tower, and China rose through economic prosperity to build the Shanghai World Financial Center. Both buildings were the tallest in the World, whilst the Ryugyong Hotel became an International joke.

But times have changed in North Korea, and the "Hotel of Doom," is now being refurbished inside, with a proposed completion date of around 2012. Whilst the Government of this strange land still survive, and have even joined the Nuclear club in late 2008.

Once the building opens it may be late, but the building itself will become an everlasting symbol of the fortunes of North Korea, and the ambitions of its leaders. Many say it is a "white" elephant, but it is destined to become a "great symbol" to the leaders of the Worlds last remaining Stalinist state.

North Korea may be isolated, distrusted and even feared. But the Hotel of Doom, once completed is a living testament to how an International outcast and its leadership can survive,- through famines, and sanctions. And the eventual; completion of the building should symbolize victory for the hierarchy of a regime - simply because of this.

Raku Kiln and Glaze Technique

2010-09-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Raku is a ceramic technique which originated in sixteenth century Japan and Korea. Most types of ceramics are loaded into cold kilns and then slowly heated for periods of from 8 to 24 hours until the final temperature is reached; and then the kiln is allowed to cool slowly. By contrast, in the raku technique preheated pieces of bisque-fired pottery are placed in a hot raku kiln so that the pottery reaches its final temperature in less than half an hour. Instead of using measuring devices such as cones to monitor the firing, the maturity of the glaze is judged by eye, through the peepholes in the kiln. When firing is completed the still-hot wares (with still-molten glaze) are removed from the kiln immediately with tongs. In the modern version of the traditional Japanese raku technique, the wares are then placed in a container with sawdust or leaves and allowed to smoke. This post-firing reduction imparts interesting surfaces and effects to the pottery, such as metallic or crackled surfaces. The finished wares are washed when cool with abrasives to remove the soot and ash residue. The effect of the reduction process depends upon the type of the combustible material, the size of the particles (wood chips, shavings, or sawdust), and the dampness of the material used in the reduction chamber.

Raku clays optimally should contain a considerable amount of fireclay or other refractory material, which can withstand the sudden heating of the raku technique. The clay should be sufficiently open to contract and expand without its cracking. Most any low-fire glazes, up to cone 06 glazes, can be used to make raku ware. However, if a variety of glazes are used on the same piece, or on pieces in the same kiln load, then they should mature at the same final temperature. The unique bright metallic effects and crackle lines which are typical of the raku technique are achieved by fast firing to the maximum maturity (glaze melt) and then fast reduction after firing. It is important to remove the ware from the kiln to the reduction chamber and cover it before it has had much chance to cool. Crackle lines also depend upon thick applications of the glaze. Brighter colors can be achieved by spraying the parts of the ware with water, or holding it in the air for half a minute, before placing it in the reduction chamber; this oxidizes and cools the glaze.

Modern raku technique was popularized by Paul Soldner after the Second World War. Although traditional raku bowls were used in the Japanese tea ceremony, most raku ware is porous and fragile, making it unsuitable for actual use. Unless the raku is treated with a sealant such as acrylic or polyurethane, the pottery will sweat and break down eventually. Moreover, the low fire glazes used in raku ware are quite soft and easily chipped (and thus possibly ingested). Therefore, if raku ware is used for foods it should be limited to dry food.

Teaching English in Korea

2010-09-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

Teaching English in South Korea is an amazing experience. There is definitely a reason why thousands of university graduates flock to teach English in South Korea year after year. Korea has become one of the number one destinations for being the best country to teach English in and there are many reasons why. Korea has so much to offer English teachers that they keep coming back year after year. I will explore some of the reasons why Korea is so popular.

English Teachers in South Korea receive a free round trip flight to Korea paid by the school. All of the ESL schools in Korea pay for the teacher's flight upfront. The cost of the flight is roughly $2000US and they get it for free. Most other countries will not pay for English teacher's flights let alone upfront. Getting a flight to Korea for free is great especially for university graduates who do not have a lot of money to spare. Traveling can be so expensive so this is a great way to get to see a new country without any expenses.

English teachers in South Korea receive free accommodation that their directors pay for. They get the choice of living with another teacher or having single accommodation. All the apartments are completed furnished by the school. Also the apartments are available the moment the teacher gets to Korea so they can move right in on their first day. Many other countries require the teachers to pay for their own accommodation and this can be quite expensive especially when furnishing an apartment and paying damage deposits. Also the accommodation in Korea is within 10-15 minutes walking distance to the school so it is very convenient.

Many English teachers pay off their student loans while they are in South Korea. English teachers in Korea can save over a $1000US a month. The reason is because they don't have any major expenses. Since their flights are cover and their accommodation is free, most of the money they make is saving money. The cost of living is very low in Korea as well so that helps. Food is pretty cheap. The tax rate in Korea is less than 5% so English teachers can save a lot of money. Some countries have high tax rates which make it impossible to save any money.

English teachers in South Korea get a chance to experience a new culture. It is neat to see how other people live on the other side of the world. People from different cultures usually have different values. It is a great opportunity to open the mind and see how other people live. In other countries, they have their own traditions and customs. It is a great opportunity to see how other people live and what is important to them. Korean culture is very different to western culture.

English teachers get to taste new food in South Korea. The food in Korea is quite different to western food. They have many spicy dishes. Korean food is very delicious. Their traditional food is called Kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy formented cabbage that they eat with every meal. It doesn't sound very appetizing but it is absolutely delicious and addictive. Korean food is also very healthy including a variety of vegetable dishes.

English teachers get to learn a new language while in South Korea. It can be hard learning a new language from a book. The best way is to jump right in! Teachers in Korea have a good opportunity to learn a new language because they are completely immersed in a new language. Often when you need to learn a language for basic survival, it can be easier then just studying it. Also many schools in Korea provide their English teachers with free English lessons.

English teachers in South Korea get a chance to meet other teacher's from all over the world. The ESL teachers in Korea are from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, America, England, South Africa and so on. English teachers in Korea work with teachers from all over the world. It is an amazing opportunity to talk to other teachers and learn about the countries that they come from.

As you can see, there are so many reasons why English teachers choose to Teach English in South Korea. Teaching English in South Korea seems to be the number one choice for foreigners across the world. Since the schools in Korea pay for the teacher's flights and accommodation upfront, it seems like a hard offer to turn down. Graduates are attracted by the idea of saving lots of money to pay off their student loans. They also like meeting other teacher's from all over the world. Many teachers love Korean food and are interested in Korean culture. Also many English teachers enjoy learning Korean. Korea has so many opportunities to offer English teachers and that is the reason why teachers keep returning to Korea.

Bongeunsa Temple

2010-08-31T15:38:00.001-07:00

Buddha's birthday is a public holiday in South Korea and is celebrated on the 21st of May. If you are in Korea during this time, be sure to visit a Buddhist temple in your area. This year we were in Seoul for the special day and decided to visit Bongeunsa temple. The temple is situated on a hill side in down town Seoul. It is surprising to find such a well preserved piece of traditional Korean Buddhist culture surrounded by sky scrapers on the edge of a bustling city. Bongeunsa is the head temple of Zen Buddhism and has a historical background of some 1200 years.

The temple is very busy on Buddha's birthday, as they serve lunch to the public and also have a market on the temple grounds. We arrived at the temple after lunch and found it beautifully decorated with colourful lanterns. As you walk into the entrance you will find a tourist information centre on your left and on Buddha's birthday you can buy a lantern and put a message on it or a birthday wish. The lantern will be displayed in the temple grounds. You can also buy a candle and light it as an offering to Buddha. There are other fun activities for adults and children alike, such as lotus-lamp making and painting hand held fans.

As we entered the first building we saw the statues of four devas. These statues are beautifully painted and represent the four heavenly kings who look over Buddhist lands. It is customary to bow to each of the statues before passing through the building.

Once we passed that building, called Jinyeo Gate, we entered the next building called Bupwangroo. While walking through Bupwangroo we saw exquisite paintings and flower patterned lattice work before reaching the stairs that lead to the stone pagoda. A pagoda is a tiered tower that is used as a religious symbol, much as a Buddhist statue would be.

The courtyard at the top of the stairs was shaded by hundreds of red lanterns. This was the busiest area of the temple since this is where people gathered and waited in line to pay their respects by pouring water over a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. Whether or not you are Buddhist you will be welcomed to take part. It was an incredible experience for us. You will also be able to go into any one of the smaller tribute buildings to meditate of just bow down and enjoy the calming atmosphere. The temple grounds are huge and took some time to cover, but once we were done we went down to the market area for some fresh fruit on sticks and good old iced water. They also serve food and sell great little souvenirs. We were also lucky enough to catch an art exhibition in one of the halls, inspired by Buddhism and traditional Korean culture. All in all it was an awesome experience and I will definitely be going back.

Living in Korea - A-Z Work Abroad Survival Tips

2010-08-30T15:18:00.001-07:00

Teaching conversational English in Asia is a popular work abroad option for recent college graduates. Most take on these jobs for six months to a year, and enjoy the opportunity to learn another culture, teach, and travel. Here is a list of simple tips to ensure a safe and happy experience overseas.

Learning the language

If you take the time to learn the language, Koreans will open up and become more responsive. By listening, the language can seem difficult, but once you try it out it is fairly easy to learn. You will also find most Koreans speak better English than you will speak Hangul (Korean language). Just learn enough to say hi or order food (your next bet is to find a Korean speaking amigo).

Be respectful

Realize you are the foreigner and guest in Korea, so be respectful of its culture and people. It's quite common to let a man through a door before a woman or to be served food first - not always but sometimes. Also, when on a bus or subway the elderly section of each cart should stay empty, even if unoccupied. Remember to take your shoes off when entering a home or some restaurants. And bow your head slightly when saying hello.

Shed a few pounds

Ladies, and gents who are into loosing weight, the first few weeks are glorious; you will begin to shed some pounds from the new change in diet. The food can be super healthy compared to in the states - lots of steamed veggies, soups and spicy raw foods will surely clean your system out. Also, Korea is a huge mountainous country, everything is on a hill. Many nights you might ask yourself if it's worth walking up a steep hill, but then you will realize your dorm or apartment is at the top.

Greetings and salutations

In a store or shop each person you make eye contact with will usually say 'Ayoug-ha-seo,' (which means Hello/how are you). The store owner is assuming you will buy something. They usually get frustrated with foreigners because we like to 'window shop' in boutiques. Also, If you are use to walking down the street and people smiling, nodding their heads in recognition of you, or saying hello, don't look for it in Korea. Since there is no word for 'excuse me', they will push you if you're in the way (this is custom especially on subway trains). Also be prepared for long stares, limited interaction or speech response--you are a close foreigner encounter. But there are many exceptions to the rule and some Koreans will be warm and inviting. Koreans are known to be very intimate with each other (friends hold hands, caress, and stand close) along with being very trustworthy and honest (leaving shop items out front of a store overnight).

Nothing is what is seems

Biting into what you would call 'pizza,' or 'steak' back home will be nothing more than an illusion in Korea. Mozzarella sticks are filled with a Velveeta-esque cheese version (this cheese can be found on pizza too). Steak is usually Salisbury (like the kind from your H.S. cafeteria). Pizza, a favorite amongst children, usually is filled with yellow corn, raw onions and no matter what you've ordered, will almost always have sweet-potatoes smothered across it (this could also be a cause to sudden weight loss in Korea).

Best advice: Have fun

Like any situation make the best of it. Go out alone and find a new adventure each day: ride the subway to Sicheon, Iteawon, Dungdeamun, for shopping, go on a bus tour around Seoul ($7 US all day), visit Joysea Buddhist temple or one of many palaces for the day, stroll a mall (Co-Ex Mall is just like any mall in the states), explore the countryside, climb a mountain for breathtaking views of the city, visit a cave, try a new food everyday, see a show (many Korean-adaption Broadway plays are available), watch a movie (which most are English Hollywood movies anyway), watch a traditional dance performance while you dine, relax at one of the many spas (FYI: spas with double-barber poles in the front are said to serve a little more than massages), go to an underground indie concert, sing karaoke at one of the many bars, or dance the night away in a rock, reggae or hip hop club (which are lots of fun and plenty of girl action for you guys). The best part is the nightlife is open all night long.

Feeling blue

There are times you'll feel down about being so far away from home. It's common among English teachers, who miss some U.S. holidays or birthdays back home, to celebrate with new friends while in Korea. Find a group of friends to hang with (Korean and foreign) because going out is very common and loads of fun. Exercise can also help with a sudden case of the blues. Finally, reading inspirational books, meditation and calling home helps to keep a good spirit.

Calling home

Call home, email or send post cards (about 0.25US) at least 2-4 times a month to stay abreast with things at home. Don't overdue it because then you will become dependent on calling home. Koreans can relate because some have traveled away from home to study English and understand your feelings. Note: Bring your laptop for Internet service and get a free account with Sype for extremely cheap calls to the U.S. (less than 1 cent a min.)

How to know its time to leave

Well, hopefully you will finish out your contract, whether 1 month, 1 semester or 1 year. On some occasions you might become ill, or someone at home is ill and need to leave; this is understandable. But, if you find yourself becoming disgruntled or negative about the culture and its people, then, its time to pack up and go home. One teacher would constantly complain everyday about the school system being unorganized (which can happen), unfair and lazy employees and wild-behaved kids. Soon his argues would extend about Koreans in a generalized way. It was time for him to leave and he said so. He'd been a teacher for 2 years and said it was time. What was funny about this teacher is he had an Korean girlfriend.

Happy Endings

If you are from a big city, especially NYC, Seoul will be a piece of cake. But if you are from the country living in a big city will take some getting use to. Be patience and have fun. Everyday is an experience that you will learn and grow from. Take in Korea and all of its wonderful culture and it will take in you. Explore Korea and create a happy ending to the next chapter in your life's journey.

FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa

2010-08-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

The FIFA World Cup is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, because of World War II.

The last FIFA cup in 2006 was a great tournament took place in Germany and all nations participated well and world cup soccer reached new heights. The 2006 World Cup trophy was won by Italy. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1-1 after extra time. Zinedine Zidane was sent off in his last ever match, for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Now in 2010, again the football teams will meat each other after qualifying for the world cup in South Africa by playing the Qualifying rounds. Almost all the 32 teams are finalized encluding: Hosts

o South Africa African Qualifying Group
o Ghana
o Ivory Coast Asian Qualifying Group
o Japan
o Australia
o South Korea
o North Korea European Qualifying Group
o England
o Netherlands
o Spain
o Serbia
o Italy
o Denmark
o Germany South American Qualifying Group
o Brazil
o Paraguay
o Chile North and Central America Qualifying Group
o United States
o Mexico

The preparations of the World Cup are going on these days, An inspection tour, including members of the Local Organising Committee and over 50 operational experts from FIFA have recently completed a tour of South Africa. During the tour, they visited the five newly built 2010 stadiums in Cape Town's Green Point Stadium, Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium, Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium and Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium, and they are quite satisfied with the management in South Africa.

Is Obama Going to Do Something About North Korea Or Just Run and Hide?

2010-08-28T14:45:00.001-07:00

It looks as if our President is learning the hard way that international affairs and crises do not simply go away when you ignore them. Now, North Korea is challenging the international community and in direct defiance of the United States' strong suggestion that they abandon their nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing. North Korea has now detonated two nuclear weapons and conducted several ICBM - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile tests.

For all the criticizing of the Bush Administration, President Obama has not been able to turn the tide on any of the international crisis. In fact, he's made virtually no difference. Although some could argue that every single enemy or quasi hostile nation to the US has tested him. Nations like Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, and even Russia. They will continue to do so unless he makes a stand to do something about it.

North Korea is really causing problems in the world with their nuclear weapons test and by us standing by and doing nothing, it gives more power to Iran to do the same, and they will. Then these nations will use this new found power to challenge us and other nations. This causes problems for the regions and all of our allies, they are worried.

North Korea is surrounded by US Allies, some of our closest allies in fact; South Korea, Japan, and our biggest trading partner China. We can no longer sit around and negotiate, that has not worked before and will not work in the future. The more we are challenged by North Korea, the power and leverage it gives to Iran in their nuclear weapons exploits. Please consider all this.

Improve Your Game in StarCraft II

2010-08-27T14:33:00.001-07:00

Upon it's release, StarCraft II has met a very positive reception. With a 93 on MetaCritic as well as 1 million copies sold worldwide on the day of release, StarCraft II has been deemed the best selling PC game of 2010, and the best selling strategy game ever. The single player campaign is very immersible, and the storyline and character development really draw you in.

One thing that Blizzard has put an emphasis on is the online play. The first StarCraft was a huge national sport in countries such as Korea, and was often played as a common pastime. With StarCraft II, the same can be said; Blizzard has included an innovative matchmaking system which is on par with similar networks such as Xbox Live or PlayStation Network.

One thing has remained constant across all StarCraft games: there are a ton of very good players. Blizzard has attempted to make the game as fair as possible by sorting players into different leagues according to skill. However, this still doesn't stop you from meeting an extremely powerful opponent who seems like he should be in a different league.

1. Always have a strategy in mind. Always know what structures to build, what units to make, etc. If you're massing Zealots (which can't attack air) and your opponent is massing any sort of air unit, then you're done for. Be armed with at least a bit of information about your opponent at all times. This goes hand-in-hand with the next point:

3. Keep your minerals and gas low at all times. This may seem like a strange tip, but it is very helpful: keep your minerals and gas low (less than 400) most of the time. This means you should constantly be pumping units. If you already are, then make more structures which can make more units. You get the point: just keep on making units.

5. Review the end-game game overview and replays. After the match, review the match overview and watch the replay. If your opponent seems to have gotten much more units than you were able to, check his build order and see what he did. Also, watching the replay allows you to see other player's strategies. Did you lose? Figure out what you did wrong and correct it in future games.

Jawaharlal Nehru University - An Overview

2010-08-26T14:14:00.001-07:00

Jawaharlal Nehru University, commonly known as JNU was established in the year 1969 with main purpose of promoting research work at post graduate level. The University is located south west of New Delhi near the Aravalli forest and is spread about in 1000 acres. The University was named after the former Prime minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and was established by Smt. Indira Gandhi. G.Parthasarathy was appointed as the First-Vice-Chancellor of the university. The main aim for the establishment of the University was to enhance the education standard in India and to provide more opportunities to the youngsters of India.

The present Chancellor of the University is Professor Yashpal and Vice-Chancellor is Professor B.B. Bhattacharya. There are 500 faculty members in the University and with the student strength of almost 5500. The University is UGC recognized University. The various schools of the University which have their own center are School of Arts and Aesthetics, BioTechnology, Computer and Systems Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information Technology, International Studies, Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences. Some special centres in the University are Center for the Study of Law and Governance, Molecular Medicine, Sanskrit Studies and International Trade and Development. The university conducts many cultural events also.

The institutes that are affiliated to the University are Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Central Institute of Medicine and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune, C.V.Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Secunderabad, Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, Naval College of Engineering (NCE), INS Shivaji, Lonavla, National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi, The National Defence Academy, Pune and The Army Cadet College, DehraDun.

The University has made collaboration with Ankara University, Turkey, Australia National University, Canberra, Australia, George Washington University, USA, Gyeongsang National University, Korea and many others foreign institute.

The University has the habit of producing great personalities. Some of them are Prakash Karat, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Ashok Tanwar, President Indian Youth Congress and many other renounced personalities in every field.

Pitfalls Of North Korea Ministry

2010-08-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

Interested in North Korea ministry? I'm told that when one enters the struggle for the lives of this isolated nation, he/she may be up against more than bargained for. North Korea is a Satanic stronghold on earth the likes of which does not come around every day. The fate of this nation will determine the fate of many nations, and the enemy is strategically and therefore firmly entrenched there, or so he thinks. One nod from the Father and a host of angels will be released to defeat him and change the course of history. For this we enter into spiritual warfare, though never forgetting to address the day to day suffering of the people.

Many questions begin to form as the battle is waged as to the nature of the struggle, when one gets beyond prayer. Perhaps many will not be called to "get beyond prayer" since the spiritual battle is the only one that counts ultimately anyway.

But, for those who feel called to give material aid or assist in escapes, what happens if:

a person that you are helping tries to escape and is killed, or imprisoned for life?
a person you are assisting does come out, but his family left behind is rounded up and imprisoned or executed?
you are asked to "pay off" a lot of criminal mafia types and to bribe guards to get your target person out?
the released person actually succeeds in getting to South Korea or even America, and becomes so engrossed in Western worldliness that they lose the precious faith that once saw them through every difficulty?
you yourself get caught up in emaciated bodies and forget the higher calling of ministering to emaciated souls?
you get so involved in people "over there" that you forget the hurting around you?

All of the above have happened, I'm sure you can imagine.

Then must come the question, of course: Is the hurting around me to be compared with the pain of a North Korean? Will your wife or children be pleased with your answer to that question?

What about the cross? you will eventually ask. Am I a soldier of the cross or are those only soldiers who must pay for their warfare in starvation, torture and death?

Hard, hard questions for one who falls in love with North Korea. Do I love her because Christ loves her or because I "feel good" loving her? Is my love "romantic", unreal, unconnected, or do I have scars to show for my love?

Thankfully for my readers, I stopped being omniscient years ago. The questions I have asked are still questions, and must be tackled by those who hear them as they seek earnestly their God. And I'm still trying to hear the answers fully myself.

Cuckoo Rice Cookers Review

2010-08-24T13:18:00.001-07:00

Founded in South Korea in 1978, Cuckoo Electronics has since been changed to Cuckoo Co. Ltd. in 2002. Cuckoo is a major export brand name of small home appliances, specifically the Korean-style rice cookers. What makes Korean-style cookers more special is its ability to glutinize rice starches which would result to more nutritious and better cooked rice.

Cuckoo is the top-selling brand of rice machines in Korea and one of the largest global distributors of cookers in the USA. Cuckoo also manufactures hot water pots, room air conditioning units, ari filtration devices, room humidifiers, vacuums, electric grills, and dish sanitizers.

What makes Cuckoo cookers special is its ability to give you perfect textured rice. Cuckoo has a variety of models to choose from. They are also available in many colors that would guarantee to make your kitchen more lively.

Take for example the Cuckoo CRP-G1015F. Don't let its pink exterior fool you. This strong and durable rice cooker with induction heating system makes rice stickier and shinier than your ordinary rice cooker. It also has non-stick coated cooking bowl for easy cleaning. It features different settings on how you wanted your rice cooked: white rice or brown or grain mixed rice. It can also cook cake, steamed stew or meat, sushi and kimbap.

Most Cuckoo machines can cook for up to 10 people, so you can guarantee that everyone gets to be served with the hot steaming rice. Its durable and strong construction makes it last longer than your average cooker.

Cuckoo rice makers allow cooking in style. Not only that, you get to save more time in preparing by using Cuckoo. Modern rice makers make lengthy and messy procedures in cooking rice a thing of the past. With Cuckoo machines, a nice cup of steaming and fresh rice will be yours in just a few press of the button.

Sinpo, A Famous City in North Korea

2010-08-23T13:00:00.001-07:00

It is a port town located for the south central Hamyong Province of North Korea. This really is really not a traveler town, with fishing and aquaculture as being the primary business. However, Sinpo even now includes a number of attractions that draw in a amount of vacationers year following 12 months. This can be a single from the 3 cities in the province. One other two are Hamhung-si and Tanch'on-si. The town is house to 158,000 men and women as well as an aquaculture cooperative and also the principal aquaculture office. The location can also be residence to nuclear reactors and defense facilities.

Obtaining inside Sinpo might be considered a tad complicated but when you get in you have far better possibility of roaming additional freely with a North Korean escort. The city, like most North Korean cities is surrounded by spectacular scenery, whether or not you are viewing from the coastal places or seeking down the valley through the mountains. The individuals from the town are also accommodating and hospitable and accommodations, if not offered in Sinpo itself could be found in other cities. Travelers are generally created to remain in unique tourist hotels where challenging currency can be a requirement. Meals and drinks are also accessible in chosen dining places and benefit shops. You can find comfort shops meant for foreign tourists only and chosen eateries provide foods to travelers for tough currency. Even so, while using the meals shortage in Korea, one can not often expect the food to become elaborate. Discounts may possibly be supplied for individuals travelling in groups or individuals travelling throughout the off season.

Justl like in any other Korean city, attention to the customs and traditions, especially when North Korean guards are all around, is often a ought to. Courtesy should be afforded towards the authorities, who have a tendency to be incredibly touchy. Gestures such as giving the gifts inside form of chocolates, cigarettes, and other trinkets is welcomed by most North Koreans, nonetheless.

The World Cup Soccer Tournament and Life's Surprises Have Much in Common Presenting Many Challenges

2010-08-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

The World Cup, that football or soccer tournament, is full of surprises. It is like life in many ways, because life is so full of surprises, no matter where you are or what your circumstances are.

Some teams can do very well when they appear in these competitions and others who thought they could do well find that the reality is quite different.

Eight years ago there were many people shocked when South Korea managed to defeat Spain, Italy and Portugal, to reach the semi-finals. Not people would have thought of South Korea as one of the semi-finalists.

Did they have a secret? There are suggestions that it was all down to the training! It has been said that the South Korea squad spent more time than any other in training and preparation through various practices matches. They knew the secret of hard work as they strived towards their goal of scoring goals.

The quality of motivating leadership must have been important in that squad.

Training and preparation are vital if we want success. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary!

If man will put in all this effort for a game, what ought we be to be investing in as we prepare for the game of life? That most powerful and anointed man of God, Paul, wrote in his letter to young Pastor Timothy that physical training is good but training for godliness is much better. That gives the promise not simply of a mere trophy but indicates various benefits in this life and also in the life to come.

In other words, Paul is indicating and showing us and all of mankind what is really worthwhile.

Now, here is a leader who took leadership to a higher and deeper dimension.

When a man follows Jesus Christ, the risen and living Son of God, that man is on to a winner.

I continue to enjoy going out jogging and running and exercising but I am also seeking to prepare for when this physical life is all over down here.

As we train to be godly through reading the Bible and prayer, we begin to reflect something of the character of Almighty God in our own lives. God calls us to live for Him and to shun and avoid the temptations around us which can lead us astray. Although I value physical training, this type of training is much more valuable.

The efforts of the South Korean soccer squad are to be admired and appreciated and commended, but outside the world of sport and football, their training really runs out of uses, in a sense.

Go for godliness. Be as active as you physically can, but choose to be a man or woman who reads and studies the bible which is the Word of God, and make that determined effort to pray. Prayer is hard work.

Writing is comparatively easy. Reading and studying the Bible is comparatively easy. Prayer is hard work, but always remember that the rewards of godly living yield eternal benefits and blessings, as well as a sense of physical well-being at present.

Sandy Shaw

Principal Cities Outlined in the Map of North Korea and South Korea

2010-08-21T12:34:00.001-07:00

North Korea is located in the northern half of Korean Peninsula. It shares its borders with China, Russia, South Korea and Japan. Large number of attractions and temperate climate are successful enough to attract myriad of tourists every year. Its principal cities, as per the map of North Korea, are also not lagging behind in offering comfort and catering to their needs.

Some main cities of North Korea:

o Pyongyang- it is the largest and the capital city of North Korea. It is designed with imposing monuments, monolithic building and wide avenues in addition of some notable landmarks such as the Arch of triumph, Juche Tower, Pyongyang TV tower, Kumsusan Memorial Palace etc...

o Namp'o- it is a city and seaport, which is designated as 'Special City' of North Korea. Lying on the Northern shore of Taedong River, it experience continental climate and low rainfall with lack of fresh water. It houses some famous tourists attractions such as sun bathing beach, pleasure ground and other recreational facilities.

o Chongjin- it is the third largest city of North Korea. Originally a small fishing village, it is now the administrative centre of the North Hamgyong Province. There is a foreign consulate set up in Chongjin by the People Republic of China and Russia. It is the second largest market for good in the country. It also plays an important role in country's economy as it is an important steel and fiber industry center.

South Korea, the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, is known as the 'Land of Morning calm'. Bordered by China, Japan and North Korea, it is a major economic power and one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. Some of the principal cities, as shown in a map of South Korea are:

o Seoul- it is a major global city and the capital of South Korea. Not only this, but it is also the leading international financial centre and second largest metropolitan city in the world. Some of the major modern landmarks of the city are the world Trade center, Korea Finance Building, 63 Buildings and N Seoul Tower.

o Incheon- it is a major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul. It is regarded as a part of Seoul metropolitan area due to its close proximity to the capital and the fact that Incheon Subway and Seoul metropolitan Subway system are linked.

o Kwangju- it is the sixth largest city in South Korea and is designated as one of the metropolitan cities. The city is famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.

Korea Kicks Russia Out of the BRICs

2010-08-20T12:17:00.001-07:00

Van Eck responds to the popularity of small-caps in Brazil with a wider net of Latin American stocks while First Trust creates the BICK, an emerging markets play swapping Korea for Russia.

First, the innovative Van Eck family of ETFs has introduced a Latin America Small-Cap ETF ( LATM - news - people ) to build on its popular Brazil Small-Cap ETF ( BRF - news - people ).

Brazil dominates LATM with 43% of the basket, followed by Mexico at 23% and Canada at 19%. The small-caps in this new basket remind me of what a small-cap represented when I started in this business with Robert W. Baird: with a market cap of at least $150 million and meet certain liquidity requirements. Coupling LATM with large cap regional ILF could be a powerful double-barreled shotgun aimed at Latin American growth.

Next comes a First Trust spin on the BRIC concept by throwing out Russia and replacing it with South Korea (NYSE: EWY) one of my favorite emerging market holdings. The First Trust BICK Index Fund (NASDAQ: BICK) began trading this week.

To some, adding South Korea will seem odd since it is now leading the group of 20 and has a per capita far higher than India, China and Brazil. In fact South Korea has a GDP roughly equal to that of India though its population is about 5% of India. South Korea's future is closely tied to growing with these countries and adding it into this grouping should add balance and lower volatility and risk. Another aspect I like is that each country receives an equal 25% allocation in the index, consisting of up to 25 stocks, which are also equally weighted. It would be better to have more of a concentrated approach with a total of 40 stocks.

Currently, BICK has 87 holdings, and the top 10 holdings all have weightings of more than 2%. The largest sectors are: Financials 24.8%, Technology 22.1%, Materials 13.4%, Industrials 9.6% and Telecommunications 8.5%. The top holdings, all from India, are Icici Bank ( IBN - news - people ), Satyam Computer Services ( SAY - news - people ), Tata Motors ( TTM - news - people ), Patni Computer Systems ( PTI - news - people ), and Infosys Technologies ( INFY - news - people ). The new ETF will have an expense ratio of 0.70%.

More information can be found at the First Trust homepage contains links to the BICK fact sheet and the Investor Guide.

Finally, Schwab's eight low-fee ETFs have reached cumulative assets of $1 billion: --Schwab U.S. Broad Stock Market (SCHB), 0.08% expense ratio:

--Schwab U.S. Large-Cap (SCHX), 0.08% expense ratio

--Schwab U.S. Small-Cap (SCHA), 0.15% expense ratio

--Schwab International Equity (SCHF), 0.15% expense ratio

--Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth (SCHG), 0.15% expense ratio

--Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value (SCHV), 0.15% expense ratio

--Schwab International Small-Cap Equity (SCHC), 0.35% expense ratio

--Schwab Emerging Markets Equity (SCHE), 0.35% expense ratio

North Korea - Unbroken Succession

2010-08-19T12:05:00.001-07:00

How is a strong leader brought to power? Some say it takes a people who are conditioned to receive him. Surely the Korean people were so conditioned. Centuries of harsh rulers have been permitted to hold sway over the minds of the citizens of Chosun. Take Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. He was the founder of the Ming Dynasty that ruled Korea from 1364-1666. He required absolute obedience. He was the law and the source of all laws. When he died, generations after him were forced to sit under lectures mouthing his philosophies.

Such lectures take place in modern North Korea, but their subject is not Emperor Zhu.

Over a thousand years earlier much of the peninsula was ruled by the Silla kings. In those days a man's hereditary position determined his place in the social standing. Top aristocracy did not have to sign up for the military. They went instead to the top administrative offices in the land.

A practice carried down to today's Korea.

Later came the Koryo State, equally conscious of rank, whose "caste" system rivaled that of modern India and persists in North Korea as well. One third of the nation was actually a slave class in ancient Koryo. This practice was only outlawed in 1894, but was quickly picked up by the occupying Japanese.

And of course, by today's labor camp mentality . Most did not consider it unusual. This is how things had been "forever".

Caste continued in the final Choson dynasty. The different groups wore tags that branded them as high or low in Korean standing.

Today's system has changed only in name, and involves 50 or 60 ranks according to class background. There are "families that fought the Japanese," " veterans of the Korean War," "poor peasant farmers" etc etc. One's rank determines where one lives and how much one eats and if one lives or dies.

There are many other intriguing similarities between the present oppression and the oppression of his predecessors. North Korea is starved for liberty and truth. Starved.

Can Koreans be free? Where shall we look for hope, for faith that things can ever be different? That's easy. South Korea, and the God upon whom so many South Koreans call every day. South Korea is the constant argument against feudalism, brutal monarchies, Communism, Juche, and the government of the North. Koreans really can be free, given the proper God and the proper leadership.

For this we pray.

The Soul of Korea is Gone

2010-08-18T11:45:00.001-07:00

Early 20th century Korea. The Japanese, long antagonist of the Korean people, have finally pushed their way into authority and have annexed Korea to their own island nation. Koreans from top to bottom of the peninsula are in agony. Hear the grief expressed by author Younghill Kang's uncle as he receives the dour news. From The Grass Roof:

That night I went into my uncle's studio and lay down on the mat, crying miserably. By and by I heard [my uncle] walking around and muttering in the next room. With my wet finger I made a hole in the paper door and looked through. He stood there at the outer door and just shook his fist in the face of the sky.

"Oh, stars and moon, how have you the heart to shine? Why not drop down by thunderstorm and cover all things up? And mountains, with your soul shining and rustling in the green leaves and trees and grass, can't you understand that it is over now? This national career of the people who have lived with you all these many ages, who have slept in your bosoms, whose blood you have drunk, whose muse you have been for the countless years? You spirits of waters, you ghosts of the hollows, don't you see how death has just come to this people established among you for the 4,000 years since the first Tan-Koon appeared on the white headed mountain by the side of the Sacred Tree? Don't you know the soul of Korea is gone, is passing away this night, and has left us behind like the old clothes?"

Was Korea ended then? A pristine country, contemporary of Homeric times and of Golden Ages- far, far removed from the spirit of the Roman Empire and all later modernity until this day... I cried and cried myself to sleep.

No, Korea. It was not the end after all. The Americans came. The Russians came. Two Koreas were formed from the ashes of World War II and the subsequent Korean War. And still she survived and survives. Her soul? Not dead, but seriously damaged. But in honesty one must add, this was a soul given to idolatry, as the above passage points out quite well. Korea has had to pass through the fire, but perhaps only long enough to burn out of her that which does not bless the one true God. Korea can be born again, in a very literal and wonderful way, if Christ is given His rightful place in the Korean heart. Something to pray about.

Korea's Love Affair With Golf

2010-08-17T11:20:00.001-07:00

At the local gym, I manage to drag myself onto the treadmill in hopes of shedding those unwanted extra pounds that have been creeping up on me recently. In front of me through the glass is a small golf practice facility. As I huff and puff my way on the treadmill, I watch in admiration as a long row of Korean women practice their swings by driving balls into a wall about 10 feet away.

Between shots, one friendly woman who looked to be in her 30's smiles and waves at me while I sweat profusely and gasp for air. Later she takes a break and offers me some of the Korean traditional snack rice cake and green tea. I graciously accept and asked her how long she's been playing golf. "I just started playing last year", she claims in very broken English. "With my two kids in school, I have lots of time to practice".

This got me thinking about the connection between two of Korea's main obsessions, education and golf. In addition to attending their regular public school, Korean students study at many private academies in a variety of subjects including, English, math, science and music. With their children being in school all day and often late into the night; and their husbands usually working 12 to 16 hour days, Korean mothers (or as we call them in Korean 'ajummas') have plenty of time to work on their golf games.

This would explain why the gym is full of ajummas hitting golf balls into a wall in the middle of the afternoon. The purpose of this article is not to demean Korean mothers. Of course ajummas all work hard on the home front in caring for the needs of their husbands and children. Being a stay at home mom is a difficult job in itself.

What I find interesting is how many women play golf in Korea, compared to my home country Canada. While I have no specific statistics, it appears that the ratio of men and women golfers in Korea is far closer than in Canada. So why do Korean women love golf so much?

The woman's golf movement seemed to begin with Se-Ri Pak's victory in the 1998 US Open. After Pak's huge victory, many parents started putting their daughters into golf lessons. This is a good example of Korean mother's pack mentality. Once one mother puts their daughter into golf, many mothers follow. More recently, ajummas have been putting their daughters into figure skating lessons after Yu-Na Kim's victory in the World Figure Skating Championships last year.

Korean success on the LPGA tour in recent years has been unparalleled. In addition to Pak, who has 24 career LPGA wins, Ji-yai Shin has won 4 LPGA events, including last year's British Open title. Shin, along with Ji Young Oh, In-Kyung Kim, Eunjung Yi, and Eun-Hee Ji (winner of the US Open) are all Korean women who have claimed victories on the LPGA tour this year alone.

Why are Korean women so successful on the LPGA tour? Much can be attributed to Koreans traditional strong work ethic and focus. Once talent in girls is recognized, Korean parents push them to succeed in ways unfamiliar to many parents in the West. Korean women are workhorses who concentrate solely on golf. The Korean mentality is nothing is worth doing if you don't succeed. In addition and perhaps most important, many Korean companies sponsor the most talented players, eliminating any financial burdens the golfers may face.

While the ajummas at my gym are likely just playing for fun, you can see the determination in their eyes with every shot into the wall. Even if they never play on the LPGA tour, they still have the strong desire to succeed. With their kids in school all day and night, they will surely improve their golf games. Who knows, maybe one of these ajummas will become a late bloomer and challenge Ji-yai Shin on the LPGA tour sometime soon.

Ghana Defeats North Korea by 3-0

2010-08-16T11:00:00.001-07:00

In a match which held little if any real importance apart from the pride of these two nations, Ivory Coast defeated North Korea by 3-0, which though a nice victory fell way short of what they needed to do in order to leapfrog Portugal in to the next round. It also being a case that it would not have made a difference even if they had won by 9 goals, given that Portugal drew today's game which allowed them to finish with one more point then Ivory Coast. As for the match, it was played with Ivory controlling the action and going forward. Their goals coming through Yaya Touré 13", Romaric 19" and Kaluo 81".

Ivory Coast, in all truth did not play badly in what concerned this world cup and though they did not qualify to the next round like they did four years ago; they can at least leave South Africa 2010 knowing they won a game and drew against a team which might easily be among the semifinalists.

North Korea, for its part gave a wonderful display of football against Brazil. It coming in a match which in all truth can not be said that Brazil played badly but that North Korea demonstrated a lot of ability yet it was to their misfortune that they were unable to repeat the same quality play in their remaining two matches. It being my opinion that with the same level they showed against Brazil, they might have qualified along with the South American team. As for another personal comment about the North Korean team, I would like to say that I wish them the best of luck in their return to their country and may they return to the next world cup with the same enthusiasm though perhaps with better results.

South Korea - Birth Rates and Modern Day Korea

2010-08-15T10:49:00.001-07:00

Koreans are having far fewer children than in the past, with the average birth rate, 1.41 children per person, between 2000 to 2005 (according to the United Nations Population Fund), putting Korea 26th in the world, for birth rates. With a decreasing young population and increasing old population, despite the potential for problems with pension funds for the older Koreans, the long-term future looks healthy. With a shortage of young people entering the work market, the problem of graduate employment will eventually decrease by natural means and companies will gradually need to keep older employees, as graduate numbers become less. The knowledge and experience of older businessmen and women will likely do companies no harm. Very similar to in the UK, pension funds is an issue in government, with concerns over having enough to cover state pensions in the future.

Reports in European media about Korea, reflect positive thoughts about the future economic growth. Koreans themselves can sometimes be pessimistic about the future and Korean media sometimes seems to reflect this. Concern for example, that another crisis such as the IMF crisis will happen again, or that problems with the American economy in the future will affect the Korean economy, are understandable. Nevertheless, Korea has risen from the ashes to become one of the top economies in Asia and there seems no reason why they cannot remain strong.

My concern is that when the two Koreas do eventually re-unify (as I am sure they will at some point), a huge burden will be placed monetarily on the South. South Korea has attempted to consider this issue and an attempt has been made in the last 8 years to send certain aid items North of the border, i.e. for agriculturally use, in order to improve the standard of living and to try and bring the level in the North closer to that in the South. Such issues have been addressed and most students told me that, if it meant Korea re-unifying, then they would not mind the economic burden.

There was one expression I heard a few times in Korea and if it is true, many men in Korea will likely still have something to be happy about in economic hardship. It is an interesting expression.

"When the Korean economy goes down, the fashion for short skirts goes up"

Alternative Energy - South Korea Bets Big on the Tide

2010-08-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

The move towards alternative energy is in full bloom across the world. While many countries focus on solar, wind, geothermal or biomass, South Korea is heading in a different and unique direction. It intends to tap its long coastline through tidal power.

What if I told you that there was an energy source that never ran out. What if I also told you that you could predict exactly when the energy source would be ready to harvest, the energy for each harvest and that you could harvest it twice a day. Would you be interested? You bet you would. Well, the answer is all around the world along coastlines. It is the energy inherent in the tides of the ocean as the gravity tug of war between the Earth and Moon plays out each day.

The energy in the ocean can be subtle, but it is indisputable. Just think about what you saw in the videos of the huge tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004. There is an absolutely huge amount of energy in tides as the flow to and fro. Even better, we can predict how big the tides will be every day and how much energy is in both the incoming and outgoing tides. It makes for a perfect energy platform if we can figure out how to tap it.

Well, the South Koreans obviously feel that they can. This has become clear with the announcement that Korea Western Power Corp will build and operate no less than 20 tidal power plants along the coast of the country. The plants will go up fast with the final one being completed no later than 2014. The total cost? A cool one billion dollars. In short, the South Koreans are getting very serious about tidal energy and this project will make them the biggest tidal energy producers in the world...by far.

Tidal energy gets a minute fraction of the publicity of the other alternative energies. If the South Koreans new technology is successful, that could change very quickly.

Traveling to South Korea - Now is a Great Time to Book Reservations

2010-08-13T10:17:00.001-07:00

Now is a great time to visit Korea. Although you have heard a bit of unpleasant news lately about the region and might be skeptical, you should reconsider, let me tell you why. Prices have been been reduced 30%, as tourists have been shying away from this great region of significant historical wonder. And yes, there is some unfortunate news too.

Recently, North Korea tested another nuclear weapon in an effort to show the world their strength. Previously, North Korea had promised in six nation party talks to make a trade and stop making nuclear weapons. Those negotiations have fallen through and now North Korea has sat in defiance of the international community by launching missiles, long range ICBM type and detonating a second nuclear weapon.

One thing that folks do not understand is that all these shenanigans in North Korea are hurting the travel and tourist industry in Korea, because people hear something negative about the region and then are afraid to travel near there, even though it is perfectly safe to visit South Korea.

North Korea's defiance is not aimed at aggression towards South Korea, rather at trying to put itself back on the world stage as a "player" amongst more powerful nations of the world. Whereas this is very unfortunate for the South Korean economy during our Global Economic slowdown, it is also very good for those who wish to save some serious money on travel.

For instance, Asia Airlines has reduced rates and you can get a travel package to visit Japan, China and/or South Korea all together for a really low rate. One of the best known Travel Tour Companies and one I like to use is HanaTour, it's perhaps the largest in all of South Korea.

"You'll love South Korea" says Min-Young Kim one of the top travel specialists in the business, "Now is probably the best time to book a trip, as prices have been reduced considerably." Perhaps, it does make sense to take advantage of this international crisis and much to do media event, and save yourself and family some money on travel, as the rates are excellent right now.

If your budget travel plans require you to get the best deals possible, then you'll want to take advantage of this one-time dip in prices. Hotels, airfair and tours are all significantly reduced for this region throughout the travel industry.

South Korea Impressive in 2-0 Victory Over Greece

2010-08-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

It was a good win for South Korea who not only won with relative ease against Greece but showed their football to be one of speed along with technique though they at times did lack both power and above all the ability to take advantage of scoring opportunities. Greece on the other hand showed none of the qualities which they made so evident when they won the European cup not so long ago in 2004. Greece being not so well organized on defense as well as being slow on the counter attacks, in the manner of not having quick players who could find their way to the South Korean goal.

South Korea for its part to a large extent was cheated out of a penalty in the first half though with a goal by Yung Su just six minutes in to the game was able to take a 1-0 lead in to the half time break. South Korea however would continue to play on the attack in the second half and even go on to score a second when Sjung put South Korea on top 2-0. Greece would have a good spell however in the second half which would see them push forward and create a few opportunities of their own which unfortunately they were not able to capitalize on.

In conclusion, I would say that though I do not expect either of these teams to progress in to the second round, specially given that they are in the same group as Argentina and Nigeria; I do think that South Korea does half a chance of creating on upset that would see them in to the next stage of the tournament. As for Greece, I do not see them even getting as much a point in this tournament but then again I also did not see them winning the European championship in 2004 which they did.

North Korean Cyber-Terrorists Launch Attacks on South Korea and the Mourning US

2010-08-11T09:48:00.001-07:00

This week North Korean cyber terrorists are believed to have attacked websites in both the United States and South Korea. While Americans and the world were saying good bye to popular late night friend, Ed McMahon, remembering Farrah Faucet, celebrating the music of Michael Jackson and pondering over future custody arrangements for Michael Jackson's three children, the trouble that has been brewing in North Korea like a poisonous cauldron finally boiled over and starting spilling out the world.

During President Bush's administration, threats of North Korean nuclear testing were bubbling and while the focus may have shifted under Obama's administration, the heat has never really been turned down. The North Korean threats migrated from big what ifs to very specific and human targets this spring. Two American journalists were held and convicted for "illegal border crossing and unspecified grave crime," with a penalty of 12 years of reform through labor.

North Korean Cyber Attacks: What Really Happened?

According to Johannes Ulrich, SANS Internet Storm Center's chief technology officer, the attacks began over the holiday weekends as Americans celebrated July fourth.

Targets in the United States included:
- The White House
- Department of Transportation, (DOT)
- Department of Homeland Security
- Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA)
- National Security Agency, (NSA)
- The State Department
- U.S. Postal Service
- U.S. Treasury Department
- Federal Trade Commission
- A Pentagon website
- A website for U.S. Forces in South Korea

The results of the cyber terrorists attacks, confirmed by officials, were that the Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission and Transportation Department sites "were all down at various points over the weekend and into this week and some of the sites were still experiencing problems on Tuesday evening after the attack.'

The cyber terrorist attacks also affected South Korean government agencies and banks, leaving them with inaccessible or unusable websites.

"This is not a simple attack by individuals. The attack appeared to have been elaborately prepared and staged by a certain organization or state," Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a statement. The NIS also stated that, "US authorities were cooperating to track down those responsible for hijacking 12,000 personal computers in South Korea and 8,000 abroad which were exploited as vehicles for the attacks."

Cyber Attacks in Lay Terms:

The recent cyber attacks were called a "denial of service" or DOS attack. It is similar to the messages on web sites consumers may encounter when a web site is overloading, such as when visiting a coupon site or special event at a shopping web site.

What is suspected is that malware (malicious computer programmers), from North Korean cyber terrorists infected thousands of computers using Microsoft Windows with a computer virus. As a result, the cyber hacking programmer would be able to create a network on computers, or "botnets," that could be programmed to do whatever the programmer wanted. The technique used would be similar to that reported in Golden Cash Network [http://www.identitytheftsecrets.com/golden-cash-network-uses-bots-and-zombies-to-steal.html#more] Uses Bots and Zombies to Steal Information.

The collective computers are then directed to access web servers, in the same way you and I do when we access a website. The subtle difference is that with the use of spoofing, an IP -Internet Protocol address, just appears to be busy. The website keeps trying to send information requested repeatedly, which ties it up over and over again. In other words, it simulates an over-load. Then while the host servers and sites are busy trying to answer the fraudulent requests for information, new spoofed IP addresses are created over and over and the servers are no longer able to respond.

Websites such as the White House, Pentagon and New York Stock Exchange seemed to have managed the attack with out side effects since they are used to enduring high demand volume while they are also benefited by higher band capabilities as well. Unfortunately, other servers, such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Transportation went off-line.

In the simplest of lay terms, it is similar in nature to the phenomenon that occurred when Oprah offered the public a free KFC skinless chicken dinner. Hundreds of thousands of people went on-line to get the free printable coupon from her web site, Oprah.com and KFC's web site as well. The servers were overloaded for days, causing the offer to be withdrawn and changed and thousands of anxious consumers received the message that the website was unavailable. This is just one small-scale example that much of the public can relate to as a of denial of service attack.

Now imagine that thousands of such fraudulent messages are being sent to government computers that run staple services and securities for the citizens of the United States. While we may be disappointed in not getting out free chicken dinner coupon, the terrorist cyber attacks that our country experienced last week threatened the free world with so much more than missing out on a free lunch sandwich.

Why Aren't Shooter Games Popular in Asia?

2010-08-10T09:32:00.001-07:00

With the Intel Extreme Masters making their third stop around the world in Taiwan last week, it seems like this Asian event was not getting anywhere near as much attention as the European and American finals. That's because of the simple reason that the Quake scene in Asia is not known for their skilled players and many people are banking on the old Quake 3 favourites Sajruz "ProZaC" Malekani and Zhibo "Jibo" Fan to come through these qualifiers.

However, perhaps these two will not be the ones to watch in the future. Asia has a long and strong history of gaming and professional gaming, just not in the first person shooter genre.

Korea was the first nation to really bring professional gaming to the mainstream media in a professional way. Hosting the first World Cyber Games, non-Korean gamers could then have a small taste of the life of a professional Korean gamer. Cars would follow the WCG busses to the venue, schools would take trips there, gamers wearing the WCG jackets would get hounded for autographs and receive free goods from stores.

It's no secret that Starcraft matches are televised 24/7 on two dedicated channels, OnGame and MBCGame. Professionals there can earn upwards of $100,000 per year. They get their faces on candy bars. The corporate support and endorsements are something which the rest of the other professional gamers around the world can only dream about.

In Japan, competitive gaming has been a little more "underground" with the majority of the action happening in arcades in the fighting game genre. Daigo Umehara (known as Ume or The Beast) hails from Tokyo and is best known for his epic comeback in his Street Fighter III match at Evolution 2004. Even today Ume beat American Champion Justin Wong in Street Fighter IV to take home the gold at Evolution 2009, which is no small feat. Fighting games in America have a huge audience, with 23,000 people tuning in for the final of Evolution.

Even with such great accomplishments, Umehara is not a professional gamer. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, he says that:

"Playing games professionally is not really an option in Japan. If I did really want to do something with my gaming skills in the industry, I think I would have already done so by now. It's only relatively recently that I started to receive invitations to overseas tournaments with prize money. In Japan, games are something you play for enjoyment; you don't expect anything in return."

In China, competitive gaming has seen considerable growth in recent years. So much that two top Warcraft III players XiaoFeng "Sky" Li (from China) and Jae ho "Moon" Jang (from Korea) were given the honor to carry the Olympic torch through china en route to the Beijing National Stadium! Like Korea, a large portion of their competitive gaming audience is focused on an RTS game but it isn't Starcraft; it's Warcraft III.

But when writing about Korea and it really being the epitome of professional gaming, exactly how popular is pro-gaming there? We have all seen the stadiums full of people watching Starcraft, but how popular is it amongst the general public? Do the professional players really have rockstar status? Even with all the information available to us online, when you yourself are involved in competitive gaming and follow the scene, of course you're going to pay attention to it. But what about those who don't? Is the popularity as widespread as football in the UK? It makes you wonder when you hear about new reality programs where famous popstars want to become professional gamers.

Why aren't FPS games popular?

Obviously, Asian nations are not strangers to gaming but perhaps we need to turn to history to see why games like Counter Strike, Halo and Quake are not popular when they have had so much success in Europe and America.

One giant in the Asian (and global) gaming industry that I simply can't ignore (no matter how much I want to) is World of Warcraft. In 2008, the game already had over 10 million players with 5.5 million of them coming from Asia, and the rest mainly split between Europe and America. Over in China, the popularity of internet cafes is steadily growing and the majority of the gamers choose to play the addictive MMORPG. To make this game a televised competitive sport would be opening it up to the largest gaming audience in the world.

Korea has been the prime example to the western world of how much potential competitive game has if only it could reach a large, mainstream audience. But is it too late for western society to embrace gaming as a true profession? Since the 80s, those who have had interest in computers, consoles and gaming have had to carry negative labels and stereotypes.

Japan:

Forget about Atari for a second and look at the other console dinosaurs; Nintendo and Sega. They were huge dominating forces in making gaming a worldwide pastime. Both being Japanese companies, console gaming and arcade gaming is what Japan was and still is mainly focused on. These arcades were the places to be as a young teenager - adult. This could be the reason that fighting games have always had their place in the Japanese competitive gaming market, as they are one of the most social games that you can play in an arcade. The popularity of gaming arcades in Japan has declined with the introduction of home consoles but now it is growing again. Check out this awesome 8 story arcade in Kawasaki City.

Since the Japanese have grown up with so many classic titles from their own nation (Mario, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken etc) I guess there was very little room on the market to push the growth of first person shooters.

Korea:

After the bloodshed of the 2nd World War, the import of Japanese consoles was banned for many years in Korea, and only in 2001 did the government barely begin to lift this ban. This paved the way for PC gaming to become dominant in its early stages. Because Korea is a small country with a densely packed population, when the country was connected up to the internet, the whole place was wired at once. In early 2002, Koreans were very early on the internet bandwagon, being the 4th largest internet user base with 26 million internet users.

Also because of the heavily packed cities, the Korean communities are close. Apartments are small and crowded and most families didn't have enough money to buy their own PC or they simply didn't have the space to fit it in their home. So instead, youth would buy time at internet cafes, known as "PC Baangs".

Like the arcades in Japan, PC Baangs were major social places, like bars and clubs are to the western world. It was a mainstream part of youth culture. Even the layout of PC Baangs are social, with a large loveseat attached to two computers so that guys could sit with their girlfriends. Because of the ban on console imports, this allowed PC Baangs to only offer PC games and it just so happened that Starcraft was there. People claim that its popularity is mainly because Starcraft was in the right place at the right time. Would it be different had Quake or Counter Strike been available?

China:

Since hosting the World eSport Games Masters in 2006, the rest of the world was able to get a peep at professional gaming within the country of China. Having great representatives already in Warcraft III, it was natural that the WEG was a huge event for the Chinese fans. From there, China then went on to host other events such as the WCG, WSVG and CGS Pan-Asia finals. For the Warcraft III player Grubby, he claims he couldn't even go to the toilet at WSVG 2007 without fans storming him just to get some kind of signature. In 2008, construction was completed on the Wuhan Optical Valley Electronic Sports Stadium. Yes, a gaming stadium.

Similar to Korea, Chinas cities are densely populated and Internet cafes are a popular youth hangout. But mainly the youths are focusing on MMORPGs and MOCGs (multiplayer online casual games). But don't count on China following in the footsteps of Korea. The Chinese government has put anti fatigue/anti addiction systems in place which allows them to monitor who is playing, when and how much they're playing.

The gaming channels in Korea do dedicate some timeslots to other games such as Counter Strike, but almost always around 3am. Perhaps a reality show with a famous Korean pop star bootcamping with some of the FPS legends could also swing the interest in the direction of other games.

What can be done?

So in order to make FPS games such as Quake Live and Counter Strike popular in the largest gaming nations, I would say that the first step would be to make sure that these games are readily available in internet cafes. Maybe running promotions for these games in the internet cafes would draw more attention away from the growing popularity of MMORPGs.

The next big thing is to have "idols" in those games in that country. People tend to mainly cheer for their nation especially in tournaments like WCG and ESWC, and if there were some ass kicking FPS players from China, Korea or Japan it's sure that the country will pay attention. Just like in sports, if your nation is doing well (eg: Canada + ice hockey, NZ + Rugby etc) then the media will cover it, people will pay attention and care. Send some FPS talent over to Europe for that period and see how helpful it really is to train amongst the best. It's very difficult to improve when there is no one "better" to practice against and only the rawest of talent can achieve anything from this.

There's a lot of potential and with some strong marketing pushes from some FPS developers in these internet cafes I think we could see a positive turnaround for FPS games. It's proven that the audience is there, it's just a matter of reaching them. If basketball and football can co-exist peacefully, certainly there is space for other types of games to engage such a large, gaming-savvy audience.

Hitler Lives - In North Korea

2010-08-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Today's topic is the Nazi-like meaningless lives lived within concentration camps in modern day North Korea. You remember the Nazis? They were the ones from whom the Communists "freed" places like Romania and Czechoslovakia. Similarly, Kim Jong-il is freeing North Korea from the Japanese, the Americans, the Chinese, the Russians, the South Koreans, and the entire civilized world. To do this he has instituted elements of Stalin and Hitler and Ceaucescu in his pretty mix of poison.

And I do not speak of history here. This is what is happening as I type. Says Mike Kim in his new book:

The regime depends on forced labor for every industry imaginable... prisoners are given strict quotas, and if they don't meet them, they will not receive food that day.... An MSNBC report indicated that products made by North Korean prisoners might end up in U.S. stores having been "washed" first through Chinese companies that serve as intermediaries.

Repatriated [sent back from China] refugees are worked the hardest of all the prisoners. Young-Kuk explained, "They would work us harder because we ate so well while we were in China. They made us carry heavy loads, and when they beat us, they would use all sorts of things with which to hit us..."

Mrs. Park, a refugee woman in her forties, described what her days inside a North Korean prison were like. "We started our physical labor early in the morning. We began working at 6:00 A.M. and then ate breakfast at 8:00 A.M.... we had to cut wood... Oftentimes we worked straight through the day until dinnertime... Even if there was no work for us to do, they made up meaningless work for us. There was a big pile of large rocks. The guards would say, 'Separate the rocks! Move all the big rocks to the right side and all the small rocks to the left side!' "

Then the directions would change. Put the rocks back in one big pile. Move all big rocks left, small rocks right, and so on and on... Kim reminds his readers that this is exactly how Hitler broke the spirits, and not only the backs, of his own people. Prisoners there died not only from exhaustion, but from "the purposelessness of their work."

May God clarify our own purposes. For me, I want to give myself to Christ and His people in North Korea. Occasionally I hear from some of you who have made a similar decision. There is still so much to do...

South Korea Beats Greece 2-0

2010-08-08T09:03:00.001-07:00

The first match of the group B started on a winning note in the ongoing 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as South Korea defeated Greece 2-0 in Port Elizabeth this afternoon.

The Koreans started very confidently from the outset and made sure they ran away with all 3 points at the end of 90 minutes. The Greeks were the first to produce some anxious moments in the 3rd minute when Vasileios Torosidis failed to utilize a corner in the 18 yard box, shooting wide across the goal line. The first goal of the encounter came when Korea's Lee Jung Soo connected unto a free kick, beating the goal keeper in the process.

Chung Yong was brought down in the 18 yard box for what would have been a penalty but the referee waved 'play on'. The Koreans continued to run circle round the Greeks, making them look ordinary throughout the first half of the match. Another opportunity came for the Koreans to increase the tally but Chung Yong shot unto the goal keeper's leg after a brilliant solo run. The Jung-Moo Huh's boys were arguably more purposeful and more technical than Rehhagel Otto's boys.

Greece tried occasional counter attacks but they were out-played by South Korea throughout the first half. The second half saw a lot of changes on both sides as they tried to steal victory. While the Greeks were looking for an opportunity to equalize, the Koreans were determined to consolidate their lead. Greek captain Georgios Karagounis got substituted in the 46th minute for Patsatzoglou Christos.

Manchester United's star player, Ji Sung Park gave a very good account of himself as the captain of the Asian side. He scored the second goal for his side in the 52nd minute after a solo run, out-running the Greek defenders in the process. With the second goal scored, the Koreans were sure of victory. The changes made to both side did not change the result of the game; though the Greeks lifted their game towards the end of the game.

The only yellow card of the match went to Torosidis Vasileios in the 56th minute of the encounter. At the end of 90 minutes South Korea went away with all three points and 2 goals advantage, making them to top the group, and also ensuring they were the first team to win a match in the ongoing tournament. Greece also became the first team to lose a match. The first two games in group A had both ended in a draw on Friday. Ji Sung Park was elected the 'man of the match'.

Date in Asia - Korea

2010-08-07T08:46:00.001-07:00

Korea is a great place to date in Asia. There are many possibilities out there for western guys to find a good partner in the "Land of Morning Calm." While Korea might be known as the "Land of Morning Calm", it says nothing of the night time in cities like Seoul and Busan which are anything but calm. Nightlife in Korea is all about going out, drinking and having a good time; and, it is the perfect way to meet a girl.

When I first came to Seoul two years ago, I had a preconception that Korea would be very traditional and meeting Korean girls would be a bit of a problem. While sometimes that is the case, there are many more times the opportunity to find a date. Korean women are for the most part very open to meeting a western guy. They have been watching American TV their whole lives, and some have developed preference and curiosity for western males.

The one obvious drawback is the language. Growing up, I'm guessing not many western guys from Canada and the US had the opportunity to learn Korean and will not know any upon arriving in the country. This will narrow the field slightly, but fear not, there is good news.

Korea is growing fast, and so are the numbers of English speakers. Korean girls start learning English in elementary school and many of them have a firm grasp on the language by the time they are in their 20s. These women would love to get a chance to practice their English. Even if they are not interested in dating you, more times than not, a friend of theirs would like to.

Aside from the general women population having decent English skills, there are certain places in the city where English is very common and women going to these places are there because they like interacting with foreigners. It gets even better, women coming to these places typically speak fluently.

A third option for men wanting to date in Korea is a bit trickier, but will pay off loads in the long run is learning to speak Korean! This is a lock and will give Korean speaking foreigners instant access to the whole population. While it will take a few months to begin to get a handle on the language, it's value cannot be overstated. Learning to speak the local language is very attractive to women!

Seoul - South Korea's Soul

2010-08-06T08:30:00.001-07:00

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is by far the country's largest city populated by over 10 million people. Moreover, it is considered the nation's center of culture-a culture that has been cultivated for 600 years.

The plane going to Seoul will land you at the futuristic Incheon International Airport, situated 52 kilometers west of the city. Taking you to the city itself, a taxi or a bus can be your option. The latter is the best option for most travelers as it runs directly to Seoul and will cost less.

Once you are settled in, keeping in mind you have exchanged enough money into Won, it is now time to explore the city. Choose your mode of transportation-subway, bus, or taxi-that will suit your budget and your schedule, as traffic jams are common in this city. As a tourist, getting around will be quite difficult if there is a language barrier. The solution: the Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) taxis where the drivers speak English and accept US dollars if you opt to pay in that currency.

During the day:
* If you are a fan of market shopping, Insadong should be in your checklist. It is the touristiest place that boasts of its art galleries and shops, as well as traditional tea and coffee shops.
* If exploration of history is your interest, go visit Gyeongbok-gung, the grandest palace of Seoul. It had been the seat of power for centuries during the time that the city was made South Korea's capital. More historical facts and artifacts can be explored in the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum.
* If fun-filled theme park is your kind of treat, Lotte World is the place to be. It is one of the world's largest indoor amusement parks. Rides, skating rink, and parades await you. For a mellow experience, check out the folk museum to immerse yourself in ancient Korean life.

During the night:
* Hongdae, a bar district, is well known for Catchlight Club for hip hoppers, Jokerred for house music lovers, and Luxury for the karaoke singers.
* Sinchon, on the other hand, offers a calmer feel as it is more known as a shopping district. But it boasts of JJ Mahoney in Grand Hyatt Hotel where the in-crowd and the who's who can be seen.

Whatever it is you feel like doing-shopping, sight seeing, dining, or clubbing-you will never forget that you are immersed in Seoul's rich culture.

North Korea Ramps Up Boisterous Threats of Nuclear War - Typical Dictator Syndrome

2010-08-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

North Korea is ramping up its political rhetoric and threats of nuclear war. The United Nations and the United States of America, along with all the nations in the six party talks have warned North Korea that we will not put up with their nuclear weapons program and new industry to sell nuclear weapons to rogue nations. North Korea has challenged the U.S., and said that if the United States Navy boards one of its ships or blocks it, or sinks it, N. Korea has said it will launch an attack on South Korea.

In fact N. Korea issued a statement that if their ship is boarded or stopped by the US Navy they will send a "fire shower of nuclear retaliation" into South Korea. While the United-States is laughing off this latest threat, and the prospect of nuclear war, as our ally, South Korea is on alert. The U.S. Navy has been following a North-Korean ship that is thought to have nuclear weapons on it, or even a nuclear long-range missile. The North-Korean ship keeps changing directions and no one knows where exactly it is going.

Meanwhile North-Korea is also planning another short range missile test during this entire standoff. The combination of having a nuclear-weapon, and long-range ICBM missiles is a very scary prospect for all nations within the region. Because of the threat of war many foreign investors that have money in South-Korea are now re-allocating it to other places and safer havens, which is having a dire impact on the South Korean economy that is also in the midst of a global recession.

Sauna Culture From Country to Country

2010-08-04T08:01:00.001-07:00

In many cultures across the world, sauna plays an important part. Sauna culture is prevalent in countries likes Sweden, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and Germany. However, the culture varies from one country to the next.

It is believed that sauna originated in Finland and the word itself is of Finnish origin. However, there are some saunas that are of different types and older than the one from Finland. Nonetheless, in modern day Finland sauna is a part and parcel of everyday life, and over 50 percent of homes in the country have a sauna.

In Finland, men and women use different saunas. Mingling of genders does not take place. However, it is common for family and friends to use a common sauna, especially they are on a holiday or renting a cabin for the weekend. Usually in Finland, it is a common practice to enter ice cold water of a lake immediately after coming out of the sauna. Also, a person cannot enter a sauna clothed or wearing swimsuit. He or she has to be in their birthday suit.

In Germany and the Netherlands, the sauna practice is quite similar. However, common sauna areas have rules as most of them are mixed saunas. Clothes are not worn in a sauna and it is expected that a person takes a shower after exiting one. Also, a person needs to cover himself or herself in a dry sauna, whereas this is not expected in a steam sauna.

In South Korea, they are very popular and often people spend their entire evening relaxing in a sauna or even taking a short nap. Men and women use separate sauna. In Japan too there are different saunas for men and women, and these too do not allow people to enter with clothing.

War Poems and Epigrams [In Spanish and English]

2010-08-03T07:48:00.001-07:00

War Poems on Iraqi
[And Three Epigrams]

Section three

24.

1) The Color of War I

[Iraqi: war poem]

I saw the other day--

A little boy coloring away

(With crayons) in a sketch book;

With every colored pencil

Under the rainbow--

And then some...

And when I took a second look

I thought of the Iraqi war

(American and Allied soldiers)

And all the colors it stood for:

Red was for the blood they've shed;

Gray, for depression of their families

Far away...

Blue was for sad skies;

Black and white, for death and life;

Green, for the spoils we've not seen;

Brown, for the dry and dusty nights

All the soldiers had to fight--on

Foreign ground.

I pleaded, for the boy to stop,

Surprised, he looked up at me--

With his deep blue eyes, haunting

'Me,' he said, with a tear on his cheek:

"I wanted to color the soldier's feet!"

I looked and there it read: 'Peace'

Already colored-in, with gray:

Said the boy still looking at me:

"That's the way it came."

#1371 6/16/06

Here is an unusual war poem Dennis has written today, on the Iraqi war. He said after following it for four years, "...it is getting old; yet it sells papers doesn't it?" He was for the war when it was a war, so he told me, but now it is not, it is more a police action, he explains to me, and feels perhaps we have overstayed our welcome. "And what are the motivating factors now?" he asks. He adds, "When we get into questioning the motives, after a war, when they are not clear, it is perhaps time to leave..." Dennis being a Vietnam Veteran knows a little bit about how it all works; and here in this poem, he paints his picture of war, the Iraqi war, and how he sees the colors of war through color crayons of a little boy. Rosa Penaloza

Commentary on War: I'm fifty-eight years old, and I can't remember a time when the United States was not at war, preparing for another war, or just getting over a war (not to include WWI and WWII); thus, we've had a busy half-century. I was but three years old when the Korean War broke out, in l950, and in 1953, when it was tranquilized. Then again in 1964, my friends went to Vietnam, and I in 1971, that war ended in 1975, an eleven year war. I thought we'd have peace but we got a few more wars in-between (we always do); such as, in the 80s Haiti involvement, Granada, and some secret Central American things; nothing real big. And then we got Bosnia in the 90s, and a few other little East Europe wars to attend to (mixed with these wars we had Granada and a few African uprisings); always helping out Europe with their little squats, which they feel are important, and when it comes to American made squats, of course they are less important to them. Also in the 90s we got Iraqi I, and in the now 21st Century, we've had to contend with Afghanistan and Iraqi II. We are a country full of warlords to be sure. What will be next, between 2007 and 2016, as I had predicted in 1984, we will be in line with the onset of WWIII. We have been fighting it since l950, with Korea, now it is set in motion: the war on terror is part of it of course. When I say set in motion, I mean, things are going to fly. We already got Iran and Korea on the hot list; Syria is bordering it; and we are going to have to contend with the Arabs sneaking through South America to North America and lighting up a path once they got on solid ground. Russia and China are becoming economies with highbrow ideas; we may have ruled the 90s, but I fear, things will change, as often they do. Dlsiluk

Spanish Version

El Color de la Guerra

[Iraquí: poema de guerra]

Ví el otro día--

A un niño coloreando lejos

(Con crayones) en un libro de dibujo;

Con cada lápiz de color

Bajo el arco iris--

Y luego unos ...

Y cuando miré de nuevo

Pensé en la guerra iraquí

(Soldados americanos y aliados)

Y todos los colores que esto significó:

Rojo era por la sangre que ellos vertieron;

Gris, por la depresión de sus familias

A lo lejos ...

Azul era por el cielo triste;

Blanco y negro, por muerte y vida;

Verde, por el despojo no hemos visto;

Marrón, por las oscuras y polvorientas noches

Todos los soldados tuvieron que luchar--sobre

Tierra extranjera.

Supliqué, para que el muchacho se detuviera,

Sorprendido, él me miró alzando su vista--

Con sus profundos ojos azules, atormentándome,

él dijo, con una lágrima sobre su mejilla:

"¡Quise colorear los pies del soldado!"

Miré y allí éste decía: "Paz"

Ya coloreado en éste, con color gris:

Dijo el muchacho todavía mirándome:

"Esta es la forma en que vino".

# 1371 16/Junio/2006

Aquí está un poema insólito sobre guerra que Dennis ha escrito hoy, sobre la guerra iraquí. Él dijo después de haberla seguido durante cuatro años, "...se esta volviendo vieja; pero aún está en los periódicos, ¿no?" Él estuvo de acuerdo con la guerra cuando era una guerra, eso él me dijo; pero ahora no lo es, esta es más una acción policial, él me explica, y siente quizás que hemos abusado de nuestra bienvenida. "¿Y cuales son los factores de motivación ahora?" él pregunta. Él añade, "Cuando entramos a preguntarnos los motivos, después de una guerra, cuando estos no son claros, éste es quizás tiempo para marcharse..." Dennis siendo un Veterano de Vietnam conoce un poquito sobre cómo esto funciona; y aquí en este poema, él pinta su cuadro de guerra, la guerra iraquí, y cómo él ve los colores de guerra a traves de los lápices de colores de un niño. Rosa Peñaloza.

Comentario sobre la Guerra: Tengo cincuentiocho años, y no puedo recordar un tiempo cuando los Estados Unidos no estaban en guerra, preparándose para otra guerra, o justo saliendo de una guerra (sin incluir la Primera y Segunda Guerra Mundial); así, hemos tenido un medio siglo ocupado. Tenía tan sólo tres años cuando la Guerra coreana estalló en 1950, y en 1953 cuando fue tranquilizada. Entonces otra vez en 1964, mis amigos fueron a Vietnam, y yo en 1971, aquella guerra terminó en 1975, una guerra de once años. Pensé que tendríamos paz pero tuvimos más guerras en el intermedio (siempre lo hacemos); como las de, en la participación de Haití en los años 80, Granada, y algunas cosas secretas centroamericanas; nada verdadero grande. Y luego tuvimos Bosnia en los años 90, y otras pequeñas guerras que asistir en el Este de Europa (mezcladas con estas guerras tuvimos Granada y algunos levantamientos africanos); siempre ayudando a Europa en sus pequeñas ocupaciones, que ellos sienten son importante, y pasa que cuando America hace ocupaciones, desde luego estos son menos importantes para ellos. También en los años 90 tuvimos la Guerra Iraquí I, y en el ahora siglo XXI, hemos tenido que competir con Afganistán y la Guerra Iraquí II. Somos un país lleno de jefes militares para estar seguros. Qué será el siguiente periodo, entre 2007 y 2016, como lo había predicho en 1984, estaremos en fila con el comienzo de WWIII. Hemos estado luchándolo desde 1950, con Corea, ahora esta puesto en movimiento: la guerra de terror es parte de ello desde luego. Cuando digo puesto en movimiento, quiero decir, las cosas van a volar. Ya conseguimos Irán y Corea en la lista caliente; Siria colinda con éste; y vamos a tener que competir con los árabes que se mueven a Norteamérica a traves de Sudamérica y encendiendo un camino una vez que ellos se pongan en terreno firme. Rusia y China se estan volviendo economías con ideas intelectuales; podemos haber gobernado los años 90, pero me temo, que las cosas cambiarán, como a menudo lo hacen. Dlsiluk

25.

2) After the Dawn of War II

[Iraqi 2006]

I looked over the shoulder of the world

Through its crawling fog

And heard the cold cries

Seen the stir in the eyes

Heard the trumpets of war

Breaking the silence of dawn

(Heard somebody say):

"Soldiers will die today

For Iraqi Liberty--

That thou endure."

#1371 6/16/2006

Spanish Version

Después del Alba de Guerra

[Iraquí 2006]

Miré sobre el hombro del mundo

A traves de su niebla que avanza lentamente

Y oí los gritos del frío

Ví el movimiento en los ojos

Oí las trompetas de guerra

Rompiendo el silencio del alba

(Oí alguien que dice):

"Los soldados morirán hoy

Por la Libertad Iraquí--

Que tú soportas".

# 1371 16/Junio/2006

26.

3) War Flag III

(Post Iraqi)

Lone are the days and short

Before the next cruel war--

What spirit then shall fill a sweet despair?

To wave the flag of war...and say:

"I'm ready and here!

#1372 6/16/2006

Spanish Version

Bandera de Guerra

(Puesto Iraquí)

Solitario son los días y cortos

Antes de la siguiente guerra cruel--

¿Qué espíritu entonces llenará una desesperación dulce?

Para agitar la bandera de guerra...y decir:

"¡Aquí estoy y Listo!"

# 1372 16/Junio/2006

War Epigrams

"Someone said on TV, America Loves war, I say, America loves peace, and to have peace, you better be ready to fight a war." #1401

"In the real world, every terrorist group, every and dictator knows, should you show your weak spot (like in boxing or Karate), expect a blow right there--a knockout punch or kick. If you have no weak spots, you best guard everything, because they'll be trying to make one." #1402

"The loser in war can never complain he got a raw deal,
lest he want his head cut off; so you best win." #1403

Become one of the English Teachers in Korea

2010-08-02T07:32:00.001-07:00

Demand is growing for English teacher jobs, and one of the places where demand is high is in Korea. But what should you expect as one of the English teachers in Korea?

1.Website placement - It is possible to find a position such as English teachers in Korea if you look online through job placement websites. However, there is always an element of risk in online placement. For one, you don't know if the website is being operated by a legitimate job placement agency or employer. Without the valuable input of face-to-face interaction, you lose out on warning signs that may tell you to back out while you can. However, there are also legitimate job placement agencies that operate online. If you are determined to become one of the English teachers in Korea, ask your government agency (which is responsible for regulating placement of citizens of your country in English teacher jobs) for the names of recognized job placement agencies.

2.Public school placement - This is one type of the English teacher jobs in Korea, meaning you will be teaching Korean children in public schools. Like all English teaching jobs that are based abroad, you may have to learn the native tongue (in this case, Korean) to be more capable and competent at your job. You should also genuinely like children.

3.Private school placement - This is another type of the English teacher jobs in Korea whose only difference from the one above is that you will be teaching in private schools. The advantage of going to a private school rather than a public school is that you may get better pay, terms and perks from private schools.

4.Language school placement - English language schools in any country operate on the assumption that you know how to teach English as a Second Language. Like other English teacher jobs in Korea, you might have to be trained in basic Korean grammar and vocabulary skills first so that you can understand your students if they find it hard to express themselves in English.

5.Summer camp placement - it is not impossible to be destined for one of English teacher jobs in Korea that require you to teach summer camp. This is because learning the English language may qualify as an extra-curricular activity for some Korean schools so the Korean youngsters learn English through summer camp rather than as part of the regular curriculum of their school. The summer camp may also offer enrichment courses rather than regular English language training instead.

6.Writing positions - When you become one of the English teachers in Korea, you might have to teach Koreans how to become better writers. This means going beyond the basics of English grammar and vocabulary, and teaching Koreans how to go through the writing process - from brainstorming, to picking a topic, creating a first draft, polishing, and then producing a final draft. If this is the position you are eyeing, it helps if you have experience as a writer.

There may be other types of English teachers in Korea but these are some of the most common. As always, be cautious about accepting a position before you have looked into the background of your employer. Hopefully, you will enjoy being an English teacher in Korea.

North Korea - The Villagers of Goksan

2010-08-01T07:18:00.001-07:00

North Korea. There is a constant price to pay for one's faith there. The story is told of 29 persons arrested there one morning in the remote village of Goksan. Among the group is a mother and her young daughter. They and the rest of this Christ-loving group, with their pastor, are bound and placed before a crowd of Communists.

They are told by a guard: "Deny Christ, or die." They all refuse to deny Him.

The guard addresses the adults: "Deny Christ, or we will hang your children." The young girl looks up at Mom and grips her hand. She knows she is loved. Her mother whispers to her, "Today, I will see you in Heaven."

For those who are looking for a happy ending to this story, you should stop reading now.

All of the children are hanged.

The adults, in agony already, are now forced to lie down on pavement in front of a large steamroller. "Deny this Jesus or you will be crushed." But they are already crushed. Their children are gone. And their life is hid in Christ anyway. they are ready to meet Him, and see their children again.

The driver starts the engine, and the villagers softly sing (in Korean). "More love, O Christ, to Thee, more love to Thee."

Please pray for North Korea tonight. And for believers in the West, that they will be ready to make this sacrifice if called upon.

Giving Japan its Due

2010-07-31T06:45:00.001-07:00

As part of a deal with North Korea in the six party nuclear disarmament talks; President Bush has decided to take North Korea off the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror.

This decision was made over the strong protests of Japan primarily because of North Korea's stonewalling on providing Japan with any information on a score of its citizens kidnapped by North Korea during the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the abductees were schoolchildren on their way home from school. Sure sounds like terror to me. Meanwhile, North Korea has more than a hundred nuclear missiles aimed at the heartland of Japan.

If Japan tells us this issue is of the utmost political sensitivity, we need to listen and not run roughshod over the wishes of a critical ally especially when the deal at hand with North Korea is by most accounts deeply flawed.

Rather, our top priority in the Asia-Pacific region should be to invigorate and dramatically broaden the scope and the intensity of the Japanese-American partnership. With the global war on terror and the rise of India and China, the relative amount of media and Congressional attention paid to relations between Japan and America has dwindled. This is unfortunate since the alliance remains as former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Michael Mansfield aptly put it: "the most important bilateral relationship - bar none".

This statement is even more on the mark today given the wide range of issues that the robust partnership can tackle more effectively together. From regional trade issues, to fighting poverty, to making multilateral institutions more effective, to seeking more transparency and cooperation regarding regional security issues; the vital interests of both countries and the region as a whole largely coincide.

Here are just a few of the issues that need attention, publicity and action.

1) Japan deserves our unequivocal and full backing to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The window of opportunity for getting this accomplished is closing fast.

2) The need to rapidly expand the current joint effort to fund and upgrade technologies regarding missile defense.

3) With the U.S. defense budget under acute pressure and Japan's navy now more than three times the size of the UK's, it makes sense for both countries to escalate cooperation to maintain a strong deterrence in the region. The bickering and acrimony over our bases in Okinawa also need to be resolved quickly.

4) Establish a free trade zone between the two countries. China is now Japan's largest trading partner but the complementary nature of America's and Japan's economies is an important consideration. In addition, China is rapidly moving up the technology ladder and over time will manufacture domestically rather than import from Japan.

5) Encourage closer cooperation over yen/U.S. dollar exchange rates could avoid sudden and disruptive movements and allow a steady and orderly increase of the undervalued yen.

6) Jointly fund and manage economic development, conservation projects and humanitarian efforts in the region. Both countries are generous donors to the region and have the infrastructure to act quickly on a large scale.

The issue of North Korean abductees is just as important to Japan as the issue of the MIA-POW issue was to our relations with Vietnam. We need to stand firm with Japan on this one, no matter what the short-term costs. The people of Japan are watching whether our words match our actions. Freedom is not a bargaining chip, it is at the very heart of our nation's foreign policy.

The mission of the Center for American Diplomacy is to change priorities with more focus on the Asia-Pacific region and emerging market countries.

Nine Bridges Gets My Vote For Korea's Top Golf Course

2010-07-30T06:03:00.001-07:00

Nine Bridges - Bridging of East and West at Jeju's Best

You step up onto the tee box and soak in the picturesque contours of the terrain that surrounds the green, lingering for just a little longer to enjoy the magnificent layout. This must be the signature hole, where architectural ingenuity has been made to create an unforgettable impression with the visiting golfer.

The problem with The Club at Nine Bridges is that you have too much to remember of your experience there. Instead of a sole signature hole, there are eighteen distinct, memorable and outstanding ones carved out from the volcanic land of Jeju, an island located about an hour's flight time south of Seoul.

Since its completion in August 2001, Nine Bridges has staged 4 LPGA championships and has had over a dozen accolades added onto its honour roll, including being ranked the number 1 golf course in Korea no fewer than 6 times by various golf publications. In addition, it is currently ranked a respectable 55th place in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World by Golf Magazine (US).

The charm of Nine Bridges lies in its ability to integrate what Mother Nature has put forth before the course architects - Ronald Fream and David Dale - into the fine championship design to produce a golf course of unrelenting pace and balance. It is characterised by over 100 bunkers, some of which are steep, brick-walled type similar to those found on great Scottish links courses. No two holes in succession move in the same direction, which means each hole presents its own challenge considering the persistent winds on Jeju Island.

Built over 3 years at a cost of approximately US$100 million, no stone is left unturned when it comes to the luxurious elements of the resort.

The club's spacious locker room includes a traditional Korean bath with three stone tubs - each of a different temperature - as well as modern showers and complimentary shoe care. After retiring from the day's game, guests can retreat into one of the 67 cottages or five villas designed by Jean-Michel Gathey. The largest villas, finely fitted with a melodious blend of Asian culture and Western convenience, have 4 bedrooms within its 5,600 square feet compound and overlook the beautiful 18th green.

You can also expect the most delectable gastronomic fares at Nine Bridges. Apart from satisfying the Asian palate, top chefs from the U.S. were also initially imported to impart culinary skills in Western cuisine to the staff there.

Access to play this immaculately manicured course is limited to members and their guests only. Now is as good a time to make the right acquaintance in Korea.

2010 World Cup South Africa - The Group Stages

2010-07-29T05:47:00.001-07:00

With less than 100 days to the biggest international tournament in world football, to say that the opening games of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are eagerly awaited does a disservice to the growing excitement of football fans throughout the world! South Africa is the first southern hemisphere country to host the tournament since Argentina in 1978. All eyes will be focussed on the always-colourful opening ceremony, and the opening match between host nation South Africa and the skillful Mexico side. Read on for more...

32 national teams have qualified for the tournament, and the draw was made for the 8 groups of 4 teams on Friday December 4th 2009 at the splendid Cape Town Convention Centre. The draw certainly threw up some wonderful pairings, as we shall see now! 2 teams qualify from each group to reach the last 16 of eight knock out pairings.

Group A

This group features: South Africa, Uruguay, France and Mexico

Game meetings:

South Africa v Mexico 11th June (Soccer City, Johannesburg)

France v Uruguay 11th June (Cape Town Stadium)

South Africa v Uruguay 16th June (Lotus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria)

Mexico v France 17th June (Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)

Mexico v Uruguay 22nd June (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenberg)

South Africa v France 22nd June (The Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)

Predicted to Qualify: France & Mexico

Group B

This group features: Argentina, Nigeria, Greece and South Korea

Game meetings:

South Korea v Greece 12th June (Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth)

Argentina v Nigeria 12th June (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Argentina v South Korea 17th June (Soccer City, Johannesburg)

Greece v Nigeria 17th June (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)

Nigeria v South Korea 22nd June (Mabhida Stadium, Durban)

Argentina v Greece 22nd June (Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)

Predicted to Qualify: Argentina and Greece.

Group C

This group features: England, USA, Slovenia and Algeria

Game meetings:

USA v England 12th June (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenberg)

Algeria v Slovenia 13th June (Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)

Slovenia v USA 18th June (Ellis Stadium, Johannesburg)

England v Algeria 18th June (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)

Slovenia v England 23rd June (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)

USA v Algeria 23rd June (Lotus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria)

Predicted to qualify: USA and England.

Group D

This group features: Germany, Serbia, Ghana and Australia

Game meetings:

Serbia v Ghana, 13th June (Pretoria)

Germany v Australia 13th June (Durban)

Germany v Serbia 18th June (Port Elizabeth)

Australia v Ghana 19th June (Rustenberg)

Ghana v Germany 23rd June (Johannesberg)

Australia v Serbia 23rd June (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

Predicted to qualify: Ghana and Germany

Group E

This group features: Holland, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon

Game meetings:

Holland v Denmark 14th June (Johannesburg)

Cameroon v Japan 14th June (Bloemfontein)

Japan v Holland 19th June (Durban)

Denmark v Cameroon 19th June (Pretoria)

Denmark v Japan 24th June (Rustenberg)

Cameroon v Holland 24th June (Cape Town)

Predicted to qualify: Cameroon and Holland

Group F

This group features: Slovakia, Italy, Paraguay and New Zealand

Game meetings:

Italy v Paraguay 14th June (Cape Town)

Slovakia v New Zealand 15h June (Rustenberg)

Slovakia v Paraguay 20th June (Bloemfontein)

New Zealand v Italy 20h June (Nelspruit)

Italy v Slovakia 24th June (Johannesburg)

Paraguay v New Zealand 24th June (Polokwane)

Predicted to qualify: Italy and Slovakia

Group G

This group features: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal and North Korea

Game meetings:

Portugal v Ivory Coast, 15th June (Port Elizabeth)

North Korea v BrazilJohannesburg)

Brazil v Ivory Coast (Johannesburg)

Portugal v North Korea 21st June

25th Jun (Nelspruit)

Brazil v Portugal 25th June (Durban)

Predicted to qualify: Brazil and Portugal

Group G

This group features: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.

Game meetings:

Honduras v Chile (Nelspruit)

Switzerland v Spain (Durban)

Chile v Switzerland (Port Elizabeth)

Spain v Honduras 1st June (Johannesburg)

Spain v Chile (Pretoria)

Switzerland v Honduras (Bloemfontein)

Predicted to qualify: Spain and Chile.

Read our next World Cup 2010 blog for information on the round of last 16 teams!

Hope you are looking forward to the 2010 South Africa World Cup as much as we are! Obviously you are specifically travelling to the tournament to support your home nation, but with such a long haul destination you are bound to have some time to visit the wonderful South Africa attractions in the locality that you are staying in!

The Benefits of the GEN III ECWCS

2010-07-28T05:32:00.001-07:00

Soldiers encounter all types of climates in the outdoors. This ranges from extreme heat to extreme cold. The latest extended climate warfighter clothing system (ECWCS) addresses these extremes with one seven-layer system. GEN III, this latest ECWCS, is considered a significant upgrade over previous systems. Although it retains some of the aspects of GEN I and II, it addresses a broader range of climates.

Soldiers in Afghanistan complained of bulkiness for GEN II, and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts, developed GEN III. The system, which takes up 33-percent less space than the previous clothing system and adds four layers, was then tested by the 10th Mountain Division and 82nd Airborne Division. It received proper issue in 2008.

GEN III goes beyond being a cold weather clothing system with its seven layers. Designed to address unpredictable environmental conditions, GEN III is used most often for training, operating, and combat operations. The system allows soldiers to function in temperatures ranging from -40°F to 60°F and integrates with load carriage and body armor.

The clothing system consists of base, insulation, and shell layers. Levels I and II make up the base layers, and each one consists of light or mid-weight undergarments and drawers. On top of this goes an insulation layer, and Levels 3 and 4 fall into this category. Level 3 consists of a fleece jacket, while Level 4 is a heavier wind jacket. All of these layers are made from materials that wick away moisture and keep heat next to the body.

The shell layers range from Levels 5 to 7. Level 5 is a soft-shell cold weather jacket and trousers, while Levels 6 and 7 are geared toward extreme wet and cold weather. Level 6 is a jacket and trousers for extreme wet and cold weather, while Level 7 is a parka and trousers designed for extreme cold conditions.

GEN III ECWCS gives soldiers several options for adjusting to climates. Several combinations for comfort, warmth, and protection against extreme conditions can be made from these seven layers.

Korean Movies

2010-07-27T00:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a list of 10 Korean movies of the past several years that I enjoyed. These range from the comic to the tragic, and involve both action movies and historical dramas. Three of them are taken from events in Korea over the past 40 years or so.

My Sassy Girl - Based on a real life story that a man posted on the Internet, My Sassy Girl became all the rage in East Asia back in 2001, when it was popular in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. This led to a forgettable direct-to-disc American remake in 2008, starring Elisha Cuthbert (who's unforgettable). My Sassy Girl is about a college guy who meets a drunk girl - known only as the "Girl" - on the subway, and all the odd adventures they get into while falling in love. You'll never believe where the plot goes in this one.

Joint Security Area (JSA) - The Joint Security Area is the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea, and this movie tells the story of a double-shooting in the JSA. This results in increasing tensions on both sides of the borders, an investigation by a Swiss-Korean woman and nearly two hours of great, if implausible, entertainment.

Oldboy - Oldboy is one of the more famous Korean movies with American audiences, famous enough that it hit CNN during the Virginia school shooting a few years ago. Oldboy is about a man abducted and imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years, and what happens when he escapes. Get ready for the twist, as well as seeing Oldboy go crazy with his hammer. If they ever actually get the U.S. remake of Oldboy made, it's going to suck so bad. There's just way too many essential parts they would have to change for American audiences. Oldboy was great, though.

Sympathy For Lady Vengeance - Like Oldboy, Sympathy For Lady Vengeance was directed by Park Chan-wook, and this is considered part of his "vengeance trilogy" (along with Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance). When a woman leaves prison, after serving a sentence for a crime she didn't commit, it's time to mete out revenge against the real culprits.

Arahan - Arahan is a 2004 action-comedy that was panned by critics, but found an audience. When the 6 Masters of Tao decide that an inept cop has the Chi to become an "Arahan" and rule the world, you know that all kinds of wackiness is going to ensue. You'll either love this one or hate it.

Silmido - Silmido is a South Korean island where, in 1968, a special team of assassins were trained to assassinate former North Korean dictator, Kim Il-Sung, in retaliation for North Korea's attempt to assassinate the South Korean president. Based on true events involving a 31-man team of either criminals or special forces soldiers, depending on who you talk to, Silmido takes a look a Korea's sordid past. When it was finished with its run, Silmido was the first South Korean movie to be viewed by 10 million Koreans in the theater.

The President's Last Bang - Another movie portraying events from South Korea's sordid past, The President's Last Bang is about the 1979 assassination of the South Korean President by his friend and Intelligence Director. This would be a controversial movie anyway, but the story is told as a black comedy, which led to lawsuits and court rulings. For those interested in Korean history and Korean film history, you have to see this one.

Chunhyang - If you like period pieces, Chunhyang is the story of a hidden love and marriage between a nobleman and the daughter of a courtesan in 18th century Korea. Chunhyang reveals the harsh realities of pre-modern Korean society. When the noble husband goes away for a time, an official takes interest in the bride, which you know is going to lead to trouble.

Guns & Talk - After a tearjerker, you might want to watch a comedy. Guns & Talk is a comedy about four guys who decide to become a team of assassins. When a couple of detectives get on their case, things get a little crazy. While Guns & Talk has a number of implausible situations, if you go into the movie with the right attitude, you should like it. Guns & Talk has a slick visuals, though if you don't like occasional split-screens, you might take a pass.

Memories of Murder - Yet another Korean movie based on real events is Memories of Murder, about the serial killer who terrorized South Korea from 1986 to 1991. Memories of Murder was a hit with both critics and the audience, so expect an artistic film that holds your attention.

Great South Korean Films

The Korean film industry has begun to make a big impact with East Asian movie audiences in the past 10 years or so, and Korea's movies are beginning to reach a wider audience in North America. If you like these 10 South Korean films, keep searching for good Asian movies and expand your viewing experience.