A man was arrested and forced at gunpoint to the sub-district office while charging him with bringing destruction to the Lao nation and government due to his embracing of the Christian faith. This resulted in a number of punishment measures against the Christians such as the denial of schooling for children of Christian parents who were attending a school in the man's village. It has now been five months since this event occurred, and Lao authorities continue to illegally keep children of Christian parents from attending school today. All of these children have expressed in unison that the reason they have persisted in their Christian faith is because it is a faith that is based on truth and love.
Here's a more comprehensive video of the top 10 persecuted churches in the world right now.
I hate how NBC doesn't allow international viewing. The American commentators sound much more excited and impressed than the SBS fools. On the other hand, the American commentators weren't choking on their tears and thanking 연아 as if she had won for them.
Thought of the Day: 몸살 Song of the Day: Taru-Miss You Alternative Mix
The whole country was watching her. Now the whole world is. Kim Yuna is so successful in so many ways. Setting new world records. Having a cell phone named after her. Becoming her country's biggest celebrity. I wonder what kinds of struggles she has.
For the longest time, I predicted that she'd choke in the Olympics with the greatest pressure that any Korean athlete has ever had. More than anything, I just want to see the look on her face as that Korean flag is being raised while the national anthem is playing. When she wins, we win too!
Thought of the Day: 장례식장 Song of the Day: CNBlue-외톨이야
In the past two weeks, I decided to watch some old school classics that I had never touched in my life. (in order)
Lawrence of ArabiaSunset Blvd. 8 1/2 (couldn't finish this crap).Once Upon a Time in the WestSome Like It HotI was disappointed with the first two and a half, but the last two were worthwhile. I'm no cowboy lover, but Once Upon a Time in the West is seriously the best western movie ever to be made. There are far too many good quotes to share all of them, but here's the one that started the movie...
Harmonica: And Frank? Snaky: Frank sent us. Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me? Snaky: Well... looks like we're... [snickers] Snaky: ...looks like we're shy one horse. Harmonica: You brought two too many.
I had always heard of Some Like It Hot, but was turned off by the fact that it was in black and white. However, it ranked really high on AFI and IMDB, so I gave it a shot. I had always heard about Marilyn Monroe and seen pictures of her, but this was the first time I really saw her beauty and heard her voice. And as always, I Wikipediaed and IMDBed her to see what her life was like. She actually had a pretty depressing one starting from her multiple foster home childhood to her abusive adulthood. Here's a sad video that commemorates her last days.
As I did some research on Gloria Swanson who played Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd., it turns that the character she played in the movie reflected a very similar biography of her own life. She had a total of six husbands in her lifetime! That's more than the Samaritan woman at the well!
With all the hours that I spend reseaching and watching movies, I wonder what I would do instead if I didn't have my computer. It scares me to think just how much more productive I'd be.
Thought of the Day: McDonalds Song of the Day: U2-Babyface
Today, one of my soon-to-be high school students told me that my face looked like Yoona's from SNSD. Finally, there's someone who agrees with me! Just kidding. Sucks to you be you, Yoona.
As I've been teaching more and more teenagers over the years, I've been realizing just how terrible humans are during their adolescence. They are moody, impatient, and irrational (see above). Quick to ignore and slow to understand. I've seen smiling students become frowning depressants in just a matter of months. I've become an enemy to many just overnight. How do I communicate with these hormones?
But more importantly, I've learned just how awful I was to my family and teachers when I was a teenager too. Even if I didn't show it on the outside, I was so cynical towards many people who only meant good. I made myself a genius in my own eyes while the rest of the world was too stupid to understand what I was going through. Arrogance was off the charts. But with these realizations, I've also had the strength and ability to handle and deal with my impossible students. I know cause I've been there...even if they refuse to think so. I can forgive because I've been forgiven much. I can love because I've been loved much.
Even if my face looks like a Girls' Generation.
Thought of the Day: Gender Identity Disorder Song of the Day: U2-Babyface
At a conference in London, a former prison guard from North Korea passed on an anecdote:
'In camp no 22 there was a Christian elderly (woman). To me she seemed really faithful. One day I witnessed that she was getting beaten up and I asked one of the guards why and he said, "This crazy lady, she is still believing in God." Christians are considered as mentally ill people. The worst crime in North Korea is not believing in Kim Jong Il and his father. Christians are one of the worst criminals.'
Thought of the Day: Happy New Year! Song of the Day: Chris Tomlin-Wonderful Maker
Many of you know that I have a (growing) passion for 삼겹살. These past several weeks, I've been eating it much more than usual since my dad's been bringing some home about twice a week due to great deals at the market and his own love for pork too. On top of that, I have it another one or two times when I have dinner with some friends or relatives. Just to give you some perspective, I had meat five times two weeks ago. Last week, I had it twice. This week, I've had it three times. So I started to actually have some concern about my health and decided to look up the calorie content of a typical 삼겹 dinner for me. Considering how much I eat, it turns out to be over a whopping 2,300 calories, not including rice and 반찬. Did you know that a serving of 삼겹살 is 585 calories and 540 are from fat?
To make matters worse, I sleep more than 8 hours a day and exercise 0 hours a month. And if you know me, I consume a lot for lunch too. I've also developed a habit of eating hardboiled eggs for dessert cause I obviously need more cholesterol in my system. Man, I'm going to die so soon.
But it tastes so good!
Thought of the Day: It's my dad's fault. Song of the Day: 아날로그 숲-Nobody Know
Today, I asked eight different people if they were free for dinner. All of them said no. Before I met with my last student in the evening, I realized that my fly had been open the entire day. I can't remember the last time this happened to me! When I went to Food 2,900 to pick up my 1,000won 김밥, they told me that they had raised it to 1,500won starting this year. My jaw literally dropped. It's just one of those days.
"Any teacher can take a child to the classroom, but not every teacher can make him learn. He will not work joyously unless he feels that liberty is his, whether he is busy or at rest; he must feel the flush of victory and the heartsinking of disappointment before he takes with a will the tasks distasteful to him and resolves to dance his way bravely through a dull routine of textbooks." -Helen Keller
I have this new student named Kelly. She's only in 1st grade, but I'm already teaching her words like "endure" and "value." The amazing thing is that she actually retains this stuff! Today, we took a review test of 40 words, and she only missed four. I usually don't express how much I love young children, but this girl is FRAKING cute too. Even when she yawns, burps, and sneezes, she is ridiculously adorable.
Until she starts speaking in Korean.
For some reason, she's like this pure angel while speaking to me in English as we're having class. But as soon as she leaves that door, Kelly turns into 정민 and all hell breaks loose with her inner demon on the prowl. She's always talking one bar higher than she has to whenever she speaks in Korean. She's also supposedly well-known for how loud she can scream, so my ears are always in fear. Why can't she just stay Kelly and never turn into 정민?
I really want to take pictures and videos of her, but kids tell their parents everything...that will get the teacher in trouble. Shekis. But just to give you an idea, here are pictures of my niece that illustrate a little bit about what I'm talking about: Hyde Jekyll
Thought of the Day: Super Bowl Song of the Day: Beastie Boys-Sure Shot
A while back, Angie had recommended Almost Famous, but I never gave it a chance. The other week, my old coworker referred to that movie and suggested that I watch it. So I did. And I liked it. Here are my two favorite quotes from that movie:
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." -Lester Bangs
"Never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun. And if you ever get lonely, you just go to the record store and visit your friends." -Penny Lane
I guess, in my case, I just watch a movie and visit my friends there. I'm now going to rewatch High Fidelity.
Thought of the Day: 막내 누나 Song of the Day: Interpol-Untitled
I've been having some really strange and vivid dreams lately. The other night, I dreamt that I was a real-life, modern-day Link from The Legend of Zelda. Last night, I was running through a hallway and arrived at a box full of dvds in front of my apartment as my mom and brother told me that we were moving to Germany. The funny thing about my dreams with my brother is that he's always in elementary school. I can't remember a single dream of him being in high school or college. He's always a little boy. Go fig.
I've been sleeping so much this winter. Ever since I got back from Mongolia, I've been averaging 8-9 hours a night. I'm almost positive that I sleep more than every single one of my students! All this eating and sleeping is really turning me into a bear. I'm so tired of vegging and being inactive for so long. Spring officially starts tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure it will really start a month or two later. Every time I walk by the park next to SBS, I look longingly at the melancholy basketball court. We'll soon be together again, my love.
Thought of the Day: Pupil Song of the Day: Ash-다시 비가 내리고
