Skip to main content

24 million comrades served daily!

* Average [South] Korean Turning Overweight
* N. Korea Opens 1st Fast-Food Restaurant

I predicted more than a decade ago that if North Korea ever allowed McDonald's to open a branch that it wouldn't be long before NPR and South Korean media/intellectuals complained about North Koreans becoming overweight (as opposed to those who eat grass to keep from starving).

I'm sticking by that prediction:

According to the Korea Times: "South Korea used to be known as a nation of slim people thanks to its diet of fruits and vegetables. But the reputation has become a thing of the past as a growing number of Koreans are becoming obese due to the widespread popularity of high-calorie and high-fat Western foods, as well as a lack of exercise."

In unrelated news, N. Koreans who have been eating grass may finally have a chance to eat fast-food. As the Korea Herald reminds us: "North Korea suffers from chronic food shortages, with private analysts saying that about 1 million people may have starved to death during the famine of the late 1990s."

1) Will South Koreans advise North Koreans to stop while they are ahead?
2) I'm not saying I believe that South Koreans are overweight. Apparently some sharp looking people are overweight according to the BMI scale.
3) The Korea Herald reports on the BMI of Asians. Does that mean there are different BMIs based on race or nationality? Would that mean that an Asian person judged by the Asian BMI could be "normal" or underweight if judged by the American or some other standard? I would expect a rush of Asian women moving to America so they could be considered slim just by landing on American soil and later getting American citizenship.
4) What's the name of the restaurant? Dear Leader's Burgers?
5) In addition to opening a McDonald's in downtown Pyongyang, I've also recommended that South Korea and other countries send perishable food to North Korea rather than rice or other food that can be diverted to the military.

* * *

Americans love to sing!!!

I went to a language exchange gathering yesterday. It was a lot of fun. First, we read and discussed an article in English. Then broke up into different groups to study different languages (Korean, German, Japanese). Then, after that, we went out to sing.

Before going out to sing some of the Koreans were telling me how much Americans love to sing. My point: I don't think Americans in America love to sing. But it is probably more likely that an American in Korea will learn to love to sing.

Using the same reasoning, it makes sense to say that Americans love Korean food. Of course, some Americans who have never been to South Korea absolutely love Korean food. But an American who stays in Korea will either (1) already love it (2) grow to love it (3) breakdown and get used to it.

It is the old issue of self-selection. People who choose a place or activity will be more likely to enjoy it than those who don't. Finally, it clicked for them all: Ah, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

* * *

Swing, swing, swing my baby!

I went out dancing Saturday night. I finally have the basic steps down. I have now moved on to stage two: stop looking at my feet. Then, I can move on to stage three: leading my dancing partners. Right now I am still tentative but later I'm going to be the most arrogant swing dancer in history.

Swing Baby by Park Jin Young!




* * *

* Lee Renews Call to Cut Private Tutoring Costs
* Court Rules Against Tuition Ceiling

South Korea's president continues the government's decades long war against private education.

A court in Seoul has ruled against tuition ceilings.

The money quote:



``With public education failing to provide better services than private cram schools, lessons from private cram schools are as important as public education. As such, setting a uniform restriction on hagwon bills goes against freedom of education protected under the Constitution.''

The judge added there are several factors that should be taken into account to determine appropriate tuition. ``Tuition should be set in accordance with market conditions, not a uniform guideline from authorities.''

The court then does what courts often do:
(1) rule so that no one is completely happy and
(2) guarantee that there will be future cases on the issue.

As the Korea Times adds: "But he also said exorbitantly high tuition should be subject to punishment as it may hamper social stability in education."

What is "exorbitantly?" Who will decide that? What happened to the price being set by the market? Based on what the Korea Times reported there will be future cases as government employees try to determine what is exorbitant.

CJL

Popular posts from this blog

Mentoring while Black (Korea Times 2/16/2023)

  Mentoring while Black by Casey Lartigue Jr. February 16, 2023 www.patreon.com/caseylartigue

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger.   * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

Scam? Yo Momma!

Note: This was originally posted shortly after Jesse Lee Peterson's book was published, reposted in 2005, and now because of a fight between black customers and a Korean merchant in Dallas, Texas. Scam? Yo Momma! During the summer of 2002 I was an observer to a dispute between the Asian owners of a Chinese takeout and some of their black customers in Washington, D.C. The month-long boycott began when a local activist accused a cook at a Chinese takeout of attempting to cook a piece of chicken he had allegedly dropped on the floor. Despite the best efforts of human rights activist Dick Gregory, popular talk-show host Joe Madison, and Rev. Walter Fauntroy, the protestors were unable to coax any media to report on the protest. On some days there were, by my unofficial count, as many as 100 people chanting songs and marching. But one key person was missing: Rev. Jesse Jackson. It was important to the foot soldiers at the boycott that someone from the media report on...

March 26 is a special day (with Eunmi Park)

  March 26th is a special date in Eunmi Park's life, for two different reasons, as she will explain one day. It was also special for us today because we (FSI co-founders Casey Lartigue and Eunkoo Lee) got to spend it with her. We set a new record today: Eunmi spent almost seven hours at our office this lovely Saturday afternoon-turned-night. Most evenings when she records a video she is at our for three to five hours Today she recorded two more videos for her YouTube channel . After years of silence, Eunmi has posted six YouTube videos her first two weeks of speaking out and now has three more videos recorded to be uploaded next week. They run the range of emotions. One video is heart-warming and inspirational, one is infuriating, and the last one... I am not sure how to describe it without giving away the story, but there are some sensitive points in it. To get ready for the video, Eunmi first sends the script to FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee. She translates it, then I (and sometimes ...