Skip to main content

The little black man inside us all

I rode with my two of my Korean colleagues in two different taxis in Seoul today...

only had two close calls with other vehicles.

The driver in the second taxi was quite balanced. First, he almost collided with a car on his left as he merged into traffic. Then, he almost collided with a vehicle on his right that was merging into traffic. Was a truck headed straight for us next? He took it all in stride, not bothering to curse at either one of the other drivers.

I remember when I was a youngster hearing that mothers would advise their children to wear clean underwear and socks in case they were in an accident. As Bill Cosby pointed out, there is a possibility that such items would be found in the glove compartment after a tremendous accident.

* * *

Speaking of socks...

I visited two Korean businesses today along with my colleagues. The great thing about both companies? Employees were walking around in shorts, sandals. One was wearing a very fashionable cap, the type I would like to wear. I wanted to take a photo of him with the cap on but figured that my intentions would be lost in the translation...

At one place we didn't have to take our shoes off, but at the second place not only did we have to take our shoes off, but wear some nice sandals they had at the front door. The pain! Walking around in sandals at the office?

Thankfully, I didn't bring any socks with holes in them.

* * *

Was this lost in the translation?


I noticed this book when we were meeting with one of the publishers. The title: "The Little Black Man." The author is Fulvia Degl`Innocent.

I initially thought I had come across a racist book. The author is Italian. Based on the context, the "little black man" is the angry side in all of us. Couldn't come across a single black person in the entire book, but I guess those who track the various negative meanings of the use of the word "black" can make hay with it...

I'm just happy that my taxi driver didn't have a little black man inside him--he would have started driving like a maniac...

* * *

Eating Korean

Had lunch with my colleagues. Once again, I wasn't asked or expected to pay. Had lunch a few days ago with the president of a think tank. He waved me off when I offered to pay my half. Met a friend for lunch--she brought me a box of grapes. There are many great things about Korea. Definitely, the way my colleagues and friends treat me is one of them. I just hope it lasts.

The president of the organization I'm working with has been especially generous. She has bought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner on several occasions.

* * *

Speaking of hunger...

I see that the U.N. hopes there won't be hunger by 2025. I'm willing to bet all of the money I have against anyone from the U.N. that there will still be hunger in 2025.

I'm guessing that if I'm Seoul then that I'll probably be doing quite well.

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 ...