Skip to main content

Mulmangcho--September 23--They didn't want to stop

Yesterday I had a great time at Mulmangcho. But the others had an even greater time:
Item #1: It was lunchtime, but the kids didn’t want to eat!
Item #2: It was time to leave, but the volunteers didn’t want to go!
* * *
Item #1: It was lunchtime, but the kids didn’t want to eat!
Kristen Alice was our lead teacher for the young kids. She taught the kids how to make pinwheels. And they loved it! After they finished making them, they were blowing them, running with them to make them spin. From Monday-Friday, they are drilled in Korean to help get them ready for mainstream schools. On Saturday, they have hakwon like activities (art, music, dance). Then Sunday, it is their one chance to hear English. It is technically their free day–if we don’t show up then they get to play or study all day.
The kitchen staff gave me the 10 minute warning that lunch was ready. I informed everyone–but everyone continued teaching and learning. I gave a second warning, then a third warning–I returned to the kitchen, alone. Everyone was still in their classrooms. I’m sure the staff was wondering what’s wrong me, why I didn’t just force the kids to come to eat.
Item #2: It was time to leave, but the volunteers didn’t want to go!
Lunch was great. We were able to take our time because Lolu Ayo had his car. We took some photos out front, then the kids did their best to earn free time by singing and performing. Our volunteers were mesmerized, getting a preview of the performances the kids will put on next week when Mulmangcho celebrates its first anniversary.
I mentioned a few times that it was time to go, but the volunteers seemed to lose their hearing as they snapped photos and video recorded the kids performing. Then I suggested to Lolu, “Why don’t you start the car, that may get their attention.” Finally, when the kids took a pause, I announced that anyone who wanted to go to Seoul should join us because we were leaving.
* * *
He wasn’t a volunteer, but Ilnam Park, a teacher at the school during the week, was there again yesterday. He is an intense teacher, but he is so gentle about it. He is so attentive to the kids at all times, making sure they learn both inside and outside of the classroom.
* * *
I had everything planned for yesterday, but as former boxing champ Mike Tyson has said: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
One memorable moment for me: The young adult female walked in, hugging her English book. She hadn’t been there when we divided the teachers and students, so she didn’t have anyone to teach her. She didn’t ask to study, she was just standing there holding her book. So things were turned upside down again. Thankfully we had enough (flexible) volunteers who didn’t mind that I was moving them around like pieces on a chessboard. Lovy Kim and Lolu were role playing and pushing the young man to help get him ready for applying to have a college interview in English. Jinhee was teaching up a storm with the young lady, correcting and teaching pronunciation in such an expert way that I was wondering how correct my own pronunciation was. And, of course, Kristen had the kids so engaged that they ignored the calls to go eat.
* * *
One funny moment: One of the ladies at the school took a picture of me. So I then asked her to take a photo with me, then in the second photo, I had her put my sunglasses on.
* * *
This Sunday the school will be celebrating its first anniversary. At children’s day, Cortney and I showed off our swing dancing skills. I’m not sure about an encore, but I do hope some of our other volunteers or other interested parties will come up with something.


She just joined the school. I caught her taking a picture of me, so I loaned her my sunglasses and took a photo with her.


If you ever want your pronunciation corrected--even if you are a native speaker--then consult with Jinhee. Wow! I was second guessing my own pronunciation after watching her teach...


Kristen wants everyone to know the student taped her own mouth! There are some weeks that I would like to have a mouth-taping class with the students, but not yesterday!

The kid with 1 million facial expressions. He is always happy, making faces. 






They weren't just entertaining the volunteers. They were also hustling to earn more free time. 





With school staff.





Next week will be the one year anniversary of the school being founded. If you would like to entertain the kids--juggling, magic tricks, dancing, or some other way, then let me know ASAP.


Popular posts from this blog

Eunkoo Lee: TNKR's #1 Settler

If I could convince TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee that we needed to start executing volunteers, then she would quickly come up with a schedule with their names and execution times. She would do it fairly and orderly, accepting no exceptions or changes. If I suggested a change, then an argument would start about me being "Mr. Changeable" interrupting the schedule. That is how I have worked with Eunkoo Lee over the past seven years. She must be convinced, but once she believes in something, she charges ahead. What she is NOT interested in is public relations or dealing with media. I say this to people, but they don't believe me. But like the minister said after witnessing a baptism, "Not only do I believe in baptism, but I've seen it done!" * * * It has happened again! Someone noticed that my bio is much longer than Eunkoo's. I have heard a number of gripes from people over the years, ranging from Eunkoo should be featured more to I should step aside
Read more

North Korean defector seeks justice (Korea Times)

  It was international news when 12 North Korean waitresses and a male manager who worked at a restaurant operated by the North Korean regime in China arrived in South Korea in 2016.  The waitresses have mostly maintained a low profile. There have been numerous accusations and assertions, with some saying the waitresses didn't want to escape, some accused the Park Geun-hye administration of playing politics by releasing details of the case, etc., etc., etc. My blog at the Korea Times today features an exclusive interview with one of the former North Korean waitresses who filed a criminal case against the former manager. You can read about it here on the Korea Times website. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/02/728_345165.html   Keep in mind that there are many more facts to the case and that it is much deeper than this brief excerpt of her comments. She also shared legal documents that I shared with the Korea Times well in advance to give them time to review the case. *
Read more

Breen's column that outraged Samsung

“What People Got for Christmas” Michael Breen The Korea Times December 25, 2009 At this time of year when Seoul’s bare winter trees are wrapped in beckoning lights ― blue and white are the in colors ― and Merry Xmas signs at hotels and department stores are really saying come-hither-gentle-reveler-and-empty-your-purse, and when expensive restaurants belch noisy year-end office party groups onto every street and the karaoke rooms are full, it is tempting to declare that Christmas has lost its soul. But that would be a mistake. Christmas is a time for giving, and, before they can be given, gifts have to be bought. Commerce is good. Here, as proof, is a round up of some of the gifts given and received today by people in the news. Samsung, the world’s largest conglomerate and the rock upon which the Korean economy rests, sent traditional year-end cards offering best wishes for 2010 to the country’s politicians, prosecutors and journalists, along with 50 million w
Read more

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h
Read more

Helping North Koreans 'strike the blow' (Korea Times)

H ave you ever engaged in action not because you were sure it would change the world, but to satisfy your own heart? That, I emailed to an American friend, is why I have joined the effort to help North Koreans who are trying to escape from their homeland. I can’t change the direction of policy in North Korea or China but I can row the boat I am sitting in rather than lamenting that I can’t steer the yachts somewhere else. So I have tried to do what I can: Attending protests in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul (and I plan to do so when I visit America in April); donating money to the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights ( www.nkhumanrights.or.kr ); educating myself, writing articles and emailing friends; and, as a member of the board of trustees, I recently submitted a resolution to the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association (FDMHA) in Washington, D.C., to try to call attention to the plight of North Koreans. Our organization’s missi
Read more