2014-02-22 English Matching: The Yeon Mi Park Show!

My colleague Lee Eunkoo and I started the English Matching Project in March 2013. Thankfully, it was all volunteer, because if we had been working with a company, we would have gotten fired. Now? The program is running really smoothly. Some of the highlights from yesterday.

* The Collector: Yeon Mi Park!!! She has been to a few sessions now. Yesterday, she swooped in and claimed four of the teachers! She is the kind of student that teachers love. She is so motivated to learn. She appreciates when someone teaches her something. She already had four teachers, then at round 2, one of the teachers taught her something, she then reserved him to be her teacher after one of the short-term teachers leaves!!!^^

* Clear goal: There is an old saying: "The threat of execution sharpens the mind." Yeon Mi's speech at the March 15 event has also given her a clear goal. The same with Mi Yeon! She is studying so hard now to get ready for the March 15 event. When I first asked Mi Yeon to speak at that event, I assumed she would speak in Korean. But she let me know that she wanted to try to give a speech in English. So be sure to cheer her on!^^

https://www.facebook.com/events/398517193617811/

* Referrals: Whereas we initially had to recruit and search for refugees, they are now falling into our laps. For the last few sessions, they have all been referrals. At first, nobody was recommending nobody to us!

* Academic Adviser: One sad thing is that Joo Yeon Cho will be stepping down as the Academic Adviser. She assures me that I wasn't overworking her and didn't do anything else to cause this to happen. Some great things have happened in her work life, so she can't devote the same amount of time. As I say, she came into my life in late September. I immediately knew that something great had happened, but I also knew I should be thankful for every moment she was helping, cuz it couldn't last! Of all the wonderful things she did, I must single out the way she took on Chanyang JU, helping her boost up her English and get her ready for the speech she gave in India. I have so much to say, but I realize that even if I want to say it all, not everyone wants to read it all. I feel I can never thank Joo Yeon enough for that or to praise Chanyang enough for how much she improved in such a short time.

* Always concerned: This program is not as rigid as others. So as I keep telling the volunteers, it can only be as good as they are. I discourage socializing, but people are people. I hope they can take it seriously for at least three months, then after that they can choose to renew, start socializing or end the matches. But I guess if the NK refugees can get at least three months of serious study that it can encourage them and also give them a foundation to build upon, but it still feels like some volunteers are ready to take us down a dead-end street. We do need people to resist the temptation because, as with most people learning: some of our NK refugees in the project may be more interested in goofing off when they realize it will still be tough to improve their English despite having native and fluent speakers helping them.

* Resumes/CVs: I will be updating the FAQ to add a note about resumes. Several of the refugees printed out the resumes of the teachers! (We edit the resumes to only include first names and delete contact info, Eunkoo puts them into one document to make it easier for the refugees to review them in advance).

* Flukes yesterday:

--Three North Korean refugees canceled yesterday. Incredible, considering that we only had two cases in the last year that I can recall, as compared to 80 matches we made.

--At most matching sessions, the volunteers are women. Yesterday: 9 men, 1 woman.

--Three of the teachers hail from London/UK. That is definitely a fluke I want to stop in its tracks! But my colleague Eunkoo loved it, she studied in the UK and always welcomes such folks.

* Special thanks to all of the volunteers who have agreed to teach for at least three months (except in two cases approved in advance): Lolu Ayo, Simon Mundy, Marco Pina, David Emanuel Clej, Cari Ferguson, Mark Fagundes, Aaron Grommesh, Roderico Atienza, Albert Han and Robin Shaw.

* Now, comes the main part: Teaching and learning...

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Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

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...

To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help. I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work. So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than c...

Why I won't go to North Korea (Korea Times, December 27, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. “Have you ever been to North Korea?” This is the question I am almost always asked here in South Korea when people learn that I have become an activist for North Korean escapees. My response is curt: “No.” “Do you plan on going?” they ask next. My answer remains the same: “No.” When they start to ask a follow-up question, I cut them off: "No." People are often just trying to make conversation, I know, but I am blunt for a reason: I am not interested in going to North Korea as long as North Koreans are held captive. I could go one day, but for now, I can do without a government-guided tour by " men-stealers and women-whippers ," to borrow a phrase from American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. I don’t mean to criticize people who have gone to North Korea for political, educational, business, religious reasons or just plain curiosity. However, some people push me on the issue, ― and I push back. A good friend wh...

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