2014-08-17 My Korean Teacher!

Yes, it is true, I now have a private tutor! We are both busy people, but will do our best to meet a certain number of times per week (which I won't mention, because no matter which number I mention, some will say, "that not enough").

Anyway, she is nice enough to take the time to come see me. Although she admitted at the session where we met a few weeks ago that she will use me as one of her guinea pigs.^^

She has an incredible story, which I won't tell, but it is really interesting that she is now willing to take the time to teach me.

I have four other teachers I will meet occasionally, but of course, as soon as I decided to study Korean more seriously, some huge unanticipated projects popped up/re-emerged.

I will never have 17 teachers like my colleague Yeonmi Park has, but I will meet at least one or two teachers regularly...

It was a great moment--we had five people eager to study Korean, and five South Koreans eager to teach them, as volunteers.

I post this at the risk of knowing that people will be asking me, the next time they see me, "Are you fluent yet?" Just like when someone starts working on a book, "Have you finished it yet?"

하이, 선생님. 대단히고맙습니다.^^ She's my main teacher, we have set a regular schedule, and she is going to make me stick to it!

I organized this session helping beginners and fake beginners who want to learn/improve their Korean. 5 teachers, 5 students. And the tall guy in the back isn't standing on a table, he is really that tall.

She promised me that she can meet often...

Good guy, he took on several students. I will be meeting with him soon.

She also teaches Chinese...but it will be enough of a challenge for her to improve my Korean, I won't even amuse her with my lousy Chinese

I did my best to look bored, yawning, kept looking at my phone...it didn't matter... Ginny Min-Jin Song was determined to push some Korean into my head, even teaching me on the bus going back from Yeoju

Obama debating Keyes, 2004, education excerpt

PONCE : Thank you. Let's move to the question of education. Mr. Obama, you've said that you consider education as the most important civil rights issue facing America today. Currently, your children are in private schools. If you're elected to the Senate, will you send them to public schools? OBAMA: Well, my children currently go to the lab school at the University of Chicago where I teach, and my wife works, and we get a good deal for it. But, so - - (laughter, applause) OBAMA: - -it depends on whether we move or not. And that, obviously, hinges on the election and what's gonna happen. We're gonna choose the best possible education for our children, as I suspect all parents are gonna try to do. And that's part of the reason why, consistently when I've been in the state legislature, I've tried to promote those kinds of reforms that would improve what I think is an inadequate performance by too many public schools, all across the state. PONCE : But yo...

Rating the 10 Magazine speakers

I attended another 10 Magazine speech organized by Barry Welsh. Here are my unofficial grades for the speakers I have heard so far: 1) Shin Dong Hyuk (A+) : The audience was captivated. A few ladies were in tears as he discussed his escape from North Korea, his adjustment to living in South Korea, his difficulty at enjoying life. I first met Shin shortly before the best-selling book (Escape from Camp 14) in America about him was published, and was a bit surprised when he recognized me at an event and struck up a conversation with me even though he is so shy. Even though I was already familiar with his story, it was still great to hear it first hand in an informal setting. I threw a curveball at him, mentioning that that some people have doubted the veracity of his story. He took it in stride. After escaping from a prison camp in North Korea, I guess that there aren't many things that could rattle him. Shin, Lartigue 2) Michael Breen (A): An outstanding mix of humo...

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...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Race, race, race

On the issue of race: Clinton goes first, (surprisingly) without her Selma accent. Biden doesn’t mention that there is a clean and article black person on the stage. Richardson says the next president must talk about race…we need less talk about race, and more about individual action. Edwards said something, apparently to help us transition to the only somewhat black candidate on the panel. Obama has the home field advantage being at Howard, but doesn’t do much with the initial question. Kucinich says that people are told to raise themselves up by their own bootstraps, but then they steal the boots. He gets the loudest cheers. This will be a long night if that continues... Gravel —who? Dodd —like the 64th team in the NCAA basketball pool, Dodd should be one and done. Brb, I’m checking on the NBA draft… CJL

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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