2018-11-01 A Slow Week at TNKR

Looking at the photos, it doesn't seem like it, but TNKR just had a slow week.

TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee is on a trip to the USA, so we tried to slow things down during this time. But because of some internal planning, it seems that we have still been busy!

PUBLIC SPEAKING: I was thrilled to share the stage with 김성철 and Eunsun Kim. They were both great in a presentation to international students. (see more photos at the bottom of this post)

Then to a presentation of American tourists, 김성철 had the visitors laughing and also in tears as he discussed his story and talked about North Korea. He was in command, the audience was his. They had so many questions, they were even coming after me with questions about North Korea and North Korean refugees.

2020 comment: TNKR has gotten through COVID, but one way we were hurt was the cancellation of these types of events with tourists.

* Refugees could hone their public speaking skills with friendly audiences.
* Speakers could also get paid some pocket money for the speeches.
* TNKR would often get a donation from the tourists.

We had at least 50 confirmed speaking events for 2020, and many more would pop up. All were cancelled this year because of the virus.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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Check out my latest Korea Times column about the joy of presenting opportunities for refugees to tell their stories.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2018/11/626_257906.html

One refugee told me yesterday that he is so happy knowing that people want to hear him speak, he never could have imagined that when he was in North Korea.

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TUTORING: Public speaking is great, but it is still English tutoring that is at the heart of TNKR. Janice Kim has fully taken over the running of Track 1. It means that I can become an absentee director. :-)

Eunkoo Lee, Janice and I talk almost every day about ways to improve TNKR. From my part, now that I can observe Track 1 rather than having to manage everything, I can see many ways to tweak things.

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FANS AND VISITORS: I have many meetings that are uplifting.

It is difficult to top the meeting I had the other day with Maria Kim and Praise Changyang JU. One lady calls me a hero, the other calls me "Pretty Flower Man." If you ever want to know what it must feel like to be pancakes having syrup poured on, you should have seen me at the meeting with them. They are absolutely fantastic, so sweet, lovely and caring, and they are fans of mine.

https://www.facebook.com/CaseyLartigue/videos/vb.100004020120914/1308010412676284/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab

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VOLUNTEERS

We have had more than 800 tutors and coaches. It is great when some can volunteer in our office. They can see the reality of life at TNKR--that the co-founders fight, that we don't have enough space to match the level of our plans, that refugees love and admire what we are doing. Josefine Johansen came to us for almost a month, tutoring, coaching, designing flyers, helping at events, and helping around the office any way that she could.

One volunteer who visited said he now feels that he wasn't prepared for how motivated the students would be when it comes to studying. It took him a little time to catch up to their eagerness.

We have another high school student who is organizing a fundraiser for TNKR. She visited with her father yesterday to talk about her plans.

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VISITORS

Two of my youngest brother's friends visited South Korea, they stopped by the TNKR office to talk, for hours!

2020 update: They may not be surprised to learn that the lousy restaurant I took them to shut down recently!

South Korean booster

She is one of the behind-the-scenes boosters that any growing organization needs. She is always to thrilled about TNKR growing to become a stronger organization. One time when we were struggling with a government office, she was calling them almost every day to complain at anyone who would listen--and they did because she would call back!

This young lady asked if I could help her give a TEDx Talk. It was great timing, because I was going to be MC of a TEDx event!

We worked together to get her speech prepared, and she delivered a fantastic speech!!!

Support TNKR: www.lovetnkr.org/donate

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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

Does a flower turn to the sun?

I tend not to address points raised by people commenting on posts. In the back-and-forth of such discussions, people sometimes say things they don't mean or take extreme positions. In other cases they are just trying to be provocative, especially when they can remain anonymous. But a discussion on Greg Mankiw's blog caught my attention. That's because a couple of the folks suggested that parents don't really have the knowledge to make decisions about the quality of schools. Between 2002-2004 I was actively involved in the fight to get school vouchers for families in DC. I often heard the argument that parents don't know how to choose between good and bad schools and that, anyway, parents had enough choices with the school system's "out-of-boundary" options and charters (that had also been opposed). Without getting too deep into the out-of-boundary program, I'll point out that Woodrow Wilson HS, considered one of the best schools in the city, recei...

2018-09-28 Not everyone at KFC cooks chickens

Most of the people who contact us at TNKR naturally want to tutor North Korean refugees. Many potential volunteers are shocked shocked shock ed to learn that they can volunteer with TNKR in other ways. I tell many of them: "Not everyone at KFC cooks chickens. There are also delivery people, accountants, marketers, personnel, and a host of other positions." Earlier this year, we began developing the TNKR Volunteer Leadership Academy. I'm still waiting for someone to take over that little project. Until then, I will continue with developing it. And be developing it, I mean telling people, "Don't write me a long business plan about what you would like to do. Just start doing it, keep me updated and in the conversations, then let's talk and update." We have had a recent influx of volunteers who want to help TNKR in other ways. Jackie Cole is now running our Instagram. She constantly surprises me with the flyers and videos she posts. I made it clear from the ...

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 scenes in Seoul

Yesterday morning I stopped by to buy some kimbab 김밥 at one of the places that sells rolls for 1,000 won (about $.80, depending on how much the Korean or U.S. government have screwed up their respective currencies). I stop by there often so of course the woman there recognizes me. Of course, they probably recognized me from the first time I went there... Yesterday, she asked in Korean if I liked tan mu gi 단무지. I said yes, that I loved it. As I was trying to pay, she hurriedly cut some up right then, then fed it to me, like I was a 6 year old child... I could see everyone in the shop watching... then, I said, "맛있어요!" delicious! I could see everyone smiling. I'm surprised they didn't start applauding. * * * Friendly fights Saw a funny fight the other day. Two guys in a restaurant were wrestling with each other, knocking over at least one table. I watched, not really interested in getting involved. They could be two friends fighting over a woman or for some other reason,...

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