Skip to main content

2019-12-20 Santa Casey

In the morning, a grumpy old man played the role of Santa loved by kids! After that, I returned to the office for several meetings.
*******************************************************

The first meeting was with representatives from a local community center. They learned about us recently, and began looking us up, watching all of our videos on YouTube. 

They brought us gifts which we will donate to students and staff who happen to visit the office.

What I remembered: I got them to subscribe to TNKR-related YouTube channels.
What I forgot: To take individual photos.




*******************************************************

The next meeting was with a mother and daughter. The daughter is a high school student who wants to volunteer with TNKR. We talked about the good and the bad, challenges and opportunities, and our high expectations.

What I remembered: To take a photo with them individually.
What I forgot: To have them sign up for our YouTube channel.





*******************************************************

I skipped our next meeting, about one of our projects with an external organization. Instead, I set up a new fundraiser because we lack funding for refugee interns. In 2020 I would like to have refugee interns in our office as part of our Employment and Education Project. If I fail to raise the money then I will need to dip into my own pocket to make it happen. That means the project won't be sustainable.

Sponsor a refugee intern: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1308031272861440/ (Facebook)
Education and Employment Project: https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/EEP

If you are struggling with those links, try PayPal or other options.

After the staff meeting, we went out to dinner. Dinner is usually good for boosting staff morale!


*******************************************************

More photos from yesterday's Santa Experience.


Some of them were mesmerized, even speechless, but some others told me point-blank they knew I was a pretend Santa. I asked them if they thought it was pretend gifts they had received.

I was a better Santa this year. Last year, i went online, checked videos about being Santa. This year, I decided to just be myself.

It turned out that I didn't need to entertain them, just give them gifts and be playful.




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

Earth Hour 2013 Man of the Year!!!

In case you missed it, last night was Earth Hour. That's when people around the world turn off their lights for one hour to show concern for the Earth. The idea originated from the World Wildlife Fund. Bouncing off Don Boudreaux, I would like to announce that Kim Jong-Un is the Earth Hour 2013 Man of the Year. Kim Jong-Un, Earth Hour's 2013 Man of the Year I won't read through his resume and accomplishments to make my case, I will point out this satellite photo showing the difference between the two Koreas. North Korea, where every day is "Earth Hour." Not only is the dashing young dictator's regime focused on keeping North Koreans in the dark more than just one hour a year, but he is now leading a government that is threatening to blow up other countries for various reasons. He has ordered his military to strike with "lightening speed"--apparently confusing lightening speed with lightening, and thinking that lightening can bring ligh

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. *

2019-06-29 Another Special Saturday

"When are you going to wrap this up?" That's what a whippersnapper asked me near the end of Q&A yesterday, after I had given a speech to North Korean refugee adolescents and their mentors. Thanks to Prof. Shin Hye-young for arranging the session. I'm a man with a lot of self-esteem, but it was tested on Saturday by those kids (more photos below) www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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