2020-01-02 Do your New Year's Resolutions include TNKR?

Yesterday was the calm before the storm. We had no meetings held at the TNKR office yesterday New Year's Day.

After a day off, today was meetings from start to finish.

If you forgot to include TNKR in your New Year's Resolutions for 2020, no problem! No one will remember which resolutions you pledged. So you can add TNKR to your list, then jump in to get something done!

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

Are you eager to get involved with TNKR this year? We are growing as an organization. We have grown to the point that we have expanded our programming for 2020. At one point in our history, our only activity was tutoring. Our name, Teach North Korean Refugees, came from our concern about being able to recruit enough tutors. Now we have to worry about our various programs bumping into each other, with volunteers hopping around the three different tracks.

www.lovetnkr.org/tutor
www.lovetnkr.org/mentor
www.lovetnkr.org/leaders
www.lovetnkr.org/members
www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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Joining TNKR means engaging with some fantastic people who escaped from North Korea!

The following is just from today!

Eunsun Kim dropped by the TNKR office to sign copies of her book, "A Thousand Miles to Freedom." She has been with TNKR on-and-off since July 2014, she was the winner of TNKR's third English speech contest. I have known her for five years now, heard her give many speeches, shared the stage with her many times, and never heard her say a critical thing about anyone.

She was at a high level before she joined TNKR, but continues focusing on improving her English.

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It is always great to see Chanyang Praise Ju! I met her in 2012 just as I was getting involved in NK refugee issues. She was one of TNKR's first students, in 2014 she was our first students to give an international speech, she gave an absolutely incredible testimonial about me in 2014. She has remained with us during that time, always bringing her energy and smile.

Here's her YouTube channel.

We have some students we don't identify publicly. One has been with us since 2014, and another since 2016.

It is always fantastic seeing Songmi! She is joining TNKR in numerous ways, bringing her BIG smile and fantastic energy.

A touching moment is that after our official work hours, we met with local leaders, they are looking for an office for TNKR. It is fantastic that our humble little organization has come to their attention. One, we must thank Sue Choi, owner of the local Isaac sandwich shop. She has kept my business card and an article about me on the wall and also introduced Eunkoo to some of the local leaders in our area.

The latest boost in TNKR's reputation is that I was recently featured on Channel A's "Eye Contact" TV Show. (The full version is blocked in some countries).

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She didn't visit the office today, but today was a special day because it is the birthday of Sharon Jang!
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www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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...

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Michael Jackson & Prince

Michael Jackson, born August 29, 1958 Prince (Rogers Nelson), born June 7, 1958 Note: Originally posted 1/31/05; reposted in honor of Prince performing at the Super Bowl this weekend... Once upon a time, I wanted to be Mike. Michael Jackson was the lovable lead singer of the Jackson 5 during the 1960s and 1970s. His family had been poor, so it is no surprise that they were releasing at least one album a year. Michael was the family's lottery ticket. I was a big-time fan. I was a member of the Jackson 5 fan club. My brothers and I tried to be just like Mike. I'm the tallest of the three. Check me out, I was so C-O-O-L ! Look at that 'Fro. Could there have been a cooler Bible-carrying kid? I could have hid entire African villages under that cap. And the African villages that could not have fit in that Afro could have squeezed into my bell bottoms. You'd have to pay me money to wear those beads today, but I was stylin' then. But it was clear that I was destined to beco...

Get rid of that watermelon!

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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...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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