2018-11-03 TNKR in multiple time zones

* Yesterday I was one of the judges at an English Speech Contest for North Korean refugee youngsters hosted by the Hana Foundation. 11 TNKR volunteers helped with the preparation of the contest by coaching refugees. We were joined yesterday by other TNKR volunteers, donors and fundraisers.

* A few subway stops away, TNKR was managing another session of a Leadership Workshop for South Korean natives and North Korean refugees. With the TNKR co-directors busy, Youngmin Kwon was TNKR's representative. The participants are getting prepared for a trip to Germany, again hosted by the Hana Foundation.

* TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee has been in the USA the last few weeks, at the invitation of the US State Department. In addition to learning a lot about American history, and learning that I haven't been lying to her, she met with TNKR Super Crazy Love Us All the Time Eben Appleton, Charlie Appleton and Pam Davidson in South Carolina.

* TNKR Ambassador Eunsun Kim spoke at the TNKR office on October 6, quotes from her speech and interview were quoted at length this morning by NBC News.com
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-koreans-see-gamble-trusting-kim-jong-un-over-nuclear-n924816

* TNKR volunteer Eden Yeon was quoted by Radio Free Asia for an event she participated in the UK with @Connect Korea.
https://www.rfa.org/korean/weekly_program/eu_defector/eudefectors-11022018095210.html

Support TNKR:
https://www.paypal.me/loveTNKR

Fundraise for TNKR: https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/fundraisers

Three years ago when TNKR began growing beyond my desk at Freedom Factory, one of the volunteers politely suggested that I should not and that it would be possible for me to be involved in every aspect of TNKR. And then there are the usual Internet smart-alecks concerned that I'm in every photo.

I told her (as well as the smart-alecks) not to worry. TNKR was still small enough that I could be involved in every activity. If TNKR really did grow, that the day would come that I would be begging people to stop bothering me with every message. That day hasn't come, but we are getting closer!

********

Hana Foundation Leadership Seminar

* A few subway stops away, TNKR was managing another session of a Leadership Workshop for South Korean natives and North Korean refugees. With the TNKR co-directors busy, Youngmin Kwon was TNKR's representative. The participants are getting prepared for a trip to Germany, again hosted by the Hana Foundation.

***

Eunkoo's Trip to the USA

* TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee has been in the USA the last few weeks, at the invitation of the US State Department. In addition to learning a lot about American history, and learning that I haven't been lying to her, she met with TNKR Super Crazy Love Us All the Time Eben Appleton, Charlie Appleton and Pam Davidson in South Carolina.

Tutoring

We had a skeleton staff at the office, but still had tutoring going on.

TNKR is growing, partnerships with more organizations around the world. We are getting busy enough that I can't be at every activity or in every photo. Thanks so much to TNKR donors, fundraisers and volunteers who have helped us grow.

Support TNKR:
https://www.paypal.me/loveTNKR

Fundraise for TNKR: https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/fundraisers

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 ...

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."

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...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

Search This Blog