My South Korea Top Ten Gratitude List

While in South Korea for my graduation, I was glad to have time to spend with people who had helped me while I was there and to say goodbye. I also tried to enjoy doing things that I liked as a way of saying goodbye to the country where I had spent much of the past four and half years. As I travelled to Seoul and back and spent time visiting the city, I thought about the many things I appreciated about South Korea.

Below is a list of the ten things I most appreciate about South Korea at this point in time (in no particular order):

1. Noraebangs (Singing rooms): I love singing, but was always intimidated by singing Karaoke at a bar. The music tracks at Noraebangs are much easier to sing along to and the small rooms provide enough intimacy to make almost anyone comfortable with giving singing a go. And you can sing whatever you want (I think so anyway). Picture me singing "You spin me right round, baby right round" by myself on my birthday. If this makes you sad for me, don't be. I was having the time of my life! :)

2. Saunas/spas: There's something great about being able to shower, bathe, go in different saunas, sleep and relax all you want all for about $10. My favorite spa is one in Seoul called Spa Lei. It's a women's-only spa, with wonderful white robes instead of the short sets you get at other Korean saunas.

3. Fast service and delicious and healthy food: I keep looking for the button to push on the table when I'm at a restaurant. I was shy to use this at first in Korea (it's like a doorbell that customers use to call the servers), but I really miss it now. Nothing like asking for and getting what you want quickly and efficiently, with hardly any lines or waiting. I have to remind myself to be patient again when I am waiting in lines in Canada.

I also gained an appreciation for "food as medicine" in Korea. I wasn't always able to practice this in Korea as much as I wanted to, but I have definitely made a commitment to eating more healthy food now that I am home and I'm not necessarily being pressured to eat something. I am a much better eater after going to Korea. My mom would be proud.

I recently read a book called the "5-Factor World Diet" and South Korea was included in it as one of the countries' traditional diets from whom we in North America could learn a lot. The picture below shows banchan (side dishes, like tapas, that are usually served before a meal). According to the book, eating side dishes like these helps to slow down eating and reduce portion size, particularly when you're using chopsticks (although I never really saw anyone eating slowly or in a small way in Korea...there's the food--go! ;). Also these side dishes help to ensure that there is a variety of tastes, including sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy (the five-flavor approach often used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooking). The picture above is of a savory pancake-like dish made with buckwheat and scallions. The red fermented dish is kimchi and the other side dishes are mushrooms, black soy beans, some soy sauce for the pancake, and some kind of seaweed (I still don't eat seaweed yet so I'm not familiar with the different kinds).

4. Eclecticism: There's a great mix of old and new, of history and modernity, of different styles and ideas being tried on. When people try something on in South Korea, they really try it on. I admired this passion. I guess this is true of many places around the world, but it seemed like there was a focus on promoting old and new and everything mixed in between and that really struck me.

5. Healthy skin and a sense of style and focus on appearance: There are drawbacks to this, of course, like not feeling like you can go out when your hair is all messed up and you are wearing your oldest and most comfy sweatpants. But, there was something about people's concern for their appearance and health that I liked. It made me take care of myself better.

6. Broadband speed and Wifi: Everywhere you go you can access wifi, even in the subway, and...it's fast (like most things in Korea).

7. Safety: I rarely felt unsafe. Maybe this is because there are usually so many people everywhere you go. Also, I could easily tell where and when it was safe to walk by myself. My laptop was stolen from my one-room apartment, and then safely returned in the wee hours of the next morning (through the gaps in the bars of my window while I was sleeping--see picture below). I'm not sure why it was returned--maybe because it had an English O/S and couldn't be sold on the black market? But, regardless, I was happy to have my laptop with all of my PhD data and research on it back. Some people also suggested it spoke to the "honesty" of the thief who stole it.

8. The sea and the mountains: Love having both so close to each other.

9. Public transportation: Reasonable, clean, and efficient. I especially loved the Express Buses, taxis (the ones with the friendly drivers), and subway system in Seoul. Having travelled back and forth from Cheonan to Seoul often, I spent a lot of time on them and really miss this level of efficiency and how reasonable public transit was there.

10. The smiles and passion: This helped me somehow feel at home in South Korea. There's always something happening and people doing it with passion and an openness to trying new things and to change. I appreciated all of the smiles I received and people's intent to connect, which I could sense, even though they might have been too scared to actually talk to me because they thought I was going to speak to them in English.

Goodbye and thank-you, South Korea, and all those I met and who touched my life. Until we meet again! :)

BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest

In June, I was honored to be one of the judges for the BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest. The contest was held on June 6th, which is Memorial Day in Korea, and was sponsored and hosted by the Institute for Traditional Korean Studies (Kukhakwon).

At BR English, students learn English in a way that includes brain-based approaches to learning and learning a language. Students of all ages (the youngest was 5 to high-school) made speeches or presentations about Korean history or culture. Some examples were about Mugunghwa, Korea's national flower; Memorial Day; and Dangun and Gojoseon, the founder and first Korean nation. I learned a lot. The students memorized their speeches, spoke confidently, and used really good presentation skills. I was impressed. Great job, everyone!

Independence Day in Korea

Today, March 1st, is Independence Day in Korea. It marks the March 1st movement in 1919, when the Korean people declared independence from Japan.

You can read more about the March 1st movement here.

This statue is one of the statues here at the Hanminjok (traditional name for the Korean people) Historical and Cultural Park. It is one of several statues representing those involved in the Independence movement. It also happens to be the only statue of a woman here at the park so I feel a special affinity to her.

Yu Gwan-sun was a student and organizer in the March 1st movement. Having been inspired by the beginnings of the March 1st movement as a high school student in Seoul, she returned to her hometown (in this area) and planned a demonstration for independence. About 2000 people attended. Yu Gwan-sun and others were arrested and her parents were both killed during the demonstration. She was sentenced to six years in prison, where she continued protesting for independence and received harsh beatings and torture.

Yu Gwan-sun died at the age of 18 in prison, reportedly as a result of torture. For many Koreans, she represents the courage and perseverance that, throughout history, helped them to preserve their culture and develop their country despite difficult times. I visited her birthplace, which is located in this area close to the university, last year. And on my daily walks in the park here, her statue is a constant reminder of the courage and strength inside all of us.

You can read more about Yu Gwan-sun here.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/march_1st_movement; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/yu_gwan-sun

King Sejong and the Invention of Hangul

This week I visited the King Sejong exhibit in Seoul. Every Korean language student usually learns about King Sejong and his invention of the Korean written language--Hangul. King Sejong was a king during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. During his reign, he realized that his people couldn't read and therefuore couldn't better themselves. At the time, Chinese was the only written language and it was only taught to nobles.

King Sejong worked to develop a written language based on the way Korean sounds were pronounced. Despite opposition from his officers, he pursued his goals. Besides Hangul, King Sejong was also known to have contributed to several inventions, including a rain guage, farmer's handbook, and others and was known as a king who supported the betterment of all classes.

60th Anniversary of the Korean War

On June 25th, South Korea, along with countries around the world remembered the beginning of the Korean War 60 years ago.

For more on this, see:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/205_68300.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War

The National Assembly and National Assembly Library in Seoul

Last year I visited the National Assembly Library in Seoul to find some theses and articles related to Brain Education.

The National Assembly Library serves as a parliamentary library for the members of the National Assembly and legislative support groups and has been open to the general public since 1998.



The National Assembly Building is the building that serves as the location of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The building was completed in 1975. Before that, it was located in the Japanese General Government Building built by the Japanese during the period of colonial rule. Elections for the National Assembly were first held under UN supervision on May 10th, 1948 and the First Republic of South Korea was established on July 17th, 1948 when the constitution of the First Republic was established by the Assembly.



For those interested in history, the National Assembly website has a basic video about Korean history. It shows the long history of the Korean people, the extent of land and influence they had, and the way they were influenced by other nations, all of which have had a great impact on the Korean people today.

National Assembly Website

A personal note: As of this posting, I finally figured out how to create a direct link to other websites--so exciting (for me)! I apologize for all the times I gave the instruction to cut and paste the links into your browser and now that I've entered the 21st century, I promise you you won't have to do that again. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am proof that you can change your brain!

Andong--Home of Confucianism in Korea

Andong is a city on the Nakdong River in the Eastern part of South Korea. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Andong attracted scores of Confucian scholars, becoming a pioneering city in Confucian thought. This city also contained the highest number of private and Confucian schools during that time. To this day, Andong still has around 26 private schools from the Joseon Dynasty period. The city also acted as a home to the noble class during the Joseon period. Queen Elizabeth visited the city in 1999.

Confucianism was introduced to Korea by a Chinese scholar. Although often considered a religion, it is more accurately described as a detailed code for interpersonal behaviour, a practical social and political doctrine. A system of education, ceremony, and administration were developed based on Confucian teachings.

It is easy to see the influence of Confucianism on Koreans today. Respect for elders, even when there are slight differences in age, and loyalty to one's kin and authority figures when required is considered to be very important.

In Andong, we visited the Korea Studies Advancement Center--a large complex with a museum devoted to preserving and transmitting Confucianism. Due to the strong history of Confucianism in this area and the way history has been taught in schools throughout Korea, many people are not aware that Confucianism, like Buddhism and Christianity, was introduced to Korea and that it is not the root of Korean culture.

After taking a training offered through our Korean Traditional Cultural Institute (Kookhakwon), an Andong city councillor realized the error that had been made in the naming of the Korean Studies Advancement Center in his city. He, along with the Mayor of Andong and other city officials and scholars, attended the event hosted by Kookhakwon in Andong this weekend and are interested in correcting the error that was made and in bringing Brain Education and training about the root of Korean culture to their city.

At a lecture sponsored by Kookhakwon, Dr. Lee, who studies the ancient Korean culture of Hanminjok, discusses the three elements of traditional Korean culture: Heaven, Earth, and Human, as distinct from the two traditional Chinese elements of yin and yang.

Gojoseon: Ancient Korean History

Nowadays, many universities are seeking to combine knowledge and expertise from different fields of study. At UBE, I am very fortunate to be exposed to a variety of fields of study, including but not limited to: neuroscience, education, educational anthropology, educational psychology, sports psychology, archaeology, peace studies, ancient Korean history, ancient Korean thought and philosophy, and politics. The breadth of the faculty's interests is a reflection of the implications that Brain Education has as a comprehensive approach that can integrate and be applied to many different fields.

One of the faculty here, Dr. Bok Gi Dae, is involved in archaelogical research. He is known here at UBE as the "Korean Indiana Jones". Last night I met some of the other researchers who are collaborating with him on this research, including professors from the Departments of Anatomy and Anthropology at Seoul National University and Dankook University.

Dr. Bok's research provides physical archaeological evidence of the ancient Korean nation of Gojoseon, which existed throughout the Korean peninsula and ancient Manchuria (now China). This research has greater implications for issues related to Korean identity, culture, North-South reunification, and Korean relations with other North-East Asian countries as Koreans attempt to recreate a history that has been distorted by those seeking to conquer them.

Brain Education Department at the Global Forum on Education

Faculty and students from the Brain Education department at UBE attended the Global Forum on Education in Seoul November 27-29, 2008. The International Conference was co-hosted by the Korean Educational Research Association and Seoul National University. Many of the students in the Brain Education department are teachers using the Brain Education program in their classrooms and schools and, as part of their graduate program, doing research about its applications.

The campus of Seoul National University against a backdrop of beautiful late-fall mountains.

Seoul National University's history is interesting, parallelling Korea's recent history, from independence in 1946 through the Korean War to the present: http://www.useoul.edu/about/ab0102.jsp

After the conference, faculty and students met to discuss the conference, to enjoy dinner together, and later...


Noraebang!

The Institute for Traditional Korean Cultural Studies

Today I was fortunate to have a tour of the displays at the Institute for Traditional Korean Cultural Studies.

The building was completed in 2002, although the Institute has been doing work as a not-for-profit research and educational organization for many years.

The Institute was created to help the Korean people recover over one thousand years of traditional history, culture, and philosophy that were literally removed from Korean history when Japan occupied Korea. Similar to Poland during the Russian occupation, the Korean history was distorted and changed by the Japanese and taught in schools and universities so even today, many Koreans do not know the extent of their rich history.

The institute does training here as well as in schools, companies, and organizations. Currently, there is a group of employees from the National Tax Agency who are staying here and participating in training.

This is a picture of Korean pilots having a tour of the displays at the Institute. They are looking at the Chun Bu Kyung, a traditional spiritual text; a picture of a three-legged blackbird, a traditional symbol whose three legs represent heaven, earth, and humanity; and a cute statue of Dan-gun, known as the "founding father" of Korea and the first king of the Gojoseon Kingdom (2333 B.C. - 108 B.C.). Under Japanese occupation, the existence of this nation was considered to be a myth.

This kingdom was said to be one where people lived to help each other and where the physical health, emotional well-being, peacefulness and spirituality of all people was nurtured.

This article describes how Korea is changing its textbooks to reflect its history more accurately: http://www.korea.net/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20070223009