Korea's Hope for a Gold Medal, Skating Star Kim Yu-Na and Canadian Coach Brian Orser

For some reason, I was really touched by this video. I didn't know that Kim Yu-Na's (Korea's gold-medal hope in skating and superstar here in Korea) coach was Canadian Silver Medalist Brian Orser.

I was touched by the impact coach and student have had on each other. Differences in Korean and Canadian "culture" were evident from their sharing, but more importantly, together these two have had an impact on each other and created something amazing.

I'm sure the world is full of stories like this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFuDa_7u624&feature=topvideos

(If there is no link, copy and paste this link into your browser).

Brain Education for Pre-School and Elementary Schools

Links to two videos about Brain Education in New York schools and in a pre-school in the Texas area:

Power Brain Education: Pre-K school using Brain Education

Power Brain Education - Public Schools in the Bronx, NY use BE to help improve students performance

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!

I was really busy this past semester, so busy that I am posting a summary of last semester on January 18th! It will be short on words but I wanted to share about a few things.

Courses:

- Brain Health and Exercise: We learned about the importance of physical exercise for all functions of the brain related to our physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual health.
- Research Methods
- Independent Study: I focused on researching the history of Brain Education by collecting, reviewing, and summarizing related books and research articles.

- Peaceology: The study of peace and a practical philosophy about peace that is based on humans taking responsibility for the Earth and for all of humanity.

UBE News

1. Approval of Global Cyber University by Korean Ministry
2. Approval of Brain Trainer certification by Korean Ministry

IBREA News

1. New BE Online website: www.braineducationonline.com
2. Brain World Magazine now available in 19 countries: To read some of the articles online or to subscribe, go to www.brainworldmagazine.com.
3. Launch of new Brain Test site coming soon.

Books/Magazines I'm Reading:

- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Ratey: How exercise "prepares your brain to learn, improves mood and attention, lowers stress and anxiety, helps stave off addiction, controls the sometimes tumultuous effects of hormonal changes, and guards against and even reverses some of the effects of aging on the brain".

- Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing your brain's potential,Richard Restak: "This book is based on an important principle: The more you learn about how your brain works, the better the chances of using it most efficiently". It is meant to convey an understanding of the basic principles of brain operation and gives you 28 suggestions to help you improve your brain function: your thoughts, moods, inclinations, decisions, and actions.

- Quantum Medicine, Paul Yanick, Jr.: An approach to medicine that draws on the existence of a cohesive, energetic system-the Quantum Energy Field-that regulates all systems of the human body and determines our state of health. It has long been the basis of Eastern medicine (where it is known as ki or chi) and is used in many healing modalities.

- The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm: Discusses our innate capacity for love "on the only level that truly matters: love that is compounded of maturity, self-knowledge, and courage and which like every art demands practice and concentration, as well as genuine insight and understanding".

- SQ: Connecting with our Spiritual Intelligence, Danah Zohar & Dr. Ian Marshall: First there was IQ. Then there was EQ. Now, there is a growing body of evidence, including brain science, to support the existence of SQ or Spiritual Intelligence. SQ is described as uniquely human and linked to humanity's need for meaning and values in our lives.

- The Oprah Magazine (November 2009): Who are you meant to be?: Stories and guidance about finding and fulfilling your life purpose.

Trips (after the semester finished):

1. To the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone)

My conclusion, after the tour and especially after the stop where we took pictures of the North Korean soldier while he was watching us watch him through binoculars (he is on the steps in the second picture), is that we spend a lot of energy and time maintaining conflicts with each other. We weren't supposed to smile as we were told our picture could be used as propoganda in North Korea. The first picture is a monument to family members that have been separated due to this conflict. The third picture shows South Korean soldiers standing guard (also watching the North Korean soldier). The fourth picture was taken at the United Nations' Joint Security Area in front of the gift shop :).

2. To Kangrung and Mt. Seorak on the Eastern Sea

I love the sea but it was especially beautiful in the Winter. I visited a classmate--we enjoyed food traditional to this area (potato dumplings), and visited the sea, a Buddhist temple at Mt. Seorak, and a well-known lake.

Movies and Brief Commentary

1. Korean movies and dramas: A good way to learn the language and understand this part of the culture better.
2. Ninja Assassin, featuring famous Korean actor "Rain": Lots of blood but the message was about listening to your heart.
3. 2012: We need to wake up and be prepared for changes.

4. Avatar: Hopeful

Wishing you all a happy new year full of love and hope wherever you are!

New Global Cyber University Approved by Korean Government

Today the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology authorized the plan for a new online university, the Global Cyber University, to be opened in 2010.

The university, whose administrative building is located on the grounds of the University of Brain Education and Institute for Traditional Korean Studies, will award undergraduate degrees in three departments: Human Services, Global Management, and Korean Culture. As with other online universities, the courses will eventually be made available internationally. Congratulations to the Global Cyber University team who worked hard to make this happen!

Cheonan Well-being Expo 2009

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In September, I visited the Cheonan Well-being Expo. It reminded me of a combination of the Fall Fair and the Exhibition (the Canadian National Exhibition, for those not from the GTA).


"Well-being" is a big buzzword in Korea right now. The Expo included exhibits of everything from food to plants to exercise and from hospitals to medical centers to traditional medicine.

Antlers anyone?

Typical Food from the Cheonan Region

Me trying to understand what the dietician is saying about my diet based on the food I chose.

Making traditional cookies with a press

Hike to Mt. Huksong Revisited

At the Top (This used to be an old fortress. Now it is a good spot for badminton:)

Last weekend, I climbed Mt. Huksong, the mountain behind our university, for only the second time since I came to Korea. The first time was a few days after I arrived in Korea for the first time last year.

I remember huffing and puffing behind Professor Shim, a professor at UBE who specialized in Sports Psychology at University and who is in such good shape, I noticed last week when I walked (once again huffing and puffing) from the bus stop to the University with him, that he seems to float instead of walking.

I realized two things from my hike this time:

1. The importance of a strong physical condition. Lately, I've been reading John Ratey's book, "Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain". It talks about the importance of physical exercise and movement for the health of our bodies and brains.

Brain Education emphasizes physical exercise as the basis for being able to manage your emotions, your thinking, and realize your potential every day. Right, I knew that, but exerting myself made me realize again how important physical exercise is. I've had a lot of computer work to do lately and haven't been moving as much as I should.

In his book, Dr. Ratey also talks about the importance of using individual heartrates when determining the amount of exertion one should use when exercising. So, rather than having everyone run at the same pace, it is better to have people exercise according to their own heartrate. I was thinking about this as I was huffing and puffing and felt better because I was always one of those people whose heart was racing so fast I thought it would pop out of my chest, even if I was at the back of the pack.

I've also been reading lately about the effectiveness of short bursts of exercise. So, I also didn't feel bad about huffing and puffing and then stopping to take a break and then huffing and puffing again, feeling my heart rate and oxygen intake increase.

2. Obstacles and challenges happen for a reason. Without them, there would be no growth, no change. Without the difficult climb, there would be no reward at the end--the view, the rest, the feeling of having overcome difficulties in order to accomplish something. It's a great feeling and, somehow, natural. Just like nature, we are constantly changing, growing, developing. Knowing it is all part of the process, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel (or at the top of the mountain), makes it easier to get through the difficult and challenging times.

So, I'll be going back up that mountain soon!