I read this editorial over at the English version of Hankyoreh: One out of every four men who married in farming and fishing regions last year married a foreign woman. 90 percent of those women are from China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Korea has been solving the problem of difficult work others hate to do [...]
I’m back from Taiwan and continuing my Korean language studies in Seoul. Did some reading, met some friends, and visited Jiufen. Since she hasn’t blogged it herself, I’ll share a few things Sayaka has told me about living in Taiwan. She often visits a Korean restaurant near Taiwan Normal University. In many Korean restaurants you [...]
I recently blogged an enjoyable chat with an elderly Korean gentleman that I had outside the national library in Seoul and shared some of his stories about life in colonial Korea and during the turbulent years that followed. Today Sayaka and I are spending a leisurely afternoon reading in a Taipei coffee shop (chain) called [...]
Some of my friends complain that my wordy weblog isn’t particularly useful to read when trying to find out what I’m doing or to figure out quickly where exactly I am in the world (I’m in Taiwan this weekend, back in Seoul next Tuesday). While for longer stays I update my address on the contact [...]
I did a little sightseeing yesterday, joining two friends on a trip to the Seodaemun Prison History Hall (서대문형무소 역사관) near Dongnimmun (독립문) station and inside the Independence Park. The museum is dedicated to recording Japanese torture and cruelty towards the “patriotic ancestors” of the independence movement. The prison in question, built by the Japanese [...]
Wow. Marmot’s Hole just blogged about some pictures drawn by children on display in a subway station. See the pictures here, with a second set of photos here. If these pics go down for any reason, contact me and I’ll mirror them. I am almost inclined to believe this is some kind of prank, especially [...]
Check out the 10th History Carnival, a collection of links to articles related to history in the blogging world. I found most interesting a connected series of postings at Chapati Mystery related to empire: 1. Canned Food, 2. The E Word, 3. The Case of the Americans, 4. Absent-Minded Imperialism and the Doughnut Effect, 5. [...]
I have had some of the most interesting conversations talking to random old people and as someone who is interested in the history of East Asia, I especially enjoy those who I have met while on this side of the Pacific pond. There is the retired farmer in Tateyama city who told me about his [...]
I had to read a little story for Korean class today which I guess is a fable or fairy tale of sorts. It is one of those “origin of natural phenomena” stories with an added moral message urging filial piety. I had forgotten how much I love these kinds of stories and would love to [...]
The new academic group blog at Frog in a Well, 井底之蛙 launches today. It will primarily focus on the study of Chinese history. Postings will be in English, Chinese, or a mixture of both. We have over half a dozen contributors, all graduate students and professors studying China, and I hope that this new academic [...]