new Korean  Stories from 2003
English language version by Chris A. Foreman

Is this why they call it a "hanbok"?     return to top
January 1, 2003 / Number 101.

A few months ago I was sitting in a missionary class. On this day we were discussing different nations of the world. For this reason, several students wore dress from their native land. One Black man wore the traditional clothes of west Africa. A woman from India wore a sari. There was also a Korean friend of mine who was wearing a colorful hanbok. Some American-dressed college students gathered around the Indian woman in the sari. As they stroked the fabric, many commented about how comfortable and easy to wear the sari was. The Indian woman beamed and said, "yes, it's just so comfortable that I wish I could wear it all the time". I overheard the conversation when the same group talked to the young Korean woman. She explained how totally uncomfortable her hanbok was. She carried it to class in a garment bag and only put it on for the hour of her presentation. During a break, I talked to her about the hanbok. We speculated about why Korean society developed such difficult clothing. Always aiming at the clever remark, I told her "maybe that's why it is called a 'han' bok". It gives so much "han" to whomever wears it. This caused her to laugh, but the laugh was stopped by pain as her body struggled against the hanbok. As she walked away to change out of her Korean clothing, I thought to myself, "and maybe that is why the people are called "han-kook", so much han.

I shared this discussion with another Korean woman. She reminded me that the hanbok was uncomfortable in other ways. In the old days, women would rip the garment into smaller pieces in order to wash it. They spent much of their daily lives wearing these uncomfortable clothes, then tearing them to pieces, then washing them with wooden mallets, and then sewing them back together. She guessed that this was all a plot by the male-dominated society to keep women busy as they were shut in the women's quarters.

I recently read an article in the Korean newspaper. The author was discussing differences between American personality and Korean personality. She was using cinema to make her points. Most Korean cinema is so serious, she said. Characters are wracked with emotional pain and tortured by their fate. She compared these Korean characters to characters in an American movie like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These two bank robbers were carefree and never seemed to worry about the future. Robert Redford and Paul Newman did not portray Korean personalities. Perhaps the best way to understand this distinction is to emphasize the HAN in HANgook. Butch and Sundance possessed absolutely zero han.

Sometimes I joke with my wife that "han" must be a secret desire of all Koreans. If it is not there, they must somehow manufacture it. Our life, our marriage, our children are all going so well that she is losing the han in Hankook. She shares with a friend who is having a difficult marriage. That provides her with some han. She wants to borrow money and buy property. Maybe that will create some han in our lives. Last week as we were preparing bean sprouts for dinner, I reminded her how many years ago, she used to pinch off the ends of each individual bean sprout with her fingernails. I asked her why she didn't do that anymore. She gave me a look of disbelief. Maybe if she prepared bean spouts again in this way the han would return to her.

James Bond sleeping on the couch    return to top
January 15, 2003 / Number 102.

I can remember conversations in my early married life. On occasion my new wife mentioned faults about certain family members. She would say that her sister is too fat, or complain that her mother gives her too much unsolicited advice. I also remember a casual conversation with my brother in the company of my wife. I made the mistake of mentioning to my brother a fault in her family. She didn't say anything to me until later. Boy, was I in trouble! I committed the sin of criticizing her family to someone outside her family. I slept on the couch for a few days after that. Now I read that James Bond is in the same trouble that I was in.

After thirty years of Korean contact, I am beginning to understand this schizophrenic nature of people in South Korea toward their brothers and sisters in the North. One personality knows that the government in the North is "a diabolically evil regime", yet if some American says these same words the other personality insists that the American is treating North Korea unfairly. It hurts me to say this, but Koreans in the North are more oppressed than any people in the world. If anything, James Bond was too easy on the regime in the North. When the North finally collapses and all facts are brought into the light, we will learn of horrors that we could never have imagined. As I see it, the problem with 007 and his movie "Die another Day" is not that it paints a grim picture of North Korea. We all know that the land north of the 38th parallel is an dreadful place. The problem is that the movie paints this picture in the English language and it broadcasts this ugly picture to the entire world. This is similar to what I did many years ago. I aired dirty laundry in public. My wife still makes occasional negative comments about one of her family members, but I have learned never to repeat them. Rule One for being a good American husband is never to say bad things to other Americans about Korea. This includes both halves of the Korean peninsula.

One of the differences between Eastern culture and Western culture is that in the East relationship is more important than truth, while in the West, truth is more important than relationship. In our Christian West we often seek after truth with disregard to relationship (like American confrontation). In your Confucian East you often maintain relationship with disregard to the truth (like the Sunshine policy). East and West have a hard time understanding one another.

I have read that Koreans do not like "Die Another Day" because it unfairly depicts North Korea. Some have criticized the movie because there is a sexy scene that takes place in a Buddhist temple that looks oddly Japanese. Another person said that the accent of North Koreans sounded southern. Someone even criticized the movie because the ox in the picture looked like a Filipino ox and not a Korean ox. Because of the controversy surrounding this movie, I went to see "Die Another Day" last week. To me, it was just another silly James Bond movie. There was an evil villain, a beautiful girl, and lots of escapes, explosions and gadgets. In the end evil is defeated and 007 gets the girl. "Die Another Day" does not portray North Korea in a good light. The North is bad, but they are still a brother. Maybe I have become Korean enough to understand why some people in the South want to make 007 sleep on the couch for a few days.

Green Card Scam     return to top
January 29, 2003 / Number 103.

Last week I read with sadness that 275 Korean immigrants to America may face deportation back to Korea. This story touches my life in many ways. I have several friends and family members who have similar stories to tell. What surprises me is how widespread this practice is in the Korean immigrant community. I am sure that every person reading this article knows personally of someone whose documentation status is questionable. Cheating on immigration status has become a kind of Olympic sport to many Koreans. This is even more surprising to me because I know how honest and how straight forward most Korean people are in other categories of their life. Does it surprise anyone that this particular immigration fraud was centered in a church, and that this church has since closed down? Some of the most conscientious Koreans I know have a blind spot when it comes to illegal immigration to America, especially when the prospective illegal immigrant is a member of their family.

Two South Bay members of the House of Representatives are urging the U.S. Attorney General to intervene on behalf of the Korean immigrants. Mike Honda and Zoe Lofgren say that the immigrants are the victims of fraud and should not be deported without a case-by-case review. Although I sympathize with immigrants who hold fraudulent green cards, I have a difficult time calling them "victims" of a fraud. From what I understand of the process, this is what typically happens. A Korean citizen arrives in America with a student visa or a tourist visa. The visitor likes America and decides to stay. The visitor asks questions and discovers that it may take up to two years to get the green card making them a legal resident of America. At this point many new comers to America find out about the so called "immigration brokers". These are the people who help new comers for a price. There is a lot of paperwork to navigate and there is a language barrier to overcome, so it may worth a few thousand dollars to help people with this process, especially if a lawyer is involved. I can understand this. I cannot understand how an intelligent person could pay an immigration broker $30,000 and not think that some kind of cheating was going on. Let us assume that there will be a case by case review of immigrant cases. What will investigators uncover? Question: "Did you give Mr. Choe 45,000 dollars for two green cards?" Answer: "Yes I did". Question: "What did you think the money was for?" Answer: "for lawyer fees". Question: "Didn't this seem excessive? Didn't you really think that this was fraud?" Answer: "I gave him the money. I didn't ask questions. I just wanted the green cards. Period." I do have sympathy for the 275 immigrants that could face deportation. But do you realize that there are also 275 unhappy people in Korea, who played by the green card rules, and who were passed over because someone else had enough money to pay a "broker" $30,000? I have sympathy for them too. We should all play by the same rules.

When Ronald Reagan was president of the US, a new term was added to the American lexicon. On many occasions Reagan officials would do something that was on the wrong side of the law. Official strategy was to tell President Reagan WHAT they were doing but purposely not tell him HOW it was being accomplished. In this way Reagan was able to honestly deny knowledge of any wrong doing. This strategy became known as "plausible deniability". The president just didn't know. I didn't believe that story when Reagan was president and I don't believe it now. If he didn't know, he SHOULD have known.

Please forgive me. I may have trapped you by writing this article. If you have read these few hundred words then you now know that by paying excessive money to an immigration broker you may be defrauding the US government. You can no longer deny knowledge of this. Maybe this is one newspaper article you should not have read.

Th Way Home     return to top
February 15, 2003 / Number 104.

A few months ago, my wife and I went to see the movie "The Way Home" (Chip ero). This movie is the first Korean movie that I can remember with such wide distribution in the USA. I read the reviews ahead of time so I was somewhat familiar with the storyline before I viewed the movie. I was pleased to see that about 100 people were in the theater for "The Way Home" and only a few appeared to be Korean.

At the moment I am in a Christian seminary preparing to re-focus my life from education to ministry. Maybe this is why I understood this Korean story to be a re-telling of the parable of the prodigal son. The movie's director, Jeong-Hyang Lee, first presents us with an unhappy mother riding on a bus. We are not given many details about the mother. Like the biblical prodigal son, she appears to have left her loving parent and lived a wasted life in the big city of Seoul. She has squandered whatever money she had. The mother does not have a job or a husband, but she does have a spoiled son named Sang-woo. The two of them are returning to the small rural town where the mother was raised. The spoiled, prodigal grandson is about to experience the steadfast and unconditional love of his god-like grandmother.

The ancient, bent over, and gnarled grandmother is the image of a caring God. She suffers his indignities with amazing grace. The grandson mocks her, calling her "Stupid, stupid." He lies to her, steals from her, breaks her possessions, and forces her to walk miles. In spite of all this abuse, the grandmother never loses patience or becomes angry. It seems like the more the grandson abuses his grandmother, the more loving she becomes toward him. The more outrageous his behavior, the more pity shown toward him. Sang-woo is the image of lost humankind. This spoiled and selfish grandson rebels against every good thing that his grandmother represents. He is so spiteful that he breaks his own chamber pot. Of course the person he hurts most by this temper tantrum is his own self. It is only the consistent faithful love of his grandmother that makes Sang-woo grow from being a self-centered brat to a loving grandson. The message is simple. Love transforms. Love generates love in others. This is the Christian message that I see. I suppose that my Christian message is not much different from a Buddhist or Confucian message in this regard. Some truths are so apparent that they show themselves in many religious faiths.

Besides the allegory of the prodigal grandson, there is one other point in this movie that is too delicious to pass by. There is the scene in which Sang-woo refuses to eat the grandmother's food. Instead he feeds on chocolate bars taken from his secret storage place. I am sure that most Korean people laughed at his adolescent behavior. And yet, I have witnessed the same behavior among Korean adults. When I was on mission to Africa I lived among Korean people. I was content to eat whatever the locals would offer to us. This was mostly potatoes, chunks of beef, fired banana, and fresh fruit. I was amused when my Korean friends would break out their dried seaweed, hot bean paste and packs of ramen noodles. Why not accept the hospitality of the locals? Is this how missionaries identify with people to whom they are ministering? How much different are they then Sang-woo? How much different are all of us (including myself) from this rebellious boy?

Six at a table     return to top
March 1, 2003 / Number 105.

Last week I visited my Korean in-laws. As usual, meals were a big part of this visit. This was my first visit in a long time to the family of wife's youngest brother. I heard rumors that my sister-in-law was a good cook and gave a lot of attention to preparing meals. I spent the afternoon looking at all the sights in Sweet Home, Oregon. As we were returning to my in-law's house, I mentioned to my wife how I was looking forward to a Korean meal. It was then she then told me that the evening meal would be American meatloaf. I was disappointed, but never mentioned it to anyone. Here is a hint for all of you ladies out there. If you are entertaining an American guest, please prepare your best Korean meal. Perhaps cook up a variety of meat, fish, and vegetables, so the guest can choose what he really likes. Most Americans I know would appreciate an authentic ethnic meal more than a Korean-made American meal. The meatloaf was OK and I appreciated her special concern that I eat American food. But let's reverse the roles. Suppose you came to my house for dinner. I am well known for creating great American cuisine, but because you are coming I try my best to make kimchi for you. Of course you would be flattered at my effort, but the kimchi will not be as good as the stuff you eat every day, and maybe you would have enjoyed some of the food I make really well.

Our evening meal was served at a table for six. My wife's father was also visiting this house. He is an old man of 80 who seldom leaves his countryside home in Cholla Nam do. He sat at one end of the table and I sat at the other end. There were two empty chairs to my right and two to my left - a table for six. In front of me was the meatloaf, potatoes, salad, and corn. At the far end, in front of my father-in-law was the typical Korean meal: soup, kimchi, and several small side dishes. It was an education to see how all people in the house ate dinner that day. Of course my father-in-law did not eat a bite of American food. I ate all the American in front of me, but I did ask someone to pass down the kimchi. That tasted good with the meatloaf. My wife sat next to me. She was about half and half: a bowl of Korean soup, with one small potato, and a small piece of meatloaf. My Sister-in-law was nearly all Korean, except for a small piece of bread with butter on it. My Brother-in-law ate mostly American, except he put gochu-jang on the meatloaf. The older daughter, who was born in Korean, ate mostly Korean. The twin boys at three years old were the most intriguing to watch. They didn't recognize that there were two cuisines. They put meatloaf into their little bowls of soup and had their fingers in everything on the table. They truly had one hand in each world and weren't even aware of it.

On the next morning, something similar happened at the table for six. My father-in-law sat in exactly the same place and ate exactly the same food. This was the toughest part for me when I lived in Korea. How could anyone eat the same stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? As I was growing up it was eggs or sweets for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and meat and potatoes for dinner. On this morning in Sweet Home I was served pancakes, an appropriate breakfast food. The little twin boys joined in, putting lots of syrup on their little pancakes. On the previous evening, I did test out the kimchi with meatloaf. That was a good combination, but kimchi with pancakes? How could anyone mix such strange foods? The little boys proved to be more courageous than I could be.

Right and Wrong in West and East     return to top
March 15, 2003 / Number 106.

I remember a few months ago when there were protests nearly every day in Korea. These huge demonstrations were aimed against America; more specifically against the American military; and most specifically against two American soldiers involved in an accident that killed two Korean schoolgirls. I tried to hard to understand the perspective of the thousands of demonstrators. They demanded that the two soldiers be put into prison and that President Bush personally apologize on behalf of the United States. As I mused on these matters, I came to understand there is a true difference in the concept of right and wrong in the East and in the West.

Several years ago I listened to a lecture about the nature of morality in the Christian West. Maybe this lecture will shine some light upon this difference between Eastern and Western morality. The lecturer began by quoting the 5th century Christian theologian, Saint Augustine. This early church father said that "the only evil thing is an evil will". This principle has been a feather of Western morality ever since. To explain this concept, the lecturer used the following illustration. Let's suppose that a workman is repairing the roof on a tall church building. While making repairs the man accidentally loosens a roof tile which falls to the ground, hits a passer-by on the head and kills him. The question is: did this man do something wrong? In the Western tradition we would say "no" because this act did not involve an evil will. What do you think? Let's change this story slightly. Let's say that the same repair man saw the same man walking below on the street. He picked up the same roof tile and dropped it intentionally on the man's head, killing him. The question again is: did this man do something wrong? This time the Western response would be "yes" because this act involved an evil will. If this story fits your moral view, then you are Western in your thinking. However, this way of thinking troubles many Koreans. In both cases isn't the result exactly the same? Isn't the man dead as a direct result of the repair man's actions? If this is true, isn't the man guilty in both cases? This is the tension I see as Americans (and other Westerners) interact with Koreans (and other Easterners).

In the case of the two American soldiers, Western morality would look first at intent and only second at result. Eastern morality would look first at result and only second at intent. I believe that this difference in moral philosophy explains some of the anger over this sad military accident and why it grew to international significance. This Eastern way of thinking appears strange to us Americans. For example, when there is a deadly accident (like the recent subway deaths in Tae Gu) Koreans were quick to hold some public official responsible. The result is so terrible that some leader must tearfully apologize and step down. This doesn't make much sense to most Americans. Did this tearful official have an "evil will"? And why are Koreans demanding that President Bush apologize for the death of two schoolgirls? He can certainly state his sorrow and regrets about the incident, but Americans think to apologize only when we are personally responsible through an evil will or through gross negligence. It always puts a strain relationships when one side says "you must apologize" and the other side says "no, I will not". When Eastern countries communicate - like Korea and Japan - , they know exactly what the words "sorry" and "apologize" mean. There is often a difference of opinion, but there is not confusion. However, when Koreans communicate with Americans, what appears to be a difference of opinion is really a confusion of meaning.

Both Books and Bombs     return to top
March 29, 2003 / Number 107.

For the past two summers I have traveled to Rwanda with Christian Life World Mission Frontiers. In Africa we provide for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. We provide food, clothing, and shelter for the body. We provide books and computers for the mind. We provide the gospel for the soul.

Speaking of "soul", if any outsider wants to understand the soul of the Rwandan people, he should visit one of the many genocide memorials scattered across the country. In April and May of 1994, eight-hundred thousand were murdered and one million more were displaced. I have visited two genocide memorials and they are not a pretty site. Corpses are persevered and displayed in silent testimony to terrible events. The thousands of innocent deaths can never be denied. Although many Christians performed heroic acts of self-sacrifice, the churches of Rwanda failed to live by the words that they preached. It is shameful to me that many Christian institutions participated in this mass killing. As terror was taking place across the country, many Tutsi believers packed into church buildings, hoping to find sanctuary from the machetes of Hutu believers. For thousands of church members, church buildings became their coffins. Maybe an aspect of my mission to Rwanda is make atonement for the evil that took place in the name of my faith.

Beside the church, there is another institution that failed the Rwandan people in their hour of need. Most of my Rwandan friends harbor a strong dislike for the United Nations. In the months prior to the genocide, the UN sent observers to monitor the worsening situation. However as a genocidal government began the methodical murder its own citizens, the UN dawdled and debated. While the worst genocide of the decade was taking place, UN helicopters circled powerlessly overhead. The UN did nothing as evil leaders used the power of state to broadcast racist messages over official radio. Government broadcasts urged the elimination of all "cockroaches" and gave specific instructions to local militias about the location of terrorized Tutsi women and children. I am told by locals in Kigali that one well-placed explosion could have toppled that hated radio tower. A single bomb could have saved thousands of innocent lives. Sometimes a bomb is truly the best way to end the killing. It is a paradox to me that violence can sometimes lead to peace.

On my last mission to Rwanda, I carried in my luggage one hundred pounds of much-needed books and school supplies. Now is the time for books in Rwanda. The year 2003 is a time for the repair of relationships and the reconciliation of peoples. But in 1994 that desperate country was in need of a single bomb blast. The world is more complex than simple slogans in regard to books and bombs. I am truly conflicted about the wisdom of fighting a war against Iraq. I am continually and always for peace, but I also recognize the truth behind the words of the English philosopher Edmund Burke who said: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".

History and Biography     return to top
April 12, 2003 / Number 108.

My favorite teacher in high school was Mr. Erickson. Our friendship continued after my high school graduation. On weekends home during college, I would visit him in his small apartment. There were always former students surrounding this teacher of English and journalism. I remember visiting Mr. Erickson just after seeing a movie called "Patton". I believe the year was 1970. I was 20 years old and Mr Erickson must have been about fifty. I talked excitedly about General Patton and described battle scenes and recited movie dialog. Finally, Mr. Erickson was able to talk. He also knew all the battles and spoke with knowledge of General Patton's exploits during World War II. So then I asked him, "And when did you see the movie?" He replied, "Oh, I didn't see the movie. I just remember General Patton". I was shocked. It didn't dawn on me that my history was his biography. It turned out that Mr. Erickson was a journalist in 1944 and wrote about General Patton for our local newspaper.

Let's fast forward 33 years. I am sitting in a classroom in San Francisco. A young Korean woman of about 25 years begins to speak with authority about Korean history. She describes with excellent book knowledge the events of the Korean war and the rule of Singman Rhee. Finally she talks about Pak Chung Hee. Her voice becomes strident as she describes all the bad things that happened during his rule. During a break, I talk with her about her version of Korean history. I mention the New Village Movement and the good things that President Pak did to improve the Korean economy. She is impressed with my knowledge and asks me, "where did you read that?" I replied, "Oh, I didn't read about it. I was living in Korea in 1974." Suddenly, I was Mr. Erickson! I couldn't believe it. The history of that 25 year-old was the biography of this 53-year old.

I still try to keep current with events happening in Korea. Sometimes I turn the pages of the Korea Times. Mostly I look at the headlines and ask questions about interesting pictures. A few months ago as I was looking at headlines, my wife turned to a back page of the Korea Times and pointed to a picture of an attractive young lady. She asked me slyly , "Isn't she good looking?" I glanced at the picture and wondered where this conversation was leading. Then I said suspiciously, "Sure, I guess so." My wife smiled and said, "that's Ha Ri Su." I responded with a blank expression. Then she explained, "Ha Ri Su was born a boy and has become one of the biggest woman pop stars in Korea". I thought to myself, "Korean history is taking some strange turns."

A few weeks later, my 20-year-old niece came to visit our house. This is my wife's brother's daughter and has lived in both Korea and California. I was so impressed her ability to converse so comfortably in both Korean and in English. My wife, my niece and I went for a walk along the beach. After being excluded from the conversation for several minutes, I decided to make my own small talk. I interrupted the two women and asked my niece, "So what do you think of Ha Ri Su"? She laughed and said, "you know about her?" Several minutes later, the conversation turned to our personal experience in Korea. At some point, I asked her "you know who Pak Chung Hee is, don't you". She replied, "the name is familiar, but I don't think I know him." What shape will the world be in when her biography becomes the history of the next generation?

Life without Television     return to top
April 26, 2003 / Number 109.

The war in Iraq is over now. At least the fighting part is over. There is still much to do in Iraq to stabilize the situation and to rebuild the nation. As a long time news junky, I was drawn to Iraqi War coverage like a moth to a flame. I tuned into the war news about three times a day. When I awoke in the morning at 6:00, I turned on the radio first thing. In the middle of the day I listened to The News Hour with Jim Lehrer on National Public Radio. Then in the evening, I would listen to the ten o'clock news before going to bed. I have not seen many pictures of the Iraqi War because we don't have cable television in our house and the surrounding hills make it impossible for us to receive broadcast TV. This fact comes as a shock to many people. For some people, television is as necessary as oxygen. A young house guest visited us recently. She was surprised that we could carry on life without television.

I grew up with television. For most of my life TV has been my constant companion. I watched TV about 4 hours per day from primary school all thorough high school. I cut back on TV watching as an adult, but TV was still something to do when I was too lazy to do anything else. When our youngest son left home a few years ago, we decided to discontinue our cable TV. Only a minor motivation was economic. We are saving just $40 per month. The bigger reason was social and maybe spiritual. Both my wife and I have recognized TV as a big time waster. Several hours per week seemed to vanish into the hypnotic light of the TV screen. We now both have more time to read and study. I do believe that the quality of our life has improved. Have I missed much by never seeing a single episode of Friends, Survivor, Millionaire, or the Bachelorette? There are occasions when I wished I did have television. I did want to see News coverage after September eleventh, but I suspect that I would have overdosed on TV News. I did listen to a lot of radio and read newspaper coverage. I may be one of the few people in the nation who has never seen the TV image of a 747 crashing into the World Trade Center.

I missed television again when this war with Iraq began. National Public Radio provided the sounds. Two newspapers provide the words, but I miss the images. However, I suspect that I would have spent too much of my life watching re-runs of combat and looting. I talked to one of my co-workers last week. She looked tired and grumpy. I asked her what was wrong. She said that she had watched FOX news all evening and couldn't get to sleep with war images racing in her mind. This could be me. One of the images I regret not seeing occurred on April 9th. This was the day when Baghdadis celebrated as U.S. marines pulled down the Saddam statue in central plaza. I looked at the jubilant scenes on the internet and saw the pictures in the newspaper, but I have yet to see the TV images of the statute falling. Shortly after April 9th, I heard that officials in North Korea were finally willing to talk with American officials. Although I don't have a television, I bet that Kim Jong Il watches TV everyday. Perhaps he saw live pictures of Saddam statues falling all across Iraq. I wonder what Kim Jong Il thought about when he saw ropes around the necks of these statues? Was he thinking about the huge statues of his father that appear across the North? I am looking forward to the day when all those silly statues in North Korea are pulled down by jubilant citizens of Pyung Yang.

Koreans: "The Chosan People     return to top
May 10, 2003 / Number 110.

I think that every nation in the world thinks of itself as a special people. As a native born American, I think that my country is the best in all the world. One of our national songs is called "America". The chorus of this song goes: "America, America, God shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." I recognize that sometimes this national spirit flies in the face of other nations. When I was last in Africa, I was distributing t-shirts that were donated by a Korean t-shirt manufacturer from Los Angeles. It appears that he made a miscalculation and over- produced patriotic t-shirts in the aftermath of nine-eleven. We brought over thousands of unsold American flag t-shirts to pass out to poor Africans. It was a funny sight. I felt a bit sheepish giving to Rwandans white t-shirts emblazoned with "God Bless America". Those who could read English, would often read the words and say to me with a frown "God Bless Rwanda". I would quickly agree with them and say "God Bless Rwanda indeed".

I have been amused recently by extremes of patriotic feelings growing among Koreans. When I was first in Korea thirty years ago, I did not notice this patriotic fervor much. As a matter of fact, I remember certain Koreans talking about American products as being "number one" and Korean products as being "number ten". Korean newspapers did not write about Koreans being the best people in the world. This seemed to change when I returned to Korea about ten years later. All I heard about in 1984 was the Seoul Olympics. All Koreans seemed in a passion to show the world that Korea was a world class country and that Koreans were the best in everything. I began to notice this same trend when I returned to American and looked at Korean newspapers published in America. Suddenly Korea was not number ten but number one. I remember talking with a Korean church member about his trend among Koreans. I said as a joke that maybe God's favorite language was Korean and that I should learn at least enough Korean to converse with God. Only later did I learn that this is not a joke to all people, but that certain members of the Unification Church accept this is an article of faith. There are some Koreans who take their importance seriously. Last week I heard a Korean talking about his nation as "the Chosan People" just like the Hebrews were the "chosen people" of God. I think he was half-way serious. This clever comment would be lost on most Americans, since few would understand that "Chosan" is an alternate name for Korea. Of course, this word play makes no sense to people who only speak Korean, because they would not know "Chosan" = "chosen". It would make absolutely no sense in Hebrew since Hebrews would recognize neither "Chosan" nor "chosen". I think that I will recommend "Chosan people" for the name of our Korean church choir.

As I was looking at the Korea Times a few days ago, I saw how hard it is or some people to be a Chosan person. I learned that it as a requirement for high ranking Chosan people to wear a dark suit with white shirt with neck tie. I read about a newly elected Chosan person named X X X who did not want to wear this special Chosan/chosen clothing. All the other Chosan people wanted X X X to be an un-Chosan person. Sometimes I glad that I am not one of the Chosan people.

Women in Ministry     return to top
May 24, 2003 / Number 111.

My theological studies are winding down. I will be graduating from seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in a few weeks. This will be a career change for me as I move from academia into ministry. A requirement for graduation is a weekly two hour meeting with fellow students who are also about the graduate. For the past several months I have been meeting with seven other seminarians. We discuss theology, but also share our own personal struggles as we move from the security of books and study into the world of work and Christian ministry. One of the persons in our group I'll call "Tina". She is a Korean-American of about 30 years old. Tina is about to go into the ministry and she is discouraged. Every week one of us seven gets to choose a topic to discuss. Tina chose to talk about women in Christian ministry. This was a doubly difficult topic for us to discuss, because of both denominational and cultural reasons.

My seminary is a part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and in recent years this Christian denomination has been moving toward positions that appear hostile to women in ministry. Whether they are indeed hostile depends upon one's interpretation of scripture. The 2000 Faith and Message of the SBC states: "While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." In the past this language was not a part of the Faith and Message, but now it is. Many Southern Baptists support this new position, but many are also discouraged. As a matter of fact, when the SBC first published this position is 2000, many prominent Baptists left the denomination, including former president Jimmy Carter. A recent newspaper article reported that 43 SBC missionaries are leaving the mission field because they refuse to endorse the SBC Faith and Message. However, Baptist churches have a long tradition of local autonomy an many local congregations do not put limits on how women may serve in the church.

On top of this denominational difficulty, there is also a cultural difficulty. Tina asked her Korean husband, Johnny, how she might be able to function in a Korean church. He answered, "maybe as a youth pastor, or song leader, but beyond that I don't know". Another problem is that they don't know what to call Johnny. Someone called him by accident Sa-mo-nim (wife-of-pastor). Johnny didn't appreciate that. But the name Sa-bu-nim (husband-of-pastor) seems too obscure and artificial. Johnny wants to be called "Johnny", but in a Korean context that is also difficult. Some of this "han" expressed by Tina was probably lost on the American listeners. In the English language there is no equivalent to the word "Sa-mo-nim", just like it is so difficult to translate "Jun-do-sa-nim". There just aren't good English equivalents for these words. As a matter of fact, the first time I saw the words in English "Mrs. Kim, JDSN", I thought that JDSN was a kind of law degree. At any rate, Tina was discouraged. She said, "Do you know what they think a Sa-mo-nim's job is? She is someone who cleans toilets, stays in the kitchen, and is present in the church every moment that it is open. When the sa-mo-nim is not in church, some members click their tongues and gossip about her not being there". Some of us in the class tried to assure Tina that times are changing. We tried to encourage her with kind words. I want to remind Tina of the Chinese proverb that "Women hold up half of the sky". I want to always remind myself of that.

The Automobile as Communicator     return to top
June 14, 2003 / Number 112.

Last March, just before the war in Iraq, I began to see dozens of cars carrying the same message displayed on a bumper sticker. The bumper sticker read "No War on Iraq" printed in black letters against a yellow background. I read in my newspaper that peace advocates were busy distributing these anti-war stickers at peace rallies. Here in Marin County that means that hundreds of cars were decorated with this same message. After the war in Iraq began, I saw something strange happen to the stickers. Beginning in April, I noticed that on many cars the words "on Iraq" were removed. Now the shortened bumper stickers simply read "No War". Instead of being a sticker of twelve inches in length the abbreviated anti-war messages were now only six inches long. I thought that this appending of the original message was pretty clever. Instead of stating an opinion against a particular war, the message was against all war in general. In May, I began to see a few of these bumper stickers appended even further. Instead of "No War" now the message was "No W". To grasp the meaning of this message, one must recognize that "W" (or "dubya" as it is sometimes pronounced) is a nickname of President George W. Bush. I thought that this was especially delicious: first against a war in Iraq, then against all war, then against the president to is pursuing war. And all with one bumper sticker!

Of course there are others ways to make your automobile communicate besides a bumper sticker. In California, car owners are permitted vanity license plates. My neighbor recently earned an advanced college degree and now her plate reads "MOMSPHD". Somebody must be proud of her. One of games that I like to play while driving is to recognize and interpret vanity plates. For example "gr8 1" means "great one". Once I saw the plate that read "MZT K191". I had an hint at what it meant. I checked out my music collection at home and I am pretty sure that this driver's favorite piece of music is "K191 Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major" by Mozart. That's one of my favorites too. If you don't know it, give it a listen. I don't have a vanity plate. I think if I ever do get one it will read "ROOM9". That represents a Korean word not used in polite company. At once it communicates both Koreaness through English and cultural slyness.

My younger son just obtained a vanity license plate. There is story that goes with this plate. When my son was born 26 years ago, I wanted him to be a man of God and I wanted him to retain a piece of his Korean identity. For this reason we named him "Simon Peter Pyung Hwa Foreman". He began his life being called "Simon". But in kindergarten other kids made fun of him using that old English nursery rhyme of "Simple Simon". Then for several years, he preferred the name "Peter". When we moved to California, he went back to "Simon". My son is now a budding artist and is searching for an artistic identity. I suggested the combination name "Simon Peter", but now he prefers his Korean name "Pyung Hwa". As a matter of fact, he has just released a hip-hop CD with the title of "Pyung Hwa". And if you see a California car with plates reading "PYNGHWA", wave hello to my son Simon for me.

Korean Corner     return to top
August 2, 2003 / Number 113.

We have just returned home from our third mission trip to Africa. On our return passage we had the opportunity to visit some friends in London for five days. Andrew and Nicholas are twin brothers who live in downtown London, not far from Saint Paul's Church. Their apartment was next door to a Korean Restaurant and this landmark helped us to locate their place as we walked up their street. The brothers were kind enough to provide a vacant townhouse for our use in the north of London in a place called Enfield Station. My wife and I traveled from our townhouse throughout the city using the extensive underground and train system. With an all-day rail pass, we visited the millennium wheel on the Thames River and the National Art Gallery near Trafalgar Square. We enjoyed our personal wanderings together, but we had more fun sitting in the back seat of a car as Andrew and Nicholas raced us from place to place.

I found it impossible to understand the streets of London. There are no major through streets and Andrew was constantly turning corners and zipping down side streets. We hopped out of the car and snapped some pictures in front of Westminster Abby. Then we went down the street to Buckingham Palace. It was great to have a resident of London show us the sights of this great city. At all the popular tourist spots we encountered Asian people. Andrew and Nicholas assumed they were mostly Chinese, but as the Asians walked toward us or came up behind us, we could hear Korean being spoken. We would casually ask, "Oh, are you Korean?" There would be a smile of recognition, a slight bow, and then a few words of greeting. On our last day in London, we visited one grassy area on the riverside that was full of Korean people. This place was overlooking the Tower Bridge next to the mayor's office. We met an Englishman who was selling odd tourist items; things like hats decorated with flashing lights, large inflatable hammers, and stuffed toy animals. This man also had a Korean flag stuck in the ground right by the walkway. As we talked, he told us that the flag was present to catch the attention of Korean tourists. He pointed to about dozen Koreans who were sitting on a hillside looking at the bridge and the setting sun. He added that a few weeks ago two hundred Korean tourists were sitting on the hillside. He called the place "Korean Corner" and mentioned how well-mannered and polite the Korean tourists were.

As it was getting dark we returned to the brother's apartment. Since it was our last day in town, we wanted to treat our friends to a Korean meal. Although they had lived next to the "Seoul Restaurant" for several years, they had never eaten a meal there. As we took our seats we noted a large group of Asian young people. They were very noisy and we found it difficult even to carry on a conversation. Had we finally encountered some ill-mannered Koreans in London? We asked our Korean waitress about this group. She apologized for their rowdiness and whispered to us in Korean that these were local Chinese patrons. They soon left restaurant and we taught Andrew and Nicholas about Korean food and how to use chopsticks. We used to travel around the world in order to see interesting sights. Now we travel to meet and interact with interesting people.

Suicide in the News     return to top
August 16, 2003 / Number 114.

As I read the news from Korea, it seems like suicide is making headlines. Important people like Chung Mong-hun are jumping from buildings and distraught mothers are killing themselves and their own children. My life has been blessed in that no one close to me has ever killed himself. I can only imagine the mixture of anger, sorrow and remorse that I would experience if a close friend or family member died. I would be angry at the deceased for taking their life. At the same time I would be sorrowful at the loss and again at the same time, I would wonder if I could have done anything to prevent the suicide.

The closest that I came to suicide occurred when I was a college student. I was renting a small upstairs room from an elderly woman and her brother. My conversations with her were brief, but she was a nice landlady. He older brother was having health problems. I remember returning from college classes one Autumn afternoon and being met by my roommate near the front door. He said excitedly, "Come look in the garage. It looks like the old man killed himself." I followed him to the back of the house and saw the man hanging by his neck at the end of a rope. I wasn't sure if he was dead so I grabbed his dangling leg and shook it. His whole body convulsed and for a second I thought that maybe he was alive. Then I realized that my shaking caused the dangling corpse to twist and turn on the rope. I asked my roommate to call the police. When they arrived we pointed out the garage to them. They looked inside and then asked that we two young people go back into the house. We sat on the front porch and saw the coroner come and take away the covered body on a gurney. I hardly knew this man and can only guess that his heath problems led him to despair, then to suicide.

My Christian faith has a long tradition against any form of suicide. As odd as it seems, the penalty for suicide was once death. This meant that if a person attempted suicide and failed, the state would put them to death. In many churches, a person who clearly took his own life must be denied a Christian burial. According to the Catholic encyclopedia "man does not possess this full and independent dominion over his life, since to be an owner one must be superior to his property. God has reserved to himself direct dominion over life; He is the owner of its substance and He has given man only the right to use it, with the charge of protecting and preserving the substance, that is, life itself. Consequently suicide is an attempt against the dominion and right of ownership of the Creator."

I heard a story that occurred on that tragic day of nine-eleven. On that morning dozens of human beings jumped out from the windows of the burning towers at the World Trade Center. They were fleeing a certain and painful death. You probably remember the pictures of businessmen flying through the air with neckties flapping above their heads. As this was happening a Catholic priest watched on in horror. This faithful priest raised his hands toward the jumpers and offered a general absolution to all the 9/11 jumpers for their sin of suicide. What an odd thing to contemplate. I think that both the actions of the jumpers and the priest were understandable. Taking one's own life is always a sin because it is self-murder. Yet in some extreme circumstances, it may be only option open to a rational person. How is it possible to make perfect choices in an imperfect world?

Buy One / Get One Free     return to top
August 30, 2003 / Number 115.

I like to save money. Whenever I visit the local Safeway store, I don't look at how much money I spend, but how much money I save. It's not important that I spent forty-five dollars for groceries, but that I saved fifteen dollars using my red Safeway card. As I shop for bargains, one thing that I always look for is "buy one - get one free". If you were to peek into my shopping bag you might see two bags of potato chips, two bottles of coca-cola, or two jars of pickles. I am a sucker for "buy one - get one free".

Last month I heard this expression used in a new setting. I was in conversation with a young couple who are attending the Christian seminary. They had just arrived from Korea. I asked the husband, "So I understand that you are working at a Korean church now, is that right?". He said, "Oh yes, and I begin next Sunday." I then asked him, "Is your wife working there too?" The husband wasn't sure how to respond to this question. Then he smiled and said wryly in broken English "buy one - get one free." I had to think about his words for a while. Then it struck me what a perfect expression this was for his situation. Behind his smile, I could see that he considered himself "bought" - that is, like a slave rather than an person. He also seemed resigned to the fact that his wife, as sa-mo-nim, would be working just as hard as her husband and without a salary. This sounds to me like "buy one - get one free" - just like my two jars of pickles. I wished this couple luck at their new church and went on my way.

As the day progressed, I continued to think about the odd application of this expression. It struck me as being something that could only happen in a Korean setting. I couldn't conceive of "buy one-get one free" happening in an American church setting. My wife and I once attended a church for several weeks before we were sure who the wife of the pastor was. We were under the misconception that the song leader was the pastor's wife. The two of them sat together and the woman was very active in the church. We learned later that the real pastor's wife sat in the back of the church and did not participate in many church activities. I began to think about Korean couples and what expressions might describe their particular situation. When the husband and wife own a small business together, then they work equally hard to make the business a success. This is like "two for the price of one". That's why Koreans are such good entrepreneurs. If there are children in the family, then the business may be "four for the price of one". When the husband works for a corporation, he may spend enormous amounts of time outside of the home. The wife may not have a clue about what her husband does or where he goes. This situation may become "fifty percent off", because the wife half may divorce the husband half. How would I describe my marriage? Maybe the expression would be "These two items not to be sold separately".

About two weeks after these thoughts, I went shopping again at my local Safeway. While looking for bargains, I glanced at the coca-cola. I read the sign: "buy one - get one free". I laughed out loud. I thought about the Korean church couple and under my breath I wished success to the underpaid husband and to the unpaid wife.

Woman under a Roof     return to top
September 13, 2003 / Number 116.

A few summers ago I did a lot of work in my back yard. I built a new wire fence to keep the hungry deer away from my flowers. I built wooden stairs going up the side of my house and I nailed together my own entrance gate. During this construction, I was shopping at an import-export store for unusual items. I spotted some Chinese characters for sale. These signs were made for outdoor use and were about the size of typing paper. As I looked through four or five characters, the one I thought most attractive was the character: "ahn". I didn't know the meaning of this symbol, but on the back side of the metal sign was the English translation: "peace / tranquility / safety". As a finishing touch for my swinging gate, I fastened to the center of it the Chinese character "ahn".

My wife liked the new sign and we hoped that the symbol would bring tranquility to our household. Several months later I invited some Korean friends into our backyard. One of them noted my sign and proceeded to explain to me its meaning. He told me that "ahn" is a combination of two symbols. The top symbol is a picture of a roof and the bottom symbol is a picture of a woman. Another Korean overheard this conversation. He expanded the meaning, telling me that the roof part of the symbol is more than a roof. Maybe a better meaning is "the roof of a man" or "protection of a man". He also thought that the bottom symbol was a kneeling woman. The symbolism of "ahn" is old-fashioned these days because it suggests that tranquility happens when a kneeling woman rests under the roof of a man. I had forgotten about this backyard conversation until my recent trip to Africa.

The special theme of this year's mission to Rwanda was "peace and reconciliation". In June, July and August, women leaders in our group held a number of seminars especially designed for the woman of Rwanda. Many of these Rwandan women are widows. Some are widows because of AIDS or other diseases, but most are widows due to the horrific genocide which happened in 1994 and took the lives of 800,000 people. This corner of Africa really needs a generous portion of peace and reconciliation. One of the members in our small group was a Korean women named Grace. Her English was not very good and whenever she wanted to show approval for one of my ideas she would make the peculiar sound of "hhwwaa". When I asked her if she liked my Bible teaching for the evening, she just said "hhwwaa!" When I asked her about the quality of African singers, she just exclaimed "hhwwaa!" One evening, I was in a planning meeting with Grace and my wife. We were thinking of ways to get across our theme of peace and reconciliation. Grace suggested that we introduce to the Africans the Hebrew word "Shalom" as a way to explain "peace". My wife suggested the Korean term "an yang". It was then that I remembered the Chinese character "ahn". This was strange, because "ahn" is about the only character that I know and yet it was at the center of this discussion. I reminded my wife the meaning of "ahn" and her face lit up. The next thing I saw was her explaining this idea to Grace. My wife was talking Korean fast and drawing the character on the tabletop with her fingertip. Once Grace understood, she got excited and she let loose with a 10-second "hhhwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"!! On the following morning, 50 African ladies learned this one Chinese character. Maybe I am old-fashioned but I think that the perfect representation of tranquility is the picture of a woman with a roof over her head. I believe that the appeal of this picture is universal. Fifty women in Rwanda have a better concept of peace and reconciliation because of a sign that hangs on my gate.

I vote for "Qorea"     return to top
September 27, 2003 / Number 117.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a man named Carl. At least that's what I thought his name was. I e-mailed him a message which began with the words "Dear Carl". A few days later, I received a nice reply from him with a signature line of " sincerely, Karl". The "K" was underlined. The underline drew my attention to the fact that this "Carl" spelled his name with a "K" and not with a "C". Since that first e-mail, I sent "Karl" several more messages, making sure that I spelled his name with a K. This accident of misspelling gained new meaning to me after I read reports about the latest controversy in Korea.

Reports from Korea say that a vocal minority of activists and academics want to change the name of "Korea" with a "K" to "Corea" with a "C". (Don't people in Korea have anything better to do than worry about the English spelling of their homeland?) I understand that an upcoming sporting event with the North Koreans is motivating this effort. Apparently athletes in the north would be unhappy to compete under the name "Korea" spelled with a "K". They offer two reasons for the alternative "C" spelling of Korea. First, they say that "Korea" was originally spelled in the Western world with a "C" and that the nasty Japanese forced their poor cousins to spell their country with a "K". Moreover, the Japanese did this in order to appear in the alphabet before the Coreans. ("J" comes before "K"). This might sound reasonable until one checks the facts. I personally own a geography book that was published in 1897. I see plainly a country spelled "Korea" and its people called "Koreans". Advocates for a "C" spelling also claim that Korea was first spelled with a "K" because "K" is a more exotic letter than "C". They cite "California", "Connecticut", and "Colorado" as American states that begin with a more proper letter "C". This makes me wonder if all the people in Kansas realize that they live in an exotic state? I wonder if it is that big of a deal if English speakers spell Korea with a "K"? After all in French, Korea already starts with a "C" (Coree) and in Spanish and Italian it also starts with a "C" (Corea). My suspicion is that the North Koreans are wrestling over trivial word matters as a prelude to major battles yet to come.

If the two Koreas ever put aside their political differences and become one nation, what will they call their reunited homeland? Will it be "hanguk" or "chosan"? Maybe it will be Corea with a "C"? Maybe this battle on an English name presages a bigger battle over a Korean name. But what about a common national flag? Would it contain a star or a yin-yang? May I be the first to suggest a big red star surrounded by the four symbols of earth, air, fire and water. That would be strange indeed. I do hope that I live long enough to see how this re-united nation works out these delicate details.

But let's return to the issue of Korea with a "K" or with a "C". In his book "Sign, Symbol and Script", Hans Jensen notes that the letters C, K, and Q were originally used in Latin according to Etruscan usage. The letter "C" appeared in front of the letters "e" and "i"; the "K" in front of the letter "a"; and the "Q" in front of the letters "u" and "o". May I suggest that these quarrling Koreans compromise and re-spell their homeland as "Qorea". Now that would be really qool.

175,336 Time Zones Behind     return to top
October 11, 2003 / Number 118.

I just became aware that Koreans in America are 175,336 time zones behind their families back in the homeland. According to the spin of the globe, we in California are 16 time zones behind those in Korea. So when it is noon today in San Francisco, it is already four in the morning tomorrow in Seoul. I have come to realize that this 16 hour time difference does not tell the whole story. I was talking with a friend who had just spent a few months with his parents in the countryside of Kan Wan Province. He had not been back to his small hometown in several years. As we talked, he kept shaking his head. "I just can't believe how different things are now. It's like the pace of life in Korea has zoomed twenty years past my sheltered life here in America". I suggested that maybe the time difference is not 16 hours ahead, but twenty years ahead. After a pen and paper calculation, I advised him that the next time his jet plane lands at Kimpo Airport, he just turn his watch ahead 175,336 hours. This would account for the 16 hours of global time difference plus the 20 years of future shock that he experienced upon arrival in his native land.

My friend traveled to Korea with his wife and three children. The first thing that he complained about was television and how trashy it has become. He explained that there is a mechanism for filtering out offensive TV shows, but that this is a joke. Most Korean children are now being exposed to a daily diet of explicit sex, violence, and degrading language. He said that his wife had to monitor his three little girls carefully while they watched TV in the house of their grandparents. His second comment began with TV viewing, but then became wider in scope. He marveled how openly divorce, extra-marital affairs, and homosexuality were discussed in public forums. As he met with some old friends he was surprised to discover that public media is a reflection of public life. He was discouraged that many of his old friends were now on a second or even third marriage. "It's worse there than it is here", he exclaimed. We talked about fashion and how things become trendy and then pass in Korea before they arrive in America. Most of the future that my friend saw in Korea he did not like. However, he did appreciate at how quickly Koreans are adopting the Internet and wiring the nation for the future.

It is interesting for me to see how Korean immigrants establish a community in America and then maintain a Korean identity based on the year of the establishment of that community. Many Koreans that I know live in two worlds: one world is 2003 America and the other 1983 Korea -- 175,320 hours apart. For these ex-patriots their fashions are more conservative, their churches are more conservative, and their attitudes toward sex are much more conservative than the neighbors they left behind in Korea. My friend did indeed experience "future shock" when he traveled back to Korea. Our discussion then went in a different direction. It seemed to me that at one time Korea was twenty years behind America. When I saw Korea for the first time in 1972, it looked more like America in 1952. The Korean people were more sexually, socially, and religiously conservative than I was. When did things get switched around?

At this point in our discussion, my wife joined in. She said "not everything in Korea is 20 years ahead. For example, men in Korea still sit and talk at the dinner table while their wives do all the meal clean up". She stared at us. My first thought was, "Some things in Korea never change". But then I understood her meaning. I began to carry dishes from the dinner table into the kitchen sink.

A Land of Immigrants     return to top
October 25, 2003 / Number 119.

I have known this person for many years. He was born in the 1940's in small village far from the shores of California. He immigrated to America in the 1960's with a work permit. He earned a BA from a small American college in 1970's and became a naturalized American citizen in the 1980's. This person has worked hard all of his life and has achieved the American dream. Maybe this describes your life. Maybe this describes the life of someone you know. As a matter of fact, I bet that you do know this person. His name is Arnold Schwarzenegger and he is the governor-elect of California.

His election caught me by surprise. I first heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was a professional body builder. I have enjoyed watching several of his Hollywood movies over the years. Now "Governor Arnold" is entering politics governing my home state that has an economy greater than all of Korea.

As a life-long Democrat, I did not vote for Arnold, but I certainly do respect his hard work and achievement. I hope that he can bring back prosperity and optimism to California. We need it here. As I followed events on my radio leading up to this special election, my favorite moment occurred during the big debate in which all major candidates participated. I heard Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking with his obvious German accent. Then I heard him being interrupted by Arianna Huffington with her obvious Greek accent. Moments later, I heard Cruz Bustamante, the son of Mexican immigrants, join the debate. I am the grand-child of European immigrants and this nation continues to be a land of immigrants as well as a land of opportunity. Arianna was born with the name "Stasinopoulos". Putting her Greek name along side of the Austrian name "Schwarzenegger" and Spanish name "Bustamante", one can appreciate the grand mixing that happens in all of America but especially in California.

Many people are disappointed that Arnold's political career must end in California. He may someday move on to become a California senator, but he cannot run for national office. Article II clause 5 of he U.S. constitution says "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President." Because Arnold Schwarzenegger is foreign born, he cannot become president. This prospect disappoints some, and relieves others. I understand that this provision was included in the constitution to prevent a takeover by a stronger nation. The framers of the constitution were concerned that an English aristocrat might force his way into the presidency and return America to England. They were also wary of the French, who might take over Washington D.C. and install a French born president. Some Republican politicians are seeking to amend the constitution and eliminate the requirement that a president must be naturally born in America. This is very difficult and would come too late to help Arnold.

Mr. Schwarzenegger did face one decision that many Koreans face today. When he first immigrated to America in 1968, he considered changing his name. "Schwarzenegger" is difficult name for lazy Americans to pronounce. He almost changed his name to "Arnold Strong". He is probably happy that he did not do that. I doubt that an "Arnold Strong" would be the governor of California. We are a land of immigrants and an immigrant name appeals to fellow immigrants, both you and me.

Eight Stolen Bags     return to top
November 8, 2003 / Number 120.

I came home yesterday evening and checked my voicemail. There was one message waiting for me. I heard the voice of my friend in a troubled tone. Pastor Kim didn't offer any details, but he asked me to call him back as soon as I could. I was concerned. Was somebody sick? Did somebody die? When I called back this is the story he told me. Pastor Kim said that a team of eight soccer players were visiting him from Korea. They spent the day in a church van touring the Bay Area. They visited the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped off at Vista Point. Here they jumped out of the van and each took pictures of the view. This is beautiful place; where sea, mountains, city, and bridge all come together in one marvelous landscape. The eight Korean tourists wanted to take more pictures so they drove underneath the highway and parked a short way up the Marin Headlands. Again, all eight left the van and spent a few minutes snapping pictures. When they returned, they discovered that the van was broken into and all of their bags were stolen. Eight small bags full of personal items were gone. My heart ached as I heard this story. Mr. Kim asked me if I would call the police and report this crime for him. I spent the next hour or so making phone calls.

My emotions after hearing this news were a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and grief. First, I was angry at the thieves. Stealing is such an evil thing. There is no excuse for it. Is there anyone who does not know that stealing is wrong? Strangely, I also felt anger at these eight Koreans. How could they be so foolish? Pastor Kim speculates that professional thieves spotted them at Vista Point and followed their van to the next view point. The van was broken into and all the bags were stolen in less than five minutes. How could these eight tourists leave cash and ID cards so carelessly in a van? Didn't they realize what easy targets they were? I must apologize for this anger, because I recognize that these soccer players are the victims and not the criminals. Second, I felt embarrassment. I am an American and a Californian. It was my people that stole from their people. This makes me ashamed and embarrassed. I feel like apologizing to them and say "not all Americans are like that". Third, I felt grief at their loss. I know how heart-breaking it is to have a dear possession stolen.

When I lived in Korea, I stayed in a guest-house for several months. My little room was about the size of three mattresses side-by-side. Two of my walls were made of stone, a third wall was a sliding paper door to the outside, and the fourth wall was a sliding paper door to another guest room. This door was nailed shut. Once when I went away for a weekend, I returned to discover that my room was broken into and my valuables taken away. An overnight guest in the adjoining room just punched through the paper wall. My new coat was gone, my cassette player was gone, and many of my cassette tapes were gone. This crime was reported to the local police and the proprietors of the guest house were sad and embarrassed. In the days following this theft, I kept hearing the very faint sound of my cassette player playing some of my favorite songs. Was it my imagination or did a neighbor in the next yard steal my property? I am not sure to this day. There is no way you can help me recover the property that was stolen from me 30 years ago. However, if you see a suspicious man on a street corner trying to sell eight second-hand Korean Bibles, please call the Golden Gate Park Police. Of all the lost items, these well-worn Bibles are missed the most.

Powdering My Face     return to top
November 22, 2003 / Number 121.

The news from Korea never ceases to surprise me. I seem to read about a new and unexpected trend every few weeks. Last week I read that some cosmopolitan Korean men are covering their faces with makeup. I am not talking about a splash of smelly cologne or a bit of talcum powder. This is real heavy duty cosmetics, the same covering that women put on their faces. The article reported that one businessman looked closely at his co-worker's face and said "you look really good. Can you tell me what kind of make-up you are using?". The article reported that so many men in Korea are competing for so few high-paying job that businessmen are looking for every advantage they can get, even wearing makeup. I am surprised by this trend because I know what a chore makeup can be. While it takes me a few minutes to shave my face and rub aftershave on my chin, my wife labors with foundation, eye shadow, rogue, lip stick, and I'm not sure what else. She emerges from the mirror looking beautiful, but the time and expense spent in the process have always seemed excessive to me. I count it a small blessing in my life that I do not have to spend time preparing my face for a work day. But now, certain men in Korea want to take away my small blessing.

Of course the cosmetic companies are delighted. For generations one half of the adult population - the male half -- has not purchased facial foundation and liquid mascara. But in Korea the male population seems to be changing. Maybe I will buy stock in Noxzema or Mary Kay. I am glad that I feel no social pressure to prepare my face for public viewing. I know how excessive and obsessive cosmetics can become. A few years ago, my missionary team traveled to Africa. One Korean lady could not survive a moment without her makeup. She spent hours on her face everyday. As we traveled from village to village she constantly hugged her silver box of cosmetics. This metal box appeared to be the most important thing in the world to her. I wasn't too surprised when she decided that missionary life was not for her. It's difficult to keep one's face fully fashionable without running water and with red dust blowing in the wind.

Years ago I did have a brief encounter with make up. When I was 22 years old I spent a few months doing student teaching in a small middle school. One day as I was in the midst of teaching History a spunky little girl interrupted me and said, "Mr. Foreman, your face really looks shiny". She was being purposely disrespectful and I ignored her as if her comment didn't faze me. However, before I went to school the next day, I found some talcum powder and applied it generously to my face. I really rubbed it in so that my face wouldn't appear shiny. As I began teaching with my talcum powder face, the same little girl interrupted me and said, "Gee Mr. Foreman, how come your face looks so white?" This was a game of "teacher and student" and as stared at each other we both realized that the student defeated the teacher in this encounter. Since that time, I have pretty much ignored my face. I wash it, shave it, and sometimes apply a sun block, but no matter what they do in Korea, I cannot see myself applying mascara to my face. I don't wish to sound overly morbid, but I guess the next time my face is thoroughly covered with powder and makeup will be for my final public appearance. This powder will be applied by a professional funeral director.

The Pastor Variation to the Generosity Rule     return to top
December 6, 2003 / Number 122.

As I was sitting in a restaurant last week, I watched a scene that brought back memories of my years in Korea. In 1972 it was outside of my American experience to see people actually fighting over who should pay a restaurant bill. I was never sure how much of this fighting activity was custom, how much was drama, and how much was genuine. I later learned an etiquette rule. I learned that I should loudly offer to pay three times. It's expected that the receiver will refuse the money two times, but if the money is refused a third time, then it's OK for me to keep the money. Likewise, if someone wants to pay for me, I must protest a few times before allowing someone to pay my way. This was called the "generosity rule". It was always simpler for me back in America. Either we all paid our own way, or if someone wanted to pick up the tab for everyone else then we accepted the act of generosity and thanked the person.

Last week I learned the "pastor variation" of the "generosity rule". My wife and I had just finished some delicious sushi and we were ready to go. We asked the Korean waitress for the bill. Instead, she called her mother over to our table. That's when a three-round fight ensued. To understand this fight, you must know that I am the church pastor for this young waitress and the restaurant owner is happy that her daughter is going to church. The battle began when my wife, the sa-mo-nim, tried to pay fifteen dollars for the meal. After three insistent offers and three vigorous refusals, my wife reluctantly put her money away. That was round one. Round two began when she tried to put down a ten-dollar bill as a tip. The restaurant owner picked up the bill and handed it back. "No tip" she said. This went on for a while before we kept the money. Round three was short. As we were walking out the door, I noticed a jar by the cash register with the word "tips" written on it. I reached for my money and walked toward the jar. The restaurant owner gave me a desperate look, like it would break her heart if I tried to put money in that jar. So we left without paying for our lunch. The restaurant owner won this fight with a knock-out in the third round. Her victory makes both of us feel uneasy. We are hesitant to return to this fine restaurant because we really do feel uncomfortable receiving free meals. That's not why we are in the Christian ministry. We want to pay our own way, first for our own self-respect and second as a testimony to others that everyone should be responsible for their actions. How can we visit this place every few weeks and never pay for a meal? We are not "deadbeats" or "freeloaders".

This problem isn't limited to restaurants. One of the church deacons owns a dry cleaning business. We decided to patronize this place in order to show our support for this fine deacon. We had been putting off our dry cleaning for a while so we brought in a large pile of wrinkled laundry. When I picked up the dry cleaning, I was shocked to see that the total bill was exactly zero dollars. We wanted to support this business with our monetary support, but instead this business was supporting us! What can we do? We brought in laundry a second time for dry cleaning and insisted that we pay for the service. Again, when we picked up the laundry we got a bill for zero dollars. Our deacon explained kindly that it was a blessing for him to do laundry for the church pastor. I know his heart is genuine, but what can we do? How do I handle this "pastor variation" to the "generosity rule"? I have such a difficult time explaining these kinds of problems to my American friends.

Traditional Entertainment     return to top
December 20, 2003 / Number 123.

She asked me why is so easy for Koreans to sing, dance, and act foolish in front of other people, but for Americans it is so difficult? I didn t have an answer for her. We had just sat through two hours of talent show at the Korean church and I was driving her home in the car. It was so foreign for me to witness one-hundred fully grown adults dressed in strange costume, wearing silly make-up, and making spectacles of themselves. I couldn t imagine members of my old American church doing anything so undignified. I was able to follow a few of the skits, but most of the words that made my wife roar with laughter were spoken so quickly that I could not figure what was going on. They tell me that when a foreigner laughs at the exact instant that a native speaker laughs, then the foreigner truly understands the language. I am a long way from there.

We were discussing this topic because my own cell group of a dozen second-generation Koreans did not enjoy the talent show. I was able to motivate five people to participate, but it was like pulling teeth. Maybe it s because my people are young, maybe it s because Korean is not their first language, but probably it s because they are much more American than they are Korean. I began to tell her about my own experience in Korea when I was in my twenties. I felt that I was too dignified to make a spectacle of myself, but every time I went out to a restaurant everyone would sing and act silly. It seemed that every Korean was a bit of a ham . Of course their young American guest was always expected to sing for his hosts. I memorized one song really well in Korean: Oma ya, nuna ya . Every time I was asked to perform, I would belt out this song. I didn t enjoy it, but I was a sport and fit in better with the natives. I can still sing this traditional folk song if we are ever at a party together. My second generation Korean cell group was just like me when I was in my twenties. They participated out of obligation, not out of enjoyment.

As our conversation progressed she commented, We Koreans are just like the people in Africa. Those Africans all know how to sing and dance. This made me think about commonalities between Koreans and Africans. Maybe this ability to entertain one s self has to do with traditional culture. Self-entertainment is a lost art among young Americans. In the 21st century home, an American family of four my be in the same house but each person has his or her own personal form of entertainment. Maybe one s watching TV, another s on computer, and two more have music playing through a personal walkman. Before there was TV, before recorded music, and before the one thousand choices of personal entertainment all we had was each other. If we liked to hear singing, then someone in our group had to sing. If we liked to laugh, then one of us had to be a clown. This is traditional entertainment and it stretches back to the beginning of human interaction. Africans know how to entertain each other, because for many that is their only option for entertainment. For the older generation of Koreans this is also true. I am glad that the Korean side of my church can still laugh and sing, but I think that their sons and daughters will lose this gift of traditional entertainment.