Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Daily Kor for Sunday, July 17, 2011

story #3

It's a light news day, so let me take this chance to talk about something only peripherally related to South Korea: Tokyo will go ahead with its bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, something that was in doubt after both the tsunami and nuclear disaster earlier this year (well, the nuclear disaster is still going on), followed by South Korea getting the 2018 Winter Olympics, which would hurt Japan's chances if the IOC sticks with the "continental rotation" scheme (they didn't with Sochi, Russia, in 2014, which follows London in 2012). Good luck, Japan!

International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (FIBT) endorses proposal for South and North Korea to field joint team at 2018 Pyongchang Winter Olympics (UPI, Korea Times, Yonhap)

Kushibo's note: Maybe this is just one elaborate escape plan, using bobsleds
Korea will spend 550 billion won in run-up to Pyongchang games in order to promote winter sports (Chosun Ilbo)

Sweden to offer $2.94 million in medical aid to North Korea (Korea Times, Yonhap)
Drowsy driver crossing bridge in southern city of Sach'ŏn smashes car into hikers, killing four (Yonhap)
Gold reaches record high in Korea of 217.8K won per ton (Yonhap)

Kushibo's note: That's a Korean ton (돈), which is only 3.75 grams, not an English ton

North Korea reports that homes have been destroyed, farmland flooded, and some lives lost following a second day of heavy rain (AP via WaPo)

Rains bring fresh concerns about food supply in North (Yonhap)

Three more North Korean players fail doping tests at FIFA Women's World Cup; North Korean team blames musk deer medicine (Reuters, AP via WaPo, Bloomberg)
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise announce faking of second pregnancy (Reuters)

No comments:

Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

Oh, and play nice. Please don’t make me regret this.

九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.

Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Daily Kor for Sunday, July 17, 2011

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