Sufjan Stevens -- "You Are the Blood" and "Joy to the World"

I recently discovered Sufjan Stevens' music. I definitely plan to get much more acquinted with this artist. The song above is a cover of "You Are the Blood," originally by Castanents. And seeing as it is the Christmas season, below is a rendition of "Joy to the World" by Sufjan Stevens.

Flower Arrangement

Last month when I was father-of-the-bride, I also made a flower arrangement (the one above) for the celebration. It was my first time to make an arrangement of this sort.The closest I have come to it was to pick some flowers and bundle them together in a rough bouquet. Making an actual arrangement was a new and fun experience. I have this dream for retirement one day. I want to open a little shop that combines a flower shop, a second hand book shop, an arts-and-crafts shop and a coffee shop. I guess my little flower arrangement last month is the first step in that direction. After all, I'm  not getting any younger.

Handtekening

Soms, wanneer ek na iets luister (byvoorbeeld 'n preek of 'n seminaar of so iets), dan teken ek graag. Ek is een van daai mense wat beter luister terwyl ek "doodle." Die probleem is dat ek nie altyd papier byderhand het nie. Dis nie noodwendig 'n probleem nie aangesien ek altyd 'n hand byderhand het. Onderaan is 'n tekening wat ek gemaak het, sommer so op my linkerhand.

My Korea -or- Why Am I in Korea?

 [Image Source]

I'm sometimes posed with the question, Why did I come to Korea? This question is not to be confused with why am I working abroad, but very specifically what made me choose this particularly country; why didn't I go to, say, Japan or Taiwan? Why Korea?

The answer is actually quite simple. Around 16 or so years ago I took up the martial art Taekwon-Do. My brother and I were actually searching for a kung-fu school—we were very much into kung-fu movies growing up. Quite accidentally we saw a flyer advertising Taekwon-Do and promoting it “as seen in Best of the Best.” We had seen the film and was impressed by the techniques we saw. Although it wasn't kung-fu, it was significantly different enough from Karate. We knew we were not interested in Karate. My brother and I attended a class and the rest, as far as me becoming a serious martial artist, is history.

In the version of Taekwon-Do that I do there are things called “teul,” translated into English as patterns. They are movements arranged into a sequences of attacks and defences against imaginary opponents. The purpose of teul is to teach you combinations of movements, certain ways of manoeuvring, fighting strategies, and so on. Each teul has a name with a special meaning somehow related to Korean culture and history. Some are named after historic figures like Korean kings, philosophers, scholars, freedom fighters; others are named after philosophical or ideological ideas that are part of Korean culture. It was inevitable, as I learned the teul and the people and things they represent, not to become enchanted by Korea.

Then one day my sister-in-law told me about the possibility of going to Korea. There were different options. One could go through a church organization as a teacher-missionary. Or you could go through an educational institute as a teacher—usually an English teacher. As soon as I had finished my master's degree I was on the plane to Korea.

[Image Source]

It was nothing as I had imagined it. My imaginings were based on the Korean folk heroes I learned about in Taekwon-Do, media-based conceptions about the Far East, and readings of Oriental philosophy. After a year and a half in Korea, and with a black belt in another Korean martial art (Hapkido), I returned back to South Africa. Even while I sat on the aeroplane I knew that I was not yet finished with Korea. About a year later I returned to Korea once more and I am here still.

In all, I have been in Korea for about four years now. The honeymoon phase is long over and I've been thoroughly disillusioned. I have an enigmatic love-hate relationship with this country. And while I think that my time here is slowly drawing to a close, I also know that as of yet, I am still not finished with it. Eventually, when I do depart, I know that I will always have strong ties with Korea. My Korea.

WikiLeaks: Stop the Crackdown

The vicious intimidation campaign against WikiLeaks is a dangerous attack on freedom of expression and the press. Top US politicians have branded WikiLeaks a terrorist organization, and urged corporations to shut it down. Commentators have even suggested assassinating its staff.

Whatever we think of WikiLeaks, legal experts say it has likely broken no laws, and the group works with leading newspapers (NYT, Guardian, Spiegel) to carefully vet what it publishes - so far less than 1% of the cables leaked to it.

We urgently need a massive public outcry to defend our basic democratic freedoms. Sign the petition to stop the crackdown!

I Support Wikileaks

In a world where governments lie to their citizens on a near constant basis, a group dedicated to exposing the truth is of crucial value. How can we hold our governments accountable if we don't know what atrocities they are committing? Such lies like "weapons of mass destruction" that cost the lives of thousands of innocent people could have been avoided had the truth been known.

For his resolute purpose to make truth available Julian Assange is under attack. Prominent people in government has called for his assassination. Some even call him a terrorist. Comparing Julian Assange to a terrorist just shows how corrupt these governments have become. It is only in an Orwellian world where one could liken someone dedicated to the truth to a terrorist. Corrupt politicians, torturer-presidents and spying-encouraging ministers get off scott free, but those fighting for truth and justice are called terrorists.



Personally I believe Mr Assange's arrest is linked to a smear campaign, if not a set-up. It is unprecedented -- read, "never hear off!" -- to put out an Interpol warrant on a person suspected of sexual harassment or rape. And since when is it illegal to have consensual sex without a condom? Does it even matter that the first woman involved in the rape charges is "a known radical feminist in Sweden who wrote a blog post on Seven Steps for Legal Revenge." Now would it surprise you to hear that she may be a CIA operative?

Whatever the case may be, most people know in their gut that his arrest has little to do with his promiscuity or being a sexual predator and everything to do with him being an activist for truth.

Wikileaks is supposedly participating in illegal activities. What makes it illegal? The fact that it makes available the truth to the general public? These are truths that are in the public interest. The Wikileaks-documents are embarrassing to many governments, particularly the United States, and that is why they want him muzzled. It is embarrassing because the governments ought to be embarrassed. They want to keep these things quiet because they know that they are in the wrong and ought to be ashamed. The leaks demonstrate their killing of innocent people, their torture tactics, their extortion, their manipulations, their briberies not only in wartime but even at international meetings like the Climate Change Summit. Governments are involved in despicable spectacles, never letting the citizens of those governments in on what they are doing. This is absolutely contrary to everything that democracy stands for. Governments, contrary to the term's original meaning, do not govern its citizens. In a democracy it is the citizens that have authority over the government. Democratic governments are supposed to perform the will of the people, not the other way round. Instead governments are involved in acts that are shockingly contrary to the will of the people it is supposed to represent, and for this very reason they are keeping their dirty deeds secret. And for this very reason, organizations like Wikileaks ought to be praised as they are returning the power to where it belongs, with the people, not with a deceiving oligarchical elite!

Does the information released on Wikileaks put some people at risk? Possibly. Still, we cannot keep silent as to the multiple thousands of people that have already been harassed, tortured, and killed and conveniently kept quiet about. Nor can governments be allowed to think that they can continue to act in this manner. We do not live in ancient times where we are governed; the foundation of democracy is that we, all citizens of a democratic nation, are the governors. As such, we ought to have access to all information related to the government.

In the meantime the domain name for Wikileaks is taken down and the host for the site is changing frequently. The direct FTP-address is http://213.251.145.96/ . Attempts to shut down Wikileaks is a direct attack on all Internet freedom.

"Whatever you think of WikiLeaks, they have not been charged with a crime, let alone indicted or convicted. Yet look what has happened to them. They have been removed from Internet … their funds have been frozen … media figures and politicians have called for their assassination and to be labelled a terrorist organization. What is really going on here is a war over control of the Internet, and whether or not the Internet can actually serve its ultimate purpose—which is to allow citizens to band together and democratize the checks on the world’s most powerful factions." -- Glen Greenwald.

The (cyber-) attacks on Wikileaks is just the beginning. These governments, the United States of America in particular, will use the Wikileaks incident to pass legislation to tighten control over the Internet. In the name of "Cyber Security" they will take away Net Neutrality and the free access to information and with it freedom of speech. Their excuses for doing so will range from "Cyber Bullying" to "Cyber Terrorism." They will convince, in other words deceive, the public into thinking it is for their own safety. Nonsense! They are just megalomaniacs that will not be satisfied lest they control every facet of your life and turn you into a serf, if not a slave.

I support Wikileaks!

Hallelujah!

I wish I was there.



Better yet, I wish I was part of this.

Bankrun2010; Now What?

So maybe you joined Bankrun 2010 and withdrew your money from the bank? Now what?

First, put aside the money you need to pay your basic bills. Pay it in cash. Many general bills like phone bills, water & electricity, and the like can be paid at convenient centres like the Post Office, or certain shopping centres.

Second, take what ever you have remaining and buy gold. If you cannot afford gold, buy silver. Precious metals are generally safer than monetary currency as their value is much stabler. Also, whenever normal currencies are unstable (as is the case at present), physical currency, i.e. gold, increases in value. Such great financial and trend forecasters like Mark Faber and Gerald Celente have been warning of the economic collapse for a very long time (long before it occured) and have also held gold up as a safe investment. Looking at their track records and considering the logic, I agree. I've suggested buying gold on this blog before and to my family and friends I've been recommending this for probably two years now. I hope they listened, for if they did, they would have increased their savings quite a bit buy now. Once you have your gold, find a safe place to keep it.

Third, for most people it has become too difficult to live without the functionality and convenience of the banks. Nonetheless, remember that banks do not have your best interest at heart. Banks are businesses that try to get as much money from you as they possibly can. They will do it through exuberantly expensive services, but also through immoral exploitation. Yes, we cannot function in a bank-dependent society without using banks, so I'm not suggesting closing down your bank accounts and never using banks. However, see how you can use banks less, by saving in physical assets (gold, property, etc.) and using banks only as necessary.

Fourthly, be frugal. Don't waste your money. Saving in gold may help you in that because you are less likely to convert your gold into currency on the whim. The global economy is still far from on its way to recovery, no matter what the big banks are telling you. In fact, quite the opposite is true. If you are going to spend money, do so on quality -- things that will last long and truly bring value to life.

Lastly, if you want to spend money on yourself, do so on things that will improve you. Invest in yourself. Consider investing in your education, health and long term happiness. If you are American I strongly suggest that you do not study in America. American colleges and universities are ridiculously over-priced. You can get just as good and sometimes even better quality education in other countries for cheaper.

Finally, some thoughts on the value of Bankrun2010. In my previous post I did not comment why I see value in this. And I don't have the energy to do so now. (It's late, I need to get to bed.) However, I believe that anyone with one ear to the ground (i.e. proper information sources), and a little insight into the global economic collapse, will know that the big bank cartels are hugely (although not exclusively) to blame. A bank run will not only show these banks that they ought to be service providers, not manipulators, it will also send a clear signal to other oligarchical systems and would-be plutocracies that we will have none of that. The big bank systems have been manipulating economies and made serfs of the common man for far too long.

Another reason why it may be good to withdraw money and invest it somewhere else (like gold), is because many prominent economist and trend forecasters think that if things are continuing as they are, we could see a bank holiday. What does this mean? A bank holiday is when the bank temporarily closes, say for a week or two, during which time you cannot withdraw any money. When it reopens, the monetary economy will have been revalued (read devalued), and your money will be less worth than what it was before the bank holiday. It is therefore pertinent that you have some savings invested somewhere other than banks. Remember that money in the bank is not the only way one can save and in times of economic and global unrest like now, it may not even be the most secure place to have your savings. With the "currency war" going on, you stand the risk of losing your banked money anyway; why not take it out and invest in gold and silver?

Spud: The Movie

I mentioned the novel Spud in a post around this time last year. Well, in the meantime the movie has started doing the circuit recently in South Africa. The movie features a well established South African cast, with some English surprises, like John Cleese.



I'm very much looking forward to seeing Spud: The Movie and can only hope that it will still be showing in theatres when I get there in January.

Ek sal miskien ook Bakgat 2 kyk indien ek in Suid-Afrika is. Nie omdat ek dink dis noodwendig op dieselfde vlak as Spud nie, maar bloot omdat alle Suid-Afrikaanse films ondersteun moet word. Vernaam nie-Engelse Suid-Afrikaanse films.

Classes for Next Semester

Next semester I will be teaching very much the same classes I taught last semester, minus one class, Research Methodology. This is quite a relief. Research Methodology is a time consuming class, especially when you are working with over 40 students! My list of classes includes:

• Intermediate English Listening and Speaking
• Basic Vocabulary
• 19th Century British Poetry (Romantics)
• British and American Essays
• Literature and Visual Arts (Shakespeare Films)

The first list I got did not include the Romantics, which had me very disappointed. Instead I was going to teach Media English, whatever that is. Luckily the lecturer that was assigned 19th Century British Poetry (my favourite class) was willing to trade Media English with me so we suggested it to the department chair. He said he'd think about it. I haven't heard from him yet, but this afternoon when I went to the department office I saw the administrative personnel busy preparing the rosters for the different classes, so I saw my list of classes.

Update, 8 Dec 10:

I just had a department meeting this morning during which time the department chair told me that I may be required to teach Research Methodology after all . . .

'n Paar Afrikaanse Songs

Happy Sabbath

Luke 14:5: "[Jesus] answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?"

May you have a blessed Sabbath, with no incidents of asses, oxen or other properties, physical or otherwise, fallen into any literal or figurative pits. Happy Sabbath!

Christianity vs Secularism and I

My brother informed me that the episode of Consider This in which I was a guest speaker and spoke about Christianity vs Secularism has aired and that it is available on the counter.act media YouTube channel. The thought of me sharing ideas—particularly religious ideas—on television is somewhat troubling. When speaking about God and "oughts" and "naughts," one has to be very careful. As I mentioned elsewhere, I hope my views are sound.

At first I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to see myself on television. I felt a little like Johnny Depp who refuses to watch his own movies. Eventually I did gather up the courage and looked at the episode to see how I applied my 15 minutes . . . uhm, 8 minutes . . . of fame.

The three videos below are the three segments of the episode. I feature in the middle segment.







Consider This is a counter.act media production and was produced by my brother, Nethan.

Liefling -- Die Movie

My broer het onlangs die nuwe Afrikaanse musical "Liefling - Die Movie" gekyk en sê dat dit verbasend goed was. Ek geniet musicals en aangesien die laaste Afrikaanse musical film wat ek gesien het -- een met Ge Korsten -- jare gelede was toe ek nog 'n tjokkertjie was, sal ek graag wil sien waarmee hulle in 2010 voorendag kon kom.



Ek hoop dit wys nog in teaters teen die tyd wat ek in Suid-Afrika gaan aankom in Januarie. Dis, natuurlik, indien ek 'n kaartjie gekoop kan kry.

Ek is geensins 'n fan van ligte Afrikaanse musiek nie, en al weet ek dat Bobby van Jaarsveld (die hoofkarakter in die film) sy oomblikke het, sal die musiek nie noodwendig die rede wees dat ek die film wil sien nie. Ek wil net graag sien wat gebeur in Afrikaans deesdae. Ek verlang na Afrikaans. Boonop, dis nie al dag dat Suid-Afrika 'n musical maak nie en ek hou graag die Afrikaanse film bedryf dop.

World AIDS Day

Image Source

Today is World Aids Day. Like all such "days" the purpose is creating awareness about a specific social issue. Do you remember when people started to speak about AIDS in the 80s? I was still in elementary school when I first heard of the dreaded AIDS. Back then it was a "homosexual disease". I'm glad that we have passed such ignorance, but it is still far from appropriate to think the we (the world) have enlightened notions about AIDS.

In South Africa AIDS is still a rampant epidemic. For a long time I've heard that some African people believe that AIDS was invented by white people in an attempt to reduce their population. There are also superstitious beliefs that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. While things have improved, South Africa has a history of presidents with questionable views regarding AIDS. There is the legacy of President Thabo Mbeki and of course the shocking example of the current president, Jacob Zuma, who took a shower after having unprotected sex with an HIV+ woman. Such examples nullifies years of sex and AIDS education. The real effects of this disease will be felt ten or twenty years from now when a great chunk of a whole generation in South Africa's will have died to AIDS-related deaths, leaving behind another generation of orphans.

In South Korea it is difficult to assess the affect of AIDS. As a far eastern country, saving face is an important part of the Korean culture, so statistics are often under reported. At least it is not considered a homosexual disease. It may, however, be considered a foreign English teachers' disease.