Hyundais Going Mad

There has been a number of cases of Hyundai cars suddenly accelerating like crazy, and the accelerators seemingly getting stuck. Maybe it is a case of dokebi -- Korean imps -- that don't like Hyundai. Hyundai means "modernity", and I can only imagine that ancient Oriental spirits like dokebi cannot be to impressed with that. Humour aside, it is actually quite serious as the videos below show.








As if Korean drivers by themselves are not scary enough, now we have to be concerned about possessed cars too!

Watch this . . .

To Be an Introvert

You couldn't tell, but I'm an introvert. It is common to think that introverts are shy folk, who do not easily get along with others and hide from people. If you know me in person, or even from my confessions on this blog, you wouldn't think that I'm an introvert at all. I'm not shy, I don't hide from people, nor do I really avoid social encounters. In fact, I'm out and about almost every evening of the week. I give lectures and seminars, I host workshops, and organize events.

Another definition for an introvert is somebody who recharges alone, away from other people. (Conversely, an extrovert gets his or her energy from being around other people.) Applying this definition, I'm very much an introvert.

I need time alone to find myself, to centre myself, to re-cooperate. And while I am not shy and actually like the company of other people, I definitely prefer smaller groups, one, two, three people, rather than hanging out with a crowd. I enjoy the intimacy of one-on-one encounters much more than the buzz of a big party.

Once a year I visit South Africa to catch up with family and friends. One of the most difficult things of this annual trip is that I seldom have time for myself. To get some alone time I would sometimes go take a shower or bath (again), just to be by myself for a while. Or I'd look forward to those hours at night when everybody has gone to bed and I can open a book, or just enjoy my private thoughts. It is not that I don't enjoy the time with my family and friends -- the annual trip is for this very purpose, to spend time with them; it is just that I need some time by myself too.

 

At the same time, like Charlie McDonnell, I like meeting people. I have surprisingly many great friends around the world. For instance tonight I met up with a friend from America (she returning to the States again in a few days), earlier this afternoon I had a conversation over Skype with a friend in Italy, and portions of yesterday I corresponded with at least three or four other friends.

One thing about introverts is that they often work quite well alone. Putting them in a group for "group work" is not necessarily the best use of their talents. I can do it, I get along with people pretty well, but working alone I tend to get more things done quicker, than navigating the politics of a group.



I guess that is why I also prefer lone sports rather than team sports. I like martial arts, mountain biking, parkour, and such activities. These activities are fundamentally lone activities. You may do them with other people, but you don't do them as a group; also your opponent (even in the martial arts) is ultimately yourself, rather than someone else. You compete against your own goals and limitations.

Considering that I'm a university lecturer, a martial art instructor, a Meetup-organizer, and many other things that causes me to be in constant interaction with other people, it indeed sounds strange that I would call myself an introvert (maybe I'm an ambivert). Yet, it is not that strange at all. While I enjoy these interactions with people, I'm all too happy to just come home and write a blog post instead.

Mmm . . .

"Remember that you must behave in life as at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don't stop it. Is it not yet come? Don't stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches you. Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts, to riches, and you will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts of the gods." -- Epictetus

Amandier's Brownies

Amandier's brownies are the best I have ever had. It has two layers of bitter caramel to foil the sweetness that makes you want to make love with it.

Amandier in Seoul is opposite Exit 6, Anguk Station, Line 3, close to Insadong.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Chuncheon Dalkgalbi

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

My New Glasses

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Teacher's Day Appreciation

I just had a quick meeting with some students of mine that had graduated a while back. To my surprise they had prepared this beautiful and very tasty chocolate and cream cake with glazed fruit, and also a gift. It was for Treacher's Day, they said, which was this past Tuesday. Since it has already past I didn't expect them to do anything of the sort. The personal card they provided is also quite touching.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

I'm in a Nostalgic Sheryl Crow Mood

I've never been there, but I will also "always remember three days in Rome".

My Chiropractor Had a Serious Talk With Me Today

"Your upper back muscles and neck muscles are unusually tense," said my chiropractor on Tuesday and added with admonition: "this is due to stress." He did not stop there. "Also, some spinal disks are compressed due to bad posture, particularly slouching while sitting." He then went on to demonstrate to me how I sit -- I immediately recognised myself in his demonstration: legs flung out in front of me and my weight baring on the tail-bone, instead of the bottom of my buttocks, in a lazy recline, rather than an actual sit.

"This is how I sit when I'm tired," I said.

He looked anything but impressed. "The nerves are compressed, and it may in the future affect your legs." And I remembered how he mentioned long ago that if I do not fix the problem now that I may one day, years from now, have to get spinal disk related surgery.

"When I'm tired, I slouch. I'm quite tired these days."

"Then you should exercise more," he retorted.

"Exercise more!" My exclamation is so much a lamentation at the idea of extra exercise, as it is at the distress of adding yet more to my schedule. I should cut down on things, not add things to it. He has a point, however. The more you exercise, the greater the number of mitochondria in your cells, which in turn makes you feel more energetic.

But when?! I already sleep too little as it is, and the only time I have to exercise more would be in the morning, if I get up earlier. He doesn't know of my sleeping problem. Had he known, the scolding would have been greater.

So here is the issue: I have too much stress and I'm overtired, both of which affects my posture and musculature negatively, either directly or indirectly, which in turn affects the rest of my constitution.

He noticed on Tuesday, for instance, that the area around my right kidney is tensed and sensitive. The problem is posture or stress (tension) related, not kidney related, but because of the close proximity it can affect the organ. Then we all know how stress can affect your heart, your mind, and what not else. All parts of one's body are sympathetic to rest. Distress in one area causes ailment in another; disease in one organ manifests as symptoms elsewhere. Eliminating the causes are always better than treating the symptoms.

My chiropractor had to have a serious talk to me today about these things because if I do not find the causes and solutions to them now, they will manifest in serious ways later in life. I'm single, I do not have parents, and my closest friends are on the other side of the world. There are none of these intimate people to talk into my life, to remind me to take better care of myself, to reprimand me when my priorities are skewed, so God sends me my chiropractor, at $50 an hour, to do so.

I really need a sabbatical to take inventory of my life; re-establish my long-, mid- and short term goals; and re-prioritize the things that occupy my time and thoughts. Just a month and a half then I can go on vacation.

Critical Reading Template

One of the students in my department came to my office the other day. He is part of a study group. The group takes articles from English magazines like Time, Newsweek, National Geographic and so on, and then as a group read and discuss the article. The student confided in me that they don't really know how to go about this and wondered if I could help them. I told the student that I unfortunately do not have the time to devote to the supervision of such a group, but will see if I can come up with a template of questions that they could use. Following are the questions I came up with:

Critical Reading Template

1.       What is the topic of the article? Is the topic focused or is there more than one main topic?

2.       Consider the title of the article:

a.       How does the title relate to the topic of the article?

b.      Is the title clear or unclear?

c.       Does the title have a double-meaning or deeper meaning?

3.       Look at each paragraph. What is its main idea?

4.       Usually writing can be separated into an introduction section, a body section, and a conclusion section. Is it possible to identify these three sections? (Each section may have more than one paragraph.)

5.       In long articles the body section is often divided into subsections. Does this article have subsections? What are the main ideas for each subsection?

6.       Summarize the article in a few sentences (one paragraph). Now, summarize the article in one sentence.

7.       Think about the author’s intentions:

a.       What is the author’s purpose with the article? Is he or she just providing information (explaining something), or is he or she trying to convince you / persuade you of something?

b.      Is the article opinionated? In other words, is it subjective?

c.       How does the author support his or her ideas?

                                                               i.      Does he or she use logical explanations? Are there any scientific or statistical proofs?

                                                             ii.      Are there any emotional language? How does the author feel about the topic? Is the author positive or negative, supportive or critical about the topic?

                                                            iii.      Do you think the author has something personally to gain from the topic?

8.       How does the conclusion of the article make you feel? Do you agree with the conclusion in particular or the article in general?

9.       What do you think the article is missing? Are there any extra details that you would have wanted to have?  Do you have any questions for the author?

10.   How does the article (opinions, information, etc.) affect your context? (How does it apply to your life, your work, your country, and so on?)

Shaun Tan's "The Arrival"

On Friday I went to see the theatre adaptation of multi-award winning Shaun Tan's graphic novel The Arrival. The story is about a man going to the "New World" to start a new life for his family, but as a foreigner everything is weird and wonderful and even somewhat scary. The strangeness of the new world is also strange to the audience so that the reader shares the "outsider" experience with the main character.

The book is a wondrously surreal fantasy trip in which the reader joins the main character in his journey as he is overwhelmed by the foreignness of his new environment. We share his experiences of slowly settling into the new country as an immigrant, making new friends (including a tadpole-like dog), hears the often sad stories of other immigrants and the reasons they fled their respective countries of origin, and preparing for the anticipated arrival of his wife and daughter, which he had to leave behind in his dangerous home country.

I think that as an expatriate that had experienced the strangeness of a new country before, the book especially resonated with me. But I'm confident that the weirdness of Tan's images can evoke the same feelings of "otherness" in even those that have not experienced a foreign country before.

The graphic novel was adapted for theatre by New Zealand's Red Leap Theatre troupe. The adaptation had won them numerous awards in New Zealand and now with their international tour I'm sure international awards are to follow for this spectacular stage production. They have definitely succeeded in bringing the magic of Tan's book into a 3D space that keeps the audience upright in their seeds with enthralment.

 

I highly recommend the book and if the opportunity to see the stage production arises, do not miss out. It is worth every dollar. It has definitely been a highlight of my year so far.

Thomas Tallis

Recently I have been exploring the polyphonic melodies of Thomas Tallis. What a magnificent composer this man was, and what an interesting individual. He lived during the Tudor Dynasty and composed music under four monarchs. First there was King Henry VIII who ought to be called King Henry the Promiscuous, for his many affairs and six marriages. It was he that broke away with the Catholic Church and formed the Anglican Church primarily because the Church would not sanction his divorce from his first wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon, who did not bare him a male heir. Secondly, Tallis composed during the reign of King Edward VI, who comfortably could be known as Edward the Young -- he was but nine years old when he was crowned king, so most of his short reign was done by regents. Then Thomas Tallis served under Queen Mary I, also known as Bloody Mary, for her zeal of re-establishing the Catholic Church and suppressing the Protestant movement. During the Marian Persecutions nearly three hundred protestants were burned at the stake and who knows how many else had suffered under her rule. Finally, Tallis served under my favourite English monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, aka Good Queen Bess, the Virgin Queen. Queen Elizabeth I was a stable force in England and probably one of the first monarchs to approach freedom of religion -- she was definitely much more religiously tolerant than her predecessors and also provided a stable environment for the arts to flourish. William Shakespeare lived in her reign. During this tumultuous time in the Church, Thomas Tallis kept working on his church music seemingly completely unaffected and oblivious to the religious turmoil around him. Apparently one can hear the Catholic-Protestant conflict in his work, as the work changes from one monarch to the next: Henry VIII was Catholic, Edward VI was Protestant, Mary I was Catholic, and Queen Elisabeth I was Protestant. I haven't listened to the music long enough for me to be able to detect the period differences clearly. In other words, I cannot from just hearing a piece say under which monarch that piece was supposedly composed. However, it seems to me, of what I've listened so far, that Tallis used these periods as creative opportunities, rather than have the conflicts disturb his creative genius. Even though he was in an ever changing church environment, Tallis seemed unaffected. He had a ministry, a divine calling, and was going to perform it regardless of internal church politics or external secular politics.

 

Selfontkenning

Ek het 'n storie. Oor 'n kunstenaar. Oor mishandeling. Oor oudword. Oor herontdekking. Oor vredemaak met die self. Wat ek kort is tyd. Herprioritisering. 

Dis nie skrywersblok as jy nie daarby uitkom nie. Dis skrywersontkenning. As jy regtig 'n skrywer is en nie skryf nie, is jy besig met selfontkenning. Om nie eg te wees met wie en wat jy is nie is oneerlik. Jy is besig met konformering. Verandering, vervorming, verknogting tot iets sielsvreemd -- en as jy nie eg is aan jou siel nie, hoe kan jy gelukkig wees op die langtermyn?

Liewe Kunstenaar-Ek,

Ek vra onverskoning. My werk het die oorhand gekry. Daar is soveel dinge wat baklei vir prioriteit en ek weet ek het jou afgeskeep die laaste ruk. 'n Lang ruk. Die sporadiese gediggies is nie genoeg nie, ek weet. Ek is jammer. Ek kan nie belowe dat ek onmiddelik gaan opmaak vir die tyd waartydens ek jou afgeskeep het nie. Ek belowe wel dat ek inventaris gaan neem; dat ek gaan tyd maak om te besin oor wat vir my belangrik is. Wees verseker dat jy is wel vir my belangrik, daaroor het ek nie twyfel nie. Ek mis jou ook. 

Liefde-groete,

Ek

Mmm . . .

Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again. -- Andre Gide