World Keeps on Spinning

I'm doing fine in my HaSook, sleeping on a bed that's a little too short, waking up and killing 5 mosquitoes which have gorged themselves on my blood overnight, actually being social with the university community, and having a great time. This place is really just what I wanted to find, and I've discovered that I actually practice my Korean more often these days.

The midterms are approaching. Next week in fact. So, instead of writing a paper, researching articles for my presentation, or studying for my Comp. Gov't or four sections of Korean midterm I'm updating for you guys. I don't blame you in the slightest. I'm using you to distract me.

I take a field trip with my gov't class tomorrow morning to observe a session of Congress, something that promises to be pretty interesting. That is, as long as the tour isn't in Korean. Given that I'm the only person who's not bilingual in that classroom, I'm afraid.

In (oops make that six mosquitoes) light of the recent media scare in the States over the whole North Korea thing, I'd like to take a few moments to de-hype you out of a frenzy. North Korea is not a threat. While they may be testing nuclear missiles they will not use them. First off, they're relationship with China is on the rocks. North Korea is too small to try anything crazy without provocation and the full support of Big Brother China to back them up. Secondly, South Koreans aren't worried at all. News here stopped covering it a week ago, nobody ever really talked about except the international kids. The mood is calm and things have gone on without a bump. These people know their crazy uncle/neighbor best of anyone, and I won't be worried until they're worried. Thirdly, Kim JongIl is not a maniacal lunatic like Bush and television would have you believe. He is very cool, calculating, and rational. He knows that his government and social power is based on the propagandist claims that North Korea could take America any day. He does not want to test that out because he knows it's total lies. More than anything, he would never strike first against the States or Japan because the entire international community would be against his tiny South Carolina sized Republic in no time. Kim JongIl pulls these publicity stunts for international headlines and "respect." He's no fool.

At the very least, economic sanctions have been intensified on the North, making it increasingly more difficult for them to conduct their experiments. The United States Embassy in the country is reporting no health hazards, travel warnings, international warnings, or increased threat levels for anywhere in all of Asia. Relax, most of it is the media scrounging for stories. I mean look at what else they're publishing. Jay-Z kisses another woman. Brittney Spears has another baby. Whoopdeedoo. Take it from me. I've spent this entire semester reading nothing but books on Korean modern history. I have a pretty strong grasp on the North's policies mentalities, and previous behaviors, and you guys have nothing to worry about.