Writing from prisoners: my friend Tamie

My friend Tamie writes an awesome blog called "The Owls & The Angels" and these days she's teaching a writing class to inmates at a prison in the town where she lives.

She wrote a beautiful piece, brimming with respect and compassion, for the inmates she interacts with there. You should read it.

She also has a blog where she publishes (with permission) the writings of her students. You should read it, too, and write comments.

Go read, dear readers. This is important. Humanizing other people humanizes us.

Tamie writes:

My brother told me recently that he thinks someday future generations will look back on the US incarceration system as we now look on slavery or genocide: as something unthinkable and horrifying, something we cannot understand how humans could do to one another. The more I hear the full stories of the people in jail, the more I am convinced that my brother is right.

Random thoughts:

1. Instead of rating movies with stars, I think the new rating for a movies' quality should be:

(top)
Watch it in the cinema, then buy the DVD and watch all the special features.
Watch it in the cinema twice. Tell your friends about it.
Watch it in the cinema.
Download it and watch it fullscreen.
Download it and watch it while doing other stuff.
Download it and skip to the action/nude scenes.
Avoid it.
Watch it ironically so you can rip it in front of your friends later.
Watch it ironically, but be too embarrassed to talk about it later.
(bottom)

2. (My facebook friends will recognize this)

Little words count for a lot: a student dropped the 'with' and told me,
"Yesterday I ate out my wife at a restaurant."

3. I look dazzling in a suit. (last weekend, instead of 2S2, here's what I was up to)

Lecture on Freedom of Speech

In light of Michael Breen's recent situation, you might be interested to know there's a special lecture on freedom of expression in Korea going on tomorrow.  Information here, from Ben Wagner, in a comment on Brian's blog.

Opportunity to see the 4 Rivers Project in Person

Got this message earlier this week, than punted on posting it. Sorry. If it's not too late, here's a chance to go see the 4 Rivers Restoration Project - President Lee's hotly contested big project - in person.

To get an idea of what the 4 Rivers Project seems to be doing to the river ecosystems, look at this, from nanoomi.  (photo from link)



Here's the message I got from a contact:

Want to see what is happening to the rivers under the 4 River Restoration Project? Them come walk along the South Han River on May 15, 2010. This trip is brought to you by the Eco Horizon Institute of Korea. Don't miss the chance to get the tour in English!!!!!

Program: Walking along NamHanGang road, visiting Yeoju 4 river project construction sites, talking with SuGyeong Buddhist Monk

Who: Foreigners interested in learning about the 4 River Restoration Project

Cost: 20,000 won (have to wear comfortable shoes for a walk)

SCHEDULE:

9:30 Meeting at Gangbyun station exit 2, in front of Techno Mart

Get on a eco tour bus

11:30 Arrive at Yeoju

1130-130 Walking along 바위늪구비 BaweeNeupGubi

1:30-2:30 Lunch

2:30-4 Walking along DatDunRi - Sunrising mountain road

4-4:30 Gangcheobo(catch basin)-Construction site visit

4:30-5:30 생명평화여강마당 (신륵사) Visit Life Peace Garden at SinReuksa Temple

5:30-7 수경스님과의 대화 Discussion with SuGyeong Buddhist Monk

7-Departing for Seoul

RSVP: Vanessa Falco, mettaness@gmail.com 010-4694-4720

Jiyoung: happy_jiyoung_yun@yahoo.com

Large and Tall T-shirts: General Request

Hey there.  I have a few friends who are taller and/or larger than the average Korean, who need to buy a few new t-shirts for the summer.

So... especially these days, when there are more big and tall Koreans than ever before, there MUST be more big and tall shops where Korean folks can get the big and tall sizes they increasingly need...

Where are they?  Can any of my bigger-than-the-average-Korean readers - particularly the females - recommend a place where my friend could either buy, or have made, some summer wear?  She's looking either for a tailor where they actually know how to fit larger women (not just slapping an elastic waistband on a tent with feet holes), or a shop where they have sizes for her.  She's also a bit tired of digging around the big-and-large shops along "wanna buy a suit" street in Itaewon, where she's been all through the wringer with bad experiences.

So... help me out here, folks.  Directions are good, links to google maps are better, links to websites for shops and even online stores help, too.

I know someone will come through for me on this one.  My coworker is waiting on it.

Rob