MA in East Asian Literatures and Languages / Korean for Career Professionals / PPT Presentations...

My diploma arrived in the mail today. So its official. I'm a Master of something--at least on paper. I feel like I've a long way to go with Korean yet, but then again, I've come a long way. Anyway, the best part is I can demand that people refer to me as Master Wiscombe now. wow, that has a nice ring to it.

Matters of the heart

My Heart is a Bell Curve

My heart is a bell curve
Deep at its center
And Built for collecting

But it spins on its hinge
Lays waste to its content
And drips before filling again



My Heart is a Butterfly

My heart is a butterfly
Pearched on a snap-dragon
Ready to fly or be eaten

It flys when it can
And rests went it can’t
An flutters when smitten

Society!! Society!!!

Alright. This is a bit lame but I'm feeling double guilt. One for neglecting my blog. And two for neglecting my promise (recently inspired by a friend) to go on a partial digital fast. This is just a copy paste email. But its one of the better email's I've written recently so I'm publishing it.

I was walking and in Korea there are like 500 people in visiible-motion at any given second. And most of them are in groups of four or five or ten. Some of the groups have minds of their own--some are oblivious. Like a giant comet from space--noisy, firey (having just eaten kimchi) and full of yes, I admit brilliant light. Ok I'm stretching this analogy a bit. Anywho when they decide to move in a group like that you just have to get out of the way. Sometimes they'll conglomerate right at the narrow entrance you have to pass through to be to work on time. 20 of them at the entrance of the subway--like giant clogged artery. And you are just a skinny blood cell trying to squeeze through the mayhem without inhaling too much second hand smoke. Half way down the stares the tsunami hits. 1 minute and 30 seconds ago, 200 feet down a morning train arrived and 800 people poured out of its train carts and have now made their way to the last staircase which you just happen to be going down. It's 800 to 1 here. Yeah, its like swimming against the current in a really big river. Ah! If only I had come 1 minute 30 seconds sooner. You might take an elbow or knee here and there but more than that just the rush of people makes your head spin. But you make it.

about a minute after you get down to the platform a train arrives--except this one is city bound and no one in its sardine packed carts gets off. You turn your back to the mob as the doors slide open and wriggle yourself into the heap butt first. The doors close and almost clip your nose. If only I was an Asian! The old woman behind you has her hand on your butt now but there is nothing either of you can do about it because there is no where to go. So you just turn on your i-pod and try to forget about it. You fall asleep standing up with grannys hand on your bum and dream of a bus in alaska--and you can smell the fresh air off the stream below. All is quiet. You run down to the steam for a quick dip and just as you're taking the plunge the doors to the subway open and without even moving your legs you're carried forward on a wave of people moving toward an escalator. If you don't run with the crowd you'll be trampled first and then wait in a five minute line to ride up. So you run, dodging grandmas and business men and breifcases. And you're thanking God you're still under 30 and can beat the crowd. You get to the top of the stares and turn around and look at the mass of people down below. You point your finger at them and yell take that Society!! Society!! Society!!!!!!!!

(*reference: call of the wild)

If You Love--Dance! 사랑하면 춤을 추어라

This was a riot of a production. It is full of all the same zest that is so common to the b-boyishness of Korean television and popular music but with a little more class. It the first (and likely last) time I've seen conception portrayed through dance. I took a while to figure out what was going on and ended with quite an aha! moment! It was also the first dancical I've ever been to = same as musical but less singing and more dance. To those of you living in Korea who follow this blog, it would make a great Valentines date. A real visual aphrodisiac. (don't worry its clean!)

Sung Wi

幛: 정성 성, to give ones all
腧: 뜻 의, meaning or intention

Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (+8.5)

This proved to be infinitely interesting reading. Its sociology at its roots but the interface of the stories--and their application to the world we know, a world surprising more full of epidemics that I had ever considered, makes this very palatable sociology. The book is full of descriptions of the kind of people I know. They are the market and social mavens--the 20% that do 80% of the work--thanks to their charisma and their genius. Market mavens--those wonderful busy bodies like my sister that clip coupons and search four stores to track down the cheapest price are the primary regulators of consumer good pricing. Without them, artificial inflation would be rampant. (insight #1).

Next. The social connectors. My late mission President Carlson is one of these. A conversation at lunch with him would be something like this: Do you remember Jimmy's daughter Pam, Bro. Anderson? She used to date a man that came into our sales office frequently. His name was Charles. Charles sold by wooing. He'd always walk into the office with a crocodile smile and tell Janie at the desk how beautiful her hair was....names names names. People centered people connect us to 90% of the people we know! (insight #2)

Last. The golden number 150. A friend told me about this years ago--probably about the time this book his the market. We were talking about how our ward in Ogden was too big. With 250 students one always felt lost in the crowd. The secret number of successful social institutions is 150. Beyond that the benefits of social responsibility that grow naturally out of intimacy are lost. If you want to build a massive thriving business--keep it to groups less than 150. (insight #3)

What is hopeful though--and this is what I like best about the book--is that it doesn't end with simply analysis. Along the way is shows how average Joe's Jim's and Steve's can change the world as they know it. Like the good book says--a great vessel is guided my a small helm. This book gives practical insights on how by 'small and simple things are great things brought to pass."