I played some old time music this evening with a banjo playing US soldier stationed here, it was a good time. He seems like an uncommon career soldier--in addition to playing the banjo, he plays the fiddle, guitar, and bagpipes (both Scottish and Swedish). He has built his own set of Swedish bagpipes, using military grade cloth for the bag, hand carving the chanter, and using reeds he made himself from reeds growing along the Han River here in Seoul. In non-musical moments he makes mead and does silversmithing. It is nice to learn that the US has this caliber of multitalented soldier here in Korea.
Americans don't get riled up to protest. Give away billions in taxpayer money to financial fatcats with no accountability--no worries. Refuse to punish war criminal torturers--no problem. The battle cry is...moo. Koreans, on the other hand, live in a vibrant democracy and their political action is a bit more direct. Here is a striking photo of union protesters in Daejeon using sharpened bamboo spears to attack riot police. (an article about the current state of rioting in Korea, quoting a Sogang professor, is here )
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