Subject: Got your letters

Date: 01-Mar-94 at 08:41

From: Roger White

Dear Altair and Adrienne,

I got your letters last week. Thanks for sending them. They mean a lot to me.

Adrienne,

The abacus is for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. People all over the world used them before calculators were invented. They were used the most in Asia, and lots of people used them here until about 1960. Now the people here use calculators just like people in America do.

The brush is for writing poetry in Chinese characters and painting. Doing these together on the same sheet of paper is is called calligraphy. Many Koreans still do this for a hobby the same way many Americans paint.

I don't get much of a break from teaching. When the Korean students have their long vacations (in the winter), they want to study English, so I have to work. In between, the adults want to study. I get Korean holidays off. There are two three-day holidays and the rest are one day holidays. I'm celebrating the March 1st Independance Day holiday writing this letter to you.

There are many pretty girls here in Korea, but I don't have a girlfriend yet. Girls and boys don't talk to each other here in Korea as much as they do in America, so it's harder for me to meet girls here. But there's still time.

I have sent two child support checks. Has Sue recieved them?

Too bad about your chinchilla. I know you really wanted one. Will you be getting another one?

I probably won't be back to America until October. But if I get back before then I'll sure try to visit. I miss you too.

When Granddaddy and Grandma Bonnie come, be sure to show them the pictures I've been sending you. They will be very interested.

Altair,

I'm glad to hear you got your presents. Those books are written in Hangul. The Koreans are very proud of Hangul because it's one of the things that distinguishes them from the Chinese. Korea relates to China much like Canada relates to the US -- the Koreans want to be friends with the Chinese, but they don't want to be Chinese.

Hangul is a new alphabet. It was developed in the late 1400's, about the time of Christopher Columbus, by a Korean king who wanted an alphabet better-suited to Korean pronounciation. Before it's invention the Koreans used Chinese characters for their writing, and they still do.

The Hangul alphabet was accepted slowly. At first the better educated Koreans were proud of the fact that they knew Chinese characters, so they looked upon Hangul as a sort of toy language that wasn't suitable for serious writing. It wasn't until the Japanese occupation and the Korean War (1910-1953) that using Hangul became a matter of national pride. Now Hangul is widely used for everyday work, but the Koreans still like to use Chinese characters for formal occasions.

I'm glad to hear your classes are going well. Looks like a good mix of subjects and a passible mix of teachers. What's covered in The Foundations of Technology class? That's new to me and sounds exciting. Government is one of the places that Korea differs a lot from America. I ask my students how issues such as where to build roads and factories is decided, and they say, "Oh, the government decides that." They don't know who in the government decides that, or how to find out who that person is. They don't yet see the government as something they as citizens should participate in, but Korea is changing very fast, and this attitude will probably change soon too.

Concerning your sayings: I don't know Bruce Babbitt, but the saying sounds good. I'd like to add a couple of my own sayings to his:

Technology can give back what it takes away, but poverty plays for keeps.

And

Prosperity pays for ecology.

Your original saying is a nice one too. It's a good follow on saying to, "Better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

Sounds like things are going well for both of you. I miss you both. Keep writing and see if you can help Roger and Heather write too. I miss them as well.

Bye for now,

Dad