Now the Teachers, After Minerva the Blogger

Ugh! Am I reading North Korea Times?
So much for democracy in Korea.

Eighty-eight teachers will be dismissed or have their licenses suspended for orchestrating the issuance of an anti-Lee Myung-bak statement.

But the group behind the move has vowed to fight for freedom of expression.

The education ministry decided Friday to punish about 17,000 members of the progressive Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union for their joint statement denouncing the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Among them, 10 will be sacked and 78 will see their licenses suspended as well as face a prosecution probe. The number of those to be punished is the highest since the group was formed in 1999.

The government said the group's leaders orchestrated members for ``anti-government actions'' on June 18 in front of Daehan Gate in central Seoul.

``Their anti-Lee action is a disgrace to civil servants. It is a clear violation of civil servants' responsibility to implement governmental policies. Legally, they are prohibited from holding class action and political activities," a government official said.

Chang Ki-won, a top-ranking official at the education ministry, said that the education field should be a ``sacred place ― free from all political ideologies.'' He said the punishments ― mostly warnings and admonition for the rest of the members ― will be issued according to the law.

ShopwikyD!

There are only a few online shopping websites I go to whenever I need quality products and services. That includes Shopwiki. Even if you are not yet in ‘buying mode’ and is just window-shopping, Shopwiki is an ideal place to visit. I remember when my sister was looking for a Little Mermaid comforter, I had to to visit Shopwiki in search of good designs and possible sizes and materials. And as she is a mermaid incarnate, she also asked me to view the list of available designs of Little Mermaid pillows and bedding. Though I did not buy from Shopwiki, but I’m planning on doing soon, I know from the job descriptions what to expect from the products I can buy from offline shops. The thing about Shopwiki is that it shows everything that is sold on the internet and not only just the paid ads. Shopwiki could give an online buyer a wider variety of choices in terms of product type, quality, and price. This website also is not limited to selling specific commodities. If you’re looking for home furnishings and decors, you’ve got them here. If you’re experiencing neck pain from your old rock-hard pillow, type in therapeutic pillows and Shopwiki would return a great list to choose from. If you’re looking for lamps, desk lamps, furniture, home accessories and are on a limited budget, just select the price range in the filters, tick the brand, limit your results choices, and view only what meets your criteria. It’s very convenient to shop in Shopwiki.

Scholarship to South Korea for Spring Semester 2010

This is a repost from Ms. Betchay's blog. If you feel bad about missing the scholarship offered by CUK, fret no more since they are still accepting applications for the Spring semester (March 2010). Professor Abagat sent me an email regarding this and I guess they accept a continuous stream of master's students in Catholic University of Korea. It's not much of a surprise since our population is around 80% Roman Catholic. Anyhow, go to Life in Korea to download the application forms, fill them up and send them to Dr. Abagat.
Good luck to us!
Cheers!

Learn Korean

I got this software when I was in Korea. Anyone interested to learn Korean is enticed (lol) to buy: ReadWrite Korean (for those who don't know the Korean writing system) and Korean HakGyo (for those who already know Hangul and wish to learn grammar).
If you're working with Koreans, you might have wanted to learn their language, Hanguk-o. This is the perfect software pack designed for self-study.

Each costs 300php + 150php standard shipping fee anywhere in the Philippines.
Payment is through Paypal, BPI, or BDO.
Contact me for details.

AUN – GIST Scholarship on Science and Technology

The cooperation between the AUN and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) has been initiated in October 2005 with the signing the Memorandum of Understanding. The co-operation aims to promote human resource development in Sciences & Technology by providing the scholarship in Ph.D. and Master Studies in these areas.

This program offers 10 scholarships to ASEAN students to study Master's (4 scholarships) and Doctoral (6 scholarships) degrees in science and technology for 2-4 years (2 for Master’s degree and 4 for Doctoral degree). The scholarship covers tuition fee, airplane ticket, accommodation and living allowance.

Now the AUN Secretariat is accepting the application for the university staff and students in related department to GIST, Republic of Korea.

GIST offers the following (sub)disciplines:
□ Information & Mechatronics (SIM)
□ Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
□ Environmental Science & Engineering (ESE)
□ Life Science (LS)
□ Photon Science & Technology (PhoST)
□ Medical System Engineering (SMSE)


Download the application for AY 2009 here.
Click here for more information.

Good luck guys! Tee-hee!

Scholarship to South Korea, ASEAN

For undergraduate peeps in UP, Ateneo, and de la Salle, this is your chance to study in Daejeon University, South Korea--all expenses paid. Check out the poster for more details.

I know, I know. I posted this one too late.Application will be in December 2009. Visit the AUN Secretariat for more details.

Worrying is a Misnomer of Planning

Getting a big job done well starts with careful planning. Never forget that a good plan is an essential part of the preparation process.

In the Bible there is an unforgettable story about planning, which isn't very well known. Its setting takes us far back in time---somewhere in the middle of the fifth century BC---after Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Jews from all over ancient Israel had been deported to Babylon.

As the years passed, Babylon was overtaken by the Persians, whose king, Artaxerxes, had a soft place in his heart for all those Jews who were being forced to live away from their homeland. One of his trusted confidants named Nehemiah, himself a Jew, longed to return to his beloved city in order to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem so it could be protected once again. When Nehemiah made that request, the Persian king not only granted him his wish, he even provided the official papers that would allow Nehemiah to return without any difficulty.

Finally, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. And what he saw must have broken his heart---perhaps he felt like those who had once lived in New Orleans and who returned following Hurricane Katrina back in the early fall of 2005. There was nothing but devastation. Nehemiah realized more than ever that the protective stone wall must once again stand tall and sturdy surrounding the City of David. Talk about the need for a big job to be done well! The man was determined to rebuild that wall . . . but where in the world do you start? And how do you get it done? He needed a careful plan.

Not surprisingly, he spent several days putting together that strategic plan. He began by walking through the devastation as he surveyed the damage. According to Nehemiah 2:11-16 (please read), he took plenty of time to think and to pray as he prepared for the days that lay ahead. We read that he didn't discuss his plans with anyone (except the Lord, of course), before he finally called a meeting and broke the news to everyone. Here are Nehemiah's own words as he told of that moment:

Then I said to them, "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach." I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

No less than 52 days later---in less than two months---the project was completed (read Nehemiah 6:15). The sturdy stone wall was totally reconstructed, new gates were built and hung, and everyone rejoiced! Oh, they had plenty of challenges along the way, they had numerous obstacles from without and within, but each one was overcome as the job was finished in record time. All the leader's work of preparation paid off because the tasks were organized so well ahead of time. As the old saying goes, Nehemiah planned his work then worked his plan.

Maybe you've made some goals for this new year that involve adopting a healthy lifestyle. If so, that's wonderful! But just as preparation played a vital role in a project of the magnitude of Nehemiah's, so also we can be sure that the same is true as we face the challenges of change. It won't "just happen." A good place to start is to face the truth of where we are---acknowledging the toll that bad habits and an undisciplined lifestyle have taken . . . but we can't stop there. We then must map out a plan we'll follow, just like Nehemiah did when he took a walk around the city. That involves preparing our minds and hearts for whatever it will take to reach our goal(s). And then? With enthusiasm and determination, we get underway . . . one day at a time.

I wish I could promise that in 52 days we'll reach our objective(s) , but I can't. However, I can assure you that you'll see some major changes start to emerge in that relatively short period of time, and that will be very encouraging.

Let's plan well. Let's prepare diligently. Let's pray hard. And then, let's go after it with our whole hearts.

Read Charles R. Swindoll, Insight for Today and start your day right!