After attending the seminar in the Spring I felt that much of what was covered regarding geography, politics, economy, and demographics, was a good review. Some things were repeated from the past seminar, but still a good reminder as many of these ideas were in the back of my mind. Some of the basics are necessary in understanding the actions of all of these nations today, and also how these nations affect the US today. I am excited to start learning about the countries of East Asia within the last 100 years.

In response to lverdin: I was also shocked at the website stating "We are busy, Get an abortion." I saw that and my mouth just dropped open.

In addition to that, one article I found interesting from the optional readings was, "Plan B" the guidebook for unmarried women living in Seoul. I don't think I was too surprised by any of the demographics mentioned in the article, such as the average age of marriage for women climbing from 25 to 30 today, the percentage of women with a degree, and the over abundance of women versus men. What did surprise me was the women who purchase the "Single Wedding Package," basically so they can take their wedding photos in their prime as opposed to waiting until they actually marry. When I first read the article my opinion was that women did not want the traditional life of a wife and mother, but would rather pursue a career. It seems that is the case for women in their 20's, but the fact that these women chose not to use the "model groom" provided would give the assumption that these women do plan to marry later on--just not NOW.
edited by skroop on 9/25/2015

This first seminar was very eye opening. I have never taken a class on any Asian country and just the geographical facts provided to us were fascinating! I had no idea just how large each country really is, and I was astounded by the amount of people that live in one place. The map of China showing its various population sizes was especially interesting, because as I think of China's population, I cannot envision what that huge number really looks like, but knowing how many countries' populations could fit in China helped me understand. I also enjoyed learning about my peers. I was glad to hear that people keep coming back to the class, it gives me confidence in the program and excites me for was is to come in the future.

I enjoyed the first seminar because it was a real crash course to what we will soon be a more in depth overview of the region. There were many surprising facts I learned about all three regions and am interested to learn more about the relationships the three countries have. I am most interested in how these countries have connected and disconnected throughout history. I knew that their history had to be connected but I never really thought of how. Another fact I'm interested to learn more about is the relationship between China's neighboring countries. I never put much thought about how many countries bordered China. I'm especially interested to know more about the south west boarder, although I suppose that will not be part of our curriculum.

I didn't realize Korea's history. It changes how I see and relate to my students now that I have more understanding about its colonial past and powerful present., particularly in the area of technology. Several things stuck out to me. I also was shocked at the low birth rate and statistics on abortions. The geography was eye opening. I was fascinated by all the borders China shares. I didn't realize it is roughly the same size as the U.S. I thought it was much larger.

Love the glasses Thank you for the warm welcome.
It seemed implausible (in the photograph taken from space showing light emitting from the ground) that North Korea could be virtually without light at night. That one fact, in and of itself, indicates so much, especially when compared with just about any other country on our planet. I visited a place this summer that was also a low-light emitter. The very poor towns in which we were doing medical camps were crumbling and falling apart, and there was no medical care for someone with a life-threatening disease like leukemia, lest they travel for a day, and even this is impossible during heavy snows or landslides. This may be true for North Koreans as well. I believe that every problem has a solution, and that if innovative, caring people continue to look for ways to better the lives of North Koreans, their situation will eventually change.

After having background information on Lu Xun, the author of "New Year Sacrifice," the story makes more sense. I wonder why he doesn't gives the lead female character a name? Is it a reflection, of the role of women's in Chinese society at the time. The story is sad, and the short film adaptation makes even sadder, because Mrs. Xianglin is alienated by the people she knows. she has no control of the series of misfortunes that come her way, I wonder if Lu Xun was making a point about people and the government, of his time.

Professor Dube's geography introduction of East Asia was very informative and eye opening. The people density in Korea impacted me. It is amazing how many people live in a small region in comparison to a US state. It seems like the norm in large cities in Korea, Japan and China. I sometimes feel overcrowded in some part of Los Angeles, but in comparison to Seoul we are not. Population density was impressive to me.
It reminded me about a documentary I watched this year about Chinese factory workers traveling home during the Chinese Lunar New Year. So many people are trying to go home for the holidays at the same time that the trains cannot transport the millions of people. Thousands of people pushed and shoved to try to get into a train cart. It was heartbreaking to see the frustration and heartache the passengers went through just to reach their loved one in time for the holidays. In some cases the workers lived a couple days away by train, but with everyone traveling at the same time, it would at times double the time to get to their destinations. Just a connection that I was making during the presentation.