Okay, get ready for literally the creepiest thing (well, series) to ever hit this blog... No not the documentary title. Keep reading.
The largest democracy in the world recently elected a new leader, and to be successful at leading his already divided country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should turn an ear to the Indian-American population.
A domestic debate: The successful Indian Diaspora is considered one of India’s richest natural resources but remains mostly untapped by the Indian government. Modi must decide how close he wishes his government to be to the Indian migrants to the west. Traditionally, India has shunned those who left because of their western framework and a feeling of abandonment; however this closed idea of thinking is keeping out new ideas, expertise and modernization. While the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs established “Overseas Indian’s Day” (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) to makre the contribution of overseas Indian community to the development of India, the government still cannot decide what the role of Indian-Americans should be. Modi’s upcoming visit to New York City, where he is expected to deliver a major policy speech on the Indian Diaspora will be a pivitol decision on how the Indian government embraces those who left in the future. Joining forces: The public reception organized by the Indian-American Community Foundation (IACF) in Madison Square Garden is an ideal stepping stone for Modi to embrace the leadership and promise the Indian American community can contribute. The 20,000 Indian Americans traveling Madison Square on September 28 presents itself as a unique opportuntiy for “a stronger relationship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies,” according to IACF spokesperson Anand Shah. This gathering is the largest scheduled public reception by a foreign leader on American soil in recent history. A large number of U.S. lawmakers, community leaders, and congressmen are also expected to attend the event. The Indian Diaspora witnessed a major boom in the United States during the IT movement in the 1990s. Currently, there are over three million Indian-Americans residing in the U.S. today. I think this..."perfectionist gene" that too many young women have holds them back, and instead they should be really aiming for "good enough." You don't have to be perfect. Most men never think like that. They're just trying to figure out what's the opening and how they can seize it. I think a lot of women struggle with being perfect at their job. I am not sure exactly where this stems from (are "we" just like that? Is it to match up to male co-workers? whats going on here?) but I definitely see it often. I have literally never been like that in my life in basically anything. My first "real job" (in an office, getting paid) the job description was essential to put out as many fires as you can while still moving forward. Essentially, as long as I contained the issues enough so that the company could forge ahead we'd be okay. Sometimes now I feel like everything has to be perfect (it's my new job description so it's definitely more important now). Being "perfect" is hard for me because it goes against how I function and how I've worked in the past but it has definitely allowed me to grow as an employee and as a person. Now, it's all in the balance of how I do things. Yes, some things have to be perfect--as they should be! But other details that I get down on should just be let go so I can move on. The quote originally came from a Glamour article chock full of more career advice from HRC, here. While studying abroad at Korea University in Seoul I was super pumped when my parents visited, but was also super bummed when my sister couldn't. Therefore, I was beyond excited when my sister was able to stay with me for a week during my grant year. Not only would I have someone to show-off my uber knowledge on Korea but I would also have someone witnessing the hilarious struggles that I went through every day.
Coffee shops are BY FAR my favorite part of Korea. Well, Korean notebooks are also pretty awesome. But when Kitsi visited I had a great time showing her some of Korea's best soft power: coffeeshopatmosphere. Seriously, you can't beat it. Don't even try. Well, try a little, I MISS IT. I need to get more creative with titles but there you have it. All I want for Fall 2014, is to rock a tweed coat.
Maybe I am only just now starting to pay attention to these things but a few books by Korean-American authors have been hitting the top lists by sites like Buzzfeed and Bustle. For example, Follow Her Home was featured on Bustle's "Femme Fatale" list. A story on a Korean-American detective who finds herself in the middle of mystery involving her closest friends. Bustle reviews, "Cha’s book really sings when she brings the Korean American community in L.A. to life; part sleaze and part immigrant striving, it’s the perfect setting for an L.A. noir in contemporary times."This summer while in the Barnes and Nobles at Union Square I picked up a copy of I'll Be Right There by Kyung Sook Shin. Laying on the " Must Read" table right next to Ready Player One this book is sure to be a hit stateside. Shin's English debut was in the powerful novel, Please Look After Mom, which sold over a million copies in South Korea. Both of her books depict contemporary Korea, with IBRT discussing the 1980s political revolution against an authoritarian leader from the point of university students who fawn after a beloved professor. To learn more about liberalism in South Korea, check out Steven Denney's recent feature in The Diplomat.
Know any other books focused on Korean or Korean-American issues? I'm interested to know what else is out there... As human rights activists continuously rack their brains for ideas on how to increase the flow of information into North Korea, foreign embassies, officials and international NGOs have been quietly breaching North Korean security with their Wi-Fi connections. For a country who has survived by stemming the flow of information, internet access could be its downfall.
In one defiant leap, embassies have left off passwords and strengthened their internet connection so that college students could walk by the embassy and pick up the internet on their mobile phones. Housing prices for apartments near the embassies have soared as North Koreans clamor to be closer to the Wi-Fi sent off from the strong router installed by a Middle Eastern embassy. Blocking the flow: Unfortunately this anomaly was not missed by the North Korean authorities and on August 13 new rules were issued from the North Korean State Radio Regulatory Department ordering for equipment to be dismantled. Wi-Fi can be reinstalled on the condition that they have a consultation with the Radio Regulatory Department. The reasoning behind a consultation is unknown, according to Martyn Williams, author of North Korea Tech website, “What’s interesting is that they want to inspect networks before issuing licenses but the criteria is unclear. They might just want encryption, or they might want more.” A myriad of actions by activists to infiltrate North Korea and spread information in has come in the form of Christian missionaries smuggle in bibles, USBs loaded with Wikipedia and leaflets spread into North Korea by balloon drops, and a hackathon aimed to spread global information into North Korea cannot hold a candle to the quiet act of defiance in the form of free Wi-Fi. An increase in rent for surrounding buildings could have been what tipped off the North Korean regime that its citizens have been able to pick up the satellite internet access through their cell phones and computers. Its own internet: North Korea’s own intranet, Kwangmyong, opened in 2000. The “walled garden” allows for certain web browsers, email services, news groups and search engines to be used. The set-up prevents users from accessing foreign content such as news and television shows. The World Wide Web can be accessed with no limitation by only a small number of people such as high level officials, NGO workers and ambassadors. Internet can also be accessed by a number of North Korean colleges but strict surveillance by North Korean authorities allows them to track anyone who views forbidden information and websites. North Korea, a nation that has survived by limiting the flow of information will undoubtedly be paying more attention to foreigners in the upcoming months, a major set-back as activists continue to educate citizens. |