12.5 Don’t Cry for me

In 2010 Don’t Cry for me, Sudan set a box-office record for Korean documentaries. It tells the story of Tae-seok Lee, a doctor who became a Catholic priest. He volunteered to help the people of Tonj, a very poor and war-damaged region in Southern Sudan. 

Father Lee spent nine years there, helping children, the sick, and the poor. He built a new hospital, and treated hundreds of patients every day. Father Lee also built a new school, and taught music to children. He organized a brass band, which played at the ceremony ending the civil war in Sudan. Thanks to Father Lee, kids in Tonj were able to grow up holding books and musical instruments rather than guns. He said, “I think Jesus would have built a school first, rather than a church.”

In 2009, Father Lee visited Korea, and learned he had cancer. He wanted to return to Tonj, but he never did. In January of 2010, he died. When the news reached Tonj, lots of people held a march in his honor, holding his photograph. They cried for the man who had taken care of them with all his heart.

Since the film was released, lots of people have volunteered to help people in Tonj. New schools and hospitals are being built. Father Lee is gone, but his legacy continues.

12.4 Soccer

Soccer fans around the world know Manchester United as a top team full of great players, including the Korean star Ji-sung Park. But when it comes to local fans, the most famous person on the team isn’t one of the players — it’s the head coach, Alex Ferguson.

 He led Manchester United to numerous championships. To stay number one, Ferguson has always maintained several principles. First of all, he believes the team is more important than individual players, no matter how great they are. If any player ruins the teamwork, Ferguson removes him from the team, even if he is a star player. 

Also, he’s willing to pick up young players. By signing little-known players based on their potential, he’s discovered such stars as David Beckham and Christiano Ronaldo. And finally, he does everything to win. He’s good at changing his strategies unexpectedly according to each situation. He also places players in the right position at the right time to win games.

For more than 20 years, Alex Ferguson has been leading Manchester United to more championship than any other team. There’s no doubt that he is one of the sporting world’s greatest leaders.

12.3 Dennis Hwang

On Christmas day, you might see candy canes, baubles and ribbons on the Google logo. On Halloween, it might be pumpkins or ghosts.  These are unique designs called Google doodles which mark special occasions. Korean graphic artist, Dennis Hwang, is the creative genius behind them. We spoke to Dennis about his art.

How do you come up with ideas? 

We do a lot of brainstorming and search through lots of images on the Internet to get good ideas. We try to make a design that is fun and interacts with the shape of the Google letters.

How long does it take to create a doodle?

It depends on the type of event. We might spend days planning a doodle for an upcoming holiday. But, for an important news event, we can create one in just a few hours.

How do you decide which days to celebrate?

We look at the special days in different countries across the world. If there’s an occasion that fits with the Google brand, we celebrate it.

Do you get ideas from Google users?

Yes, we get lots of useful feedback. We love to hear from users because their ideas are so creative.

What’s the hardest thing about your job?

It’s finding something fresh and innovative. Although that can be difficult, it also makes the work exciting and challenging. That’s why I love it.

12.2 Female pilots

When people think of female pilots, the first name that comes to mind is Amelia Earhart. As a young girl, Earhart loved to go to the airport with her father to watch the planes.  In the early 20th century, flying was a “man’s” job. But at age 25, Earhart received her pilot’s license, and her dream came true. In May 1932, she flew across the Atlantic Ocean by herself. Later she said that she had done it to prove that “women can do most things that a man can do.” In 1937,  Earhart tried to fly around the world. However, something went wrong, and she disappeared near an island in the Pacific Ocean. Even now only a few facts are known about her disappearance. Today people still remember Earhart as one of the world’s greatest pilots. Because of

her example, a lot of women have become pilots.

12.1 Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was born in Liberia, but got her college degree in America. After she graduated, she returned to her home country.  She struggled to find a career in the male-dominated society. She was put in prison for criticizing her  country’s military regime and kicked out of the country twice. She could have easily quit politics and lived a quiet life at home. However, she refused to give up. And then she became the first female president of Liberia. Because of her strong will, she was given the nickname “Iron Woman.” 

She saw that because she was a woman, she had an advantage over men. She said that she could bring “motherly sensitivity and emotion” to the presidency as a way of healing her country, which has been greatly damaged by war. She also said that she could inspire young girls, and be a role model for them. In this way, she thought that she could help Liberian women be better off.

11.5 Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day. It is also the birthday of Danny Seo, who’s been working to save the environment.  On his 12th birthday, Seo formed an environmental group called Earth 2000 with his friends. 

This group was started with only 10 dollars and grew to have 20,000 members. They fought against whale hunting, tried to stop corporations from  destroying rain forests, and made 4,000 American fur dealers close their doors. 

Thanks to this movement, he was praised by the Washington Post at the age of just 21. He also has been named one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine.

Now Danny is working as an eco-stylist and environmentalist, encouraging people to live a greener lifestyle. He uses a philosophy of “small miracles,” meaning there are many small ways to protect our Earth. Based on this idea, he creates clever and easy ideas for recycling almost anything into attractive home accessories. He also gives quick and easy tips that prove green living can be beautiful living too. He shows us that saving the environment can start with little things.

11.4 Salar de Uyuni

You may have seen big mirrors before, but probably not as big as 10,582 km²! That’s how big Salar de Uyuni is.  It’s the world’s largest salt flat and it is located in Bolivia, in South America. There are 10 billion tons of salt in Salar de Uyuni, and the salt is over 10 meters thick in the center. 

During the dry season Salar de Uyuni is completely dry, but during the wet season it is covered with a thin sheet of water. This creates a huge “mirror” that makes beautiful reflections. At night you can see an amazing sight — both the sky and the earth are full of beautiful stars! It is difficult to tell how far away they are, or where the sky  begins and ends.

Although these reflections are very beautiful, they are also confusing. Sometimes people get lost in Salar de Uyuni, and actually every year a few people go missing there. If you have a chance to go there, be sure to follow your guide; otherwise,you might never come home!

11.3 Frietag

Would you buy sneakers made from old parachutes or bags with straps made of car safety belts? It sounds strange, but products that make use of recycled materials are becoming very popular. 

 For example, the Swiss company Freitag is  producing bags made out of canvas that was used to cover trucks. The bags were such a big hit that they’re now being sold all over the world. 

Also, there are bigger recycled things like the Papertainer Museum. It’s a huge building constructed with recycled paper. Amazingly, it can be taken apart and put back together again in a new place.

People are very interested in recycled objects these days because they are concerned about the environment. Products and buildings that use recycled materials help the Earth by reducing trash and greenhouse gases. So next time you need sneakers or are repairing your house, look for materials that can be recycled. It’s creative, fun, and good for the Earth!

11.2 Global Warming

Want to see the effects of global warming without waiting ten or twenty years? Then use one of these frightening Global Warming Mugs.  

Each mug is covered with a map of the world. When you pour in a hot beverage, the mug shows what happens when the world heats up and the oceans begin to rise. Land disappears before your very eyes!

WATCH Florida be swallowed by the Atlantic. 

SEE California turn into a modern-day Atlantis.

WITNESS Central America become a few small islands.

This is a mug with a message. It comes in a nice gift box, so you can give it to your environmentally minded friends! Five percent of the profit from the sale of these mugs goes to the “Stop Global Warming” fund.

11.1 Emu

An emu is a giant bird that lives in Australia. A tourist who knew all about this bird wanted to take a picture of one.  When the man got near to the emu, the bird suddenly ran toward him. It tried to strike his eyes with its beak. However, the man was clever. 

He knew that the tallest emu is always the “boss.” He also knew that the tallest emu often strikes the smaller ones with its beak. This lets them know who the boss is. So, the emu was trying to strike the tourist with its beak because the tourist was shorter. 

What did the tourist do? He raised his arms. At once, the emu stopped. Now the man was taller than the bird. He took a nice picture, turned around, and walked away — still holding his arms high in the air.

10.5 Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains in Australia is a great place to go on holiday. Among the many places for tourists to visit, The Three Sisters in Katoomba is perhaps the Blue Mountains’ best-known landmark.  So how did The Three Sisters get its name? 

According to Australian legend, three sisters, Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. These beautiful young ladies fell in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, but they weren’t allowed to marry because of tribal law. The brothers refused to accept this law and decided to capture the three sisters. This started a major battle between the tribes.

As the lives of the three sisters were in great danger, a witch doctor from the Katoomba tribe turned them into stone to protect them from harm. He planned to change them into humans when the battle was over. Unfortunately, he was killed during the fighting.

Since he could not return the sisters to their former beauty, they remain to this day as huge rocks.

10.4 Rain

How many times have your weekend plans been ruined by sudden rain? When this happens, it’s clear that the weather strongly affects the events in our world.  In fact, according to some historians, weather has even changed history. 

One famous example is Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. At the time, many people thought he was going to conquer all of Europe. But he sent his armies into Russia during the winter, and they were defeated because of the severe cold. Nikolai I, Russia’s emperor at the time, said that his country’s two best generals were “General January” and “General February.”

Weather also played a big part in the U.S. presidential election of 1948. In this race, Dewey was expected to win. However, on the day of the election, there was heavy wind and rain in northern California, where many of Dewey’s supporters lived. Because of this, turnout in the region was low, and Truman was elected president instead of Dewey.

Of course, weather was not the only reason why these events happened. But history might have been different if the weather had been better.

10.3 Mayans and Aztecs

Before the year 1500, the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas were three great civilizations in Mexico and South America. All three were defeated by Spanish armies, but some historians say that with the armies came an even more horrifying weapon: smallpox. 

 In the early 1500s, the Spanish attacked the Aztecs and Mayas. At first, the Spanish army couldn’t defeat the Mayan and Aztec, who were thirty times more powerful and familiar with the area. However, one of the slaves in the Spanish army was infected with smallpox and it spread quickly. Spanish soldiers were immune to the disease, but the Mayan and Aztec soldiers had never encountered smallpox before. It weakened their armies and allowed the Spanish to defeat them.

Smallpox quickly spread south, reaching the Incas of South America in 1525. Like the Aztecs and Mayas, the Incas were unprepared for the disease. It killed their king and his successor. Without a leader, the Incas were easily defeated by the invading Spanish soldiers.

10.2 Contact Lens

You probably think the contact lens is a very modern device. Therefore, it might surprise you to learn that it’s actually based on a 500-year-old idea!  The famous artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci drew a sketch for a contact lens in the early 16th century. But many centuries passed before his idea of a contact lens came true. 

It wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century, in Germany, that the first contact lens was developed. Made of glass, it covered the wearer’s entire eye. Although contact lenses slowly gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, they remained expensive, uncomfortable and difficult to care for. They were also likely to fall out. But with the development of soft lenses in the 1970s, contact lenses became cheaper and more comfortable. Today’s soft contact lenses are inexpensive and easy to use. Contact lenses are more popular than ever and getting better all the time.

10.1 Yoshiaki Shiraishi

Yoshiaki Shiraishi was having trouble at his sushi restaurant. He could not find enough staff to help all his customers.  One day, he noticed beer bottles on a conveyor belt at a beer factory; he realized he could borrow this idea for his restaurant. 

He had to research how to set up the conveyor belt first. For example, he did experiments to find the ideal conveyor belt speed. He decided 8cm per second was best. He also noticed that customers held their chopsticks in their right hand. This meant the conveyor belt should turn in a clockwise direction, so customers could easily grab plates with their left hand.

Following five years of development, Shiraishi’s first conveyor belt sushi restaurant opened in Osaka in 1958. Now, people can enjoy fresh and tasty sushi at conveyor belt sushi restaurants all around the world.

9.5 First Aid

First Aid for a Choking Person

When the Person is Standing or Sitting

1. Stand behind the person and put your arms around his or her waist.

2. Place one of your fists against the person’s stomach, just below the rib cage.

3.  Grab your fist with the other hand and give a quick push into the stomach. Repeat this until the object blocking the air passage comes out.

4. If the person is sitting, stand behind the person’s chair and do the same thing.

5. After the object comes out, the person should see a doctor for more care. 

When the Person is Unconscious

1. Call 119.

2. Put two fingers inside the person’s mouth and try to remove the object. If this does not work, follow steps 3~7.

3. Stand over the person.

4. Place one hand on the stomach, just below the rib cage. Place the other hand on top.

5. Give quick pushes toward the head and into the stomach.

6. After pushing five times, lift the person’s lower jaw and tongue with your fingers. Put your fingers inside the person’s mouth and try to take the object out. Repeat pushes if the object in the air passage has not come out.

7. After the object has been removed, the person should see a doctor for more care.

9.4 Hiccups

When you get the hiccups, it sometimes seems like they’ll never go away. Do you have a special trick for making them stop?  Most people do. But can any of these methods be proven scientifically? 

The answer is “yes.” Some people get rid of their hiccups by holding their breath and counting to ten. This increases the carbon dioxide in your blood, which decreases the sensitivity of the part of your brain that makes you hiccup. Some people recommend pulling on your tongue. This stimulates the nerves in the back of your throat, which interrupts the hiccups. Placing sugar under your tongue has a similar effect, because sugar affects the nerves that control the hiccups.

There are other methods, too. Some people drink water from different sides of the same glass. Others rely on a sudden scare. Perhaps there are hidden scientific explanations for these methods as well, even though they haven’t been proven yet!

9.3 Toothache

What would you do if you got a sharp pain in your tooth? Would you want to avoid visiting the dentist and just ignore it? 

 A toothache is normally a sign of cavities. If left untreated, rotten teeth can grow and become infected, causing major damage. They don’t just affect dental health, either. They can actually impact the rest of the body, too. Diseases caused by cavities can lead to stomach problems, heart disease, diabetes or brain disease.

A recent story shows how dangerous this can be. A patient was suffering from a severely rotten tooth. But he was too scared to remove it, and just took painkillers instead. Before an exam one day, he started to feel dizzy, then got a fever, and finally fell down. At first, the doctors could not work out what the problem was. But, after tests, they found an 

“unknown object” in his brain. It was a cancer which had spread from the patient’s mouth. Because the patient had repeatedly refused to have his cavity treated, he had actually developed brain cancer!

So, next time you get a toothache, don’t be afraid of lying down in a dentist’s chair. Just think; you could be lying down on an operating table.

9.2 Runny Nose

Why does your nose run when it’s cold outside? Is it because you have a cold?  No. A running nose doesn’t always mean that you have a cold. You see, on the inside of your nose is mucus. Mucus catches dust in the air when you breathe. This stops dirt from going into your body. Mucus also makes the air you breathe wetter. This helps to protect your throat and lungs. The colder and drier the air is, the more mucus you need. So in the winter your nose needs to make lots of mucus. When there is too much mucus, it doesn’t have anywhere to go. So it runs out of your nose.

9.1 Narcolepsy

Have you ever seen someone fall asleep suddenly while walking or eating? There are some people who cannot stay awake if they are sleepy.  For example, a woman fell down like a log while walking on the street and started snoring. And a man fell asleep with his face in a dish while eating at a restaurant. This is very different from taking a nap. In fact, it’s a serious disease known as narcolepsy. The most common symptoms of narcolepsy are sleepiness during the day and sudden sleep attacks. Nobody is sure what causes narcolepsy. However, it seems to be related to a genetic factor. Narcolepsy can cause dangerous situations if people suffering from it fall asleep while driving or crossing the road. It is estimated that about three million people worldwide suffer from narcolepsy.

8.5 Love Love

Actually, it isn’t really a sinking ship. It’s a special sculpture called Love Love, created by the French artist Julien Berthier. But it’s not just a work of art — it’s also a working boat. Berthier cut it in half and added a motor, allowing the boat to move around and stay above the water. It just looks like it’s sinking! 

A man is sitting on a ship which seems to be sinking. But he looks comfortable and peaceful.  Is he trying to kill himself? Berthier has taken his unique sculpture on an international tour, sailing it across the English Channel to London. Although he was perfectly safe, many other boaters thought he was in trouble. Some offered to help, while others called rescue teams to save him.

Berthier, however, insists he wasn’t trying to fool anyone. “My sculpture takes a scary moment and freezes it forever,” he said. “I just wanted to create something that shows that things are not always as they seem.”

8.4 Sci Fi

Imagine you are watching a science fiction movie. In a scary scene, an alien hatches from an egg.  When it does, the sound is very realistic! How is this possible?

For this scene, a person tears a head of lettuce in half to make this sound. And the person is a Foley artist — someone who creates sound effects for movies. Foley artists often use creative methods to make sounds. In a scene in which someone is punched in the face, the sound may actually be made by punching a roasted chicken. And the sound of heavy rain might be created by shaking a box full of dry beans.

Foley artists are needed because most movies are filmed on sets where nothing is real. Walls are made of paper, and swords are made of plastic. Other times, live sound isn’t recorded properly and needs to be replaced. And of course, some movies require sounds that don’t exist in the real world. In the Korean movie The Host, for example, the sound of the monster was a mix of the sounds of a lion, a bear and a seal.

You might not always notice the work of Foley artists. But without them, movies wouldn’t be complete for you to enjoy.

8.3 Baba Yetu

Most people don’t think much about the music played in video games. They might consider it childish, or just something that can easily be ignored.  But that’s beginning to change. 

A song for a video game won a Grammy Award. Named Baba Yetu, the song was composed by Christopher Tin and was included on his first album in 2009. The lyrics of this unique song are a Swahili translation of the Lord’s Prayer. Later, it appeared as the intro song for the game Civilization IV, and attracted a lot of attention. Civilization IV is one of the first video games that features music created by composers and orchestras. After Civilization IV was released, it won the praise of many game reviewers. And eventually, at the 53rd Annual Music Awards, the song won the Grammy for “Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocalists.”

When accepting the award, Tin said “This is historic because Baba Yetu is the first song written for a video game to win a Grammy. I hope this encourages more people to start paying attention to video game music.”

8.2 Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris comes to Korea!

The musical Notre Dame de Paris debuted in 1998 in France and has been seen by more than 10 million people worldwide. This tragic love story is based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel.  In place of dialogue, the story is told through 54 beautiful songs and accompanied by both ballet and modern dances.

Location: Seoul Arts Center

Schedule: February 2 - 24

Weekdays at 8:00 pm Saturday at 7:30 pm Sunday at 3:00 pm & 6:00 pm

(No Monday shows)

Ticket Prices:

VIP box 150,000 won Section 1 100,000 won Section 2 80,000 won Section 3 50,000 won

Student tickets for section 3 are only 10,000 won. Group discounts are available for parties of 15 or more (20% discount).

8.1 Ghostwriter

Do you know what a ghostwriter is? Is it someone who writes ghost stories?  Or is it the ghost of a dead writer?

 

Actually, a ghostwriter is a person who writes a book for someone else. 

Many books by famous people were written by ghostwriters. One famous example is the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage. For years, people thought it was written by John F. Kennedy, the former American president. But in 2009, Kennedy’s speechwriter, Theodore Sorenson, admitted he wrote many parts of the book.

So, why do people hire ghostwriters to write books for them? In some cases, they are too busy to write the book on their own. Other people simply don’t have enough writing skills or experience.

The next time you read a book by someone famous, don’t be surprised at his or her writing talent. The book may not be their own creation.

7.5 Voices

If the voices of people are annoying you, try turning on a fan. Then you will notice that the voices can no longer be heard.  But why does the noise of the fan help you ignore the voices? 

The secret lies in the white noise. Think about white light — it’s made by combining all colors of light. The same is true of white noise. It contains all frequencies of sound put together. Examples of white noise are the hiss of the wind, the buzzing sound of a television when the reception is bad, and the sound of a vacuum cleaner. These sounds act to mask all the sounds around you.

How does white noise work? Let’s say two people are talking. Your brain is following the words. But what if 1,000 people were talking? You wouldn’t be able to understand anyone’s words. White noise is like the sound of 1,000 voices, and it prevents your brain from following the conversation.

Using this effect, there are even machines that make white noise to help people focus on something. Next time you’re studying in a noisy place, why don’t you try using white noise?

7.4 Fishing nets

Fishing nets are common in the ocean. But did you know they can also be used in space?

The Earth’s orbit is full of junk. In fact, scientists estimate that there are 370,000 pieces of space debris up there. There is concern that a piece of junk might crash into a satellite. A crash would result in thousands more pieces of debris, possibly destroying many other satellites. On Earth, we rely on satellites for things like GPS, international phone connections, television signals and weather forecasts, so this could be a big problem.

To deal with this, Japanese space scientists and a 100-year-old fishing net company came up with a brilliant idea. They will attach a thin metal fishing net to a satellite and then launch the satellite into space. Once in orbit, the net will be released from the satellite to collect space junk. Several weeks later the net, charged with electricity, will be pulled down by the Earth’s magnetic field. The net and the junk inside will both burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. In this way, a simple fishing net will make space much cleaner and safer!

7.3 Desert: Survival Strategies

The desert can be a dangerous environment. The sun is hot in the sky and the air can feel like an oven.  And — most importantly — there is little water. You could die in only a few days. But here is a survival strategy to create water:

1. Dig a hole in a bright sunny spot. The hole should be about 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide.

2. Place a cup at the bottom.

3. Put a plastic bag over the hole. 

Put rocks on the edges to protect it from wind.

4. Place a small rock in the middle of the plastic so that the plastic bag is pushed down a little. Don’t let the plastic bag touch the cup. It should be a few inches above the cup.

5. Put sand and rocks over the edges of the plastic bag, so that no moisture can get out.

6. The sun will draw moisture out of the soil. This moisture will stay under your plastic bag, and drip into your cup.

But remember! This survival strategy should only be for emergencies. Always carry plenty of water in the desert!

7.2 Plesetsk Air Base

In July of 2006, scientists at Russia’s Plesetsk Air Base were busy preparing the satellite Arirang-2 for launch. Then an 80-year-old lady appeared with a sewing basket.  The lady opened the basket, threaded a needle, and started to sew, stitch by stitch. This lady had 50 years’ experience of such work since the world’s first satellite. She was making a gold dress for the satellite.

This was no ordinary dress, though. Known as multi-layer insulation (MLI), it was designed to protect satellites from the hard conditions of space: burning sunlight, cosmic debris, and temperatures as cold as -270°C.

The MLI had to be made by hand. This is because it had to fit around all of the satellite’s shapes. While the MLI provides great protection, its bright gold color also makes satellites the most brilliant objects in the sky.

7.1 Francis Bacon

(A) In 1626 Francis Bacon had the cool idea that snow might keep food fresh, just like modern refrigerators do. One winter day, he ran to the market, bought a chicken, and filled it with snow.  The result: Bacon caught a cold and died a few days later. 

(B) In AD 79 a man named Pliny wanted to study the volcano Vesuvius as it erupted. He went too close and died after breathing in too much volcanic dust.

(C) The Swedish scientist Karl Scheele discovered more new chemicals than anyone else. He also had the dangerous habit of tasting them. Amazingly, he tasted the deadly chemical hydrogen cyanide and lived. But he also tasted mercury and wasn’t so lucky. He died of mercury poisoning.