The Jeju Hospitality

Jeju Island has always been representative of the sunnier side of South Korea, boasting of the most pristine that their beaches could get. The country calls the island their very own Hawaii, so summer is what’s supposed to define anyone’s vacation at the place. For mine ‘though, it was all rain and hospitality. It was a complete yank out of what’s typical and supposedly more enjoyable, but I may well pride myself of creating my intimately-crafted trips that are downright fulfilling.

I purposely went on the June 25 to 27 weekend because a friend who lives in Jeju will be spending her summer vacation on the said dates and offered her home to me. I therefore decided to bug her as she spends time with her family (haha, bad!). Her house in Jeju City is just fifteen minutes away from the airport, so the travel wasn’t that hard except that it rained as soon as I arrived in Jeju.

June 25 (Friday)

I sure woke my friend up at 10am when I called from down the porch of their apartment. But being the kind and hospitable Korean that she is, she welcomed me to her family’s house. My friend even offered me her very own room to sleep for two nights.

We immediately talked about how to go about my weekend trip, since the rain has sure wrecked my supposed trip to the beach and the famous Halla Mountain. I suddenly had no choice but to feast on the MANY indoor museums that the small island has. Anyway, my friend booked my Saturday on an official bus tour, thanks to her mom’s friend who helped us. The friend works in a local travel agency in Jeju City.

While my Saturday has been fixed, I still had the rainy Friday afternoon so off we went to the Jeju National Museum. Jeju, which by the way is the only special autonomous island province in South Korea, has a very interesting story. I found it amusing how my friend said that Jeju came about from a series of volcanic activity from under the sea, with lava pushing its way up, freezing and forming that island that is now Jeju. She said it also explains the famous black-holed rocks that can be found only in the island.

We then had snack in a tea shop where I got to eat 수제비. It's a Korean traditional soup made out of dough flakes torn by hand. The dough was very chewy and a bit heavy on the stomach. It's a soup normally eaten during the rainy days. I ate this with hot tea, of course.

A dinner and a yoga class came after the rainy historic stroll and tea shop visit. My one-hour primer on stretching proved how futile my body has become and how it will eventually take a toll on me if I don’t live more healthily. My friend was of course amazing. She might turn out inspiring for me, when I finally decide to take yoga classes, too. I am still thinking about it, though.

June 26 (Saturday)
My friend’s mother woke up extra early for me today so she could send me off to the White Beach Hotel where the tour bus is waiting. As I have mentioned, she helped me book a tour package in Jeju. It still rained this day so it became easy for me to give up on seeing a beach or the Halla Mountain. How the itinerary went was generally fine, I must say.

1) A Souvenir Shop. I ended up buying myself a sepia-dyed summer hat. I love!

2) A mini-horse track. I think this was solely meant to generate money from any tourist’s supposed exhilarating experience of riding… a donkey (toinks!). I didn’t buy the gimmick, though. A picture riding on horse shells out 30,000 won, apart from the riding fee. It’s a guided ride, since the track is pretty small. I found it too boring, and come on, it was raining.

3) A horse show. Pretty interesting, I must say, considering that it’s my first time to see one. The performers were Mongolians and it was nice seeing Genghis Khan’s descendants. The horse skills of these performers must be genetic. I’ve always had this picture of Gengis Khan mounted on his horse and holding his shield.

4) Ilchul Land. It is a family resort complex that owns a tropical botanical garden theme. One of its main attractions is the Micheon Cave. I will never forget how chilly it was inside. South Korean caves are actually cool, because they literally are. Haha. It’s a bit different from how caves are in the Philippines. There, the caves may not be “air-conditioned”, but the rocks and formation are as raw as it gets, and my, they can be genuinely beautiful.

I then worked on a solo flight to the famous Jeju Love Land, an outdoor, sex-themed museum. The sun finally showed up by the late afternoon (around 5 pm) so I was able to stroll in the said museum park. It’s a naughty place. I mean, it should get that way.

My friend then had to call me in the middle of the stroll to remind me about our dinner appointment with her aunt, who wanted to see her niece on vacation. I rushed my way back home and had eel for dinner.

The dinner was then followed by a night stroll by the beach. My friend’s father was kind enough to drive us to the sea and let us get some fresh air.

July 27 (Sunday)
The rain resumed today, but the family still went out do their Sunday service. The father who drove us the night before is a Protestant and invited me over this day. I said yes to the invitation. It was a solemn service that I just lip-numbed all throughout, but what I especially loved about the Protestant service is the intimacy of the whole ceremony and genuine fellowship that comes afterwards. I was the only foreigner in that particular service, so it was a little uneasy, but I hope I did justice to my lack of knowledge on the solemnity of the occasion by being quiet. I did not understand a single word because the readings were spoken using the Korean language.

After the service, the family treated me out to lunch in a buffet restaurant. It was fun eating with them and seeing their amazement with the rambutan fruit. They sent me to the airport afterwards.

It’s not always that we meet extra-ordinarily good people who would welcome us into their homes-- send us to the bus stop and drive us to the seashore. I may not get the summer sun that I wanted from Jeju, but I sure got the warmth from such genuine kindness and hospitality.

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CHEF

I got to see this great new play called CHEF, which may well join the likes of NANTA, JUMP, and those other hybrid, Chaplin-like theatre performances. Well, I call them hybrid because they usually banner traditional Korean themes (bibimpap, taekwondo, etc.) and combine them with modern means of theatrical execution. They’re Chaplin to me given the mime and slapstick stunts that are usually pulled-off.

This new CHEF is actually a beat box action comedy show (and that’s copying its promotional one-liner). I’d like to think that it’s actually that and much, much more. I enjoyed the show very much, and I can even say that it’s way, way better than NANTA and JUMP. It should well work that way because CHEF is the combined concepts of both plays. CHEF was actually produced by the makers of the equally successful martial-arts theatre show, JUMP.

CHEF has similarities with NANTA, because as the title suggests, the characters of the story are chefs. And same with the more popular NANTA, the setting is in the kitchen. I would have to give the credit to NANTA for its originality and its performers’ very skillful ‘chopping’ skills. NANTA has a pretty straightforward plot. The chefs have to beat the 6 o’ clock deadline for the huge orders that they got. The hours that pass towards the deadline allowed for the chefs’ parade of vegetables on rolling carts. The entertainment part comes with the dancing and lots of chopping stunts, to which the actors include slight comedy acts for that complete theatrical enjoyment.

But NANTA suddenly became too simple of a plot compared to CHEF. CHEF is that proud bibimpap-maker that showcases the popular Korean dish to the world. The play is a chef's epic search for the secret recipe of Korea's gastronomic delight. He journeys towards time to achieve both culinary and spiritual enlightenment with the Wulin Warrior-cooks. I actually saw the play with two other friends, and one of them said that CHEF not only promoted bibimpap as a delicious Korean dish, but as a healthy meal-- something that promotes well-being.

Now, similarities of CHEF with the play JUMP became apparent with the myriad of talents that were showcased, which even went beyond martial arts. CHEF had amazing beat box sounds, traditional music, modern operatic tunes, and a capella combined. There were also B-boy stunts involved, plus a pack of comedy that sure sent me to more laughs.

The play was held at the art hall of the very posh Times Square mall, a newly-established building around the Yeongdeung-po area. It is by the way one of my most favorite places in Seoul, which made the whole CHEF experience enjoyably great!

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CCAP Caravan

“It is already one thing to be happy in the company of children; To be genuinely humbled by their hopes and dreams as I experience life with them is another...”

It may be because my stay in South Korea is already numbered, but for whatever reason it is, I find no excuse in not expressing my sincerest gratitude to UNESCO’s Cross-Cultural Awareness Program (CCAP) for including me in their roster of volunteers for this year’s caravan.

Not everyone is privileged to be at arm’s reach to what this diverse world has to offer, and the CCAP caravan is simply the perfect wheel to be close to where the most curious minds are willing to be opened. So armed with my curtain poles and plastic cups (yeehah!), I went onboard with the whole UNESCO crew to Gangwon Province for a two-day cultural immersion.

I have earlier met up and coordinated with my interpreter and co-teacher for this special cultural class, for there was just so much excitement that I would not want to put to waste. I had to remind myself that even though I will get the perks of traveling and seeing a new place, it is the students’ learning that I should put more weight on.

After four hours of travel, we finally reached the mountainous and foggy municipality of Dogye and headed to the all-girls middle school to prepare for our cultural classes. The bannered countries include Japan, India, Germany, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines. We were promptly welcomed by the school head and the teachers, and were even rendered a dance by the students before we went to set-up our own separate classes.


DAY 1- FIRST ROUND of the PHILIPPINE CULTURAL CLASSES

Richard, a fellow “kababayan” from Cebu, spearheaded the first cultural class. His jolly and funny aura sure drove the girls to a number of laughs. It wasn’t hard for our expert teacher-coordinator to connect to the students, given his fluency in the Korean language. Guided by his PowerPoint presentation, he showcased the Philippines through what commonly defines the country— monkey-eating eagles, yellow bananas, active volcanoes, and halo-halo, among many others. He also made the class interactive by giving prizes to correct answers to his short quizzes.

The class progressed from video-aided lectures to fun dance demonstrations that sure put my resourcefulness to the extreme challenge. The Philippines has long prided itself of its skillful and graceful folk dances adorned with equally traditional materials like bamboo poles and glassed candles. While these materials are a little hard to provide, the curtain poles for the Tinikling (traditional dance) and the plastic cups for the Pandanggo sa Ilaw (another traditional dance) served to be humble, yet extremely resourceful alternatives. The girls had fun balancing the cups on their heads and jumping over the tapped beats of the two poles.

HOME-STAY ACQUAINTANCE IN A FUN CAVE ADVENTURE
AND FOOD-FILLED TEMPLE STAY

After that first round of formal CCAP classes, it was time for everyone to chill and enjoy the rest of the afternoon off by going around the mountains and mists that define the province of Gangwon-do. School teachers, foreign volunteers, and local students joined together on a hike to the famous Hwanseon Cave. This was where I got to meet Haeri, my home-stay partner. Her family has been kind enough to offer their house for me and Yuree, my KIV (Korean Interpreter Volunteer), as we intended to spend the night at the province. It definitely made me enjoy the very steep monorail ride more, as well as the steel bars and stairs that we had to walk on inside the cave. It sure was a pleasure talking and bonding with my Korean student and new-found friend.

After the long and dark stroll inside the cave, our tummies were rightfully replenished by a mouth-watering array of ‘temple’ food. I have never really appreciated eating vegetables until I got to South Korea. No wonder monks in the temple live longer… it is because they live simply and they eat healthily.

THE HOME-STAY EXPERIENCE

The home-stay experience will probably be the most meaningful activity in the whole caravan for me, because I was showered with such generosity and kindness by a Korean family. Home-stays allow us to take a peek into the most mundane, yet genuinely-lived lives of families from a different culture, and let us understand and appreciate its uniqueness.

It was indeed a very homey abode, with a kind mother who prepared well for our one-night stay. After fetching and driving us to their house, Haeri’s mother let us use one of her daughter’s bedrooms (Haeri’s older sister’s room). She also let us eat small cherries, which she got from their backyard, as we spent the rest of the night sharing stories and experiences. I couldn’t be more thankful to have Yuree around to help me relay what I wanted to tell the mother and what I needed to say whenever the mother asked me questions. I also feel grateful for the interest that they showed in wanting to know more about my country just as well.

The night ended with a very much enjoyed and heartfelt talk with Hae-ri, Hae-Yon (older sister), and Yu-ree. These girls sure made me miss my own sisters back in the Philippines as we also used to curl up in the bedroom to have occasional “girl talks”. I would like to think that despite my little language handicap, I was able to get myself across in the same way that I get to sink their messages into my heart.

I mentioned about being humbled by somebody’s hopes and dreams at the beginning of this little story, and it is actually from the very strong-willed and independent dream of Hae-Yon to get into the best school for her education. There was just too much passion that dwelled into her. It must be from hearing Yuree’s own feat in getting into one of the best universities in Seoul, despite spending most of her school life in Daegu, a province in South Korea. The foreign face that she saw in me might also have contributed, in letting her realize how cultural diversity can go and how much there is beyond the foggy mountains that wall her Gangwon-do hometown.

DAY 2- SECOND ROUND of the PHILIPPINE CULTURAL CLASSES

There was littler time allotted for the second class which I led this time around. In trying to spark more interest from the Philippine culture, I shared some tourist spots in the country, discussed the connecting history between the Philippines and South Korea, and compared the lives of Filipino and South Korean students. The heavier themes were nonetheless balanced out by teaching the students a common Filipino game that they enjoyed. I have always regarded Korean students as generally shy, but it did not really take long before we brought out the perky sides in them with that game that prompted some ladies to shake their hips in front of everyone.

GANGNEUNG DANOJE FESTIVAL

We had to end our enjoyable overnight stay at Dogye Middle School, but the rewards to a successful cultural caravan did not finish too soon. The volunteers and CCAP staff participated in a festival in Gangneung, another municipality in Gangwon-do.

It was a fine Saturday afternoon that I personally enjoyed with my co-CEV’s and KIV friends. The festival was of course jam-packed with people who wanted to see a number of “sameulnori” performances. There were booths that gave visitors or tourists several Korean traditional activities to try out like fan, mask, and tile paintings. There were also free tteok’s and makgoelli’s for anyone who can wait for their turns in the long lines.

THE WHOLE CARAVAN EXPERIENCE

The whole CCAP caravan experience is a testament to such fleeting fulfillment of reaching out and contributing to a more open exchange and dialogue of life and culture. Apart from traveling and being able to set foot on a new place, there is that special kind of hype that comes with meeting people, making friends, and strengthening personal relationships. The cultural exchange volunteers (CEVs) do not only get to teach, but oftentimes, are also being taught one of the greatest lessons of their lives.

Thank you CCAP and UNESCO!

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Sassy Girl Goes Full House

My attempt to suddenly show interest in Korea’s showbiz celebrities may come off lamely with this post, but I just happen to be so familiar with the characters of this very, very… let’s say, ‘cute’ news (I knew it. Nice try Ella). Just be reminded that I’ve always been a fan of a nice set of abs and a sassy personality *wink*.

I wonder how Philippine koreanovela fans will react on the rumored "dating" relationship of singer-actor Rain and Sassy Girl lead actress Jeon Ji Hyun?

I suddenly remembered this one afternoon session that I had with my officemates. I used to hold panel discussions in English and part of those weekly 30-minute attempts to spearhead “intelligent talks” was a chance for each participant to share to everyone their “Top News for the Day”. This new girl then shared this news about a well-known Korean actress who went open with her relationship with an “ugly and less popular (thus, less rich) celebrity”, quoting a guy colleague this time who went in unison with the girl’s news to share. The attitude didn’t really shock me since such scrutinizing tendencies of the more common people to these mainstream media personalities seem to be universal. Whether good or bad, we simply have a say over the lives of these celebrities for the mere fact that they are public figures that we pay to pore over.

Needless to say, Bi and Ji Hyun are my cutest couple to date. I think of the personalities of their portrayed characters in Full House and Sassy Girl, and I imagine a fun riot! Oh such effect of these hyped Korean dramas… and I know, I am so behind already. Unless anyone gives me the dubbed copies, I won’t be seeing a new Korean movie or TV series anytime soon.

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DMZ Tour

I really have not much "smart say" about the root of the conflict that is still separating North and South Korea, but one thing sure is it seems to rake in money for both countries for as long as the so-called tension between them exists.

That’s because aside from the temples, hanoks, and spas, travelers and foreigners are equally curious to see the famous DMZ or Demilitarized Zone— that strip of land that separates King JongIl and Lee Myung Bak’s minions.

And while trips to this infamous place would usually ask for passports or foreign IDs, it doesn’t seem to be as strict and scary to go to (ok, so maybe I am assuming here). Well, because it looks like travel groups and agencies have since offered packaged adventure trips and would even encourage taking pictures with soldiers in the area. I therefore conclude that even if Korean men generally despise such waste of time that they call “military service”, it can always be their little chance to feel some star-like, showbiz fame. Haha.

I got the chance to go on a DMZ tour with a travel group here in South Korea, and it even came at a time when the North and South Korean relations recently heated up with the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan ship. Lee Myung Bak put the blame on North Korea, which Kim Jong Il of course was quick to rebound and deny such allegation at. So while the mother of a friend who was with me on the trip had been giving her daughter worried calls about the situation, I actually played that little game of seeing cannon balls on mid-air inside my brain. Hell yeah! Haha.

Travel Group Itinerary:

1.) Goseokjong and its hidden piece of nature. I know how more refreshing it would have been if I actually plunged in the waters, but I guess taking pictures would suffice for now.

2.) Second Infiltration Tunnel. The tunnel was said to be made by North Korean people to invade their Southern counterparts. This is pretty much the easiest way to sneak through North Korea, except that the tunnel's cut somewhere in the middle by a sign that says no one can pass through anymore.

Cameras are not allowed inside, too bad. Not that there were anything overly spectacular. The cave was pretty normal with those low-lying stalactites and dripping waters. The cave was a little chilly inside and if you’re tall, chances are you’d have to bend your body a little to walk through.

3.) Cheorwon Peace Observatory. It provides a view of the Iron Triangle Battlefield, which was primarily the headquarters of the North Korean army. It was pretty interesting to see a Mama Mary statue on our little hike to where the observatory is.

    

For some weird reasons, I wanted to catch on any barbed wire onto the far mountains, for I have always made myself believe that just an inch after that separating wire is North Korea. And boy, who doesn't want to get a glimpse of it?

4.) Woljeongri Station- it was the last train stop before reaching the DMZ. This is the same spot where the fiercest battle was held during the Korean war. The burnt train looked like a rhinoceros to me. Now that's real ancient history, teehee.

5.) The Labor Party Building- a three-story building used as the house of the Labor Party until the Korean War. Many people who were here during the anticommunist movement were later tortured and killed. Behind the building lies remains of people. Bullets and iron chains can still be found even to this day.

The more enjoyable part the two-day trip came in the evening when the travel group had bonfire and toasted marshmallows to make those yummy s'mores! I won't ever forget that certain Maegan who was kind enough to make s'mores for me and my friend. She had a very nice pair of gold flat sandals, too.

 

I had the chance to experience the home-stay type of accommodation for the night. The family who welcomed us to their house had a cute kid named Tae-rin. I will never get enough of adorable kids who really know how to entertain their guests. So what if he cannot speak English, eh? He was my personal bundle of joy in the whole trip.
 

Since I am very tired now and I can't go on with a "trying-to-be" witty take on the North-South Korea issue, I will just take this post as a landmark trip to one of the most controversial places on earth, ever. Teehee.

One thing though, it really makes me sigh and wonder how one country where its people think of themselves as patriotic and nationalistic cannot even unite with one's kin.

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On Stocks and FB

It was only when I got here in Korea that I started to dream of owning financial stocks from which I can grow my hard-earned money from. And in the considerable time that I have been far from home, my exposure to the social media that is FACEBOOK has also grown considerably large. And my, do I mean large. I take a look at my photo albums and they are all shots from my (mis) adventures here. It has been a calming refuge, a great past time. So what’s the catch- stocks and Facebook?

Well, devoid all the financial expertise which I don’t have anyway, I actually told myself that if I had money to buy shares of any company, I might dig on Facebook. Its CEO however, stick to not engage in any initial public offerings (IPO) in the near-term.

Facebook, the famed online social media company, is just five years old. Yet it has grown heaps not only in the United States but internationally. 70% of the current 400 million Facebook users are from outside the social network’s home base in Palo Alto, California. Along with the growth of this social frenzy, controversies currently surround, most pressed of which are the privacy issues.

That’s what our incredible Harvard guy, Mark Zuckerberg, was intensely sweating for in this interview.

I still think Zuckerberg is an awesomely cool CEO at 26. It must be those curls.

Facebook has since gotten support from venture capitalists, and these cash-rich, high-risk investors have put in considerable investments on the company's growth and expansion. No wonder Zuckerberg is all systems go with every update and upgrades and updo's. No one would want to disappoint these investors.

Facebook received its very first donation from Paypal in June 2004 at US$500,000. In 2006, it raked in about US$25 million from Silicon Valley investors. And the supports go on as Facebook heads on with improvements and progress. The results of all the efforts may actually be gleaned more clearly now.

For one, Facebook's market share in the online social networking market has grown tremendously. In the Philippines alone, it dried up the long-running fan base of the once, coolest social networking site, Friendster. And in March 2010, Facebook made that milestone of getting more traffic than Google in the United States on a weekly basis.

Now that is a WOW. It faintly tells of how people would generally want to get information these days. Seems like everybody wants the straight talk over the quiet search and reads.

Now, the big question: Is Facebook really worth the share?

It should come in to anyone as outright risky. Facebook's beginnings resemble those IT firms in the DOT.com bubble of the early 2000's that amassed money to guarantee a stream of income for investors who are eager to bank on the bright spot of technology and the internet in the future. In 2008, Facebook revealed in its financial plans the release of US$200 million for expenditures on servers and storage, while earnings were only estimated to be at around US$50 million. Now that was even a negative cash flow right there.

Where and how will the company work on their profits, then? Advertising will almost automatically come into play, and it has actually been Facebook's main lifeline for revenues. I would even like to think that Facebook's issues on privacy stem from their efforts to increase advertising for added revenue streams.

Sure, the HUUUUGE number of users are there, but for social media, people have been as fickle minded as ever, ready to switch to another when they stop getting benefits or end up paying to get benefits. Facebook's wide database of competitors is always ready to welcome any shifters. So there is no way Zuckerberg is going to get any money from its million users. That is unless a bigger entity buys them up and just work their way on profits from there.

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The Underdog

Today is a special non-working holiday in South Korea (yey to Wednesdays!) because of the country’s elections. I therefore had the privilege to execute such a loser’s act, when I went out to buy dollars today. Of all days, good Lord.

The USDKRW exchange rate in Mid-May has since climbed to the 1,200 spot, and it's been a bad fifth month of the year considering April's rate, which was just around 1,125. Now we all know that North Korea is to be blame for all this, apart from that crisis in Europe. Forecasts of 1,240 for the Korean won by the end of June even came about. So in anticipation of further depreciation, I went ahead and exchanged some amount that I can send back home. I just didn't expect that it would overly jump to almost that 1,230 peak in just a day with this news from another Asian neighbor.

Prime Minister Hatoyama Resigns
Barely making it a year in office, Prime Minister Hatoyama announced in June 2 that he is stepping down. He’s the fourth Japanese prime minister to resign from the top position since 2007, and this immediately spurred fear of more political and economic uncertainties.

The current political instability is making Japan’s weak economy dependent on the Bank of Japan’s loose monetary policies, which is still not effective due to threats of deflation bulging in.

Due to Failed Social and Security Issues: Recent Japan-US Relations
The United States has long asked Japan to have its marines stay put in Okinawa as part of its global military strategy. Prime Minister Hatoyama initially said that he won’t allow it, but after back-and-forth negotiations, Hatoyama said he had no choice and gave in to maintaining US military visibility in the said city. This offended some coalition partners and disappointed local citizens, and in less than a year of unclear economic policies along with the already failed social and security issues, Hatoyama resigned.

New Prime Minister Needed the Soonest Possible Time

There springs Mr. Naoto Kan, the current finance minister, which most people believe will be the economic driver needed to compensate for the social and security failures that Hatoyama brought in his eight months of public term. Mr. Kan has been outspoken in favor of a weaker yen, which analysts see would boost exports. He has also been associated with the hopes of a PRO-growth economic policy, which Japan badly needs, given the deflationary threats on its economy.

PRO-growth economic policy
1.) Tax cuts for corporations are to be considered.
2.) Promoting and reasserting its global standing in infrastructure and high-technology
3.) Establishment of domestic policy that entices entrepreneurship and more favorable business conditions

I won’t be surprised if Japan continuously clamors for such growth, at this time (or more so at this time) when the whole world still sees Japan with its “Lost Decade” slogan. Since the gradual asset bubble collapse (high land values at almost 0% interest rate— very cheap credits!) of the country, Japan has practically become the economic underdog.

While these new hopes for better economic policies come out from Hatoyama’s resignation, there are the inevitable uncertainties that Kan’s new character seem to bring to the table. Mr. Kan’s gained the impression of being quite flamboyant and of taking contradicting statements.

Japan’s Long-Term Economic Challenges

1.) Public debt is more than 150% of GDP: It is already of common knowledge that inflation can always raise the rate at which the government has to repay the bonds that it issues (money that it borrows). Lucky that the Japanese had the common sense to save more than spend, which helped in easing inflationary pressures. Yet Japan’s fiscal debt issues resurface in anticipation of the retirement of its growing aging population. This can always spur back pressures on inflation.

2.) Deflation: There are always those two sides of a coin with deflation. There is the good kind of deflation brought about by surplus expansion and the bad kind brought about by demand shrinkage. The latter has apparently slapped on Japan pretty hard, given less consumption from the frugal Japanese. And I need not elaborate more on how constrained consumption is downright bad for any economy’s growth.

This is why I want to go and visit Japan. I have always been for the underdogs. I want to know how the country is.

And so with this little story and that underdog sentiment, the yen (and almost all Asian currencies) went down against the US dollar. Oh, and guess what. The next day I will find out that the Won goes back to 1,200 to a US dollar. Pfft!

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