#118, Preserve
Seoul, 1966
“He wanted to stop at Petra's bunk and tell her about his home, about what his birthdays were usually like, just tell her it was his birthday so she'd say something about it being a happy one. But nobody told birthdays. It was childish. It was what landsiders did. Cakes and silly customs.
-Ender's Game
preserve: to maintain something in its original or existing state
Korea has raced towards modernization the past half century. The country was in ruins after the Korean War, but today is an economic powerhouse. The rapid development has its costs though, chiefly, the loss of culture. This loss is clearly visible in the architecture that is part of our daily lives. The buildings we pass by each day are mostly miserable grey boxes with windows. This is in contrast to other cities such as Bern or Paris in which the architecture reflects the native culture. The loss of culture extends beyond just architecture. Korean food, music, traditions, practices, clothing...they are all at risk of being lost as Korea relentlessly pushes forward.
To complete this week's Journal response answer 1 of the 3 questions and comment on one of your peer's responses.
- Should we try to preserve Korean culture?
- What aspects of Korean culture should we preserve? What aspects of culture should we let fade away?
- How does your family and/or school promote the preservation of Korean culture?
- Comment on one of your peer's responses.
-Brenden Lee Teacher
restless