Copenhagen

Why does Denmark rank first in happiness ratio all over the world? There are various factors from Danish society that support this status, and among them I could find a clue to the answer from taxi drivers who I met while staying in Copenhagen for a week. I met about 15 taxi drivers and they looked so tranquil and peaceful. Most of them said they were happy and only one person had a slightly different view, saying that he was not completely happy since he was from another country so he was a little bit homesick. In conclusion, there were hardly any taxi drivers who complained about Danish society itself. 

Taxi driver Milbu

The most memorable taxi driver who I interviewed in Denmark was named Milbu (46); once he was a technician and a worker for a moving company. He has driven a taxi for 22 years. He speaks English so fluently that many asked him why he did not have a more professional job in which he could use his English.

“Driving a taxi definitely does not earn a lot of money, but isn’t it interesting to have conversations with international visitors from all over the world? I am truly enjoying this job now,” Milbu said.

He works nearly 8 hours a day, earning $3310 per a month. This amount of money is less than that of skilled laborers, but more than those who do repetitive jobs.

- Have you ever longed to be a doctor or a lawyer like your friends who got bachelor’s degrees?

“Not at all. We believe all people are equal in Denmark. I think they all have important roles, both employers and laborers, because society needs both of them. So in that sense, taxi drivers are also valuable assets for our society.”

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/10xqcmp (by Yeon-ho Oh and Min-ji Kim)

Mr. Milbu (46)

Milbu has 3 children and his philosophy also influenced their future.

“I am happy that they have a good education and live well, but I never forced them to have a specific career. It is more important that they love and enjoy their life doing what they like, rather than becoming a doctor or a lawyer. My eldest son wants to be a cook and my eldest daughter works as a sales person at a shopping center. My little daughter is planning to work at a hospital. But I never asked them to do certain jobs. Because I believe it must be chosen by them, not others. What if they didn’t really enjoy doing their job and were unhappy doing it? It is not an issue of money,” he said.   

This writer could recall what an elementary school principal mentioned during an interview for a previous article. Danish schools help students to find their aptitude and decide what they can enjoy. Also, they point out that they should never compare themselves to others and be proud of their own job.

I met Mr. Milbu coincidently on the way to have an interview with a related professor for the subject ‘happiness’, but I felt as though I already got the answers I needed. When I had almost arrived at my destination, I asked a final question: what is happiness?

“Happiness is not our future possession, but our present life, like making good friends and living at home with family together,” he said.

He didn’t forget to give me his home address, email and phone number and invited me to his home when I came back to Demark again.

“The professor who you are meeting soon will probably explain about happiness more specifically with some relevant data and information, but my opinions are from my heart, and they come from my experience,” he said.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/10xqcmp (by Yeon-ho Oh and Min-ji Kim)

Nine citizen journalists

April 03, 2013, the meeting of nine citizen journalists who wrote “I Am a Citizen Reporter”, which was published by OhmyBook was held in Sangam-dong OhmyNews Conference Hall in Seoul. The CEO of OhmyNews presided over this meeting and shed light about better writing to 100 individuals who aspire to be writers. ”I Am a Citizen Reporter” was contributed by 12 OhmyNews citizen reporters, who were freelance writers, but have other professions such as housewives, farmers, teachers, public officials, researchers, pastors, professors and businessmen.

The book depicts their own stories of remarkable activities as a citizen reporter as well as writing fairly extensive subjects from mundane life to professional views. They agree that excellent writing should start from different views of significant matters and anger against unreasonable incidents. OhmyNews is an online newspaper website with the motto, “Every citizen is a reporter,” which is also based on citizen journalism. About thirty percent of the articles on this website are written by full-time reporters, while most of the articles are posted by ordinary citizens (freelance contributors).

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/12F3u9j  (by Jung-hee Lee)

Mr. Oh and three highschool students (From left)

OhmyNews representative journalist and CEO of OhmyNews visited Denmark to make serial reports about happy Danes.

The serial articles were inspired about where their happiness came from. It is known that Denmark ranks the highest in the level of happiness all over the world. His visit aimed to research about the happy Danes as well as the Denmark society. In terms of these subjects, he not only visited relevant places such as public institutions, the press and enterprises, but also interviewed Danish citizens and experts to bring in-depth stories.

There were six key words related to happy Danes. They were freedom, stability, equality, trust, neighborhood and environment.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/12TNT9j (by Yeon-ho Oh and Min-ji Kim)

I took some rest after finishing my class in the 7th hour. My phone rang with an unfamiliar number, and I was afraid of disturbing other teachers around me, so I answered it.

“Teacher, it’s me from 0^th graduate class, 000.”

It was only after I had conversed with him a good while that I remembered who he was. It transpired that he wanted to ask me to become an officiator at his brother’s wedding. His brother was also my student and he plans on getting tied up this
August.
“Both my brother and I longed to take you in-charge of this position. Please do it for us.”
When I heard my student’s request, I was in a flutter because I never thought that I would officiate at my student’s wedding in my over fifty years of age, which is slightly young to do. However, it was not easy to reject from his earnest request. There was some time left until his wedding, so I suggested that he may find other proper one but if he cannot, then I would think about it.

After parting with my student, all kinds of thoughts went through my mind like a flash. Above all, I was wondering whether I was a good teacher enough to bring some impressive speech there. I saw many officiants’ messages but I never ever thought that I could by myself. However, my student’s visit made me look back at my past life as a teacher, and I made myself a promise that I would become a great teacher so that I can willingly take my student’s request to be the officiator at their wedding.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/ZUN2A5 (by Hwan-hui Kim)

Is it possible to be protected from the press without notice to use my Twitter? Not long ago, Jeong-eun Seo (24) was embarrassed to hear that her tweet was quoted in some articles because no one from relevant press asked her permission and even they have not reported any other notice. Twitter is a useful material to write articles because of simplicity but the problem often arise when considerably high rate of journalists writes a story using tweets without permission from the users.

Some argue that such behavior obviously infringes intellectual property rights. However, it seems to be very difficult to solve this problem due to vague laws in terms of Twitter property rights. The latest judgment of federal district court in the US implies the significance of property rights in which contents posted in Twitter also must be protected as a property right.

It seems that it should be undertaken to have profound discussion and agreement to protect the Twitters’ property rights. Base on public opinions, enacting law related to SNS service platform such as Twitter should be an urgent priority.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/Y5ND7A (by  Yeonghun Kim)

Apology Day is on every 24th at Yacksan Elementary School in Incheon. This event aims for helping the kids to build a good relationship and conciliate with each other through exchanging handwritten letters, which also contribute to school violence prevention and personality education. For this event, the teachers sent a school newsletter to the students’ family a week before the event.

Two hundred students voluntarily handed in apology letters to ‘Wee class’ and the counselors in there delivered their letters to relevant friends. These conciliatory letters helped to create friendly atmosphere among each other  in school, and they invited 400 students to the reception on an Apology Day.

Byeongryong Jung who is the  principal in the school said that I was so proud of my students to grow up  through making and accepting an apology to promote their friendship.

It has been expected that this event contributes to create a healthy school culture and keep  a pleasant school life.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/10ywh55 (Gyeongsuk Mun)

Recently, a corporate executive arouse criticism for a fuss over a bowl of  instant noodles in an airplane. A POSCO Energy executive reportedly smacked a Korean Airline (KAL) cabin crew with a magazine because of its unsatisfactory
service with his in-flight ramen. He first complained about the seat next to his being unavailable and the unpleasant temperature in a cabin. Eventually, his complaint was carried over smacking a Korean Air stewardess.

After the relevant incident was being reported, the news has rapidly spread online through social networking sites, and netizens rushed to criticize the executive and the company. Eventually, the executive resigned from his position. The company publicly apologized to recover its damaged public image. The incident hurt Korean Air itself as well as POSCO’s public image. Furthermore, the incident has led to shed a new light on some relevant issue such as emotional labor’s poor
surroundings.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/11sRQ2h (by  Si-yeon Kim)

With my international friends

“Wow, the exchange rate has dramatically increased.”

I was surprisingly sad when I withdrew money from a bank. Apparently, it must have been affected by recent unstable relationship with the North Korea.

“By the way, is it possible to break out a war in South Korea?”

A friend of mine has asked me, who is also a Korean exchange student in Spain. No one among Koreans in Spain expects war to spark between South and North Korea, however most international media flashed front-page headlines about North’s provocative actions against the South; therefore, many local friends asked me how a potential war would affect me. I am lost of words about this unique situation that more foreign friends than local Koreans are worrying about the tension on the Korean Peninsula. Normally, Koreans construe it just as a political problem.

I could not help laughing after looking at my friend’s Facebook who just talked about Korean tension and the exchange rate. He wrote what our catastrophe is here, the tension on the Korean peninsula or exchange rate? What is my wish? I just hope that peace will come soon and not worry any more about our daily life abroad related to exchange rate and friends overseas do not worry for Korea because of this problem.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/Zv2rac

40 years ago, My wife and I planted roses as our engagement gift.

I cannot believe that 40 years have already passed since my wife and I were engaged. How time flies. As our engagement gift, we planted red and yellow rose bush on my wife’s flowerbed at the southern corner of the house.

The diamond we have was not as brilliant, but we were happy planning our shining future while planting the fragrant roses. For our 40^th anniversary celebration today, we planted not roses but potatoes at the northern corner of the house. No one expected that we live in Imjin Riverside.

However, every moment of our life here is so important and precious. Though it’s not 0 degree, it is a little bit chilly to plant the seedlings, so we decided to sow 7 kinds of greens such as a corn, carrot, groundsel, scaber, kidney bean and peanut. My wife who was trimming the potato sprouts looked so lovely and I was reminded of the time we were engaged and affectionately planted the roses 40 years ago.

To be honest, it is shameful as a man who gave roses instead of a shining diamond as an engagement gift. This anniversary gift was also not jewelry but a potato seed. However, my wife and I believe that potato seeds are as productive as a diamond. Furthermore, fragrant roses and edible potatoes are even better than the diamond, which is not aromatic and edible. I appreciate my wife for thinking the way I do.

* For the original article in Korean: http://bit.ly/XUrSCg (by Ogyun Choi)