Welcome back Lloyd Hickman

Sergeant At Arms
Dave Cassidy extracted happy bucks from Peter Green, Lloyd Hickman, Bev Müendel, Dianne Alstad Garrison Chuck Galambos, Sam Roberts, John Hoopfer, Dale Martin, Peter Allen and Karlin McDonald. Jamie Tory was fined for laughing at jokes she shouldn't laugh at, and Murray paid for being so enthusiastic. John Hoopfer paid for offering to administer mouth to mouth to Linda Storoz when she was injured by an errant tent pole.

Good Bye Chiaki
"This is my last time to speech to (Lotaly) meeting before I go back to Japan. I don't want to go back yet."

Chiaki happily reports learning much English, enjoying visits to Victoria, New York and Philadelphia. She intends on continuing her piano training, and promises to come back and give us a free concert. She made many friends in school who presented her with an autographed Canadian flag.

"My Rotary friends are awesome friends and special thanks to David, Murray, Georgina, Ken and Kathy": she said through tears. "I'm proud to be a Rotary Exchange Student and learn many new things.

Dragon Boats Win
Murray presented Dragon boat mementos to Jack Reynar for bringing his force and making things happen, to Peter Green for being oldest Rotarian in and out of the water, who had the foresight to remove his hearing aids before dunking, and John Keenan for all his hard work.

The "Rotary Renegades" brought home the trophy and gold medals for C (sea) event mixed teams. The trophy was last presented in 1983 for a canoe race, and is resurrected for the Dragon Boat races.

Live Free for a Year
Dennis Chinner spoke of developing this fund raiser on our need to consider how to structure the fund raiser and how to conduct the campaign. This major fundraiser is expected to bring in $60,000. Chuck circulated questionnaires and reminded us that a letter to the same effect went out on the List-serve to all members.

Guest Speaker
Charles Funk introduced Guest speaker Ken Perlich of the local farm, ranch and auction family, who is educated in economics, has worked in Philadelphia as an analyst, worked for the Government of Saskatchewan formulating agricultural policy. He joined the latest Canada - Korea Group Study Exchange.

Ken tells us South Korea has 47 million people living in an area that would fit into Alberta, south of Red Deer. North Korea has 20 million people, and is considered an embarrassment that will eventually rejoin the south.

Since the 1997-98 economic crises, Korea has pulled itself out of trouble and is now debt free, and considered one of the Asian Economic Tigers. Ken visited the city of Chonju which is a provincial capital that takes political direction from Seoul, the country capital. Intensive horticulture is practiced on fields of two or three acres. They grow garlic, ginseng, and rice, which is transplanted, rather than started in the field from seed. Human labour looks after the crops, and farm implements are small machines that look like a cross between a rotor tiller and a motor bike. Most food is marketed locally in small market places.

Ken enjoyed kin-che, sauerkraut with hot sauce, bogobe, raw meat and raw egg mixed into sizzling hot rice with red pepper sauce, and all meals end with soup. Diners sit cross legged on the floor under short tables. Loud lip smacking, slurping, burping and laughter are expected at meal time.

Hosts
Home stays were the best part of the trip, as Ken felt he learned more in the privacy of homes. Apartment owners pay $200,000 US to own the apartment, whereas house owners pay $1,000,000 US. Koreans are concerned that other people think badly of them for eating dog meat. Black dogs taste best. One host was a dentist, and the other was a factory owner. Owners work sixteen hours a day, Monday to Friday, and take part of Saturday off. School kids work eleven hours a day to earn the right to do to university or college. Sunday is family day.

Koreans practice a stratified culture where you introduce yourself by name, age and marital status. Women who remain unmarried by the age of thirty often have marriage arranged by her parents. When Ken asked what they thought of an unmarried man thirty seven years old, they thought such a man would probably end his own life.

When men become friendly, they walk down the street holding hands. Ken was dismayed when they accepted him to that degree.

Bathroom Jokes
In Korea, common toilets are used by men and women, but have separate cubicles. When users are doing a big job, they can activate a "courtesy bell" that covers bodily the sounds. Ken thought this was a great idea when he heard about it, so when the opportunity arose, he thought he'd give it a try after zipping up his trousers. To his surprise, he found he'd turned on a bidet which sprayed down the front of him as he stood.

His only way to explain his wet condition was to confess, which caused great hilarity for all those in the restaurant that understood English. When the translator regained her composure, she explained it in Korean which started a new round of howling.

Murray presented a gift of sight to Ken for his entertaining presentation.

Paul Pharo won $10 on the draw and Karlin McDonald won $5.

Thanks to Peter Green for Dragon boat photos.

Rotary Brings Home Gold

E-mail
Rainy Day Digital