Monuments, Stars, and Parent's Day

Back on Tuesday, after heading into China town, I went to a nearby Park. This park seemed to be a dedication to Korean-American relations, where several interesting monuments could be found.

The first (somewhat strange) monument was a dedication to 100 years of relations between the two countries (1882-1982). The reason I say it's strange, is that you have to consider that Korea was occupied by Japan from 1905 to 1945. I wouldn't call myself a very good ally, if I didn't help a friend in a time of need.

Another interesting monument was a Statue dedicated to General MacArthur, in 1957 (7 years after his operation in Incheon). The plaque of dedication is long, but the last paragraph really hints at how strong the anti-communism sentiments were, back in the day. It's the first time I see such direct political speech on a memorial plaque. Here it is:

''We shall never forget what he and his valiant officers and men of the United Nations Command did here for us and for freedom. And until the last battle against the malignant infection of Communism has finally been won, may we never forget. It was also he who said 'In war, there is no substitute for victory.''

Anyway - the rest of this short-week was good. Today (Friday), we had our once-per-semester 'Star Show', where kids compete against each other by giving pre-rehearsed speeches. 5 of my kids were competing at the same time, against a total of 40 other kids. That's all of them in this picture (numbers 1 through 5). Being my students, of course, they were all excellent.

Sarah, contestant #2, did me proud & pulled off a third-place win.

Well, lastly, today was Parent's Day. I celebrated by receiving a free steak at a local restaurant.
It was a little undercooked.
Oh well.

Happy Parent's Day!