I spent the day in training learning how to supervise Korean employees. Most of it was pretty familiar stuff, but the majority of the folks in class did not have an HR background so I suppose it was more beneficial for them. Still, I found the part on some cultural differences of interest. Much of Korean culture is grounded in the Confucian traditions that have existed here for hundreds of years. So today I learned about the five elements in the Confucian code of ethics:

1. Subjects must be loyal to the King.
2. There must be a close relationship (love and obedience) between father and son.
3. There must be a distinct differential between man and wife.
4. The must be respect for the aged by the young.
5. There must be a sense of trust and faithfulness among friends.

And also the five virtures leading to proper behavior:

1. Love of humanity–consideration of others’ feelings and emotions.
2. Justice–assigning each person his proper place and duties.
3. Reverence–acknowledging others’ right and duties.
4. Wisdom–learning the difference between good and evil.
5. Sincerity–truthfulness of purpose.

Pretty simple, eh? I am very fortunate to have some outstanding Koreans working for me. Hard working, never complain, and they take pride in their work. Two of the men I supervise are older and have more seniority, two big factors in determining one’s rank and standing. To be supervised by me probably goes a little against the grain. I try very hard to be respectful (I call them Mr. Kim and Mr. Yi) and I always make it point to seek out their opinion. Which they might not offer if I didn’t ask. So I am learning and I do not expect I will have any real trouble in that regard.

Plus I got this nice certificate:

Tonight I had lesson two in my Korean language class. Consonants this time. So, I “know” all ten vowels and all fourteen consonants. Plus we learned to count to twenty. Well learned is a stretch. I would have to open my text book to count to two. Let’s just say I was exposed to these concepts tonight.

And in a bit of tragic news, I lost the crown on my tooth tonight. Didn’t lose it, I mean it came off (damn Milk Duds). So tomorrow I will get to find out if I have access to a dentist on post or if I need to find one on the economy. Hmm, that would be an experience. We shall see.

I am due for a post at The Wide Awakes this week, so I reckon I will start thinking about politics again soon. I just KNOW y’all have missed my rants these past few days, but actually the break has been kinda nice. Not to worry, I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!