Inchon, South Korea

June 14, 2020 Peace and Good, I am still in quarantine in a hotel near the airport in Seoul, South Korea, but the end is in sight. I will be released on Wednesday morning, and yesterday they sent around a form to ask about my transportation needs. The food has been very good (brought to the room three times a day). The room is nice, although taking my 40 minute walk each day is a challenge. I have had a good amount of time for writing and have finished half of another book ( a children's Bible aimed at 5th and 6th graders). Once I am out of the hotel, I will be doing my visitation of the province. It is about 65 friars, and they have 8 or 9 friaries. I have already visited their friary in California, in Torrence, where they have a chapel to serve the needs of the Korean Catholic population in that region. The weather is nice, and summer is slowly arriving. I have finished some reading: The Rise and the Fall of the British Empire by Patrick Alitt This is a 36 lecture course on the growth and the demise of the British Empire. The professor, while British, is remarkable honest about the positive and negative dimensions of the empire’s treatment of its colonies. He is also entertaining, with a dry sense of humor that makes listening to the courses a joy. The Wonder of Birds by Jim Robbins This is an interesting account of what we can learn from birds, how we can celebrate them, and what we don’t know about them (e.g. how they navigate during migration – is it possible that they are conscious of magnetic or quantum forces that we cannot perceive). It also deals with the value of caring for birds both ecologically and for troubled people who are consoled by the beauty and majesty of birds in flight. World War II in the Arctic by Charles River Editor This is an account of the two wars fought in the Arctic during World War II: the Nazi and Finnish invasion of the far north of the Soviet Union, and the Japanese invasion of the two Aleutian islands of Attu and Kisha. It gives information of how the battles were fought, what the stakes were, and how both invasions ultimately failed. John Connolly by Audible Interviews This author speaks about his book on Stan Laurel from Laurel and Hardy fame. Laurel had been married five times with numerable affairs. His book is historical fiction. This is a bit of a change from his usual topic which is the Charlie Parker detective novels. What is Europe by OpenLearn This essay deals with the question of the identity of Europe and the Europeans. Is it to be a geographic definition, or a cultural one? How tightly united should Europe be, especially in the European Union? Should periferal areas be allowed into the definition, like Turkey or Georgia? The essay does not have many final solutions, but it does speak of unity in diversity as the best policy. Joan of Arc by Helen Castor This is the first book I have read by Castor, but it won’t be the last. The book is a brilliant presentation of the history of the times (the hundred years war). It presents a portrait of John of Arc in as much as we know about her. It is not saccharine or over negative, finding the proper balance in the presentation. It includes account of her two trials (the one the condemned her and a later, posthumous one that overturned that verdict) as well as her canonization. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the topic. Living in a Globalized World by OpenLearn This is a short course on how the globalized economy developed. The professor gives a good outline of the historic process and the pluses and negatives involved in the process. For a very short presentation, I feel as if I learned a lot. Aaron Burr by Captivating History This is a short account of this man, one of the Founding Fathers and the third vice-president of the country, who was always known for his blind ambition and very loose sexual morals. He is the one who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, and also planned a treasonous act of conquering the western parts of the US and parts of Mexico to set up his own country. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude