Group Study Exchange - Korea

Judy Harwell was our guest speaker this week. She told of of her trip to Korea as a part of a Rotary International Group Study Exchange. Judy said that she had tried to learn the Korean language using Rosetta Stone...but it proved more than she could handle at the time.

Korea is about the size of Indiana with a population of 49 million people. But did you know...Korean was annexed by Japan in 1910. Then in 1945, after the surrender of Japan in World War II, the Korean peninsula is divided between Soviet and American occupation forces at the 38th parallel. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops opened fire and crossed the 38th parallel. Seoul is captured within three days. The Korean War begins and continues until 1953 when a cease fire is agreed to by all parties.

Also along the lines of "did you know"...Koreans invented the artificial hip.

While in Korea the Group Study Exchange group had their own body guard. The Koreans were very careful to protect their guests...and so much so that they would not allow the to visit the 38th parallel. But the group did spend time riding horses, and they also went into the interior of a Korean dam.

One of the more interesting tours they took was a visit to a garbage plant...where the garbage was burned and the heat from the burning generated electricity for nearby Korean cities.

A Group Study Exchange can be challenging, interesting, and sometimes dangerous. Chuni was on a Group Study Exchange program to India when tensions between India and Pakaistan caused RI to end the tour and bring everybody home after less than half the usual time period.

Guests, Visitors and Other Good News

Ken Burgess had his wife Judy as a guest this week. She is getting ready for knee replacement surgery, and wanted to come to hear Judy Harwell's presentation...and to quiz Judy H and her knee replacement surgery.

Archie Wilcox was back with us after this second surgery for cataract removal. He kept humming that old song "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places...". Wonder why.

Jon King was back with us after his trip to the Coastal Bend area (Port Aransas etc.) for a family gathering.

Coming Up At Rotary

Rotary GSE Team on TV

Rotary District 5890 Group Study Exchange team trip to India will be featured on ABC 13 in a half hour program on Sunday, August 1 (11:30am-Noon), and presented by Sonia Azad, a member of District 5890 GSE team to India. Mark your calendars and plan to enjoy the show!

In this half-hour special program, Sonia Azad highlights parts of her month-long trip to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in South India. You'll see some of the good-will projects Rotary is involved with on the ground there-- and hear first hand from the GSE team about what it's like to live with Indian families. You'll also hear from Indian doctors who lived in Houston for a month as part of the Rotary's GSE program. What they experienced and what they are taking back with them that could be life-changing for the future of medical care in India...

Also in the program- a look into the future of India-Houston relations. We feature the work of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and hear from some of Hillcroft's first business owners -- before it became the Gandhi District. If you don't know the stories behind the District's anchors-- Karat 22, Raja Sweets or Sari Sapne-- they're remarkable, and the people behind their businesses are shining examples of success in a new country.