Lee Seung-Eun: Lost in Translation
You know her as Lee. We know her as 이승은
It is with great honor and joy that we introduce you to our very special friend, Lee (this is her last name of course). In the Korean language the last name is introduced first before the first name. Why would that be? What kind of culture believes that family is more important that the individual?
The answer is a Confucian culture.
Or Kong Ja Nim in Hangul which is of course Korean for the their Language and alphabet: 콩자님 한글
We discussed at length the impact a Confucian society has on our individual decisions like how to treat your elders in school or society, how to pay respect to the individual, how to be respectful to your life goals and education, or whether Russell is heart centered or a comedian.
To Lee, Russell is heart centered, nor does she recognize him as rude, but sees him as a very polite person.
Russell points out, “You are the second girl, second oldest. You could do absolutely anything with you life and no one would care, right?”
Lee doesn’t hesitate. “That is correct.” She says.
Knowing Lee as we do, and Russell having been immersed in the deeply traditional and Confucian culture of the city of Andong in middle of South Korea, allows us a picture of Lee. You cannot know her without understanding her in the context of Confucius, which is very deeply Korean to say that you cannot know someone without their cultural and environmental circle.
With that in mind we explored concepts about being in someone’s debt, whether sadness and melancholy “Han” 한 is still a Korean virtue or rather something held nostalgically for one’s grandparents.
We talk about K-Pop, and whether it’s a counter cultural revolution in Korea, antagonistic to melancholy and “Han.” To which, Lee responded “I know nothing about K-Pop. So I cannot answer that question.”
This is out first episode making use of a translator.
But, it will not be our last.
It was a deeply personal and intriguing window into another culture. Yet, here we all are, passionately invested over a long period of time, practicing daily Patanjali’s yoga of transformation.
The Finding Harmony Podcast is hosted, edited and produced by Harmony Slater and co-hosted by Russell Case.
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Opening and closing music compliments of my dear friend teaching Ashtanga yoga in Eindhoven, Nick Evans, with his band “dawnSong” from the album “for Morgan.”
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