Boater wrote:
I had no idea until a week or so ago how big the photography equipment
industry in Korea was.

Seriously.

Especially in machined and cast metal parts and assemblies, carbon fiber
gear, glass, all manner of things.

Now, obviously, I knew lots of cars, appliances, electronics, et cetera,
were being produced there for the world market, but I just never thought
of Korea as the home of some of the photo gear I've been looking at the
last few weeks.

The Korean language though...wow...it has to be among the most difficult
for Yanquis to learn.

My wife learned Korean before she took our kids on a two week trip to
Korea. She started about a year before they left, and could read and
communicate and understand most of the people she talked to, as long as
they spoke slowly. They were always impressed that an American knew
Korean. The trip was put on by their Karate school, and it was a
present for the kids earning their black and brown belts in Tae Kwon Do.

My Christmas present to her this year is http://chinesepod.com/. A way
to learn Chinese as she drives to work. I think she is crazy, but she
just enjoys learning something new and keeping her mind active.