Hangul: The Korean War Treaty Negotiation Game Created by Ruth Paget

Hangul:  The Korean Treaty Negotiation Game Created by Ruth Paget

Historical Background:

The conflict in the Korean Peninsula began on June 25, 1950 with fighting ending on July 27, 1953.

No treaty was written or signed to end this war with the result that North and South Korea today are divided with a demilitarized zone (DMZ) at roughly what is the 38^th parallel.

North Korean troops are stationed on one side of the DMZ and South Korean and American troops are stationed on the other; the Korean War has never been settled and is still on.

Game Objective:

Write a treaty ending the Korean War that provides the Korean people with:

-food

-clothing

-shelter

-energy resources for heat and cooling

-reunification of families

-self-determination

Level 1: Identify Parties Who Participated in the initial Conflict and Entered Into it through Time

-Use encyclopedias or the online CIA Factbook to determine who started the war and for what reason

-Identify all parties who have contributed to tensions in this region

-Resources you might consult include World Book Encyclopedia, Britannica, and infoplease.com for access to college-level encyclopedias

Level 2: Treaty Language Considerations

-Look up information on the Korean alphabet called hangul

-Hangul has diverged in format between North and South Korea.  How does this situation affect drafting a treaty?

Level 3:  Food Insufficiency Concerns

North Korea experienced famine from 1994 – 1998.

-How does North Korea refer to this period of famine and why?

-Identify what caused famine.  What foods in particular might have been affected?

-Is North Korea self-sufficient in food even with good harvests?

-Could food insufficiency affect North Korea’s foreign policy?

Level 4: Gain Knowledge of Korean Food

Read books about Korean food and think about self-sufficiency versus imports:

-Cook Korean!  A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha

-Everyday Korean by Kim Sunié

-Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen by Hi Soo Hepinstall

-Korean BBQ: Master your Grill in Seven Sauces by Bill Kim

-Korean Food Made Simple by Judy Joo

-Korean Home Cooking: Classic and Modern Recipes by Sohui Kim

-Koreatown: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong

-Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking from Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine by Maangchi

-Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes for the Home Cook by Maangchi

-Seoul Food Korean Cookbook: Korean Food from Kimchi and Bimibap to Fried Chicken and Bingsoo by Naomi Imatome-Yun

-Vegetarian Dishes from my Korean Home by Shin Kim

Level 5: Public Health Issues

-What sanitation systems are in place where the treaty might be negotiated and signed?

-What are medical facilities like?  Are there medical supplies readily available?

-What are hotels like?  Are recycling systems in place to help prevent the spread of disease?

-What rodent control systems are in place.

Treaty negotiators do not want to become sick from bad food or rapid spread of disease.  They also need rest.

Level 6: Treaty Negotiation Procedural Considerations

-What is the Korean War called by the various parties who have participated in it?

-Who would legally represent these countries in negotiation?

-What shape of table would negotiators have?  This was a consideration for signing the treaty to end the Vietnam War.

-What catering considerations have to be taken into account?  North and South Koreans might want their own caterers even though they eat the same food.

-How would interpretation be set up?

-How would translation be set up?

-How would transportation be set up?

Level 7: Read A.H. Maslow’s A Theory of Human Motivation

-Determine what North and South Koreans need in terms of food, clothing, and shelter.  Providing for people might make acceptance of treaties easier.

-Look at both of these regions for climate concerns.

-Research Korean domestic architecture and public transit systems to see if they meet current housing and transportation needs?  How will demographic growth affect these two areas?

Level 8:  Read Getting Past No: Negotiation in Difficult Situations by William Ury

-Use the framework in this book from the Harvard Negotiation Project to identify obstacles to the peace process in the Korean Peninsula

Level 9: Read Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Use this book as a framework from the Harvard Negotiation Project to identify needs that must be met and to brainstorm various ways of meeting them

Level 10: Treaty Conclusion Meal

Try cooking a Korean meal at home or go to a Korean restaurant and sample some of the following items:

-pan chan: assorted vegetable appetizers that can be sour or savory

-dak gu yi: grilled chicken with sauce

-bul go gi: grilled beef with sauce

-on ji gu bok um: stir-fry squid with vegetables

-Korean sushi

-kalbi: ribs with sauce

-barley tea

Notes:

-Where does beef come from in Korea?  Who owns this region?  How did the beef get introduced there or is it indigenous to the territory?

-Learn how to use Korean chopsticks

Game on and congratulations to Parasite for winning Best Picture!

Hangul Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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The Bento Advantage Game: Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) by Ruth Paget

The Bento Advantage Game:  Russo-Japanese War (1904 – 1905) – Japan Victorious – Created by Ruth Paget

Objective:

Analyze the role of food in the Russo-Japanese War and Draw from its Lessons

Historical Background:

Japan was the first Asian power to defeat a European power in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 – 1905 according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Russia had moved into Siberia, but still needed seaports at this time.  Russia invaded northeastern China for seaports, but then had to deal with Japan, an equally expansionist country.

Japan defeated Russia on land in northeastern China and on sea.  This victory of a small island nation against the vast Russian Empire was extraordinary.  The victory established Japan as an imperial power and probably gave the nation confidence to attack the United States at Pearl Harbor decades later to begin World War II in the Pacific.

History books deal with strategy, casualties, deaths, and sometimes weather.  In this game, I would like players to analyze the role of food to see if it might have been a decisive factor in the Japanese victory over Russia.

Generals have the responsibility for making sure troops and their families are fed to make defensive forces strong and free of disease for readiness and morale.  Spoiled food, for instance, can spread disease and destabilize troops.

Generals also have to think about food procurement if fighting in foreign lands.  Food shipped from the homeland might spoil in transport.  Eating food available locally has a better chance of not being spoiled.

Both Japanese and Russian cuisines have dishes that resemble Chinese ones or that use ingredients available in China.

What may have made the difference in the Russo-Japanese War is the bento box lunch – a sanitary and efficient way of serving large numbers of room temperature meals made using local ingredients found in China.

Level 1: A Sample Bento Box Lunch

Bentos are served at room temperature, which saves money for storage.  If metal bentos with lids and metal chopsticks are used, you could make a bento with the following ingredients:

-1/2 bento box full of cooked rice

-steamed vegetables such as broccoli divide the rice from the rest of bento contents.  Whole cherry tomatoes could be placed among the broccoli as well.

-pickled vegetables take up ¼ of the bento.  Pickled plums (umeboshi) and pickled ginger would be nice additions to pickled cucumbers and pickled cabbage

-the savory addition – ¼ of the box could be slices of rolled omelet with vegetables that are doused with oyster sauce, soy sauce, or tahini.  Canned fish such as whole sardines or mackerel sections could also be part of the savory section. 

Level 2: Learn about Japanese Food

The bento books below describe modern bentos, both Japanese and Western while the other Japanese food books provide ideas for food that could go in a bento:

-Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches by Chika Ravitch

-The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches to Go by Makiko Itoh

Other Japanese food books with dishes borrowed from China in some cases are listed below:

-The Complete Tassajara Cookbook:  Recipes, Techniques, and Reflections from the Famed Zen Kitchen:  Over 300 Vegetarian Recipes by Edward Espe Brown

-Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hichisu

-Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji

-The Japanese Grill:  From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood, and Vegetables by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

-Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

-Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto

-Ramen Obsession:  The Ultimate Bible for Mastering Japanese Ramen by Naomi Imatome-Yun and Robin Donovan

-Sushi Cookbook for Beginners by Kirsten Barton

-Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murata

-Washoku:  Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh

Level 2: Learn about Russian Food

Much of Russia is frozen tundra in winter yet they can feed their people when logistics for food delivery function well.  The following books reflect a cuisine created in and for harsh winter conditions:

-Classic Russian Cooking:  A Gift to Young Housewives by Elena Molokhovets

-Festive Ukrainian Cooking by Marta Pisetska Farley

Russians are also Orthodox Christians and celebrate their holidays with food in similar fashion to the Ukrainians.

-The Food and Cooking of Russia:  Includes more than 200 Recipes by Lesley Chamberlain

-The Russian Heritage Cookbook:  A Culinary Tradition Preserved in over 400 Authentic Recipes by Lynn Visson

Level 3: Learn about Chinese Food

-All Under Heaven:  Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China by Carolyn Phillips

-China:  The Cookbook by Kei Lum Chan and Diora Fong Chan

-The Chinese Kitchen Garden: Growing Techniques and Family Recipes from a Classic Cuisine by Wendy Kiang-Spray

-Chinese Street Food by Howie Southworth

-Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Lina Chang

-Complete Chinese Cookbook by Ken Hom

-Cooking South of the Clouds:  Recipes and Stories from China’s Yunnan Province by Georgia Freedman

-The Dim Sum Field Guide by Carolyn Phillips

-The Essential Wok Cookbook by Naomi Imatome-Yun

-Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking by Fuschia Dunlop

-Fragrant Harbor Taste: The New Chinese Cooking by Ken Hom

-The Joy of Chinese Cooking by Doreen Yen Hung Fren

-Land of Fish and Rice:  Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China by Fuchsia Dunlop

-Land of Plenty by Fuschia Dunlp

-Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

-The New Classic Chinese Cookbook by Mai Leung

-Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees:  Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking by Kian Lam Kho

-Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook:  Recipes from Hunan Province by Fuchsia Dunlop

Level 4: Identify Russian Foods Similar to Chinese Foods

Level 5: Identify Japanese Foods Similar to Chinese Foods

Level 6: Create a Bento that Reflects Your Heritage

-Read You Eat What You Are: People, Culture, and Food Traditions by Thelma Barer-Stein, PhD to set up a bento that meets dietary needs

Level 7: Make a Japanese Bento

Level 8: Make a Chinese Bento

Level 9: Make a Russian Bento

Level 10: View Food as Communication

-Read The Food of China by E. N. Anderson, paying close attention to the food as communication chapter

-Read Japanese Society by Chie Nakane

Think of what the bento symbolizes and write this up in a personal journal along with the bento menus you created

Level 11: Consider Resource Management

Think of how to maximize your food resources at home to achieve no-waste status, which also allows you to better manage your food bill.

Enjoy learning about bentos, Japanese food, Chinese food, and Russian food.

Bento Created by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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European Beer Buying Tips: Lager, Ale, Lambic by Ruth Paget

European Beer Buying Tips: Lagers, Ales, and Lambics by Ruth Paget

Sampling lambic beers when I was a young woman in Brussels, Belgium; vacationing in London, England; and shopping for German beers during Oktoberfest when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany were fun lessons in European culture.

When I became more serious about buying beer I read Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion and The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth for detailed information on brands to look for in the store.

I condensed Michael Jackson’s six categories down to three using tips from Alworth’s book to obtain a quick mental map for making quick beer buying decisions in the store or brew pub that follows:

3 Basic Beer Ingredients

Common to all beer types are hops, grain, and water.

-Hops

Hops are a cone-like flower, which imparts aroma and flavor.  Their flavor is bitter, but can be modulated.  Hops are very bitter in the popular in the India Pale Ales on the market.

-Grain

Barley or wheat are the most commonly used grains in beer making.

The Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) of 1516 from Bavaria, Germany specified that only barley could be used as a grain in beer production and sought to curtail the use of flavor additives besides hops

Additional flavoring and coloring could be obtained in the final beer by roasting the grain before hot water was poured on it to start the production process.

Creating Malt and Wort

Adding the third basic ingredient of hot water to the grain and making it sprout makes what is called malt.

Hops may be added at different phases of production depending on whether they are being used for aroma or flavor.

When the grains have sprouted, the liquid in them is drained away, leaving what is called wort.

Wort and Beer Types

What happens to the wort determines if you will obtain a lager, ale, or lambic.

Different Beer Types

-lager

A commercial, bottom-fermenting yeast is added to the wort and works in cold temperatures.

-ale

A commercial, top-fermenting yeast is added to the wort that works at warm temperatures.

-lambic

A spontaneous, top fermentation occurs from exposing the wort to “wild yeasts” that come in through open windows in a cold brew house.  These beers are produced in the Zenne (Senne in French) Valley outside Brussels, Belgium.

Lambics are famous for their Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry) beers, but plain Geuze is considered a champagne of beers.

Notable Beer Types

I used Jeff Alworth’s The Beer Bible to set up the following list for shopping or ordering in a California Brew Pub:

Lagers:

-Dark Lagers: Dunkel, Schwarzbier, Czech Tmavé

-Czech: Lagers

-Pale Lagers: Pilsners, Helles, and Dortmund Export

-Amber Lagers: Märzen (Oktoberfest Beers) and Vienna Lager

-Bocks

Ales

-Bitters

-Pale Ales

-Indian Pale Ales

-Mild Ales

-Brown Ales

-Porters and Stouts

-Ales of the Rhine: Kölsch and Altbier

-Abbey and Trappist Beers

-Saisons and Rustic Belgian Ales

-Wheat Beers

Lambics

Geuze, Kriek (cherry), and Framboise (raspberry) are the most famous types.

Cheers and remember color does not divide beer types like color in wine does.

Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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The French Trousseau Tradition by Ruth Paget

The French Trousseau Tradition by Ruth Paget

I read about the French trousseau tradition in a French magazine in my high school French club at Cass Tech in Detroit, Michigan.

The French trousseau tradition is similar to the Hope Chest tradition of the American Midwest where a young woman would sew her future household linens, gather tea and coffee pots, and sometimes even sew her wedding gown to prepare for married life.

The Germans also had this tradition and called it aussteuerschrank.  The schrank is a two-door cupboard that would contain items such as the following:

-sets of sheets and pillow covers

-dish towels

-blouses

-tea pot

-coffee pot

-soup bowls

-serving dishes for vegetables

-sugar cube holder

-creamer

-soup tureen

-red and white checked tablecloths

-aprons

-hot pads

-placemats

(I used a photo of an aussteuerschrank in a museum in Baden-Baden, Germany on Wikipedia to identify items.)

Young couples planning to have children might consider collecting the above items today as well as these additions:

-Joy of Cooking Cookbook

-Reading and Math Flash Cards

-Roast pan with cover

-Metal tumblers

-Jellyroll baking sheets

-Small and large pots with covers

-2 skillets

-Cooking utensils plus holder

-Holiday items plus storage containers
-Everyday Cutlery
-Everyday Dishes
-Serving platter to hold a turkey

Having these items ready helps with setting up a new household.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Paget Productions Casting Call

My daughter Florence Paget's Company is putting out a casting call for her screenplay Proxima B.  Check out Paget Productions online or on Twitter for more information.