Charity is a hallmark of gentlemanly behavior.  In a way, charity is at the heart of gentlemanly manners; holding the door for a lady, giving up one’s seat for an elderly person and other such actions are really just small acts of charity.  In these ways, I consider myself rather charitable.  However, in the more conventional sense, I have not been very charitable.  I’ve not donated much of my time or money specifically to improving the lives of others.  One of the reasons for my reluctance to give to charity is my own personal indecision.  I have trouble deciding what to have for lunch when I only have 3 eatable items in the refrigerator.  When it comes to giving to charity, there are so many options and so many causes that I find it hard to be comfortable giving to one organization and not feeling like my time or money could have done more good if applied elsewhere.  I must work to keep this indecision from paralyzing me.  There is much good for me to do in this world, and since I am in Korea, I might as well do some good here; I wouldn’t be the first Westerner to do so.

It has been said that “rugby is a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen.”  The Seoul Survivors Rugby Club recently put an exclamation point on the statement. The club, made up primarily of American, Antipodean and Canadian ex-pats,  recently raised ₩4.2 million for an orphanage and to send school supplies north of the DMZ.  (If I am not mistaken, they also took a bunch of the orphans ice skating.)  The Survivors are the most recent in a long line of Westerners who have come to this land and done their part to improve the lives of the natives in the name of charity.  I recently visited 양화진 (Yanghwajin Foreigner’s Cemetery.)  Yanghwajin is the final resting place for some 118 foreign missionaries and quite a few other notable foreigners who played various roles in Korean independence movements and such.  The founder of Korea’s first Western style hospital, the first person to translate the Bible into Korean, the founder of Korea’s first girls’ school (now Ehwa University, one of Korea’s top universities) and the founder of the Seoul YMCA are among those interred at Yanghwajin.  In short, it’s a veritable “who’s who” of  people who make one wonder “what are YOU doing with your life?”

Anyway, the faithful departed at Yanghwajin, the lads at Survivors RFC and my own upbringing (which is not lacking in fine examples of charity) have inspired a spirit of giving in me.  Also, it’s almost Christmas, so the Salvation Army, Korean Division is out in force with their red buckets and bell ringing (thanks to some of the people in Yanghwajin.)

Life note:  The dumpling restaurant in my building has been open for almost a fortnight now and I’ve gotten about five orders of dumplings so far.  As it turns out, I was right to worry that I’d like them too much; kimchi dumplings are awesome.