A Cheap Wine

     I got the cheapest foreign wine at the nearest supermarket. That cost me only 500 yen, about 5 US dollars. You know, I've wondered about that price. This wine is from Chile. So ... somehow, they have to grow the grapes, turn the grapes into wine, make a bottle, slap a label on it, insert a cork in it, box it up, ship it halfway across the world, store it in a warehouse and then bring it to the store in a truck - all for under four dollars, because the store has to make at least a dollar profit too. Someone must be getting a raw deal.
     Anyway, the taste of the wine was worth it for more than 10 US dollars.

(Vocabulary)
slap sth on sth  ＜…＞をべたべた塗りつける
box (up)  …を箱に入れる［詰める］
ship  [他] (船・飛行機・トラックなどで) …を運ぶ, 輸送する
a fair deal   正当な扱い
get a raw/rough/bum deal   (informal) 不当な扱いを受ける

Comments

[KUMO]

Thank you for your comment.
At first, I'd like to make sure that I don't hate Korean people and Korean culture. If I hated them, I didn't start learning Korean. I just want to visit your country and enjoy Korean foods. I fully agree with your opinion. A few Koreans who I know privately are nice. They are modest and decent. In my resident days, I worked with a Japanese Korean. He is a orthopedic surgeon and a good friend. When some TV drama 겨울연가 and 대장금 became popular in Japan, many Japanese got to learn Korean language, culture and the history of Korea and Japan. I'm one of those Japanese. This mood made me happy. As you know, too much misunderstanding lie between Korea and Japan. We, both citizens, I think, must talk each other frankly as there are good and bad in every country.

You must have known about the abduction by North Korea. I've talked with one of parents of the abduction victims. I really feel for them. Can you imagine the suffering experienced by the abductees and their families. I'm going to support them by writing. I hope your government's policy would change and President 노무현 would fall from power.
In late June in 2006, the families of victims abducted by North Korea visited South Korea. This was to boost cooperation with the families of South Koreans abducted by North Korea. Although there are many such victims in South Korea, the issue has received little attention in the country. North Korea has also not admitted to abducting South Korean citizens. The families of South Korean victims would also like to arouse public opinion as in Japan to secure the return of their relatives. The Japanese families met members of the Korean National Assembly and appealed for cooperation between the two countries to solve the issue. I did expected that this issue would be taken by the TV news programs. However, they didn't air this issue on the national television network. How Come!? The Government seems to have the power to shuffle personnel of KBS. I can't believe it. The governmet controls TV media!

I really hope that the relation between both countries would be better and appreciate that you wrote your candid opinion in my blog.

And I'm a hospital doctor.

[sunkyu park]

Hmmm.. after I posted the comment, I felt a strange need to make myself cler on some of the sensitive issues I raised. What I wanted to say was...

1. There definitively are Koreans who suffered from Japanese occupation and the colonization of Korea can not be justifed historically.

2. However, the hatred of Koreans against Japan in the present days is to some extent (maybe to large extent) due to purposeful redering and exageration of the history by Korean media and politicans (You see, Politicans in Korea benefit from Japan bashing. You speak against Japan, people see you as a strong leader)

3. Here's something I want to suggest you. Start taking interest in Korea's recent history (1900 - present). It's totally up to you but if you are wondering why Koreans are so obtuse and closed up ("uncivilized", to quote you), getting to the root cause of the hatred may help you understand Koreans better. It's a good intellectual exercise too, don't you think?

[sunkyu park]

Hi
I am a second year medical student at Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago. (korean as you can tell from my name) I just checked few articles you wrote. It is to my regret that you hold such bitter feelings against Korea. Also, it is to my regret there are only few people in Korea who can see Japan with "eyes unclouded" by years of brainwashing and propaganda. (you wouldn't believe how obsessed Korean media is about painting Japan as the ultimate evil. It is done daily basis. I don't know if you have noticed it but most of the Koreans who are unreasonably against Japan are those who were born after WWII. People who actually experienced the Japanese occupation are surprisingly friendly to Japan.)The gap between Korea and Japan is too great to overcome, at least for now, that any attempt to reconcile is seen as act of treason by either side (esp. in Korea). Anyhow, I hope you would have a chance to learn more about Korea and the source of their anger (be it a fabricated one or a real one). Who knows? You may eventually become fond of Koreans. (This is what happened to me. I first was just like any other Koreans, ignorant of Japanese culture. As I learn more about Japan, I learned to appreciate Japan more objectively and admire your culture.)

By the way, are you practicing medicine now?