Is it just ME or is driving in Korea really dangerous?

You'd think that after 6 or so vehicular accidents in my 11 years in Korea that I might think about taking public transportation. But, I'm a little hard-headed that way. Today, it became number 7. Now, I don't claim to be the best driver (like so many of those taxis that you see out there) but I try to obey most of the laws most of the time. I figure that might be my problem. Here's the rundown up until today:

1. 1998 - riding in a tour bus near Mai-san (Horse-ears mountain in Chollanam-do) the driver temporarily forgets that he is driving a bus and takes a corner on a mountain road like he's in a Ferrari in the newly fallen rain and ends up in the culvert on the side of the road. No one hurt, but it took a while to get out of the bus since it was leaning against the side of the mountain.

2. 1999 - Driving a motorcycle about 2 minutes from my house in Busan. The driver in the lane next to me decides to take an illegal U-turn at the crosswalk from the second lane from the middle; I was nearest the double-yellow line. I was broadsided and knocked into very fortunately stopped oncoming traffic and unfortunately into a parked van, head first. Damage: motorcycle pretty much totaled, 5 days in the hospital but no broken bones. The other guy didn't have any insurance and paid the medical but couldn't pay for the motorcyle (750Kaw Vulcan)

3. 2000 - At the request of my soon to be wife, I gave up 2 wheels for a jeep-like Rocsta (Kia/Asia). Driving outside of EonYang, I was trying to make a Pseudo-legal U-turn at a 45 degree angled three-way intersection(legal place for U-turn but I was all the ay up to the stop line) the woman behind me decided I was making the obtusely-angled left turn, but too slowly. She tried to pass me from behind and crossed the double yellow and smacked into my right front wheel. Seemed like everyone was ok but grandma in the passenger seat seemed a little shaken up. Trip to the police station had the men in blue advising her to drop it since it was her fault.

4. 2002 - Rear-ended by a MaryKay Cosmetics sales rep when the traffic in front suddenly stopped, so did I. She must have been working on her makeup or something because she just didn't stop until she crushed the back end of my Longbody Galloper with her Sonata III. No one hurt and insurance paid for a new rearend and a rental car.

5. 2005 - Rear-ended at a stoplight near downtown Daegu. This one hit me pretty hard and crushed both the "battle bumper" and the regular bumper. I didn't feel it right away, but I went to the hospital for about a week on that one. Suffered something called an Internal Disk Disruption which basically translates to "well, we know you are having pain but there is nothing we can really do about it because the surgury is more dangerous and could potentially leave you worse off than you are. So...bear it." I'm still working on proper compensation to this day. Car was repaired at the expense of the other guy's insurance company.

6. 2006 - Rear-ended (YES AGAIN!!) at a crosswalk stoplight on the way back from a trip to the hospital for a doctor's consultation about the 2005 accident. Also, not totally resolved. But I can tell you that having another accident while you are still working on a resolution for another more serious accident is a real pain in the petut.

This bring me to today's fiasco:

7. 2007 - Sideswiped by a bus in front of my school. Imagine sitting at an intersection waiting to go straight into the front gate of your school. There are two rows of cars turning left on a green arrow while you wait for the green to go straight. On the right, cars are turning right. When the light changes, the cars on the left start to hurry up to make it into the intersection and you start to head forward on the green. Then a bus comes hurtling down the RIGHT TURN LANE and proceeds to turn LEFT across your path. The back end of the bus clips the front right side of your car. No injuries but MAN!! was I annoyed. However, the driver was appropriately apologetic which soothed my ire enough to keep from ringing his neck. He gave me all the info I needed and told me to call later about fixing the car. I took photos and got a recording of the guy telling me it was his fault. I guess we'll see what happens next.

Oh, Seoul...where art thynst cajones?

I didn't add my two cents on the hostage crisis to this point because I figured there are enough intelligent opinions out there that I agree with in places like Marmot's Hole, Lost Nomad and Scribblings of the Metropolitician (who has my fav by the way). I have to agree with SotM most because he knows, I know and you know that if they give in to the hostages and remove the troops, it will invite further terrorism against South Korean nationals. Of this, I am sure. So, does anyone else but me wonder what happens if Seoul just decides to grow a pair before going to the negotiations and tell the Taliban that the troops will not be coming home before their appointed time at the end of the year; end of that argument.
Just to add a little drama they should get the local South Korean Imam (assuming there is such a person in this relatively muslim-less country)to demand the immediate release of the women aid workers held captive because it is against the will of Allah as outlined in the Que'ran and declare a Fatwah if any harm should come to them. And as the icing on the cake, the South Korean Government (with the Afgan govt. approval) will put forth its offer; Release the hostages immediately, if they are harmed...not only will we not withdraw the troops, we will quadruple the size of the troups, prepare them for combat and send them into your neck of the woods (or desert or mountain bunker or whatever...) to send your collective asses right straight to Allah so that he can sort the whole thing out for you. End of negotiation, now take your brokedown AK-47 toting self back to that cave you came from and give us back our sisters!! BEEEYATCH!

If anyone cares (weightloss update)

I havn't commented on the progress I have made in a while and just in case any of my readers out there care to know: I just broke the next plane on my chart and I am down to 105K (231 lbs) That means a total loss of 45K (almost 100 lbs!!) If there are any of you out there who have ever lost a significant amount of weight you know that the compliments from others can really go to your head. Multiply that times about 700 students, parents of privates, and the people you see on the street and you will have an idea of the number of comments that I have had in the past few months. I have to keep telling myself that I am still obese (morbidly so) in order not to get too complacent about the next 25 kilos which I think are the most important. Just to keep myself honest and humble, I had a body fat analysis yesterday and found that I am sadly still around 33%BMI. But considering that, though I didn't have the test done when I began, I was likely around 45-50% last November, I will consider that good too. The kilos have been coming off slowly the past couple of months and it is harder to keep them off so the scales are yo-yoing from day to day depending on the amount of intake vs. the amount of movement. Basically, I need to get off my ass and execise. I'm still waiting for my wife to let me buy that recumbent bike (see wishlist) I've been wanting :)

Here are some stats:
Weight:
Nov. 150K
Now 105K

Waist:
Nov. 60 in +
Now 40 in

Shirt:
Nov. XXXXL (No neck to speak of)
Now XL (17 1/2)

For any of you out there trying to lose weight, keep it up. Try to avoid eating at night. I personally make it a habit to abstain after 6pm. Avoid alcohol and large quantities of meat (hard to do in Korea :) and try walking or taking a subway from time to time (and avoid the elevators and escalators while you're at it.) And good luck to you.

The funniest thing I've heard all day

Granted it's only 9am but still....
I was watching CNN and Kristi Lu (Make-me-actually-want-to-watch-CNN) Stout was talking about a new discovery that male circumcision helps reduce the spread of aids (up to 60% apparently). While it is, I must say, a less than fascinating subject and actually a bit painful to ponder, I found myself watching intently (Thank God for KL). At the end of the interview, I noticed the name of the Australian scientist who was the chosen 'expert' on the subject and busted up laughing; Kevin De Cock
LOL

Here is some information from BBC on the subject if you're interested

Politics just got more interesting

Don't know if I would vote for either of them at this stage but this video is pretty funny.

Fear and Loathing in Seoul

I try to avoid going to Seoul whenever possible and I think there are more than a few bloggers and readers out there that share my feelings (Nomad? can I have an "amen"?). Unfortunately, the US Embassy no longer has a mission in Busan, so from time to time, I have to pay a visit to Seoul to renew passports, register children, have some Thai food, etc.

I suppose if I were still single (or at least childless) I could probably stomach it a little easier. After all, Seoul does offer a variety of things that are not easily available here in Daegu. But since I have children, it becomes necessary for me to do the single most onerous thing that a father can do with his children. Drive to and in Seoul!

Unless all the drivers I saw were from out of town for some strange reason, I fail to understand why anyone would want to drive in Seoul. After all, the subway system is top notch and covers most of the important parts of the city. Everywhere I went, what should have been a 10 minute drive turned into an hour of 4-wheeled insanity. There is no WAY, I would do that every day.

I was pushing my son around in his stroller and I ambled past a real estate agency and just like back in Daegu, the windows were covered with advertisements for area apartments. I noticed a sign advertising the same apartment complex where we were staying with my wife's relatives and the price: 300,000,000 won!! Then I thought, "OK, this IS Seoul, I should expect things to be more expensive right?" Then I noticed the top of the advertisement: JeonSe (Key money deposited for rental NOT ownership)!!! and I realized that this amounted to almost twice the cost of my own equally sized apartment back here in Daegu. I later learned that the same midsized apartment in MokDong would have cost almost double that for purchace. Ladies and gentlemen, that is almost 600,000 USD (if you include closing costs and remodeling, etc. that must be done) for a 15 year old, 1140 Square Foot, Second floor apartment. So, I just thought, let's just see what I could get if I had that much money back home in Knoxville.

$524,500

Single Family Property
Status: Active
Area: 117
Subdivision: WHITTINGTON CREEK
Age: 4 year(s) old
4 total bedroom(s)
3.5 total bath(s)
3 total full bath(s)
1 total half bath(s)
10 total rooms
Approximately 3400 sq. ft.
Two story
Style: Traditional
Master bedroom
Living room
Dining room
Kitchen
Master bedroom is 17X14
Living room is 13.5X11.5
Dining room is 16X12
Kitchen is 25X13
Tennis court(s)
3 car garage
Heating features: Central
Central air conditioning
Interior features: Breakfast area, Cable TV avail., Dishwasher, Disposal, Microwave, Pantry, Range and oven, Washer/dryer hookups
Exterior features: Elect. srvc avail., Level lot, Patio, Porch, Tennis court
Approximate lot is 106X165 Located on a cul-de-sac

Courtesy Realtor.com

NO CONTEST!

Call me a redneck if you please, but I'll take that over a box of concrete any day I can.

Here's another tack, if you have an apartment outside the metro Seould area but you worked in the downtown area, you would probably spend an hour or two in traffic each way and spend a fortune in gas, not to mention the toll taken from your health due to stress. How about selling your 32 pyeong (1140 sq. ft.) Seoul Suburban box and moving to Daegu. Buy a brand new 60 pyeong (2134 sq. ft.) box in the best part of town, 5 minutes from the KTX and take 30 minutes a day off your commute, save gas, save the planet, save your sanity, go fishing, commune with nature sans the hour drive to get there. While you are at it, with the money you have saved on gas and medical bills, you can buy a nice car or two to tool around in.

Shed a tear for the gas companies

Those poor gas companies

Last week, the average gas price reached 1,532 won per liter, the highest in the past nine months, largely affected by soaring oil prices due to insecurity in Nigeria. In particular, the gas price in Seoul exceeded 1,600 won....

...But the people from the petrochemical industry also said they feel victimized since the average gas price has risen only 6 percent at home in the past five months, when the international oil price has hiked about 24.6 percent.

Maybe they forgot about this:

The nation’s antitrust watchdog fined four leading local oil refiners a total of 52.6 billion won ($56 million) for fixing the prices of their oil products in 2004.
The Fair Trade Commission said yesterday that SK Corp., GS Caltex Corp., Hyundai Oilbank Corp. and S-Oil Corp. colluded on the prices of gas, kerosene and diesel sold at service stations from April to June 2004.
“During that period, their gasoline, kerosene and diesel prices rose by 40 won to 70 won per liter, while crude oil prices rose 20 won per liter,” said Kim Byong-bae, vice chairman of the commission.

Maybe they can figure out a way to run my car on all the tears.

Ad of the week (14May)

Not sure if this qualifies as an advertisement but some might like to think so.

Pretzel Babes

Here's hoping this gives you the same kind of nightmares it has given me. :)
Enjoy



Contortionnist EXPERIMENT II - video powered by Metacafe



hattip to Asian-sirens.com (a nice but decidedly NOT worksafe site)

Hell's Angels Korea Chapter??!!

From the JoongAng:

They may not be as fearsome as America’s legendary Hell’s Angels

Indeed!? But they are still a pain in the petut; These gangs of motorcycles that run through the cities at all hours making a general nuisance of themselves. Since I live in Daegu, I don't see the types of large gangs that this article talks about but I have seen groups that are as large as 30 to 50 motorcycles riding through the streets; sans muffler, and making a helluva racket in a residential area at midnight. The stupidest thing about it all is that the police actually seem afraid of these groups. They are powerless to do anything about them and usually just stand by helplessly and watch or at best take video in hopes of catching a few.
Now, what do you suppose would happen if such a group manifested itself in the U.S.? What would the police do there?
Another question: If they were able to "infiltrate the group" then why couldn't they set up roadblocks along the announced route; why not mobilize the riot police and teach them how to dismount a slow moving motorcycle rider without killing anybody?
I am inviting non-violent (or life-threatening) suggestions for handling the problem.
Here are some of mine (feel free to comment)

1. How about tagging? Use some spray cans of that invisible paint that only shows up under UV light and mass spray the riders. They will think they just got sprayed by water or something..go home and the police will track them overnight with UV lights. Clothes, bikes, helmets, hair, etc would all be covered or at least spotted to positively identify the culprits. Don't forget to remove their licences and impound their motorcycles.

2. Infiltrators notify police of the event and all police offices surrounding the area set up individual roadblocks to individually stop riders (one would assume the group mentality gives many of them their bravado and individually or in smaller groups they would be easier to handle.

3. High Tech Variation on the tagging: Electronically tag the motorcycles with some kind of projectile weapon, track them on GPS to their homes or hideouts. Don't forget to impound their motorcycles and remove their licenses.

Any other suggestions?

Ok, I give up.

I just can't seem to understand these Yellow sand things....the sattelite picture looks like it should be right on top of us now but the readings show little or no sand...if anyone out there has a clue of how to get accurate info about the yellow sand and when it is coming...please let me know. Have a great sand free day.

Report 1 ring calls

If you have a cellphone and have received calls from 060 numbers that hang up before you can answer....you're no the only one. NEVER call them back...make a mental not of the number and report them to the SPAM police in English HERE.
If you call the number back, you will be charge in a way similar to those 1-900 numbers back home...per minute with a minimum charge.

PLEASE....report these idiots.

Fishing in Hazmat Gear?

Based on the information from the KMA satellite model, it looks like we are in for a big sand storm over the weekend:

This is the projected satellite picture for 9pm Friday evening. I'm no meteorologist (so I don't want any whining if I'm wrong), but it looks like with prevailing winds, unless it breaks up significantly over the Yellow Sea, we should see a potential 2000 + storm by Saturday or Sunday. So those of you getting ready for a nice weekend fishing trip, you might want to consider bringing hazmat gear.
If Ochre is bad, Yellow is hazardous, Orange is worse, Red is...well...you get the picture...can you imagine what the Burgundy would be like? Egad!

A Better Yellow Sand Monitor

Courtesy of the Korean Meteorological Association you can see a satellite picture of the sand that is here or on the way (This site is in Korean. The less informative though interesting English site is here) . The Yellow Sand Forecast Model (황사모델예측) is (purportedly) up to the hour and is adjustable plus or minus 12, 24 and 48 hours with arrows indicating prevailing winds and colors to indicate the severity of the cloud. This way, you can actually see it before it comes. Which is better than the one on the US Army site (the identical chart is available in the KMA site) because that one is often behind.

This site also has some other interesting satellite pictures but they are a little more complicated to read and see where and how much sand is on the way. Check them out here.

On another note, the last couple of weeks you will notice the yellow dust that covers your car. That IS NOT yellow sand. It is pollen, more specifically, Pine pollen I have been told. So, if you are like me, this season is giving you a double whammy of otorhinolaryngololgical nightmares and it I hope this will help someone out there avoid days like this day last month.

BTW, I am still looking/waiting for a way to get up to the hour Yellow Sand and Pollen warnings sent to my cell phone. If anyone knows a way to make this happen please let me know.

Getting Real with History

Michael Breen has harsh criticism for a panel that recently ruled to confiscate the land of former pro-Japanese collaborators and give the proceeds to the families of independence activists. It's kind of funny that this morning I was thinking about writing something on the ridiculous lengths that certain factions in Korea seem to be willing to go to seek 'reparations' for the atrocities committed by Japan during its colonial rule. I think it was because the Queen of England was visiting the US and I heard a teaser on CNN as I was getting ready, "Will the Queen apologize for the wrongs during the Colonial period?"
And I thought to myself, "GOD!! I hope not."
That is not to be insensitive to the past atrocities done all over the world in the name of colonization, war, military expansion but give me a break and take a "Sliding Doors" hypothetical look at what could have happened if things had been different. What kind of America (or World for that matter) would there be if the British had not been so tyrannical? What if they actually respected the rights and wishes of the countries they colonized? What if they didn't commit all those atrocities?

What happened, happened. It sucked at the time and for a long time after the grieving, weeping and gnashing of teeth continued but that's done now. Get over it, move on and stop trying to punish people who have no business being punished. Just because my great great grandfather did something bad does not mean that I have any responsibility for it. Somewhere in my distant genealogy (so I'm told), Jesse James went around the U.S. west shooting up the place. But I'm also told that there are a few U.S. Lawmakers and Scottish Royalty that fall into the same distant place in my ancestry. And much as I would like to, I cannot make any claim to their wealth or notoriety. Nor would I expect to receive any punishment for their crimes.

Foreigners

Seems that there are other foreigners in Korea with the volunteer spirit. Good on 'em! My offer still stands for anyone out there with teaching skills; if you would like to volunteer to teach English in your area (even if it is not Daegu). I can help you to contact the right people and make it happen. If you are interested in other volunteer work, contact your local 'dong' office and they can usually point you in the right direction.

Let's SpeaKING???

You'd think that with the number of native speakers enslaved working at YBMs all over Korea they would be able to find just ONE who would willingly take two seconds to look at this advertising slogan and tell them how utterly WRONG it is and on how many different levels. Someone, somewhere must have thought this was a really clever use of the last part of the word "speaKING" which was (from the Korean in the ad) to tell the reader that they can become an "English Speaking King." The really sad thing is that too many of the target audience for this ad will actually understand EXACTLY what is meant by this poor excuse for English and think it actually IS clever. Then they will start using "Let's" with gerunds and other nouns to say really annoying clever things like, "Let's kisSING", "Let's Well-BEING" or "Let's DrinKING".

Note also: The symbols next to the woman's face that proclaim the years of quality awards received by the product that is YBM. How can you argue with that? It MUST be a good place to learn Konglish English, right?

In case I have erred and there is some obscure usage for a gerund with 'Let's' please let me know. Until then...look for more in the new "AD of the week" section.

Uni Lecturers: You may want to rethink that PhD you're gettin'

Last November, the Korean government passed a law that was intended to protect contracted workers by requiring employers to make an employee permanent after they have worked two years. The law has basically backfired because now the employers are firing their long-time employees to avoid making them permanent. Now a new wrinkle in the law means:

...employers will not have to give certified professionals,
including lawyers and doctors, and university lecturers with PhDs regular-worker
status even if they have been working for a company for more than two years. The
act also exempts office assistants and postpartum-care assistants.

How this makes any sense at all is known only to the people who passed the laws (and those that may have bribed them to do so) but what is interesting about the law is the part about university and college lecturers. If you have an M.A. you are covered under the law and should be made permanent after working for two years (no grandfather clause as I understand it which means 2 years from last November) but if you have a PhD. you are not protected.

I am going to wait and see how this effects the lives of the foreign lecturers around Korea. My guess is that the universities will do what has already been done wholesale to Koreans nationwide: let them go before the 2 years are up to avoid making them permanent.

That said; I think now might be a good time for foreign university lecturers around Korea to start an organization of some kind in order to take collective legal action should this become reality. As this law starts to take effect a lot of us could find ourselves looking for a job every two years. While some may not have a problem with this, I believe there are a lot of us out there who have been in Korea for a long time and have put down roots in hopes that we will be able to stick around and make a life for ourselves and our families without being forced to be transient.

The idea of compulsory tenure for foreign lecturers seems to be at a crossroads. There have already been some disturbing trends of unis suddenly setting contract limits and letting long-time foreign lecturers go for spurious reasons. On the other hand, I have also heard of a few people who have received or been offered tenure in some tertiary institutions here when they jump through the usual hoops. The stories vary widely but it seems to me that they should not. There are rules that govern the allotment of tenure for Korean professors and those same rules should be applied regardless of nationality.

I'm halfway there !!!

I finally made it above the 35KG mark. That means I'm half way to my goal. It has been a rough ride and a lot of ups and downs and I'm a little bit annoyed that it took 3 weeks longer than I had hoped to get there. I now sit at 114.2 as of this morning.
I know it will come off more slowly as I get closer to the 100KG mark (and painfully slow between 100 and the goal of 80KG) so I know I'm going to have to start some kind of exercise soon or it will just keep coming back. As I mentioned in my sidebar, I really want to get a recumbent trike to tool around in but the finances just aren't there right now.

My two cents on Cho, Seung-Hui and the VTech rampage

I have been watching the news since the incident and it seems that the foreign press has picked up on the apparent Korean collective shame (along with shock, dismay, paranoia and a host of other really neat adjectives) regarding the incident. In particular, I am personally dismayed at this seeming shame shared by the Korean psyche. Perhaps the problem is that I am not Korean so I cannot possibly understand the true feelings of the Korean collective. I grew up in the culture that truly created this monster and the one that bears the real shame for this tragedy: The culture of guns and violence that lives on the fringe of every suburban or rural hamlet across America. Cho was a apparently a fringe individual; a ghost in the hallways and invisible to most until it was too late. The system tried to reel him in but they were too little too late apparently; so much for hindsight.

Some of the media have discussed the Korean cultural aversion to mental health issues as a potential catalyst in this disastrous event. I have long been a proponent of the need for this country to take a good hard look at attitudes toward psychotherapy and counselling and this event certainly does not change my mind on that issue. The fact that the killers parents were raised in this environment certainly seems to suggest that they probably would not have approved his mandated need for counseling. So far, I have heard little about his parents except that they took the family from Seoul to the US many years ago to make a better life for their kids. Their story seems typical of the thousands of families that have done the same over the years since then and apparently those other families have not produced such killers. So how can we blame the Korean cultural ideology that seems to have produced a healthy percentage of the finest students in the United States simply because of one bad seed.

So I would like to offer a hearty dose of absolution for Koreans who feel shamed by this incident and those who feel that it may reflect badly upon Koreans in general. This feeling my seem justified under the circumstances. Paranoia of racial reprisal is a real threat in certain parts of the US and I can sympathize with those who feel they want to bring their children back to the relatively gunless shores of the ROK. But best way to view this is perhaps a healthy dose of denial. To me, Cho, Seung-Hui was NOT Korean; not any more than the Columbine killers were. Because this is not about race, this is about violence, guns, alienation and an additional failure of the system to act on a problem that was recognized long ago.

Teaching for Free - Why do it?

ATTENTION ENGLISH TEACHING F2 VISA HOLDERS (and anyone else who is able):
I am officially recommending that if you have a couple extra hours a week to give free teaching in your community a shot, it is an excellent idea. Many communities have cultural and education centers that offer classes in things like yoga, Chinese, knitting, and other hobbies and activities but English is conspicuously absent from the lists. So, if you are interested and are not sure how to go about it in your community or where to go, please comment or email me and I will try to hook you up.

WHY do it? Here's what I thing (If anyone cares :)

1. As long-time residents and/or F2 visa holders, we have a stake in our communities even if we don't plan to live here forever. The more we make our presence known in a positive way, the better outlook the community can have on the foreign community at large. This benefits both sides.

2. We have all read the negative stories about some foreign teachers; drug users, philanderers, pushers, child abusers, perverts, gangsters, etc. The press seems to try and paint a negative picture of English teachers whenever possible. The only people who are more undeservedly vilified in the press than English teachers are the soldiers of the USFK. Here is an opportunity to turn some of this negative press around.

3. I have heard that in Seoul some of the foreign communities do have a high rate of presence in their communities. But out here in the provinces and outside of these communities, foreigners are fewer and farther between.

4. Having a presence in your community helps level the playing field by giving you a voice in that community when discrimination rears its ugly head. Discrimination is a fact of life for foreigners in Korea. But you will find that the people who work in the local offices are much more understanding and helpful than the average Joe Kim in this situation.

5. For uni and college teachers - volunteer work is something that Korean professors are obligated to do and if any of us EVER expect or would like to have tenure...well, I won't say it but...you get the picture.

6. Volunteerism is highly respected in Korea (as it should be everywhere) but it is highly UNexpected that foreigners will get involved in this way.

7. I know that the USFK has several volunteer organizations that do great work in their communities that include English teaching in orphanages and these are great. So I know that I am not the first to do anything like this. But I have never heard any stories of foreign teachers getting involved in their neighborhoods. I would like to see that change.

8. ____add your own thoughts in the comments section. :)

Other potential benefits include:

1. Private lessons - If you teach private lessons (most F2 holders I know do) you will be surprised at how a class of 20 or so housewives can drum up lessons without even being asked to do so.

2. A presence in the community, particularly with people in local government, will make you a valuable asset to your school. Something that 1 or 2 year contract holders can appreciate.

3. If you teach an evening class, you may find that you are offered more side jobs than you can handle. (How many of you would like to be so busy that you actually have to turn down 50,000 won-plus per hour jobs?)

5. It cannot be expected in a volunteer class, of course, but you may find that you are paid a 'transportation fee' that is more than your school pays you for overtime.

I haven't been doing it for very long but I really can't see any seriously negative aspects to this type of volunteerism. Even if you never get any of these benefits, you still get the benefits of being know and respected as a person who cares about your neighbors and your community. So, once again, if you would like to take the step to be more civic minded then please comment or email me with your questions and thoughts.

If anyone reading this has any other stories about volunteering in Korea (particularly English teaching), I would love to hear them.

Teaching for Free - Unexpected Developments

I walked into the ward office about twenty minutes before class this week and was flagged down by the “team leader” and invited into the area of the office where the important meetings usually take place. I exchanged niceties with an expectant looking gentleman who was introduced to me as the director of the local cultural center. As soon as I heard who he was, I must admit that the warning bells in my head started going off. Was this guy going to start asking me to teach somewhere else for free?

As it turns out, the Dalseo-Gu Advanced Cultural Center is looking to add English to the list of classes that they offer to the community and this gentleman was looking for some assistance in that respect. Since I can speak some Korean (woefully little after 11 years) they wanted to discuss it with me. I explained that my schedule was too busy this semester to take on any other commitments for teaching. Then, the “team leader” asked me if I could help them to find another foreigner teacher. I explained that unfortunately between school and family commitments I don’t have very much contact with other foreigners (except my much loved readers and fellow bloggers :) and the others on my campus have E2 (school sponsored) visas. I also explained the visa situation that most foreigners face when trying to teach extra classes of any kind. Anything but an F-2 (family sponsor visa) holder would be hard pressed to get permission to teach such a class. I also explained that, in my opinion, there probably would not be too many foreigners out there who would be willing to teach free classes.
It was then that they explained to me that the classes were not free. Much to the contrary, they are very lucrative to the point of being almost irresistible, but the pay depends on the number of students enrolled as the teacher is paid a (very healthy) percentage of the fees paid by the students. I said that I would post this information on my blog and a couple of other places I know about in hopes that some native speaker out there might be interested in taking it on.

There is a sort of catch though. They aren’t looking for just any foreign teacher. They want someone from the community (Daegu and/or DalSeo-Gu) that has, in their words, “a title” like a foreign professor from a local college or university who would be able and willing. By having a recognizable title, they can hopefully draw more students and keep the class going. Makes sense, right?
SO….if anyone out there reads this and you are in Daegu, drop me a comment or an email and I can try and hook you up since I am currently unavailable for this venture.

Enough with the Persecution Complex Already!

The things that pass for news these days! The Chosun Ilbo laments the current view of Koreans in recent Hollywood movies:

The most egregious example was the movie "Falling Down," directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Michael Douglas. It was released here in 1997, a full four years late, due to opposition from civic groups. In the early part of the movie, a recalcitrant Korean shopkeeper is subjected to a tirade by Michael Douglas’ Angry White Guy. "You come to my country, take my money and don't even learn my language?" Douglas asks. "Do you have any idea how much money my country has given your country?"

And I suppose that there are no Koreans that would do that, so the portrayal of an individual Korean as having this type of personality is just unrealistic, right?

I could say a few words about the way foreigners are treated in the Hallyuwood. I could say how the US Army was demonized in Koreas biggest hit movie "The Host". I could say how local television news programs continuously portray foreign English teachers as unqualified, philandering drug-dealing good-for-nothings. I could go on an on about the lack of even a slightly interesting foreign character in ANY Korean movie or drama. Then I might segue into a tirade about how whenever foreigners ARE cast on big or small screen the dialogue that is written for them is unrealistic and exaggerated. Then I could mention the apparent lack of acting skills found in the foreigners cast. I could go on and on about SES and their public anti-Americanism. I could, go on...but I won't. I hate to state the obvious here but there are people both good and bad in all races. Hollywood and Hallyuwood are cut from the same cloth. Get over yourself!

Something Important to Think About: An Inconvenient Truth

I don't consider myself to be a liberal (though my father would likely disagree) and I am certainly not one that runs around telling everyone they have to "save the planet" but I just got done watching the Academy Award winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" and I have to say that if you are at all unaware, curious or intrested in the global warming issue you really need to take the time and see this film.
The man who would be president, Al Gore, has been travelling all over the world sharing the basic message that we as a planet of humans are in BIG trouble. He paints a pretty grim picture of the future in his presentation of what he claims are the FACTS about global warming and I must admit he is considerably more believable than Michael Moore or those idiots from "Loose Change" Throughout the near feature length film he presents a variety of intellectually stimulating information that will really make you at least think if not start doing something about it.
There are certainly detractors, naysayers and those who just plain old don't like Al Gore at all (not the least of which I am sure are the oil and auto industries) and I am still trying to sift through all of the information to decide if what he says is as worrisome as he would like us to believe. But nevertheless, the documentary is presented in an way that will at least make you more aware of some of the issues you probably know about as well as some that you may not. And if you are like me, some of it will be shocking to say the least.

Watch the trailer:

Blogger News bar question for anyone

Google has this cool new feature where you can put a news reel in your blog but when i try to use it it only comes up with Korean news. My blogger and my blog is all in English but my news is in Korean. What gives? Anyone know how to fix this or do i just have to complain to google.

Teaching for free II

A few weeks ago I posted about a volunteer teaching job that I started at the local 'dong' office (read more here). Unexpected turn of events: the office decided to start paying me a 'transportation fee' as they do with all the teachers that do work there. It turns out that this fee works out to 15,000 won per hour!! That's more than my own college gives me for teaching overtime classes and only 5,000 less than they pay for 'continuing education' classes. Go figure.

The class is going great. There are about 25 or so housewives who have stuck it out so far and they seem to be enjoying the class.

Not fast enough with the camera

I really gotta practice taking pictures of the things I see around town with my cellphone camera. I saw something that would have made a great picture of just how silly things are with the police. I was sitting at a traffic light waiting to go straight with 2 lanes next to me, 15 cars deep waiting to turn left. The taxi in front of me bypassed the two lines of left-turning traffic and went to the front of the line placing him in front of another car that had done the same thing and wound up squarely in the middle of the crosswalk. Now, this in and of itself would not have been so suprising or upsetting since I see it every day but there was a police car sitting on the sidewalk on the same side of the street. To top this all off another police officer walked across from the opposite side of the street when the crosswalk light changed. He walked right between the two erring cars without even looking crossly at them. I beeped at him and when he looked at me, I indicated the two cars and shrugged my shoulders; blank stare and he walked away and got into his squad car (assumably for a nap). I really wanted to get out and let him have it but there was no where to park and I did not want to risk that he would decide to start giving tickets with me. I just wish I would have taken a picture.

I hate to say I told you so (not!)

I posted a few weeks back on the subject of weight loss and "why Koreans are becoming fatter" and it seems that those in the know agree with me.

Nocturnal snacks are doing serious damage to the health of Koreans, experts say. It’s not easy to keep a resolution to go on a diet when it is possible to have fried chicken or smoked pork hocks delivered within five minutes even at 1:00 a.m. just by making a phone call. But experts warn that nighttime snacks
are emerging as one of the country’s leading health threats.

In my post I cited night eating (which the linked article calls 'dysphagia')and the Korean night eating culture as a (or even 'the') major cause of the expanding Korean waistline and it looks like I may be on to something. I can certainly tell you that my own battle with dysphagia has been successful so far. I am now down 35kg which is half way to my goal and I credit the larger part of my success on my 'no food in the mouth after 6pm' policy. I can also tell you that just like any good 'holic' (is there a 12-step program for dysphagia?) I have had my relapses where I have consumed food at night and each time it has happened, the scale tells the tale the next morning; usually to the tune of 1 or 2 kilos.

Yellow Sand goes above 2000 in Daegu

According to the 18th Medcom site (check the sidebar) the yellow sand level for sunday hit 2019 which is INSANE? I have to wonder if the reading was accurate. Evidently the monitor did not record for several hours after the peak. However, if you look at the picture from my office window below, you might start to believe it. I was only outside for a few minutes and from inside I thought it was just another rainy, dark day but I could literally taste the sand in the air. When I got home I felt like I had been playing in a sandbox all afternoon and so immeditely upon returning home I washed my hands and face, changed my clothes brushed my teeth to get the nasty taste out. According to the advisory levels chart, 1000 is "hazardous" 300-500 is considered unhealthy!

On another but related note: most mornings (afternoons and evenings too), the managment office in my apartment comes on the public address system and tells us about some person selling things in the parking lot as well as important things like water tank cleanings, planned electricity outages, servicing of elevators, etc. They even tell us of other items of news like the singing contest in the local park last Saturday evening. Something that would be of great use to everyone, I'm sure, is if they would come on and WARN us not to go outside because of the dust. I had no idea since I don't watch Korean news that much and on Sunday, I don't really read the news either.

There really needs to be some kind of system to warn of these things, no?




Here is the view from my office window at about 5 pm yesterday.





Here is what it looks like today.



And this is not from my office, but it is from the same campus and in the same general direction last Friday when the level was near zero. (with the same camera and setting) Notice that you can see the mountains in the background and the buldings far in the distance.

Can Michael Breen Understand Normal Thinking?

Over at Korea Times, Michael Breen gives time to possibly the most offensive word in the English language inoffensively and tops it off by using the most commonly used vulgarity no less than 5 times; again without being offensive about it. I guess it just goes to show that 'intent' behind the word is just as important (or more so) as the word itself (an fact that seems lost on some people). Unfortunately, he may have just taught the word to a few Korean students who will now walk around saying the word as if it is a natural part of their vocabulary.Those of you who teach in Korean classrooms out there can just imagine the day that you walk into a classroom and hear one student scream Mr. Breen's "C-word" across the room at another student.

God forbid that these words should somehow find their way into the common everyday Korean vocabulary like another marginally offensive phrase that I hear all to often and all too inappropriately. Case in point: the other day in class, one particularly noisy student in the front row responded to my announcement of next weeks homework with a hearty "Oh, My God!" (More like "O, Mah-ee, Gaht"). Normally, I wouldn't have flinched but he was sitting next to a NUN! I know that she probably was not as offended by its use as the Mother Superior at your local Catholic school back home would have been but I still felt the urge to whip out my ruler and give his palms a good firm public whacking. I tried to politely advise him (in Korean, to be sure he would understand) that this expression is really a 'vulgarity' and should not be used in polite speech, particularly when you are sitting next to a nun! The other students around him smacked him in the arm and used an expression that I mistakenly taught the students in jest one day:
"DUH!"
The sister just smiled and nodded approvingly.
And I realized that at least something was getting through in my classes.

For Those Who Miss TV Back Home

And for those who want to watch a movie for free from time to time. Don't ask me how in the world they get away with this but TVLinks has links to several videos of TV shows, cartoons, anime and even movies and sports programs; a pretty good assortment of stuff. They even have some links for current series that havn't hit Korea yet like Season 7 of CSI and the new 24 season. So if you've got lots of extra time on your hands and want to watch some old episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space 9...knock yourself out. I just watched "Babel" in streaming low quality....oh happy day!

On words and racism

Jodi over at the Asia Pages had a lively discussion about Ted Turner's use of the word "chinaman" in a public setting. I guess I came off as defending Mr. Turner and I certainly did not mean to do that. I started writing this response to some of the other conversation and in particular to one troll who just seems to pop up everywhere these days and I got to thinking that if I am going to write such a piece, I should at least post it myself here too. There is an interesting little anecdote near the end that I hope you all take the time to reflect on and let me know what you think.

Now, I am starting to think that nobody is reading my blog because I don't get any comments these days. If you are a regular reader. Please, at least drop a comment or two just to let me know you are out there. I don't have a counter, so I don't even know if anyone is reading me.

Pasted from Asia Pages
Ok, I don't blog on weekends, so i'm just a little late here.Jodi, I get your point about just admitting ingnorance and promising not to use the term. Probably that would have been best in this situation rather than appearing to defend the use of the term by a media mogul. Believe me, it was not my intention to defend Turner...he SHOULD know better in theory but obviously in practice he does not; hence the suggestion of a spindoctor and largetype teleprompter next time he speaks publicly. Look how they have helped improve Bush's image since before 9/11. He was known far and wide for his linguistic ineptitude, but I digress.Honestly though, and not to defend Turner, am I misunderstanding something here or are people trying to say that the use of the pejorative "chinaman" is linguistically equivalent to the use of "nigger" in today's vernacular? They are both just words and as with any word in any language can have multiple meanings, nuances, usages, etc. based on context, inflection and tone. Certainly, to the people of the early 1800's the coining of the term was hardly different than our use of the words black and white. Nigger was a derivative of European meanings for 'black,' a term we still use (though tenuously) to refer to those with the darkest of skin pigment and a "Chinaman" was just the way that people of asian decent were denoted in the time.However, language has evolved as it always does and the meanings, nuances, usages, etc. of these words and many other formerly non-pejorative expressions have changed because we (as Americans) have a problem with how to discuss the differences between people's race or skin color and have become overly concious of words themselves instead of the context in which they are used and without considering the source.Allow me an example. In the part of the country where I grew up and in the time in which I grew up there was scarcly any more than biraciality. And while I have traveled and lived in other parts of the country, I have learned about how certain references can be offensive. Many of my friends and family have not had that experience and continue to live in a world in which they are likely to never know an Asian person except at the Chinese restaurant or the laundromat (stereotypes, I know, but where i grew up they were EXACTLY true) If they were trying to be 'sensitive' they would have refered to these Asian businessmen and women as 'oriental' which is also a term for which Asian-Americans have distain. It is unlikely that people I know would use the word Chinaman as far as I know but if they heard the word used by another person, it is likely they would understand and, less likely they would be offended by it because it means (to them) nothing more than a person from China. Are they racist because they accepted the usage and connotation of the word based on its context and their own personal experience? Unlikely, as they are simply ignorant of its pejorative meaning. What about the person using it? If they simply used it to refer to a persons race without any ill-will should they be labled a racist? Mr. Kim makes my point for me. To him, the use of the word 'redneck' among people he knows is unoffensive. He is obvioulsy unaware of its pejorative connotations and though I personally take no offence at the word itself; only in the context in which it is used, I know plenty of people that would hear the term used by an Asian and give him the same treatment that I might receive if I used the "N" word in the middle of Harlem, Compton, or Watts.Just about any word can be made pejorative in the right context and with the right nuance. I could use the word "Korean" in a certain tone, inflection and context and have it to be pejorative even though the word itself is not and never has been.

Why do I care, really? When I was in Elementary School (early 70"s) I recall spacing out in class and looking at the map of the world, in particular, Africa. I noticed a country called "Niger" and suddenly it dawned on my 2nd grade mind that this must be where my friend Jimmy came from since he was black and other people called him "a nigger" (the only one in the class, sadly). Suddenly, the teacher called my attention and asked me a question. I can't remember the exact question but I do recall my answer to the question pretty well. "People call Jimmy a nigger because he is from Niger (pronounced the same as with 2 g's)." My teacher became incensced and dragged me to the principle's office where my parents were summoned and it appeared I was in for the lashing of my life all because I made a deduction that was incorrect based on my experience at the time . I am sure the Mr. Kim will revel in this little redneck tale and claim proof of the true color of my neck and ignorance. However, I learned an important lesson from that situation as I think back on it; one which I can hardly forget even as I have passed 40. The funny part of this story is that Jimmy never got angry at me and was my friend all the way through the 6th grade. He understood that I didn't mean it "like the others" and forgave my ignorance; "out of the mouths of babes" If I had had the same experience with an Asian classmate (never had one till college) and used the word 'chinaman' would the result have been different?

What a freaking disaster....my apologies

This will be the last one today I promise. I changed the titles of all of my archives too and some of them wound up on Marmot's aggregator. WOW!! am I ever embarrassed....if anybody actually reads any of these old posts before they realize the mistake...my SINCEREST apologies to you and to Marmot for the snafu. Live and learn eh?

Fixed the Title Problem

I'm a blogging newbie and didn't know i have to 'turn on' the title field in my blogger. So, all of my aggregator posts to Marmot's Hole come out with the title and the part of the first line. Sorry about that. It's fixed now...enjoy.

Teaching English for Free

I recently walked into my local "Dong" office and told the guy at the biggest desk in the office that I was interested in volunteering my English teaching services for the community. He seemed, at first, a bit confused but eager to listen to my ideas and take my information so he could get back to me. He asked me several questions about my availability and for how long I would be willing to teach the classes and we parted ways with an enthusiastic handshake.

A few days later, it was a done deal. We worked out a time schedule and the class was advertised around the community via posters, signs and fliers (even one on the bulletin board next to the elevator in my apartment). This week, on Tuesday, I began teaching a group of 31 people, mostly housewives and all were women, save 2 elderly gentlemen. They are all rank beginners but seem eager enough to learn and I assume that since they only have to pay for the book they are quite pleased with themselves for finding out about this class.

Really, I knew what to expect for a class that begins at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and I got exactly what I expected. I know that there are a few out there who either think I am nuts for teaching for free and still others who question my motives. Admittedly, my motives are not completely altruistic, but a good sense of volunteerism and community spirit are at the heart of it. Volunteerism is growing in Korea but I believe that in a land where everything is centered on the family and close acquaintances there is not near enough of it and the foreign community in Korea really needs to be able to step up and do it not only for the sake of their individual communities but for the future of the foreign community at large. I may be waxing a bit optimistic on this but isn’t volunteerism an excellent way to show our Korean hosts that we care about being a part of the community and not apart from it? Maybe volunteering to teach a once-a-week English class at your local neighborhood office isn’t exactly feeding the poor or even (like some of the US military volunteers do) teaching at an orphanage but it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Maybe some people who would never dream of paying for a hagwon or a private teacher will try it out and learn to love English and discover that it is really worth it. At the very least it is something new and I know that it is something that the "Dong-Jang" (the Korean equivalent of a local district councilman) assured me he had never heard of. And after the first meeting, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment at pioneering such an idea in my neighborhood.

What was my motivation? Not too long ago, I saw an advertisement on the bulletin board next to my elevator advertising Chinese, Yoga, Jazz dance and other lessons available at the local ‘dong’ office. I recall wondering why English was not one of the offerings on their plate and then thinking that they probably would have a hard time finding someone who could teach for free (keeping visa restrictions in mind, very difficult for the average E2 holder but with my F visa, no problem.) I really did not think about it too much after that but I have been meeting from time to time with a retired professor from a local university for language exchange (he learns English and I learn Korean) and he and I were discussing the things that a “full-time instructor” (전임강사) would normally be doing to obtain tenure and make the step to “assistant professor” (조교수). Among the things he mentioned was community service, publications, on-campus service for student clubs and organizations, etc; basically, the same things that would be expected for tenure almost anywhere in the world. One of the things he emphasized was that the universities want to see how the professor is “spreading his brainpower and increasing the profile of the school.” So, I thought, “why not?”

My college is one of the few in Korea where the foreign staff is treated with a good deal of respect and a higher than normal level of equality. I even understand that one of the former foreign teachers was offered the professor position but had to decline it and leave Korea due to family matters. So, if there are ulterior motives for my free class then that is it. The school is aware of my volunteering for the community and it has received a good deal of publicity around this area. My name as well as the school I teach for has been well advertised in the community and that hopefully makes everyone giddy.

On the opening day, I was treated to a brief shindig for the inauguration of the class. With the new students looking on and a local public television crew on hand to film the presentation, a big sign lined the back of the stage announcing the inception of the class and a beautiful bouquet of flowers was presented to me in appreciation. I made an all too brief, impromptu speech in Korean in which I humbly promised to do my best and the councilman said a few words of appreciation and introduction and then it was off to the classroom. After it was all said and done, I felt pretty good about it.

Keep checking back to find out how continue to feel about it as it progresses. If you are interested in starting something similar in your neighborhood but are not conversant in Korean, drop me a line and I’ll see if I can help you.

Up with mini-skirts

Something about a svelte, nice-legged woman wearing high heels, knee-high stockings and a short plaid skirt that just makes a man feel all warm and fuzzy inside.







That is, until he realizes that the bones in his right hand are being crushed by his wife or that he has been locked in an ocular death grip – you know the one…that’s the look in your wife’s eyes when she catches you leering; the one that sort of makes you feel like that guy Darth Vader mind strangled in “Return of the Jedi.”

My dad always used to say on the subject “Just because you’ve ordered don’t mean you can’t look at the menu.” While some will argue that only an insecure or overly jealous woman would make a big deal out of a glance at a pretty girl walking by in a short skirt, others would argue that it is a matter of respect. If you are like me then you realize clearly that you are too old and fat to be even slightly interesting to that girl walking down the street showing off her gams anyway. So is there harm in looking? If it makes my wife or girlfriend feel uncomfortable or even just plain angry when I look at other women, shouldn’t I do my best to respect her wish? Well….shouldn’t I?

To be honest, I really envy those guys out there who seem to have the stoicism to not look (same gender preference notwithstanding). How DO they do it? I’m not talking about the guys who try to pretend they are not looking. Even when they are busted they try to make like it wasn’t the girls legs; it was her ensemble, “Ugh, how tacky!” Trying desperately to pretend they are not interested or that they think that short skirts are somehow a blight on the earth. I’m talking about the guys that just seem to be able to either see only the one they are with or even when in a room surrounded with mini-skirt wearing hotties would seem to be looking at absolutely nothing.

So, being the card-carrying fence rider that I am, I am somewhere directly between mini-skirts are a sign of the decadent influence of western society that should be banned and a great big Austin Powersesque “YEAH BABY!!!” This conflicted mindset comes from the fact that I am married and though I wish I could respect the feelings and desires of my wife by not ever looking at another woman, I feel a certain angst every time an attractive woman walks by in a short something. I know I probably shouldn’t but I also know there is a high possibility that I will; however unintentionally J. This begs the question about men in general: Do we CHOOSE to look or not? Is it an animal instinct that uncontrollably draws our eyes to the irresistible flesh?

And another thing: I don’t want to sound too rhetorical here because I am really confused about this matter, so for the women readers out there who wish to comment please answer the following: Do you do it on purpose? Are you trying to test my will? Which is it: you WANT to be looked at or you don’t? And finally, do Korean women somehow think differently about this than western women?

Somehow, I have a suspicion that not all women really WANT to be looked at ‘like that.’ But a woman who is walking down the street with a butt cheek hugging shorts or skirt and high heels MUST want to be looked at by someone. At the very least, she must be aware that she WILL be looked at and with that awareness at the time she is getting dressed does not do what is necessary to avoid being looked at “like that.” So, we must assume that she is complicit and should at least expect to be looked at. Whether or not she wants to just doesn’t matter. But somehow it seems they expect that they can CHOOSE who should look at them. They may be hoping some “Rain” or Dong-Gun Jang look-alike will pay attention but if some balding 40-something, a zit-faced drooling teen or even an old geezer coughing up his lungs in the subway entrance stops expectorating long enough to take a good hard look then that’s the breaks sweetcheeks. If you are gonna wear it, you better bear it.

For any red-blooded, heterosexual male on the planet, this spring in Korea is shaping up to be the largest eye candy store in history. The weather hasn’t even really warmed up yet and already the numbers are increasing exponentially with each passing day. The newspapers are reporting that we will be assaulted with not only the usual short skirts but also the ‘minidress’. For those of you who still remain single and/or unattached, happy vistas to you. For those of you on the other side of the fence, well…good luck anyway. Here's a parting thought:

Yellow Sand is coming, read this to be prepared for it!!!

The papers are reporting high Yellow Sand (황사) levels to "begin" today (though according to several bloggers in the northern part of the RoK, it has already been here for a while). So, as a public service, I thought I would add a link to my sidebar for the 18th MEDCOM's Yellow Sand Level monitor. It is kind of cool, you can actually see the levels from day to day. It also has information in the sidebar as to what the levels indicate currently (level of danger?). You need to know what your nearest military base is though if you want the readings for YOUR area as they vary from place to place on the peninsula. Click the links at the top of the page to change the chart. Hope you find it as useful as I do:) . I hope they don't mind I ripped the .pdf from their site that gives lots of useful information about how to handle the Scourge of the Gobi. (or if it is unreadable on your computer you can just go here, but i think you need adobe. You could always just go to the link above and click the link on the sidebar that says "click to see information card")

Small world story #35 (or 2 degrees of separation)

Regular readers will recall the previous 'small world' story where a fellow I work with was the son of my middle school Industrial Arts teacher in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. This comes close to topping that one:

I recently decided to try and see about attending church on the local military base and was able to procure the phone number for the command chaplain. I made an appointment to meet him on base in his office to discuss the details. Of course, one of the first questions that any two Americans in Korea will start with is some variation on the "where are you from" theme. When I responded with my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee I received a,
"Get the heck out of town!"
To which I replied, "I will not!"
We started a conversation that not only included knowing similar places as one would expect from two people hailing from the same place but as it turns out, knowing many of the same people from the small suburban Knoxville town right down to my across-the-street neighbor and a few familiar classmates. Topped off with having actually been in the same place at the same time (Tragically though, the funeral of a close classmate of mine).
I have had other stories in my life: running into my high school Latin teacher in the Chicago O'Hare airport, several hometown-distant chance run-ins with people who know my father, passing by a high school classmate in the Tokyo airport, just freak meetings that really make you wonder if Milgram didn't have it right with his small world phenomenon (aka six degrees of separation).
I wonder who I'll run into next?

Why Koreans are becoming fatter

I know the title is going to get me into some trouble, but if it gets you to read this...well good on ya.
As those who know me or have been reading, I have lost a lot of weight in the past 4 months; 28 kilos (bout 62 pounds) all told. Of course, a lot of people ask me how I have been doing it and my first thought is to tell them I have been on the "Ghandi" diet; which is about how it feels at times. My wife will tell you that it is because i take two large spoons of chung-gook-jang (청국장) in the morning before eat and at night before I go to bed. But I think that the real reason is that I STOPPED EATING AT NIGHT!! I made myself a hard and fast rule, when the sun is down, nothing goes in the mouth, period. Now, you would think that is pretty easy but give it a try sometime and see.
Now, I come to the revalation: why Koreans are getting fatter. Now before the haters start in on me, do a little research and you will find that it is a hard and fast FACT that there are more fat children in school these days. Now, I am not touting the Korea Times as a bastion of factual reporting or anything, but for easy reference to the problem look here and here for starters. And as if to prove my point...here.
It seems like an easy thing to do but if you are pretty much immersed into Korean culture like I am then you will see that it is a near impossible task. The culture almost demands that you consume food at night. Before I came to Korea, I learned about post-work drinking culture and I expected that while doing business and socializing here that I would be prepared. But as most people who live here for any time know, Koreans DO NOT drink without eating. There is the ubiquitous (If you like that word, you HAVE in Korea a long time) Anju or side dishes that must be consumed when embibing alcohol.
But it's not just the drinking culture...Kids are at school all day and when they come home, mother feels the motherly need to feed her seed late at night before they stagger off to sleep weary from a long day of school and hagwons. Even socializing with family and friends means eating. So, if you meet at night...you eat.
One of the most difficult things for me is when i visit my wife's family. When we visit and the kids go to bed, it is time to eat and embibe. It is difficult to say no. Everyone is urging me to "just eat a little", "have one", "c'mon, it's just this once." and I just have to say "no" because I know that if I start, I can't easily stop.
So, those of you, Korean or not, whose waists are ever expanding. Give it a try and you will see that it is not as easy as it seems but if you are successful in kicking the latenight eating habit, you may lose a few kilos too.

What is 'quality' anyway?

If you have had or are ever considering having remodeling work done in your home or apartment, you should read this. It might leave you wondering if there is a word in Korean for "quality."
My in-laws live in an older apartment building and it is in dire need of a facelift. Particularly the bathroom is in need of a paint job. So, being a good son-in-law and also having a hankering for a little D.I.Y. time, I volunteered to take on the job. So, I went to a local paint store and picked out a color that I thought would look good I asked about spackle (called 'puddy' here) for fixing the imperfections and cracks in the wall and I started talking to the guy about paint remover. His response was a bit strange. Instead of telling me how much the remover was, he asked me why I need remover. To remove the old paint from the wall, of course, I replied. He told me that I didn't need to do that and that I could just fill in the places where the wall was cracked and the paint had chipped away with the spackle, smooth it out and paint over it!! I cringed a bit but tried to smile and rather than annoying the guy, I decided that I would buy remover elsewhere.
Having spent a few summers with a part time job painting houses, I have always been taught that a good paint job is 90% preperation of the surface and 10% painting; the paint job is only as good as the surface that it is painted on and not removing the old paint (particularly paint that is already chipping off in areas) means that the new paint will eventually peel and chip off as well. The best way is, without a doubt, to remove the old paint, spackle the cracks and pits, then paint. But this idea seemed to be lost on this gentleman. I guess he just thought a do-it-yourselfer would not need to do a 'quality' job.
This brings me to another story: Last year, I purchaced a used apartment. It was a 12 year old apartment that had never had any remodelling done. We decided that it needed a lot of work. After about 9 million won of work and about a week it was done and ready for inspection. Prior to the work being done, i mentioned to the contractor that the last time I had wallpaper done in my apartment, the 'paperer' did not completely remove the old paper and it therefore left indentations that could easily be seen in the right light and I didn't like that. I wanted all the paper removed this time. He assured me that the problem before was "cheap and thin wallpaper" this time I had chosen an expensive and hopefully longlasting silk wallpaper. He assured me that once the paper was done, it would be smooth as a baby's proverbial behind. WRONG!! The work was done and I inspected before the wallpaper was hung. The old wallpaper was not completely removed and the surface of the wall was not appropriately prepped (corners were also cracked or pitted and in need of some spackling.). The resulting job was less than the perfect job I expected (or at least that I would have expected if I had it done it myself). I was not happy but once it is done, showing them the imperfections recieved only mild amusement and a request for something to be done about it was an exercise in futility.
Along with the wallpaper, the pvc flooring (called "jangpan") was the most expensive brand but because the floor was not properly spackled and repaired before laying the flooring, the same problem with the wallpaper was evident in the flooring and the cracks in the floor were now bumps in my expensive imitation wood flooring (we opted not to do the wood type flooring because of the kids, spills, toilet accidents and other watery accidents wreak havoc on the particle board flooring and the real wood stuff is prohibitively expensive)
One of the comments the contractor made to me (and in Korean to several other people along the way) was that foreigners were much more difficult than Koreans. We are more demanding and expect the details to be perfect. He seemed politely annoyed by my constant questioning and inspecting and dissatisfaction. He also commented that "Koreans build home interiors and fixtures to last about 6 to 10 years, and Americans build them to last 100 years." His words not mine. Obviously trying to blow smoke somewhere down there.
WARNING TO THE WISE: If you are having any remodeling work done, be prepared to go to the TOP contractors (avoid the neighborhood guys in the small shops) and make sure they know up front the work you expect and are willing to pay for. Inspect everything at every step of the process and be FIRM about your demands letting them know that you are willing to pay for the extra work (I was not, this was my problem; financially overextended). I suggest having your whole home done by someone like the local "Hanssem" dealer or one of the other big kitchen fixture people. They did a wonderful job on MY kitchen (except the guy that did the tiles but seemed to have left his level at home, DUH!) and I think they would have done a much better (but much more expensive) job on the house.
Anyway...be forewarned.

Also, a big welcome to anyone who is visiting from Marmot's aggregator or blog list. Thanks Marmot!!

Send in the Nannys

Anyone who has children knows what a stress and burden they can be sometimes. "No!!", you say...you love your kids and want to spend every moment with the....c'mon...who are you kidding? For all the love and joy we get from our kids, the fact is that taking care of them means that you can't do some of the other things you want to do. These days though, with 2 income families and more hectic lifestyles, the need for alternative childcare is growing and it is a potentially burdgeoning market .

Today, the Chosun Ilbo features not 1 but 2 articles with mention of nannies. One talks about the headaches that working mothers are having with the current supply and quality of nannies in Korea. The other one discusses the "nanny" business as a booming niche market that is ripe for those ready to take entrepeneurial action.

I have been thinking this for years! I have wondered why it is almost impossible to find a good nanny or even a short time babysitter so my wife and I can enjoy a night out without the kids. Since we don't have family closeby, there are not many options available. And since we don't live in Seoul, there are few options.
Sure, there are services that charge reasonable fees for babysitting, but there is a problem of a different kind; Cultural taboos! Most Korean moms, my wife included, can't imagine allowing some stranger to come into your home and take care of your child while you go out and work or have a good time. If it's not family....NO WAY!! What qualifications do they have to take care of my baby? I hear excuses and questions like: "they might do something bad," "What if there is a problem, how will they know what to do?," "Someone who is not family cannot possibly really CARE for my child." "How do you know if they are REALLY qualified to watch and take care of children?" The list of reasons is seemingly endless so, alas, no nights out for a while; at least not until the mother-in-law can come and visit.
So, in my quandry, I have come across some ideas. Maybe someone with some money and a gumption (that's what I said...gumption) might read this and make a million. If you do, please give credit where credit is due (money is good too). At least give me free lifetime service. Here goes:

Most junior colleges have an "Early Childhood Education" major. Some of these colleges could have a few classes like "In-home childcare" and "Introduction to the Au pair" as elective (or required courses). These courses would be specifically designed to give these young women the basic knowledge of what they should and should not do in the business.
Colleges often have on-campus business that operate either as a school entity or separate within the campus. Either way, the colleges could have an "In-Home Childcare Center" that would be staffed initially by experienced child care providers (divorced or widowed mothers, grandmothers in good health, sheep stolen from other services, etc.) who are hired and screened by the college faculty in charge of the ECE programs. These child care "mentors" would take second year students (only those who have taken both of the courses mentioned and passed them with the highest grades) for some practicum work. Basically, they go out with the pros and learn the ropes. Paid (minimally) or not, the students get good and REAL experience in taking care of children. As the business grows, the students who do well in their classes and their practicum and demonstrate a genuine ability and desire to take care of children would be able to get a well-paying job right out of college.
This affords the college an opportunity to do what Colleges around Korea are supposed to do...help students get a job, provide social benefit to the local community, as well as potentially make a profit.
Some students may even decide to go to their own home areas and start a nanny business of their own: another bonus; successful students.

I guess there are some naysayers out there who will shoot down or otherwise pick apart this idea and that is exactly what I would like to have happen. So, fire away!!

Well, Kiss My Grits!!

Those of you who remember the 1970's TV sitcom "Alice" these words will bring back polyester memories that you may or may not wish you had. Our friend Flo brought the word "Grits" into our vocabulary and made them a pop cultural icon; at least the word itself. Unfortunately, most people have probably not had the pleasure of tasting the food of which she speaks so distastefully.
Grits, also called "hominy" could best be classified as a traditional southern breakfast food. It is similar to several other grain-based porridges found around the world. It also holds the distinction of being the 'official state food' of the state of South Carolina. If you have ever traveled the highways and biways south of the Mason-Dixon line you may have stopped in a "Waffle House" or a "Cracker Barrel" and seen them on the menu. You may have even had them as a side dish and wondered what they are. If you were brave enough to try you may have even liked them. If you did not, perhaps it's time you did.
Of all of the foods that I miss from back home, grits is probably NOT one I would have expected to miss. It's simple and if not prepared right, almost tasteless. However, a fellow southerner who returned to the southland after 10 years in Korea bequeathed me a large cardboard container of Quaker Instant Grits. It sat in my cupboard for almost 6 months now. This morning, I was searching the cabinets for something healthy and of reasonably low calories for my breakfast. I found the grits and decided that they would be sufficiently quick and filling. But I really didn't want to eat them plain so I thought, 'what if I make the grits like I would make a typical Korean rice porridge (죽)?' Low and Behold! Fusion Grits!! YUM!!
I think I am going to start a section on Food for this blog and more specifically a "fusion grits" category. For those of you who like to cook or those just looking for some simple recipes for Korean food; check back often. I'll make it a point to try and add something each week.

This week: Grits a la Kim (Korean Laver Grits)
3/4 Cup of instant grits
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon of sesame oil (참기름)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce (간장)
1 teaspoon of black sesame salt (검으깨소금)
1/2 package of seasoned dried Korean laver/seaweed sheets (구이김)

First, Chop or crush the Laver into crumblike pieces as small as possible and set that aside for later.


Then, make the grits as per the instructions on the package.

During the thickening stage of cooking the grits, stir in 1 teaspoon
of sesame oil.


After the grits have cooked completely (you can adjust consistency to your preference by adding or subtracting the amount of water) garnish the grits with the laver crumbs, the black sesame salt and soysauce to taste.

Mix well and enjoy these Korean redneck grits. Go Reds!

Glimpse into the mind of a 4-year-old

My 4-year-old daughter is very happy that I have been losing weight. Usually when I go to school, her friends all call me fat (doong-doong hada) and giggle and try to play with my belly [Later I'll get into the social implication of why the teachers don't teach the children against these behaviors or scold them for it]. Now that I have lost a lot of weight (about 25 kilos so far), my belly is a lot smaller and she admonishes her friends and says that I am not fat and that my belly used to "be like this and now it is like this." Big daddy smile here.
Of course this communication is all in Korean. My daughter doesn't really speak much English because she uses it at school and with mommy and grandparents and everyone else. Though we speak mostly English at home between my wife and I, my daughter is aware that I can speak a pretty good amount of Korean. But there is another aspect to her understanding about daddy losing weight that is a bit perplexing and a little humerous. She seems to be under the impression that if "daddy becomes skinny, he won't speak English anymore." Anyone care to comment on the social or psychological implications of this bit of wierdness?

It's a small, wierd world after all

Jodi over at AsiaPages had a wierd story post and invited others to offer their own weird stories. I offered a story there about an encounter with a high ranking monk who showed some very un-monklike behavior. I also invited others to come here and check out some other stories of wierdness in my almost 11 years in Korea.
Here's yet another one not in the realm of Korean wierdness persay, well just call it "Small world story #20"
I was looking for a job in the Daegu area and noticed a job listing on the webpage of a local college. I wanted to know what the conditions were for the job so I decided to peruse the webpage and see if i could contact a foreigner on the faculty. I found one such gentleman and his office phone number. I called him and spoke to him at length about the conditions of the job and decided that it was a good place to work. All during the conversation I had a strange sense of familiarity in the man's voice and I finally figured out what it was. It was his accent. I was sure I knew this guy was from. So, I asked him, "You have an accent that sounds like its from the south, I'm guessing Kentucky or Tennessee."
"Wow! you hit it right on the head. I'm from the Tennessee/Kentucky border area." He said kind of shocked.
"What part?" I inquired.
"Well, I'm from Hopkinsville originally but I lived just across the border in Clarksville for a long time." He replied.
I was not yet suprised by this revelation since there are quite a few soldiers fromt he 101st Airborne which is based on the border between these two towns. "I lived in Hoptown from 2nd to 7th grade."
"really!" he sounded genuinely suprised and the conversation turned to details about wheres and whens and I realized that his family name also sounded familliar. I didn't think anything of it at first because it is fairly common in the South to have one area permeated with local names of people who are anywhere from sisters and cousins to distant relatives. So I had to comment, "(family name) sounds familliar, is it a common name in that area."
"Not really", he replied and we got to talking bit more "my father was a teacher at Hoptown middle school."
Then it hit me. This guy's father was my middle school industrial arts teacher!
We talked some more and realized that since he is much older than me he and I probably don't have any further connections but we had a lot to talk about and hit it off instantly. I got the job and we worked together for 3 years. Last summer, he went back home to care for his father who is in his 80's now. It really is a small world isn't it.

Update on Weightloss and Light Blogging

Christmas was woefully uneventful and I managed to avoid any overfeeding and only gained about a kilo on that weekend but quickly lost it and more. Currently sitting at 129KG (that's 284 pounds!!)It seems to be coming off at about a half to 3/4 KG per day and all I am really doing is reducing the intake and not eating after dark. My wife insists that I eat two big spoons of 천국장 (Kind of soybean beads) in the morning and evening and she insists that that is why it is working. Who knows maybe she is right I just know I'm gonna go with what is working.
I am done with school and grading for now so I will be out of the office and therefore blogging will be difficult. I really don't know how the married major bloggers like Nomad and Marmot (though I'm not sure if Robert has kids) manage to keep posting regularly. I can't even get to the computer at home these days because either my 4-year-old daughter wants to watch "The Little Mermaid" or "Beauty and the Beast" for the umpteenth time or my wife needs to do some kind of financial housekeeping. So the only time I could practically blog from home is about 2 am. I like blogging and I love my readers (the few that are out there) but not that much thanks. Not to mention that my year old son wakes at about 7am every morning and I spend most of the day chasing him around. So, i'll sees ya when I sees ya.