Steve Thoughts

Everybody Pees

2012-01-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

First graders are cute. They may be little monsters who are stuck somewhere between the baby stage and middle childhood, but that's why I love them. They say funny things, do funny thing, and their general naiveity about the world can be flat out hilarious. Take this instance from a few weeks back:

'Teacher! Bathroom!'
'No, sorry. You need to go before class. We just started, and you were here playing cell phone games in the hallway for ten minutes before class. You'll have to wait'
'Bathroom!'
'No, James. You do this everyday, and you were fine three minutes ago. You can't possibly have to go that bad.'
'Teeecheer'
'Everyone open your books to page...'
(in Korean) 'Bathroom! Pee! Pee!'

The boy can no longer sit and is not dancing audibly in the back of the room.

'Teacher! Bathroom!'
'I said you'll have to wait. If you want to go, it'll cost you a sticker. Do you want to go?'
'No.' (dancing) 'Pee, pee, pee'
(to the rest of the class) 'Okay, what's this?'
'Pee, pee'
(ignoring the danceshow) 'How are you?'
'Pee, pee'
'James! We have 5 minutes left. You can wait. You won't die'
'PEE!'
(giving in to stop the class disruption) 'Okay, but next time you have do it before class'
(the boy runs out the door)

(girl to a boy sitting next to her)
'Do boys pee, too?'
'Yes'

***

I'm convinced that the Seoul subway is one of the best places in the world for people watching. Recently I've noticed that there seems to be a silent agreement amoungt riders that the end seats are the best seats. Personally, I don't get it. Squeezing yourself between a person and an unmovable armbar is far more uncomfortable than being squeezed between two people. Obviously, however, I'm in the minority, as the competition for these seats is high. People will race each other onto the train, even cutting in line, to get the "best" seat in the house. Or if the position occupied, riders will change seats the instant the offending rider gets up, inventing a number of ways to cutoff the hundreds of others who seem dead-set on sitting high and mighty in the promised land. Even I, for no reason other than that everyone else valued those seats so highly, started viewing them as the most desirable and would rush and change seats to secure one. The thing is, though, that I don't even like those seats. Weird.

So I've decided that I'm going to stop caring. Honestly, I don't know why I was going for them anyway. Probably people will think I'm crazy, but even if I'm sitting next to an empty seat on the end, I'm not going to shift over. Personally, I like my seat in the middle. It's more comfortable and I get the added joy of forcing twice as many people to sit next to a foreigner. I'll leave the less desirable end seats to those willing to fight for them.

***

Maybe it's because I've been reading Thoreau, but I've realized that the number of treasured memories I have camping, sitting around ponds, and watching ducks, is far more than those that I have sitting around a computer or watching TV. And the joyful times I've spent in the early mornings are greater than the enjoyment I've ever gotten from sleeping in late.

It's ironic, then, how I've spent unmeasurably more time doing things that I don't value than those I do. Unfortunately, this has become a nasty cycle; the reason I can't go out to the park on a Saturday is because I want to sleep in, and the reason I like sleeping late is because I was up late all week, watching TV or doing mindless things on the Internet.

It's a dangerous situation living in a concrete jungle, where you are constantly surrounded by cafes, movie theaters, and other 'exciting' things to do. But what I think I really need is to get out more.

***

I'm off now. Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

-스티브

Here's to Second Chances

2012-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

I just got back from saying goodbye to a friend. I've said goodbye to a lot people in my time in Korea, as that seems to be the nature of living as an expat in a foreign country. You let people into your lives, only to watch them leave a short while later. It makes things hard, as you begin to question what it means to be a true friend and what role the people you meet really play in your life. The true friends, you stay in contact with. And the rest end up just making you feel a little more popular on Facebook.

But that's not this issue here. This time the goodbye was a lot different. This friend was from Korea, and this friend didn't want to leave. But the way things have gone for him these past few months, leaving his home country was just about the only option he had.

Let me start by saying that this friend has shared some amount of notoriety in this country for both his past success and other recent events. It doesn't really matter who it is or specifically what caused this to happen, but it does seem that the extent of the ruling issued, when compared to the others who were also involved in greater or lesser degrees, was based more on his level of prominence than the actual degree in which he took part in the activity.

I'm not trying to say that he's innocent. But I'm also not going to say that he's as guilty as he's been made out to be. There are a lot of other factors involved, not the least being that those pointing the fingers have accepted absolutely no blame for what has happened. But this isn't a discussion about guilt or innocence. This is a question about second chances.

Why is Korean society so unwilling to offer second chances? Time and time again since I've been here, I have seen how TV personalities, singers, athletes, and former presidents have been turned from national heroes to public enemy #1 seemingly overnight. Including in my friend's case, the court rulings were one thing, but it was the social backlash from the media and bloodthirsty bloggers that has risen each of these situations to a much higher level. Legally, you can fulfill what's required of you and move on with your life. But in a place like this, you can likely never escape the nasty looks, whispers, and discrimination of the public eye.

I get it. This is culture that is based much more heavily on the idea of public shame than what I'm used to back home. I don't want to make a judgement call on the right way of handling justice, but there has to be a point where enough is enough. A point where those pointing the fingers should step back and ask themselves, "How much of this is my fault?" A point where someone can make up for their past actions and move on. In Korea, however, it seems like that point is rarely reached. And in this information age, spreading shame and rumors has never been easier. I know that's not easy anywhere, but, at least to me, it seems like getting those type of opportunities to hit the restart button are particularly rare here.

Maybe I'm just down because I know someone who's now been mixed up in this type of thing. I don't know. It's sad that it's come to this. That is all.

I am happy, however, that he does have a second chance. Maybe not in this country, but I thank God that someone has given him the opportunity to try to start things anew. Someone was willing to reach out at a time when it seemed that everyone else had turned their back. That's a true blessing because, otherwise, I don't know what he would have done. Too often these kind of stories have tragic ends, but at least this time, there's a new chapter.

The way I see it, the only way my friend will be welcome back into this country with smiles is if he is able to make a name for himself abroad, as likely or unlikely as that may be. He isn't going anywhere glamourous, but it's a start. Korea likes nothing more than to see Koreans getting attention in other places, and there's no doubt that if he found a way to do that, he'd be given the hero's welcome in an instant. It would be like nothing ever happened. They'd love him for what he's done outside Korea and just conveniently overlook the part about how they sent him there.

The question at that point would be how he would react if that happened. Would want to come back, or would he turn his back on the country that so fervently turned it's back on him? Honestly, I don't think he would. I've been really impressed by how he's dealt with this whole period of trial, and I believe he would prefer to become a part of the solution, rather than the problem. Unlike some people, he believes in second chances.

Good luck, My friend! 화이팅!

Why So Serious?: Thoughts on the Yin and Yang of the Korean Peninsula

2012-01-06T03:03:00.000-08:00

"This is what happens when an unstoppalbe force meets and immovable object. You are truly incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever...

I don't want to kill you! What would I do without you?...No, no, No! No. You...you...complete me."

In some East Asian philosophies, it is said that everything functions on a balance between yin and yang. The world is in a constant battle of opposites: good and evil, loud and soft, strong and weak, North and South. In high school chemistry class we called it equilibrium and defined it as, "the condition of a system in which competing influences are in balance." To upset the equilibrium would send the whole system into a spiral.

As I'm sure that anyone with any interest in Korea already knows, the Korean peninsula has existed in this state of yin and yang for the past 60 years. Yes, no treaty has ever been signed, and the peninsula has been in a cold war since 1950. But long gone are the days where 'war' meant anything more than empty threats, propaganda, weapons testing, and the a few, very rare armed confrontations.

Unfortunately, the latter was the case on March 26, 2010, when the ROKS Cheonan mysteriously sank near the sea border with North Korea and 46 young South Korean crewmen, many of whom were likely fulfilling their 2-year military obligation, met their ill-fated end. Immediately, an investigation was launched into the cause of the accident. Rumors flew around about stray water mines and mistakes by the US navy. But the one explanation that no one wanted to hear was that the sinking of the Cheonan was at the hands of Kim Jong-il and his North Korean 'invincible' military. Nearly two months after the incident, that's exactly the conclusion that was reached.

Immediately after that incident, tensions rose between the two Koreas. To the outside world, it may have seemed that the peninsula was spiraling into territory unknown since the ceasefire was signed in 1953. Lee Myung-bak, The South Korean president, took a harsher stance on inter-Korean relations than he or many of his predecessors have before, by freezing trade, reestablishing propaganda channels to the North, and refusing to rule out the possibility of armed retaliation if any further unprovoked attacks of ROK ('Repulic of Korea,' the South) territories or properties. The UN gave their support. China remained largely neutral, though subsequent rumors showed the likelihood that they would support South Korea, if absolutely necessary. The international media was in a frenzy.

North Korea's response? Total refusal of responsibility. The rest of the world had seen the evidence, but according to NK's big-brother media, they had nothing to do with it. And if the US, UN, or ROK choose to respond too harshly, Seoul would be turned into a "sea of fire" within 5 minutes.

Things quickly cooled down, however, until November 23, 2010, when the North attacked again, this time in a slightly less undeniable fashion. Seemingly out of nowhere, though the US-ROK armies were holding their yearly maritime drills amid North Korean warnings to cease, dozens of artillery shells where launched at the South Korean Yeonpyeong Island, killing two soldiers and two civilians. Unlike the attack a few months earlier, this confrontation was a direct attack on a civilian area. In fact, it was the first since the ceasefire was signed in 1953. Again, tensions were high. Were we doomed to be swallowed in a sea of fire that would spark an apocalyptic nuclear holocaust? Some were more than a little concerned. Military presence was definitely upped, and I'm sure many expats began tracing their escape routes home. It looked like all-out war was inevitable; at least that's what it looked like to anyone watching CNN or reading the NY Times. And then...

...nothing.

Just like every other confrontation between the two Koreas, at least those that I've witnessed in the three-and-a-half years that I've lived here, the situation never escalated beyond that point of no return. In time, life was back to normal.

Since those confrontations, the general population in South Korea has accepted the obvious explanations; North Korea was, and still is, in an unstable condition of famine and intense poverty, then-leader Kim Jong-Il's health was in question, and there was no known successor to the North Korean Communist throne. Shortly after the Yeonpyeong incident, Kim Jong-Un was named a four-star general and unveiled as the eventual replacement for his father. For a nation that has based so much of it's identity and resources upon it's claimed million-man army, destined to "save" South Korea and reunite the Korean peninsula, this seemed like nothing more than an internal power play. A chance to blow up a few bombs, take a few pictures, and chalk-up one or two "great victories" for the next-in-line. In other words, it was an attempt by the North Korean army and propaganda machine to begin building the foundation for a new personality cult for Kim Jong-Un. A personality cult that worked so well for the first two Kims and would be absolutely essential for ensuring a smooth transition in the event Kim Jong-Il were to die.

And then it happened. The skied glowed red above sacred Mount Paektu, the impenetrable sheet of ice at the heart of the mystical volcano cracked with a deafening roar, and Kim Jong-Il was no more. The official report is that he died of a massive heart attack, although the true cause of death is still in debate, with conspiracy theories of a possible murder still circulating. The bottom line, however, is that he's dead as a doornail. Gone. Vamoose. And now's the time for Kim Jong-Un, the 'Great Successor,' to step into the batter's box.

Or is he? As in the incidents mentioned above, the Korean peninsula is once again in a state of uncertainty and confusion. Little is generally known about the new Kim, and it's unknown whether he'll continue along the erratic and merciless policies of his father, or if he'll push North Korea into a new era, resembling more of modern-day China than Stalinist Russia. But that's not the concern at this point in time. The real question, is, Did Kim Jong-Il die too soon? In only one year since he was named successor, has Kim Jong-Un been able to build up enough of a following to successfully convince his elder comrades (those much older, much more experienced, and likely to have killed a few hundred more people) and his starving population that he is the rightful replacement to rule North Korea? At this point, it's still anyone's guess, but the media has not been silent. Rumors of a power struggle, revolution, and even war have been circulating. The US and South Korean militaries have been put on high alert to watch for unusual movements along the border. Everyone, except the South Korean general population, is caught in a state of impatient uncertainty. So far, at least, things seem to be going smoothly. But in the weeks and months to come, no one really knows.

So what's the deal? Will North Korea start bombing? Should we be concerned about a new Korean War? Is this the time for South Korea to take advantage of the confusion, step in, and reunite their nation? Are the doomsday predictions for 2012 coming true? Personally, for whatever my opinion is worth, I think there's still a long way to go before any of that happens.

Firstly, you have to consider what either side would have to gain from such a war that, if it left anyone alive, would have massive social, political, and economic rammifications. For the South, it would mean the inheriting of 20+ million people (many of whom are reportedly eating opium to stay alive), run-down cities, ruined farmland, failed building and damming projects, and 60 years of political brainwashing. It would put a strain on the world's 11th largest economy that could me more fatal than war itself. Though traditional attachments of reuniting the two Koreas sounds good on paper, experts suggest that the split is already 10 times worse than it was at the time of the German reunification. Making Korea whole again could tear the heart of the South Korean economy, and that is something that most Koreans in the South know their country just couldn't handle.

From the perspective of the North, it gets a bit more complicated. To North Koreans, the South is the yin to their yang. While the rest of the world looks on them with concern, they are taught that the South Korea are the ones worthy of pity, victims to the oppression of the "American imperialistic bastards." Compared to South Korea, North Korea is a paradise. They have nothing to envy, and as Korea's better half, it is their duty to rescue their blood-brothers in the South, reunite the Korean people, and make big, happy socialist utopia. Hard to believe, considering what we know about the living conditions in North Korea, but understandable, considering that all information and news coming in from the outside world gets filtered through and totally warped by the North's propaganda machine. If that's all you've ever heard your entire life, it's likely that you'll trust it to be true.

So why, then, if North Korea is so great and South Korea is so worthy of pity doesn't North Korea just go ahead and "rescue" the Korean people? I think the answer is simple. Because that wouldn't solve anything. From what I understand to be true, it is that unfulfilled promise that keeps North Korea standing. According to the North Korean rhetoric, Korea is not divided for political reasons. The country is, in a sense, sick. The only thing that will fix it is reunification. And the only people trustable enough to accomplish that is the Party. So...despite facing ungodly working conditions, unlivable living conditions, terrible health, little rest, virtually no food, and constant threats against their self and families, individuals willing sacrifice themselves for the greater good. South Koreans are said to sacrifice themselves for their employers (ironically, however, with eventual personal gain in mind), and North Koreans do it for the Party. North Koreans know that they are hungry, but they feel like their sacrifices are for something better, helping return Korea to it's rightful, unified state.

If that's true, however, wouldn't that increase, not decrease, the likelihood of all-out war on the Korean peninsula? Not really. Although North Korean people may be clueless to the outside world, the leaders are not. They know they would never win such a war against a healthier, better equipped South Korean army and it's American ally. Beyond that, the ones controlling the army are the highly privileged people in society. They have nothing to gain, personally, from starting a war, whether they win or not. Except for the case of an internal power struggle, which is a concern worth considering at the moment, war would be a no-win situation for those who start it. And as North Korean history shows, the personal gain of those on top is all that the Party really cares about.

But let's just say, as a matter of discussion, that there is as war, and North Korea does win. Then what? As I mentioned above, North Korea is a starving nation. People are hungry. They are putting their own interests aside, in the name of reuniting the Korean peninsula. But if they were successful in accomplishing that one thing that is so central to their identity and purpose in life, they've got nothing else. And...they're still hungry. Personally, I believe that it would be at that point (no matter how much propaganda they've heard) that people would start listening to their natural human needs and realize, "Oh wait. Having food to eat is good." The Party, having already accomplished the one thing that they staked their reputation on, would have nothing to promise it's people that would keep them quiet (even North Korea has no interest in expanding beyond the Korean borders), and revolution would likely erupt. Even if THAT doesn't happen, the 50-or-so million people who are now living in South Korea would be brought in without the adequate brainwashing, knowing of the lies of the Party and of a better life, and talk would spread. Surely, if hunger didn't spark revolution, rumors would. And revolutions aren't good for those on top.

So all I'm trying to say is this. Even though things heat up at points and the international media constantly stirs fears of the end of the world, I just don't see it happening. Those higher-ups in North Korea are going to keep sipping their expensive whiskey and passing out Swiss watches, with the occasional military threat thrown in because that is, after all, how they can excuse their own lavishness and gluttony (Kim Jong-Un is pretty fat, if you haven't noticed) at the expense of their starving population. And South Korean lawmakers are going to keep passing out free lunches and occasionally setting off tear gas bombs in congress until further notice. Both sides are just a little too unwilling to share to have it any other way.

That said, I do believe that peaceful reunification will happen at some point down the line. I don't now when or how, but I expect that belief in Korean bloodline is far too strong to allow continued separation once both sides have come to their senses. In the meantime, however, both Koreas are going to keep chasing each other around like Tom and Jerry (which Korean elementary students love, by the way). Because, after all, if Tom eats the mouse or Batman kills the Joker, what's left to keep them occupied?

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that jazz

2011-12-31T01:45:00.000-08:00

On the eve of 2012, five hours before the rabbit hops out and the year of the dragon storms in, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I had a wonderful holiday, having the opportunity to spend a few days with the wife and in-laws in 속초 (Sokcho) before heading back to Seoul mid-week to frantically get together my applications for graduate school.

No resolutions this year. But through this whole application process I've come to the realization that I should really do something about the size of my vocabulary. If I'm going to continue on my life as a future academic, I need to stop writing like a high school student.

Anyway, off for my last meal of the year. See you in 2012!

Thanks for reading,

-스티브

Minus One Tyrannical (and Uniquely Fashionable) Dictator

2011-12-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

잘가!

Big news out of Pyongyang today, as it is being reported that North Korea's 'Dear Leader' Kim Jong-Il has died of a heart attack. Only time will tell what this really means for the Korean peninsula and the rest of the world, but from the intial reports, one can only hope and pray that this will spark the beginning of a new era of positive change north of the DMZ.

And while very few of us will miss Kim's nuclear holocaustic threats, we will always remember Kim Jong-Il for how much he enjoyed looking at things through those stylish, stylish specs.

Until next time,

-스티브

As the First Snow Falls

2011-12-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

From my classroom window

I'm going to start off by laying the disclaimer that I have no idea what I'm about to write. Not to discourage anyone from reading that lines that will eventually follow, but I just wanted to put that out there. I'm at work with around 10 minutes before my next class starts, and I haven't posted in a little while. So here goes...

December is by now well underway. The air is getting colder, Christmas is getting nearer, A Charlie Brown Christmas has once again added itself to my listening rotation, and today, I woke up to the first few flakes of snow in the air. Except for the cold, those are all good things, but I'm not going to lie. I really don't like winter. But I've also realized that the biggest reason I don't like things is because that sometime, someway, somehow I made a decision not to like it. So instead of being down about the approaching winter, I'm going to put on the best attitude I can. Besides, without winter, you can't have spring. And spring is pretty cool.

Life is going well, as usual, but the pace of things is getting hard to manage. Ever since the wedding, life has been flying by at the rate that I can't even get my weeks straight. The list of things I need to do is neither getting longer or shorter, it just is. I think I'm really going to be thankful for my week-long winter vacation when it comes. It doesn't look like I'm going be going anywhere exotic this year. That's unfortunate, but not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure I'll go somewhere domestic. And I'm sure that it will be a good trip.

What else? The Steelers keep winning, which has nothing to Korea, but at least makes me happy. I will admit that it's pretty senseless to watch a bunch of guys on the other side of the world run around with a ball on a field. Especially when very few people around you care (or even know what you're talking about, for that matter). But that kind of senselessness keeps me somewhat connected with the world-back-home and still brings a smile to my face. That's good enough for me.

Class is about to start, so I should be going. One last thing I just came across in the newspaper. It seems that all foreign high school teachers and potentially all middle and elementarty teachers in Seoul will be losing their jobs soon. That really doesn't affect me directly, but it does prove that, despite what my high school economics teacher taught me, there IS such thing as a free lunch. It just comes at the cost of others.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon. In the meantime, in this season of love togetherness, let's keep our pepper spray and tear gas to ourselves.

Until next time,

-스티브

When Sounds Become Words (of Thanks)

2011-11-24T21:52:00.001-08:00

Boy, I could use some of this right now

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know I'm a little late, but I still wanted to wish everyone back home the best on this special day. Don't worry about me, thanks to the US military and my church, I got my turkey again this year. Things have changed a lot since year one in Korea, but it hasn't gotten much easier being away from home during the holidays. It's been four years already since I last sat down to properly share the turkey and mom's broccoli casserole , but I hope that that streak will end next year. Sorry Mom and Dad. Love you guys!

Thanks to God, my wife, my family, and my life. All are good. I would have preferred if all three Thanksgiving NFL games had out the other way, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

***

Now that that's out of the way, I was thinking the other day about how the language barrier has fallen during my now 3+ years here. Don't get me wrong, the wall is still high, but brick-by-brick it has, and continues to, come down. Simple logic will tell you that this is bound to happen, especially with as long as I've been here and as much as I've studied in that time, but you don't often think about it as it's happening. And then you realize one day, as you're sitting in Starbucks that, "새로울 만들고 5분만 기다려 주세요" no longer sounds like, "LKJF &@@# $JKF 똥ADSFJK;L^O^." Well, of course it sounds the same, but now it has meaning. And that's key.

I remember when I first talked about coming here with my friends and family, the question that always came up was, "Can you speak Korean? " Obviously the answer was, 'No', and, admittedly, I didn't need to then. But I'm glad that I would be able to give a different answer if someone asked me now.

Again, naturally, if you stay long enough, this will happen anywhere, but it's amazing when you look back and reflect on how far you've come. I may never be a master of the Korea language, but I'm getting closer.

***

Originally, this was supposed to be the end of my post. But something happened a few weeks ago that I just must talk about. I've been going back and forth since that time about whether I should mention it here or not, but I really think I should share. It's not because I'm still angry and needing to vent or because I have any hope that the older gentleman in the story I'm about to relate will stumble upon this English-language blog and read what I write. It's simply because, despite the number of other posts in Korean-related blogs about the topic, this is still something that this society needs to hear. I have no idea who is listening, and I appologize in advance to anyone who doesn't like me painting Korea in a negative light, but this is real.

Basically, what happened was this. My wife and I stayed the night at her parents' house and were on our way to the subway, so that she wouldn't be late for work. Along the road was an older man, who heard us coming, turned around and took one long dirty look at the two of us before not-so-quietly muttering his opinion on what he saw. Not to be treated like a pair of ciminals, we asked him to clarify what he said. The result was nothing short of us being screamed at and my wife being called names that prefer not to reproduce, even in writing. Let's put it this way...they weren't too nice.

Look, I get it. He's a little older and has probably lost some capacity to think as clearly as he once could. And this is Korea, where elders are to be respected and where racial purity has been pridefully valued for thousands of years. I get that. But there was nothing respectable about the way that he treated us. Nothing. Whether is was the right choice or not, I chose not to fight back. I can stand up for my wife's honor. That's not the issue. It's that I knew exactly how hopeless my efforts would be. This is a much bigger issue than one old man. And, even if I did decide to let him hear my side of the story, chances are someone with a smartphone would catch it, and I would later become a Naver sensation as the indignant foreigner who publicly disrepects his elders. That doesn't look too good on a resume.

So let me just end with this, please wake up, Korea! Again, I recognize that this is mostly the result of thousands of years of resistence to foreign invasion, but this is a new millenium. And the things that once made Korea 'great,' now hold it back. That was just one individual and is by no means a typical situation, but it's nothing new to be viewed with angry eyes when going around town with my wife. Let me say that again, with my WIFE! No one out there knows us, and I just don't see how the connection with my WIFE and her fellow citizens takes precedance over a marriage covenant, willed and sealed by God. If our life is acceptable to us, our families, our governments, and our God, who is anyone else say otherwise?

This is an on-going problem that has no easy answer. I admit that things have been getting better, compared to many of the stories I've heard of and from longer-married couples, but there is still a long way to go. For now, I just wish people would mind their own business.

Until next time,

-스티브

'The Millenium' is Here

2011-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

11-11-11

That's a lot of ones. Or, if you're the Lote mega-corporation, that's a lot of dollars, or won, depending on the exchange rates. But yes, today is 빼빼로 Day ('Pepero Day'). It is THE day. And this year's version (dubbed 'The Millenium' by Korean marketers) is the biggest in the history of chocolate covered breadsticks.

I'm not going to say too much about Pepero Day, simply because I've said it before. But now in my forth year of Pepero, I see less and less the point of it. Friends give their friends, and the friends give them the same thing back. That's supposed to say, 'I like you.' To me, it says, I have exactly what I started with. Besides, how many of those things can you possibly eat? They're really not that good. But, again, kudos to Lotte for figuring out a way to rake in the dough. I just wish Korea's millions of students and dating couples didn't buy into the belief that they need to buy 빼빼로 for those they care about. Or, at the very least, I wish there was some other, healthier, less commercial option. Like carrots, or celary sticks. They kind of look like the number 1, too, right? Now that's something I CAN get behind.

10 More Minutes to Fill You In

2011-11-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again. Another ten minutes between classes, and another quick post. I just figured that I started a good thing last week, and I want to keep it going as long as I can. The only difference is that this time, I really don't know what I'm going to write about. So I'm just going to move my fingers around and see what comes out before the bell rings. Here we go...

Last weekend ended up being a little busier than I orginially expected, in a good way. Honestly, I can't recall exactly what I did, but it was busy. I'm pretty sure there was some Settlers of Catan, tuna ramen, and dinner with the in-laws (minus the wife) in there. It was good for me, but probably boring for you, if I write anything more than what I already have.

My life at the moment, is mostly dominated by US visa preparations and grad school applications. In fact, I'm going to check my GRE score right now (it's finally available, although I took the test two months ago), and start class. Sorry to be brief, but a little is better than nothing.

Hope to talk to you soon. More Settlers tonight!

Until next time,

-스티브

10 Minutes to Fill You In

2011-11-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hey!
Wow, no posts in October. I've made a reputation for myself over the past year or so of failing to post, but this probably takes the cake. In any case, I have ten mintues at work between classes, and I'm going to do the best I can in that time to bring you at least partially up to date. Here we go!

The most obvious change is that I'm married now! I know that I promised to keep you in on the whole getting married in Korea thing, but (probably to no one's suprise) I failed. Once my parents got here and wedding started getting closer, things got a little out of hand. Not in a bad way, but in a no-time-to-blog sort of way. Maybe I can write a little more about it later on, but don't expect too much. To be totally honest, it all blew by so quickly that I'm not even sure that I know exactly what happened. It was a beautiful wedding at a big church with a lot of people. There was food and such. As for pictures, I still haven't seen them. And my wife is awesome. Other than that, I'm sure there are a million other blogs on the Korean blog list that deal with international weddings and marriages.

The honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia was great! We were there during the earthquake, but it was day later (and many unchecked text messages from family) later that we heard about it. We had an amazing time together and no one got bit by any rabid monkeys. So that's good.

Ok, I'm running out of time. I hope to write more about Bali this weekend, but we'll have to see. Life has not slowed down since the wedding, and with student reports and grad school applications coming up in the next few weeks, I don't know when I'll get around to writing again.

In the meantime, I hope this will suffice.

Until next time,

-스티브

'Beautiful Appearance. Beautiful Soul.'

2011-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

I saw a huge advertisement in the subway station yesterday (as in, probably 20 or 30 feet long) that had the used above slogan to advertise a plastic surgery clinic in Kangnam. I'm not going to deny that reengineering faces could create a beautiful Seoul with an 'e,' but I just don't see the positive connection between one's bodily construction and his/her eternal essence. If anything, I could imagine the opposite effect.

I know I've talked about this a lot in my blog recently, and I apologize to those who completely disagree with me on this matter (I know there are plenty of you out there). But the messages of modern society seem to be literally getting bigger and cutting lower. From how I see it, this kind of advertising is the 'cheap shot' equivalent of giving someone an elbow to the head when their eyes are down. Why is acceptable for agencies to deceitfully attempt to lower their target's self worth in order to sell them something? Especially something this life-changing! How about a little positive enforcement? There's a lot more I can say on this matter, but I've said it all before. You can check out this previous post if you're curious.

***

In other news, wedding plans are continuing to progress. I sent out the last of my invitations the other day, and my guests from America arrived last night. I think that what's happening is finally starting to sink in. And I'm excited. No new real 'wedding culture shock' moments yet to really speak of, but I'm sure there will be more. As I'm sure you can guess, I've been pretty busy, but I'll try to write from time to time about what's going on. In any case, I have to leave for work 5 minutes ago.

10 days!

Thanks for reading my rant.

-스티브

My Eyes the Mere Sight

2011-09-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

Working at an elementary school, I can occasionally get weighed down by the wonderful world of student diaries. Nothing welcomes you through the gates of the school like a stack of broken accounts of science projects and family dinners. But sometimes, just sometimes, magic happens, and out from that burdensome journal comes art.

Take, for example, these two gems that I received last week from one of my more advanced third-graders.

***

The weather is rainy
(eyes)
My eyes is turn red
But, sick reason...
I don't know!
My eyes the mere sight gives me creeps
Sickr reason is burst blood vessel.
My eyes a rabbit eyes.
Carefulness my eyes

***

The weater is rainy.

(move house)

I "Move house...
But, I'm not happy.
Because, Now house is the sight was strange
to me.
I'm a sad.
I'm a uneasy.
I'm a be laborious.

***

I don't know about you, but I wish I could write poetry like that. This girl just might be a genius. Maybe she should be the one teaching me.

추석ing It Up!

2011-09-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

Blog...blog.

blog.blog.blog.blog.

blog.

Nothing gets me in the mood to actually make use of Blogger's 'Posting' feature more than reading stuff in that other guy's life. You know him. The guy who you never actually met, but whose life you know inside and out thanks to the good old Internet. The guy with whom the only real contact you've ever had was a comment on a 3-year-old post that said, 'I'm praying for you, Brother' when his grandfather passed away and who you shed a tear of happiness for when his daughter was born. The guy you could pick out of a stadium seating chart but could barely point you out in a police line-up of stalking suspects. Maybe, for you, that guy is me. If it is, thanks! I appreciate that you care enough about my life to put up with my inane, non-cohesive ramblings about whatever comes off the top of my head. If not and you think I'm just some sort of weirdo, then thanks, too! At least you're thinking of me.

Not much time has passed since my last post, which is a both a good thing and a rarity these days. On the wedding front, little has changed, as well. No new planning has happened, at least that I'm aware of. There's been some stressful times, as I've heard are universal to every wedding, everywhere, and there have been plenty more exciting moments. The honeymoon plans are coming together, and the final reservations for my guests are being made. They now have a place to stay for the entire time they'll be on the peninsula. In the meantime, we'll be doing some Hanbok shopping for mom ('I got mine'), DMZing, Suwoning, Jarasum Jazz Festivaling, Gongju and Buyeo Baekje Cultural Festivaling, etc, etc. Of course, there will be plenty of kimchi to go around. Oh yeah, and of course there's the main event, though that goes without saying. Everyone's a little nervous about it, but it will be fun.

Let me take a step back for a second and say how much I respect and love my future in-laws. Mixed-race marriages are a relatively new thing in Korea and are still often frowned upon by much of the older population. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to make a blanket stereotypical statement, but I do have friends who have gone through a heck of a lot more than I have for having the same intentions. Things have improved greatly over the last 10 or 20 years and are nowhere near where they were since the greatest NFL receiver of all-time was a kid, but I won't lie. There's still a long way to go.

But my in-laws are different. I feel so blessed that they have no only accepted me but have truly embraced me as their son. And I'm not just talking about her Mom and Dad. I mean EVERYONE. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandfather, and even a tough-talking Southern country grandma (God bless her). Sure communication barriers still exist, but everyone is making a heartfelt effort to pull them down. I can't really put into words what that means to me. It's okay, though, because (as I hinted above) sometimes we don't need words to show just how grateful we are.

Enough with the sappy stuff. I just wanted to throw that out there because this past weekend was 추석 (Chuseok - 'Korea's Thanksgiving'), and like last year her family and I headed south to Gwangju for a few days with my future father-in-law's family. This wasn't my first time meeting the family, as I was there last Chuseok and for the Lunar New Year, but it was definitely the most comfortable. I was no longer the affectionatetly-dubbed '미국놈' but instead was a budding part of the family. We ate together, stayed together, shared a bathroom together, and traveled a bit to Jindo. It was fun. I even got to watch a bit of NFL football, which makes it almost like Thanksgiving back home (minus turkey, which most Koreans have never eaten, and despite the fact that what I witnessed was more of an obscenity than a real football game that even the greatest receiver in NFL history couldn't fix).

This has now been my fourth and best Chuseok. It's no longer a foreign holiday. It's become my holiday, too. And although a lot has changed since my first one, and I couldn't be happier.

That said, I'm off to bed. Hopefully, you can make sense the gibberish I've just typed out. And thank you in advance for the guy who comments on this post to say 'Congratulations on your new baby girl,' when she is born...five years from now.

Until next time

-스티브

Back From the Bride Factory

2011-09-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

I'm bored out of my mind. 미치게 심심해...

At work, with nothing to do. Started at a new school yesterday after my company's contract expired with the previous one. The teacher I'm replacing is here until Wednesday. I don't teach until Thursday. Bored...

Sadly, that's what it seems to take for me to type an update these days. It's not that I don't want to blog, because honestly I do. Time has just been short. Anyway, with everything else that's been going on, I guess we have a bit of catching up to do...

Last month marked the three-year anniversary of my arrival in Korea. I could go on and on about how that's two years longer than I originally expected or about all the things that I have done since then, but you already have nearly 200 posts that explain all of that. Instead, I just wanted to acknoweldge the passage of time and to thank everyone who has kept me here. Yes, it's not what I'd planned, but no, I'm not 'stuck.' I don't regret a single day of my time here. I've learned to love Korea, and I've learned a lot about myself.

That said, I have an announcement. I will be getting married soon (next month, actually) to the most wonderful girl in the world! Maybe this isn't news to many of you, as I have hinted at this a few times in previous posts, but it is the first time that I've stated it here as bluntly as that. I was a little hesitant to say too much about my personal life on the Internet, but hey, that's what blogs are for. And just maybe someone else out there can learn a thing or to about the Korean wedding experience.

I guess, with the wedding only a month away, we're already pretty far along in the planning process. As far as I can tell, it's been pretty straightforward. With the church picked out and wedding planner hired, it's been mostly a matter of choosing all-encompasing packages, nodding repeatedly, buying suits and hanbok, pulling out the wallet when necessary, making arrival plans for my parents, and figuring what we can do to mix things up and break out of the mold of standard local weddings. One thing that differs significantly from weddings back home (we'll have one of those, too, a little later) is the pre-wedding photos.

In Korea, photos are a big deal, and none are bigger are those that come about a month before the wedding. In addition to those that come on wedding day, couples in Korea usually dress up for a day-long affair of studio photography, wedding dresses and all. Although some couples go a bit overboard with the cheese on matching outfits and elaborate props and scenerary, we decided to keep things simple. I haven't seen any of the finisihed ones yet because they're currently in the Photoshop, but I expect that they'll turn out well. We liked the samples and no one asked us to wear life-sized angel wings.

Honestly, the photo shoot wasn't bad. The hours went by quickly, since the photographers kept things fun and did whatever they could to keep us comfortable. The only hard part for me was sitting for three hours in the wedding salon, as my better half was made-up. Although I don't know what kind of places we have in the States, though I can't imagine that this was any different from any other hair and make-up shop. What set it apart, however, was that it was for weddings only. Only for weddings. In fact, I think that it could best be described as a 'bride factory.' Dozens of young ladies go in and hang around in all stages of transformation. Out come brides. All the while, future husbands tap away nervously on their iPads in the waiting chairs of death. Weird. It's quite amazing, in a way. But still weird. What I can assure you, however, is that mine was the prettiest one there.

Can't wait to go back. Next time for real.

Anyway, it's probably time to wrap this up. It's finally getting toward the end of the day. This post has already gone on long enough, and probably isn't too coherent. I'll try to keep you up to date, as things progress toward the wedding, but we'll see. I'm sure I can find time if I really try.

By the way, honeymoon's in Bali!

Thanks for reading

Unitl next time...

-스티브

Blogger Works at Work!!!

2011-08-28T23:49:00.001-07:00

I don't know what happened, but my recently lack of posts as of late has more than a little to do with Blogger suddenly deciding to stop loading at work. I have a bit of free time at my job, and (without neglecting my responsibilities, of course) my initial plan was to fill much of that in with writing.

But, alas, today it's suddenly back. I have no idea how or why that happened, but I'm just glad to have the option again. I can only now pray my also-dead home computer could share in the sudden recovery of life.

Time for class!

Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. More soon...

Seoul Music Notes: Intangible Asset No. 82, Court Music, Kang Tae Hwan

2011-07-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Music Lovers,

Watch this movie if you have any interest in Korean traditional music. Even if you don't, watch it anyway. Unless, of course, you think that anything that isn't groups of 5-9 beautiful girls or guys dancing and lip-synching to over-synthesized auto-tuned dance tracks is boring. If that's you, don't watch it. You'll be bored. This is about old people's music. But old people's music is sooooooo good.

For those who still remain interested, the film is about an Australian jazz drummer named Simon Barker who comes to Korea to learn about, meet, and study from legendary musician Kim Suk-Chul (legendary to the point that the Korean government has labeled him 'Intangible Cultural Asset No. 82'). In the interest of time, I'm not going to say too much more. There's a lot of good stuff here for musicians and music lovers to gain. There's some interesting things about Korean culture, though it does make Korea out to be still strongly ruled by its Shamanistic Confucian religious traditions, which isn't quite true.

***

In other music happenings, the 국립국악원 (or newly renamed 'National Gugak Center,' in English) recently recreated a 600-year-old banquet originally held for King Sejong at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. I was there, recorded it, and I've posted the entire concert on my Seoul Sounds blog. If listening to 600-year-old royal court music interests you at all, you can hear it here.

***

I also recently discovered (and was lucky enough to see perform) a legendary Korean free-jazz saxophonist by the name of 김태환 (Kim Tae-Hwan). The guy has been around for quite awhile and has made a lot of noise (pun intended) both nationally and internationally. But because he has grandchildren, no phone, no email, and no Internet, because his groups never cared much for preservation and recorded little, and because Korea isn't generally a very warm place for free-thinking musicians, his name often gets overlooked.

But listening to this guy was one of those musical awe-inspiring moments for me. He did many, many things on an instrument which I've played for about 15 years that I didn't even know were possible. And seeing him play, I realized that I was witnessing one of the great musicians of our time. To put it plainly, I was blown away! Luckily, for me, I was able to pick up a couple of CDs and track down a few others, which as I mentioned aren't easy to come by. It's a good introduction, but I'm starting to feel that maybe, just maybe this was only the tip of the iceberg.

I've lived in Korea for nearly three years now, and though I'm familiar with Sato Yukie (who is Japanese), Bulgasari (which is run by Yukie and features largely foreigners, anyway), Itta, Paik Nam Jun (who was largely active in America), and a few other people and events happening in Seoul, this is the first that I've heard anyone pushing boundaries this far!

That said, I also discovered that there will be a 'Seoul Meeting Free Music' event (which I have very generously been invited to take part in) on August 2nd, where I really may be able to meet some interesting people and play some cool music, and the Korea Experimental Music Festival is coming up July 23-30, both in Hongdae. It seems that despite what I've seen on the surface for the past three years, there actually are interesting things happening musically in Seoul. It's too bad that I'm only finding out now, but, as they say, it's better late than never.

It's late, so here's Kang Tae Hwan to play us out. I apologize for the talking that the TV producers questionably dubbed over the music or if you think this is just an 'old guy' playing 'weird music.'

Thanks for reading, and goodnight.

-Steve

Missing Out on the End of the World (part 2)

2011-07-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I'm back. Certainly it was not supposed to be this long before I could write a conclusion to this post. I apologize if anyone was worried that perhaps I was eaten by a pack of first-grade monsters. Don't worry. They may be scary, but they're not THAT dangerous. Honestly, I've been trying to write at work for at least the past week, but something has happened and I can't seem to access Blogger. Maybe my computer is messed up, or maybe it's been firewalled. I'm not sure, but every other website seems to be working fine.

Anyway, I really don't know where I left off or where to pick back up. It's kind of too late to spend too much time dwelling on my trips to America and Japan (which were months ago, at this point), so I'll just give you the fast-forward up to now. As I may or may not have mentioned, I was in the States for most of March and all of April, visiting family and preparing for a new season in life (more on that another day). We visited a bunch of places and saw a lot of great friends, including Wilmington, North Carolina, where our friends Andrew and Olivia are, and Oakland, California where our good friend, Claire, and this guy live. After an amazing trip, we headed back to the peninsula (where the world didn't end, hence the now-vastly-outdated title to this post), hung out, found new jobs, visa ran back and forth to Fukuoka, Japan and have been living it up ever since.

So...yeah. That's life. Time has been flying by, but I've been keeping myself busy. I've been waking up earlier but trying to use the time productively and keeping myself away from the black hole of time that is the computer (or the 'Devil Machine' as my 10th grade history teacher would affectionately call it). So far so good...for me, that is. Not so much for you, if you've been waiting on the end of your seat for my updates. Sorry about that. But life is good. Minus the four weeks of non-stop rain.

Where am I now? Still in Korea, and still loving it. If you've been patiently following my blog from the beginning or at least have gone back and read my prior posts from the start, you'd know that I never had any intention on staying a day longer than a year. But, alas, the three-year anniversary of my landing on foreign grounds is already less than a month away. I'm not going to say I'm surprised it's been that long. Because, really, I'm not. I've become so comfortable and accustomed to life here, that the fact that I'm thousands of miles from my home sits in the back of my mind, unnoticed. This is my life. What is amazing is the transition in retrospect. Maybe I'll go back and read my old posts again, just for fun. It's always interesting to reflect back and think, 'Boy was I dumb.'

Where am I going? I can't say for sure, but I know that I'm on the right path. I know that this is what my life is supposed to be right now, and as things continue to develop, I'll take them as they come. There's no need to worry, as long as you trust the one who is leading you there. Without going too far into the topic of religion, here's a bit of advice from a pretty wise source that I'm sure anyone of any faith can agree with:

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)

Personally, I'm not in the business of adding hours to my life. But I don't want to throw them away, either. So worrying and sitting around reading blog posts about the Pittsburgh Pirates (which were amazingly in first place, as of yesterday) are the first to go.

Wow, sorry. That got a bit deeper than I expected. But it's me, and that's the only person that I expect to be. (awkward silence)

Soooo...anyway. Studying for the GRE, trying to get into grad school, making big life plans, deciding whether to go to Bali, Kota Kinabalu, or elsewhere for a special trip with a special someone in October (you know, the kind of trips you take after tying knots;), exercising, reading, praying, working more to save money, trying to get back into music, and studying Korean (for reasons that may involve needing to talk to a certain older, married couple for the rest of my life;). Those are my top priorities right now. I love writing, and I still plan to do it. But, sadly, this blog is often the first thing that falls by the wayside.

This is the point in the post where I sum things up, make promises, make jokes, or cut off abruptly. Today I'm not going to do any of that. Let's just keep it pleasant...

It was good to see you again.

Until next time,

...unless, of course, the rapture comes.

-Steve

Missing Out on the End of the World (part 1)

2011-06-16T20:40:00.001-07:00

Time seems to be something that is hard to come by these days. I've been back in Korea for nearly two months now, and although I finally have a computer at work for the first time since I left the 학원 in 2009, I have creatively found many new ways to wasted my new freedom.

But here I am. After traveling to the other side of the world, seeing 7 states and touching two oceans, visiting with a number of great friends (such as this guy), and hopping a boat to Japan and back, I'm comfortably back in Korea, where the 'explorations of this new life' that this blog was started to describe have transformed over the last three years to just 'normalcy.' But it's still a pretty cool normalcy, if you ask me.

Let's just back up for one second. Just so you know, I'm currently sitting in my classroom, waiting for my little first grade monsters (love those kids) to come bust through the door and complete destroy the illusionary sense of peace that I have established here. I've started this post at least four times and have yet to be able to finish it, but I'm determined to post something this time. So when the invasion begins, my story ends.

Back to my story. Exciting things are happening. Life is changing for the better. Being home was great, and it was an awesome time to spend with my family and getting to see people that I haven't seen in awhile. What made it even better is that I could share it all with someone who is very special to me. I had a great time, and though I am back, solid long-term plans are beginning to develop.

They're here! More soon...

Bad, Worse, the Sofa

2011-06-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

At school today. Last class. Smart kids. Fill in the blank word puzzle:

'Bad, Worse, the ________

Bad, Worse, the ________

뭐지?

Bad, Worse, the sofa?

Bad, Worse, the TV?

Bad, Worse, the telephone...'

Having students that don't understand the easiest questions is the ________.

***

I made spaghetti for dinner for my girlfriend's family. They've been helping me out so much since I got back to Korea, that I figured it was time to finally give back. After working hard to make the finest pasta I have ever put my name to, the kimchi was already on the table, ready to go. And for desert? Rice and 된장찌개. I tried, but I guess some things will never change.

***

It's getting late. I've been trying to get myself on a better schedule of going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. The former has worked to some extent. The latter hasn't. Anyway, I do have Internet at work now, and I hope to have more updates soon. In the meantime, goodnight.

And thanks for reading...

-스티브

What's Your Complex?

2011-06-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

As a bit of an extension of an earlier post, here is a shockingly interesting film that pretty much speaks for itself. The director is a 19-year-old American student who came to Korea to study in (and study about) the Korean high school education system after graduating back home. What she discovered was that the pressures of being a young, female student in Korea go far beyond the 16-hour daily study sessions...

As I mentioned above, I think the clip (with the full film hopefully coming out some time in 2012) pretty much speaks for itself. So in the interest of time (both yours and mine), I won't say much more. You can draw your own conclusions. All I'll say is that it's sad.

*By the way, a 'Sang-Ka-Pul' is a double fold in the eyelid. It's what makes Western eyes look bigger than their Asian counterparts. It IS natural for some Koreans and Asians, though not many.

Wisdom from the Staircase

2011-05-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

At my school (as I'm sure is the case in many schools in Korea), English stories, sayings, or life lessons are often posted in ascending order up and down the many staircases. I'll admit that it's a clever way to expose children to English each and everyday, but for various reasons, these colored strips of paper never fail to give me a chuckle.

Sometimes it's because time has taken its toll, and certain parts of the 'story' have been lost or mixed up, as is the case with this one, which I face every day as I ascend the 4 flights to my classroom:

Brown bear, brown bear
(step)
What do you see?
(step)
I see a red bird
(step)
Looking at me
(step)
Red bird, red bird
(step)
What do you see?
(step)
I see a yellow duck
(step)
Yellow duck, yellow duck
(step)
What do you see?
(step)
I see a black sheep
(step)
You're fantastic!

Either that, or my only childish mind makes them funnier when I start to 'fill in the blanks,' as I do each day as I walk back up from the bathroom and see this gem:

What's brown?
(step)
Cocoa is brown.
(step)
Cookies are brown.
(step)
Almonds are brown.
(step)
Chocolate is brown.

I know something else that's brown...

Plasticlass

2011-05-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to write a proper update for days/weeks. It's been started four or five times (mostly while at work) and someway/somehow always gets interrupted long enough to require a reboot. I promise some sort of long-form post soon, but it's too late now.

Anyway, I took these pictures a few weeks back and have been meaning to post them for awhile. They're all advertising some sort of plastic surgery (which is something that, for the record, I don't particularly like) and were taken either on the subway or in a station.

The first one is seemingly innocent if you don't really look too closely, and honestly is quite amusing.

But it's this series of three 'before/after' ads that have been popping up all over town and has me particularly confused/concerned/worried/saddened/sick:

Big face to small face (small faces are a sign of beauty in Korea)

Inverted waist, stomach, and breast sizes (coveted at home, as well)

Small diamond to big diamond (wait?!? what?)

Maybe it's obvious why I react the way I do to seeing these adds. Maybe it's not. And maybe it's none of my business. I get that. Honestly, I try to be as culturally sensitive as I can as often I can, but the progression of logic here (and the assumptions that are made) is somewhat lacking, in my opinion. Let me outline it here, the way I see it.

Small faces, skinny waists, and big breasts are better than what God gave you

so...

Obviously you need plastic surgery to fix that

so...

We can make you beautiful (as if you weren't already)

so...

That you can marry a richer man (big diamond, get it?)

which obviously leads to...

LIFELONG HAPPINESS!

I'm sorry, but that just doesn't do it for me. Here, home, or anywhere. This hits me on a number of levels. One, it objectifies women. More specifically, it further pounds into young, confidence-lacking girls the mentality that they need to look like the idols on TV and fix their 'imperfections,' rather than accepting who they really are. Two, it perpetuates ideals of beauty that are not natural for Korean women (which, unfortunately, happens everywhere, outside of maybe Saudi Arabia). Three, it reduces woman's worth in life to being a marriable commodity, whose value increases based on the previously-mentioned beauty ideals. And four, it assumes that a rich man is a good man and that money leads to happiness.

I know that many of these problems are not just limited to Korea, but are just as prevalent (if not more prevalent) back home and elsewhere. But I think what saddens me the most out of all of this is that I took these pictures not in a 'Aesthetic Clinic' in Apgujeong (Korea's 'Beverly Hills'), but at the transfer point of one of Seoul's busiest subway stations. Which means that each and every day, thousands upon thousands of young women (and men) are subjected to the lies that are presented here. Not bad as an advertising strategy. But, really, is it really healthy?

Here, there, anywhere, I think we all need ask ourselves...

What messages are we sending?

Thank you for reading my rant.

Until next time, Goodnight!

-Steve

땅콩 싫어합니다 -_-;;

2011-05-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

미국에서 돌아왔어요. 일 하고 있지 않은데 너무 바빠요.

시간이 어디 갈지도 몰랍니다.

곧 다시 써려고 해요.

안녕

-스티브

추신: 땅콩은 내 친구 아니에요. 한국 과자을 안 좋아해요:(

A 37-Hour Day

2011-03-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello there, everyone!

Sorry, as always for my recent lack of posts. As I mentioned a few weeks back, I had finished my job and promised that big things were coming. I had fully expected to post more than once or twice since that bold announcement, but it’s unbelievable how busy one can be when not working. I swear that between the regular evening appointments and tying up loose ends on the peninsula, I was probably busier than ever. Well, anyway, I promised big things, and here they are! Starting with a 10 hour flight that landed me right here in San Francisco International Airport…5 hours before I ever even left Korea (at least on the clock). They say that time travel isn’t possible, but after being sleep deprived and getting a second chance at March 15, I’m not so sure.

Let me take a step back. Some may ask, ‘Why, Mr. Kimchilover, have you fled Asia?’ The standard answer is that I haven’t been home in a year and a half and miss my parents, which is true. But that’s certainly not all of it. The more honest answer starts something like, ‘Well, see, there’s this girl…’ and we’ll stop there. I don’t want to go sharing too much of my personal life with the world;)

So yeah, that’s basically it. I’m sitting in an airport. A little bored. Really tired. With a beautiful lady sitting across the table from me. I’m drinking coffee that is much cheaper and much better (dark=good) than the standard fair in Korea, and despite possibly having contracted a cold from the United Airlines air-conditioning system I’m doing great. Next stop, home of the greatest NFL and worst MLB franchises of all time.

That’s all for now. We should be boarding in about ten minutes and the coffee is starting to get to me…

See you in Pittsburgh! I’m coming Mom!

Until next time,

-Steve

Thoughts on the Korean War Museum

2011-03-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Nearly 61 years ago there was a war in Korea. The newly liberated (from Japan) and divided (by the Soviets and Americans) Korean Peninsula was thrown into turmoil as the Communist North crossed over the 38 parallel in an attempt to surprise and overtake the sleeping South. A few years, a few million lives, and a few destructive power shifts (that literally swept up and down the nation, destroying most everything along the way) later, an armistice was reached and the firing stopped.

It's no secret that hostilities have never faded, but what fewer realize is that the Korean War never ended. No resolution was reached. And, most importantly, no peace treaty was ever signed.

With that in mind, I went today to the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul. In two and a half years of living in this country, that museum is one of the many places that long ago made it onto the 'things I should see' list, but (like so many others) has gotten more and more forgotten as time has passed and life in a foreign country has normalized. But with the finishing of my job (hopefully a little more on that another time) and some extra time on my hands, I headed out to the museum with my friend Ian (a college friend who moved here in November and who's 'newbie' label has generated some motivation for me to start doing interesting things again) to see what I have been missing.

To be fair, I have been to the memorial before and have seen the heart-wrenching artwork that adorns the outside. Sculptures that show despair, torn families, and hope in a way that I've never seen before and still brings a welling of emotion when I see them. It's sad. I've been there before and the effect was the same today. Just this was the first time I've ever gone inside.

As a whole, the museum (particularly the first-floor 'History of War in Korea' display) is as museums go. Lots of old stuff. Rusty arrows and armor. Models of cities and audio-visual displays of turtle ship battles with the Japanese. But it's the top two floors, dedicated to the infamous 6-25 war that really took me. It's not exactly what was on display (the stuff was little different from what I've seen anywhere else), but the issue as a whole. I've been to countless war museums throughout my childhood. But what made this one eerily different is that, unlike all the others I've been two, this war is not a distant memory. As I mentioned before, no resolution was ever made. And the effects of what happened can still be seen every day.

It's really hard to express what I felt while walking through those halls. I was tired, hungry, and cold, for one. But there was something more. This was real.

One the way out, Ian and I were stopped by a few other foreigners who asked us if we were living in Korea and how long we had been here. They arrived two weeks ago and were as eager to sightsee as I once was. When they asked me how new I was, I'm sure they didn't anticipate my response.

'Me?' I replied. 'I've been here for two and a half years...'

(then, looking around) '...but this is my first time here'

Maybe I should have come sooner.

On the Eve of Completion

2011-02-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my last day of work. Big things are coming...

날씨에 대해서

2011-02-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

요즘은 날씨가 아주 좋아지고 있다.

봄이 일찍 온 것 같지만 추운 하루들이 다시 올 것 같다

긴 겨울이 아직 끝나지 않었다

바람 씨, 따뜻한 꿈을 좀 가져오세요

봄 씨, 가지마세요

Some Like it Hot: A Guide to Pleasing on the Peninsula

2011-02-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

Hello again, and a belated 새해복많이 받으세요 ('Happy New Year') to everyone! I know I'm nearly two weeks late on that one, but it is what it is. Actually, I was mid-way through a special Lunar New Year post, sitting on my girlfriend's uncle's couch on that Friday, but never finished, due to a family trip to the local 찜질방, but we'll get to that later.

First things first, with Valentine's Day right around the corner (one of many, many 'couple' days here in Korea, but one that my country recognizes, as well), Korean company 아름다운 가게 has started selling it's fair-trade chocolate bars at the local Family Mart stores. Bravo! I don't want to be the obnoxious social activist who pushes ideals on unsuspecting readers, but if you know a thing or two about the chocolate industry, you just may want to consider how you show your sweet side this holiday. I'm just saying.

Now back to other matters...

For those of you who don't already know, Korean culture and life is in some ways a complete 180-degree turn away from life back home. I know what some are you are thinking right now, 'Thank you, Mr. Observant Genius-Face!' Don't worry, I know you already know that. I'm not trying to downplay anyone's intelligence. I'm just trying to state the obvious to eventually reach my point. Which is this: Adjustment to life here isn't always easy, and sometimes it is seemingly impossible to please those around you. But don't fret! It's not impossible. Putting your foreignness aside, I have devised one difficult, extremely complex method for effectively making people like you.

Are you ready...

Do what Korean people do.

Astonishing! Groundbreaking! Mind blowing! Pure genius! Thank you, thank for your kind words. I know I'm brilliant (sarcasm hopefully noted), but let me explain a little further.

Koreans can be extreme. I'm not trying to pass judgement or anything. That's just the way it is, and most people here (Korean or foreign, alike) know it. Take it one step further, and they assume that foreigners (such as yours truly) can't handle some of the extremes that they take as everyday life. Take, for example, the food. Korean food is very unique, and admittedly, some foreigners have a really tough time swallowing it (literally). That's a shame, though, because the food is one of my favorite things about living here. Anyway, a lot of this food is incredibly, ungodly spicy. At times it can be hard to handle even for people who like spicy food, but if you can manage to eat it, BAM! You've made friends. Yes, there's those initial uncomfortable 'Wow! Look! A foreigner!' looks, but once you've shown the people around you that you're just like them, you've escaped the monkey show. It doesn't even have to be spicy, though. Koreans are very proud of their food, so just eat up, eat well, and try everything that is placed in front of you, and you'll be loved.

Or take another example that I came across during the lunar new year holiday. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I went to a traditional bamboo sauna near 광주 during our stay. While sitting in the hottest room with my girlfriend's dad and about 10 total strangers, this scene was played out.

(to my girlfriend's dad) 'Wow! A foreigner'

(grunting in acknowledgement)

'We don't see foreigners around these parts much'

'Yeah, especially in this hot room'

'Usually, they prefer the cooler ones'

'Yeah, he's like a Korean'

(to me) 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I'm fine'

'One time we were in here, and a few foreigners poked their heads in. They gasped at the heat, and immediately turned around and walked out.'

(everyone laughs)

'Most foreigner can't handle it, but he's different'

(again, to me) 'Are you sure you're okay?'

'Yeah, I like it.'

'Wow!'

'Seriously, are you okay?'

'Yes.'

'We like you!'

So maybe that's not exactly what happened, and it really wasn't that hot, but I think you can get my point. I could just as easily been just like 'those other foreigners' and walked out. But I didn't, and I scored some points with the locals (and more importantly, the boss). Simple as that.

So that's it. Pretty simple. Try it, and soon those cries of '외국인!' will be replaced with the more friendly '한국 사람이 다 됐어요.' Congratulations!

P.S. It helps if you can say more than a few words in the local tongue, too.

잠깐만,

싸질러불랑께...

***

아! 참말로 시원혀잉...

A few final thoughts on the topic of hot things before I go:

Why is it that all male Korean pop idols are starting to go with this post-Apocalypse Michael Jackson look? So many black suits and silver gloves. So much black eye shadow. Too many read lights, monster-like dance moves, and flames! Lots of flames! Hot, but in a much different sense than what the girl groups are after.
I like how houses here are heated by running hot water under the floor.
The weather was quite nice there during the holiday and for a few days after. It's freezing again. Come on, Mr. Groundhog. You said winter was nearly over!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Have a 허벌나게 Happy Valentine's Day! 오저요!

-스티브

Steve Thoughts: Escaping from the Imminence of Being Forgotten

2011-01-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes funny things happen at funny times. I'm sure that everyone reading this has heard such an adage more times than he or she would care to remember. But it's true. And for me today was one of those days.

Let me back track for a second to state the obvious. 'Steve Thoughts' has lost a lot of it's former glory. What was once a regular (and hopefully interesting) account of my adjustment to daily life in a foreign country has been sputtering like the Baltimore Ravens' third-quarter or New York Jets' first-half offenses, as of late. Maybe it's that the exotic has become normal and this foreign country no longer carries such a heavy 'foreign' tag for me that it once did. Maybe I'm busier than I once was (true, though I can't honestly say that I don't waste away plenty of good time clicking around on other parts of the Internet). Maybe it's lack of interest (possible). Or maybe it's just a lack of self-discipline on my part (the most likely scenario). Whatever the cause, this blog has become a shadow of what it once was.

That said, let's fast forward to today. Well aware of my own not-so-recent failings, and after being called out on my broken promises by at least one good friend with the middle name of 'Hoyt', I finally decided to officially put 'Steve Thoughts' on hiatus. No more empty promises. No more personal obligations. And possibly even no more posts. The blog had seemed to run it's course in my life, and there was no use ever again claiming to leave a post that promises more soon lifeless for weeks on end. Plus, does anyone even read my senseless ramblings, anyway? It was time to do what had been on my mind for a few weeks. Time to step back and focus on other projects, while leaving open the possibility of a reunion tour once my personal 'artistic differences' worked themselves out.

So that was my conclusion as I walked into a Starbucks, where I once frequented to write my posts, this afternoon. But things didn't quite go as planned. I started the usual way by opening my email and sorting through a bunch of meaningless Facebook spam, and then I noticed something else. It was a message from someone I didn't know titled, 'From a Guy in America: About Your Blog.'

As I read over the brief message, I was a bit confused. Here I was in Starbucks, ready to end my reign as king of the Blogger world, but instead, I was faced with some stranger's very generous words about my musings. Without focusing too much on the praise itself, I'll say that this simple message reenergized my writing spirit and gave me the will to blog again. Let me clarify by saying that in the two and a half years since 'Steve Thoughts' was started, I have never received a single word of praise from anyone other than my dad and a few stray friends. This was more than a surprise, and the timing was perfect. Instantly, my motives changed. 'Steve Thoughts' would not die today.

To be totally fair, I can't honestly say whether the message was particularly geared toward this blog, or if instead was meant for Seoul Sounds (my more recent and better-nourished love child). The message was sent to a rarely-used email address that I set up for my scandalously out-of-date personal website, and the sender only referred to 'your blog,' never by name. But all things considered (and for my own personal motivation), the assumption is this is what he was talking about.

Like Dostoyevsky, pardoned while waiting for the firing squad, 'Steve Thoughts' has been saved from it's own fate by a few simple words. Thank you, Kevin! I don't know how frequently future posts will come, but I'll give it my best shot (pun intended), as long as you don't expect anything on par with The Idiot. Either way, I do enjoy blogging. And just as the last line of the email urged, 'Keep the interesting stuff up (and the beard),' that's exactly what I plan to do...

P.S. Malaysia was amazing! For me, on par only with Mongolia. You should go there.

P.P.S. Go Steelers!

Maybe Corporal Punishment Isn't All That Bad

2010-12-21T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still here, though I will be headed off to Malaysia in a few days. But don't worry, I will definitely have something more to say before then (and before the end of the year).

In the meantime, here is a short, interesting newspaper article that was posted recently in the JoongAng Daily (the one Korean English newspaper that I have at least a little bit of respect for) about the increase in school violence since corporal punishment was banned earlier this year. It seems problems have been springing up all over, and I've even seen the effects at my own school, though not nearly to the degree described above. Not to say that beating kids is a good thing, but Korean parents are beginning to catch a little too much of the American 'holy child' syndrome, for my taste.

Have a read for yourself here

Until next time,

-스티브

Just Checking In

2010-12-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to have a little more time to write today, but it's already after 10 and I'm not nearly ready for work at 11. Normally, that still might give me 20 minutes or so to write but not today. My bank account back home is running low, so I should go to the bank and make a transfer before I miss a student loan payment and in effect forfeit the 1% principal reduction that I was just granted.

So all I really wanted to do was check in and say hi. I'm not sure if I posted last week or not, but I still intend on bringing this thing back to life. Things are crazy now with work, Christmas, my upcoming trip to Malaysia, and my future after February, but I know that I'll get it all worked out soon. And when I do, I'll let you know.

Anyway, that's it for today. No war, which is no surprise. And like before, things have gotten very quiet very quickly, though the passing helicopters haven't quite gone away.

One final note, a forth grade student at my school (not one of my students, but one at my school) and his mother passed away in a house fire over the weekend. His father is alive, though from what I understand, his condition isn't good. The school's been pretty silent about the subject. I think the principal hasn't ever had to deal with anything like this before and really doesn't know how to react. I've been told that they'll do something soon, and I hope they do. I nearly teared up in class yesterday when my student (who was in the same class as the boy) was telling me how her teacher and other students had covered the young boy's desk in flowers since the accident. Let's just pray that his father, extended family, and the rest of the students at the school (who don't seem to know how to react, either) will be okay.

Until next time...

-스티브

Happy Thanksgiving, 2010

2010-11-25T08:46:00.001-08:00

First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I can't believe that this will be the third year that I'll have missed this special time with my family (so much for that one-year in-and-out plan). I feel sorry for being away from them, but these past two plus years have been the best of my life. It's hard being away at times like these, but it's worth it. The good news is that long gone are the days of eating Popeye's alone on the floor of an empty apartment during the holiday, and I will (thanks to the US Army and my church) be getting turkey again this year.

Besides turkey, the passing of the holiday signifies two more things:

1.) It's almost time to pull out my 5,000원 (around $4) Christmas tree that I bought in the Sapyeong Station DAISO last December and nearly didn't keep, and

2.) It's finally legal again to pull out the one and only Charlie Brown Christmas album. I'd be lying to you if I said that I haven't listened to it at all since last December, but as I mentioned last year, I can finally listen to it 'in good conscience' once again. Good call, Adrienne.

***

On another note, tensions seemed to have died down quite a bit in the last two days, to the point that, to the general eye, war seems no more probable than it did last week. The day after the attack was one of the strangest of my life, though, as helicopters wielding giant missiles circled the grey skies near my neighborhood all day, and my soldier friends were ordered to write their final statements and sleep with their boots on. All the while, the first graders in m class had discovered a green prickly seed from a plant outside that would stick to your clothes if you let it. The world was panicking under the fear of mass destruction, and all these children cared about was shoving the seeds of nature's rebirth in their ears. Beautiful!

***

Going to Malaysia in December. Have I already mentioned that?

***

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. To my family back home, I love you, and I miss you. I'll be back sometime. And mom, please send some of that broccoli casserole:)

-스티브

The Day After

2010-11-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

I'm back. Who knows how long I will be able to keep this up, but here I am again, typing over my Cheerios and coffee in the 20 minutes I have left before having to skip off to work. Let's hope a pattern is beginning to form.

Yesterday, as I'm sure all of you already know, we got attacked by that naughty neighbor to the North. As in 'we,' I mean Korea. And as in 'Korea' I mean a small fishing island that lies 12km off of the coast of the North and more than 100km from the South. There have been a few instances in the past, but is the first time since the ceasefire was signed after the Korean war (there was never a peace treaty, so the war never actually ended) that the dispute took to the land and the first time it involved civilians. Since the sinking of the ROK Cheonan ship a few months back, and this recent event has many fearful of the possibility that all-out war is imminent. Looking at the big picture (of which I don't have the time to dig into right now, but may soon), I think it's a bit premature to freak out. The US and ROK did defy North Korean concerns and were in the middle of a massive military live-fire exercise, just off the N.K. coast. I will say it was uncalled for, but to claim that it was totally 'unprovoked' would be stretching the truth. Time will tell if this is just another chapter in a 60 year game of political muscle flexing or if it's different this time. My guess is that Kim Jong Ill's dying, and his son and heir (who was very recently named a four-star general) needs a 'major military victory' to help make the inevitable transition easer. As I said, it's too early to freak out, though that doesn't mean I won't be keeping a close eye on the situation. For now, I just hope that this doesn't send the value of the won back down to the basement level it was a few months ago.

It's already time for work. Sorry. I hoped to talk about more than just the shells, but it looks like that will have to wait. On a side note, I did buy my plane tickets to Malaysia for the winter holiday. Should be great!

Happy Thanksgiving, and talk to you soon.

다음에까지...

-스티브

Where Have You Gone, Oh Wandering Soul?

2010-11-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since my last real post. As I hinted to sometime at the end of October, time has been flying by, and honestly I haven't been able to get a grasp on it. I'm busy, happy, nervous, excited, frustrated, growing, anything but blogging. And I've been away far too long for excuses. All the while, I've forgotten how much I enjoy writing. Whether I'm actually any good at it or not is a different story.

All through this absence, the biggest issue is when I have time to sit down and type out a long overly thought-out account of my life or, even worse, my mind. But that's failed me time and time again, so here I am, 15 minutes before I have to leave for work, doing something productive...now that's a novel idea.

Obviously, I'm going to have to keep things short today, but a few updates. One, I didn't go to that jazz festival, after all. I screwed up and didn't get tickets in advance. Two, the G20 came and went relatively quietly. No tear gas in the subways and nuclear welcoming parties for the leaders of many of the world's leading countries, not that I expected any of that anyway. Three, one of my closest friends left Korea a month or two ago, which was a big adjustment. But that's the way life here goes. And four, my college friend from Capital, Ian, moved to Korea two weeks ago. I met up with him once and helped to show him around a bit, but it's hard because he still has no phone, no Internet, and lives an hour outside of Seoul. Once he gets totally settled, I'll be really glad to have him around. And it's interesting to watch him explore and discover new things, exactly where I was two years ago. But for me, it seems like a lifetime ago, a very, very good lifetime ago.

Three more months on my contract. It's time to get serious.

That's all for now. Here's my pledge. Don't take it as a promise because this is just the first post, and who knows if I'll keep this up or not. But here it is, regular morning updates. I waste a lot of time in the mornings, so no more hovering around the same old websites until it's time for work. There's only so many times that you can check facebook and the sports sites, when you know that it's the middle of the night back home, and nothing worth updates is happening, anyway. So I'm going to try (keyword is try) to write at least once or twice a week before work. That's a lot to expect considering my recent record, but I think I can manage it.

On that note, it's time to share my English.

다음에까지 (Until next time)

-스티브

And So Goes October...

2010-10-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Enough said. Life is speeding by, and hopefully I'll find the time to bring 'Steve Thoughts' back to life soon. Seems like I'm still waiting for the summer to start, but alas, it's nearly winter.

In the meantime, Seoul Sounds

Jacket Weather

2010-09-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

The air is getting chilly. Already the 'summer breeze' is being replaced by the 'winter chill.' Days are getting short, and actually, I'm loving it. Had to get my coat cleaned for the upcoming winter. I think I really enjoy jacket weather. It's coat weather that I despise.

***

Finally made use of that Chinese visa over Chuseok. Made it back relatively unharmed, minus the giant bruise on my hand where the IV used to be.

***

I still like Ligeti.

***

Jarasum Jazz Festival is coming up again! Pretty excited, though I don't really have much more to say than I did last year. But updated information for the 2010 event can be found here.

***

These moth balls are really causing my apartment to smell like a public restroom.

***

Going to Kyoto, Japan in a few weeks. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I found a really cheap flight with Jeju Air. From what I hear, Kyoto is one of the great cultural cities in the world, so I'm really happy that. And it will be good to see my Mongolian friend, Erdene, who is living there now.

***

A few other blog posts of note about the touchy issue of inter-racial Caucasian/Korean relationships on the peninsula. I admittedly haven't followed any of these blogs before, and only found them after clicking around on the stats page of Seoul Sounds, but there seems to be a storm brewing about a few comments made by someone who thinks he knows everything. There's nothing in them that I haven't heard before, but that still didn't make my breakfast any easier to chew as I was reading them this morning. If you have the time, I recommend that you read them through:

Noona Blog

The Grand Narrative

I'm No Picasso

I don't think I've ever really said much about this topic before, because it's hard not too without getting too emotional or sounding too negative. I was thinking about how I would follow up what was written in the blogs above, but I think they speak for themselves. Admittedly, there have been quite a few times that I've felt uncomfortable as a foreigner in Korea because of race. I don't like it, and I know that I'll be more aware of others when I go back home because of it. So it's not all bad. But let's just put it this way, and lay the issue to rest:

Judging others isn't cool.

Thanks for reading

When the Clouds Part...

2010-09-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

Finally I can see the sun again! Hopefully this is the end of a very long month and a half of seemingly non-stop rain.

Time to dry out...

Fight For Your Rights!!!

2010-09-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

There's a land that sit comfortably below China, roughly along the 38th parallel. A heavily-militarized half of a peninsula that is home to a mighty race of people. A very proud people, who will emotionally stand up for those who are persecuting them and who will rarely speak their minds. A people who conform, not out of a desire for sameness, but out of fear of being different. A place where hierarchy is strong, and those above are never to be questioned. A place where questioning superiors is not only frowned upon, but is simply incomprehensible, and could very well lead to reprimand and punishment for you and those around you. A place where cultural morals and values are never publicly criticized. A place where social dissidents face public humiliation and persecution. A place where everyone is constantly being watched. A place where the big man at the top calls the shots, and the little men down below regretfully (but silently) comply.

Give up?

I't's sure not North Korea that I'm talking about.

There's no secret that Seoul is a tiring place to live. To be fair, it's downright exhausting. It's one of the most congested places on Earth, and has a metropolitan area that is home to over 23 million people. It's crowded, busy, and polluted. On the other hand, Korea is also one of the world's modern miracles, a country that has grown up from one of the world's poorest to one of it's wealthiest in less than 50 years. But as quickly as buildings, incomes, fashion, and trends change, traditions can't keep up.

When I look around, I really don't think the average person is happy. Sure people laugh and smile just like anyone else, but what I mean is real, true happiness. Living in Korean society is a lot of pressure. Most of it is culture, such as marriage age and familial obligations, which I have a hard time calling 'good' or 'bad.' It's just 'different.' But what really bothers me the most is the unnecessary pressure that is placed on individuals at work. People are constantly being overworked, sacrificing themselves for what was once called the 'greater good,' but is now little more than a money-making machine that cares little for those that make it work.

But no worries, right? This is a free country, and you no one will arrest you for speaking your mind or standing up for your rights. So who's with me?

(crickets)

(crickets, crickets)

And THAT'S exactly the problem. Korea is capitalism at it's finest and it's worst. Big businesses run the show, and no 'little man' is ever going to be heard (though keep in mind that the issues brought up permeate society and are not limited to big business). Here, the boss always knows best, and if anyone down below has other ideas (including about their own rights), it's best to just keep them to yourself. No one wants to be disrespectful.

Last minute assignments? Who still eats lunch these days? Endless extra unpaid hours? No problem. Unannounced extra work days? I didn't really want to go on that vacation, anyway. 'Optional' drinking gatherings? Certainly my family understands.

Everyone dreams about getting a job in a 'respected' company, but the hush-hush is that those asking you to sacrifice your life for work here (and making a killing doing it) don't give a damn about their employees. To the average worker, status of a job is far more important than anything else, so the mindset is that if others can see that I'm working working hard for a good company, I'm happy.

This is where I'll draw the line and say that all of this is 'bad.' It's not bad because it's not my way. It's bad because I have seen what happens when people put themselves before work. Americans may not be the happiest people on Earth, but I think it's an improvement. A large percentage of people here are only 'happy' with their jobs (and because of the huge chunk of time work requires, their lives) because they have no idea what they're missing. And if this is the way it's always been, how could they?

Workers, by law, have rights. Trade unions are legal, though I've read far more reports of them being broken up by their employers and instigators being fired than of the unions accomplishing anything. There are far more company benefits than we have in the States, and salaries are largely dependent on massive non-guaranteed year-end bonuses (as in 50% of your income). Sounds good, but what happens is that the system is often abused, and these 'extra' benefits are often dangled in front of uneasy employees. The Confucianist culture makes questioning your superiors impossible. Your input is unwelcome, and might be greeted with your exit papers. So what do you do?

You shut up and work hard. Period.

So what is the solution? The easy one is for someone to stand up, get the people together, and start a movement. Not gonna happen. I'm sorry, but this isn't 1960's America. More likely, someone will pretend to be with you, egg you on, and laugh their way into your position after you've been humiliated and fired. The only solution that I can come up with is another dirty word: 'government-intervention.' Only when the government starts enforcing the rules that are in place and standing up for workers, will anything ever change.

But when the country is secretly being run by a very few dictator-esqe megacorporations, who all have their hand in the government, who's going to let that happen?

It's a pretty messed up situation, and unfortunately, all I propose is a problem with no feasible solution. Only time will tell what happens, but I hope to see something soon.

Who's gonna stand up?

Maybe I Have Fallen Off the Face of the Earth

2010-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

So many started posts...

None of them finished...

Come back later, only to find that my train of thought has departed...

Rinse and Repeat...

'Steve Thoughts' will return...

...just like Batman...

Chinese Visa Help: A DIY Guide to Out-Witting Big Brother

2010-08-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many of you who live in Korea already know, the rules for applying for a Chinese visa as a non-Korean within the borders of the ROK have changed drastically in the past month and a half (sorry, I'm a little late with this one). Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way, and for many others, it was a lot worse. Refused visas, canceled reservations, missed flights, and a general scramble to sort out new travel plans a week or two before their pre-determined vacation time. So as a guide to anyone in Korea who is considering travel to China in the near future, doesn't have a visa, and hasn't heard the news, here's the scoop:

First, the changes. As of July 1, 2010, all foreigners applying for a Chinese visa in Korea must have 6-months remaining on a valid KOREAN Alien Registration Card (ARC). Since most of us are here on a year-to-year basis, what that basically means is that anyone who wants to go to China needs to apply for a visa (generally valid for 3 months) within 6 months of starting a new contract. Sorry, no more contract-finishing trips through history. Seems simple. Six months or more, and you're in. Less than six months, and your out of luck (Even by one day. Believe me, I experienced this one first-hand). Or are you? Luckily for a few, there are some exceptions.

You've been to China in the past two years and still have your expired, used visa. Not sure how this changes anything (since no one really knows why the rules changed, anyway), but if you fall into this category, the ominous 6-month rule does not apply. 100% sure this one definitely works, since that's how I ended up getting my visa approved. Unfortunately, I still had to cancel my trip, but that's another story.
You're French. I can't vouch for this, but it's something that my travel agent mentioned when I was applying for my visa. Basically, if you're French, you're out of luck (of course, no one has a logical explanation as to why). There is actually a surprisingly large French population in Seoul, but unfortunately for them, they're going to get a visa to China from here. No way, no how.

So why did this happen, and what can you do about it? Does this mean that if you don't qualify under the new 6-month rule, you have to forfeit your lifelong dream of traveling to China during your stay here in the ROK? Maybe not. But first things first.

As far as I know, there really is no good explanation for why any of this has happened. Logically, it doesn't make any sense why an American (or Canadian, French, English, or anyone for that matter) person's entry into China can be limited by a third-party. I'm sure there's some excuse out there (acceptable or not) that has caused this recent travel panic, but I've yet to hear it. And it all seemed to change overnight. No announcement. No warning. So there were people who showed up to their travel agents to apply for visas on July 1 (or the night before, as was my friend's case), only to be told, "Ohhh...if only you came yesterday. Sorry I didn't tell you. Can I interest you in a flight to Taiwan?" No thanks. The other funny thing is that these rules only seem to apply for foreigners in Korea. Koreans are clear (since their registration cards don't expire), and as far as I know, foreigners in other countries (i.e. their home countries, Hong Kong, Japan, etc.) also don't have to face these restrictions.

Now the real question (and really the whole point to this blog entry) is, "What do I do now?" Through a bit of thinking and talking with my friends, here is a short list of possible ways around this new roadblock:

If you've been to China in the past two years and have the expired visa (as I mentioned above), the two year rule doesn't apply to you.
You could always (probably not the safest, quickest, or cheapest solution) mail your passport back to your home country and have someone else apply for the Chinese visa on your behalf there. A friend of mine from the UK mailed his to London, and it worked. Of course, if the passport would have been lost, stolen, or discovered in customs, there could have been far less-successful results, to say the least.
There was a rumor a few weeks back that the Chinese consulate in Busan was still issuing visas without the 6-month requirement after the July 1st deadline. I don't know anyone who's done this personally (and things very well may have changed since I heard about it), so I can't tell you for sure if it works. But it's worth a call. And Busan is not a bad place to visit this time of year. UPDATE: The day after writing this post, I was talking to someone who was traveling through Korea and just got a visa through the consulate in Busan. So I guess that means it works. He actually found a travel agency in Myeongdong near the Chinese Consulate in Seoul who was willing to do it for him for an extra $30, though I have no idea of the name of the place. Not a bad option, at all.
Fly to Hong Kong (or elsewhere) and apply there with expedited processing. I can't be certain that this works, either, but that's what my friend was considering before mailing his passport to the UK. Again, it's not the cheapest way, but at least you're in (visa-free for most of us) China. You can start your travels there, and you don't have to send your passport in the mail. I'd talk to someone else first, though, to make sure this is possible before going through the headache.

As far as I know, those are your options. Don't take my word that all of them work, but it's a place to start. I'm sure someone else has discover a few more clever ways of navigating the system, so if you know any, feel free to post them below. And as for mailing your passport across international borders, I honestly have no idea whether it's legal or not. If you're considering that, you might want to do the research. If it is indeed frowned upon, you should probably reconsider. I in no way advocate doing anything illegal.

So that's it. I hope this helps. Good luck!

P.S. Here's a few more general notes about applying for a Chinese visa in Korea:

The Chinese embassy in Seoul does not accept visa applications from individuals. If you want to apply, you're going to need to go through a travel agent (which will raise the cost by about $10-20. There are a few English-speaking travel agencies that handle these things, but I recently lost faith in the one I've used in the past. So you'll have to search them out on your own. For the 'official' list of acceptable travel agencies (though I'm sure there are plenty more), you can go here. Unfortunately, for anyone who can't read Korean, this won't do you much good other than giving you a list of phone numbers you can try to call.
Visa fees have recently been raised. For Americans, the cost is around $150 (from around $120 a few months ago) and for the rest of the world it's a little less than $50.
Make sure you have at least one completely empty visa page in your passport. My personal visa application process got a lot more complicated because I didn't.
For Americans, you can have pages added to your passport at the embassy. It takes a few days and costs $82 (used to be free, until about a month ago). The good news about my whole mess is that I found out and took care of this about a week before they started charging.

Chan Ho Park Walks the Plank

2010-08-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

In recently MLB news, washed-up Korean MLB pitcher Chan Ho Park has been claimed off of waivers from the New York Yankees and will now join the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Not really big news in the baseball world, just another case of a well-beyond-his-prime, should-have-retired-sooner player being dropped from a championship contender (surprised he lasted this long, honestly) and hitting rock bottom, doomed to soon retire in baseball hell.

What it means for me in Korea is that Pittsburgh is back on the map! It's been over four years since the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, and Hines Ward was named MVP of the big game. Back in 2006 (from what I have heard, since I wasn't here at the time) Mr. Ward returned to his birthplace, instantly to become a national hero in the minds of millions and millions of Koreans who probably still think a 'touchdown' is some sort of aerobic exercise. Nevermind the fact that a young Hines was more or less run out of the country at a young age because of cultural unacceptance of mixed-race children on the peninsula. The good news is that that sort of thing is a lot better now. The bad news is that just like anything else that flares up in this country, the legend of Hines Ward has disappeared from minds just as quickly it was built up. Pittsburgh is no longer the sports mecca that it once was in Korea. In fact, most people haven't heard of it at all.

But we're back! Being from Pittsburgh, myself, I'm proud to welcome Mr. Park to the Pirates' losing tradition (17 years and counting, folks!). Not just because a 35 year-old who is known better for being the first Korean player in MLB history than for his recent accomplishments is likely still to be one of the better players on our less-than-major league roster, but more because it means that Pittsburgh will once again be one of four or five US cities that the average Korean citizen can name (along with New York, LA, Washington, and (unfortunately) Cleveland).

So as a proud Pittsburgh native whose been socially conditioned over the years to 'bleed black and gold,' it will be good to hear the name of my hometown fly around every now and again. At the very least, it will mean that some of those people walking around town with the gold 'P' on their foreheads (MLB caps are a very popular fashion accessory here, and the Pirates' cap is among the most popular for it's simplicity) will have some idea what they're supporting. And for Mr. Chan Ho Park, it means that even though he'll be on a roster about as talented as that of any of his KBO brothers, he'll know that he can still face big-league competition on a regular basis.

Good work, and welcome back to the Korean consciousness, Pittsburgh!

You're still #1 in my eyes...

Seoul Sounds on Arirang TV!

2010-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been patiently waiting, the long-promised Arirang 'Today's Blog' program which features Seoul Sounds (my other blog) is finally complete. It's too difficult to try to figure out how to post video here, so I've uploaded the file to YouTube and embedded it above. I have to admit that the video is a bit artificial in some parts and I still swear that my voice has been overdubbed with someone else's at one point, but I have to say that overall, I'm very pleased by the results. At the very, very least, I can easily say that after all the trouble we had on the filming day, the final product turned out much better than I expected.

Have a look, and let me know what you think!

P.S. The producer of the program said something to me recently about wanting to try to do a second episode soon. Of course, that's definitely far from certain, but it would be fun to do another one. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything new.

And in case the video above won't play, you can link directly to it on YouTube here.

Back From the Dead

2010-07-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, America! Today is your day, and to celebrate, I'm coming out of blogger oblivion to try to finally make a proper update.

Sorry that it's been nearly a month since my last post. I've been busy. Honestly, I never expected it to be so long, and time has just been blowing by so fast that I barely even realize that it's been that long. Still, one short post during June is a new monthly low for me, and though I have no intentions on letting this blog die, my updates have been becoming more and more irregular. So unfortunately, I can't promise you that 'Steve Thoughts' won't become just as long-gone well-preserved as any of the relics in the Egyptian Museum, but I vow to do my best to keep it up.

In case anyone reading this was worried (which I'm sure so many of you were), I did not die in Egypt. I didn't get kidnapped by bedouins, eaten by a living mummy, or recruited to join Cat Stevens. Besides being caught on a runaway camel, I made it back mostly unscathed, and it was a lot of fun, but really tiring. And thanks to my friends Jay and Katherine, for letting me stay at their home and showing me around Cairo a bit. It's hard to believe that I've been back for about three weeks. Sorry that's all I have to say about that.

I started my new job in Sillim-dong, and so far it's been going great. I've had very few problems with the students or the school, and though it's still early, I think it's going to be much better than the school I left exactly one month ago. I still miss my old students, but I'm sure they're just glad not to have my class five times a week after school.

That's all I've got for now. Sorry that I didn't actually say much, but it's really late here. I wasn't even going to post tonight, but I figured it's been long enough, and I could quickly type something out before I head to bed. I'll update again soon, I promise...

And to everyone back home, have a great Independence Day. I could really go for an American summer picnic right now.

P.S. The Arirang TV spot for my Seoul Sounds blog that I mentioned a while back is almost finished and ready to be aired. I should have the final, edited version soon. I'll be sure to keep you updated about when/how you might be able to see it, and I'll definitely try to post a link to a place that you can watch it here.

I Want My Mummy

2010-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I just thought I'd let you know that I'm in Cairo right now and probably won't be posting again until sometime next week. I've been really busy, so I'm not exactly sure what I said on here about what is going on with my job situation, but I decided to change schools and extend my contract for another four months. My original school finished up last Friday, and work at the new school won't start until June 16th. So as part of the layover, I ended up with about a week and a half of unexpected (unpaid) vacation. Wasn't long enough to go home, so I went to visit my high school friend in Egypt before he returns home later this month.

On another note, I've been winning the beard war. I didn't shave after the last incident and no one said anything when I visited my new school. The principal even told me that I 'looked like the kids would like me.' I'm sure the war isn't over yet, but I'll take that as a compliment and add one victory point to my total. I did shave before coming to Cairo, but it was more because of the heat, sun, and my personal desire not to have to worry about it while I'm on vacation. Don't worry, though, I can already see it coming back.

I've got to leave soon and head over the Egyptian museum now. Until next time...

It's War, Shave Yourself!

2010-05-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

For as long as anyone can remember, Korea has gripped in a cold war. A battle of ideals. A war that questions the stability of the social structure. A feud that goes back decades and has separated the peninsula into a society of 'haves' and 'have-nots.' A war that is only amplified by the more recent appearance of American capitalist imperialists, such as myself. A fight that has intensified in the past few days to levels unknown in recent decades.

...and no, I'm not talking about North Korea.

What I'm talking about is something that I've mentioned many times before in this blog. What I'm referring to is what I have hereby dubbed the Great Beard War. In some ways it is a battle between the North and the South (as in the top half and the bottom half of my face), but it's a fight that I still can't seem to get my head around. Why does everyone have to have an opinion about my choice of facial hair?

First, let me premise by saying that my beard is well-kept. I keep it short, clean (gotta shave the neck if you want to look respectable), and never shaggy. I'm no Thoreau by any means, and I'd neverbe seen as being out of place at home. But for some reason, in this country, people take one of two stances. Either they like it or hate it, and they never hesitate to inform me, somehow expecting that I will value their opinion (aside from the select few) and accept it as my own.

So the recent events are such. I work for a company. One of the general managers of my company personally doesn't like the beard. Every time I've ever seen her, she has gone out of her way to make some sort of casual-sounding comment like, 'Oh, why did you do that?!?' and in the interest of avoiding conflict and uncomfortable situations, I've been forced to invent a variety of on-the-spot excuses. First it was that it kept my face warm, but after winter passed, I needed something else (can't remember what it was). I don't really have to worry about what she says, but given that she is a higher-up for the company that employs me, I figured it best not to make a scene.

Fast forward to yesterday. I get a call from the company, saying that I need to meet them on Wednesday morning (notice my word choice and that the discussed time was outside of working hours) to be introduced to the principal at my new school. Not a big deal, but still. Anyway, at the end of the conversation the employee who I'm speaking to (not the same individual mentioned earlier) awkwardly adds:

'And make sure you wear nice clothes'

'Ok, yeah' (Do you really think I wouldn't?)

'Oh, and will you shave?'

'Uh....' (pause) 'I don't know. Should I?'

'Well, since you're meeting your new principle, I think you should'

(someone begins to cackle in the background)

'Um...ok, we'll see'

Yes, there was CACKLING. It's no mystery that there was someone sitting next to the one I was speaking to, listening and pushing an agenda. And it's no secret to me who it was. I'm not one for cursing, but seriously WTF?

So I'm left with another choice: 1.) I shave, 2.) I ignore them completely, or 3.) I clean up my beard a bit more than usual and play dumb.

I think I'll go with 3. I know that's what they think of me, anyway.

If the new school principal disapproves, I'll shave with no problem. Otherwise, you can forget it. Sorry.

Travel Season is in Full Bloom

2010-05-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone. I don't have a lot of time to write at the moment, since I'm headed off to Jeju Island tonight and haven't even started to pack yet. But I still thought I should give an update on the work situation that I mentioned last week.

I talked to the company last Friday, and, though nothing has been signed yet, we agreed that I'll change schools and stay until the end of December or the beginning of January. The decision wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, as there was no way that I was ready to go home in June. So it looks like I'll be teaching English for seven more months. That really isn't a big deal, but what happens after that is still a mystery. Maybe grad school.

Also, as part of the change over, I'll end up with a week and a half of unexpected vacation between my school finishing on June 4 and the new school starting on June 16. Rather than hang around here waiting for something to happen, I'm going to use that time to my advantage and take a trip to visit my friend in Cairo before he leaves. He's been there for a year or two already and will actually be leaving at the end of June, so it's a great time to go. It's an expensive flight, but otherwise, I may never have the chance again (at least to go and know someone living there).

So that's the plan. Jeju Island for the next four days, Cairo in June, and still another week of paid vacation in July. I should figure out what I'm going to do with that time, soon.

Travel season is fully in bloom now. Enjoy the weather!

Sometimes You Gotta Make Another

2010-05-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

More after-work adventures with my buddy, the evening groundskeeper...

***

5:15pm, in a mostly empty and dark school. Leaving my classroom, I see a figure down the hall

'Alright, I'll see you later' (shouting down the hall)

'Going already?' (turning around to see me, before I can duck off down the stairs)

'Yep'

'I've been meaning to ask you...' (walking my way)

'...you said you're not married, right?'

'Nope'

'Hmm' (leaning against the wall, head up, hand on his chin)

'...'

'I've been thinking since I met you. You're a pretty good guy'

'Thank you?'

'I'm just thinking if I know anyone for you...'

(awkward)

(pause)

'Alright. Let me know if you find anyone...' (I don't mean it)

'...gotta run to catch the train' (that one, I meant)

'Alright, okay. See you later'

Translation: You're 25 (Korean age), getting older. If someone doesn't step in soon, you're going to be lonely for the rest of your life. And there's no better way to find a wife than through an arranged meeting between you and your parents' (or any individual who sees himself as filling the same role) friend's daughter.

***

A few weeks later...

'All finished?'

'Yep. Time to head home.'

'Why do you still have that?'

'What?'

(Points to my face. I guess my standard 'keeps my face warm' excuse is well past expired, now that it's May. Too bad everyone knows I'm not married, so can't use the 'my wife likes it' trump card)

'Oh, that? Haha' (trying to laugh off his serious inquiry)

'Gotta shave it'

'You don't like it?' (already knowing the answer, but delaying the inevitable)

'Aak'

'...'

'If you got rid of it, you'd look soooo good'

'You mean I don't look good now?'

(No reply)

Translation: Shave the beard already! You look like a criminal. You'll never find a girl who will want to marry you with that thing on your face.

Korea hates my beard, but (at least from what I hear) girls DO love money...

and this guys's got a pretty rockin' beard...

...and this one...

...oh, yeah. This one, too.

I'm just sayin'

***

And finally, yesterday...

'All done?'

'Yep'

'I wanted to ask you, what do you do when you go home?' (a relatively standard, innocent question. Still not sure where he's going with this...)

'I...uh...have class and stuff'

'But it's just you. You're alone?'

'Yeah, basically'

'Just 1?'

'Uh...I guess so'

(a sinister laugh erupts)

'Oh, no! You can't have that. You gotta make one more. Gotta make another'

'Alright, I'll think about it' (running to avoid the Mr. Hyde that has formulated in front of me, and to make sure I don't miss the train)

Translation: I told you a while back that you needed to get married. What's taking you so long???

***

Until next time...

(probably STILL won't be married)

Choose Your Own Adventure

2010-05-11T03:05:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest mistakes anyone living in this country can make is to think that things are going to go well. The story is going to end the way it was intended, and everything will happen as planned.

'Once upon a time, I moved to Korea...(yadda, yadda)...Two years later, I moved back home, and lived happily ever after'

But that would be too easy, wouldn't it? (and a whole lot less fun, I guess) Instead of being a happy fairy tale, the story of one's life on the peninsula is something more like a cross between those old 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books that we all used to check out from the library as kids (and would unavoidably frustrate us to no end because of our inability to 'beat' them) and a predictably unpredictable M. Night Shyamalan film. We grow comfortable in our happily easy and well-paid lives, and then...

BAM!

What?

...A TWIST?!??!?

I guess I should have seen that one coming.

So what does all of this nonsense talk have to do with anything real? Nothing really. Or does it??? (dun, dun, duuuunnn) What I'm trying to get at in far more words that what is truly necessary is that a change always comes, and you have to be ready for it. In my case, my happy little bubble of a world has been recently burst, and it looks like it might end up in me staying nearly 4 months longer than I originally planned (or 16 months, depending on how you look at it).

It all starts well one day...

Company A contracts with School B
Company A also contracts with Employee C
Employee C works at School B
Seems to be a match made in heaven, until one day...

...the plot thickens...

Contract between Company A and School B expires
School B decides not to renew contract with Company A
Employee C still has three months remaining on his one-year contract with Company B
Employee C has no place to work

...and then the real dilemma...

Company A offers Employee C relocation at School D
Employee C is happy that he's not being thrown under a truck, but...
School D doesn't want a teacher for only three months
Comapany A gives Employee C two options:

...finally the Hardy Boys step in...

Go home in June, three months early and with one month notice, or...
Extend contract at least three months so that Employee C works at School D for at least six months before leaving Country E and returning to Country F, possibly visiting Countries G, H, and I, en route.

And to further complicate things...

Employee C is given two days to give Company A his decision

So that's where we are now. We're at the point in the story where the laughing genius has to chose between pushing the red button or the blue one, the point where the Skywalkers are strataling the line the separates the Dark Side from the Force, where the heroic Indiana Jones must select the Holy Grail from an array of attractive-looking chalices, where you have to choose between page 32 (which you have no idea leads into a bottomless pit) or page 47 (dog attack). You don't know if it's win-win, win-lose, lose-win, or lose-lose. You just know that you have to make a choice.

So basically, here's my point. The job that I thought I had where I've been working for the past 9 months is abruptly ending in about three weeks. June is too soon, so, though nothing is set in stone yet, I'm 99% sure than I'll take the extension and stay until December. The details will be discussed with my company later this week.

...unless, of course, there's another twist.

***

In unrelated news, my other blog may be briefly featured on Arirang TV in the near future. Someone contacted me about doing a short piece and interview next week. That's all I know for now. Arirang is broadcast globally on satellite TV, so if this happens, you might be able to check it out from wherever you are. We'll see. Who knows what will happen? I'll give you more details as they become available.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry that my long-ago promised update 'in the next day or two' never happened. Honestly, my mother just left Korea last Thursday morning, and I have been really busy since she left. I swear, I'll make a better post sometime this week. If I don't, well, you can file that along with all my other failed promises. That is, if anyone actually cares, anyway.

Speaking of mothers, yesterday was Parents' Day here in Korea, and today is Mother's Day back home in the US. So I wanted to take this time to wish everyone who classifies a Happy Mother's/Parents' Day!

That's pretty much it. Sorry to be so short, but it's late again. I really need to be getting back on the whole blogging wagon that I seem to have fallen off of over the past few months. In any case, have a great day. And I promise to (hopefully) write again soon.

Working for Uncle Sam

2010-04-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Can't say too much tonight. It's kind of late and my mom and I are cramped into my tuna-can apartment, so the idea of sitting and typing out a long entry is a bit awkward, at the moment. I'll update you on our roadtrip (which was really a lot of fun, by the way) in the next day or two.

But for now, I wanted to post this really interesting NY Times article that I came across about Samsung and how corrupt and unfair it is. I really don't know how much of it is true, but from living and working in this country, I have little doubt that it's reality. To put it briefly, workers here are really unfairly treated. They work longer hours than in any other OECD country in the world and usually don't get paid for all the extra time. But what is really baffling to me is how they let themselves be taken advantage of. Rooted deeply in Confucianism, the culture here is that you never question your superiors...NEVER. So while your boss knows full well that you'll never refuse the impossible and unfair tasks that he is piling on you, it's never okay to let him know that you know what he's doing.

That seems to be a bit of a problem to me. And the reason that employers hate dealing with foreigners.

I haven't read the book, but I might try to get ahold of a copy. I'm sure it would be a fascinating read.

Speak your mind, Korea. It won't kill you. It might even save some lives.

And whatever you do, don't ever let the newspapers keep you silent.

...I guess I just ruined my chances of ever getting a job in Korea's mainstream media.

She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain

2010-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

So I've started and stopped a few posts recently, none of them ever seeing the light of day. Sorry about that. I've just had a hard time finishing things recently.

Anyway, my mom is coming to Korea and should be here this time tomorrow. So this may or may not be my last post until she leaves on May 6th. I really don't know, but don't count on hearing from me until then.

This weekend, we'll be heading on a roadtrip (yes, renting a car again) to some of the popular destinations outside of Seoul that I've never seen. Most likely, we'll go to Andong to see the famous Hanok village there and to Gyeongju for a few days. Whether we stop anywhere else on the way is up to us. I'm excited, but a little nervous, since it's been awhile since I drove last.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm feeling a bit sick from my allergies, and I really need to get to bed early tonight.

Until next time

***

(Class, last week)

Teacher: So my mom's coming next week. I'm pretty excited

Student A: I bet your mother is very beautiful.

Teacher: Yes, thanks. I think she is.

Student B: Eeewwww! Mama's boy!

Not sure where she learned that phrase, but my argument that she had seen her mother earlier that morning and I hadn't seen mine in 7 months didn't convince her to back down. Oh well, maybe I am.

A Visit From Flat Stanley

2010-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post a few weeks back, I was recently visited by the one and only Flat Stanley. For those of you who don't know, Flat Stanley is a character from a popular children's book that gets flattened by a poster board and can travel around the world in an envelope. Many schools these days follow the reading of this story by doing a 'Flat Stanley' project of their own in which they make their own Flat Stanley character and mail it out to someone that they know. For me, this was one of the coolest and most memorable projects of my time at Forest Grove Elementary, so when my 2nd-grade cousin contacted me about helping with his Flat Stanely, I was really happy to help.

Instead of trying to say too much more, I'll just cut and paste the letter that I sent to him below with some pictures. Enjoy!

***

April 6, 2010

안녕하세요! ('An-nyeong-ha-sae-yo' - That's how we say 'Hello' in Korea.)

Stanley arrived at my home in Seoul, South Korea a few days ago, and since then, we have had a great time together. Naturally, he was tired from the jet lag (Korea has a 13 hour time-difference from Pennsylvania) and from traveling half-way around the world. But after he got comfortable, we shared many wonderful adventures together.

First, I should tell you about where I live. I live in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. Korea is a country in Asia that has a very sad history. In fact, the country had a war 60 years ago and is split in half today because the people don't agree with each other. So instead of Korea, there is 'North Korea' and 'South Korea.' I live in South Korea, where people are much happier and have more money than in North Korea. It is two countries now, but Korean people hope that someday they will reunite into one country again. Then everyone will be happy!

On our first day together, Stanley and I woke up early and rode the subway to Jongno district in the north part of Seoul. It is a very old part of the city and was once the home of a few kings! Many travelers like to go there and see the old buildings, and Stanley seemed to enjoy it very much. He especially liked the old bell tower in the center of town and watching the traditional Korean drumming performance, known as salmulnori. Stanley was amazed by the colorful costumes that the drummers were wearing. He wanted to try to wear one on, too, but there were none that would fit him.

After walking around, we did a little bit of shopping and saw a performance of the Korean show called 'NANTA.' This show is very popular in Korea and features performers on stage who drum, dance, do funny things, and cook food all at the same time. What's really amazing, though, is that they never talk! It was an amazing show, and we couldn't stop laughing. After the show finished, we were both very tired and decided to go home and sleep.

The second day, I decided to take Stanley to school with me. He met all of the students and was really amazed that even though their families speak a different language, all the children are learning English, just like him! We played games, sang songs, and studied together. Stanley even learned to write his name in Hangeul, Korea's own special alphabet. It was an exciting day. After class we went back home and had a regular Korean meal of rice and kimchi, which are Korea's favorite foods. Kimchi is something that is unique to Korea and is very special to Korean people. In fact, it's their national dish! Kimchi is a spicy food made from cabbage and other vegetables. Stanley loved it and couldn't stop eating! I hope that you can come to Korea and try it for yourself someday.

When we sat down to eat, Stanley was confused. He didn't see any forks! It was only after I told him that people in Asia use chopsticks, two sticks made of wood or metal, to eat that he understood. It took him a little while to figure out how to use them, but once he got the hang of it, he was surprised to find out that chopsticks are actually quite easy and fun! I'll send you a pair of chopsticks so you can try picking food up with them, too.

In our time together, Stanley and I had a lot of fun. We got to see and do many things, and learned a lot about Korea together. I was so happy to show him around. Thanks for letting me meet him and for helping us have a great time together!

Love,

Steven (스티븐)

***

All those silly children's readings that I've been teaching really come in handy, after all.

More updates soon...

Korea Times: 'Koreans Poor in TOEFL Speaking'

2010-04-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

...no kidding?

Someone really needs to tell these people that they're not going to learn to speak a language staring at books in a dimly lit room 18 hours a day.

Someone really needs to tell me that I'm never going to learn Korean relying on books and never speaking in public.

I'm such a hypocrite.

But that's my job.

Happy Easter!

K-Q&A: Steve's Guide to Korea's Most Difficult Questions

2010-04-01T07:56:00.001-07:00

To finish up a post that I hurriedly started nearly four months ago:

At times living in Korea can be a bit tiring. Okay, that's more than a small understatement. Often, it is downright exhausting. Meeting new people in this country isn't as simple as it used to be back home. There's very little exchanging of pleasantries, shaking hands, and moving on with your life as if nothing ever happened, like is most often the case back home. Instead, a simple meeting is like having the gates opened on a walled city. Strangers here usually aren't friendly, but once you've been introduced, you're almost immediately welcomed into someone's inner circle of close friends and relatives. Instantly, someone who never had the nerve to look you in the eye and simply acknowledge your positive existence on the subway, is inviting you to their house, offering to buy you meals, drinks, and 'teach you about Korean culture.' To put it simply, it can be a bit strange...

And though you may have entered the gates to the city, your new friend, uncle, or big brother still exercises a bit of caution. You must realize that everything in Korea (including friendships) is based on Confucian hierarchies, and until you can be pin-holed into one of those levels of friendship, you must pass an all-encompassing interview that rivals the most stressful job interview you've ever had. Formal, it's not. But it's important, none the less.

And to prepare anyone who is living in or coming to the peninsula for this inevitable, yet uncomfortable onslaught of questions, here's my guide to what you can expect and how to answer.

Please study, these questions will be on the test:

How old are you? - Public Enemy #1 when it comes to K-Q&A. Seems innocent enough, but as age is the basis for everything, including determining the appropriate language to use when addressing an individual, this is the granddaddy of them all. Be sure you study up on how to calculate your Korean age, as even a one-year gap can be the difference between being treated like a baby and ending up paying for everyone else's dinner. *Note to over-zealous white males: Don't try pulling this one on an unfamiliar coed. They're not dumb. They know what you're doing. It's strange, and they don't like it (not to mention that the same question back home is likely to get you a slap in the face).
What's your name? - The standard #1 in the Western world is a distant second here.
What does your name mean? - How the hell am I supposed to know??? I think my parents just thought it sounded nice. Name-meaning may be important here, but not where I come from.
Is your name Steven or Steve? - I'm sure anyone named Mike, Tim, Becca, Chris, Alex, Jenny, Bill, Anne, etc. will find the same the problem. Korea just can't comprehend that it's both.
Are you married? - No
Do you have a girlfriend? - It's a bit of an embarrassment for a guy my age to be running around single. So a 'no' answer here always gets an awkward, yet entertaining, response. And without a doubt, it is always followed up with...
Do you like Korean girls? - This one's a double-edged sword. I never know how to answer it, since I don't want to offend anyone, and different answers will get different reactions from different people. For some, they see white guys like me as a threat to 'steal' away the Korean girls from the eligible local males. For others, they want you to date Korean girls, in the same way they want you to eat Korean food. It's better to find someone way out of directly answering this one. Such as...

(Take a momentary break and use the opportunity to compliment the other person's English, no matter how good or bad it is. Even if it's awful, they'll feel a small bit of self-pride. They're still trying, after all. And their English is sure better than my Korean.)

Where do you come from? - Fortunately, any anti-Americanism (at least on this half of the peninsula) is just about gone. No need to fake Canadian.
Where is your hometown? - More than likely, they'll have no idea where it is. But local loyalties are important to people here, so it's part of the normal communication.
What is your job? - Take a wild guess...
Hobby?
University? - Believe me, you've never heard of it...
Major? - Not sure why being a music major impresses people.
How long have you been in Korea?
Do you miss your parents? - It's also incomprehensible that an unmarried person of my age doesn't live at home and hasn't for the past 6 years.
Do you have any brothers or sisters? - (repeat the last five or six questions in reference to your brothers or sisters)
Why did you come to Korea? - This one fascinates people. I think it's rooted in a mixture of national pride and a hidden inferiority complex.
How long do you plan on staying?
Do you speak Korean?
Do you have Korean friends?
Do you like Korean food?
What's your favorite Korean food? - No matter the answer (let's just say 감자탕 for the sake of discussion), you'll get the 'I love 감자탕, too!' response, followed by 'Let's meet soon, and I'll introduce you to a famous 감자탕 restaurant.'
Do you like to drink? - I don't. No harm in saying yes, though saying no can gain you respect with any of the seemingly few Korean men who share your distaste for recreational drunkenness.
Are you a Christian? - Don't let any of the travel books fool you into thinking that this is still a Buddhist country.
Why didn't you shave? - Common question for any guy like me who has a beard. Funny how it's most commonly phrased in such a negative way. Also funny is how, in my experience at least, Korean women hate it (because facial hair is nearly nonexistent in the Korean male species) and men love it (out of respect for the facial hair that they, themselves, can't grow).

Whew! That's exhausting just typing that out. I'm sure I missed more than a few, but that, in and of itself, is most of the basics. It's also worth noting that after you've been thoroughly cross-examined and now occupy a space in the interviewers hierarchy of acquaintances, business cards or cell phone numbers will be exchanged. I always feel uncomfortable giving my number to someone I still view as a relative stranger, but it would be even more awkward to refuse. And luckily for the rest of us, 99% of the time, they'll never call it anyway.

Spring Awakening

2010-03-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

2009 Cherry Blossom Festival in Yeoido

Today, on my normal trek home from work, I noticed some buds on a few of the trees. Almost time to prepare for an explosion of pink, thanks to Japanese imperialism.

Please tell me that this time it's for real!

...and birds!

Airmail from Asia, America, and Aliquippa, PA

2010-03-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a week or so since my last proper post. At least this time, I've got a legitimate excuse. And judging by the (non)regularity of my recent online activity, I think a week isn't so bad.

It's now officially spring according to the Western sun calender, though it seems like Mother Nature has an unhealthy death-grip obsession with unpleasantly cold weather. Just like last year, she keeps taunting and teasing us with days of beautiful, warm sunshine, only to follow it immediately with slushy precipitation, icy cold winds, and 황사 (yellow dust). I just don't get it. I lived in Ohio for four years when I was in university, and everyone that I met in the Columbus area, seemed to think that Ohio weather was somehow special in it's unpredictability. Any small mention of the fluctuating weather was immediately reposed to with a sarcastically proud 'Welcome to Ohio!' Sorry, good people of the American Midwest. I'd take what you've got any day over what's been going down here.

Speaking of spring, Ohio, mothers, and yellow dust, I seem to be dead in the middle of a season of visitors. Maybe the prior statement seems a bit odd, so let me explain one at a time:

As I'm sure I mentioned in my last post, my college friend Alex (from Ohio) was here for a week, last week. It was a great time, as everyday we were running around seeing different neighborhoods and meeting people. I was really happy to see him, and it helped to break me out of my normal routine and even see (and eat) a few new things. Unfortunately, I couldn't convince him to abandon the stars and stripes for awhile and take a job here, but I hope he had fun, nonetheless.

If there are two things that spring brings to the 'Land of the Morning Calm,' it's cherry blossoms and yellow dust. The first are beautiful, and the second is likely very harmful for your respiratory system. As I said, it's still a bit cold, so I don't expect the flowers to open up any time soon. I can't wait, though, because when the cherry blossoms arrive, you know pretty much for sure that spring is here to stay. As for the yellow dust, I really don't have much to say, other than it turns the whole sky an eerie (you guessed it) yellow color, reduces visibility, and forces us all to rush indoors and close our windows like a 1950's air-raid drill. I guess it's not quite that bad, but I don't be the one doing jumping jacks when the 황사 comes.

My mom is coming to visit! After 18 months to stew it over in her mind, she finally decided to apply for a passport and come. She won't be here for another 4 or 5 weeks (should be prime cherry blossom season, I hope), but I can't wait.

And finally, I came home from work the other day, to be greeted by an innocent-looking white envelope from Aliquippa, PA. Upon further review, it wasn't an envelope at all (ok, it was), but was more of a 'travel vessel' for the beloved Flat Stanley, sent to me by my awesome young cousin. I remember well when I did this project in the 3rd grade, so I'm really excited to help Bryan out. Still not sure what kind of adventures we will go on this weekend, but I'll definitely have fun with it. And I'm sure I'll post it up on here (with plenty of pictures).

So I guess that's about it. It's getting late, and I really should go to bed. I've got a few more things that I'd like to talk about, but I'll spare you for now. Hopefully, I'll get around to it soon.

...and, as always, please spread the word.

A Bug In a Can

2010-03-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

I see a dog.

I see a cat.

I see a bat.

I see a bug.

The bug is in a can.

* Today's poetry reading is brought to you by Spotlight on Phonics

Days Become Weeks, Months Become Years

2010-03-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, it’s been so long since my last blog update. Obviously, the Olympics have come and gone (with an unfortunate bittersweet ending for Pittsburgh hockey fans, like me), and after that little flurry of posts a few weeks back, I’ve been silent. Honestly, I’ve tried to update at least two or three times since my last post, but never got around to finishing any of them. Now they’ve all been trashed. Sorry about that, but at least I’m here now.

I can’t believe it’s been six months already since I returned to the peninsula (I say ‘return’ in a very Brett Favre kind of way, given that I never technically left) and started my new job in Seoul. So that means that, all together, I’ve been living in this country now for around 18 months. That’s still pretty unbelievable to me. Sure I’ve grown comfortable with everything and don’t really feel too much like the outsider that I am (though I think that the ‘outsider’ feeling would never totally go away, no matter how long I decide to stay), but it doesn’t seem like too long ago that I was finishing up my music studies at Capital and getting ready for the big move. 18 months. A year and a half. That’s kind of a while. At the very least, it’s a year more than the half-way point of my original one-year plan. But alas, I’m still here, and still generally loving it.

Things in and out of work have been a bit hectic recently, hence the complete lack of updates. I’ve still been updating Seoul Sounds on my three-times-a-week basis, but aside from that, I’ve been away from my computer or too tired to blog, respond to emails, or pretty much do anything other than stare at Facebook or watch videos. But the idea that work has been hectic, is definitely an understatement. The Korean school year runs from March until December (with the exception of a two-week period in February when students go to school between their ‘winter break’ and ‘spring break’), so we’ve been rushing around like crazy trying to work things out and register new students for the afterschool program that I am a part of. Basically, what that means is that now I have new books, a few new 2-6 grade students, and about 30 new first graders who still don’t understand how school works yet. In other words, I have to do everything for them, even though they don’t understand a word I say. I’ve been lesson planning and running around confused for about two or three weeks now, but luckily the end of the worst part of it is in sight. Obviously, I can’t wait. It’s not so much that I’m overly stressed, as it is that my coteacher is going crazy over all the little things and has been passing her worries on to me.

Outside of work, things have been relatively status-quo. I’m still going to my Korean classes twice a week and studying 단소 (danso) with my teacher. I’ve been getting more and more involved with the church I’ve been attending for the past few months, and I may even start trying to run live sound for some of their services. All of that keeps me pretty busy.

The only big news is that my friend, Alex, from my days at Capital came last Saturday and is visiting Seoul for a week. It’s kind of a short trip (he’ll be going back this coming Saturday), but I hope that it’s been really good for him. Like when my brother came, this is Alex’s first international travel experience, and I hope that it opens his mind to the whole ‘these places really DO exist’ thing that I always talk about from my Europe trip in 2006. I know I’ve enjoyed having him around, so I don’t look forward to him going back. But we’ve still got a few more days, so I hope we can make the most of it.

That’s really a lot about me and not much else. Sorry if you’re reading this and not particularly interested in my personal life, but it’s been a really long time since I let my friends and family know what’s going on. Like I always say, I hope this sparks a new series of posts (many of which I’ve been thinking about and wanting to write for ages). But we’ll see. I at least hope that I’ll post again within the next week. I’ve figured a new way to update at work without the Internet (i.e. typing my post into a Word document and posting it later), but let’s not get too excited yet. I don’t want to promise more posts, only to fall back into my old habits.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Hopefully you’ll hear from me soon. In the meantime, I think I’m going to read and study Korean (another thing that my lack of ‘free time’ at work has lead me to neglect) before my next class.

Until next time.

Broken Records, Broken Minds, Broken Hearts

2010-02-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

In response to yesterday's post, it seems like both of the stories that I mentioned have taken a bit of an extreme turn...

The first (and certainly most visible) is that 김연아 (Yuna Kim) has captured the gold medal that Korea was sure she would win. And she did it in dramatic style, by finishing with another world record and topping her silver-medal Japanese rival by an unbelievable 20 points. I'm not into all the hype that has swept the peninsula, but I haven't seen anything like this since...well...the Korean baseball team brought home gold from Beijing. Today, my classes and the entire city seemed to shut down for a few minutes while Miss Kim and her rival skated. And after the competition, the whole country seemed to be filled with great, honest joy and pride. Now I feel silly for ever suggesting the possibility that she could have lost, and I look forward the six months of Yuna Kim Olympic repeats on cable. Congratulations!

...though I still think that Apolo Ohno could beat her in a foot race, on or off the ice.

The other story gets a bit strange. In my previous post, I mentioned the likelihood that yesterday's disqualification (which, surprisingly or not, was issued by the same Australian judge who was at the center of the Ohno incident in 2002) would cause a stir of controversy amongst the population. Well, it seems that a Korean man was today arrested for threatening to bomb the Australian embassy in Seoul. Personally, I've been caught in the middle of a Euro-league soccer controversy that essentially shut down the train station in Florence and stranded me in Rome (where, while on a university trip, I had no permission) for a few hours and have heard multiple stories of American university students burning couches and breaking windows after winning and losing football games, but I've never heard of anything remotely like this. I don't know about you, but I find this a bit over the top. So next time someone tells you that Korea is a nation of 'emotional people,' believe it.

...oh, and let's not forget that Korea won their gold medal in the men's 10,000m long track after a 'miracle' disqualification of Dutch skater Sven Kramer...

...looks like there's more Ohno vs. Korea action tomorrow. Should be fun.

And go USA hockey!

Ohno! It really HAS happened again...

2010-02-25T15:16:00.000-08:00

똥침!!!

So Kim Yuna hasn't lost. She set a world record in the ladies' short program, and there seems to be no end in sight for 'Yuna Fever.' Today is her free skate (I think), and I totally expect it to be the biggest thing the peninsula has seen since American beef.

In other Olympic news, the Korean women's relay team crossed the finish line first to apparently win their fifth consecutive Olympic gold in the 3000m short track relay, only to be disqualified for impeding the Chinese team behind them. Sound familiar? At least this time there are no Japanese-Americans involved, though the US team did claim Bronze as a result of the disqualification. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out, but if history is any indication, the people here are not going to take it sitting down.

Listening to Curtis Mayfield. Window's open. Time for work. Three day weekend.

봄이 오고 있어요!

Ohno! Not Again...

2010-02-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since my last update, as it always seems to be the case these days. I've been busier than ever with my work and afterwork classes and activities, so I'm not going to try to apologize. It's been a good busy.

Quite a bit has been going on since my last proper post. First and foremost, it's now the Year of the Tiger, my year. So 새해복많이받으세요 ('Happy New Year') to everyone reading. The holiday (Lunar New Year, for those of you who are confused) for me was pretty low-key. Last year, I had an 'explosive' time in China (to say the least), but this year, I decided to save some money and stay local. Plus, with the holiday falling on Sunday, it was only a three-day weekend for me, which didn't give me much time to travel. (For those of you who don't know 살날, Lunar New Year, is a three-day holiday, but Korea has yet to adopt the much-loved Western custom of 'making-up' holidays that fall on weekends by letting employees stay home either the Friday before or Monday after). Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable three-day weekend, in which the highlights including walking around Olympic Park, finally finding a restaurant that sells quality Kimchi-jjigae, and riding the train the Yongmun, the last stop on the Junggang Line.

Funny, I'm just writing about this now. It's already been over a week. Seems like quite awhile ago...

The other major news is the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (I say 'start' very loosely, considering that they're now nearly over.) And with the Winter Olympics comes a number of interesting headlines.

The most visual is that of Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na, who is the heavy favorite to win gold in one of the women's events (I admit that I know very little to nothing about the sport). Korea has never won a gold (or maybe any medal at all in figure skating, for that matter) in figure skating, and by the sound of it, the locals here have already crowned her as the grand champion. She's Korea's darling, and is the embodiment of everything that is Korea. She's young, attractive, talented (though, quite possibly, overworked), and she appears in the papers and on the television constantly. I've even heard reports that, before she was conceived, her parents planned her birth, so that she would be born at the right time to have a perfect skating career...a little strange if you ask me. To top it off, her main rival is a Japanese girl, born a few days difference and the same pedigree. Tomorrow, is Yu-na's first routine. I don't care enough to watch it, but I entirely expect Korean society to shut down temporarily, so I might not have a choice. And if she doesn't win (an possibility that most people here will never even consider), ESPECIALLY if she loses to the Japanese girl, heads will roll...

For those of you who aren't keen on Korea's rivalry with Japan, it's a pretty big deal. I think it's rooted in Japanese colonization before WWII, and the way that the Korean people were treated at that time. Even today, a lot of people don't like Japan (though many have no problem traveling there), though very very people can actually tell you why. And the rivalry goes well beyond sports. It's territory, pride, and identity. The funny thing is I really don't think Japan cares half as much about this stuff as Korea does.

The other big Olympic news is that of American speed skater Apolo Ohno. While he has become a national hero in the US, as being the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, he has (not so quietly) become Korea's most reviled athlete. Korea pretty much has dominated the short track events this year, but everyone in this country really seems to have it out for Ohno. They call him a cheater, a bad sportsman, and they pin for competitive violations for which he was neither disqualified and obviously didn't commit. Sure, there is a history, that goes back to 2002 (you'll have to read the above link to figure out what I'm talking about), but things have gotten more than a little out of hand. Personally, I find it all a bit entertaining. It's not just that he's the biggest non-Korean name in a sport that has brought a lot of medals to the peninsula or that he's American. It's also that his dad is from...yep, you guessed it...Japan.

That's all for now. It's getting a bit late, and I'm in the last week of my vacation schedule, which means that I have to get up much earlier in the morning. Hopefully, I'll update again soon. Next week, my schedule will be back to normal. But we'll see.

In the meantime, go USA!

***

One final note:

For anyone considering watching the Korean movie '바보' (Babo, or 'fool'), don't do it. It's really not good...at all.

재미없어요!

Watch 과속스캔들 (English title, 'Scandal Makers') instead. Much, much better, and one of my new favorites.

***

Looks like YouTube has finally taken down the videos that I linked in my last post. I hope you had the chance to watch them.

Love Is Like a Pineapple, Sweet and Undefinable

2010-02-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

I should be sleeping now. For the next two weeks I'm back on a morning work schedule, which means that I have to get up at 7am. Today I was exhausted and it's already more than an hour later than I hoped to get to bed, but after what I just watched I have to post...

The topic of the day is a recent BBC documentary called 'Kim Jong Ill's Comedy Club' that has recently leaked it's way onto YouTube. The basic premise is this: Three Danish comedians (two of which are Korean adoptees, and one of whom is handicapped) travel to North Korea to put on a 'Danish cultural' comedy show for the local population of Pyongyang. Of course, they do have their own ulterior motives.

I'm sure it's popping up on Korea-related blogs all over the Internet in recent days, so it's only a matter of time before the BBC gets smart and pulls it. Do yourself a favor and watch it now, before it's too late...

Personally, I found this extremely touching. I don't know if it's because I've been in South Korea for the past year and a half or if it's just being human, but the innocence that the young comedian displays is truly heartbreaking. I think that of the three, he's on the one who gets it. When he cries in the hotel room and later refuses to participate in the political demonstration, I cried.

But then again, when they 'took a piss out of the great leader' (as the British would say) by reciting that nonsense poem in front of his station, I couldn't stop laughing.

This is quality filming of one of modern history's greatest tragedies.

***

One final thought about the whole North Korea situation. Some people wonder why the tiny country continues to stand as the only remaining memory of the Cold War. Of course it's only my opinion, but I now feel that if the Korean War didn't end in the division of the peninsula, there would be no longer be any Korean Communist Regime, no matter who won the war.

You have to really understand a bit about the Korean mindset, the idea of 'one Korea' (on either side of the border), and the age-old concept of 한 ('Han') to fully comprehend what I'm saying, but I do feel that it is that promise of unification that keeps Kim Jong Ill standing. There's no doubt that his people are brainwashed and kept in place by a reign of fear, but it's the hope and promise of reunion that allow people to accept the countless horrors against humanity that they've almost certainly witnessed. But if this dream was ever realized, there would be no reasons left to accept to accept the lies any longer.

People without food can live on lies, but those without hope will never be satisfied.

Gwanaksan, My Back Yard

2010-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

I took a short hike in the mountains on Saturday, and everything seemed to be coming out of a long sleep. I think the spring is coming, slowly. I sat on a rock by myself for about fifteen or twenty minutes, watching the sun set and visualizing the madness on the streets of Seoul, sitting (seemingly) peacefully well below me. It was a beautiful moment, cut too short, for fear that I would get caught in the woods after dark.

***

I better make it out to 'Little Manila,' before it's too late.

***

Listening to Capital Beefheart with the window open. Life is good.

Enough With the Robots Already

2010-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Robots can't feel love, but apparently they can act in Korean-style melodramas.

When It Comes to Asian Ice Hockey, No One Does It Better

2010-02-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Went to the another Anyang Halla hockey game this past weekend. It's the first one I've been to since sometime shortly after I got here, and it was a lot of fun. A 4-3 overtime victory for the home team, and a clinching of the top seed for the playoffs.

Congratulations guys!

***

Saw my janitor-buddy again after work today for the first time since the school went on winter vacation and I shifted to my vacation work schedule.

'Hey, you ready?'

'Yep, time to go home.'

'Okay. What's this?' (taking note of my beard and pointing to his face)

'Oh, yeah.'

'Why?' (not the first time I have been questioned for my beardiness)

'Oh, it keeps my face warm' (knowing what is coming, and giving the best excuse I can think of)

'You don't like it?'

'No.' (sigh, then quietly) 'You're less handsome'

'Haha, well sometimes I like it'

'You know what I think?'

'What?'

'I think you're just lazy'

'Haha, yeah...a little'

'You better shave'

I just leave it at that, as he lets me out the ever-locked back gate and saves me about 5 minutes walk to the subway station.

'Stay warm, it's cold'

'Thanks. I will. You, too' (running a finger across my chin for emphasis)

***

Just finished watching 'My Sassy Girl.' It's definitely a chick-flick, but a Korean classic and certainly worth your time. I'll admit it, my eyes watered a bit. Must be the dry heat...

...but then again, you're talking to a guy who embarrassed himself in front of his whole 2nd grade class, sobbing after watching 'Homeward Bound.'

Paranoid Android

2010-02-02T04:57:00.001-08:00

In response to my last post, I've come across a whole bunch of new articles in the local paper. It seems every time I load up the Korean times, I come across a new story about how Korean engineers are developing some new machine to put someone out of work and make life better for everyone else.

Golf Coaches

Maids

Firefighters

Surgery, Farming, and Valet Parking

School Security

Home Security

Questionable Activities

Scary...

A Bicycle Built for Two

2010-01-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Asia...the robot capital of the world, or so I have always been told. With new reports hitting the news on a seemingly daily basis about the newest technologies coming out of Tokyo, Seoul, or somewhere else in the Eastern hemisphere, one might expect to be overtaken by sensory overload of neon lights, robots, and people in space suits the minute they enter any of Asia's major international cities.

Fortunately or unfortunately, that's a bit more science fiction than real life, though I have always been a bit surprised and slightly disappointed by how non-futuristic my time here has been (though, I'm already living a day in the future from my family, 14 hours behind me, back home). Ok, that is more than a slight exaggeration. Seoul is perfectly fine and has met any realistic expectations I had before coming here. And when I was in Tokyo last year, I realized that it's just like any other city. Good or bad, I'm not sure. But it is what it is...

But is seems like Korea is beginning to take steps to fix two of it's largest domestic problems (that, of course, I say sarcastically). 1.) The previously-mentioned small robot population, and 2.) the increasingly large and increasingly annoying population of unqualified, foreign English teachers (such as myself). The solution is simple, apparently. In order to save money and advance Korea further ahead in the 21st century, 'experts' are beginning to talk about the possibility of replacing irresponsible, young Westerners with their own home-grown C-3PO clones. A solution, yes. A practical fix for the Korea's English dilemma, I'm not so sure.

I'm not going to say that no good can come out of this. The robots will be available to anyone, no matter where the school is located, and there is no need to convince overseas English teacher to move to rural, middle-of nowhere towns. They won't require a salary, housing, airfare, visa, and can't run to the labor board over 'unfair' discrimination. They'll never face the cultural differences that prevent overwork, won't go out at night trying to pick up local girls, and, best of all, they'll be able to work the students incredibly hard, without being programmed to 'feel' guilty (helping further the transformation of the student population into a kind of study-robot, themselves). Sounds good, right?

But come on, let's be serious here. Does anyone really want to learn a language from a robot? I don't care how well they're programmed, no robot is going to teach anyone to speak a language naturally and freely. I think we all know that. When I meet new people her, I can always tell who has learned English from books, computer programs, and audio tapes and never actually left the country. Although they may know a lot of words, their speech is choppy and doesn't flow naturally. They sound like robots themselves. So just think about what will happen if you replace their teachers (no matter how unqualified most of us might be) by robots. I can't imagine that it will end well...

Who knows what will really happen with all of this? We can only guess. But for anyone considering coming to Korea to teach English, I advise that you get here before 2018, when the visas run out. After then, recent college grads might have to stay home and find 'real' jobs. Either that, or they can try to work at the new amusement park.

빵구똥구

2010-01-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

Well, this has become a rarity over the past few weeks. An evening at home, a cup of coffee, good music, and enough time to sit and relax for a bit. Sure there are still at least six or seven other things that I could be doing right now, such as studying for my Korean class or practicing for my 단소 lesson tomorrow, but since I've been so busy lately and want to keep this blog active, I figured now is as good a time as ever to bring you up to speed. (By the way, I started using Google Analytics to track the number of views I'm getting on this site, and it seems that at least a few people actually ARE reading.)

I really don't know where to start, mainly because I'm not sure where I left off. I guess that there really hasn't been too much going on worth mentioning on here, though things have been happening. I've met with some friends whom I haven't seen in a very long time, I started a very part-time internship with TBSeFM, my hours at work have been shifted for the month, and I finally started taking my first formal Korean language course.

...which, by the way, here's a helpful hint for anyone in Seoul who wants to learn Korean. The Global Village Centers around town offer FREE Korean language courses year-round (as well as many other helpful services). Definitely worth checking out. I wish someone would have told me about them sooner...

Anyway, as usual, I've had a thousand things running through my head, even if I have not been able to get it down in writing. So in my unfortunate normal style, I'm just going to throw many of them at you, all at once.

Korea (especially Seoul) is a very trend-based economy. The recently developing trends of jazz music and Mexican restaurants (two of my favorite things on Earth) are really to my liking.
My God-like status to the students has quickly deminished. All of a sudden, everyone is carrying around a cube that they can solve much faster than I can. I guess I'm not the only one who's read the instructions.
I need to learn a few new magic tricks. The kids have very quickly caught on to the 'board marker up the sleeve' trick. Funny they keep asking me to do it, though.
Why does EVERY sandwich in this country have ham on it, even if it's a complete taste mismatch when juxtaposed with everything else between the slices?
I gotta get myself a library card. Went today, but it was one of two days a month that the library is closed.
My fridge is quite large, actually.
The world's a pretty neat place.
I want to learn to ride a motorcycle
I like the word 'motorbike' better.
I want to drive cross-country USA (maybe on a 'motorbike')
...
There's more to life than pentatonic scales.
Obama really needs to stop 'lauding Korean Education.' In recent reports, he apparently reiterated this claim, and the Korean media again ate it up. Please don't fall for this, fellow Americans. Don't get me wrong, I love Korea, but I want my kids to grow up without the ultra-competitiveness of all-day (and night, including weekends and holidays) over-education and exhaustion that kids face here. Sure it looks good on paper, but kids need to be kids.
Seoul's really not so bad.
I should sew those buttons back on...

I'm sure there's more, but I better stop before the list gets too long. There are at least one or two other topics that I'm trying to save for their own, dedicated posts, so hopefully I'll get around to that soon. Anyway, thanks for withstanding my onslaught of ideas and thoughts. You're probably not better off for it, but at least I feel better.

And as always, don't take no wooden nickels...

Thoughts on Cambodia

2010-01-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

I didn't know if I'd ever get around to writing about my recent trip to Cambodia. It's been about three weeks since I got back, and I've just been so busy. I thought that maybe it's been to long, but I found myself writing a lot about it in an email to one of my friends today. I figured that this would be a good time to update (sorry that it's been nearly 2 weeks since my last real post), and that instead of typing a whole new post, I could just cut and paste a part of my very long email. It might be a bit incoherent because I typed it very quickly, but I hope someone finds it valuable...

"...Cambodia was amazing. I'm not sure if you saw any photos from the trip, but it was a really interesting (and sad) place. Once the 'Pearl of Asia,' Phnom Penh has been ripped by poverty and civil war (of which the mass killings are only on par, and maybe surpass, the Holocast) over the past few decades. Now it's just struggling to make it, with people doing whatever they can to make an extra dollar. I've never thought of $1 as a lot of money, but being there, it is. When someone quotes you a price for something, and it happens to be around $1, you have to step back and think if you're getting overcarged. That's a bit weird. And the corruption of their 'free democratic' government is unreal. It's one of the poorest places in the world, and the only development that seems to be happening is development that is gifted by foreigner people and foreign governments. Very eye-opening.

When I was there, I was able to visit one of the 'better-off' villages outside the city. And let me tell you, they didn't have much (sometime not even safe, clean water to drink). But they seemed happy. Just like when I was in Mongolia (which I've been thinking about going back to more and more lately), the people (outside the cities) don't seem to be too preoccupied with the 'things' they don't have. Yes, they might be struggling to get enough food, but no one cares about the things that people in our country obsess about. And as hard as things are, I think people really enjoy their lives. Strange that having a hard life can be happier than an easy one, right? Maybe that's not as much of a contraction as it seems. And the whole thing makes me rethink what the word 'poverty' really means. In the US, it's when some parent can't get enough money together to buy their kids that much-wanted Nintendo game for a Christmas. To them, that's the end of the world, but in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing. At least they have food, and, as bad as things get, no one is dying. There is a 'poverty line' in the US, but maybe we have no right to use that word.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. Most of my trip was actually spent sightseeing and climbing on the ruins of 1000-year-old temples. But there were some jarring images and places. Oh, not to mention that there are still somewhere between 5 and 6 MILLION unexploded landmines hidden out there that are injuring people every day and thousands of military-grade weapons that are unaccounted for (many in the hands of the general population). It's a place that needs a lot of help if it ever wants to return to it's former glory. But sadly, because of the corruption, dishonesty, and the 'me-first' attitude of many of the people, I'm not sure if it can ever get there. I hope I'm wrong."

One final note about the whole 'Pearl of Asia' thing above that actually relates to Korea. When I was in Cambodia, particularly Phnom Penh, I couldn't help but thinking about how these two countries have taken very different paths in recent history. In the middle of the 20th century, Cambodia was a semi-colony of the French, and Phnom Penh was one of the hottest spots in Asia. At the same point, Korea was surviving a war of their own and was one of the poorest places on the planet. I'm sure no one at the time ever would have imagined that things would have turned out how they did.

It's good news for Korea and tragic news for Cambodia. The former is one of the history's greatest success stories, and the other is one of it's saddest.

I'll try to post again soon...

Should Be Posting, Should Be Sleeping

2010-01-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

I feel bad. I know I've promised to post more often, but obviously it's been nearly a week since my last update. But it's far too late now.

Honestly, I've been busy.

I'll try to write in the morning.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2010-01-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Really not sure what I'm going to write about today. It's Sunday morning, I woke up late, and I just feel like flexing my fingers a bit. Like so many other bloggers in world, I've pledged to start writing more often. And like most New Year resolutions, I'd be surprised if I keep up with it for more than a month...or even a week. On that note, here are a few other promises that I'm making to myself for 2010. Not that anyone really cares, but if I put it in writing and make it public, then maybe I'm more apt to actually make an attempt.

Stop Wasting So Much Time at Home, Be Productive: The motherload of all resolutions. The one that everyone makes, but few succeed. And the fate of all my other 'resolutions' fall squarely on whether or not this one stands up. But as a resolution in and of it self, it means saying goodbye to Farmville (which has quickly lost all enjoyment, though remains addicting) and Madden.
Read More, Write More: Straight-forward enough New blog is still going strong.
Music: As I'm sure I've said before, music has been my life for most of my life, but I've really fallen out of the loop the past two years. Still, though, I get really excited anytime I see a good concert, read an interesting article, open up ProTools, or actually pull out my saxophone (which is currently lodged between my refrigerator and a desk). The trick becomes kindling that fire before it fades again.
Learn to Paint: I know this isn't the first time this has been mentioned here. Bought a paint set near 9 months ago. Still unopened.
Study Korea Harder: I'm actually making ground on this one. Signed up for my first formal class. Think I'll start next week.
Exercise: More for health than anything, but I'd be pretty badass if I was ripped.
Get Out of Seoul More: Again, this one's nothing new. Been pretty good about this one recently, as well.
Figure Out What to Do With My Life: Who isn't? At least I should figure out what to do next year.

I'm sure there's more to list, but I don't want to bore everyone here. Plus, I think that's enough. Chances are I'll fail at at least 5 of these, so I don't want to get too overly ambitious.

I was going to write about a few other things, but it seems I've run out of time. I'll just have to stick to this for now. More updates soon (I hope).

***

Random Korean Slang (Translated into English) of the Day

High Nose Bridge (noun) - Directly relates to a favorable physical trait and is used to refer to an individual who has a inflated sense of self-worth or importance. Similar to the expression 'stuck-up' or 'raised nose' in English.

Usage: "The girl had such a high nose bridge and refused to eat anywhere but the finest restaurants."

Cambodian Whiteout

2010-01-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

새해 복 많이 받아요!

That's how you say 'Happy New Year' in Korea. So, happy 2010 to everyone reading this. I hope that it's a good one for all of you. I look back and realize how much has happened in the past 12 months, and I just can believe it. Looking forward to what comes next.

So far it's been of a crazy year. As I may or may not have told you, I was in Cambodia for about 8 days between Christmas and New Years. It was a really interesting trip. I'm not going to go into too many details now, but it was my first time in Southeast Asia and was unlike any place I've ever been in before. It's hard to imagine living through the poverty, war, and corruption that the Khmer people have had to deal with. It was really an eye-opening experience for me.

I enjoyed my trip, traveling alone (always interesting), climbing through ruined 1000 year-old temples, and basking in the tropical heat. But a day after returning, I was greeted by a record snowfall, which nearly shut down the city of Seoul. Roads were useless, public transportation was in shambles, and in true Korean style, no one stayed home from work. Instead, everyone insisted on taking the subway, and my regular 30 minute commute to work took around 2 hours and 15 minutes. If you look at the cellphone picture below, you can see that the queue overflowed the platform and extended up the stairs, over the above platform, and out the turnstiles. I've seen some crowded trains but never anything near this. I waited about an hour and half just to get close enough to board a train, and when I did, it was painfully crowded.

25 cm (roughly 10 in.) doesn't sound like much accumulation from where I come from (and even in other parts of Korea), but in Seoul it's a whiteout. The city is simply not equipped with the tools, trucks, and plows to get everything back to normal quickly. For a few days, I've seen construction equipment, men with wagons, and loads and loads of road salt used to help the city get back to it's equilibrium. And it's almost there (however exceedingly wet and soggy), though it seems new records are being set. The winter of January 2010 is quickly becoming one to forget.

Luckily for me, I guess, the snow didn't come a day sooner. It would have really screwed things up with my return flight to Seoul. I could have been stuck in Cambodia or Vietnam for a few extra days. I would have missed work and not been paid, but looking back at it, maybe that wouldn't have been so bad.

Ok, it's getting late. I'm tired and I feel like my writing is starting to lose it's coherency (though maybe that happened a long time ago). There were one or two other things that I was going to mention, but my brain is shutting down. I'll try to write again soon. Maybe tomorrow, but don't hold me to it.

***

One final thought:

I find it strange that Seoulites pull out their umbrellas when it starts to snow. I guess it makes sense, but I could never imagine anyone doing that back home in the USA. However, here, when the flakes begin to fall, you'd think that the forecast was calling for heavy showers. Weird. Interesting. Different.

메리 크리스마스

2009-12-25T01:14:00.002-08:00

I just wanted to take the chance to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas (or whatever you'll be celebrating in your own way). I had a great time the past two days, and I want to thank all of my friends and family for making it special (plus, the weather gods for the few flakes of snow that fell in Seoul this evening). I was hoping to give you a much longer post, but it's very late, and I'm leaving for my vacation in only a few hours.

For the next week or so, I'll be in Cambodia and more than likely I won't have time to post. So it looks like this will be it for this year. I'll tell you all about my trip when I get back...

...in 2010.

Make a Smilebox greeting

The Cost of Beauty

2009-12-19T20:30:00.001-08:00

(This post has been pieced together from something I read in the newspapers today and a post that I started about six months ago, but never finished. Hope it's not too incoherent.)

I came across this today, while looking at the newspapers. I know that I'm no expert on nutrition, but something tells me that living on only 800 calories per day cannot be healthy, especially for young girls. And the sad thing is that I know this kind of nonsense is happening all over the entertainment industry in nearly every developed country in the world. Still, these girls are pop idols, who represent and are role models for many young girls in this country and in Asia as a whole (hence the name, 'Girls Generation'). I really hope this doesn't spark some sort of movement for young girls to copycat the 'Girls Generation Diet,' in vain efforts to stay abnormally thin.

And that's only the beginning. It's no secret to the world that South Koreans have an ever-increasing love affair with plastic surgery. It's an easy thing to overlook for anyone who's new to the county, but it's not long before you start noticing all the 'aesthetic clinics' around town, the abnormally shiny-faced women, or the fact that no one on television looks like a normal human being. There's a procedure for everything: double eyelids, high nose bridge, S-line, V-line, calf augmentation, facial bone structuring, skin resurfacing (my co-teacher at the old job had this a few months ago, and all the other teachers gathered around in admiration as if her new face was a new pair of shoes), breast augmentation, and who knows what else (though, ironically, using braces to get your teeth aligned is only recently coming into favor). Even outside of entertainment, for some families, a child's first aesthetic 'medical' procedure is a coming-of-age moment, fully funded by parents and loved ones. Even men are doing it.

Korea (and the whole developed world, in general) really needs to find a new definition of 'beauty.' I'm not saying that everyone here thinks this way, I know it's only a small (but still disturbingly large) percentage of the population, but this just isn't acceptable. Not everyone is exceptionally attractive, and not everyone needs to be. Young girls (and boys) should be told that they're fine just the way they are. There's nothing wrong with being average.

As a wise man once said...

It's you I like

Not the clothes you wear

Not the way you do your hair

But it's you I like

The way you are right now

The way down deep inside you

Not the things that hide you

Not your toys, they're just beside you

But it's you I like

Every part of you

Your skin, your eyes, your feelings

Whether old or new

So I hope that you remember

Even when you're feeling blue

That it's you I like, it's you yourself, it's you

It's you I like

(was going to post a video here, but it seems YouTube is doing a better job of policing copy-written material).

Gee...

'서비스' : My Favorite Korean Word

2009-12-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

Below is a post a thought up a few weeks ago. Just now getting to putting it into writing:

Let's be honest. Korean is not the world's most beautiful language. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad, but it certainly doesn't roll off the tongue as elegantly as French, Italian, or any other of the European Romance Languages. But often missed amongst the confusion of traditional formalities, there is a certain grace in many words and expressions, from which an accurate English translation could never be formulated. One of those words is '서비스.'

Taken literally, '서비스' means 'service' in the English language. Actually, the Hangul and spoken form come straight from English. And even though '서비스' ends up sounding more like 'sah-bi-seu' than the accepted Webster pronunciation, it's obvious where this neo-Korean word originated. However, taken in a cultural context, '서비스' and it's older brother 'service' have vastly different meanings.

In my homeland (and I assume most other Western countries in the world), service is the opposite of a product (at least that's what they teach you in university business classes). It's something that is essential to running a successful company (or may be what you actually sell), but always comes at a significant cost. It's being treated well at a restaurant (don't forget to add your 15-20% tip), having your questions answered at a department store, getting your car fixed, or receiving quick, clean, and efficient medical treatment (for the low-low cost of half your life's savings). We've become a 'service culture,' where there is very little manufacturing and physical buying and selling. It's supposedly a step-up from the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century (I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't remember much from the good old days of the IR). Service is a requirement, and if anyone ever accuses your company of having 'bad service,' you better watch out for the next issue of Consumer Digest.

But as I mentioned before, '서비스' in Korea, though rooted in the same concept, has a very different connotation. '서비스' can be translated more or less to 'getting stuff for free.'

'서비스' is a beautiful thing. It's getting 14 apples for the price of 12 without asking, being served free Tequila shots worth twice as much as the two beers you just ordered (yeah, Brandon, I just went there), having an hour of 노래방 (karaoke) last for an hour and a half, finding the most random things taped to the side of the cereal you are about to buy (I admit it. I've bought corn flakes just to get the free coffee mug sticking awkwardly to the box), free food from your favorite small restaurant (no tip necessary), having your hair washed for free after your $5 haircut, getting a free case, extra battery, and memory card with your new camera, and so much more. Basically, it's pretty sweet.

And to top it all off, '서비스,' if not provided automatically, can often be ordered like most anything else on the menu (though usually more successfully by Koreans than foreigners). I can't tell you how many times I've gone somewhere and heard my friends call over an attendant and ask '서비스 주세요' ('Service, please'). Next thing you know, you've got a free plate of fresh fruit or an extra accessory thrown in with your high-ticket purchase.

Maybe it's the competitive nature of people and businesses. Maybe it's the group mentality. Maybe it's the desire to please. I really don't know. But '서비스' is a beautiful, beautiful word.

***

Two final thoughts:

I just found out that that strange-looking church near my house is totally a cult. They've stopped me before when I was walking home and tried to get me to come in for tea, but suddenly I 'had plans.' I'm not going to mention it by name, for fear that they might somehow find me, but go ahead and do a search on Google if you want to read more. I'm sure there aren't too many female-dominated cults that think Korea is the new Zion, so you can probably find it if you look hard enough. In the meantime, I might be rerouting my walk to the subway (should I be worried that this entry ends up second in the search results?).

So glad people are allowed to say the word 'Christmas' in this country. I was catching up on a few of my favorite American TV shows, only to see that almost all of them were making fun of how P.C. the holidays have become back home. I understand the need to not offend any voters or sponsors, but sometimes political correctness goes a little too far.

...do I have to mention it?

Living the North Korean Dream?

2009-12-13T06:26:00.001-08:00

Alright, I'm back and still listening to 'Charlie Brown Christmas' (my playcount is steadily rising). As I mentioned before, my brother was here for about a week and a half, so I've been busy and unable to update. It was a really good time for both him and I, and I was so happy that he was finally able to make it out to see me. It was a bit sad to see him go, but there was no time for emotional goodbyes, as we woke up an hour later than anticipated, and he nearly missed his plane.

But yeah, it was great to see him again. We did so much while he was here, and actually, I found a few places in Seoul that I'm not used to visiting. I realize now that I spend most of my time in the same two or three places, when there is a whole lot more out there than I realize. I'll have to do some further exploring later.

And no, in case you're wondering, my brother was not fantasizing of running away to North Korea. The title of this post actually has to do with a discussion that I had with my Korean friend (who is currently working through his required two-year military service along the Northern border). I met him for breakfast last week (while my brother was at home sleeping), and he was telling me a story about a recent event in which a South Korean man decided that he wanted to 'run away' to the North a few weeks ago. Apparently no one knew about it until the South Korean army started receiving transmissions that the other side 'had one of their men,' and since, certain new security measures were being implemented. Strange that I never read about this in the newspaper (and couldn't really find any mention of it in a quick search I did after our meeting), but I guess that South Korea has nothing to gain by advertising the escape of one of it's citizens. Not the smartest idea, I guess, but good like, buddy. I hope you didn't enjoy eating too much.

Since it's been awhile since I've been able to post, I've scribbled a few notes that I'm now trying to decipher. Strange that my handwriting seemed so much clearer and easy to read when I was writing...so now here's my regular splatter of thoughts.

***

Was on the subway the other day with my brother. An older Korea man approached us as his station was getting closer and he moved closer to the door. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he turns to me.

'Handsome boy'

'Uhh...thank you'

'Russian?' (as he starts patting the side of my face)

'No, American'

'Handsome boy'

Did he just ask me if I was Russian???

***

Teaching at school. In the textbook there is a picture of an African-American boy.

'OBAMA!!!' The class starts to shout in unison. (sigh)

***

Leaving work last week. The janitor (who can speak decent English) sees me and starts talking.

'Going home?'

'Yep'

'You married?' (a very standard question)

'Nope. Someday, though.'

'You have a girlfriend?'

'No'

'Then how are you ever going to get married???'

'Um, I guess I'll have to find one'

'In Korea?' (this question is also standard, but it's hard to tell sometimes whether the asker is being suspicious of the foreigner or suggestive. I think he was being suggestive.)

'I don't know. Maybe'

'You better get on that fast'

I couldn't help but laugh silently. Not sure he was trying to be funny.

***

The Korean education system continues to be unnecessarily competitive. My student (who is in 3rd grade, I think) was upset because she got 95%, 95%, and 100% on her three end of term tests. 'So bad, so bad,' she kept repeating. I tried to comfort her by telling her that she did really well and not to be upset. 'No, my mom is going to be mad.' Korean parents really need to stop thinking that anything less than perfect is bad.

***

Teaching again. Another random comment from the students.

'Teacher, your nose is big'

'Surgery?'

Nope, my high-nose bridge is all-natural.

***

Bought a small Christmas tree for 5,000원. Been up and down a bit lately. Going to try to stay good on my promise to update more often.

And, as always, check out my other blog. I'm not going to proofread this one.

Linus and Lucy

2009-12-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

It's December, and you know what that means? It's time to pull out Vince Guaraldi's 'Charlie Brown Christmas' album. To me, it's one of the greatest albums off all time (in any style) and it's sad that there is only one month a year that you can listen to it in good conscience. I pulled it out earlier this evening, and I'm already on my third go around. I've got the next 30 days to get my yearly fill.

***

As I mentioned earlier, my brother is on his way now and will be here early tomorrow morning. Actually, today was his birthday, but due to a 14 hour flight and a 14 hour time difference between Pittsburgh and Seoul, it was completely lost. I'm sure he won't really mind, though.

I'm really glad that he's finally got the chance to come out here. Ever since I first moved to Korea, a lot of people have told me that they were going to come visit me. And so far, no one has. It's great for me because it's the first time that I can really show someone around (except for the few friends I have who visited from other Asian countries) and it's the only time I'll get to see my brother for the next 9 months. And I'm really happy for him, too. The two of us have always been very close, and we've often talked about traveling together. But in all the traveling I've done, this is his first. I'll be busy the next week and a half running him around, but I really want to make this a memorable trip for him.

***

Speaking of traveling, I'm trying to firm up my own travel plans for the end of this month. As it looks right now, I might try to go to Cambodia and visit the ruins at Angkor Wat, but it still depends on a few things. I hear that this is the best time of year to go there, and it will be a nice, warm change to the cold oncoming Korean winter.

***

Been back just about 3 months. I can't believe it. It still seems like not too long ago that I finished my first three months. Time is going fast, but luckily I've still got at least 9 more months to enjoy my life in Korea.

***

As I hinted before, last weekend was great. So far I'm doing really good on my resolution to start making better use of my time. I was off on Friday to so I headed out to the middle of no where in Jeollabuk-do to visit an American friend that I met in Mongolia. It was a short but really interesting trip. I got to see a totally different side of life in a Korea and meet a totally different group of foreign English teachers (of which my friend, at 30, was noticeably the youngest). It's interesting because we both live in the same country, but I know we've got completely different takes on what life in Korea is all about.

I came back after lunch on Saturday for a great Thanksgiving turkey dinner with my friends at Big Rock Brewery in Kangnam. It was really good because our relationship has been a bit tense and confused lately, but I think we've finally ironed things out. Plus, I was definitely thankful to get some turkey, which is near impossible to come by in this country. For any other foreigners here, the brewery is also going to have a turkey dinner for Christmas. They're making reservations now, so call early if you're interested.

***

Whew! That's a lot of stuff. I'm not going to even attempt to look back and reread it to make sure it makes sense. I'm probably going to be really busy while my brother is here, so it might be quite awhile before my next update. We'll see. Don't lose faith. I know I've been posting pretty sparingly since August, but I will be back.

***

A few closing thoughts:

Saw a CCTV van on the way to work a few days ago. Come on, seriously? CCTV is everywhere in this country, but I think it's a bit harsh to start driving around, filming people walking on the sidewalks.
One of my 4th grade students came to class last week with a fake-vintage style T-shirt with a huge pot leaf on it and some sort of classy motto about 'pure hallucinogen,' or something like that. I've seen some pretty messed-up T-shirts, but is this country so English-challenged and naive about drugs that the girl, her friends, her parents, AND her school had no idea what she was wearing?
There was something else, but I forget.

***

Keep checking out my other blog. It's getting bigger, but (like this one) I'm not sure if anyone's reading it.

Oido

2009-11-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

Partially in response to my claim that I needed to attempt to start doing more exciting things again, I decided to head out to a little-known spot south of Seoul. Oido, or 오이도 (which, to my disappointment does NOT translate to cucumber island), is a peaceful escape from the madness that is everyday Seoul. And only about an hour away from Sandang Station on Line #4 (the light blue line), it's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Actually, I have no idea what sparked my interest in the humble little island (though the cucumbers were lacking, at least I think it's an island). I've never heard of anyone talking about going there, and it isn't mentioned in any travel books that I've seen. Maybe it was just an urge to find something new or the fact that I'm constantly transferring on Line #4 and staring at Oido as the last stop to the South. I really don't know, but in any case, I headed down there with my best friend Jenny a week or two ago, and what we found far exceeded the few exceptions that we had.

I can't say that there's particularly too much to do there, but Oido is a great place for a walk along the sea, where you can see Ansan city in the distance. If you come early, you can climb to the top of the lighthouse, visit the seafood markets, and walk down to the muddy beaches before enjoying a fresh seafood lunch or dinner (I think fried clams are the famous dish around here, but we went for the seafood kalguksu, noodles). After eating, you can watch the tide come and in a leave shortly after sunset.

Like I said, Oido isn't the most terribly exciting place on earth, but it makes for a great, quiet afternoon. There were few people and no other foreigners (which is surprising, this close to Seoul) while we were there. Though it's not as well-known, I enjoyed it more than the other more famous seaside attractions (such as Wolmido Park in Incheon). I highly recommend that you check out Oido if you have the time.

P.S. You'll have to take a bus once you get out of Oido station to get to the main area. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the number is 30-2. In any case, you should have no problem finding the bus stop, as there should be plenty of people waiting. And you'll know when to get off since almost everyone else will get off, as well.

****

Sorry for my travel-book like description. It seemed to make more sense to type it this way than to try to write a narrative. Anyway, here are some pictures.

****

On a side note, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was pretty good and, luckily, was not a repeat of last year. I'll tell you more later.

My brother's coming on Thursday!

Kim Jong Il, The Average Guy

2009-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Kim Jong Il was born south of the DMZ. Certainly he wouldn't be one of the world's most feared (and laughed at) dictators. What would life be like for the figurehead of Communist Korea if he grew up in the uber-capitalist south? ...(dreamy harp music)...

...I imagine that maybe he'd be one of those guys who's always selling stuff on the subway like it's a reputable business endeavor. Every day, he'd come in a nicely-pressed business suit (unfortunately, he'd have to leave the signature shades at home) and try to convince thousands of sleepy, overworked, and annoyed commuters that now was the time to purchase pop music's 100 Greatest Hits CD box set. He'd wheel his blue luggage container onto the upcoming train, turn up his boombox, and let 'er rip. Soon, the voice of John Denver (for which the proper reproduction or performance rights definitely went unpaid) would fill in the gaps between the people on the already crowded train. Before long, MC Kim would unleash his own verbal appeal for everyone to buy the CDs before they run out. Only half the sleeping patrons would open their eyes. Two or three would listen out of amusement. One lonely foreigner would consider taking a photograph for his mother back in Canada. And no one would ever buy anything.

After 'work,' maybe Mr. Kim would walk down to the local street food seller and order 순대 and 소주 . He'd eat under the tent (yes, believe it or not, he would have to feed himself) with his buddies. Drunk on rice liquor and filled with the 'best damn noodle-stuffed intestines on this half of the peninsula' he'd wander home and possibly relieve himself in a nearby alley (or out in the open) on the way. On a daily basis, he'd consider the impossible question of what he would do if he was king of the world.

He'd return home around 11pm to find his only wife (seriously, who gets by with only ONE wife???) and kids still awake. He'd sit down and watch a few sappy dramas with the Mrs. while the kids study. 'Dad, I'm tired. I want to go to bed,' says Jong-Chul. 'You'll never get into Harvard with that attitude,' replies the loving father (yes, he know more about Ivy-League schools than any American parent). Then Jong-Un teases his brother for not being able to name all nine members of 소녀시대. They fight and afterwards begin pestering their father because their LG handphones are six months obsolete. 'Boys, boys!' he'd say. 'You can't have everything in this world.'

The news would come on and the reporter looks anxious. Seems that 'madman' in North Korea is threatening nuclear war on Seoul, again. 'Haven't we heard this before?' he'd ask himself. 'That guy really needs to find a job and learn to make an honest living (yawns).' Ignoring the 'news' he changes the channel. Starcraft on cable before bed. Mr. Kim loves dreaming about controlling the galaxy's largest army.

Kim Jong Il would read the Bible and drift to sleep in his chair. At some point everyone would go to bed. Tomorrow would be another day. Just like today...

A Simple Revelation

2009-11-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

After a near-two-week hiatus, I've posted twice now in the past two days. Pretty surprising. Think I'll keep up? Probably not.

I had a simple revelation today, while I was at home sweeping my floor. Actually I spent a lot of time at home the past two days. With most of my friends busy or away and the weather being quite cold, it seemed like my best option was staying at home, sitting in front of the computer, or just generally being lazy. Pretty pathetic I guess, but staying at home and having some time to yourself isn't always a bad thing.

Anyway, I realized that part of the reason I never update this blog is because life in general isn't as exciting as it used to be. That's not to say that I'm not enjoying my time here or that life has become boring, because that certainly isn't true. I can honestly say that my life now is as good or better than it ever has been. But what I mean is that I just don't feel like I've been making the best use of my time since I moved to Seoul. It seems as if life in Korea has now just become life. I'm so comfortable here and so adapted to the day-to-day that the novelty of being in a foreign country has largely worn off. No longer are weekends an adventure, wandering around Seoul looking for something new. Temples, palaces, and tourist traps don't really interest me anymore. I can now understand why many of my friends who were born and grew up here have never say that I (and other foreigners) know more about the sights in Seoul than they do.

So is life stale? No. I've just come to the realization that I can't take things as they come any longer. I've seen most of what is immediately around me, but I'm still missing so much of the hidden side of Korea. So in order to keep learning and discovering new things, I need to plan my time to see all those places that I've been meaning to see but just never got around to: Dongdaemun, Norangjin Fish Market, Seodaemun, and countless concert halls and art galleries. If I don't make a point to seek change, I'll never find it.

And what about the rest of this country? I've living in the chosen illusion that Korea is little more than Seoul and it's outskirts. Sure it's one of the biggest cities in the world, centered in a very small nation, but there are so many places outside of Seoul for me to see. Nothing is too far to do in a day or two. With winter coming, I'm apt to make excuses to stay home, but I need to organize day trips to other cities and the countryside. I've been here long enough to know that if I don't actively try to get out of Seoul, I never will. And if I leave here never seeing what is outside of Seoul, I'll know that I missed a great opportunity.

So that's my thought of the evening. Hopefully, I'll make this happen, and I'll share my experiences. It's not that I had a bad weekend. I just don't want what happened to become the norm.

And So It Goes...

2009-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Has it really been nearly two weeks since my last update? I guess it has, but I really have no idea where the time has gone. Last time I was motivated and ready to go back to my old posting ways, but alas, here I am again. Sorry about that.

So what have I been up to? Honestly, it's been so long that I really don't know. I was sick there for awhile (was it before or after my last post?), and though I had the time to sit down and type up an overdue update, the thought of it, along with the sickness, the discovery of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' and a slight addiction to Madden NFL computer games caused that to never happen. Don't worry, though, I didn't have swine flu. I'm still alive, though it seems that the cure isn't even safe. Whatever I had, however, was pretty nasty. I was at the doctor twice, taking packets of who-knows-what-kind-of-pills to cure who-knows-what. Slowly, I've recovered, but I have to admit that I was a little nervous talking to a 'doctor' who didn't seem to speak any English, wore a bowtie, and diagnosed me in less than five minutes.

I'm better now and just trying to get things back in shape. Actually, right after recovering from my cold, I was visited by my college friend (who lives and is married in China) for a few days. It was good to see him again, but honestly, it was just as good to see him leave. I don't want to say that I didn't enjoy his company, but it was hard work showing him around for four days after work, with little time for myself and to get things organized. So when he was gone, I spent the entire first evening at home, cleaning and reorganizing my life, which had been falling further and further out of grasp since the beginning of the month.

So now it's mid-November. The leaves are still on the trees (have I ever mentioned how much I love Korea in autumn?), but it won't be for long. It's going to get pretty cold tomorrow, and we might even get our first snow. Been thinking recently, though, that no matter how much I hate the cold, I still really like the winter. I'll just stay warm with my heated floor (one of mankind's greatest inventions) and try not to get sick. And I'll try to use my time indoors to post more often.

***

A few final notes:

Last Wednesday (11/11) was 빼빼로 Day, a really silly holiday. I'm not going to say too much about it, but you can read what I wrote last year. I still don't understand Korean capitalism, but it's far more intense than the good ol' American type. At least back at home, massive corporations (or 재벌, as they're called here) are stopped before they own their own holidays. That being said, I think I still have some leftover chocolate covered sticks...

Recently, my Korean friend's friend had a baby. I know that that in itself is nothing unusual. But I found really interesting here is that, after giving birth, the mother and her new daughter were kept in a special hospital for TWO WEEKS before they could go home. Apparently, post-birth care is a really big deal here. Of everything I've heard and seen since arriving here, that is one thing I just can't get my head around. Back home, women have babies and go home the same day (if they can ship them out that fast) or the next.

***

That's all for now. It's getting late, so I'm not going to proofread. I'll try to write again soon. I know I say that everytime, but I really mean it...at least I hope I do.

...and even if this blog has been lacking updates, the new one hasn't. Check it out.

Winter Is Coming

2009-11-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Bicycles on the Subway!

It's so hard to believe that it has been about two months since I returned to Korea. I've been busy and have done a lot since I got back, but I still can't seem to figure where my time has gone. It feels like it should still be summer, but despite my unwillingness to accept the reality, winter is coming on us quickly. And it is only now that I realize how much I hate Korean winter.

I've been meaning to update for quite a while now. I don't know what my problem has been, but I'm starting to feel like this blog is slowly dying. I've been lazy, sick (which is why this post has been delayed at least three days), and generally busy. It's not that I've lost interest. I'd really like to keep it going. But it's that after two months, I still have not found a good time to regularly sit down and give everyone back home an update. And it's only on a sleepless night like tonight (where at 3:30am I have given up on countless efforts to fall asleep), that I can sit down and write. Really hope that that doesn't become the norm, but I really don't think it will.

One thing that I can say is that over the past few weeks I feel like I have begun to find my music again. As I'm sure I mentioned before, I went to the Jarasum Jazz Festival a few weekends ago, and I have to say that it is quickly becoming one of the world's greatest jazz festivals. In just two days, I saw Pat Martino, Enrico Rava, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, and countless others. As far as playing, I've finally found a new 단소 (danso, a Korean flute) instructor who is a million times better than the one that I had last year and is giving me free lessons in exchange for English. Also I've bought a guitar, and I have found a group of musicians who I can play jazz with on Sunday nights. That for me might be the most exciting thing because only after being here a year have I had the chance to actually play music with other people. Not sure where any of that will lead, but it's exciting to return a bit to the life that I lived for four years as a music student in college.

Other than that, I'm not sure what exciting things I have to tell. I've been studying Korean a lot more, but I'm still far from functional in most circumstances. Halloween was uneventful. Swine flu hysteria is still out of control. Work is still work as normal. I don't know. The subways now expressly allow bicycles and are even implementing new cars with special bike zones (see picture above). Unfortunately, the cars are often too crowded to even consider trying to squeeze a bicycle into them. I'm running out of things to say, maybe because it's so late. I think I should try again to fall asleep.

Sorry for my long-overdue and incoherent post. At least I'm starting to feel tired. I'll just leave you with one interesting article from today in the Korea Times before I go back to bed.

P.S. Check out my new blog, if you haven't already. I'm going to keep plugging it for awhile to see if I can generate some regular traffic. At least for now, it's getting updated a whole lot more often than this one is

'He is Die'

2009-10-22T08:18:00.001-07:00

...so goes the common response that I get 95% of the time when a student is absent or late from class and I ask everyone else, "Where is -----?" I guess they think it's pretty funny to constantly kill their peers in their minds and see them miraculously resurrect themselves ten minutes later, walking through the door, fifteen minutes late.

***

Speaking of people who didn't die, my good friend B recently came down with something wicked. More than likely, he had the dreaded H1N1 (sounds like the name of a new K-pop girl group) and recovered just fine. We'll never know for sure, however, since he refused to skip work and go to the doctor.

I saw him once as he was recovering. I isn't die, either.

***

There's a version of musical chairs. It's called, "Last Seat on The Bus, Who Gets Stuck Sitting Next to the Foreigner?" In many ways, it can be kind of nice, since I can be almost certain that 99% of the time, I won't be crowded and squashed into a tiny bus seat. But it can also be a bit annoying. Thoughts of 'why won't anybody sit with me?' scream through my head, and when someone is forced to take my side, it's never the pretty girls or friendly college guys. It's usually an old woman, or some drunk middle-aged or bitter young man. Never do they talk to me, and I've even heard sighs of defeat when someone boards the bus, looks down, and realizes that the only empty seat is right next to me, staring them in the face.

I feel like Jenny from Forrest Gump: "You can sit heya' if you wan' to..."

Sometimes they just prefer to stand.

The New Blog Is Here!

2009-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Consider this my official announcement. I know I've been hinting at it for a few weeks, but finally I feel like my new blog is ready. Please, check it out, and if you like it, tell everyone you know. It's a bit different from Steve Thoughts, so I hope that it will act as a completely independent project and should not interfere with my posting here. Anyway, I'm not sure who (or if anybody) will link it, but have a look and decide for yourself. Here's the link:

http://seoulsounds.wordpress.com

I hope you enjoy and keep reading.

-Steve

Olleh!

2009-10-15T01:58:00.001-07:00

'Olleh.' Apparently the well-know Spanish language interjection 'Olé' is actually 'Hello' spelled backwards. At least that's what I've been told many, many times from people who have put a little too much interest in the (not so new) cellphone advertisements. It's really nothing new. Another cultural phenomenon started by a cellphone company. It's not the first time this has happened since I've been here, and it certainly won't be the last. But for the time being, I have to constantly listen to my students joyfully should 'Olleh!' (not 'Olé!) every time something happens that they like. It's kind of cute, but gets annoying quickly.

***

In class the other day, one of my students suddenly interrupted with, "Teacher! D----'s sister is a singer." Kind of out of nowhere, the entire class suddenly got restless. They were excited when they found out that she was in the new group B2Y, even if they've never heard of them before (at least I know I hadn't). And with that, I suddenly lost my stance as the most popular person in the classroom. No more interest in studying English. All anyone cared about from that point on was autographs.

"Teacher, she knows Big Bang!!!!!" (and in reference to the above post, the video linked here was yet another cellphone cultural phenomenon. The 'Lollipop' is a phone made by LG, I think)

That's enough to bring the house down, I guess.

***

D----'s class two days later. Student brings in a Rubix cube. Seizing my opportunity to reestablish my classroom popularity, I take it and quickly solve it in front of everyone. The crowd grew silent. Then, as I put on the finishing touches,

"Woah, teacher! You're a genius!"

"You have an IQ of 2000"

"You're a god!"

"You're Allah, God, and a genius combined!"

Not sure I'd go that far. Just a guy who bought a Cube a few years back and took the time to read the directions. But hey, if the cheap trick makes me cool again, I'm all for it. Suddenly, D---- and his sister are second-best again. 'Olleh!'

***

My first graders are out of control. Even worse is that, being my first class, they often come into class ten, fifteen, even twenty minutes early and interrupt whatever I'm doing. Instead of peaceful time reading, studying, or doing anything else, I'm subjected to babble in Korean. Questions I can't answer. At least four students trying to sit on my desk. I really don't mind too much, but it can get a bit tiring.

But earlier this week, two or three of the 8 year-old (Korean age) my Korean textbook that I've been studying most days before class and took it upon themselves to become my personal tutor. Basically, they just flip through the pages randomly, point to something, say it, and demand that I repeat. Now they even come in and ask where my book is. I think it makes them happy because the best win-them-over trick (other than solving a Rubix Cube) is to show them that you know any amount (no matter how small) of Korean. In fact, I usually have to beg them to stop trying to teach me, so I can do my job. It's adorable. And I'll use any amount of free help I can get.

***

And finally, the government has really stepped up efforts in the past two weeks to start the shift of pedestrians from the left to the right. Frankly, I don't know how well it's working at this point. Not only is it causing confusion (as only half of people seem to be making an effort to change old habits), but it is causing downright anarchy in the subway stations. There are signs and arrows point to the right, and escalator directions have been reversed; however, the only change that I've noticed is that people are now trying to walk in every direction, meaning that it's all just one big mass confusion. You never know where it's safe to walk. I guess with time, it could work, but in the meantime it's not fun to try to push my way through oncoming crowds. We'll have to see what happens.

***

I've got tickets to the Jarasum Jazz Festival this weekend. Not sure what my plans are, even though I'm leaving today after work, but it should be fun. I don't really know who is going with me or what is happening anymore, but I do like music.

Update again next week.

...and check out my new blog. It's nearly ready.

A Much-Needed Update

2009-10-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Again, sorry that it seems like I've been updating less and less often these days. Life is just breezing by, and I think (now that I'm living in Seoul) I'm spending less time at home than ever before. It's good. It's relaxing, and it's fun. But I really hope that it doesn't mean that this blog will slowly fade off into the dead blogsphere.

Anyway, as I've hinted before, things are much better this week than they were last. Going to Taiwan was a good experience for me, even though it did get a bit lonely at times. But spending time alone isn't always a bad thing, either. I just wish that it wouldn't have been overcast the entire time I was there. At least I didn't get stuck in the oncoming typhoon (which I'm not sure if it hit after I left or not), which would have made it impossible for me to get back to Korea and back to work on time.

The trip went well, despite not being planned. When I got there, I found my hostel (JV's Hostel gets a huge endorsement from me, if you're ever going to Taipei) and headed to the bookstore near Taipei 101 (the world's tallest building), which I never went to the top of due to the cost and constantly lingering clouds. I bought a city guide and just went from there. The first two days were spent walking and sightseeing based on the recommendations in the book, but after awhile I realized that I'm tired of touring cities and looking at buildings. I've done it enough, and after awhile, they all start to look pretty much the same. So on the third day, I visited Wulai, where it rained the entire time, and just enjoyed the festivities of Taiwan's Moon Festival. Then on the final day, I took it easy and headed back to Korea in the afternoon.

Since then, I've just been busy, busy and not home. Each day at work I've been making to-do lists for when I get home, but now I've got about 10 of them, all incomplete. One of these days I'll get around to all of them, I hope. Until then, I'm just enjoying my life in Korea and new life in Seoul. I've made a few new friends near my home (but none of them seem to be staying in Korea for more than a a few months), and some old ones went home. Things are still changing, and I'm still trying to keep up.

So that's pretty much it. I'll try to update again before next weekend (which is the Jarasum Jazz Festival!), but I can't promise anything. Still working on that new blog. I've collected new material for it, but haven't made much more progress. I bet you're all just dying with anticipation (yeah, right). If you're really interested in what I'm working on, go here, but I'll make a more formal announcement once I think it's in a more presentable condition. But at the rate I'm going, who knows when that will be.

That's all for now. Have a good weekend.

...and I'm going back to my old standards of never proofreading. Sorry.

Sigh

2009-10-09T08:57:00.001-07:00

This post is getting much harder to maintain. Taipei was good. Been back nearly a week. Everything is much better now.