How Koreans Do It

Farewell for now

2009-12-15T18:12:00.001+09:00

Bowing out.

Sorry dear readers to make you wait an entire week to find out that I'm shucking you. I feel that it's my time to bow out with whatever dignity is left over from all my self-depreciating posts about my adventures in Korea. I have had a wonderful time writing here and hope that it has inspired others to write about their own experiences and opinions. My decision to part ways for the time being is not in any way tied to any animosity or ill-will whatsoever. I've simply written all that I need to write for the time being.

I've learned a lot about myself and of Korea during my time here. Your comments and viewpoints have helped me understand more about what makes me tick: Korea. For those still wanting to follow what I'm up to, I've got two blogs that might be of interest to you: one focusing on my Korean language studying and the other on my Korean history pursuits.

For those curious, I actually had a list of topics that I wanted to write but never got around to tackling them. For the sake of curiosity, I leave you with my unfinished list. Someone take the torch and blog away.

horoscopes / year of the ~ /constitution personality determination
(PIFF) Pusan International Film Festival / movie history
eccentric male TV hosts and why it's an acceptable deviation of standard gender roles
Korean mother-in-laws
geographic regions (part series)
history of korean innovation
재벌 (monopoly-like corporations)
grocery stores (360° shopping carts, locking escalators, soju in juice boxes, insanely nice service)
the fine art of haggling
cultural and linguistic double standards for Korean adoptees and half-Koreans
교포, 일점오세, 이세, Korean-Americans
public transportation (bus, taxi, ~~KTX~~, ~~subway~~)
gender separation at young age
surgical masks when sick / H1N1 hysteria
셀카 (selca)
religion and all those red crosses at night
losing face/ maintaining your supervisor's face amidst obvious error
speaking Korean vs. not speaking Korean and how it can make you lose the upper hand
English education and the culture of being a glorified resource
competition between families / Korean mothers
Koreans and their history with Japan / 독도 / culture export, import
민족 (korean blood) / nationalism / cultural identity

It amazes me that I never touched upon the curiously self-indulgent self-camera culture as well as the murky and complicated 교포 waters. Oh well. At least I covered the overabundance of pickles. That's always important. Nice job Matthew.

I hope that this simple blog has been fun. So for the last time it seems, I ask you again:

Thoughts?

Western food in Korea - scary and expensive with a side of pickles p.2

2009-12-15T18:10:00.001+09:00

Western food in Korea.

Part Two of Two.

As we looked at last week, pickles are plentiful and Italian food is an embarrassment. Did I already apologize on behalf of Korea? 이탈리아, 죄송합니다.

But this week we're looking at the good stuff. We're looking at what Korea does right.* Depending on how adventurous you are.

One thing that comes to mind when I think of Western food done right..dare I say it? better than Americans do it is fried chicken. In the states, I'm a fan of spicy chicken tenders. Strips of boneless chicken meat fried and coated with red pepper flakes. Take one of them bad boys and dip it into a cup of warm creamy gravy and you have yourself not only a dangerously meal but you are now suspect to heart failure.

But we're not talking about that type of chicken. We're talking back to the basics. We're talking right-after-church-Southern-style-fried-chicken. Bone. Skin. Crispy. Deep. Fried. Goodness. Koreans do it right and they know it.

Fried chicken comes in the traditional breaded and deep fried fashion in Korea but it also has it's own Korean spin to it. Like many other Korean foods, it can come with the a side (or soaked in) the ubiquitous sauce you either love or hate known as 양념.

Not only that but the chicken doesn't come in sizes such as large, medium and so on. One must order chicken by the animal. A typical order might be half of a chicken - literally. Or a whole chicken. A face on your food? Oh yeah. I mean, it makes sense to do so but it still feels a little weird telling the sweet smiling lady behind the counter "I'd like one whole chicken for dinner. Yes I'm eating alone why do you ask?"

None of that compares to the recent monstrosity that is this little number. A little food stand sells this near my place and I tried it. I then promptly collapsed from fatness overload. Combine a soda with a little bit of fried chicken tender bits on top and throw some 양념 or ketchup and you've got Korea's answer to KFC's famous bowls. All the grease and none of the questionably nutritious vegetables or vegetable by-products like mashed potatoes. Just fried goodness.

We've taken a look at the good, the bad, and the pickley. I hope you've enjoyed this cuisine cruise. For more on food in Korea, both Western and non-scary, check out ZenKimchi.

Thoughts?

Western food in Korea - scary and expensive with a side of pickles p.1

2009-12-15T17:52:00.000+09:00

Western food in Korea.

Part One of Two.

Why sweet baby Jesus are there pickles served with everything here?

It's so unnecessary. For some reason, Korea feels the need to supply Western food with a heaping side of pickles with every meal. I still can't tell if it is for the benefit if foreigners who have this supposed insatiable appetite for salted cucumbers or if it's for Koreans who want an alternative to 김치 during their meal. Either way, it's peculiar.

In addition to the green spectacle served with pizza, spaghetti and other Italian mutations, there exists gut-wrenching excuses for Western food in this land. Granted, fast food and convenience store food is awful no matter which country you live in, but this abomination... is unforgivable.

See, I come from a country where 'real' Italian food is hard enough to come by, but we Americans get by. Although we have Papa John's and Fazzoli's, we acknowledge that it isn't 'real' Italian but it's still tasty food none the less. It's like a delicious copy. But the sinful excuse for Italian food in Korea is shameful. A copy of a copy in every sense of the word, Italian food here has become a shadow of its former self and moreso, a western food monster. Sugar sprinkled garlic bread, marinara sauce with the sweetness of vanilla ice cream and a peculiarly thin cream sauce will raise bot only eyebrows but also the dead.

I won't even get started on Korea's relationship with cheese. It's no bueno.

I confess though that I actually like most cream sauce dishes here. It doesn't leave the heaviness of alfredo sauce but that's probably because it doesn't have alfredo cheese in it. So, if it's lacking in real cheese, why am I paying an arm and a leg for it in the first place?

For example, a heaping serving of delicious 참치김치찌개 (tuna kimchi stew) that comes piping hot with at least four side dishes and a healthy portion of cooked rice will run you 5000원 (less than five bucks USD). Not bad. A freshly cooked healthy meal with plenty of vegetables. Who can argue with that?

How about a artery clogging fake cheese drenched noodle bowl with some pickles on the side? Good thing I paid four times what I should have for that big steaming pile of lies. Italian food - you are expensive and you have bad taste. You're like the Adam Sandler of food.

Thoughts?

Engrish,, an ohter comon bad the moments times of a recently

2009-12-15T17:45:00.000+09:00

Engrish.

What a funny thing you have done to the English language, South Korea. You make me laugh. Daily. Hourly. Minute...ly.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not making fun of Korea in the sense that I think my foreign language skills are better. Not sure if you've noticed recently, but my Korean isn't that great. I'm still translating kid books. So yeah, it's fun to laugh at but plenty of my friends get to laugh at my expense daily.

Having said that, Engrish is funny. Some of my favorites: "Don't you tired?", "That test made me hard", and "You will be a stress". Classic. You can't make up comedy like that. Just a cursory google search will yield some awesome results. There is no shortage of goofy Engrish here.

What other native English speakers have posed before, and I agree with, is that Korea overuses English. I'm not saying that people use English too much in the sense of communication but for advertising and such, English is overused and largely misused when the target demographic aren't even native English speakers. Therefore, an advertisement in the Korean language would be seemingly more effective. I suppose it's the status symbol of English in this country that pushes such awful English. What status symbol that is, I don't know but it's some sort of status.

Still, if they started replacing questionable food titles and hilarious recycling signs with only Korean language explanations, it would make things hard to get around for non-Korean speakers. Make sure that I'm not for the full removal of English; I'm just for the promulgation of coherent English. Otherwise, leave it alone.

All in all, it's all just one big unintentional joke. Some of the best Engrish is found on trivial goods such as casual tee shirts and department stores. It's clearly geared towards a younger audience with disposable income who likely has more of a familiarity with English than the older generation. However, the line between clever marketing and professional incompetence gets blurred all too often leaving foreigners to judge Korea's image on things that Korea would rather not choose.

To put things in perspective (for our own entertainment, of course) I present Matthew: in full Engrish. Imagine me at a subway stop near you. Brace yourself. It's going to get ugly.

Thus ends my Engrish modeling career.

The Korean language is daunting as it is but it's preferable than poorly edited Engrish. Making mistakes in a conversation is one thing - I would never fault anyone for trying to speak a foreign language, let alone English - but marketing English as some sort of hook is almost insulting. It trivializes the language and makes it the butt of jokes and weakly delivered Korean rap song introductions. Example you say? 쥬얼리 (Jewelry)'s song "Vari2ty" is 30% less sexy just from the introduction. What the hell Baby J? Didn't you live in California for a while? Reason #29 why I hate California.

Thoughts?

You lookin' at me? Staring in Korea

2009-12-15T17:44:00.001+09:00

Staring.

Ahh geez... It's one of those days again. Look, no offense kind madam, but if you eyeball me one more time I'm going to start stabbing people. Thank you for not staring. It only took you five subway stops to lose interest in my remarkably hairy arm. Thanks. A word of advice? Perhaps next time you see someone with blue eyes you won't look make that 'throw up' face. Deal? No? Fair enough. ** **** yourself.

What? You've never thought this before? It's brutal, sure but try getting stared at 24/7. And to think, mine is a face that is a socially acceptable deviance of what a foreigner 'can' look like (so to say). But who am I kidding? I'm the poster boy for native English education. I can't imagine what others are experiencing here. I know it's not just me.

Where I'm from, it's rude. I'm not saying that it doesn't occur in the States but it's not appropriate social behavior. Regardless of the reason for staring be it an interracial relationship, hyper-obesity, revealing clothing, special needs, a little person, etc - it's just not a nice thing to do. Americans are taught at a young age to put their curiosity aside in order to allow the other person to be treated equal. While not universally obeyed, if any staring occurs, attempts are subtle and try to go unnoticed.

While likely not an isolated event in Korea, it is my understanding that those doing the staring are clueless to it's offending powers. In Korea, some misunderstand it and take it as racist behavior. Looking at it from the racist angle, it's quite uncomfortable and victimizes the person who receives the dagger-like stares. While I'm sure racism exists in some form on every continent, I would suggest to try not to get offended. No matter how tempting it may be to scream "왜 그렇게 보고있어?!?" I urge you to try looking at it from their perspective. It's not out of blood-boiling hatred or radical nationalism. It's out of pure curiosity. *most of the time.

*Okay, not all the time. Sure sometimes, it's because a foreigner is talking too loud on the bus or subway. Hey even if you were speaking Korean you'd get stared at for the volume of your voice. Sometimes it's because you're showing too much skin. Not saying you should wear a turtle neck 24/7 but if your upper body's exposed, eyeballs are drawn to the exposed area like a moth to a flame. Sometimes it's because your clothes are different. Yep. In a world of shiny pants and pink couple shirts for all, your Abercrombie & Fitch clothes might look a little off.

Fair enough, but some of it also stems from ignorance and misinformation of other nationalities.

A common complaint (and one shared by myself) is the situation where razor-like stares are sent when a clearly non-Korean man (like myself) is seen with a Korean female (be it just a friend or significant other). It's not anything new and not anything terribly shocking, either. However, at least a few times a week, it apparently deserves hardcore glaring from anyone curious or old enough on the subway. From a purely superficial skin-deep standpoint, I am in a common-looking international relationship. A white guy with a Korean woman is nothing new to write home about. One would think that people would have quit freaking out about that ~~a hundred and~~ fifty years ago.

Despite the uncomfortableness it may cause the receivers of such random fixed gazes, I submit that most Koreans are staring out of pure curiosity. Come on, one cannot make the claim that Korea is so homogeneous and expect an interracial relationship to be anything but a source for curiosity; especially for the older generation. I have the utmost confidence that Korea will soon find other things more interesting than an insignificant foreigner such as myself smiling at my significant other on the bus.

Solution? Things are-a changing. Slowly, but surely some foreigners get it, too Many have figured out that things aren't the same as back home. However, it is fair to say that many Koreans with international experience have figured out that staring is rude to most westerners. In the meantime, if you find yourself the victim of eyeball glares and analytical squints, just relax and turn up the volume on your iPod. See no evil hear no evil.

Got your eye on some more? Well, more than just Koreans are doing the staring. Apparently, it's an Asian thing. What if you're just minding your own business with a friend of the opposite sex? Sadly, this happens even to platonic friends of opposite gender, too. In closing, in a wicked sense of comedy comes this little tidbit of information: even other Asians get stared at, too. Go figure.

Photo credits: 선현우 and 안효진

Thoughts?

It's a Korean kind of Christmas

2009-12-15T17:44:00.000+09:00

Christmas in Korea.

Plainly said, Christmas is a 'friend' holiday instead of a 'family' holiday like it is in America. The opposite can be said about New Years in Korea - it's a 'family' holiday instead of a 'friend' holiday like it is in America. No need to complicate matters. Everything else is completely backwards here so why not Christmas, right?

So in this already insanely commercialized country where even chocolate covered pretzel sticks have their own holiday one would assume that Christmas is just as commercial as it is in America. However, one might be surprised that in a country where Christianity is the majority religion, Christmas is not much more important than any other holiday. One could make the argument that 빼빼로데이 is bigger. One would also get pulverized by either candy canes or 빼빼로 depending who's arguing.

So what about Saint Nick coming down your chimney? Oh yeah...no chimneys here. Well, what about the lumps of coal in your stocking if you're bad? No stockings over the non-existent fire place...well then surely they kiss under the mistletoe? What do you mean it doesn't grow here? Well it's not Christmas without lights a tree...huh? what's a fire hazard? Coniferous evergreens in short supply you say? For the love... if nothing else, they've heard of A Charlie Brown Christmas, right? No? Good grief.

But have no fear. It is a public holiday so most business will be closed. You'll even see a lively decoration here and there. It also seems that each year is getting more Christmas-y looking. Artificial trees may not be in mass abundance but you can certainly find them. However, gifts under the tree are less in number. One thoughtful gift is much more common than several smaller gifts. Yeah but when I say thoughtful gift we may not be talking about the same thing. An envelope stuffed with cash? Thoughtful gift in Korea. Not rude. Soak that in, stranger.

It makes sense, though. How ethnocentric must I be to expect Korea to celebrate a uniquely Western holiday in the same fashion? Take the good with the bad, I say. At least Korea is safe from harm's way. Christmas time in America is also the time for ear-piercingly bad Christmas music. Someone a whole lot more funny than me has already dissected just how bad it can be (NSFW but funny as all get out).

I joke but of course Father Christmas is in Korea. Take a look. It's a bit different and a bit muted, but it's slowly turning into the over-hyped money-driven holiday that we all know and ~~hate~~ love back in the States. Happy Holidays, y'all.

Thoughts?

An idiot’s guide to Korean fashion - p.2

2009-12-14T22:29:00.001+09:00

Korean fashion.

Part Two of Two. Part One can be found here.

I present what's happening in the world of female fashion according to a man with no fashion sense. Remember that this covers mostly the young women and not the older women who are long-deserving of a post of their own. In the meantime, here is a selected representation of the pleasantly attractive but curiously strange world of Korean women fashion.

- Skinny -
As touched upon in the infamous "fat" post, Korea is hurtin for a good ol' American steak. We gots lot of skinny girls in desperate need of some meat. Haven't they ever had an enchilada or two? If skinny is the new black then this place is straight-up darkness. Sneeze hard enough and one of the college girls on the subway might fall over from the force. Please go back for seconds, Korean women. You look nice but at what cost?

- Short Skirts -
This weather-be-damned article of clothing will be worn no matter the temperature. Despite the skinny leg eye candy that short skirts merit, it does make me want to buy them all a blanket. Something about the sea of short skirts in Korea makes me question the whole 'conservative society' image of Korea. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

- Leggings -
Call them stockings, panty hose or leggings but either way they cover a woman's legs and they are everywhere. Something about legs that becomes the focus of Korean fashion. Perhaps it's due the vast ocean of chopstick-looking legs that is found in Seoul. These chopstick wielding young women have money so the clothes manufacturers match the demographic. Enter: leggings for the masses.

- Black -
Leave it to Korean women to find twelve shades of black to wear on any occasion. So much black it's evil. Again with the demographics, Asian skin tones against black are understandably more complementary than a typical (if such a thing exists) Western woman's skin tones. Therefore, black is the new...black? No that's no good. Come on Matthew...something creative. How can I make fun without being insulting....how about a song reference. Hopefully the younger generation will catch it, too. ♫ I see Korean girls and I want them to wear black ♫

- Fabric -
Ever see that space-age golf fabric that dries quickly in the wind and prevents sweat stains? That's pretty common for summer clothes here. It's all scrunchy looking and feels funny. Matter of fact, a lot of the clothes in the summer are very thin. All it takes to understand this is one, balls-hot Korean summer and you will suffocate in your hefty 100% cotton undershirt. I'll wear a scrunchy shirt any day of a Korean summer.

- Little Dogs -
More like an accessory than a real animal, these yipping dogs are 100% worthless. I'm not a dog hater by any means but a dog is measured by it's ability to function like a civilized animal. My measurement is simple: any dog that can't stand still and bark without falling backwards is worthless. Nothing screams "I'm a real catch!" better than a single woman walking a dog the size of a peanut. If a thief broke into your apartment you would rather have a real dog protect you instead of an over-grown rat have a seizure and choke on its own tiny rage. Stop the madness and get a real dog.

- High Heels -
Doesn't matter if you're just going up the street to buy some milk or you're going to class, you're probably wearing heels. What is the deal with heels? Why on earth would you go hiking in those, young madam? Really? You're wearing heels to go up a hill? The goofy thing is that when I ask if someone's feet hurt, they confidently reply "No, these are actually not that bad". Perhaps they never heard of sneakers.

- Layers -
Being skinny has perks, you know. You can pile on the layers of scrawny slips of fabric without looking like a balloon. Sometimes I wonder if some girl really knew how well her ensemble looks and if she planned it that way or just threw it all together. My intuition tells me that when a young woman shops, she recalls what is in her closet and tries to buy things to match them for different ensembles. Nothing wrong with that. Like the zipper-tie in the last post, I have nothing against this. Thumbs up for looking sharp.
- - - - - -

When it's all said and done, Korea is just comparison after comparison for me. Not quite as progressive and out-there as Japan and not exactly as chic as France but certainly more everyday fashionable than America. Ever heard of the phrase "All dressed up and nowhere to go"? That's what comes to mind. I can't help but wonder where all these dolled up women are going to. And then I realize the answer: Nowhere.

Thoughts?

An idiot's guide to Korean fashion - p.1

2009-12-14T22:28:00.001+09:00

Korean fashion.

Part One of Two.

You know, you really shouldn't be listening to me on this issue. I was already pretty ~~faux~~ metro in the States... but for what it's worth here's a simple observation and commentary of what can be commonly seen in Korea. By no means is this as detailed as it should be but for a non-fashion industry guy's observation, I feel it's worth mentioning. Nothing found on the runway, but certainly on the streets by young people. I present to you what's happening in the world of male fashion according to a man with no appreciable fashion sense.

- Pink -
Look. I'm not here to make the whole "Korean guys wear pink" argument. Pink is found in all countries and is worn by men and women alike. Of course also in Korea the color pink is used to differentiate between baby boys and baby girls. It is clearly a girl color; however it isn't exclusive to girls in Korea like it is in America. The remarkable thing is that Korean guys wear all shades of pink. Light pink, dark pink, medium pink, purpley pink, pink with white, frilly pink, etc. It's insane how many shades of pink a Korean man can wear. You know the whole "tough guys wear pink" slogan? Korea is jam-packed with tough guys.

- Shiny -
No, not everyone's ~~least~~ favorite Korean boy band SHINee, we're talking about glittery suits, light-reflecting ties and sugar-coated dress shirts. Basically like a cupcake. Everything a man wants to look like, right? A dressed up call girl. Shiny is the new black apparently. 반짝반짝 indeed, kind sir. There's nothing like a six hundred dollar suit that sparkles.

- Pointy Shoes -
Remember when cockroach killers were fashionable? Korea never forgot. Pointy shoes aren't worn by everyone, but the guys that do wear them really have a point - those are some seriously sharp shoes. Not sharp in the nice looking way; sharp in the way that they could harm a man in an argument over who makes the more metro-looking pointy shoe.

- Scarves -
Is it cold outside? No. But we're wearing scarves, aren't we? Fashion scarves are a great accessory that would get a man pummeled in Texas. Although I'm guilty of owning more scarves than God, I would hesitate to wear them back in the states. Don't want to give the wrong idea. But regardless, Korean scarves are more than just the neck-warming utilitarian objects of fabric that they should be. Instead, they are freakishly mutated shoulder covering whose design is right out of a Japanese comic book. Why do I need my shoulder covered by a yellow and black plaid piece of paper-thin cotton? I don't. But I love how it brings out my eyes.

- Man Bag -
I, too, am guilty of man-purse ownership. Yes, the always fashionable guy-satchel is with me at all times. I try to hide the fact that it's a man-purse by telling my friends that it's a laptop bag that I use for work. Granted, it is a laptop bag but I never put my laptop in it. I use it daily to carry my digital camera, cell phone, reading material, pencils and the ever-important travel toothbrush. What? I like to brush my teeth...

- Couple Shirts -
Fair enough. It takes two to tango. Yes, a couple shirt is wore by both a man and a woman of said couple but it's the guy that looks like a complete moron, not the woman. Think about it. The couple shirt is never a handsomely fitted polo shirt or a well-tailored Armani suit. Instead, it's a pastel yellow shirt with Snoopy's face plastered on it. When you see two young people walking hand in hand with matching shirts, you can't help but wonder if that guy is also the same guy who drinks 소주 like a whale and who is trained to accurately shoot any North Korean soldiers that might invade South Korea. Is that him? The defender of the country? Wearing a shiny pink couple shirt?

- Zipper Ties -
How cool are these? I love these awesome alternative to the real thing. Zipper ties are cheap and oh-so-fun to wear. Instead of the traditional single piece of cloth, these ties come with a prefit knot and a crotch-like zipper that goes up and down according to your neck size. You'll look like a big boy in no time. Thank you Korea for allowing ~~an idiot like myself who can't tie a tie properly~~ to comfortably wear one for work. They are cheap and are sold by just about anyone in the subway. Buy often and buy many I always say.
- - - - - - - - -

Well that's all about I have to ~~make fun of~~ say about young male fashion in Korea. Clearly there are other great things to gawk and shake your head at in disgust such as bare chest-revealing shirts, acid-wash skinny jeans and tough-guy Engrish shirts that say things like "Power love for money beast we are" and the like.

Despite the 배용준 reference, Korean men aren't all flowery petals of femininity. Personality-wise, Korean men are truly known as a man's man in the John Wayne sense both with advantages and disadvantages. But that's another post for another time.

Stay tuned for next week's look at female fashion. A sneak peak you say? Let's just say the forecast is dark with a 90% chance of heels.

Thoughts?

The Foreigner Card - pros and cons of using it in Korea

2009-12-14T22:27:00.001+09:00

Preferential Treatment.

Clearly, I'm not talking about a green card. I'm talking about preferential treatment when faced with an unpleasant situation. It's a time when cultural or linguistic negotiation has failed (or will fail) and the foreigner makes an ace-in-the-hole plea. Think: Come on buddy cut me some slack, will ya? but in a foreign land.

It's not just Korea, obviously. Expats in South America and China also have pondered this point (although some literally have a card). Pulling the foreigner card is vital to an expat's survival but it's not to be overused. Perhaps it shouldn't be used at all?

Like any card game, the Foreigner Card has it's time and place when to use it. You wouldn't want to use it when the outcome could adversely affect you.

Yeah it gets you out of going to 회식 with coworkers you don't like. Sure it allows you to leave the lunch table before your boss. It even lets you sit in the senior citizen bench on the subway. Granted you'll get stared at like no one else before you but at least you'll be the youngest person sitting. Thanks Foreigner Card!

But do you really want to be that guy? The one who has the rules bent for him? The guy who gets away with murder at the office? The one that has special privileges and less responsibility than the rest of the staff? You actually want to be that guy?

Well, yeah. Sometimes. Sure. It's nice to be able to do things that other people don't do. It's nice to get out of some boring meetings that others have to attend. It's nice not having to do anything other than smile when asked for a report. But, it excludes one from the group. It further alienates one from one's coworkers. It darkens the line between '외국인' and 'one of us'.

Perhaps you were never part of the group in the first place? Perhaps others played the Foreigner Card before you and set you up to be treated differently from the rest. Regardless of the reason, as a foreigner living in Korea, it has it's ups and downs.

I personally try my best to do whatever is expected of me. Outside of extreme embarrassment, I try not to pull the Card. Not only do I feel that it's the polite thing to do, I have a particular affinity for Korea so I try to include myself whenever convenient (and frequently, inconvenient). Like everyone else here, I do some things here that I would never do back home. I could get out of them by pulling the Card but many times I choose not to do so.

So when should I? When must someone pull the Foreigner Card? Personal space invasion? Excessive alcohol consumption? Forced solo singing at 노래방? Eating with chopsticks? Not drinking water? Speaking Korean instead of English? Corporal punishment?

Thoughts?

Woah woah woah - Personal bubble space and Korea

2009-12-14T22:26:00.001+09:00

Bubble space. 개인공간.

To fully appreciate the invasion of personal bubble space, allow me to narrate my first bromance experience. You never forget your first:

Wow what a great party. Good friends, good food, good drinks. Oh hey, there's one of my new buddies now. Oh he's coming over here. Cool. Maybe he has something to tell me. Nope. Just standing. Smiling. Oh, standing and smiling a little closer than usual. No problem. Woah. Uh...I hate to pop his bubble but he's standing too close to me. Seriously. What? You want to hold hands with me? Wait...why are we walking together with our arms around each other. Am I drunk? Am I gay?

Heterosexually unintoxicated, my Korean friend was just being friendly. But who deserves to feel weirded out? Was I the one homophobically over-analyzing the situation or was he just way over the "friend" line? Where exactly do we draw the line at invading personal space? Are Koreans just natural bubble poppers?

Many foreigners find it a little disturbing and even a few Koreans are aware that some foreigners are a little weirded out by it. Most foreigners require a specific amount of space in which to comfortably function. Some of us may wonder if this space has a measurement. What would be an acceptable distance for personal space? Well wouldn't you know it? Someone figured it out a while back.

I would imagine that a standard Korean bubble would be a whole lot more orange and red and less blue and green. As we saw before, Korean friendships can be pretty hardcore. They start early and they start heavy. If a friend is a friend, it starts at kindergarten and lasts a lifetime. So consider that personal space invaded daily. Touchy-feely much?

I don't have much to say on the subject of maintaining my own bubble. Like some other foreigners, I have a 'switch'. When around Koreans, my space shrinks and I'm more comfortable with same-sex friends hanging around my neck. Around other Westerners, I give the 'back that train up' look if anyone gets in my bubble. Like other situations, when appropriate I make the switch to whatever is considered normal.

But like AAK pointed out, why isn't my 'switch' always on? Am I that insecure that I can only display affection towards Koreans but not friends from other countries? I mean, even writing that sentence makes me sound a little gay. This is coming from someone who has no personal problem with homosexuality in any way whatsoever but yet I feel bound by my cultural standard that demands that I appear as straight as possible at all times. No need to confuse the masses, it seems.

What about straight Korean men? Aren't they afraid of looking...you know. Sure it may look a little strange from the Western perspective but then again, we're talking about a very small aspect of Korean culture. It looks big and scary from a Western perspective but what is transpiring is very natural. What you see is two people of the same sex expressing their affection for each other in a platonic way that can only be described as 'friendship'. Looking deep into the meaning of why two guys are all over each other would be placing a non-standard cultural judgment on something that already has a judgment. In Korea, it's fine. So if you find yourself staring and waiting for two Korean guys to kiss, wait a bit longer because it likely won't happen.

However, the question begs - who determines the normalness if there are members of different cultures present? If one American and one Korean are in a room, whose rules do you follow? Does it matter if you're in Korea versus America? Is there a spoken arrangement beforehand? Does it matter if you're speaking English or Korean? What about Korean versus Korean-American?

Thoughts?

MT - Korea's answer to the good old fashioned outing (엠티)

2009-12-14T22:25:00.001+09:00

Membership Training. 엠티.

What exactly are you training for? Not sure, but bring an iron stomach because things could get a little ~~drunk~~ crazy.

Essentially, what we have is the time-honored Korean tradition of building strength and unity within a particular group. Typically, a company or university major will go on MTs to become closer and improve relationships within the group.

Keep in mind that Korea, like other parts of Asia, operates by thinking that the group is paramount. Generally speaking, the individual is of lower importance. This isn't to say that one person is not important; rather one person when viewed outside of a group is of little concern. Suffice it to say that the group is more valued than the member.

Any group looking to have some fun, play some games, escape the city and ~~get completely plastered~~ make some great memories will go on an MT. One or more members within the group plan the event including booking a place to stay, organizing games, purchasing ~~unGodly amounts of alcohol~~ and snacks, and booking travel arrangements. Then, depending on the group's budget (if there even is one) each member will pay equal amounts of the total bill. Many organizations already have this 'equal pay' system long before the MT is planned. The fund is used for any such group outing including MTs.

Typically an MT takes place away from the company or university in place like the mountains or a rural area. The idea is to get away and have some fun. It's a time to be unplugged from one's computer, unburdened by the daily minutia of work or study, and just to kick back and relax with coworkers and colleagues. Team building exercises help to further make the group one solid entity. All that from doing a whole lot of nothing in the mountains.

Ultimately when it's all said and done, the group returns to the work place or university with a new common experience in which to feel a warm, fuzzy attachment. The group now has more in common with each other than other departments and majors. This solidarity is not unlike soldiers serving together in the same unit - no matter where they go, they will share the experience and still consider themselves part of that group once upon a time.

Keep in mind that business loyalty is much more pronounced in Korea than in America. To work at one single company throughout one's career is a sign of devotion and respect in Korea. While it is certainly admirable in the States, it's not frowned upon if one person has worked for several different companies throughout his or her life. In fact, it's kind of expected.

Anyways, the whole experience is enjoyable and harkens back to time when companies would spend their own money to develop loyalty within the company. Like a team-building exercise, these outings were not vital to the day-to-day operations but ironed out some wrinkles within the company. It's kind of hard to complain to HR that you got docked for 3 minutes if they put you up in the mountains for a weekend for fun and food.
Now, if you're a long-time reader of the KC101 Blog, you already know that our very own Emily (holdfast) has already posted a first-hand account of an MT in America and her post deserves a read. Also, In regards to alcohol consumption, check out why Koreans get crazy drunk on the regular and why you feel left out if you're sober.

Thoughts?

You sure it doesn't mess up your stomach? (Korean drinking water p.2)

2009-12-14T22:24:00.001+09:00

Korean Drinking Water Habits. Part Two.

It is highly recommended to read part one. Even if you already read it, I added a photo and it makes me giggle when I look at it. Just FYI.

It's been over a year since I wrote about drinking water with a meal in Korea. Since then, I have tried my best to school my friends in the healthy ways of water; "Water is your friend" and such. However, I may be wrong in thinking that water has my best interests in mind. Perhaps water is no friend of mine...

The most recent convincing argument comes from this article. Take a moment, read and come back. What do you think? Still convinced that water should be drunk at the table? I'm not so sure. After all, most of the arguments I hear either sound like infomercials or old wives' tales instead of science. Articles like this (or this) don't exactly help the validity of the argument.

But, in their defense...

I have no science to back up my American way of thinking that water is healthy to drink with a meal. Obviously, everyone agrees that water is good for us. Some even suggest drinking water before eating to reduce portion intake. But that's not the argument. The argument is whether water is advisable to drink during the meal.

Like fan death in Korea, I never really questioned it - I just did it. I just drank water. But what about Koreans? Most would agree that the majority of Koreans drink only a small amount, if any, during a meal. Unsurprisingly, my Korean friends simply don't drink water at all during meals.

So who has bragging rights? Who has science on their side? Where's the middle ground? Who's right?

Here's the thing. No water at all is just plain silly. Too much water is obviously not a good idea. But, what I believe people misunderstand is what is meant by 'too much water'. Are we talking about more than 8 ounces of water? More than 20 ounces? Does it matter?

As it seems, drinking water with a meal is not that great of an idea. But don't freak out - it's not going to kill you, either.

But what about the people who insist on drinking with their meals? The ones who know the Western way of water? Well, in my school's cafeteria, one can't even obtain a cup of water until after the empty tray of food is deposited in the bin. Meaning? Kids are drinking nothing with their meal. Of course, foreigners like myself skip the line altogether and grab a cup anyways. Take that, line.

But I do it not out of rebellion but out of compulsion.

It certainly isn't just me noticing this aqua-addiction. Ever heard of "Water water everywhere/ so let's all take a drink"? Not on your life. You're reading the words of man who now suffers from hydrophobia. Water's back in town and he's not playing around. Sure I sneak in some water at lunch, but I'm careful around water now. He's taking names. He wants blood.

Sidestepping for a bit, this wouldn't be the first time that water would be the source of misinformation. Still drinking bottled water? Shame on you. You didn't know? Read up my friend, and ~~do nothing afterwards~~ just drink the tap water. For that matter, here's a great article I scanned from a few years back on which types of bottles are recommended to use.

Sidestepping further, what about clean water for Korea? Surely it's readily available? Maybe not as much as you would expect. Water management may not be number one on everyone's "Interesting Things to Read" list, but it affects everyone. But back on the subject (kind of), here's a look at the healthy benefits of Korean beverages might be of interest to you, kind reader. Thanks for sticking with my bird walking.
So back on track.

I feel that Americans don't question drinking water at any point in time - we just believe that if one is thirsty, we should just drink water - eating or not. Like fan death in Korea, it's something that is believed in for no other reason than just "why not?". Why question something that seems to make sense?

So where do I stand now? Well, I certainly don't avoid water altogether. That's nuts. If I'm thirsty, I'm going to go drink some water. But instead of just the typical Korean one thimble glass after the meal, I'll drink two - one during and one after. Yeah, I may not be up to my old American standard of hooking up a fire hydrant to my stomach, but I've accustomed myself to drinking only a small amount. If for no other reason, the ~~questionable~~ adverse health affects are enough to avoid.

But it makes me wonder: If drinking water with a meal really is a no-no, why haven't I heard about it more in America? In America's "Tune into the 6 o'clock news or your son will die" fear-driven media, why isn't this topic covered more? Why care about the deathly affects of plastic bottles but not something as essential as water?

Thoughts?

수능 - the "Korean SAT" that actually matters

2009-12-14T22:23:00.001+09:00

대학수학능력시험.

A really ~~ridiculous~~ important test is coming up. Mark your calendars kids because the third Thursday of every November is when your life either begins or ends.

Right off the bat, I have to mention that the amount of stress the test must cause...well...it's insane. This Hub of Sparkle post paints quite a sad picture of the reality the stress this test puts on students. Some kids are smart enough to see past it all although they too are still held accountable to the test.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. What we need is perspective. What do we have in America that compares to 수능?

The most common answer is the SAT. Essentially, this monster of a test helps determine the academic ability of hopeful incoming university freshmen. In reality, it is one of several different criteria for some schools' admissions programs. Other considerations are after school activities, volunteer work, leadership opportunities, written essay and personal interview. But even then, some schools don't require SAT score submission.

As I mentioned to some LanguageCast friends, I personally didn't take the SAT or any other standardized test. No TASP. No THEA. No ACT. No nothing. I was admitted into junior college based on a high school test score from eleventh grade. When I graduated junior college with an AA, that allowed me to transfer to a public university without any admissions test. Problem solved. And to think, that's not the only (or that big of a) loophole. Moreso, I wasn't trying to avoid the SAT. I would have taken it if I needed to, but in my particular case I simply never needed to take it. To think, plenty of other quality universities base their admissions on something other than a number from a test, too.

Such is not the case in Korea. While 수능 doesn't determine absolutely everything about one's future academic and professional career, it does determine a whole lot more than the SAT. A high score on the 수능 is the primary admissions requirements to get into one of the SKY universities (Korea's answer to an Ivy league school or the Big Three). Wanting to attend SKY is a dream shared many young Korean kids; much more than American kids dreaming of the Big Three. Don't get me wrong, getting into Harvard would be nice but it doesn't mean that other universities don't produce successful people, too. In my case, going to UNT was an awesome experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Even though our education systems are quite different, namely in the level of difficulty in Korean high schools versus American high schools, I've heard that the 수능 is quite difficult. I've even thought that someone like me could never score high on it. The truth is I don't care. Not in the dismissive "who cares?" way but in the way that I place very little value in the outcome of such tests. But then again, I'm coming from my perspective that tests aren't everything.

So what is Korea to do? Improve the test to make it more reflective of real world knowledge? Include other criteria for admissions? Dump the test altogether?

Not sure. I'm certainly not qualified to comment on it seeing as how I've never taken it and my career has never been based off of it. Of course it's easy for me to knock it. It doesn't affect me. But it does make me wonder: would I want my kids taking the test? Would I grill them about how important it is to get into a good university?

Definitely something to think about.

Want to brush up on your 수능 knowledge? Recommended reading material include this short photo essay about 수능 from a Korean high school student. For that matter, SeoulGlow posted a video a few years back that's pretty interesting to watch (alt link). Of course, KC101's advanced audio blog has more on the subject. Also, 현우 produced a regular audio blog that covers the same topic from a slightly different angle, too.

Thoughts?

Fear and bathrooms in Korea

2009-12-14T22:22:00.001+09:00

Korean bathrooms.

This is clearly one of the first things I should have written about. Korean bathrooms can be summed up in one word: surprising. It's always a experience with every new bathroom I visit.

Let's get right into the messy goodness that is Korean restrooms. Allow me to break this post into a few helpful points of interest:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Slippers -
Walking into all private and a few public bathrooms, one will undoubtedly notice the pair of clear plastic slippers greeting you upon entry. The curious foreigner might imagine that these were carelessly left by a forgetful family member or perhaps used when the bathroom floods. No, kind sir, these shoes are for you...and everyone else. That's right. In a country full of germophobes, you'll be basking in the sweet sweet foot juice of all that came before you. You too, will leave your own unique brand of foot sweat for the next guy to absorb as he thinks about bleaching his feet.

- One Big Shower -
Not so much public bathrooms but almost all private bathrooms are essentially one big shower room. Everything liquid makes its way to the drain in the middle. Take the shower nozzle and go to town if you want. This excessive wetness also helps to explain you're wearing some stranger's slippers.

- Smoking in the bathroom -
How old are we? Why do I even smell cigarette smoke? What decade is this? When did smoking in the bathroom become cool again? The goofy part about walking into a bathroom that smells like the Marlboro Man is that not only is it a nasty habit with smelly consequences, but it's done in an already consequentially smelly place. Quite possibly the smelliest place we all know and use. There's now two grossly different but equally gross stenches competing for your nasal attention. So, why not just go outside to smoke? If a grown man is either too embarrassed or too lazy to smoke outside, then he shouldn't be smoking the the first place. But then again, no one should be smoking in the first place.

- Ashtrays -
Which brings me to this lovely contradiction. If I'm at a urinal and I look to my left only to see an ashtray, what does that lead me to think (other than I should have just been looking straight ahead like a real man)? It makes me think that smoking in the bathroom is okay despite the "No Smoking" sign posted directly above it. Why Korea. Why.

- Soap -
This is either completely missing or comes in a very strange form. What ever happened to good old fashioned liquid hand soap purchased in bulk and dispensed by a cube-shaped dispenser attached to the mirror? I like my soap liquid. I like not having to share a communal bar of soap with the rest of Seoul. I like washing my hands without wondering if I need to get an STD test afterwards. An orgy of germs await my fragile fingers every time I slide my hands across the permanently-fixed egg-shaped communal soap on-a-stick. Mister Blue-Soap-Stuck-On-The-Mirror, you're gross. You're almost as gross as the Bar-Magnet-Soap that sticks to another magnet.

- Paper Towels -
Why in all that is holy does Korea not stock bathrooms with paper towels? Why even tease me with the dispenser only to leave it empty? Paper towels dry my hands. That's what they are there for. If I don't see paper towels, I wonder how else is everyone drying their hands? Then I realize that they aren't. Ah, but perhaps I'm being too hasty in my hygienical judgments. Yes, we must be getting more green. Less paper, less waste, more happy earth. I'm all for that. So, I turn my attention to the machine on the wall, place my hands underneath, wait for the warm goodness to flow across my drizzled hands...

- Hand Dryers -
...only to find that it blows. Not literally. More like it sucks. Also not literally. These weak-ass hand dryers do the equivalent of a creepy old man's constant stream of mouth breath. It's just unpleasant and not needed. What's the point in washing my hands only to discover a gentle summer's breeze attempting to remove all moisture? Like drying clothes outside on a summer's day, the breeze takes a good three hours to work it's magic. You bring that noise up in my house? All talk and no walk. You call yourself a hand dryer? Please.

- Toilet Paper -
Why. Why. Why is toilet paper located outside of the stall? Just... why? Moving on.

- Squat Toilets -
These just seem outdated. Why does Korea still use some squat toilets? I mean, America had outhouses for the longest time and other than Schrute Farms, we got over it. We moved on and embraced the modern toilet for being a fanny-centered innovation. Korea's affair with squatters is like a drug. Korea is addicted to installing new squat toilets next to standard toilets. It's a problem. I just feel Korea needs a nice, long intervention. "Korea, I know you think you need these worthless squat toilets, but you don't. Just sit on the throne like a man. You can do it. I'll help you" Do your part and just say 'no' to squat toilets. If you or someone you know is using a squat toilet, please call this number.

- Bidet -
Then there's the total opposite. In a country with questionable plumbing choices and mountain man-like restroom accommodations, we find public and private bidet. In what seems like overkill, these public bidet are a fresh option to choose when available. But why not just even the playing field by getting rid of all squats and installing good ol fashion crappers instead? Bidet? We don't need no stinkin bidet. My heiney was feeling just fine until you came along and made it think it needs something better. A bigger better slice, indeed, Mr. bidet. I'll admit it. Your freshening tactics are no match for my tried and true Crapper. But don't get cocky. When you're not around, I don't miss you. However, given the chance to experience your cleansing power, I'd let you do your dirty work on my posterior any day of the week. Twice on Sunday. You've convinced me. I'm a believer. I'm a bidet-er.

- Visibility -
In a world full of creepy stalking guys and misplaced trust in strangers, we have the partially visible bathroom. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure we have bathrooms that have no visibility blocking wall, no door, and/or easy viewing access. Go about your daily deed in full view of any passerby. I assume this public bathroom design stems from a trusting perspective and I suppose for the most part in America too, no one goes into the opposite gender bathroom. Especially a girl's bathroom. That's where cooties come from. However, in public places in Korea, there's no shortage of people able to see you standing up doing your business. May I suggest any people walking by who catch a glance to take it like the sun - don't look directly at it. It will only burn your eyes.

- Female Janitors -
So there I am. I'm doing my thing. I then go to wash my hands. One day I look up out of boredom and to see this nice little place card on one of those weak-sauce hand dryers. It states the name of the sanitation worker assigned to that particular bathroom. It even includes a friendly photo. How nice. Not so nice when I'm shaking the dew off the lily to find her two feet away from me. What is this world coming to when an insecure man can't take care of number one without a woman standing next to him? At that moment it occurred to me...I really wanna wash my hands and forget this ever happened.

- Opposite Gender Use -
Then there's the icing on the already malformed cake. At some restaurants, only one toilet exists and it is used by men and women. I did what I had to do three feet from a women doing the same thing. This wasn't a cool hangout unisex bathroom like in Ally McBeal. It. Was. Freaking. Weird.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And to think I didn't even mention the whole wastebasket next to the toilet thing. You know, the one that no one seems to know exactly why it's there or why we even still need it?

So in conclusion, I am always surprised by Korean bathrooms. Proof:

I recognize that it's all a matter of perspective. I also realize that I'm a big boy and that none of it really bothers me. I've even had some nice sanitational encounters here. I once used a hand dryer that not only dried my hands by its jet-engine-like ferocity, it also used UV light to gently kill some unwanted germs on my hands. Not like that dirty little blue soap-on-a-stick.

Thoughts?

The Korean Squat - the only way to relieve those tired legs

2009-12-14T22:20:00.001+09:00

The Korean Squat.

Don't lie. You do it sometimes when no one's around.

For the uninitiated, you are in for a treat. The Korean Squat (also referred to as the Kimchi Squat) is a great way to relieve tired legs whilst waiting for public transportation, using a large brown bowl, or just chatting with friends ~~when chairs are MIA~~.

It's not terribly hard to see this on a daily basis. For that matter, there's no shortage of people posting photos of the peculiar act, either. Case in point: Here, here, here, and here. Even celebrities do it. Proof:

What I like is that the Korean Squat is not only applicable to Koreans - apparently many different people of Asian decent can do it with ease. White people everywhere are jealous. I can do it but like other foreigners, I can only do it for a fraction of the time that Koreans do it. The pressure on the lower half of my body is excruciating after a few minutes. However, after I've been standing for a long time I find myself squatting for only a brief time to regain some strength in my feet when chairs and benches are absent. You're welcome legs.

But, it's not that I look down upon it with condescension or marvel at it with wonder, it's simply that the squat is one the little things about Korea that make it special to me. I would venture to guess that most Koreans do not think of the squat as special or even uniquely Korean.

If someone in America squatted at an intersection waiting for the light to change, people would either ask if the person is alright or pass him or her off as a crazy person. Either way it would deserve some attention.
Furthermore, I would guess that without a foreigner gawking with a camera, they wouldn't think twice about doing it in the first place. Let alone, a foreigner such as myself writing a blog post about something that most would likely consider just a normal part of their lives; no more interesting than the zipper neckties or instant freeze dried coffee so readily available.

So now it's just up to the masses to decide to do it or not - social awkwardness be damned. Now that you have been exposed, I pose the question: Are you a squatter?

Thoughts?

Beards and why they make you look dirty (Korean men and facial hair)

2009-12-14T22:19:00.001+09:00

Facial hair in Korea.

First, let's take a look at some background source material. A selection from the American literary classic: A Brief History of My Face by Matthew.

I'm a hairy guy. I've resisted this natural protein growth by shaving, plucking, waxing and zapping my way to relative hairlessness in order to attract the opposite sex. I've endured scalding hot burns, embarrassing ingrown hair blemishes, and unspeakable pain as I have journeyed to a discover the perfect balance between 'naked-mole-rat' and 'rocky-mountain-man'. I've spent an innumerable amount of precious funds on razors, trimmers, creams, gels, lotions, and toners all in a vain effort to control my undying masculine mane.

But now, I shave my entire face slowly and shamefully. I die a little inside with each calculated drag of Gillette's finest across my face. Lather. Repeat.

Where did I go astray? Why not just let it all ~~hang~~ grow out? When did I become such a sellout?

Believe it or not, in my death metal early 20s heyday I was a member of a hardcore rock band. We produced several albums; two of which I was the singer. Facial hair was a part of the tough, post-emo 'yeah he's dirty but at least he's clean enough to take a shower' look. I was old man winter. Like a carpenter, I was proud of my work. I cared for it, shampooed it, brushed it and cradled it to sleep. I loved it and it loved me.

But then I had to go and move to Korea.

Suddenly, my fierce furry follicles were no longer miniature objects of sexual desire. No, they were now tell-tale signs of homelessness. If it wasn't already painfully clear, I now had "외국인" all over my well-carpeted face. I sported the Korean equivalent of a facial mullet. I was a dirty, swine-flu carrying foreigner. I was doing something bad. I was expected to purge myself of these epidermic sins.

So now I cleanse myself of all facial sins three times a week. Sometimes more if I've been really evil.

But don't think for a moment that I've lost my edge. Dude, I'm still sooo hardcore. I mean sometimes on the weekends, I even let my facial hair grow out until Sunday night. But you should see it when I shave it. It's like mad burly. Until bedtime at 8pm after I drink a tall glass of soymilk, I'm rocking out a full millimeter of facial hair. Take that, society.

Yeah. I'm a rebel. I still got it. Just don't tell my girlfriend.

Classic reading material, isn't it?

But not everyone buys into it. It's not that facial hair is completely devoid in Korea it's just that it's mostly devoid in Korea.

Some believe it's due to the simple fact that Koreans are less hairy than Westerners. Others believe that due to social constraints, Koreans are pressured to shave in order to fit into the norm. Others just believe that facial hair is dirty looking.

While there's certainly no data to back this up, I would guess that some American women like facial hair while others prefer a clean-shaven guy. Perhaps 50/50. Others may even tolerate a full forest of gruff and call it "nice". Others might puke in their mouth. The difference is that instead of only some American women puking in their own mouths at the sight of questionable chin growth, most Korean women have already puked and are looking for a towel.

The real point here is that Koreans tend to look at facial hair slightly differently than Americans. Where some facial hair might be acceptable in a professional setting, it's seen as unrefined here. Where a thick man-forest of cheek hair might be a symbol of pure studliness in the states, you just look decrepit in Korea. This shouldn't be too much of a stretch for most businesspeople. Some American company dress codes require a professional demeanor at all times; to include a fuzz-free face. Also, you should look like you don't sleep underneath a bridge at night.

So, my fellow hairily confident foreigners, I ask you: what are we to do? Fall in line and recreate a facial version of a baby's bottom? Or are we doomed to rock out with our hair out? Won't we look like fuzzy freaks, though?

Well, to those of you thinking that facial hair has a place in Korea, I offer you these fine gentlemen. Surely this is how we must look.

So, the next time you ask your significant other "면도 해야할거 같아?", you'll understand if she hands you the razor with glee. It's not because she's madly in love with you. It's because you looked like a bum.

To get into the more hairy parts of this topic, I suggest this fantastically funny 2005 paper, a interesting post from the walrus blog, and of course everyone's favorite 교포 has covered this and plenty more at AAK.

Thoughts?

In your family, are you the Youngest? Oldest? Middle? (Korean birth order)

2009-12-14T22:18:00.001+09:00

출생. Birth Order.

I would venture that most Westerners don't immediately think of birth order as a common source of personality distinction but that doesn't mean we don't think about it. Sure enough, once we get to know someone, we are not surprised once we find out that they are indeed needy for attention because they're the middle kid. To discover that a bossy 'A' type personality is the oldest in her family doesn't exactly shock us.
As someone who studied early childhood development as an undergraduate, I'm particularly interested in how birth order affects children and their personalities as they develop. Take a look at this chart for a typical Western perspective.

The main difference I find is that Koreans seem to 1) simply ask the question to determine birth order sooner than Westerners and 2) they place slightly more importance on the implications than we do. Other than that, needless stereotypes and broad generalizations seem to exist in both cultures. So, if you're the youngest and get offended by the following guide, don't. It's just a generalization.

So, let's get some of the language down:

첫째 (맏이) : first born
장남 (맏아들) (長男) : first born son
장녀 (맏딸) (長女) : first born daughter
They can be reliable, have leadership qualities and try to take care of their younger siblings. Traditionally, only sons would inherit all of the family's power and properties so it would have been natural to be adaptive towards him. The first born daughter has the same responsibilities of taking care of the siblings but has virtually none of the same rights. However, this is changing a little bit.

둘째: the second born
차남(次男) : second born son
차녀(次女) : second born daughter
Always a troublemaker. No responsibilities, no rights, starving for attention. If you will, an alien amongst the siblings. A large number of 둘째 are also 막내 at the same time - especially people born after the 1970s. This trend is due to 박정희's birth-control policy with its famous catchphrase, "아들 딸 구별 말고 둘만 낳아 잘 기르자."

셋째 : the third born
삼남 (三男) : third born son
삼녀 (三女) : third born daughter
No special image for third sons but the third daughter is thought to be the most beautiful. This kind of thinking was evident in a traditional song "최진사댁 셋 째딸". If you're the third daughter, consider yourself hot.

막내 : the last born / youngest
막내 딸 : youngest daughter
막내 아들 : youngest son
Lovely, playful, outgoing. Sometimes they are considered to be selfish. It's also common to think that they don't have any real family responsibilities. 막내 are always a child to his/her siblings. This is especially true for only male 막내 who has only 누나s.

외동 : the only child
외동아들 (독자) (獨子) : only son
외동딸 (독녀) (獨女) : only daughter
Sorry but you guys are considered to be rude, selfish, and self-centered. They always do whatever they want in their home. All other family members support the 외동 as much as they can. Koreans love sons, so if you're 외아들, you got it made in the shade.

additional notes: If a man has two 누나s, the first one is his 첫째 누나 and the second oldest one would be his 둘째 누나. Also, since we call anybody 오빠/누나/언니/형/동생 if you want to emphasize it's your real, blood-related 오빠/언니/누나/형/동생 we sometimes put 친 in front of the title. For example, 친형 and 친누나. For more insight on the confusing kinship terms, you know where to look.

So, where were we? Ah yes, over-generalizations.

Take me for example: I'm the cutest one in my family and I know it. I have the least amount of responsibility. I expect everyone to do something for me. It's awesome. I'm a typical 막내.

Hate me yet? Don't forget to swallow my blog posts with a heaping spoonful of sarcasm. It tastes better that way.

On the sunny side of things, birth order is enough for some to try to make a living off of guiding people to 'true love' using their birth order as a determining factor in their romantic endeavors. No, really. They do. On the fatalistic side of things, some even go as far to claim that birth order helps determine sexual preferences. Another look can be found here, too. I wonder how this plays out in Korea. My guess is that it isn't even considered...

However, if Korea continues to follow its current trend of low birth numbers, this personality scape-goating may be soon not apply but to only children. Take a look at the fertility rate in Korea, though to see what I'm talking about. Times certainly have changed and they don't seem to be showing signs of stopping. One has to wonder who will step in and fill in the fertility gap...

For more on the subject, this TIME article is nice short read. Here's a 2004 paper written on the subject for those interested. Three bucks too much to pay? In that case, got an 오백원? Buy this paper about the myths surrounding birth order. And then send me a copy. UPDATE: or just read this hastily copy and paste version, instead. Lastly, this short article is available in both Korean and English.

Korean translation help courtesy of 김선재 and 안효진.

Thoughts?

Using two hands to do what you do (nonverbal Korean politeness)

2009-12-14T22:16:00.001+09:00

Using two hands.

In Korea, to use one hand to do something is considered to be rude. So stop doing it.

Seriously. But don't go all out and use two hands to accept liquid hand sanitizer or anything like that but the primary receiving and giving of anything from cash to paper handouts should be done with both hands*. Think of it as a redundancy - if one hand freaks out and shucks you, you still got the other one. You never know when you'll need the strength of two hands...

Seriously though it's just one of those cultural nuances that is important and sometimes overlooked. The most common mistake comes from the use of the left hand only. That's just nasty.

I kid. Come on now, who really thinks about which hand we use? In a Western setting, I never care about it other than in a handshake. If I want to hand something over or receive something, I just do it with whatever hand is most convenient. If I reach for some cash out of my wallet, I'll hand it over to the clerk without thinking about if I'm using the dirty left or the royal right. I think back to a classroom setting when a teacher hands out papers to the front row and the students are to pass back the handouts to the student behind them. I usually just took one and naturally passed the papers backwards with my left hand while I read the new handout with my right hand.

But, I can appreciate the Korean emphasis on hands. In America, if someone tried to shake my hand with their left hand instead of their right, I might not be overtly offended, but I would be a little perplexed.
But two hands? All the time?

*Sort of. If you're going to use one hand to pass something, and you're of sufficient social status, use the right hand only. Otherwise, use both hands to be the most polite. More commonly, use your left hand to support your body - almost as if you point to your elbow with your fingers whilst your palm rests on your upper stomach. Support your elbow but don't make it into a Klingon rite of passage - make the effort and your politeness is conveyed.

One can easily tell who's the top dog and who's the 신입사원 at the drinking table simply by taking a look at the pouring style. Always pouring with the right hand, look at the left hand of the person pouring. The closer the left hand is to the wrist, the more respectable the person is being. No left hand support equals friendship in the sense that two hands are not required.

So what have we learned? Like any culture, there are certain normative expectations associated with politeness. What surprises me is how a firm handshake is not required. I feel like I'm crushing the hands of Korean people I meet simply because I was taught that a nice firm handshake was a way to convey security, trust and friendliness. Likewise, two hands (or one hand supporting the other) conveys humbleness, submission and respect.

Want to get your hands on more Korean hand gesture goodness? Then listen to everyone's favorite married couple and go eat your kimchi.

Thoughts?

Hey little mamma, what's your type? (Blood type in Korea)

2009-12-14T22:15:00.001+09:00

Blood type.

Stop. Ask yourself "What blood type am I?". Chances are you're a foreigner in respect to Korea (seeing as how this is an English language blog written for the benefit of foreigners) and that you probably answered with "I don't know". More importantly, you might have thought "why should I care?" The short answer? You shouldn't. But don't be surprised if other people do.

Well I'm here to lay it on the line. It does matter. Kind of.

See, this whole idea behind looking at someone's blood type originates from a Japanese belief that blood type determines temperament, compatibility, and pretty much everything else that defines someone. Apparently your blood has been yakking it up. What does it say about you?

This sounds like fun! Let's compartmentalize the entire planet, shall we? Fall in line and take a look at one of four possible blood personalities that exist:
(for visuals, a chart can be found here)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Type O - Enter the strong willed, athletic, self-confident power-mongering natural born leaders of society. These goal-orientated risk-takers are ambitious and full of desire. Not surprisingly, they can also come off as ruthless, insensitive, arrogant and bossy. Oh they sound like fun at parties /end sarcasm.
Type A - These conservative, patient, considerate people are a little hesitant to trust people but eventually follow social order and customs as they seem apparent. Being a natural introvert, these perfectionists punctually get the job done whilst not making waves or hurting anyone's feelings. Their reserved nature sometimes is misinterpreted as uptight, stubborn and obsessive. Cross these types of people only with a solid exit plan.
Type B - These peace loving, tree hugging, passionate, individualistic free spirits are not inhibited by normal social cues. These liberals don't like to be told what to do and thus prefer to optimistically think outside of the box. Unfortunately, their self-centered nature can make them seem a bit forgetful and irresponsible. In a social-ordered society like Korea, these people probably seem out in left field, if you know what I mean.
Type AB - These calm, cool, rational thinkers make excellent critics and analysts. They are adept at being in control of their emotions and functioning in harmony with other people. Their indecisiveness can give off an unforgiving, critical and disconnected vibe from time to time. They probably can empathize with you, but they also probably don't care.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

After reviewing, take a look at this commercial compilation staring everyone's favorite Korean hip hop group. Can you spot the character traits?

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=22kS6Mcdk2U]
This pseudoscience is alive and well in Korea and has taken a new form: Phenotype discrimination. Oh yes. You have B? Seat's taken. Can't sit here.

Also, as you can imagine, Korea draws from a very different genetic pool than America. In America, it's almost equally common to have either O or A blood type. However, in Korea, like the rest of Asia, draws far more from the B blood type pool than any other. Strange considering the stigma attached to such a blood type. Especially B type men. So, we've either got a lot of rebel B types running around in secret in Korea or blood type doesn't matter. Ah... nature versus nurture... my old friend.

Hell, I don't even know my own blood type...hold up screw let me check. UPDATE: I'm type A. go figure.
Further reading? I like this paper because it's translated from Korean to English and it features some modern native beliefs about blood type. Also, this post deals more with the Korean advertising giants that use blood type to sell just about anything - even fruit. This article is based more on Japanese culture, but is still worth a good read on type compatibility in relationships (semi-NSFW). And to round things out, here's a super cute cartoon strip about blood types and how they affect kindergartners. Precious.

In conclusion, many of young Koreans laugh at the idea of using ABO blood type to determine a possible life partner. That being said, it sure might make a couple happy to know that they aren't in one of the"B" type relationships. *shudder* Take it as you would any other predictor - it's followed by some, ignored by some, and followed religiously by some. Where do you stand?

Thoughts?

Dog - it isn't for dinner so stop asking (복날 and Korean canine cuisine)

2009-12-14T22:14:00.001+09:00

Eating Dog.

I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, it's not one of those posts. I'll keep it civil. First, I'd like to point out a brief summary via everyone's favorite online resource. Essentially, if/when you come to Korea, don't expect to see dogs dangling from store fronts and dog being served at every meal because it's just not that common of a dish. Understandably, some misinterpret the consumption of dog as an insult to their way of life. Like all things, some take the practice to a new level of ridiculous. Like this commentator points out, different isn't always wrong.

The history of dog as a food source goes way back to the dog days of summer, known as 삼복 or 복날. These three days had a prescription to beat the heat - fight fire with fire, so to say. Fight the heat with a hot dish. ~~Makes perfect sense.~~ See, I'm much more inclined to eat 콩국수, but that's just me.

If it's eaten nowadays, it's usually in the form of 보신탕 which is said to be a great overall virility booster. But then again, 복분자 is supposed to do the same, but I end up just getting sleepy.

But get real. Not all Koreans are into eating Fido. In fact, great efforts are being made to change the "energy-boosting" trend. In my personal opinion, it's getting more and more difficult to attest to Korea's cultural homogeneity. Genetic homogeneity is still pretty much as exclusive as the Finer Things Club. Still exclusive but slowly changing, no less.

It really gives new meaning to the 'dog days of summer' doesn't it? (oh come on, how couldn't I make that reference in this post?) Although the tradition of eating hot food on 복날 is still practiced, a great alternative is the delicious 삼계탕. A chicken is still socially acceptable to eat, right?

What it all comes down to is just a cultural difference. Case in point: In America, it gives no one pause to eat cow. But, it's not nearly as common to do so in India. Likewise, to eat a dog in America is considered uncivilized and culturally taboo. In Korea, it kind of is, too, but not as severe a taboo. But look around. Historically and geographically, have you seen mass pastures for cow grazing in Korea? Then why would it be just as common to eat cow in Korea as America? The amount of dog meat actually consumed in Korea is not well-documented but it has been estimated as low as 5% and as high as 30% of the population who have eaten the dish. So, Lassie is still man's best friend. Even in Korea.

Personally? I'm not against the consumption of any animal. Keep in mind I'm a former vegan. It's all a matter of perspective. It's easy to judge some other country's diet and say "that's disgusting" and for them to go ahead and say the same about yours. But that doesn't get anyone anywhere. While I am not up to trying ultra-exotic foods like this guy, I'm culturally sensitive enough to know that what I consider abso-frakin-lutely delicious is at the bottom of someone else's food ladder. Not everyone thinks 된장찌개 is heaven-sent. But, I try to look at "strange" food as I do with beer. Some beers seem better suited to clean the heads of gold clubs overnight instead of being consumed, but I respect someone else's choice. Just because my buddy is drinking a Beck's Dark doesn't make him a bad person. In the end, it's all the same. Beer is beer and food is food.

UPDATE: AAK wrote a nice, lengthy writeup recently, too. Funny how we both used the same basic title though my article was written back in June. Here's a self-imposed compliment - great minds think alike, right?
Shameless....

Thoughts?

Fan Death and why it's real[ly funny] in Korea

2009-12-14T22:12:00.001+09:00

Fan Death.

One of the most tongue-in-cheek moments that expatriates have to share is the beauty that is fan death. So cast away science and come with me on a fanciful journey to discover why exactly these sweet little fans are harbingers of death.

To understand fan death is to understand that there are several different theories as to why four small moving blades equal certain death. The more scientific sounding, the more convincing. Also, consider the fact that Korean homes are, in general, smaller than Western homes. Also, it gets crazy hot in Korea. But, enough about me (puns are just rolling today) let's talk about the theories. But keep in mind, I'm way late in posting this. These comedic claims have long been the fascination by foreigners. Here's an article from 1997.

One such theory involves hyperthermia. Fan blows on person, person gets hot, fan blows recirculated hot air over person, person gets more hot. Repeat. But don't get sold on the theory because another theory claims the exactly opposite: hypothermia. Fan blows on person, person gets cold, fan blows recirculated cold air over person, person gets more cold. Repeat.

Soak that in.

Another involves carbon dioxide buildup if left directly facing a person's body for a prolonged period of time. This hits home for me. Tangent: All of the men of my family have this "bad" habit of sleeping with like a half dozen or so electric fans on at night. Even in the winter. It's true. I always have a few fans on in the room when I sleep. I like the wind, the white noise from the fan, the circulation - so much so that I have trouble sleeping at night if I don't have at least one fan facing me. Even in the winter. So, to my future wife, here's a heads-up - sorry to be a little weird about fans. Bundle up, honey.

There's also some pretty outrageous beliefs which I think have all but disappeared - only to be replaced with more experts professing the true reason why you're going to die in the quiet comfort of your own bedroom. Some of these older theories include the fan blades cutting and mincing oxygen particles leaving nothing to be inhaled but fragments of air. Think sloppy seconds for your lungs. Another goofball theory is that the fan death rumor was created by the government in a scheme to reduce consumer electricity demands. My personal favorite is the vortex theory: the fan creates a partial vacuum in the room causing you to suffocate.

Sure, it's pretty ridiculous. Conservation of matter demands a much stronger machine in order to effect change to the surrounding air pressure. Translation? An oscillating floor fan is not powerful enough to create a vortex.
So, by and large, sorry to disappoint, but fan death is fake. Rest assured (haha, get it?) you will not die in your sleep from that little plastic round guy that makes your voice sound awesome when you talk really close to it.

But I can see the connection. Honestly. News: A man is found dead in his apartment. The cause of death is not readily available. Neighbors get curious and see the paramedics working. Neighbors ask what happened are are met with "We're not sure at the moment" but the wise old neighbor down the hall confidently proclaims "Must have been the fan", which, as it turns out, is still running. *Dun Dun Duuun* Now, two independent events (mysterious death and fan running) are linked. But for this story to work, you would have to conclude without any real logic or method. Or just be an idiot.

Remember the Simpsons episode where Homer wanted to buy Lisa's rock? The one that keep tigers away? In it, Homer proclaimed that because of the Bear Patrol and no bear in sight, the Bear Patrol must have been working like a charm. Lisa applies the same logic to conclude that a random rock keeps tigers away (after all, there were no tigers). Sure, I butcher the comedic timing, but this comparison is not unlike fan death and reinforcement over decades. A mysterious death in the summer results in media hysteria and "experts" claiming to watch out for the warning signs of fan death. The vicious cycle continues.

It's comical but also kind of real in a small margin. So long as a certain number of factors are played in. For example, the EPA recommends not to use an electric fan in an enclosed room without outside ventilation during warm weather. This makes sense, as the warm air being circulated essentially acts like a turbo oven pushing ever-increasingly warmer air across your body which could possibly result in either asphyxiation or hyperthermia. It's a stretch but an understandable concern. I'd like to think that the person trapped in the room wouldn't be held against their will - just open a window. But to be fair, this argument for the validity of fan death has already been made and is one of the best written articles on the subject. But I wonder when will the debate be truly solved?

I have the utmost confidence that Korea will continue to make strides in the area of scientific research and development. Others are seeing hope, too. And far be it for me to criticize Korea or any other country for its false claims on anything. It's easy to be convinced by anything if one hears about it enough in the news - be it ridiculous claims about English teachers or vengeful electronic fans. I believe that any group of peoples are influenced by not only their own beliefs but also reinforced by their own media, too. Before Americans get too quick to judge Korea for some backwards-thinking theory on common household appliances, I would like to just say one thing:

Y2K.

Thoughts?

Nervous laughter and why it isn't funny outside of Korea

2009-12-14T22:11:00.001+09:00

Laughing.

Ah, a universal form of communication. Laughter. How could anyone possibly screw this one up? I mean, it must be the same everywhere you go, right?

Leave it to Korea to make things backwards. Other than the standard laugh that occurs when something funny happens, Koreans (to include other Asians) might also laugh when embarrassed or nervous. But here's the thing, it looks like it's funny...but it's not.

Scenario: A foreign businessperson approaches his secretary and asks why the report he asked for is late. She responds by quietly laughing. She just remembered that he asked for it yesterday. So, in embarrassment, she does the one thing that will surely make him upset. She has grin on her face. He looks like he's ready to punch the wall.

In the Western sense, it almost sets up the offended party to retort with "Oh, so you think it's funny?" thus escalating the issue. But when viewed in respect to saving face, this makes total sense.

It reminds me of Ralph on the Simpsons when he sees that drunk Krusty the Clown impersonator. "He's still funny just not ha ha funny". In the scenario, the secretary is laughing at the embarrassment of being irresponsible. But the exec takes it as she was laughing at him. Or perhaps he's just a little perturbed that instead of an apology or a quick reaction to fix the situation, her initial instinct ws to do something seemingly inappropriate and unprofessional. Even if she were laughing with him, it would still be a little out of place in the Western work environment.

It's comforting to know that typically when trying to save face, the nervous party is not laughing at you. It's just that when pushed into a corner, sometimes the only thing to avoid losing face is to grin like an idiot. Like a "I'm laughing at myself" type of laugh.

In conclusion, if you find yourself getting laughed at, take a quick step back and discover why someone might be laughing. If your coworker is smiling like he just finally figured out where the beef went, maybe it's because you set him up for it. So cool down, analyze the situation, and move past this situation as quickly as possible.
For someone working with Koreans and find themselves puzzled by other such curious situations, I offer this book.

To that, I leave you with this. Laugh away. Or cringe. Whatever. And if that doesn't do anything for you, just watch this. I like to talk over the footage with my own voices...that's something we can all laugh at together.

Thoughts?

Presidents of South Korea - an overview and timeline

2009-12-14T22:10:00.001+09:00

The Presidents of the Republic of Korea. 대통령.

This can be a hot topic because people of different backgrounds and age groups differ heavily on how each president is remembered. Moreso, with each new president, former presidents are remembered somewhat differently. For that matter, there are criteria for judging presidents.

Korea has a relatively short democratic history and an even shorter "real" democratic background. In just sixty years, there have been over 200 major political parties come and go. Also, one of the obstacles democracy faces in Asia stems from long-standing authoritarian tradition. Add to the mix Korea's not-that-far-behind agrarian and colonized history and you've got a recipe for political instability. But, far from impossible, many politicians have been up to the task. According to Kim, democratic Presidents have three fundamental, sequential tasks while in office. The third can't successfully be obtained without the second, and the second can't exist without the first:

national security (internal, external war)
economic welfare (infrastructure development, public services)
political development (freedom, individual rights)

Keeping these tasks in mind, I want to refrain from placing myself on either standpoint but I do want to try to at least give a brief overview of this important office and why you should care nowadays. Also, in an effort to be impartial, I will make an effort to provide equal amounts of criticisms and achievements. Keeping the mudslinging to a minimum, let's take a look.

이승만 - 1948-1960
Syngman Rhee held a provisional post before the creation of what we today know as South Korea. Although he succeeded the popular and tragic political figure 김구, Rhee was quite accomplished in his own right and was an obvious candidate for the newly created Republic of Korea. As a young politician, he was a political prisoner for seven years before being released. He is best known as the first president of Korea and for carrying the country during the Korean War. His fresh new ideas and staunch anti-communist platform came at a crucial time in Korea. His relationship with the United States was vital to American involvement in the war. In addition, his academic career was equally impressive. Graduating from both Princetown and Harvard is not a bad thing to add to one's résumé. Although he was democratically elected, he altered the constitution to remain in office quite a bit longer than the usual seven year term (now five year single term). In addition, after successfully leading South Korea before, during, and after the war, his politics soon fell out of favor was eventually forced to step down by a sweeping majority and subsequent student uprising. He lived the rest of his life in exile and died in Hawaii five years later.

박정희 - 1963-1979
Park Chung-Hee took power in 1961 in the form of a military coup. He held much more power than 윤보선, the figurehead president who took over after Rhee's departure. A former general, Park ruled with an iron fist and a well-defined agenda. His anti-North Korean stance was well received; he believed that the best way to demonstrate superiority and security from North Korea was through economic strength. Thus, his main policy was economic independence through exports and heavy industry. Park is fondly remembered for his well-executed economic reform. His policies helped modernize Korea into better shape than before the war that left it in a state of poverty. Unfortunately, his presidency is equally remembered as authoritarian and heavy-handed. His censorship tactics were brutal and often inhumane. He left little room for professional criticism and democratic thought. His Yushin Constitution led Korea in a war-like state of emergency which granted Park with excessive political power. He survived two North Korean assassination attempts, one in 1968 and another in 1974. The second attempt missed the president but instead hit the first lady. His wife passed shortly thereafter. Regrettably, Park was assassinated in 1979 by the head of the Korean CIA. His legacy has often been the subject of great controversy.

전두환 - 1980-1988
Chun Doo-Hwan seized power from the former prime minister who became president after Park's death. Like Park, Chun was a military general who ruled with a similar economic agenda as Park but with a focus on stability instead instead of growth. He also spearheaded a major advancement in research and development in the fields of technology and telecommunications. He is pleasantly remembered for his role in hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This event eventually had the support of the entire country and resulted in numerous infrastructure improvements such as the Han River Development Project and the 88 Olympic Expressway. Although not as physically imposing like his predecessor, Chun had big shoes to fill but still held his position effectively. He improved Korea-Japan international relations and repeatedly stressed that he would step down once his single-term was up. However, like Park, he was the target of an assassination plot that went sour and sadly resulted in the death of his wife and several other officials. Most unfortunately, he was among a group of politicians who were held responsible for the military's brutal role in the Gwangju Democratization Movement (also known as the Gwangju Uprising). This event is still regarded as the most tragic lose of civilian life in Korea since the Korean War. After his term, it was discovered that Chun and his family had embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars while in office. In addition, in 1996 he was found guilty and sentenced to death for his role in suppressing the Gwangju Uprising. He was later pardoned and has since been out of the political limelight.

노태우 - 1988-1993
Roh Tae-Woo succeeded his mentor and close friend, Chun. They were both high school friends and eventually served together in an elite paramilitary force. His temperament was decidedly cooler than his predecessors. During a particularly violent student riot in June of 1987, Roh, then just a presidential candidate, addressed the nation on national television with an eight point agenda to fix the country. Almost immediately, the rioting ceased. Unfortunately, the arranged election time for the National Assembly coincided with an unfavorable time for the government and resulted in the dissident minority party gaining a majority of seats. What did this mean for Roh? His legislative goals were stopped at the National Assembly floor because they came from the other party. Ouch. Also, he was not particularly interested in the economy, a policy that the Korean people had long been expected to be maintained. However, Roh was greatly interested in improving relations with North Korea. His Nordpolitik was achieved via trade relations with Beijing and Moscow. Although he promised a lot in his campaign to a lot of different people, he reported carried a black notebook around and once quoted from it when questioned about his effectiveness "I made a total of 459 promises...of these...a total of 175 have been completed and [an additional] 273 are in the process of being worked out." Even though Roh was the first president to usher in a peaceful democratic transfer of power since 1948, both Roh and Chun were of the same political party and the legitimacy of the handoff has long been questioned. Also, like his predecessor, he was found guilty of accumulating a 650 million dollar massively illegal slush fund and was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. He was later pardoned but his legacy was forever tarnished.

김영삼 - 1993-1998
Kim Young-Sam came into the political scene as a young and ambitious dissident. At 25 years old, he was the youngest elected assemblyman to ever serve in the National Assembly. A dynamic man, prior to becoming President, he was put under a two year house arrest and then went on a 23 day hunger strike in protest of President Chun's policies. Stricken with 대통병 (President disease) he soon set his sights on the office of the President. He would be come the first civilian president in thirty-two years. He charged to create a new Korea although he lacked any real administrative experience. Also, his cabinet appointments were less than qualified to lead the country. If that weren't enough, he "borrowed too many brains" by frequently reshuffling cabinet members. Stressing mass political reform, he led by example; he swore off golf, replaced fancy Blue House meals with simple dishes, and ordered the Presidential guest villa to be demolished. At the peak of his popularity, he pushed a new open and transparent banking system that relied on real names. This act resulted in over 1000 public officials throughout the country resigning from their post or forcibly sent to prison for various related illegal activities. His anti-corruption campaign spread to the military further forcing resignations from another 1000 or so officers in addition to revealing the 142 names of the secret paramilitary force 하나회. Unfortunately, for all of his crusading, he was alarmingly inexperienced in economic matters. Instead, he pursued OECD membership. His passionate demeanor sometimes worked against him as in 1994 when North/South Korea relations were at an all time low. A thick air of mistrust and possible nuclear war was on the brink until a joint North/South meeting was arranged with former American president Jimmy Carter as mediator. In fact, a historical North/South summit was set to take place July 25th 1994, but North Korean leader 김일성 died on the 9th. Regardless, Kim's economic negligence came to an apex with the 1997 IMF Crisis. He stepped down as one of the most unpopular presidents.

김대중 - 1998-2003
Kim Dae-Jung did not have it easy. He was placed on house arrest several times by President Park. He was imprisoned by President Chun. He was kidnapped by the KCIA in Japan and brought back to Korea. He has been referred to as the Nelson Mandela of Asia. A life-long freedom fighter, at age seventy-three, he finally became President by a skim 1.5% margin of victory over 이희창. Kim had studied and lived in the United States, an experience that served him well as President. He cleaned up the IMF mess by insisting on 재벌 (corporate) restructuring, government reorganization, and a labor/management compromise. His DJnomics shook things up all over the country with little regard for the long-term effects. Furthermore, Kim insisted that he would help break down a long standing tradition of regionalism. Most notably, his Sunshine Policy aimed at amicable trade and cultural exchanges between North and South Korea. Emotions ran high on June 13th, 2000 as Kim flew to 평양 for a historical summit meeting which resulted in a five point agreement between the two neighboring countries. For his efforts, Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, his popularity in Korea was quickly deteriorating as juicy scandals and ineffective policies came to light. His Sunshine Policy was angering many South Koreans as it seemed one sided tilted in North Korea's favor. In 2003, it was estimated that one out of every five families could not pay their credit card debt - a result of his short-term and short-sided economic policies. Also, his administration is widely believed to be the most corrupt in modern Korean history. He left quietly office amid serious doubts about his legacy and passed away in August of 2009.

노무현 - 2003-2008
Roh Moo-Hyun - the self-made human rights lawyer who climbed his way up the political ladder. His meager upbringing and underdog political status did not exactly pave the way for his future as President. However, he was known as a man of transparent good character and an all-around upstanding citizen. At the time of his election, the public wondered if he could be as effective in the inside as President than when he was on the outside as a dissident. Roh represented the 386 generation of Koreans and promised change and reform but soon his policies were questioned. His controversial and extravagantly expensive proposal to move the capital was not well received. Roh was also quite possibly the most Anti-American President ever - coinciding with one of the most Anti-American protest movements in recent history. Overall, his job performance wasn't exactly regarded as effective, though it's far to point at that the cards were stacked against him in some ways. Regardless of his politics, he tragically shocked the nation by committing suicide this past May. His passing closes a possible chapter in Korean political history - an ex-president who could achieve more out of office (arguably much like former American President Carter) or at least live out post-Presidential life in dignity. He remains an enigma.

이명박 - 2008-present
Lee Myung-Bak was the former mayor of Seoul before making his mark as President. The "bulldozer" also holds the distinction of being Korea's youngest CEO at age 35, just eleven years after starting work for the Hyundai group. Recently, President Lee donated approximately 90% of his accumulated wealth to set up a scholarship fund. Well done. As mayor, 2MB initiated a rather controversial revival project that, $900 million dollars later, is known as 청계천. After his stint as mayor, he campaigned on his 747 economic plan which was met with hope and caution by the voting public. Even more skepticism was aimed at his Grand Korean Waterway - a project that would link 한강 (Han River in Seoul) and 낙동강 (Nakdong River in Busan) at great financial and environmental cost. Surprisingly, Lee recently dropped all plans of building the canal during his term. As if to really change things up around, his foreign policy, known as the MB Doctrine, is rising eyebrows on at least two continents. Furthermore, Lee has limited freedoms of assembly and press on more than a few occasions as well as having a rather extreme religious stance of both anti-Buddhist and borderline fanatically pro-Christian. He's not exactly liked by the Korean gay and lesbian community, either. President Lee is controversial and conservative at best and Korea's answer to Dubya at worst. Only less than two years into his presidency, Lee has plenty of time to make either great strides or costly mistakes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I know that politics can sometimes seem to be about as fun as calculus, but I can't help but be fascinated with Korea's history. It's dynamic, dramatic, and riddled with broad achievements and epic failures. It shows so much promise and so much growth in such small amount of time. I'm impressed how far Korea has come politically since my grandfather's generation (Korean War). I certainly welcome any dialogue about this subject as it is of great interest to me.

Thoughts?

Metal chopsticks (Korean eating utensils)

2009-12-14T22:09:00.001+09:00

Metal Chopsticks.

It's not exactly a Korean meal without the deliciousness touching a little stainless steel. The evolution of the chopstick is here and now. Gone are the wasteful wooden or flimsy plastic sticks. We're talking streamlined cutlery goodness: Chopsticks 2.0 for the masses.

For sure, it's a curious conversation topic for some time now. But, truly, the history behind such a common eating utensil is actually pretty interesting. Enough to make a great lesson plan with some great facts at the end (take note of page three). In fact, it's been rumored that former President 박정희 (Park Chung-Hee) is credited with introducing metal chopsticks to Korea.

I would venture to guess that many Westerners would never think twice about why the chopsticks are made of metal and why the type of rice eaten might determine the type of chopsticks used. For that matter, it's a stretch for the common Westerner to know the difference between short and long grained rice. Myself included. But, it's not so strange to think about the evolution of American utensils. The steak knife, anyone?

Another explanation is that before the modern stainless steel chopsticks were introduced, silver was used. According to myth, silver chopsticks would tarnish if poison was found in the King's food. Therefore, it was not just economical but for safety sake. Leave it up to Koreans to think of a better way of testing of poisoned food. Didn't the royal courts of the Dark Ages have royal food testers? What a crummy job to get off of Ye Olde Craigslist.

But what about the wee ones? Don't they already have it rough enough? I mean it seems that all they hear is leave that alone, don't pick that up, don't put that in your mouth, and why is your face turning blue? but now we have to add to that equation the seemingly impossible of learning to use metal chopsticks, which if you haven't used them, tend to be on the slippery side. But, like tiny masters of their craft, they get good real quick, or else that sweet sweet 김치 goes uneaten. A powerful motivator indeed.

Metal chopsticks are here to stay and they are awesome. Glad I'm not the only one whop thinks they are flippin sweet. They're more economical, washable, designable, and elegant than their wooden brethren. I suppose plastic comes in at second place, but really? Who wants the silver medal when it comes to food?

Thoughts?

It's nothing personal - unless you're in Korea (Korean business relationships)

2009-12-14T22:08:00.001+09:00

Business relationships.

You know the whole "It's nothing personal - it's just business" saying that we have in English?

Yeah, not true in Korea.

Cold calling? Door-to-door? Directory assistance? Are you kidding me? This is the land of social networks and personal relationships. Korea is a never-ending web of social connections. And you're just trying to close a sale? Move along. Korea's looking for a long-term business relationship. One that requires someone to navigate the and nurture the relationship from within Korea. A lifer.

Korea is a place of great economic clout. The little country that could is carrying a big stick and should not be overlooked or doubted. Like Taiwan and Singapore, Korea is one of the few Asian countries that came out strong after the 1997 IMF crisis. Nice job guys. Pat yourself on the back. And believe you me, Korea didn't get to be such an economic bad mamma jamma without a little personal touch to business. So how does one get into the door of Korean business?

It's all about who you know. If you went to elementary school with some mid-level business exec and twenty years later you want to try your sales pitch on him, you're much more likely to get the account versus someone else with a little more to offer for a little less. Why wouldn't the company just go with the most profitable service provider? Korean rule of thumb: Good relationships are good business and they supercede the bottom line. If nothing else, their business loyalty is impressive.

And to think I haven't even got into the myriad that is contracts ~~and Confucian history~~. In Korea, contracts are seen as starting points to negotiation and shouldn't be taken in the same sense as Western contracts. Remember, in Korea, people are more important than what is written on a piece of paper. American dependence on written contracts and inflexibility is quite remarkable if looked at in this light. Korean negotiators historically have balked at Western reliance on paper contracts instead of verbal and non-verbal agreements. This translates to a Korean business pulling out of a sign, sealed deal moments before the deal was to be announced. Why shouldn't they have the freedom to do so? Their intuition is more trustworthy than a piece of paper - regardless of what it represents. Such is business in Korea.

This "personal" approach to business has some baggage, no? It's easy to see why the personal touch is frowned upon. Some foreigners are a bit candid in their observations and while I'm sure shady business relationships aren't just exclusive to any one country - let alone Korea.

So take it from the Michael Scott school of business - keep it personal. If you get your foot in the door, dig in like a tick and be prepared to spend some after-hours with your new business partners. Because your relationship with them is the lifeblood of the deal, contract, and all other considerations. Think not of your life as a separation of business and personal - here they intermix like orange juice and toothpaste. Get used to it, partner.

Thoughts?

and 안녕하세요 right back at you, jerk (greetings, introductions, saying hello in Korea)

2009-12-14T22:07:00.001+09:00

Saying hello.

Okay okay, everyone knows it by now. I'm about as country as they come. I open doors for women, I tip my hat to old people, and I say "howdy" to everyone I meet. Laugh it up and move on, city boy.

Where I come from, saying "hello" to everyone is considered normal, if not polite. If I'm in line at the grocery store and I see my friend and his family, it's normal for him to say hello to me and then perhaps introduce my relationship to his family. "Hey Matthew. Good to see you. Dad, you remember Matthew? We went to junior high together. Don't you remember? He was the one who cried in his sleep...you remember taking him back home during that sleepover in sixth grade? The one who was apologizing the whole way home?" Yeah. You know, totally normal stuff.

But why do we do greet each other so frequently? Granted it's not everyone. It's not happening in every city in the country but the act of introducing oneself when approached by a friend who is in the company of other friends is very common. I'm not sure even if we think about it. It just happens. I walk up, I say what's up to my buddy and he tells me who his friends are. We shake hands or just say "what's up" and we're done.

But really? Why do we do that? As Americans, why do we say hello to people that we don't know? We're probably not going to see them again. Even the checkout counter people at Target ask us how we're doing today. Like, why? Would it matter if I'm having a horrible day? Isn't my "bad day" money just as welcome? What if we just stopped saying "hello" to random people? Imagine the marketing fallout...

If we were to follow this "not saying hello" thing, we'd be right at home in Korea. It's not that people don't say 안녕하세요 to each other but the context is a bit different. One doesn't have to say hello to random people if the situation merits no conversation. If you sit down in a restaurant, you don't have to say hello to the server. Quit being such a noob and just order. Doing otherwise at every single establishment would get tiring after a while, wouldn't it? So try a little something different. When in Rome...

As we have looked at before, being introduced to another person in Korea can be a big deal. Introductions to a new person opens up a new web of social networking and it potentially requires more attention and work on your end. Another person, another responsibility. Sounds like a bit much just for running into someone at the store, doesn't it? Therefore, stay out of it. Allow me to demonstrate.

Scenario: "A" knows "B" and sees "B" at the store with "C" whom "A" does not recognize. "A" says hello and "B" breaks away from the conversation with "C" to talk to "A" briefly. "C" stands there like an idiot. "B" doesn't introduce "C" to "A" and eventually says goodbye to "A" and goes back to the conversation with "C". "C" cries himself to sleep.

Obviously "C" is a overly sensitive foreigner who needs to grow a pair but you get the idea. But, even some foreigners are getting used to this lack of casual introductions, much to other foreigners' dismay, of course.

Again, I present the side that most foreigners are not acutely aware that they even naturally want to be introduced or self-introduce whenever possible. I will simply say that some foreigners are more pre-disposed to do this but certainly not foreigners are happy balls of social friendliness dying to talk to any and all people he/she meets at the supermarket. To make such a blanket statement does not apply.

In conclusion, it's not that Korean people are more rude than other group of people (although some still question this) it's just that Korean cultural expectations are different. That's all. I personally believe that Koreans can be among the most generous and friendly people on the planet......that is, second only to Texans, of course.

So, I ask this. Do you find Korean people more willing to say hello in the country versus the city? Do you see no real difference between saying "hello" and saying "안녕하세요"? Have you experienced the whole "not-being-introduced" thing, too?

Thoughts?

Sucks to be you - Korean attitudes towards being fat, skinny, and everything between

2009-12-14T22:06:00.001+09:00

Woah.

Did I just go there?

It's true. I know it's a sensitive subject. I may not be able to do this delicate matter complete justice but I do want to resume dialogue about this matter. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. However, like always, I pledge to be open-minded and sensitive. But, I will have to at least recognize some differences between American and Korean ideas of healthy body types. Please take this entry as my own opinion sprinkled with a generous serving of sarcasm. Eat up. It's good for you.

It's safe to conclude that neither country has a single, uniform opinion about what a healthy body looks like. For some, it's being dangerous skinny enough to shop for summertime bikinis in the toddler section. For others, it's all about how happy they are inside and has very little to do about their outward appearance. Healthiness and sexual attraction also don't always line up equally. But, aren't women naturally suppose to be more curvy? Wow, second paragraph and already I'm wincing. I'm getting uncomfortable just typing about this.

Matter of fact, let's just go ahead and set the thermostat to "Chilly" cause it's about to get cold up in here. I volunteer myself for this next example. I'm 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and always a little short of 180 pounds (80 kilograms). For many, I'm considered to be fat among Koreans. Soak that up.

At my current body type, I'm by no means scrawny. By the same token, no one would consider me obese. However, by and large, in America it's not crazy to consider my body type to be quite normal (if not skinny).

Now, on the lifestyle side of things, I would consider myself on the healthy end of the spectrum. I was a vegetarian for years, I've never smoked, I jog regularly, I eat lightly and frequently, I avoid soft drinks and candy, and I drink a crazy amount of water everyday. However, apparently I'm some gargantuan foreigner with an insatiable hunger. Feed me ~~Seymour~~ Korea.

My first encounter with my own personal grossness of a body occurred just a few years ago. When I met my first Korean language tutor, after a few meetings, she and I ate lunch together at the university sandwich shop. While waiting in line and deciding which sandwich to order, she turned to me and remarked "Are you sure you're hungry? You look like you're already full." At which point she poked my stomach. At least I have a nice personality, right? Thanks 누나.
Culture shock, anyone?

For Koreans, first of all, fatness is not a taboo subject like it is America. It gave my tutor no pause to talk about my stomach. We weren't even very close at the time - Hell, I had practically just met her. Was my stomach really that huge? Was it the age difference? Was it just her?

Nope. I'm just a monster. Apparently my beer gut is the stuff of legends. What is a "M" waist size in America is an astronomical "XL" here in Korea. "M" no longer stands for Medium....more like Monster. Another horror story comes from my encounter at a top-notch Korean resort. While searching for a few chairs to steal for the my group's table, a small group of high school girls stopped to stare and remark about my body. They laughed, pointed, and talked about my gut. I believe the word "pregnant" was used. Now, at the time, my Korean was not perfect (will it ever be?) but it was good enough to understand the general point of what they were saying (let alone the body language, right?). But, I should be fair in saying that I was the only visible foreigner at the resort on that day. I'm sure that played a role...but then again, maybe my Robin Williams-like forest of chest hair scared them...

Moving on.

But it's one thing to be skinny and another thing to be healthy. They don't always mean the same thing. Being skinny does not make one healthy and being healthy does not make one skinny. If someone is genuinely overweight, it's also fair to say that they might feel a little sensitive about their weight. It's a valid struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle whilst still maintaining a lifestyle that fits everyone's tastes. In my case, my answer is to avoid Western food and eat Korean food - it's delicious, healthy, and good for you. But not everyone digs on soybeans, tofu, fish, and levels of spice that are only rivaled in deepest depths of Hell. I respect that.

But in Korea, there are lots of skinny people running around. Really, there are. Seriously, look at this chart. According to the data, two out of three people in the United States are considered to be overweight or obese. Good job, everyone.

Finally some data so you can justifiably hate on them scrawny girls in 신촌... Just makes you want to eat a double cheeseburger and glower, doesn't it? Coming from America, I'd just assume be pushing the scales like the rest of my countrymen. Maybe that's why I don't particularly notice other Americans who are overweight. To me, it's just one aspect of a person and not that big of deal. But looking at the data on the chart, I can see why Koreans might be acutely sensitive to people who are overweight - foreign or otherwise.

This discussion requires a deep understanding of the sociological and cultural pressures that Koreans are subjected to, and I'll go ahead and not volunteer myself for that. When backed into a corner, I refer to the smartest Kiwi I know. In absence of greatness, I concede that Korea has obvious cultural pressures to be anything but overweight. It can't just be the natural diet of the people; while Korean food does, in my opinion, tend to be closer on the healthy side, we're still talking about a land filled with enough Dunkin Donuts, 삼겹살, and 우동 to adequately fill the gullets of the masses to unhealthy proportions. So, something else must be going on. Will we ever know for sure know what makes Koreans so paper thin? Social Pressure? Good genes? 김치?

As I'm sure most of you can guess, I'm confident and happy with my own body type. Sure, I don't look like Brad Pitt but honestly I'm not worried about it. To me, there's more to life than being thin (or being among socially acceptable levels of "skinny"). After all, if I had a chance to either lift weights or spend time with my family, I'll pick the latter any day of the week. But, like all things, it's all about balance, isn't? For me, the balance comes from being active, eating right, watching my sugar intake, jogging, and having a healthy and accurate self-image. By no means do I see myself as overweight. I urge those who do place external pressure on people who are a few sizes short of a "zero" to examine why they do so. Whose needs are trying to be met? Does such pressure really do anything other than make the other person uncomfortable?

Rant over.

Thoughts?

VAT and Tipping in Korea (service gratuity and why you should[n't] do it)

2009-12-14T22:05:00.001+09:00

Tipping and VAT (부가세).

In America, it's what we do. We tip. It's a short discussion at the end of a meal, but just like the credits at the end of movie, who really sticks around and pays attention? Leave the tip and be on your way. Who cares?

Answer: anyone who's waited tables before. The tip makes or breaks a server's day. A generous tip will make your shift 20x more tolerable and a dinky tip will leave you wondering why you even try to be nice let alone flirt with that girl who was clearly not your type.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah the analogy. So, if we follow the movie theater comparison, then Koreans hit the road as soon as the guy gets the girl and doesn't so much as stick around to see who directed the flick. In short, tipping in Korea is MIA. So what about America? What's normal?

Forget the old 10%. That's cheap. 15% is what I'd consider leaving for a grouchy-pants-McGee server. No, in America it's hard to argue against leaving at least a 20% tip. It's the right thing to do. Don't think of it as extra - realize this "extra" cost before you buy the service or product because to leave anything less is just rude in my book. If you can't afford to leave a decent tip, buy something cheaper. It's the unspoken rule - tip.

But, who and when does one tip? Thankfully, there are even specific situations where a tip is explicitly advised so as to not have any confusion as to how much and when to tip.

But, dear readers, I'm here to tell you shocking news about tipping in Korea.

*gasp* tipping in Korea does indeed exist. In a way. I know everyone says that Korea is a no-tip country but there are, in fact, some instances where tipping is appreciated - dare I say expected? For example, exceptional service merits a generous tip when the employee has gone above and beyond his or her job description.

But what about this whole VAT business? It's already in the cost of the product. If it's a Korean product, it's usually 10% tacked on at the end of the bill. This VAT acts as a safety net and face saver. Fear not about tipping in these situations because the staff is already getting a cut from that tax. So in a way, you did tip them. But, times are a changing. Consider this the next time you're in a place where tipping would be appreciated. Keeping in mind that sometimes tipping is not only a little weird but rude. It's a tricky balance - and one that I have yet to strike.

So in conclusion, if you're going to tip and it's appropriate to do so, regardless of what country you're in, don't be stingy. Tip and tip well. Did you have a good experience? Was the server nice? Did you get your food in a timely manner? If not, did the server try his best? If so, tip generously. Altruism is good thing, you know? I mean, what's two or three extra dollars to you? To the server, that's lifeblood. If everyone tipped just a buck or two more, maybe the server wouldn't have to work doubles and thus, be in a better mood when serving you and thus making you tip him or her more. Karma works both ways you know.

Thoughts?

Korean Flight Attendants and why I should live on an airplane

2009-12-14T22:04:00.001+09:00

Korean Flight Attendants

I hate traveling. Driving is lame. Airports make me nervous. Airplanes provide an expensive and ultimately unsatisfying napping experience. But on a Korean company's airplane, you will find little to complain about (other than the fourteen hour flight). Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the fine men and women that make up the flight attendants of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

Let's talk about the flight attendants. They are young, let me tell you. Younger than their average Western counterpart. I don't have numbers to prove it (which is usually a bad sign, but hey) but think about it.

American flight attendants are working a job. They represent a fairly broad age demographic - some young, some old. It's not that big of a deal because it's like any other industry - new blood coming in while veterans retire thus keeping the cycle going. But apparently these young Korean flight attendants are like high school football stars in Texas - once you get a certain age, your chance is blown. You had one shot while you were young and once you're done, a new, younger generation replaces you. Kind of harsh sounding, isn't it?

For that matter, I see a much larger proportion of female flight attendants. Where's all the guys? Strange, seeing how male flight attendants are in demand. Perhaps it's like the teaching field - always a demand for quality male teachers but a short supply of young men who want to commit to teaching. I'm seeing a recipe for disaster...and wouldn't you know it? Korean Air has had a troubled past regarding their hiring practices. Let's hope that things have changed, yes?

But what about these hot young things? What makes them so worthy of a lowly blogger's attention? Come on, people. These women aren't born, raised, and groomed to be flight attendants. But something about those uniforms... Oh keep your minds out of the gutter. I'm not talking about how cute they are (which they are). But the aura of service they radiate is almost intimidating. Their attention to small details, pleasant demeanor, and unyielding veneer of professionalism is admirable. Even the male attendants have this dignified charm about them. They truly are the color of perfection or so says last year's advertising campaign. Hey that's a whole lot better than their first slogan.

But make no mistake, they are watching you as close as you are watching them. It's just that they aren't checking you out - they're looking for potential risks ~~and in my case, a potential husband~~. They are trained professionals and not just eye candy for your extra long trip. I mean, wouldn't you want someone who was working a 14 hour shift to be on their guard for some goofball on the plane? Keep up the good work.

As someone who lives for good service (come on, who doesn't it?) I absolutely love the service on Korean flights. They know you're going to be on the plane for an eternity anyways, so might as well make it comfortable. Touch screen monitors, good food, decent leg room in coach, and unlimited supply of movies in Chinese, Japanese, English, and Korean. The only thing missing for me is a commons area to stand up and have a drink with fellow passengers (too much?). That would be awesome, though.

So, in summation, for someone who hates to fly, I love flying Korean. I'd live on a plane if I could. What are some of your experiences on an international Korean flight? Good service? Bad service?

Thoughts?

Laugh Track 2.0 (or How I learned to love Korean TV post production)

2009-12-14T22:02:00.001+09:00

Korean post production.

It's annoying as all get out. It's unnecessary. It's shiny. It's colorful. It's embarrassing. It's a staple. One cannot watch Korean TV without noticed the astronomical amount of post production. You've seen it - even if you never noticed it before.

May 12 1956 marked a special day in Korean history. The event? The first Korean television broadcast. Small but soon to become a mind-numbing ritual for families all over the country. This ingenious invention might not have inspired the miracle on the han but it may have at least entertained the masses.

Now, it doesn't take much to know that much of early imported media came from Japan. Yes, Korea's history with Japanese media is rather interesting given the general misgivings of the past. That said, it's easy to look at Korean TV post-production and conclude that it's a carbon copy of some other country's technique. But you'd be wrong. You haven't seen my list, yet. I'll break it down so you can easily identify the particular "tracks" that are exclusively used in Korea (oh yeah, it's going to be one of those posts). In order to fully appreciate this post, one must have seen at least one original Korean show be it game show, variety show, or contest. A few starting places would be 무한도전 aka Infinity Challenge, 일박이일 aka 1 Night 2 Days, and 미녀들의 수다 aka Talk With Beauties.

Care to take a look at a sample list of techniques employed by the good people in Korea?

- The Laugh Track -
This can be as simple as a prerecorded audience laugh or as complicated as being filmed in front of a live ostrich. Either way, the laugh track is a sort of cue system to allow the audience at home to know when it is appropriate to laugh. It also functions to fill the air with the awful stench of bad cheese. It's tasteless and ruins any pathetic attempt at a real joke. But, that's just the thing - Korean audiences are lively and their laugh track is diverse. There are several different canned laughs and a few high pitched female "우~~" tracks that get played pretty regularly. Where did this idea even come from? Who in their right mind thought this was a good idea? Actually, the history behind the laugh track is actually pretty intricate. Take a minute and discover the controversy over one of the most annoying aspects to television. Then, go back to the ostrich. Because that is funny.

- The "Oh no he didn't" Track -
This one can only be explained by typing the following: "Ooooooo" which is not at all the same as "Ohhhh". It usually comes at a time when someone said something goofy. Or scandalous. This track is also similar to the "Oh, so surprising! He's such a nice guy" track which usually comes out in interviews with quiet members of boybands. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?

- The Closed Caption -
These courtesy captions are cute and feature highlights and other color treatments. They help people like myself read along while listening. Of course, that's not why they are there, but they are a peculiar thing, aren't they? Think about it. Someone's job is to add these little one liners to every single show... how would you like to graduate from a prestigious university and tell your buddies at a party "Hey, you know those insistent little words that pop up during talk shows? Yeah. That's me". Sucks to be you, guy.

- The Batman Caption -
Pow! Bam! Kaboom! and other such classic lines graced audiences in the 1950s with Batman starring the legendary major of Quahog, Adam West. It seems the dark knight's influence has found it's way to the shores of Korea in the form of onomatopoeia goodness. They highlight a nasty fall, a kiss on the cheek, a slurp of a drink, and the sound of food cooking. They serve no purpose. These are my favorites. 짱!

- The Sparkling Effect -
Ever notice when that good looking guy enters the room, there's Vaseline on the lens? That would be the 반짝반짝 effect. Magical, isn't it? It just makes all entrances better, doesn it? These little blurry stars come out in full slow motion (black and white optional) to enhance a brave deed, sweet moment, or special guest. They even make me look 10% cooler than I really am. Cue the theme song ♪♪...Almost paradise...♪♪

- The "Say Whaaat? " Repeat Effect -
This is the one where the shocking statement or quick comment by the person you least expect gets repeated thrice. It is by far the most unnerving aspect of post production. Like a Michael Bay action sequence that gets the hero jumping from the exploding building from every possible angle, this effect repeats the same audio but using three different camera angles. I actually like it because if someone was talking or laughed, I can always catch the joke the third time around.

Don't lie. You love it, too. These and more is what makes Korean TV enjoyable. It's just not exactly the same other places. I know I've left out a few other essentials (like the question marks that pop up over someone's head, the bizarre sound effects, and the hyperactive and over enthusiastic hosts) but you get the picture. I love Korean TV and I'm not even a huge fan of American TV. Some might be shocked to know that I haven't owned a TV for quite some time - but of course I still catch The Office online, though.

Then again, I suppose it's not exactly appropriate to compare American TV and Korean TV without coming up with a list of why apples are better than oranges. Like spicy food, it's up to the particular person's own personal taste to determine which dish is more palatable. So, I ask you kind souls of KC101, do you enjoy the spice of life (also known as Korean television?) or do you prefer the hamburger and milkshake of mass entertainment media?

Thoughts?

Eat (or how not to run your mouth, gross everyone out and make enemies) in Korea

2009-12-14T22:01:00.001+09:00

Korean eating habits.

Rule number one: Shut your mouth.

Rule number two: Eat.

Rule number three: Enjoy your food. It's insanely good.

~~Thoughts?~~

Typical eating habits in America include a lively conversation, witty remarks, and ~~Matthew breaking all the ladies' hearts~~ an overall pleasant dining experience. Everything follows a prescribed rule and your actions are subtly noticed. Do you reach for the bill immediately? Do you order appetizers? Do you make a mess of yourself? Do you know the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork? Are you polite to the server? Do you talk on your cellphone at the table? Do you tip at least 20%? Do you chew with your mouth open? Do you finish the whole meal?

By and large, I find American and Korean table manners to be quite similar. All of the above questions generally have the same obvious answer as in Korea (other than tipping). However, three things have stuck out to me when dining with Korean friends. These aren't hard and fast rules, but they differ considerably from I've come to expect at an American table.

Rule #1 - Talk is cheap.
Talking during a meal is by no means considered rude, but it's not necessary. Traditional families of old Korea ate in near silence in order to fully appreciate the food, the ambiance, the experience. It was a time for nourishment - not for socialization. This tradition has watered down considerably but is still alive and well among most Koreans. I also find that my male Korean friends tend to be more reserved and talk less during a meal when compared with female Korean friends. However, one can still expect to eat somewhat more quietly than in America. If you find yourself eating with a friend or coworker and find the atmosphere a little thick due to lack of conversation, know that it might just be you. He or she might not be nervous; rather, the lack of conversation may not be due to the language barrier - it might just be because it's time to eat. So don't freak out and feel that you must initiate conversation. Think of it as simply enjoying each other's presence. So next time when the atmosphere goes a little quiet, try a little slice of silence. It's yummy.

Rule #2 - No, I'M paying for the meal.
We've heard before (actually, twice before) that "going Dutch" is not especially common in Korea. However, one must look deeper into the context because sometimes it can be common. For instance, if a group of similarly-aged university students share a particularly expensive meal, all might agree to share the bill. No one wants the other friend to bear the burden of paying for the entire meal - especially if this meal is not a common one. It's understood that in a normal situation, the oldest would foot the bill, but since everyone shares a common social level (i.e. university sophomores) then insisting to pay the bill might actually make your friends uncomfortable. All of a sudden, when you whipped out your card in good will, the mood changes from equal-leveled brothers to what's-this-guy's-problem? faster than a prairie fire with a tail wind. Sure, if it were all 떡볶이 then nevermind, we can just say "thanks bro" and be done with it. That's a cheapie meal. But, if you pay for an expensive meal when the bill is quite higher than usual, and the present company aren't exactly business executives, then your friends might feel indebted to you. They know that they cannot repay the favor comfortably. Even if they pick up the tab at the coffee shop later, it still doesn't even put a dent in the bill you just swallowed. So, even if you are feeling generous, and you're the oldest, restrain yourself and take hints from the mood. If they genuinely resist your treat, play it safe and allow them the chance to save face and go Dutch.

Otherwise, in a normal situation, if you're older, go ahead and pay away. A mental tab is made. He's got your back next meal.

Rule #3 - Do not blow your nose. Ever.
Tearing a page from the book of Common Sense, one must strive to be polite whilst dining. However, prescribed notions of politeness might differ from country to country. In Korea, moderate slurping of the broth of a soup isn't exactly rude. It's not super common but not rude. For that matter, loud slurping of 비빔국수 noodles is considered a normal eating sound. Blowing sounds made from the cooling of hot 라면 noodles and boisterous 캬~ sounds made from consumption of alcohol are all quite common at a Korean table.

But. Don't you even think for a second that you can blow your nose. Just don't. What? No, no one cares that the soup is spicy and it's making your nose run. No, no one cares that you're eating 죽 because you're sick in the first place. No, under no circumstances may you use a cotton-ply tissue in order to remove excessive fluids from your nasal cavity. Forget about it. It's not going to happen. If you feel the need to cure your nostrils of an especially bad case of rhinorrhea, then by all means, excuse yourself, go to the restroom, and perform your dirty deed there. However, if you're feeling brave and feel confident in your cat-like reflexes, bring a small tissue with you to the table, turn your head in shame, and wipe your nose discretely when needed, paying close attention not to employ sounds of nasal evacuation. Then, quickly discard the soiled cloth amongst your person without notice. But be warned, stuffing a used tissue in one's purse or pocket in lieu of a trashcan may be acceptable in the States, but don't let anyone catch you doing that kind of noise here. This is my house, son.

Thoughts?

Money, Cash, Paper, 돈, 금전, 원 (Korean Money)

2009-12-14T22:00:00.001+09:00

South Korean money.

Who doesn't like a little green in their wallets? How about some yellow?

Yeah, some cold. hard. yellow.

That's what the inside of Korean wallets will look like come late June.

Plenty of people are happy about this. Of course, some were concerned over the choice of the historical figure that will appear on the face on the bill. Yet, no one seems to mind these bills...

A 100 000 원 bill was almost approved, too (to replace those goofy "money order" notes). I guess it was too much to ask, right? Hey I'm not complaining, though. I'm happy that we have the 50 000 원 bill at least. Before that, the largest bill commonly available was the 10 000 원. Not exactly convenient in large quantities. Yet the 10 000 note represents over 90% of all note production currently in Korea. If you think of the money as 1 USD = 1000 KRW then we had a buck, a five and a ten dollar bill and that's it. Slim pickings.

Dissidents to the new bill say that seeing as how Korea is becoming more credit-centered, the new bill is moot. Also, the larger denomination might encourage counterfeiters. However, security features on the won are already impressive, all things considered. At least Korea doesn't have the supernote to worry about. Instead, they had the dreaded 오천원 a few years back.

But the introduction of the new note won't be a completely seamless transaction, it seems. Korean ATMs have to be fitted to accept the new bills. But, being a cash society Korea has already ran prototype bills through the majority of machines and assure that everything will run smoothly on release.

The new bills are also 6mm bigger. Hey, so long as the new notes fit in envelopes, then I'm happy. Exposed money in Korea is like exposed skin: you should cover it up as quickly as possible. And like a hiked-up skirt, staring at it is like staring at the sun. Come on people. Be decent, will you?

Also, like most mints, there will be an exclusive sale of the first 20,000 notes (minus the first 100 which will be sent to the Museum of Korea). Even though I'm into history like nobody's business, I've always been a bit perplexed by unused currency being sold for more than their printed value. Remember when the new quarters came out? People were buying up those quarters on QVC like crazy. But doesn't a piece of history have to first have a history first in order to be considered history? I'd rather hang a Where's George? bill in my studyroom...but I digress. You know, I really shouldn't be talking. I paid a pretty penny for a mint condition Final Fantasy III cartridge for the Super Nintendo a few years ago.

And my creditability just went down.

Anyways, here's more info on the new bill production. For that matter, here's a nice article with a brief history of the coin and paper money still used today.

Thoughts?

You've got a friend (for life), 마이 친구 (Korean Friendship)

2009-12-14T21:58:00.001+09:00

Friendship.

Man I'm getting deep. Friendship is no joke with Koreans.

Actually, that brings up a good point. Take a moment and analyze what the term means to you. Seriously. What is a friend to you? Someone you can tell everything? Someone you can spend time with? Someone you can drink with? Someone you love?

Even the term '친구' has different connotations in Korean. It involves so much more than just a smile and a commonality. Friendship takes a commitment. Friendship takes regular upkeep. Friendship is hardcore. But first let's take a look at friendship in an American context.

In the English language, the term "friend" is used quite lightly. I'm meeting some friends for lunch can mean any number of things. You're a good friend can mean anything from "thanks for being my best man in the wedding" to "thanks for opening the door". I feel that we use the term "friend" somewhat freely. It can mean a classmate, coworker or even best friend. It's all encompassing. It also doesn't have any time-limitations. If you have only known the person for a month and you feel comfortable around them, then he or she can be classified as a friend. There's no prerequisite for friendship. It trumps social class, age, and any other category.

By the same token, if said friend hits on your girlfriend at a party, you can drop him like an 8 o'clock French lit class. You don't hate the guy but the friendship is over. Losing a friend can either be completely not a big deal to life-shattering.

Also, we don't necessary need to keep up our friendships. Since junior high school, I have only keep in regular contact with one friend. Even then, we only hook up a few times a year for drinks. Yet, I consider him a close friend. Sure my situation may not be the standard but it certainly isn't abnormal. When I run into friends from high school, I usually have a pleasant experience. We meet up, maybe go for a bite to eat, snap a photo, and part ways. No strong emotional connection but certainly a nice experience. It was good running into him.

In the Korean context, a friend is someone you trust. Like, for real. Someone whom you have a history with. As in, elementary school history. This person can generally do no wrong. When they do wrong, they're still your friend. You feel connected to them. You served in the army together. You think of them often and make a point to let them know that you're thinking of them. They require upkeep.

One must really take into consideration who they introduce themselves to. There's a possibility of some real responsibility. Social networking sites like cyworld and facebook help maintain these friendships with regular "just-saying-hi" messages. Failure to leave these messages results in your Friendship meter going down. Oh, haven't I explained the friendship meter? Well, have you ever played the Sims? Remember that little box at the bottom of the screen? Koreans have this little internal meter.

uh oh. I put 정 on the meter next to friendship.

Alright now stop. Hammer time.

Now, 정 is its own blog entry - and one that I will surely butcher. I have carefully avoided writing about 정 because it's mad detailed and frankly, above my level of description. Even my roommate has trouble explaining it - in either Korean or English. Just know that it's on my to-do list so expect an entry about it sometime around the next time Halley's Comet passes by Earth. In the meantime, KC101 did a fine job of introducing the subject.

But Chinese typewriting aside, this friendship meter must be maintained. It may seem like an obvious statement but Korean friendships need to be maintained. I can speak for myself in that my American friendships need no or little maintenance. I feel free to come and go between friends without any repercussions or hey, why didn't you call me? situations. Whereas in my Korean circle of friends, I must be conscious of their feelings. When I hang out with one friend, I build up our friendship meter (green). But, if a few weeks go by and I don't call, text, hang out, or email, our friendship meter goes down (red). This process occurs in real time with each individual friend.

The trade-off is that American friendships may seem a little wishy-washy and shallow to some Koreans and Korean friendships may seem like to much work to some Americans. In my own personal experience, I find that the Korean friendships are more meaningful and lasting. That isn't to say that Americans don't have lasting and meaningful friendships. Perhaps this is why I seek out more things Korean? Perhaps I have more in common with a Korean than a typical American? Perhaps the Sim meter exists in America but in a diminished capacity? I can't help but recognize my own personal bias.

It's touchy at best and messy at worst. Alls I can say is that hands down, the Korean idea of friendships is decidedly different.

Thoughts?

If you love someone, let them go (overseas to learn English) p.2 - 외기러기

2009-12-14T21:57:00.001+09:00

외기러기. Lonely goose fathers.

(part one can be located here)

So we've already covered the topic of the students who go overseas but what about the families left behind?
First and foremost, like the first discussion, this topic is quite broad and includes any number of scenarios. Also, the situation differs when the student studies abroad by themselves versus coming over with a family member or two. Having said that, here's a oft linked piece from the New York Times that introduces the topic nicely. It's warm and fuzzy.

High temperature fuzziness aside, we typically think of the father left in Korea while the mother and children study abroad (if thinking about school-aged 유학생). These fathers continue to work in Korea while sending money to the rest of the family as they study abroad. It's also very possible to send the kid away to live with other family members, leaving the mother and father in Korea. Regardless of the age of the student, it's not exactly what every Korean family member looks forward to. But don't worry, it's not like it's a long-term solution, right?

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to see families separated for years at a time. It's not that there's a lack of love. Far from it. Think of it as a logical business investment. If the kid has an opportunity to speak English and Korean fluently, then they'll have a leg up on the competition. Makes sense, right?

Actually, it does. But that's the perplexing thing of it. I mean, it would be perfectly logical to do plenty of things but that doesn't mean we actually do them, right? Buying 50 of the same style of shirt makes fiscal sense because you're likely to get a discount - but would you actually want to wear the same style shirt over and over again? So, in the same vein, even though the kid will be marketable, wouldn't you rather spend quality time with them? Will they even recognize each other years later? Is it really worth it? Are you providing for their emotional needs as well as their academic needs?

As one can imagine, this lifestyle of working and coming home to an empty house can be quite trying. A detailed look at this movement is right here for your reading pleasure. Oh, I guess I'll be nice and also throw in a one-two punch: foreigner-perspective and Korean-perspective. I'm nice, aren't I? Also, here's a great Korea Herald post about an ~~idiot's guide to sending your family overseas~~ success story from an everyday man who's lived the life. Oh, and keep in mind it's not just the working class that is affected by this phenomenon. 김흥국 was featured in a 2008 English language human interest story (video version).

It's also vital to view this ideology from a Korean cultural lens. It's stating the obvious to say that education is a powerful internal motivator for the vast majority of Koreans. It's easy to dismiss any side of the argument from a foreign perspective (i.e. lazy momma's boy student can't hack it overseas and a cold, authoritarian father is just trying to one-up his drinking buddies). Where education and family start and end is a little blurred, though. I understand it but can't honestly say that I would be able to do it myself. I'd like to tell you that I'd acculturate myself enough to have the strength to send my kid away. Like a temporary sacrifice for the greater good, right?. But, like all things, it's a choice and it's not an easy one. But it's not hard to see one counter argument: what's the point in making a home for a family that's never there? Is it serving the family's needs? Does the kid need this experience in order to be an adult? Even in a situation where the mom and daughter live in Korea while the father and son live in America still has a whole lotta "not good" going on. When it's all said and done, was it all worth it?

So in summation, it's complicated and plenty messy. It also has the potential to crank out some culturally and linguistically diverse individuals. It also is a recipe for divorce and enough stress to fill an empty home. It's a trying period for anyone involved. However, I'd wager that out of the tens of thousands of families affected, many will be richer for the experience. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

Thoughts?

If you love someone, let them go (overseas to learn English) p.1 - 유학하다

2009-12-14T21:56:00.001+09:00

유학하다. Studying Abroad.

(Part one of two)

Where to begin? It's a detailed subject with more asterisks and mixed emotions than I care to write about. I leave it up to the professionals. What I am curious about is the sheer number of 유학생 and how the number is growing each year. And if you thought that this is a recent trend, think again.

As you can imagine, the culture shock that ensues is pretty much on par with any weapon of mass destruction. I can think of few other cultures more polar opposite than America and Korea.

When the students arrive in their new home, there's a developmental term that comes to mind: goodness of fit. Think of it. If a student always dreamed of a life of independence, self-reliance, individualism, and not-giving-a-flying-**** about what people think, then America will welcome you will open arms. You'll be right at home.

However, for others, the life abroad will be too trying - much like a second term of mandatory military service. The isolation, culture shock, confusion, frustration, and shattered expectations will be something that make one miss Mom's 김치 like never before. Plus, add to the equation English must be spoken pretty much at all times. That's enough to stress any non-native speaker out. And why aren't Americans speaking like they do in the textbook??

But like all things, there are exceptions. Some initially find themselves lost and frustrated but eventually find America to be their new home. Others will never fully adjust and will ultimately find a way back to Korea at the soonest possible opportunity. It was just never a good fit for them. Like a bad breakup...It's not you, it's me. Sorry America, I'm just not that into you.

Others are torn between obligation and choice. Some students are so pressured to stay in America after studying that they soon find themselves caught between two choices: do the right thing for my career and parents or go back to my home and live the life that I want to live. Not exactly a clear-cut choice to make. Both have life-long ramifications.

After coming back to Korea for a period of time abroad, some find that their "Koreaness" (for lack of a better word) has changed. I guess that's what five years abroad does to a person. Others dig in in their new home abroad and find that Korea makes for a great vacation spot.

Here's one possible explanation: (forgive the lack of documentation - this is just based on my own observations)

It's no secret that young Korean students have a grueling academic schedule. Blame Confucius.
What does this crudely-made graph mean for us? Let's consider two scenarios:
- - -
A - 현철 - "The Lucky Duck"
현철 was born in Korea and went to school in Korea until the end of fifth grade. Then, he and his family moved to America. He then attended junior and high school in the states and excelled academically. While studying in America, he maintained his Korean language and culture because of his family and local community. But, since he attended public school, he also developed relationships with people of different ethnicities. His Korean background made him rather unique to his friends. His impersonations of his mother are the stuff of comical legends. After high school, with his fluent English language skills, he moved back to Korea to attend a Korean university. He took a break to attend the Korean military and after completion, he finished his degree. He maintained his relationships in America and used them to further his own business, which he he now owns in a suburban city in America. Since he speaks colloquial English and Korean, his business caters to two very different demographics but with similar means of living and purchasing patterns. His business is doing just fine if you ask him.

현철 ended up avoiding the entire Korean 학원 system. He rejoined the Korean education system when things got a bit easier. Not to mention he caught the more relaxed side of each country's education. But because he studied abroad and could speak English fluently, he was admitted to a decent university. Although his military assignment was a little taxing, he fully acculturated himself into both the American and Korean society. He is free to travel to and from Korea to maintain relationships in both countries.

He's a lucky duck.

B - 은혜 - "Can't catch a break"

은혜 was also born in Korea. She completed primary, middle, and high school in Korea. She then traveled to America by herself to attend an American university, but because of her poor English language skills, she had to first enroll in an English language school. After three and half years of formally studying English in America, she graduated from the language only to find out that her family wishes her to stay in America to complete her university degree. Although 은혜 had hoped to return to Korea, she decides to err on the side of prudence and pursues an American undergraduate degree. She spends the next five years hammering out a degree but because of the sometimes difficult academic English, she struggles to maintain respectable grades. She definitely works for her "C". She graduates and discovers that the Korean economy is in worse shape than the one in America. Oh well. Might as well go for the master's degree now and hope for things to improve in a few years. She can always get married later, right?

She spends ten years in a foreign country away from her friends, family and life as she knows it. Although she has developed a strong sense of independence that she did not have in Korea, she wonders if live in Korea will be like she even remembers. Not to mention that she attended the more difficult portions of Korean education only to find out that American universities are pretty competitive. Although her English is quite fluent, she lacks some of the more colloquial speech required to catch certain jokes and insults. Although this doesn't alienate her completely, her accent doesn't exactly make things easier for her to make American friends. Plus, even if she had time for boyfriends, American guys are kind of out there. Not exactly her type.

She can't catch a break.
- - -
Granted these scenarios are just that - scenarios - but they're not entirely far fetched. I would be lying if I said that these aren't based on personal stories. Besides, the point is that all of their changes took place when they studied abroad.

But studying abroad, as common as it is, involves more than just the students. Regardless of age, these students have parents. And sometimes these parents don't go abroad with their kids. So, what exactly can we expect their lives to be like?

Check back here next week for part two. Until then...

Thoughts?

Children’s Day - Tylenol’s favorite holiday in Korea

2009-12-14T21:53:00.002+09:00

Children's Day. May 5.

Again with the Love Day reference, this holiday is dedicated to the cute little monsters that plague the countryside and cities. It was founded by the Korea's answer to Dr. Seuss back in 1923. Its fascination by well-written foreigners knows no limits. Pack up the aspirin because it's going to be a long day...

Thought Korean kids were spoiled? Today you are so right. Today, Korean children are calling the shots. Highways packed, zoos overcrowded, ice cream screaming for its life...poor little vanilla never had a chance...there will be sweets consumed today. Oh yes. There will be sweets.

Speaking of spoiled, it might benefit everyone to take a moment and analyze why exactly this is the case. I mean, by some Westerner's standards, Korean kids are little princes and princesses. We have a maxim in English that comes to mind; "Spare the rod, spoil the child". Well, plenty of Americans think that this is crap and it basically sets the kid up for failure in the future. I can speak for my family in that my parents did like many others by not giving into a child's demands. But can I just say that I have been asking for a trampoline for Christmas since I was like four? Lousy Santa has been holding out on me...

Anyways, this cultural difference begs to have another idiom throw around "Can't see the forest for the trees". The problem lies in the timing. Korean parents know what they are doing, just as in America, but it's done a little bit later in life.

In America, we stress at a very early age to be self-reliant. If a five year old can't tie their own shoes, most would agree that it is better to teach the child as soon as possible instead of just tying it for them. This transition period where the kid can't figure out why on earth his shoes aren't already tied (he did say 'please' ) is very common in America. It takes a bit more time to teach instead of simply doing, sure. It is stressful for the child and adult but ultimately follows a normative cultural expectation. Remember "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll feed himself for a lifetime." It is in the child's best interest to learn as soon as possible. Similarly, when a kid acts up in the grocery store, American parents are generally quick to reprimand the child with negative reinforcement in hopes that in the future they will become socialized. I myself once received some negative reinforcement in the form of my mother walking away in disgust whilst leaving my father holding me in his arms crying bloody murder, my big brother eating a box of not-yet-purchased saltine crackers in the shopping basket, and my oldest brother shrieking in terror over the little cartoon devil on the Deviled Ham package. Oh good times at the Piggly Wiggly.

Where was I? Oh yeah. Well, this is the same in Korea (socialization, not deviled ham). The ultimate goal is to socialize the child. However, until a child in Korea reaches a certain age, they can get away with (relative) murder. Why?

Simply put, their little lives will suck later on in life. Korean adults know this. They know the pressure, they know the concern, they know the shock that will ensue once they hit junior high. So what is a caring parent to do? Let the kids enjoy their childhood. When viewed through a different set of cultural lens, this makes perfect sense.

So, the timing is a little different - American kids get socialized pretty early on while Korean kids get a free pass until primary school. But make no mistake, Korea has social etiquette down to a science and, frankly, puts America to shame in the formal manners department. This isn't to say that Americans are inherently rude, but it's a little unfair to battle hundreds of years of detailed, refined social hierarchy. Oh well. We invented the chocolate chip cookie. Live with that, world.

So days like Children's Day are to celebrate children and allow them to enjoy pleasant memories with family relatives. Yes, a day for children to run free, play games, and just be kids. Just don't forget the aspirin.

Thoughts?

For money, it's key to have key money, okay money? (월세 and 전세)

2009-12-14T21:50:00.000+09:00

Key Money.

The Korean real estate system is tricky in and of itself, and the renting system alone is enough to pique your interest. Galbijim has a great writeup.

Instead of paying a set monthly rent, apartment owners might ask for anywhere between half to two-thirds (or more) of the value of the unit for the year - all in one lump sum. Imagine paying a full year's worth of rent all at once. Now consider that standard rent is usually only 10-15% of the unit's market value per month - now try the 전세 rate of 50 to 75% of that same unit's value. Oh, and make it more than a year - typical contracts are for two to three years. Ouch. Want the key? Pay the money. Starting to see one of the many reasons why young Koreans stay at their parent's home after age 18? Who can be expected to pony up all that cash?

Scared yet? You shouldn't be.

If you are like countless other foreigners employed as an English teacher, your employer takes care of the process for you. Have you hugged your boss recently?

Typically the system enables the tenant to live rent-free (minus utilities and maintenance fees) and the apartment owner to take the key money and invest it. The owner makes money from the investments and returns to the principal amount when you move out. Everyone's happy.

For apartments in America, we have a refundable security deposit that usually is equal to one or two month's rent. When one moves out, pending that there is no damage done to the apartment, the tenant receives the security deposit back in full. I imagine that it's called a security deposit because if the tenant leaves suddenly without notice, the money ensures the apartment manager has a least some security to fix the damages and to hold over until the unit can be rented again. However, the security deposit isn't invested by the manager like in Korea.

Some 전세 contracts also require a small monthly rent in addition to the lump sum but then again all contracts are different. Thankfully, unlike in America where when you sign on the dotted line you commit regardless to what you signed, in Korea, it is expected that the person offering the contract to clearly explain the contract until you understand. Talk is cheap? Not in Korea.

Speaking of cheap, there is an alternative that seems a bit more familiar to Westerners. 월세 is much closer to the typical rent process - a relatively small deposit up front and a monthly rent bill. Both systems are common but 월세 carries more of a social stigma. Most Koreans tend to stay at their parent's house until married and in the meantime, live fairly conservatively (financially speaking of course). This means that these young professionals and university graduates are able to save up enough money to put down key money on their own place one day. Or outright buy the place. Below is a little chart I whipped up to represent roughly how the residents of Seoul pay for their property.

Key money is an interesting concept - like one of those "Man, why didn't I think of that?" concepts. However, it's a double-edged sword. On one hand, rent is taken care of for the year (or two or three) so that's one less thing to worry about. But, it sure is a lot of money to front all at once.

But, it looks like things are changing for expats. If you are in the market and are feeling a bit overwhelmed, there are some companies that exclusively cater to expats. Also, information about the legal rights of tenants and limitations of landlords are becoming more readily available in English. For that matter, listen to this great podcast about an expatriate who had a renting problem and solved it through the Korean legal system. An informative story to say the least. Lastly, here's another nice breakdown for anyone looking to secure their own place in Korea.

For more cultural insight, check out this lengthy but well-put together post by everyone's favorite Kiwi. You rock James.

Thoughts?

회식 - obligatory fun with your Korean coworkers

2009-12-14T21:49:00.000+09:00

회식

Company dinner.

Rule #1) count on 소주. Lots of it. Serious. Just look at what happens when I type "회식" into Google Image. Food and alcohol - get used to it.

This cultural event of course has a deep cultural context that should never be ignored. I encourage those seeking to understand the Korean mindset to venture into the past. Either way, in the present, soju is plentiful, cheap, and widely available.

Soju has been around for a while and there's no sign of it stopping - however it is getting weaker in alcohol content as the years pass. Soju is typically drunk at such company diners but certainly other spirits are involved, too. However, I get the impression that beer is not exactly a masculine choice for alcohol. I've been told that although drinking beer is perfectly acceptable, it's typically drunk by Korean women because of its lower alcohol content. That's too bad, too - I'm probably one of the only foreigners that actually likes Korean beer. Sorry America.

Korean people don't just hang around their boss to drink and eat just because they have nothing better to do. Quite the opposite. Any expatriate can tell you that there are plenty of times the last thing on their mind is hanging with their coworkers with the expressed intent to get drunk and eat food that they might not exactly dig. Oh and go singing.

Rule #2) There will be fun and games in addition to food. If it's a great night out, then you'll still be on the third or fourth 차 or place by the time everyone is ready to go home.

What I'm trying to say is that 회식 is one facet of Korean drinking culture (which we looked at a while back). Even though you are considered a guest in the country there are a set of courtesy rules that are expected to be followed. However, as with most things Korea-related, foreigners are allowed to pull the "Foreigner" card at times and politely refuse a drink or two in favor of keeping your wits (for reasons that you are allowed not to explain - be it religious, philosophical, etc). However, it is generally still expected to attend at least the first and second place that the company visits for the night - at the end of the second place (be it a 노래방 or a bar) you can politely excuse yourself with little to be sorry about - you came, didn't you?

People who refuse or make excuses or otherwise weasel out of these company dinners are not cruising for a bruising per se but they definitely are putting on a subtle "Does Not Play Well With Others" shirt on. Again, as a foreigner, you can weasel out but I would recommend that in order to maintain a well-oiled work environment, plan on going out with your boss and coworkers. Remember, Korean business hours do not function the same way as in America - a 회식 is considered to be an extension of normal working hours.

Of course, as with all things in life, too much of anything is a bad thing. I'm certainly an advocate for moderation in anything that has the potential to be habit forming - to include food, alcohol, or 이효리 music videos. yowza.

Having said that, drinking with your coworkers is one of many ways to improve your relationships with your coworkers and will make or break the ideal working environment. In a group-centered society like Korea, you don't want to be "that guy" who doesn't want to get to know his or her coworkers.

A nice summary of a typical 회식 can be found here. But don't take my word for it: here's another first-hand rundown. And for good measure, here's another. Just for you.

Thoughts?

KTX - Faster than a speeding bullet train

2009-12-14T21:48:00.000+09:00

Korea Train Express.

Public transportation at a cool 186mph. Not bad. Thanks France. The official KTX website has some sweet animations (best viewed in IE - sorry world). It's an experience for sure. Kudos to 현우 for providing an overview. Also here. And here. He's awesome.

Since 2005, daily commuters totaled a little more than 100,000. There were 450,000 more commuters in the second half of 2008 than of the first half due to rising oil prices (and thus higher ticket prices). The Korean government says there were about 38 million total passengers on the bullet train in 2008, a 1.9% increase from 2007. Apparently a lot of people like their speed.

Now, not to freak out anyone, but some people think we should take things a bit slower if the KTX is to stay in current safe operation. Ouch. Read the blueprints next time, guys. However, it's nice to hear that a steady flow of construction is yielding improvements to the existing system. Always nice to hear of Busan getting some KTX love. This is here and now. Current technology is awesome but I can only imagine what the future holds.

But sometimes it begs the question: Why need the speed? I mean, remember that Korea is not exactly a huge country in terms of land mass. I suppose with the sheer amount of travelers it makes the difference between a five hour trip and a three hour trip - well worth the higher fee versus a traditional train or bus.

My question to you all is this: Am I the only one that feels my soul trying to catch up with my body? Needless to say it makes me a little queasy. I feel like I'm battling the Phantom Train all over again - like I must not let the train beat me. But then, why do I feel fine on an airplane that easily exceeds 550 mph?

Thoughts?

You're so polite that it's rude - Three different ways to be misunderstood in Korean

2009-12-14T21:47:00.000+09:00

Politeness levels. 반말, 존댓말, 높임말.

Essentially, this is the socially appropriate form of language that is used depending on the situation. Think "Please" and "Thank you" times a million.

But if you think about it, we have this concept in English - just not as heightened. I feel that Spanish has a little more in common with Korean politeness levels. For that matter, dozens of other languages have this concept, right? Either way, it's not an easy concept to transfer. In all honesty, this was probably the most difficult transition for me when first actually speaking Korean.

But like all things, I like to make a game out of it. Let's pick one of my favorite genres, the RTS. In Company of Heroes, if you want to decimate a wondering group of Nazi soldiers, you deploy a marksman from the Allied barracks and place him in a tall building like a church or bell tower. National socialism problem solved. It's basically a complex game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. All situations have a an easy way to achieve victory and conversely, all units have a weakness. To win, you must choose carefully which units you deploy and to which enemy units to attack.

Video game violence aside, this concept is just like conversing in Korean. One must quickly size up the enemy and deploy the appropriate ~~weapon~~ politeness level. A rule of thumb is age but like all things Korean, things aren't what they seem on the surface. Suppose a young Korean male signs up for the mandatory military service and has to serve under a higher ranking soldier who is a year younger than him. Go ahead and guess who gets to use 반말.

It is also completely possible to be too polite. If you're trying to get closer to a friend that is close to your age, chances are that asking to use 반말 will make the two of you feel more comfortable. Then again, if a super-close friendship isn't something that you really want, using 존댓말 is a subtle yet friendly way of maintaining your personal bubble.

Honorific speech is something that should be used whenever in doubt when meeting someone older. The whole asking for forgiveness is better than asking permission does not apply here - one can always eventually lower their speech level with minimal social faux pas; but being asked to raise your speech level is fairly embarrassing. I should know. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the entire city of 부산. Moving on.

I joke but I really feel polite speech is most important in Korea. It goes beyond changing the verb ending and a few vocabulary words here and there - it represents a profound sense of mutual social understanding and harmony. When things work the way the should, the social machine runs well-oiled and properly. Those seeking to make friends and do business are especially challenged when deciding what to use in each situation.

I've heard of many Korean language students that struggle with the informal-speech constantly being set in the "ON" position. I have the opposite problem. I seem to always have the standard switch on. I naturally want to speak 존댓말 with everyone - including kids and close friends. I struggle to remember "...oh yeah, duh. I forgot. He's my roommate. I don't have to use 요 with him..." or "...opps... this kid is like 13 years old. why am I using 요 with him?..."

Anyone have any amusing stories of misusing politeness levels? Do tell.

Thoughts?

소개팅 - Blind date: Korean style (or How I Learned To Lose All Pride)

2009-12-14T21:45:00.004+09:00

Korean blind dating.

Awful. Painful. Haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm going out on a limb here to present my ~~lack of confidence~~ personal experience on the subject. I hope you'll forgive me for being frank.

소개팅 is just about as comfortable as a root canal.

It's a standard game - single guy and single girl meet up in a safe, well-populated environment in hopes of finding a relationship. But it wouldn't be Korea without a twist.

Let's talk about the third wheel. This person is a mutual friend that hooks the two people up. Perhaps this person might meet both people together at a cafe - and all three might sit down for a cup of coffee. The friend will try to stimulate conversation and sort of acts as a temporary match-maker. If the atmosphere is comfortable enough, the third wheel will leave the two to talk amongst themselves. But don't count on it.

You might as well have your grandmother at the table because with another party involved, Matthew's game reduces to zero. Moving on.

Typically, the guy will pay for the meal. This isn't terribly uncommon in America, either, but I should mention that typically Americans go Dutch. Without going Dutch, the guy is destined to lose quite a lot of cash; especially if he is actively dating. At the end of the meal, depending on how the date went, the guy might get the girl's phone number from either the girl herself or from the mutual friend after the date. If so, you got a second date. If not, dust yourself off and move on.

Some people manipulate this system - think of a hot young thing wanting some small adventure and to meet new people but without any desire to date - this equates to a free meal with a guy for a day with zero responsibilities after the date. I shouldn't be so negative, though - people have been manipulating systems since Game Genie. If only the infinite cash code would work in the real life...

But if you really look closer, the whole thing is not that much different than America's system. Think about it: the guy usually pays, it's awkward for everyone involved, and yet some people still end up meeting "the one". In this regard, it's not that much different. However, if you hadn't heard that Korea is generally regarded as conservative in terms of dating, I encourage those curious and brave enough to ~~embarrass themselves~~ try a blind date. It is a humbling experience.

I should be fair and say that not all young people subscribe to the idea that their life partner will be found via planned destiny. In fact, most of my Korean buddies are convinced that finding one's soulmate through destiny is pretty much a feminine ideal. Hey, did you know that 운명 means both fate and destiny? Wow, I'm destined to pay for everything and meet my soulmate at the same time. Why didn't I get on this gig before? Oh yeah that's right. I'm a chump. However, I would venture to say that destiny doesn't have a full-on gender attribute in America but the idea of falling in love with the person in the same subway car or the coffee shop is just considered romantic - whether you identify with such ~~lofty~~ ideals or not.

My personal experience on the subject is lacking and although I write in a fairly sarcastic tone, in real life I usually wear my heart on my sleeve - I have been known to shed a few tough guy tears (despite total lack of toughguyness). However, dating is a complicated subject no matter the country/culture. My perspective is from a specific age bracket and includes a very specific group of people - a mid-to-late 20s American male looking for a Korean female. That alone biases my viewpoint - Korean women (like any other) look at me with different eyes than say a Korean guy of similar background, age, and physical features. This multicultural difference is especially present in Korea and has more ways to interpret than I care to try. It's a sociocultural beast I dare not disturb.

Perhaps I was looking for the wrong thing. Is it possible to meet new "just friends" or is the system set up to just meet new potential dating partners only? Man, don't ask me because she didn't want my number either way. I shot. I didn't score.

I wouldn't be doing my job as a K-blogger if I didn't mention the Grand Narrative as it deals with cultural phenomena related to Korea and wouldn't you know it? He's done a short writeup on the topic.

Thoughts?

You're in deep kimchi now mister - Korea's answer to sauerkraut (김치)

2009-12-14T21:45:00.000+09:00

김치.

Delicious. Bold. Distinct. (see also: Smelly. Spicy. Scary) It's true, not everyone likes kimchi. Then again, not everyone likes soju. Or chocolate for that matter. If you detest kimchi, I weep for you. Moving on.

Yes, I'm being biased. Of course I am. I frakin love kimchi. It's comfort food. It goes with any dish. It smells good. It's dynamic. It's essential. What was my life before kimchi? We don't speak of that time...

My history with kimchi is a sad one. We got off on the wrong foot - kimchi and I. See, when I got in trouble as a small boy, my father used to say to me, "You're in deep kimchi now, mister". Well, it didn't take much for me to put two and two together to assume that kimchi was something bad (in this case, a substitute for the word that we affectionately know as the "S" word).

Don't get me wrong - my dad is well-rounded in terms of cuisine. He's from Texas but his palette has traveled to the far reaches of the globe. Being from an army town, it's pretty easy to get Americanized versions of just about any dish - to include Korean food.

Speaking of worldly cuisine, Germany has a national food called Sauerkraut that has crept its way across to other European nations. Kimchi and sauerkraut share a few commonalities including a vaguely similar vegetable base, pickling process, and (most importantly) a strong division between sauerkraut lovers and haters. In the same vein, one either loves or hates kimchi.

Most generally, Americans know more about sauerkraut than kimchi. So, when prompted with the standard question of "Hey ~~goofball~~ Matthew, what is kimchi?" I usually just say "~~Screw you~~ It's Korea's answer to sauerkraut" even though the love affair with kimchi runs deeper than the red-headed stepchild of Germany's sour cabbage.
Kimchi makes its way into cross-cultural conversations daily. Other than some Koreans being freaked out that some foreigners actually know how to use chopsticks, kimchi makes for a frustrating topic at times. If you're a foreigner eating Korean food, when you pick up a portion of kimchi to place in your mouth, you might get a few ~~hundred~~ people asking you in English "Wow~ Do you like Kimchi?" at which point you can either give them the stink eye and say "Why else do you think that I am eating it??" or you can choose the even more sarcastic reply of "Nope, I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with your taste buds. Still haven't figured it out yet."

I should go easy. I mean, these are the wonderfully masterful people who took what all other people on the planet would consider salty garbage and turned it into a staple in Korean refrigerators worldwide.

Thanks kimchi. You complete me. No wonder you went into outer space.

Thoughts?

화이트데이 - reverse Valentine's Day in Korea (White Day)

2009-12-14T21:44:00.000+09:00

화이트데이.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the name of this holiday. I mean, I'm ~~probably~~ absolutely looking too far into the name of White Day as something bad, but I digress.

Actually, in a different ranting vein, seems that all the holidays on the 14th of each month are kind of like Love Day. White day is another one of these holidays seemingly made by the chocolate companies in order to entice people to buy sweets and candies.

On this particular demi-holiday, men give chocolate sweets to their girlfriends to let them know nothing has changed and you're still just as cute as you were the day we met although now that i think about it you don't try as much anymore, you make me feel bad for hanging out with my drinking buddies, and you boss me around more than your little brother but oh well you still like them.

As you can imagine, this day can get a little repetitious for older couples. Just like in America, married couples might exchange more expensive gifts on such couple days to keep with the spirit of the day without resorting the same gift as last year.

White Day should be a fun day and it's one of the more noticeable 14th holidays (as opposed to Kiss Day - nope, I didn't make that one up). This day is also quite predictably a couple day much like Christmas in Korea. But for those of you who get shucked on March 14th, hold your innermost emo-ness for 30 more days to celebrate ~~how miserable you really are~~ that you're not alone on Black day with other ~~dateless bums~~ single friends.

See you in a month, fellow Black Dayers.

~~Jaded much?~~ Thoughts?

March First Movement - 삼일 운동 (Korean Independence)

2009-12-14T21:43:00.000+09:00

삼일 운동 (만세운동).

Two days ago was a very important holiday for Korea.

Like most nations, many historically important holidays mark a day that symbolizes a particular feeling or thought. In Texas, we have the Battle of the Alamo. This was a tragic military loss in every sense of the word during the Texas Revolution. Yes, a failure - the well-trained Mexican army outnumbered the beleaguered defenders 10 to 1. In fact, Mexican Army General Santa Anna even gave the defenders a chance to surrender. If you know Texas, then you can guess which finger the defenders raised in response. Essentially, the Mexican army ended up slaughtering just about everyone inside. However, this seemingly foolish decision to fight the organized Mexican army ended up inspiring others to take up arms against Mexico and eventually led to Mexico's defeat and Texas's independence a month later.

This battle is studied today because it represents Texans' courage, determination, and pride - even though it was a bloody loss that had a snowball's chance in hell of ending in victory - not to mention that plenty of people who defended the Alamo weren't even from Texas.

I bring up this comparison because 삼일 운동 represents something similar to Korea. On March 1st, 1919 Korean underground fighters declared themselves independent of the Japanese colonial rule. In response, a combined Japanese force made up of police and military killed approximately seven thousand unarmed protesters. Japanese rule would continue for another 26 years (1910-1945).

This day helps to represent Korean nationalism. It was a revolt started primarily by students inspired by a speech by American president Woodrow Wilson. With or without the speech, this was a long time coming as the tension had been mounting for years. Like "Remember the Alamo" after the original 33 protesters were arrested it sparked support in ordinary civilians nationwide. A month after the initial protest, a provincial government was setup in Shanghai to carry out the wishes and desires of Koreans seeking independence from Japan.

This day was linked to anti-Japanese sentiment years after the fact but was originally designed to be a peaceful, nonviolent movement. Unfortunately, its brutal suppression is what likely makes it so famous now. It is now regarded as one of the most important events in Korean independence history. Since then, efforts have been made to restore native Korean architecture set in place prior to Japanese occupation.

I wonder if events like the March First Movement are taught in school the same way that the Alamo is taught. I have to be honest, in Texas, the Alamo story is told fairly biased with a heavy emphasis on the bravery and courage demonstrated by the defenders. In the case of March First, at what point in a student's academic career is it taught in Korea? Is the March First Movement even taught in Japan? Does the everyday Korean student even care anymore about events that transpired almost one hundred years ago? I understand that it's a fairly sensitive subject even to this day but I'm curious in a academic sense how Korean history is taught.

Thoughts?

You have much to learn, young 파다원 (Korean children's daily life)

2009-12-14T21:42:00.002+09:00

Korean children's daily life.

These ~~snot-nosed little brats~~ sweet little angels are the cutest things on Earth. Proof.

But make no mistake - these kids get more than their daily dose of school. The sheer number of hours spent in the classroom is enough to raise Western eyebrows. They get plenty of instruction in and out of school. The Korean educational system consists of six years of elementary school, three years of junior high, and three years of high school. School semesters are seasonal (like in America) but start in March and ends in February (Spring to Fall as opposed to Fall to Spring).

One overall educational goal is to make them bilingual in Korean and English; if they can fit another language into that sweet little melon, they will do so later in middle or high school. As noble a goal it is in spirit (and often in practice), sometimes it can get out of hand.

So when do these precious little lambs have time to rest their tired little eyes? Late. I do mean late. It's not just sleep that is attracting attention of the media, either. Basically, the kids aren't alright. A typical schedule of a school-age student would include school in the morning until dismissal, Monday and Friday afternoons spent learning English outside of school at a private academy, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday afternoons spent learning music, art, or dance, and Wednesday afternoons spent brushing up on a particular academic subject like Math or Science. It's reasonable to accept the fact that being a student in Korea is a full-time job. And this is a full-time job that parents pay through the nose to afford.

One thing that will surely raise the other Western eyebrow is a certain lack of household chores. Kids are generally expected to study at school, go to an after-school academy, make good grades, come home, eat, study more, sleep, and repeat. Generally, kids aren't told to clean up after themselves, do the laundry, or other household chores.

I feel that this might get misunderstood as laziness enabled by parents - a sort of overindulgence on said angelic children. But, take a closer look from a different perspective:

In America, our educational system is set up to provide a safe learning environment with the goal of socializing and educating our students with the most developmentally appropriate methods possible. We also have a focus on getting kids ready for the "real world". We want kids to be self-reliant, unique, and well-rounded. So, it is very reasonable to have a student that makes C's and B's who is popular and a student who gets straight A's emo-ing it out in the corner of the cafeteria at lunch. It's also totally feasible to imagine an American parent concerned that their child isn't developing socially at the same rate as their peers. This parent might seek outside help in order to get their kid involved in some sort of social activity be it music, sports, or religion. Either way, whatever the student chooses, the parents will generally accept so long as they maintain at least passing grades and minimally decent manners. Hanging out with friends is an acceptable use of an afternoon just as long as the homework gets done at some point in the day. Summation? Too much of anything is a bad thing.

Take a glance at life in Korea in contrast. Kids are not to be burdened with household chores not because they shouldn't learn this life skill; it's because they already have enough on their plate - their job is to study and be a dutiful student. A parent's job is to support the student so that they don't have to worry about things like a dirty room, unwashed clothes, and a empty cupboard. A student shouldn't stick out so as to draw attention to themselves; such a behavior goes against the grain of the common good. It's understandable that a good student is measured by the letter grade that they receive - that's what grades are in place to do - assess and motivate students. The institution of school is to mold students into acceptable members of society - little kids get away with much more than educated teenagers in terms of socially acceptable behavior. A parent might seek additional schooling to give their kids a competitive edge for the workplace; be it a college prep class, music class, or very often, English class. Why not? If a parent can provide such a valuable education that can ensure that their student is successful later in life, why wouldn't they enroll their kid in a 학원? The student's friends will surely notice if they aren't going to after-school class which would very likely make their kid the source of gossip. If their child doesn't fit in at school socially it's not the end of the world - so long as they bring home those A's and speak English like a native. Summation? Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass.

So, in conclusion: things aren't the same in Korea. Of course, the system is flawed in some aspects but so is America's system. Overall, both institutions are geared to acclimate students to their native society and in that regard, both systems perform that function. I can see how people from both sides of the fence could claim that their system is superior (or inferior for that matter) because it is the system that they studied under. Despite all the differences, it's very refreshing to read articles like this where compromise can be met.

Thoughts?

노래방 - The phenomenon that is Korean karaoke

2009-12-14T21:41:00.000+09:00

노래방

Goodness gracious this is popular.

If your first encounter with Korean culture wasn't with K-Pop or K-Dramas, then it might have been at the Korean karaoke bar. It's also been blogged about here, here, here, here, here, and here. Oh, and here too. And kind of here.

The thing about this Korean-wide phenomenon is that it permeates and flows through each and every Korean like the force. Sure, not everyone goes all the time but if you're Korean, you've gone to the 노래방. Plenty of times.

And here's a brief comparison of 노래방 outside of Korea.

Something that I see that makes me smile are these practice rooms: 노래연습장. It's not quite enough to embarrass yourself with your friends - now you can practice your craft so that you'll only slightly embarrass yourself. Only slightly.

Here's the thing: these little rooms are magical. Like a mini-Vegas. What happens in 노래방 stays in 노래방. If you sing Wonder Girls with your drinking buddies, they won't hold it against you. If you stand up and bang on the tambourine to your friend's thirty-year-old trot tune, it's totally fine. If you pour your heart into the mic for your favorite over-the-top cheesy ballad, you're in good company.

But

If you go to 노래방 and just sit there, be prepared to get razzed and bullied until you sing something. You are expected to sing. Seriously, I understand that this activity has no real American equivalent but if you are a stick-in-the-mud then you're better off staying at home.

Don't misunderstand me. I love 노래방 and I'm a lousy singer - but if this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, it can be stressful to be pressured into singing in front of people. I encourage everyone seriously studying Korean to go to a 노래방 at least once. It really has a whole lot less to do with sounding great than it does hanging out and relaxing.

One of the benefits for going to a 노래방 with friends is that it is one of many activities that help to build relationships. As if you didn't know already, ~~the human race~~ Koreans place a lot of importance on relationships and their word about you is vital to becoming successful in Korea. Want friends? be a friend. Koreans dig on singing loudly in small spaces.

So, any horror stories? Any special nights that started/ended with singing? Do tell.

Thoughts?

반찬 - Take all you want but DON'T eat all that you take (Korean sidedishes)

2009-12-14T21:38:00.000+09:00

반찬- Side dishes.

It's all about presentation.

I should mention that rice is like the daddy mac and kimchi is the mac daddy (that reference just happened. you heard it here first). Where one is the other is, too. They are expected at all main dishes (save noodle-based dishes like 짜장면 or 비빕국수). I mentioned rice before but I'm afraid that I missed a crucial cultural point. Rice is just about the only "side dish" that really should be finished. It's not overtly rude to leave some rice in one's bowl, but make it a point to finish your meal off by making that rice bowl empty. If you find yourself getting full fast, put the brakes on the 잡채 and finish your rice.

If you're feeling particularly hungry or if your eyes perk up at the sight of your favorite side dish, dig in. All good servers will notice that you favor a particular side dish and will usually promptly replenish it when it becomes empty. Such service is typical (and absolutely awesome). Don't feel like a big'un just because you dig on 두부 - it's good for you - eat up.

Speaking of favorites, here's a decent list of side dishes that should serve as a starting place for everyone to point and say oh! that's what that is called! Also, A great breakdown of a decent-sized table full of 반찬 can be found over at FatManSeoul's neck of the woods.

Here's the thing. Every culture has something taboo about food. In America, slurping food is generally considered to be rude while it's a common sound at a Korean table. In the same vein, eating all the food on the table is generally considered to be polite in America; while this is mostly true in Korea, separate rules exist for the side dishes. Most generally "Take all that you want but eat all that you take" doesn't apply in Korea.

For example, when one orders a main dish at a Korean restaurant, you will see several of these happy little white dishes ducktailing along for the ride. Count on at least one of them to be 김치 in some form - be it 오이김치 (Cucumber), 깍두기 (Radish), or just good ole 김치(Happiness). I also seem to notice that almost all side dishes are vegetable-based although it's fair to point out that there are a number that contain fish. It's not exactly because the restaurant wants to accommodate vegetarians but more like that at this point it's expected. Side dishes complement the main meal by offsetting a high meat content or to help cleanse the palette in between bites. In my case, I like side dishes simply because it gives me variety at every meal.
Speaking of variety, each and every restaurant, home, and ideal spouse has a mini-menu of side dishes that are enough to get people talking. Some restaurants are known for having the best 전 while another might make their own in-house 두부. Also, even if you visit the same little place everyday, you might not get the same side dishes. The photo above was taken at the best little 분식집 near 이대 and they pretty much gave me something different everyday. I repaid them by grinning like an idiot and making questionable noises whilst eating. You're welcome.

So, when it all comes down to it, these side dishes are essential, infinitely replenished, vary in quantity, free, and are downright beautiful in terms of art. Think about it: the contrast, the texture, the luster - the freakin kimchiness of it all - it just works. That's all. So, enjoy your main dish, eat some kimchi, finish your rice, and rinse it down with your thimble of 보리차 at the end. Pay and repeat a few hours later.

So, what are your favorite side dishes?

Thoughts?

Korean nursery rhymes - cheesy no matter what country you're in

2009-12-14T21:37:00.000+09:00

Korean nursery rhymes.

First and foremost, unless you teach kindergarten or have small children, listening to nursery rhymes (regardless of language) is like dragging nails on a chalkboard. Even then, it can be a cruel form of punishment. For only the brave, continue reading.

The first one that comes to mind for me is 곰 세 마리가 (Three Bears). Here's a blog entry that seems to dissect the song entirely. I'm sure anyone who watched 풀하우스 remembers it fondly.

내 동생 is made from pure sugar and should be considered mandatory for all kids. Here's a great flash animation.

동, 동, 동대문 is a twist on London Bridge is Falling Down.

At 3:52 there's a cute game known in English as the "Rose of Sharon" (no relation to the epic song from everyone's favorite metal band). The game is more like Red Light Green Light.

And, for the dog days of summer, straight from the forum, here's one with snowmen. Not so much appreciated now but maybe in a few months.

Rooraa, a fellow KC101 student, started this thread in the forum about a bunch of different children's song that is a pretty good starting point for the Korean Happy Birthday song, Catch the Mouse, and Polliwag.
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes is pretty much directly translated into Korean. Proof. Note: the gaudy singing is fairly standard for these types of songs.

And who could leave out the Telephone Song? Whether it was intentional or not, this video will make you laugh.

I gotta say that I'm a bit jealous. I mean, the majority of songs from my childhood consisted of church songs, motown, and Elvis Presley eight tracks. I think the only nursery rhyme game that I played was probably Duck Duck Goose.

As far as the quality of the tapes/CDs/mp3s of typical Korean children's music - it's abysmal. I don't know, maybe I just have run into ~~some~~ several hundred bad recordings but it's usually a guy going one-man-army on the keyboard and the same way-too-cute-for-their-own-good-yet-can't-carry-a-tune kid singing all songs in the same dentist drill-like voice. These sweet little shrill voices will haunt your dreams.

If you don't listen to any other Korean children's song, you owe it to yourself to hear....no, see this song. It's a little ditty about carrots.

For more on the subject (kid music, not carrots), here's a nice site with a few songs with English/Korean lyrics.

Thoughts?

Happy New Year (again) - the real New Years party - 설날

2009-12-14T21:36:00.000+09:00

설날 is where it's at.

Hey, it wouldn't be KoreanClass101 without a culture class on this holiday.

You might be wondering why this new year is not on the same day as our traditional new years party in the West. Because just like all other complicated math concepts in Korea, this holiday is based on the lunar calendar and not the solar calendar. The solar calendar is what we receive in the mail for free from the ASPCA and the like. The lunar calendar is what changes from year to year. Here's a 2009 list of solar and lunar holidays in Korea.

So, if it seems like Koreans were late to your New Years party by a few weeks, that's the problem. Plus, solar new year is not as big of a deal in many Asian countries, not just Korea (excluding Japan). However, Koreans do something on January 1st, too. Typically, solar new year's eve is a couple day in Korea while it's more of a party-until-you-can't-remember-where-you-parked holiday In America usually spent with friends. By the same token, 설날 is practically nonexistent in America and known more commonly as Chinese New Year. This title, I'm sure, is offensive to other cultures (like Vietnamese, Indian, etc) who celebrate Lunar New Year quite differently than the Chinese but at similar times. However, I guess that's just the name of the game in America.

What this celebration means to most Koreans is that it's a time for one of the biggest family get-togethers. For younger family members it means 세뱃돈, 세배, and lots of questions about school. For older family members it means 성묘, 차례, and possibly wearing 한복. For everyone involved it means traveling, partying, good food, and close quarters. Allow this unnaturally perfect photo to demonstrate:

As far as entertainment (other than kind provided by 소주) two games come to mind: 윷놀이 and 화투. Can you believe I found a yutnori iPhone app? As far as food, 떡국 is the staple. It's just not 설날 without 떡국. It's like the square/rectangle relationship. All squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, right? Well, you can eat 떡국 on a day other than 설날 but 설날 must have 떡국.

Does anyone have a story about their experiences with 설날? How about Korean New Years versus your own culture's new year celebration.

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

Thoughts?

The IMF crisis of 1997 - a brief history (and why you should care)

2009-12-14T21:35:00.000+09:00

Here's a hint - we're in round two of something similar now.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is essentially the world's loan shark working to stabilize international exchange rates and provide temporary financial relief.

It actually reminds me of that Korean monthly lottery that some older women play: Everyone donates something like 50$ every month to a pot and a random name is drawn until all names have been drawn. Whoever's name is drawn gets everyone's money for that month. I mean, technically, no one wins or loses anything - the money is just shuffled around indefinitely - but it seems like you win the lottery for that month.
The IMF works kind of like this (read: not at all like this) but just make all participants spread throughout the world, level out the exchange rate, and make the pot available for those who only really need it on a temporary basis. So instead of winning the lottery, it's more like a handout in times of need. You repay the pot by getting back on your feet and get back to contributing to the group as a whole. The idea is that if all participating country's economies are doing well, it reciprocates down the road by improving everyone's economy (Keynesian economics).

Let me tell you, this sounds like a treehouse club that I want to be apart of. So why is this worldwide organization share it's name with one of the worst economic disasters since the Great Depression? Moreso, why haven't most Americans ever heard of it?

All countries who are members of the United Nations participate in the IMF with the exception of few countries including North Korea and Cuba. That still leaves 185 contributing countries working together for over 60 years. It also works by a weight system (much like the U.S. House of Representatives). The higher the quota, the higher voting power a particular country has. For example:

United States - 17.09% of the total quota
Japan - 6.13% of the total quota
United Kingdom - 4.94% of the total quota
South Korea - 1.35% of the total quota

Let's set the stage for the 1997 crisis: Confidence in the Thai baht dropped during the summer of 1997 and the resulting scare reminds me of something that happened in WoW. Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea eventually followed suite. However, Bangkok didn't share the sole responsibility for the problem as other East Asian countries were borrowing funds to invest locally without exactly paying back what they borrowed. On top of that, the projects and investments chosen weren't exactly cash cows which further devalued the local currency. This rapid drop in value of baht affected the ringgit which in turn affected the rupiah which in turn affected the won. Ever read If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...? In this case it stemmed from poor management from governments and ever worse advice from the IMF. opps. Isn't there like a reset button?
So where does Korea fit in during the 1997 crisis? After Korea suffered from this hit in the collective wallet of millions, it was in dire need for help - and like the Ultimate Warrior coming down the ramp to enter the ring - the IMF popped in and gave Korea a 57 billion dollar loaner. Crisis contained. The countries highlighted below were most affected. Wikipedia is great, isn't it?

So to answer one of first questions posed, the main reason why most Americans didn't pay attention was for four main reasons

we were still a little freaked out over Dolly
Hong Kong went back to the Chinese
Titanic premiered and jumped-started teenage obsessions with Leonardo DiCaprio
South Park debuted

Our minds were elsewhere - sorry.

So, why should anyone care about a currency crisis that happened 12 years ago? If anyone has ever been overseas for an extended period of time, they know first-hand that the currency conversion rate is one of the first things in their mind once they get a paycheck (second only to the quickest and cheapest route to inebriation). Typically, one can usually insta-translate Korean won (원 ₩) to United States dollars (USD $) by simply subtracting three zeros from the end. So, if a beer at that bar that we were gunning for costs 2000원, then we can insta-realize Wow, that is a two dollar beer. This understanding comes at the common knowledge that 1000원 usually means 1$. But of course this isn't always the case. In the case of the 1997 crisis, the rate was 1700원 to 1$. That's almost cutting your wallet in half. Similarly, if the won is closer to 800원 to 1$, then people entering the country with a fistful of American dollars will be losing a slight amount in the conversion. Good for the won but not so good for the dollar. As of January 4th 2009, 1 USD = 1312 원. ouch.

However, here's a situation that Americans hope to run into:

An American enters with a cash amount around, say, a few thousand dollars, converts it to won, stays for a period of time, plans to leave the country later with a comparable amount in won, converts it back to dollars before leaving to find out that the rate has changed in his/her favor. You passed "Go" so collect 200 dollars. Thank you for doing nothing. Can you believe that people do this (currency conversion) for a living?

Anyways, to wrap things up, it would be cliche of me to point out that South Korea and the rest of the world are globally linked and dependent on each other for stability. However, it's important to hope that in the future such events like the crisis in 1997 won't go unnoticed by the rest of the world (read: USA). Sure, currency stability sounds about as fun as watching paint dry but it does affect more of us than we like to admit. Here's to a future of prosperity!

Thoughts?

화투 (Go-Stop) - The cutest and quite possibly the hardest card game you'll ever play

2009-12-14T21:34:00.002+09:00

화투, 고스톱, Go Stop, 花鬪, 花札, Hanafuda, Sakura, Higobana, Koi-Koi.

Whatever you know it by, this game is not for the weak minded. Think poker with about 20x the rules.
This game is known in several different countries by different names but the basic rules of the game are the same. I liken the rules to Monopoly - there's house rules, official rules, regional rules, etc. I usually end up playing 화투 differently each time, it seems.

Go-Stop is usually played during 설날 and 추석 but certainly makes it into a regular game night in Korea. There's a certainty that every night of the week someone in Korea/Japan/Hawaii/Your mom's house/etc is playing the game.

The history of the game originates in Japan where gambling with traditional four suited cards were deemed illegal. So, to circumvent this law, smaller cards depicting traditional Japanese scenery and flowers were created in the name of nationalism (read: gambling). In 1889, a little known Japanese company called Nintendo mass-produced such cards by hand on sheets of pressed tree bark. Once the Yakuza caught wind of this seemingly innocent workaround, karuta cards quickly became commonplace in local gambling parlors.
The rules are ~~simple~~ hard to follow. It's one of those games that you think that after a few rounds you'll pick up on it. But you won't. The first couple of times you play it you'll constantly be thinking to yourself "Are they changing the rules?" and although they might, maybe they aren't. Also, patience is not a virtue in this game. The faster you go, the better. If it's your turn and your eyes are still scanning your hand, get ready to be razzed.

Ever watch one of those child prodigies playing lightening fast DDR? Yeah well the game goes that fast but there's no prodigies - just regular everyday people with sharp minds and years of experience stacked against you. Seriously, I'm used to playing chicken foot, blackjack, or uno (by the way, I'll destroy you in uno - I don't play around with uno). These games can be fast, especially uno, but typically one might play them in a retirement community or with family and friends while hanging out enjoying a few drinks and snacks, right? You know, go at a steady pace while having a light conversation at the same time? Wrong. It's all business and trash talking. Go-Stop lulls newbies into a false comfort and tricks them into thinking that the cute little card game is just for fun until someone suggests "Let's make it interesting. Why don't we play for quarters?".
Man I won't even get into the scoring system.

Let's take a look at the cards themselves:

(Full Size Photo Available Here)

To learn the game, other than scouring the rules online, I recommend picking up a pack from your local Korean grocery (mine carries a pack of cards for five bucks) and studying the photo above. The first thing I noticed about the cards is that they are made of plastic, terribly small, and look surprisingly similar. It takes a while to quickly notice the subtle differences. Also, the cards aren't sticky like western playing cards so shuffling and dealing can be kind of taxing at first. Oh, and they don't bend. I fumble with them every time, but then again, I'm a clumsy guy. It took me a while to get the hang of slamming the card down.

A younger generation has embraced this game too and in typical Korean fashion, technology integration is not an option. You can play a free version of this game online over at ijji. Also, If you can get your hands on this Nintendo DS rarity, I have been told that it contains Koi Koi.

For more of an overview, here's a user-made video of the online version and here's one showcasing the cards and coins used in Korea.

Have you ever played this game? What is something that made your game unique? Any special house rules?

Thoughts?

The curious case of Korean age (and why it makes no sense)

2009-12-14T21:33:00.000+09:00

Korean age.

I love this topic. It's fitting too, because a few days ago everyone just got a year older. Plus that Brad Pitt movie made me think about crazy age systems.

But before I get into this, I'll have to apologize for beating a dead horse. This topic has been covered in countless blogs, forums, and usually tops a beginner's guide to Korean culture. Of course, the good people here at KC101 covered this topic in Culture Class #4. So, why is it so hard to understand sometimes? And more importantly why break the mold? Why does Korea differ in how age is recorded?

First off, I'd like to volunteer a piece of something personal. I am discalculic. I don't get along with numbers. So, even the "normal" western system provides plenty of confusion for me. I genuinely struggle with some math concepts - age included. So, I am certainly not poking fun at anyone who struggles with this system because I most definitely do.

Having established that, when you add new rules to the already confusing game of life, it makes me sad inside. But, let me try to rationalize this system - not for you, dear readers, but for me.

In Korea, you are born one (1) years of age. Call it a really long pregnancy
In Korea, you increase your age count on January 1st of every year, not on your birthday
In Korea, your chronological age is factored in for horoscopes and astrology, not for age counting
In Korea, you make Matthew frustrated

I like to think of it like Diablo II or World of Warcraft - you're still you, just +2 dexterity, +1 agility, or in this case, +1/2 years of age. So you are still born in the same day, month, year as you always have been but now you must gauge the situation and pull out your Age of Revivification Circlet +15% or Mithryl Gloves of Leech (depending on whether you want the added age or not). You, but better!

Allow me to demonstrate:

It throws me for a loop every now and then when I talk to parents of small children. When I ask them how old their child is, they always catch me by surprise with the age. They tell me an age that seems a little over the typical developmental level of an young child (think: the terrible ~~twos~~ fours) "Shouldn't he have been already crawling for a year or two by now? Why is it such a big deal that a three year old is learning to talk?"

Either way, it's a system that works in my favor for the time being. I was born in September of 1983 so I soak up the extra two years added for nine months out of the year. I dig it now, but that might change if I'm still unmarried in my forties. I might want to change back to the non-Korean system then. Or find a new pickup line. Either way.

So to sum up, I don't know why Koreans do the funky chicken when it comes to recording age. What I do know is that age plays an important role in initiating and maintaining friendships. Social age is likely more important that chronological age in Korea, so I can appreciate the idea of everyone "aging" all at the same time. And truth be told, I do like to hear that even some Koreans find their system daunting. Solution? Ask what year you were born and just gauge from there. If the person responds in the same year, you guys are 동갑. Call it a day - the year is the most important. Even I can grasp that :) 그럼, 몇년생이세요?

Thoughts?

The other red, white, and blue (The South Korean Flag)

2009-12-14T21:32:00.000+09:00

태극기.

Not the brilliant movie made back in 2004, but the national flag of South Korea. The name comes from the 태국 circle found in the middle of the flag. Take note of the yin-yang circle and how it flows counterclockwise and is horizontally aligned; as opposed to the vertically aligned clockwise Taoist symbol. Koreans have a unique interpretation of the symbol, in particular. However, one unifying theme between the Chinese and Korean symbol is "balance". Below is a specific breakdown and interpretation of symbols:

Below is a collection of previous versions of the flag. Note the eight trigrams instead of the modern four. I guess even back then Koreans were cutting corners in the name of efficiency (joking!). It is interesting to see the change in number of trigrams, color, and yin-yang alignment. The flag on the bottom right is supposedly what was flown during the filming of M*A*S*H.

While the history of the Korean flag is somewhat debated, a few facts can be mutually agreed upon. The flag that we know of today is commonly attributed to Korean ambassador to Japan 박영효 (Park Yeong-Hyo) in 1882. March 6 1883 is the official day that 고종 광무제 (King Gojong) declared it the national flag.

However, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, specifically from 1910 to 1948, the flag was banned. This didn't stop Koreans from creating makeshift flags in the name of nationalism. To unify these flags under a single standard, a national flag code was penned June 29, 1942. From that point on, a specific distance ratio and size perspective had to be followed. However, due to the ruling being made in exile, the new code went largely unknown to the general population. Afterwards, the flag was re-codified officially and in Korea in October of 1949. However, a few small changes were made in 1950 and again in 1984 at which time the present version of the flag was finalized.

My first encounter with this flag was in junior high. My friend was enrolled in a taekowndo class and in his room, he had the Korean flag pinned to his wall. I recall that his older brother came into the room one day while we were hanging out and corrected him by pointing out that the flag was upside down. I can remember the few of us in the room stopped talking and stared intently on the flag. I'm sure I looked like a Cocker Spaniel with my head tilted trying in vain to figure out if he was just being a jerk or if he was serious. I remember thinking, "How can you even tell?". Call it ethnocentrism at its finest, but perhaps I should have paid more attention. I suppose I would offended if someone flew the American flag upside down and then blew off a simple correction. This brings me to my question for the day: How serious do Koreans take their flag? Is it a big deal or just decoration? How do Koreans feel about the Unification Flag?

I can say with confidence that the American flag is one of great importance to most Americans. Don't even get me started on the Texas flag. To prove that point, I'll leave you with this image.

Thoughts?

We're going to the mattresses...well, kind of (Korean sleeping arrangements)

2009-12-14T21:31:00.002+09:00

Korean sleeping arrangements.

Let's draw a picture. I prefer pencil and paper.

It's a nasty hot summer night. I'm in a one room hotel room with twelve (count them) twelve other people in a room smaller than anything Holiday Inn has to offer. Air conditioning comes in the form of a thick piece of paper attached to a wooden handle. I'm on the central west coast of Korea in a small resort town with a bunch of warm and friendly Koreans aged anywhere from newborn to unmentionable. I've got a single buckwheat shell-filled pillow the size of a large ziplock bag and a tissue-thin blanket to keep me covered. Everyone is occupied with something. The older people are up late playing card games while the younger ones are watching a variety show. I'm trying to shut my eyes. I dream of oscillating fans. Then suddenly, like out of a made-for-TV Christmas special, by some miracle, I drift into a calming state and sleep like a baby (well, actually the baby kept waking up but I slept wonderfully).

Why on Earth were we all crammed in that little room? And why were there no beds?

Traditionally, Koreans sleep on the floor. That's just their thing. Hey, I'm not judging. Ask me where I sleep.

I like it. It saves space, it's cozy, and it's more comfy than a memory foam bed I went halvsies on.
For whatever reason, Koreans seem to be on the floor a lot. Be it watching TV, eating fruits, drinking, - If somethings going down, it's on the floor.

In this case, "going to the mattresses" refers to a classic line in the Godfather. According to Clemenza, when the Corleoni family goes to war with another family, they have to accommodate more people to stay with them temporarily. This is to keep the hitmen safe within a single household so that nothing happens to them during this hostile time. To accommodate the increase of people, makeshift mattresses are laid out on the floor spread throughout the house.

So, Korean sleeping arrangements are kind of like that, but just no one is speaking Italian or fighting with another family. So when Koreans go to the mattresses, they just fall asleep.

But don't let that fool you into thinking that western-style beds don't exist. Expect all Korean hotels and most newer apartment buildings to have one western style bed. Western style pillows and sheets though are in short demand. Sheets can be of a lower thread count than what you may be used to and the pillow itself might look more like a stuffed animal than a pillow.

Either way, expect to sleep in a shared space and don't expect much privacy. Ironically, you might get more privacy sleeping in your birthday suit at a 목욕탕 or 찜질방 than at home. Just a thought.

I wonder. What other cultures sleep on the floor (traditionally)? What are the typical sleeping arrangements of your culture? I'll even extend this to my neighbors to the north: Anything different going on in Canada that we should know about?

Thoughts?

I hate it so much here that I'm staying: Expats in Korea

2009-12-14T21:30:00.000+09:00

Expatriate bloggers in Korea.

No, I'm not talking about people who were once proud defenders of their country but have since disregarded their loyalty (ex-patriots) nor am I talking about former professional athletes for a certain Eastern division NFL team (ex-Pats). No, I'm talking about people who are currently living in a foreign country while still holding allegiance and identity to their home country (expats).

There's a large foreign population in Korea. There are approximately one million foreigners living in Korea (an estimated 2% of the total population). Most English speaking foreigners work as English teachers at various levels and positions in and around the Korean education system. Some love it, some don't. See below.

Not all foreigners are English teachers, however. In fact, most are migrant workers filling positions that no one wants and getting paid dangerously low wages. In terms of percentages, an estimated 44% of all foreigners residing in Korea are Chinese. Americans trail behind at 12%, but of course, that's not counting other English-speaking countries. Still, I wonder how many Chinese-language blogs are out there about Korea? In any case, for only being less than three twentieths of the foreign population, we sure do like to blog a lot, don't we?

UPDATE: Here are some recent (Oct) numbers of E-2 visa holders - courtesy of the Marmot's Hole:
15,238 Americans
10,111 Canadians
3,021 Britons
1,412 South Africans
1,162 New Zealanders
1,158 Australians
1,051 Chinese
978 Japanese
626 Irish
56 French

Yet many of the English language blogs written primarily by English teachers are so negative that it almost paints a dangerously inaccurate picture of the country. Korea can be like a Cohen brothers movie: not everything is what it seems - there is a lot under the surface for those who are so inclined to notice. Come on, you didn't really think The Big Lebowski was all about that rug, did you? You know, the one that really tied the room together?

It's a hot topic for sure (life in Korea - not the rug). There's plenty to say on the subject, but a lot of it is coming from people who are either not happy or who are grossly misinterpreting things. But let me backtrack a little.

I'm an outsider for sure. I presently don't live in Korea so I don't know first-hand the daily life. Bringing up the fact that I've visited the country twice doesn't give me a grain of salt's bit of creditability, so it's not appropriate for me to criticize those who actually do live the life. Perhaps if I move there one day I'll have some street cred but for the time being, I'm green.

But let's be fair on the subject - there are plenty of good, hard-working foreigners who absolutely love their life in Korea. However, many of these silent majority don't blog and thus we have no online proof of their happiness. Maybe no news is good news?

However, I will say that there are reoccurring subjects frequently covered by less-than-happy bloggers. They include, but certainly aren't limited to:

Sexism
Staring
Social inequality
Incompetency
Shady bosses
Excessive corporal punishment

This just a slice of the spoiled pie that so many foreigners seem to be eating from. Yet, they keep coming back for seconds. If things are so bad, why do foreigners stay in Korea? Are things that bad in their home country?

In a way, yes. Korea has a low cost of living when compared to the States. The common job (English teacher) requires less formal education than in the States and pays just as well, comparatively. It's seriously not that bad of a gig all things considered. Well, other than being completely removed from your friends, family, and life as you have come to realize it. Yeah, not bad at all.

But in another way, sometimes it's just a difference of culture. I'm not saying one is better than the other but it is fair to point out that swimming in the ocean doesn't make you a fish. Just because an expat observes something over an over does not make that person well-versed in that culture. This criticism works both ways. I've read viewpoints on American life that, in my opinion, are so far off from what is authentic that it almost is laughable, if not offensive. Of course, such criticism usually has a root cause or event that sparked such an emotion (baggage anyone?).

But still, sometimes the people who move to other counties aren't exactly a proper representation of their home country. Again, this goes both ways: not all Korean people own their business and are great at math and not all Americans drink too much and are young, white men. In fact, I would go as far to say that some American expats were misfits in their own country to start with. Yet, some are just the adventurous type that's what lead them to Korea. Some are just trying to hack away at their student debt. Some are in the midst of a career change. Some are looking to find themselves. Some are motivated by other reasons to relocate such as religious convictions, discovering their own culture and ethnic background, and/or because of their spouse's work.

Either way - if you live in Korea and you are not Korean - you are not alone. Take comfort knowing that there's countless of online resources for you. Some big names:

Korea Beat (Korean news articles translated into English)
The Marmot's Hole (10+ year veteran's delightfully entertaining views on Korean pop culture, responses to breaking news, and otherwise tabloid-related topics)
The Hub of Sparkle (a growing meta-blog about all things Korean with several big-name contributors)
Bomb English (one of several online projects run by blogging veteran Michael Hurt)
The Midnight Runner (nicely produced podcast dealing with popular social issues, headline news, and life in Korea)
Galbijim (general interest hub specializing in the 대구 area - forum, wiki, and blog all rolled into one)
Korea for Expats (for the young at heart but done with the bar scene - informative and helpful FAQ section)
Dave's ESL Cafe: Korean Job Forums (Humongous online forum. warning: be on troll alert)

Don't let the big dogs get you bogged down. There are plenty of other fun-to-read blogs on just about any subject you can think of:

Naked in the Sauna aka the Sauna Mommas (female expat blogging community)
Stuff Korean Moms Like (a Korean-American's ongoing list of hilarious Korean mom quirks)
POPSeoul! (celebrity gossip blog)
Hanfever (Korean drama production, rumor blog)
RateMyHagwon (aimed to provide hagwon blacklists, whitelists, and prospective teacher tips learned the hard way)
The Korean Blog List (a 500+ collection of personal blogs regarding Korea)

With all these resources (and countless others) it's beginning to look like we need something to organize all this internet goodness. Enter: the RSS feed reader. If you are still living in web 1.0 and haven't discovered the beauty that is RSS, you are up a creek. Get on board already. I love my RSS feeder. Feedreader has replaced sliced bread for me.

The funny thing about expat bloggers is that they are connected to people that have never met them. Their experiences are sometimes vicariously felt through simple words on a screen. I won't lie - I actively follow a few. I've read about them moving jobs, changing apartments, trying new foods, going on vacation, etc. I know that I'm not alone. I mean, some are considered to be rockstars in their own right in terms of creditability, reader base, and name recognition. But when it's all said and done, these are normal people ranting and raving about their daily life. Take it for what it is. Some good people blog and some don't. Some jerkoholics blog and some don't.

What I feel bad is when I read about people who are blatantly rude or disrespectful to others - be it Korean or otherwise. It makes me cringe and forces me to seriously consider tattooing "외국인이어서 죄송합니다" on my forehead.

Now I'm not much of a poet but I prepared a little poem for such an occasion. Sorry it doesn't rhyme. This one is dedicated to the law-abiding expats in Korea.

You are not all scumbags. You are not all drug dealers. You are not all unsafe to be left alone with small children. You are not all carrying forged diplomas. You are not all alcoholics. You are not all breaking every ethical code imaginable. You are not all bad. But some of you are and it makes me sad. So stop it already would you? Stop giving the mass media something to write about. I'm tired of getting the evil eye.

Thoughts?

The DMZ: More fun than a barrel of monkeys (Korean Demilitarized Zone)

2009-12-14T21:29:00.003+09:00

The Demilitarized Zone.

No really, it's actually quite scary. But I had a lot of fun. But then again I like history.

The Demilitarized Zone located in South Korea is not the only non-combat zone in the world. In fact, it is one of ten currently standing neutral or no-conflict zones. The largest zone is most definitely the one in Antarctica - the entire continent is deemed a no-combat zone by forty-six consenting countries! However, the Korean DMZ is likely the most famous and certainly the most heavily guarded DMZ in the world. Plus it inspires movies like nobody's business.

One might think with an area that is designated a no-combat zone that that it would be fairly safe, right? Actually, here's a list of serious incidents from 1967-2001 that occurred on, around, or due to the DMZ. It's a spicy little area, isn't it? Not bad for a zone in its fifties.

It's also a hugely popular tourist attraction. But when you look at it, it's quite possibly the worst possible choice for a tourist attraction. It's not a building. It's not a historical ruin. It's not a river. No, it's 387.5 square miles of sophisticated military operation and fierce cultural tension.

Perhaps it is the almost taboo nature of it that attracts so many people worldwide? Let alone the zone has provided a backdrop for badboys worldwide to sneak personal snapshots of forbidden things such as hidden tunnels, guard posts, and unnecessarily tall flag poles.

The DMZ is probably among the top four most recognizable facts about Korea in general; standing proudly next to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, 2002 World Cup, and the ridiculously cute 윤은혜.

However, the purpose of the zone is clear - don't mess with us and we won't mess with you. I seem to remember having a similar timeout once for fighting with my brother. However, it isn't the purpose of the zone that gives me pause - it's the close vicinity to downtown Seoul that makes me wish I was into Swedish culture instead of Korean.

About thirty miles (48 km) south of the DMZ lies roughly 11 million people. A boatload of people in Seoul are not all the far away from the most heavily guarded place in Asia. Kind of scary, right? Maybe that's why Korea has appeal - danger appeal - like enough appeal to want to date him, but not take him home to mom - unless you just want to make your mom mad. Yeah, that's my Korea.

So in conclusion, I'm terrified of the DMZ. I treat it with respect. I know that South Korea's military is not one to mess with, so I'm not worried for anyone's safety, per se, but I am a little worried at the fact that something like the DMZ even exists in the first place. Perhaps one day it will be torn down. I wonder then what will Korea do with itself if not always looking over its shoulder?

For a more candid, distinctly American viewpoint on the DMZ, I recommend checking out this nicely written first-hand experience. What are your tourist experiences?

Thoughts?

So who's driving in Korea? No one apparently (traffic safety in Korea)

2009-12-14T21:29:00.000+09:00

Driving a car in Korea.

Apparently, it's the hardest thing on the planet. I know people who have traversed the planet, left their home country, diligently learnt the English language (not exactly an easy task), acculturated themselves to American culture only to be terrified of getting a driver's license and driving to the grocery store. I mean after all they have accomplished, why is driving a car all of a sudden this insurmountable obstacle?

Not that I blame anyone for being a bit apprehensive. This chart and map isn't exactly comforting. Not to mention that out of 29 countries researched, Korea ranked 27. In this case, the bronze medal is especially not something to be proud of. It perplexes me because Japan has a reported 0.88 deaths per 10,000 cars on the road, Germany reports 0.93 per 10,000 cars (oh and the Autobahn is in Germany for those who forgot). So why does Korea report 3.34 traffic-related deaths per 10,000 cars on the road? Not sure, but the more I look into it, the more depressed I get. The number of deaths from traffic accidents per 100,000 people in Korea amounted to 16.9 compared to 15.2 United States, and 8.2 Japan.

Perhaps even more heartbreaking is the reported 200 annual deaths of children. Sadly, this number only reflects school-zone pedestrian deaths - not including other sources. Furthermore, 25.6 of 100,000 children under the age of 15 die due from accidental causes, specifically pedestrian-related accidents such as walking alongside a road - sidewalk or not. What in the world is wrong with Korea's traffic safety? Is this where the fear of being behind the wheel comes from? So why in the world do Americans feel so invincible while driving? We aren't immune to these statistics.

It's also fair to point out the higher dependence on public transportation in Korea. However, these accidents are caused by both commercial and personal drivers. It's enough to stop and take a good look at who's driving you home, doesn't it? For that matter, traffic congestion opens up a whole different set of problems, right?

So what can be done? This .pdf presentation deserves to be viewed by all who travel in Korea. It's concise and full of concrete examples and areas of improvement, namely education. For a developed country like South Korea, I know much more can be done to prevent such tragedies - especially considering that many of the problems stem from infrastructural defects such as misplacement of signs, symbols, markers, and lights.

Thoughts?

Seoul Metropolitan Subway: clean, punctual, and scary

2009-12-14T21:28:00.000+09:00

Subways in Korea.

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a thing of beauty. It's quick, efficient, and cheap. The subway itself also divided into three separate but similar entities: Seoul Metro, Korail, and SMRT (Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit corporation). Where have I heard of SMRT before?

Our diligent 현우 has posted a nice introduction to to Seoul's subways in this forum post. Note the loudspeaker - each stop is announced in both English and Korean. It is very foreigner friendly in that regard. The air conditioning doesn't hurt, either.

1000 원 buys you up to 6 miles worth of track and 100 원 for every additional 3 miles. Not bad. Actually that's more than not bad - that's a great deal. Remember the post about the size of Korea? We're not talking more than a little more than 230 square miles for the whole city with the majority of stops located nearby each other. So we're talking a cheap ride no doubt. Buy a 10 dollar card and call it a day.

The card that I am referring to is non other than the T money card. These nifty little guys really make you feel like you're paying for your subway ticket electronically...wait...well that's exactly what they do. Okay so their novelty wears off quick. But not for me. In my case, I almost was so excited by the convenience of them that I was tempted to swipe them twice.

Hey what do you want from me? Texas has a lot of limestone so it's not like they're going to build any subways in the Lone Star State anytime soon so just let me swipe my card twice in peace.

Oh and T Money almost begs to be scanned twice - Seoul Metro gives you a 100원 discount if you use the card instead of a paper ticket. I especially like the T Money card's tap n' go way of paying. Just tap your wallet or purse on the magnetic reader located on thew top of the turnstile machine, wait for the beep, read your remaining balance, and you're goo to go. Except I always end up losing my card or have another card already in my wallet that interferes with the subway card in the first place. But that's just me.

Speaking of which, there are ticket booths available for paper ticket purchases, card refills, and for general directions. Not that you'll need them - all signs are in English and Korean. But fear not - you will find Seoulites sometimes even checking the subway map prior to swiping their card. I also like how the ticket booth guys will let elderly people and those who are down on their luck through a special entrance gate for no charge from time to time (like a rain-soaked, broke American who slaughters Korean pronunciation and who also just happen to have left his T Money card on the bench at the last stop where he got lost and frustrated but not frustrated enough to not buy two rolls of 김밥 and then wonder how much it would cost to buy some fruit from that lady but he couldn't remember the word for the specific type of fruit she was selling so he just asked 과자 얼마예요? but then later realized that 과일 is fruit and 과자 is cookie so then he felt kind of validated when the vendor giggled at him).

But unfortunately, it's not all bells and whistles for the operators of the trains. Several news articles and TV specials will make you wonder why don't they raise the fee so as to support these hard-working employees.
As far as being punctual, I don't have any numbers to support this claim but here goes anyway: Seoul's subway is the best subway in the whole universe and way better than anyone else's subway. Bam.

Now as far as the scary aspect - let me explain. Drinking and driving isn't as big of a concern in Korea compared to America. But don't let that fool you into thinking that Korea has safer streets - because they don't. But as far as traveling to and from the bar, the majority of people use public transportation be it bus, taxi, or subway. So, the scary aspect isn't the same as someone stalking you - it's more like a creepy drunk person within arms length of you. I mean, drunk people got to get home somehow, you know?

Although it can get cramped as all get out, there are several times when it's also creepily empty at times. Either way, all things considered, it is clean and quite useful. Foreigners need not fear the subway - it's well-lit, heavily used, and moderately well-maintained with minimal breakdowns.

Now, subway social culture - who should stand and who should sit - that's a whole nother can of worms.

Thoughts?

I.E. or nothing at all (web browser discrimination in Korea)

2009-12-14T21:27:00.000+09:00

Korea is very rude to Mozilla.

And I like me some Firefox. It's come along way from the red-headed stepchild of Netscape Navigator (R.I.P.) but Korea still hasn't caught the wave.

A reported 98.66% of the internet is viewed through the eyes of Internet Explorer in Korea. In fact to even view and print government or utility files online one must use I.E. due to the proprietary extension ActiveX.
Oh, and by the way, me and ActiveX got some history. We're not cool. He stays away from me and I stay away from him.

But ActiveX is an integral part of typical South Korean web design. In fact, it's mandatory by law for purchasing practically anything online.

For the longest time, individual Cyworld pages couldn't even be viewed on Firefox (or any other browser for that matter - even those written off the IE shell like Maxthon). But now I can view most pages but can't do some basic actions. Essentially, when I want to edit my Cyworld page, I switch over to IE. Gee thanks Korea. Where did you go astray?

In the dark ages of online computing (late 90s) online security was becoming an issue for American consumers, vendors, banks, and government officials. Essentially, Americans were still using very basic, low-complexity script to send and receive sensitive information over the internet. A new, and still in use (through countless modifications) high-bit form of encyption was born. The United States of America led the way in terms of internet security and there was much rejoicing.

Except in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Oh no, 빨리빨리 mode was set in full force and South Korea decided to take matters in their own hands. The Korean government developed a sort of plugin for Netscape and Internet Explorer users that gave temporary authenticity for select transactions. This plugin was clumsy, bulky, but most of all - exactly what was needed to safeguard online banking at the time. 1999 rolled around and Koreans were banking happily and relatively safely for the first time. Yea!

What say you? No longer are we in the late 90s? Surely the South Korean government has caught the Apple wave (a reported 10% of the market share in the U.S. and climbing - thanks Vista) by now? Linux has the capabilities of being faster, slimmer, and more efficient than any operating system Microsoft has released thus far. So surely Korea has led the way, like they did in 1998, right?

Well, no other country followed Korea's lead and instead opted to wait until a more unified system (SSL) was created. A year after Korea's security system was in place, worldwide online banking was using the model first developed in America leaving South Korea with their own little proprietary version of SSL. With the fallout of Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer came shipped with every new Microsoft-branded PC and guess who came along for the ride: ActiveX.

Yeah, as it turns out, that little leech of a software program really likes America and Korea's way of doing business online - it can do both SSL and Korea's system. With each new Microsoft operating system (like XP or Vista) comes that annoying box at the top of my browser. Well, not my browser, mind you. I live life an the safe side. It's also the faster side. But let's take a look at what's going on with IE's side.

ActiveX works like this essentially. With a click of your button (permission) it installs itself in your computer and performs a simple, isolated function with relative free reign over your computer. Sounds scary, right? Letting something take control? Well, the majority of applications that run ActiveX are harmless. Actually, many can be quite helpful. Some scan your system looking for viruses while others install a new program without stressing out a technology-challenged user. Unfortunately, a whole lotta garbage is also written using ActiveX and most parade around looking like something good for your computer when in actuality, it is tearing up your hard drive. Koreans are especially at risk due to the acute attackability of ActiveX.

Hence why I like alternative browsers like Opera, Firefox, and Chrome. Partly due to the fact that there are several security enhancements written specifically for applications such as Firefox, but also partly due to the majority of spyware, trojans, and viruses are written for a computer running Windows XP Home SP2 and using Internet Explorer 7.

In America, we can use just about any browser to do online banking (or any other function for that matter) with relative freedom. Unfortunately, Korea still demands a captive, IE monoculture. Curses! What is an aspiring computer geek to do?

Pout. and lots of it. Other than that, I'm stuck switching over when I want to do something meaningful on a Korean website. For that matter, there's a whole nother issue of foreigners using their foreign IDs while online banking. In a nutshell? It ain't happening.

Thoughts?

Teaching English in Korea: a checklist

2009-12-14T21:26:00.000+09:00

Teaching English as a Second Language in Korea.

UPDATE (3/2009) added a few new links

If you choose to make Korea your home for the next year as an English teacher, you will have to jump through a series of hoops to get in the system. It isn't as easy as it used to be (prior to March 2008). First and foremost, one would generally need an E-2 visa. A common exception to this rule is holders of F-4 visas. Those who qualify for an F-4 are of Korean heritage. Otherwise, this post is geared for prospective E-2 holders from America.

To be considered for any teaching position in Korea, you must first qualify under these terms:

Hold at least a Bachelor's degree in any discipline
Hold a valid passport from either Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, or the USA
English must be your first language
People from India, Singapore, and the Phillipines now have hope, too.

Here's an overview for what one can expect teaching in Korea. Another first-hand experience story can be found here. Also, Foreign/er Joy is an English teacher who has a fairly popular, well-written personal blog.
Here's a great checklist for public school teachers made by the good people at Footprints. For that matter, ATEK just published a mammoth 350-page online guide. Check it out (Alternative link).
If there were a sort of checklist for getting ready to teach overseas, it would like a bit like this:

Finish four year degree and obtain physical copy of diploma
Make notarized copies of your diploma
Research possible job positions and working conditions as they vary greatly
Apply through a single, reputable recruiter
Choose a job position offered to you either directly or posted online
Go to local police station and complete a Criminal Background Check (CBC)
Get CBC notarized
Send notarized CBC results to secretary of state to obtain apostille on CBC
Send apostilled CBC, notarized diploma, sealed transcripts, application to either recruiter or new employer in Korea
Recruiter or new employer will send you visa issuance (certificate) number
Contact local Korean consulate and setup application and interview
New E-2 visa applicants must visit in person local consulate for short interview
Arrive in Korea
Move into new home
Get acquainted with new employer
Get set up to take a medical and drug check at local Korean hospital (within 90 days of arrival)
Apply for Alien Registration card (ARC)
Do a good job - you represent your country ^^

Although this list is not comprehensive, it does cover the majority of problems and/or questions one might have. If anyone can think of anything to add, please feel free to comment!

Common pitfalls:

Don't trust anyone who says you need anything other than a bachelor's degree as bare minimum. AA (Associate degrees) do not qualify.
Working conditions vary greatly and do not exactly correspond to how things are done back home
If using multiple recruiters for a public school position (e.g. SMOE) your application will likely be thrown out. Those who hire for public teaching positions only want to see your application once
Recruiting companies are free of charge on your end. The school that you choose pays them for their service
Educate yourself on the common differences between 학원 (academies) 공립 학교 (public school), private, and university jobs
Do not submit an online CBC check. Korea no longer accepts these. Get the CBC done in person. Local checks are fine. FBI checks not necessary, but also accepted (more expensive and take much longer).
Do not get your CBC more than six (6) months ahead of hiring date as your CBC will be considered out of date. Some even recommend that it be completed as soon as 3 months prior to departure. Play it safe.
CBC checks are a one time only deal for first time (and re-ups prior to March 2008 ) E-2 visa applicants.
Get CBC check apostilled by secretary of state. There is an alternative method for validating CBC check from within Korea (sworn affidavit) but it is generally easier to do from home country.
You must apply for E-2 in your home country. This cannot be done at an embassy in another country.
Hold onto your ARC like it's gold. This is your new traveling buddy. Take it everywhere you go and don't lose it.
If you quit less than six months into the job, you must leave the country. Your E-2 visa is tied to your job. Lose the job, lose your visa status.
If you quit after six months into the job (obviously not advised) seek a new job ASAP. Apply for new visa with new job. Your ARC isn't tied to your job, but it does reflect where you work. New job = need new visa. New visa = need new ARC.
Do not take on private lessons. It is highly illegal and is grounds for deportation and/or heavy fines. As an E-2 holder, you can only teach at the place specified in your contract. F-2-1, F-4, and F-5-9 visa holders can teach privates lessons so long as they register with local Ministry of Education and obtain private teaching certificate
Even if your recruiter accidentally (or intentionally) misleads you or gives you advice that conflicts with Korean Immigration, it doesn't matter - Korean Immigration trumps anything said by anyone (other than the Labor Board which is a separate entity)
Take your time, don't be pressured into anything you are uncomfortable with, and ask plenty of questions. This is your decision to move to ROK, so be informed and be open to jumping through hoops.
Have no fear - if you want to attend a Korean language school/university/학원, it doesn't affect your visa status so study all you want
Be prepared for a life changing experience.

For more information on living and teaching in South Korea check out Dave's ESL Cafe forum. Topics aren't always safe for work and validity of information varies but overall some good advice can be found here. Here's also an ongoing page devoted to statistics on foreigners in Korea.

Otherwise, here's a great link to get you started: E-2 Video Tutorial - quite comprehensive checklist and video with very practical advice. Make sure if you have any questions, check out this page first as it explains a lot of the nitty-gritty details often overlooked by many applicants. Furthermore, here is an excellently compiled FAQ list from ASK Now, Inc.

Thoughts?

Business or pleasure? (Korean visa regulations)

2009-12-14T21:25:00.000+09:00

Visa regulations.

Ever changing and always with controversy it seems.

I should point out that to apply for a visa to go to Korea, one must go through their local Korean consulate. The three most common reasons to visit Korea are for traveling (tourist), teaching (English), and business (international). For this blog entry, we will focus on the first one. Next week will focus on the E-2 teaching visa. Visa application information changes somewhat frequently so it's important to check with official online resources prior to making plans. This post is intended to provide an overview from a strikingly handsome American citizen's point of view.

Below is a breakdown of the tourist (C-3 90-day) visa. Information was pulled from the Houston Consulate.

Visitors Visa [C-3]

If you are a US citizen and are a tourist staying in Korea for less than 30 days no visa is required.

If you are a US citizen and are applying for a visa to stay up to 90 days for tourism, visiting friends and/or relatives, goodwill match, events,conference, cultural art, training, religious ceremony or academic data-gathering you need to submit the following documents:

A signed US passport with remaining validity of at least 6 months and one blank visa page.
A completed and signed Application for visa
A recent passport color photo (2"x2" ) attached on the application form
$45.00 Visa Processing Fee. All fees can be paid by Cash or Money Order. All Money Orders should be made payable to The Korean Consulate.
If you are applying by mail you will have to include a prepaid postage return envelope (USPS Express mail, Fedex or similar kind of overnight mail) with complete address for the passport to be returned.
If you are applying for tourism or visiting friends and/or relatives - A Flight itinerary or a copy of Round-trip Airline ticket lf you are applying for goodwill match, events, conference, cultural art, training, religious, ceremony, academic data-gathering - Original Documents proving the purpose of entry

This office will not make copies, if you need original documents, please bring the original and one copy.
This office is not responsible for the loss of any documents including passports.

Below is an index pulled from the Korean consulate website that details the required documentation for certain types of visa. Bolded items are a bit more applicable to KC101 students.
Diplomats (A-1)
Officials (A-2)
Agreement (A-3)
Temporary News Coverage (C-1)
Short-Term Business (C-2)
Short-Term Visitors (C-3) summer jobs, short-term Korean classes, extended travel
Culture/Art (D-1)
Students (D-2) full-time Korean university students
Industrial Trainees (D-3)
General Trainees (D-4)
Residence Reporters (D-5)
Religious workers (D-6)
Intracompany Transferees (D-7)
Treaty Investors (D-8 )
Treaty Traders (D-9)
Professors (E-1)
Teaching Foreign Languages (E-2) common teacher visa, position tied to visa

Research (E-3)
Instruction of Technology (E-4)
Specialty Occupation (E-5)
Art and Entertainment (E-6)
Particular Occupation (E-7)
Training Employment (E-8 )
Visiting& Joining Family(F-1)
Residence(F-2-1) if spouse is Korean citizen

Dependent Families(F-3)
Korean Residents Abroad (F-4) for Korean decedents and adoptees
Permanent Residence (F-5-9) must be in Korea 5 years or hold F-2-1 for 2 years
UPDATE 1/09: More on student study visas.

Essentially, so long as you go to Korea for less than 30 days (the vast majority of tourist agendas) you're fine. You won't need any special visa, but you will need a valid passport and a return ticket (proof of round trip ticket or e-ticket is generally acceptable). But get ready for a seriously long flight. Mine was fourteen hours with no leg room.

I should point out that recently a big change in Korean visa regulations has occurred. Starting in late November, South Korean citizens can visit the United States for up to 90 days without any special visa requirements. Some are grumbling at the possible influx of illegal immigrants with fake passports; however, a new electronic passport system will also now be in place which will most likely curb such practices. Either way, this new law will encourage international exchanges within the two countries and speed up the other "for real" visa process for the rest of us. It also will save South Koreans the $110 visa application fee that they were previously required to pay. Below is a graphic organizer that shows the new step-by-step process for Korean citizens. The new application can be completed as soon as 72 hours prior to departure.

What are visa applications like for Korea in your home country (other than USA)? Anyone been to Korea with any special visa considerations?

Here's a nice little international visa chart taken from everyone's favorite punchline tourism campaign: Korea Sparkling. The first chart is for citizens who can travel to Korea visa-free while the second chart is for those citizens who can apply for a visa

Woah there Canada, 180 days? No fair.

Thoughts?

Hey that's mine! (Intellectual property rights, copyright infringement in Korea)

2009-12-14T21:24:00.000+09:00

Copyright infringement.

Intellectual property rights. In a sentence? They don't exist.

Koreans have historically done an exceptional job at innovation. Throughout the well-documented portion of Korea's ancient history lies a common theme: Koreans can do it, and they can do it better than you. Let's take a look at the first portion of that theme.

This train of thought can be likened to America's "inalienable rights" creed. We feel that things like religion and self-expression are rights that no one entity owns - therefore we take personal ownership of our own religion and thoughts. I feel that it is one aspect that makes Americans so individualistic. This "nobody owns that right" thought can be applied to innovation for Koreans. They aren't stealing an idea just for the same of hording. They borrow and idea to make it faster, cheaper, and more readily available. Think of it as file-sharing for thoughts.

Take designer clothes. There are huge corporations who make decent money on trademarked logos and mascots such as Disney. Disney-branded clothing is fairly expensive all things considered. I mean, it's just a T-shirt. But it has the lovable cartoon character on it that has international recognition. Thus enters trademarking. Essentially, you can't reproduce an image with Snow White unless you have explicit permission from Disney. After you obtain such permission, a portion of your profits go back to Disney for the right to produce such merchandise.

So what if you cut out the middleman? Make your own T-shirt and sell it for cheaper than the official stuff? Sounds like a financially sound plan, doesn't it? Unfortunately it's also unethical.

However, Korean clothing stores are flooded by such counterfeit goods. So much so that one has to wonder if the "real" stuff is anywhere to be found even if you wanted it. Let's take a look at how things got like this.
Take music for example. In America, we download music legally from online vendors such as Apple's iTunes. Some music is DRM-bound while others are DRM-free. DRM was created in the first place to curb piracy (remember Shawn Fanning and Napster?) but an unfortunate side effect from such anti-piracy measures was in fact more piracy from tech-savvy consumers while law-abiding consumers are treated like criminals when they want to transfer music to another location. This progression is even more exaggerated within the PC gaming community - so much so that publishers are inventing quite restrictive and mind-boggling ways to curb privacy - all with diminishing levels of success (secuROM anyone?).

Well just like anti-smoking campaigns, Americans are told that piracy is a crime and that self-regulation is needed to help keep the cost of production down (think of Piracy: It's a Crime messages that play at the beginning of new DVDs). Most consumers are happy to follow legal routes of media consumption out of either 1) fear or 2) personal ethics.

In Korea, such campaigns don't exist. In fact, such explicit instructions sort of don't exist either - especially for the younger generation. Downloading "free" Korean music is insanely easy on Korean language blogs. When I asked a friend if they had a certain movie, she promptly downloaded the movie guilt-free and price-free. When I asked her if she knew that it was illegal in America do such things, she responded, "Why?"

It goes back to the inalienable rights. "It's my right to listen to this song and watch this movie by any means necessary." This might not be the explicit thought of those who do so, but either way it doesn't sit well with me. Then again, I'm coming from a different angle. I'd wager that most haven't even taken a close look at the ramifications of downloading music free-of-charge. But I wonder... are we just in a temporary flux when legal actions haven't been set in place yet?

I think back to my grandmother telling me when cigarettes were first marketed no one was informed of any health risks involved. Is this the same type of scenario? Is Korea close behind America in terms of educating consumers but just not there yet? Such a campaign was enacted for Haansoft - the Korean Microsoft - makers of proprietary Korean word processing software. By the end of 2002, Haansoft was on the verge of bankruptcy due to rampant piracy from their new office suite. They innovated their business plan and adapted to their problem, but they were lucky. Illegal replication of their product almost drove them to the point where they couldn't even sustain themselves let alone improve on the product that so many people were using and enjoying.

So it begs the question - do such anti-piracy measures exist in Korea? Is there an organization who enforces such copyright infringements? How do Korean companies like SM and JYPe pay their artists if their isn't a system set in place for legal digital purchases? Do they recoup their losses from live performances alone? What about all the time and money spent in the studio? Maybe they look like rockstars but don't get paid like rockstars? What about filmmakers? Do they get anything from movie theater sales? What do DVD sales look like in Korea? I would love to support my favorite artists and filmmakers as their art is a job. I mean, they gotta eat, too... but how would go about supporting them legally?

Thoughts?

Soap Opera? K-Drama? Korean TV shows? What's the big deal?

2009-12-14T21:23:00.002+09:00

Korean Dramas.

They're here. Get used to them.

These television shows are comparable to primetime television programming in America (think Grey's Anatomy or Heroes). These Korean series bear little resemblance to what we refer to as "daytime" television. The production format is closer to a "miniseries" (think Band of Brothers or Lonesome Dove). However, when westerners hear the term "K-drama" or "soap opera" we instantly think of cheesy dialogue, unnecessarily long pauses, overacting, unrealistically overdone characters, and untimely bizarre deaths (think General Hospital or The Young and the Restless or your dramatic cousin on your dad's side). While the Korean equivalents certainly share some of the surface level similarities, there is much difference to be found.

Korean soap operas are so big that they are hard to ignore. When I say big, I mean it in every way. Big drama, big secrets, and especially big budget. I liken them to a perpetual Superbowl game playing on all channels. It's hard to ignore. If you didn't like them before, you like them now. Admit it.

See? Doesn't that feel good? No? Dirty? Yes, of course.

Come on. I'm from Texas. You may see a grown man cry once in a blue moon but you sure won't see him watching a soap opera anytime soon. With Korean dramas though, they are insidious. Infectious. Just watch one episode. No biggie. Your buddy said it was a good show, right? And he can drink his weight in 소주...Of course at that point, I convince myself that it is all in the name of learning the language. Yeah, so really, it's like homework. I mean, that's not wrong at all, right? Just doing some homework?

Actually, in that regard, many dramas fill in that role nicely. The dialogue is close to natural, the dialect is usually standard, and common speech is used frequently. Whereas if an ELL (English Language Learner) were to imitate the speech used in Prison Break...not so effective. Some Korean dramas even go so far as to be quite deliberate in their speech that it's hard not to pick up at least some of the language.

Truth be told, not all are fantastic. They can run the risk of dreadful predictability and the use of rehashed, overused themes. However, some challenge social norms and break the mold of what a television show should entail. Some entertain while others educate. Some take modern settings while others assume alternative realities. Some are a showcase for dialects and subcultures. In addition, a plethora of historical-based dramas are arguable in their own category by themselves let alone seeped in Korea's surprisingly saucy history.

Oh and make no mistake, you will cry. Oh yes. There will be tears.

One particular difference in these shows is the demographic viewing audience. Typically, American soap operas are viewed by non-working or stay-at-home homebodies. It's also fair to point out the majority of the viewers are older women. Korean soap operas are viewed by people of all ages, gender, and class. Working class people watch them, but so do white-collar business people. And apparently so do young twenty-somethings from America.

It's also interesting to point out the group factor in watching Korean dramas. When seemingly unrelated people sit around and watch the same show, they now share something in common. This reminds me of an ancient form of online blogs and forums. Really! Think about it. I dropped by a nice little 목욕탕 to find the group room filled with locals all in an awed hush over the K-drama playing on the television screen. If you want something in common, try all hating all the same spoiled brat on the screen. Add into that formula a natural group-centered culture such as the one found in Korea and you have a recipe for K-drama addiction.

The poorly taken photo below doesn't show the fury that was in the room. We were all watching the same spicy program. The funny part is that there were people that I could have sworn were sleeping, but they would react when something shocking would happen in the plot. A sort of "He said what?!" reaction.

Likely, everyone who has professed an interest in K-dramas are especially fond of their first show they watched. Like many other foreigners, mine was Full House. Furthermore, many students of the Korean language have openly admitted that it is because of Korean dramas that initially sparked their interest in the language and culture. Can you imagine KBS producing shows with the unintentional side effect of being a sort of diplomatic representative showcase for a whole culture? The ramifications of 비's poor acting are quite profound now that I think about it...

Thoughts?