I'm Grateful To Have My Job

Today I read an article from The Grand Narrative, "Advice to Women Looking for Work: "Say you like to sing and dance." It reiterates the story of one young lady who has gone through so much in her life just to find herself not getting a job. This story highlights how students these days are filled with ambition and the desire to get a quality job, but come out to a world that doesn't match.

I want to talk about this aspect of Korean society because I think it might help those living here or who are considering it. As for me, I got a dose of this part of Korean life when dating two Korean men. So I also think it is important for the ladies to hear about how dating Korean men will likely mean you come to know this aspect of Korean society very closely. More importantly it can end up shaping your relationship and future with said person.

My first encounter with how the hiring process goes in Korea, came with my first Korean boyfriend. After I moved to Korea for the first time he followed suit from America after he finished his English studies. This was the summer time and we enjoyed a fruitful time together. But then came the Fall season and he prepared himself for interviews, by getting the typical Photoshopped resume picture and then trying on suits. Throughout it all I was supportive, but I didn't know just what he was really in for. After he got his job at a corporation (not a major one but was large enough) he went on field trips with the company which were meant for bonding and also seeing their offsite locations. During this time I didn't see him much, and communication was starting to run dry.

As he began his work at his new office things seemed to go downhill from there. He had to work late and attend after-work dinners. Our lifestyles began to clash. I got off work and was home by 5, had dinner and enjoyed my evening. The weekends were my time to get out and explore. Yet he worked late and started to view the weekend as his time to rest.

At one point the phone calls stopped coming and eventually we broke up. It wasn't a good break up because he found someone who he said, "...could have drinks with after work." It was at this time I realized how separate I was from this aspect of Korean society. Yet I moved on and found my second boyfriend.

Before I continue, I want to comment here a little on that experience. Definitely, for sure he changed after getting a real job and one that was quite typical of Korean work-life society. But our relationship had other issues and that is likely why we broke up. However, the point is that a Korean person doesn't simply just a get a job here and goes to work on a set schedule and la-di-da. They become a part of a team, tooth and nail, and it seems if you start to look like someone on the outside then things can go differently.

My next Korean boyfriend already had a job for some time and so was use to the work life. Plus his job was different. He worked for a small company selling and importing tiles. So he wasn't a slave at some office downtown.

Yet by the end of our time together he was certainly a tired man. Because he is the only employer for his company he handles everything. Clients call and treat him like an unintelligent slave and if they beckon his presence he usually goes there right away. The man lived a daily life of stress from client demands and also having to drive around the country. I was always supportive of him and let him have his time to rest. But in the scheme of things it started to eat away at our relationship.

The thing is, though, people like him work so hard because they know they need to for their future. I know this because we would have reoccurring conversations about our future together and the topic of "work" came up. His vision of the future included us sending our children to hagwons so they can be on a competitive edge with everyone. This would lead me to (in that foreigner arrogant way) talk about how I wish my children would grow up without cram schools so they can learn to be themselves, and that is what is most important in life...not test scores.

Even though he knew what I was talking about he put me back on point by telling me that this was Korea and in the end our children would have to fall in line with everyone else. I would always sit silently after these conversations and contemplate a sad future as he had envisioned.

Again, my break up with him was for personal reasons and thus shouldn't be blamed on Korean society. But I can't help but be honest and say that the troubles of Korean society were weaved into our relationship. It certainly depends on how strong people are attached to what is "right" and "wrong." But you can't escape it.

Thinking about it all I can't help but feel sorry for young Korean people who want to have beautiful rich lives for themselves in the future. But at the end of the day have to make due with what they can get and give over their bleeding heart just to not fall between the cracks. In that same sense I get a bit annoyed that, from the appearance of things, I can't see anyone or persons taking the pitchfork and rebelling. This brings me to something I'm No Picasso said:

When young Koreans start turning their noses up at jobs with bigger salaries, weightier company names and longer working hours, and turning instead to more average jobs that allow them more free time to focus on their own lives and their families, then that's when the ship will start to turn around. In his mind (and mine as well), realistically, you can't have both.

She continues to point out how some Korean people wonder why they need to work so hard in the first place. Korea is doing well economically these days, so it seems slowing things down might not hurt. I would mention this to my ex during one of our conversations, that Korea is up to speed with the rest of the world. He merely laughed and said it was impossible.

I don't really expect Korean people to suddenly change and mimic other nations in their happier work life. Yet I do sense that slowly, the structures that be today, will eventually melt and mold itself into something that functions in a way that serves Korean society for the better.

Personally, what it comes down to is this question. Do I want to marry a Korean man and live with him here forever? Possibly molding me into this troubling aspect of Korean society. That is where I agree with INP and her point of having a big weight on her shoulders. Definitely, as I became close to marrying my ex that weight became heavier and heavier. So it is for future Korean residents and current ones if you plan to stay here longer or involve yourself with a K-man...eventually all this will be yours to really deeply think about.

Finally, I want to say that after reading both those articles I couldn't help but feel grateful for my work status here in Korea. I have a good salary, a free house, pension, severance and health insurance. All was simply obtained because I'm a native speaker and have a few degrees. I suddenly became grateful for what I have, compared to what so many young Korean people are starving themselves to find. I truly do wish Korea transformed itself and let people have a break more often.

The English Section of the 수능

The "수능" or "수학능혁시험" is the test Korean high school students must take before they graduate. Last week it was administered across the nation. Typically, lower grades cheer on for their seniors and give them little goodies to help them pass. If you want to see a nice photo-essay of the event then follow this link. Note that this test is very important and not just something they can "Christmas Tree" in the answers and then figure out what to do with their lives. As shown here:

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).

I don't work at the high school level and so have no real direct relationship to this test and what goes on. However, the other day JH sent me a pdf file of the English section of this test. I remember he showed it to me last year, although it was a print out. This post will be meant to share with you parts of the English section and my critique of it.

At first there are mostly questions with Korean and English.

Yes, I don't know Korean well enough, so I can't tell you what is being asked. My judgment is based upon the overall test and that it looks really hard. Some questions even I don't know what they are getting at. Of course I have used and studied English in a different way from a Korean high school student. It is well known that young Korean people study for this test practically their whole young adult life. They know how to find the answer and crack the test's code.

But still there are 9 pages of this and 50 questions to get through. Here is what one of the pages looks like:

It's straight black and white with a few pictures and not much room for imagination. However, I don't recall the SAT I took back in high school was any more vibrant than this.

Let's look at one of the questions:

Without checking the answer sheet, which I have here, I think the answer could be either #5 or #1. The actual is #1. Bravo! What did you think? Or was this actually easy?

The thing is I teach English to elementary students and often wonder where it is all leading up to. Teaching my kids, "I like apples" and showing them different fruits, I stop and think "why?" Is it to get them to be comfortable and familiar with English or teach them sentence structure and a list of vocabulary? The thing is I have been told to teach in a very active and outgoing way. As I have said before my coteachers basically want me to perform like a clown in the class making English a form of entertainment. I am fine with getting away from the typical rote-memorization that is found here, but I don't really have the energy to bounce off the walls with every class and on every day. However, I can't help but feel perplexed that this "Clown English" leads them to this really strict high school SAT test.

How does this test really measure their English skills? The test does include the different levels, such as reading and listening. So I guess they get to use all of that. Of course what test could there be based upon non-memorization preparation.

Even the American SAT requires some preparation that isn't very exciting. The "Critical Reading section is laid out like this:

The Critical Reading (formerly Verbal) section of the SAT is made up of three scored sections: two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, with varying types of questions, including sentence completions and questions about short and long reading passages. Critical Reading sections normally begin with 5 to 8 sentence completion questions; the remainder of the questions are focused on the reading passages. Sentence completions generally test the student's vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure and organization by requiring the student to select one or two words that best complete a given sentence.

Oh, that is bringing back memories. As you can see, from the following picture, the American SAT version isn't that much different in style.

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Another Korean example:

The answer is...#5.

Do you think this question was hard? Do you think it would be hard for a Korean high school student? Let's not forget they are taking the test all day along with other subjects such as Korean and Science, and that they have likely been studying all night for the past year. I never really enjoyed taking these types of test and knowing that my score determined a certain future. I should be grateful, because whatever score I got on my SAT it never got in the way of my life. I went to college, graduated and have since been doing well. Unfortunately, Korean people live in a world where their test score determines whether or not they will get into the top 3 Universities, which means whether or not they will get hired by the top companies (LG, Samsung, Hyundai) and to some who they can marry.  

I have talked to JH about this and how someone's test score shouldn't be how the world judges them. Instead, it should be about their character and life experience. Of course, I said taking tests and measuring your skills can come along with that, but to base one's qualities just on a score is harsh. He agreed with my reasoning but said, "This is Korea. We have to do like this." Why? Essentially he brought it down to that Korea is a small country without a lot of competition and everyone wants to do better than the other person. He said, "If I see someone else study 3 hours, then I will study 4." So I said, "Then the person behind you will study 5 and so on..." I tried to tell him that Korea being a small country and crowded isn't going to change, but that the way people function and accept each other can change. I told him there are crowded parts of America, like New York and LA, where there is a lot of competition. But to get ahead people usually work hard and pull themselves up through networking and starting their own businesses..etc. 

The conversation huffed out as I was getting a big headache. I wasn't trying to change JH's mind but help him see how I see it all. Of course, he helped me how he sees it. 

To me this English section of the Korean SAT test points to a critical conversation that many expats have with each other about Korean society. Over time things have been changing little by little here. I don't expect Korea to suddenly do a 180 flip and look like the West. But I can't help but think that someday the young folks will rebel or break out of the mold and make their own path. Maybe that is already happening, but from underground or from the inside-out. 

All in all, my views are strictly that of someone with surface knowledge of this all. I wanted to share the English version of the test so those who teach English here can kind of see what it amounts to. 

What are your thoughts on all this and by all means feel free to correct me.

Asia vs. Asia: A New Look

Two years ago when I was fresh to Korea I wrote a post titled "Asia vs. Asia: (Series: Ugly Korean)" and since then it has been one of my top blog hits. Yet I am not proud of this post and fear that people come onto it in search of reaffirmation of their personal beliefs on Korea. It was my intention to share an experience I had with my ex about his world view amongst other Asian countries. I never really went back to that topic and so now would like to revisit it and offer up my insight after living in Korea for two years.

Issue 1: Asian people comparing themselves amongst other Asian nations.
When I first came to Korea I wanted to find out how Korean people compare themselves against other Asian countries, specifically Japan and China. I have come to discover that generally people tend to center themselves towards their country of origin and then go from there. In other words, Koreans treat Korea as the center of the Universe and their point of reference. We all do this, I believe, when comparing ourselves with other nations.

Yet I do feel Korean people take it to a higher level. To put Korea front and center means that Korean people tend to feel that Korea is always better than their Asian neighbors.

source

Take for example, when I have talked about my Japan travels with my coteachers. One of my coteachers asked me if I felt Japan was better than Korea. I said yes but explained why with details from my trips. I told her that certainly living in another country is different from just visiting it. She concluded with, "Korea is better." But gave no real explanations as to why.

My coteacher was merely just being Nationalistic. Yet their eccentric Nationalism I feel sometimes overlooks the truth and gets in the way with critical thinking.

South Koreans are nationalistic. Part of the nationalism stems from the compulsory national service required of South Korean men. Part of the nationalism stems from the fact that they are still at war with the north. Part of the nationalism stems from a desire to prove they are different from Japan and China.

Take that last part there, "...desire to prove they are different from Japan and China." I for one feel that is very true and why when talking about Japan or China with Korean people it can become a touchy subject. It isn't random, of course, because it stems from a long history of invasion and hibernation from the world.

Korea has been invaded, annexed, occupied, liberated, and sometimes unwillingly protected, by Japan, China, Russia/The Soviet Union, and the United States over the past few centuries.Koreans tend to see themselves as members of a "race" that has been fighting for it's independence from foreign domination for centuries. This can result in Koreans being overly defensive towards anything they see as a threat to their way of life. This also makes many Koreans easily swayed to any point of view that plays upon nationalism.

The examples of this that come from living in South Korea are that you can have a really hard time talking about Korea in a critical thinking way with other Korean people. As an outsider one wants to understand why Korean people do what they do and also what they are thinking. Therefore one tries to find these answers by talking to their Korean colleagues. Yet in the end the result is usually of more confusion and that you possibly just pissed off the people you work with.

In my opinion, I don't think Korea has to change its Nationalistic attitude or all of sudden become a nation of people that don't see themselves as #1 amongst other nations. All I know is that when I come face to face with Korean pride that I have to take a step back and let this person have their moment.

Issue 2: How Korean people embrace and interact with non-Koreans.
When thinking about this issue I feel I need to try and get into the skin of a Korean person. To look at their world through their eyes.


What I see myself doing is when I walk down the street and see a foreign looking person that I slow down and stare at them. Maybe the child holding my hand will point and tell me that there is a foreigner nearby. We both stare and nod in agreement. Then move on.

Can I, the foreigner, really look at the world from a Korean's perspective? 

source

Let's just say that recognizing and gawking at the outsider around you isn't specific to Korea. I believe that in any part of the world where the majority of people surrounding  you are all of the same type of race will lead you to naturally recognize someone who looks different. Small town America is still like this, but I feel most people in America are use to diversity either around them or on their television set. 

For a long time Korea has mostly been full of, yep you guessed it, Koreans. Day-to-day Korean people see dark hair and dark eyes all around them. Then slowly, more and more, people with different color eyes, hair, skin, body shape, speech and so on started to arrive (and stay). 

The reactions of Korean people vary from the subtle staring to shouting and being aggressive either in speech or within an online group that promotes racism. The interaction of Koreans with foreigners and their acceptance of them is at times horrifying and at other times humbling. Take for example this excerpt from the hate group Anti-English Spectrum:

Bothered by this, and gathering our power together, our consciences would not allow us to overlook this tragic story as if we were looking across a river. We are aware that loving your country does not only mean taking up arms and fighting in a war. Against illegal, low-quality English instructors who prevent our land from learning English and against English Spectrum, who debased and degraded the image of Korean women to that of one country's filthy national brand -- this is our strong fight!

hmm...

It goes without saying that I have experienced being treated like an outsider. 

It comes in various ways:

At work:

• There was a recent quarrel where myself and the other foreign worker became fed up of the overly use of Korean in our office. We get it, they are Korean and communicating in Korean is easier than English. But often we hear our names and then laughing or sighing afterward. We wonder what they are talking about and it leads to paranoia, which ends up festering. We tried to make the point that when we hear them use our names while speaking Korean it makes us feel insecure. That they should think about how it makes us feel to speak Korean most of the time in the office with our presence. They didn't get it. They thought we were overreacting and being silly. They told us that they can't help but speak Korean. But they didn't get that they should include us in their group and when they always speak Korean about work or other issues they leave us out. Leaving us out makes us truly feel like the "other". 
• In a nutshell this is an example of how at work you can often feel like the "other" and outsider due to that your Korean collegues don't see you as truly part of their group.

Outside:

• There is the staring. The pointing from children. 
• Parents make their children speak to the foreigner. 
• Whispering about the foreigner. 
• Note that I have never really had a terrible experience outside the house here in Korea. I have gotten use to the staring and forget the reason why. The hardest part seems to be riding the subway when you are in a tight space and anything could happen. I want to note that other foreigners (especially women) have had unsettling experiences.

Media:

• "Talk with Beauties" is a show that puts up beautified foreign women and talks with them in Korean. The conversations are scripted and most of what they talk about is junk. This kind of show takes the foreign woman and makes them exotic. Something that is really not helpful to our street image.
• Contrastingly there are many shows that show the foreign (especially white) man as a sexual predator. Because of this I have come across many Korean women (young and old) that believe foreign men just come to their country to do bad things and be a sexual predator. 

All of these are examples of how Korean people are confronting and dealing with the foreigners around them.

Conclusion and Reflection:

I am curious to know how Koreans embrace others from different cultural backgrounds. For now I believe that I am sure it is of no real big deal over there. That they coexist in a peaceful and sometimes hostile way. But I can't help but think that underneath the surface that some people may still feel some kind of historical and cultural opinion towards an outsider.

Those were my final thoughts from my original post on the subject. I believe I was definitely wearing rose colored glasses. Certainly the Nationalist feeling is strong here and reflects how Korean people see themselves amongst the other Asian nations.

Yet I think it is important to remember that there are millions of Koreans on this peninsula. Young and old I am sure you can find differing opinions than what was presented here.

In the end I keep in mind a philosophy that I use to keep myself sane while living here. That is: It is their stage and if they want to act and present themselves in a certain way in front of me than that is their choice. I am just the observer. And...the critic. 

*I hope you enjoyed this look back on my old post and that I showed how over time one's opinion can develop and change. It has been a while since I brought up politics like this and I hope I wasn't too broad. Thanks!

North Korean Elites Learning English

Article in the BBC tells us about North Korean elites taking English classes.

In a sign that it may one day open up to the Western world, North Korea has gradually shifted a lot of its language training away from Chinese and Russian and towards English.

Interesting to note was the introduction which described the University classroom as cold and that the students were wearing their outdoor coats. This sounded very familiar to me as all through winter in public schools kids rarely take off their winter coats. But I can imagine the North not having the heat on due to more critical issues than just saving money.

A really touching part came from one student who said:

"It helps us a lot learning English. I so much want my country to be one of those leading in the economy."
"We're already a leading nation in politics and other stuff. Well, it's no offence but I want to learn English so that the other people get to learn [about] Korea."
She smiled and said "Look at our faces - are we depressed, are we unhappy, are we hungry? No."

One hopes this kind of attitude takes shape out there and helps form peaceful ties between nations.

Osaka Visa Run the Planning

This will be my first visa run to Japan but not my first time visiting the country. As you may know last winter for vacation I visited Tokyo and had a kick ass time seeing the Studio Ghibli Museum.

For this trip I am going to the Kansai area which consists of the major cities such as Osaka (where the Korean consulate is), Kyoto and Nara.

I plan to stay for 6 days and 5 nights and 2 of those will be spent at the Korean consulate area.

It's a lot of fun being a traveler for you can pick and chose where you want to go. As if you are drawing up your own treasure map. For me I want to emphasize seeing the historical attractions and put shopping second. I recall spending some time in a shopping district in Tokyo and feeling like I was in Korea so I kind of learned my lesson.

What to do? Where to go? How much money to bring?

Last time I was scared of running out of money so I ended up having a big chunk at the end and spent it all in a shopping mall before I left. I feel like I am going to be hitting a lot of gift shops and areas where handicrafts are sold so I am considering bringing extra with me. Also I want to try and eat out more than I did last time, instead of buying instant ramen and eating inside my hotel.

As for sightseeing I have made a list of the major attractions I want to see:

Osaka:
Shitennoji Shrine
National Museum of Art
Namba street area

Kyoto:
Fushimi-Inari-Taishi (red gates)
Kyoto station area
Kinkakuji
Kyoto Handicraft Center
Tenryu-ji (bamboo garden / temple)
Many more!

Nara:
Todai-ji (largest wooden building)
Other famous place
Nara is kind of far and two days are already going to be reserved for Osaka because of the visa...so we will see if I get out there.

In this day and age many travelers like to take the fantasy kind of route and not really plan out their travels. A guide book and a map seems to be what most people find as essential to traveling. I kind of went this way when I was in Tokyo but found that I could have planed things out a little bit more.

That is why this time I am writing out where to go, how long it takes and what's in the area so I know what to check out before heading back to the hotel. Certainly I haven't planned it to the hour, for I am not that neurotic.

So readers if you have been to this area and know of a must-see sight or a great place to eat lemme know.

Chris's Questionairre

Chris from Chris in South Korea put up a questionnaire for everyone. I thought I take the quiz myself via a post here on my blog. And I am going to answer without looking up the answers, too.

1. There are several franchises of convenience stores quite popular and visible around Korea. Name three of them that don't have a number in the names.

Buy The Way
GS25
Family Mart

2. Seoul has several wonderful palaces, dating back to the Joseon Dynasty. Name two of them.

Goyongbacksong (sp?)
Uhhhh another one close by...ooops

3. The KTX is the fastest train in Korea, but could use some work on the seats. As of today, how much does it cost to ride the KTX from Seoul to Busan on the weekend? (Consider your answer correct if it's 3,000 over or under)

35,000 Won...?

4. The Seoul subway system is the most extensive in Korea, and one of the largest and longest in the world. What is the most expensive paper ticket you can buy for the longest trip on the subway system (not including the AREX train)? Bonus points: how long will that trip take? (Consider your answer correct if you're 300 won over or under, and plus or minus 5 minutes)

I don't know.

5. Name three K-pop bands or singers with English names.

Rain, Crown J, T.O.P. (does that count?)

6. Hangeul (or hangul) is considered one of Korea's greatest inventions, whether or not it was invented by King Sejong or someone else. How many consonants are there? (No peeking at your keyboard! Be sure to include the double consonants too.)

Don't know.

7. What is Dongdaemun famous for?

I want to say the fashion district consisting of Doota but it also has one of those gates and I am sure is famous for something else...something to do with Korean / Japanese relations.

8. Who or what is a Haptic?

Cell phone company or new cell phone marketing scheme.

9. The Korean political system is a mess - but can you name the two major Korean political parties? (Bonus points if you name more than two!)

Democratic and .... uhhh nope.

10. There's been some talk about bringing Korean food to the tables of people worldwide. What is the Korean term for Korean food?

What? I don't know...

11. Who or what is a Ghana?

It is a country in Africa... but for Korea it is a brand of chocolate.

12. The Seoul subway system is always growing, and the newer subway maps show the planned lines as well as the current ones. Including the currently planned subway lines and/or extensions, name one of two subway stations that will eventually be a hub to four different lines?

Jesus! I don't know.

13. What's so special about orange taxis and red buses? (One point each)

Orange taxis are uh orange. Red buses are uh red. But I think the red buses go longer distances than the normal ones.

14. Name three Korean banks. (Banks headquartered in other countries don't count!)

Kookmin Bank, Honhyup, Hana

15. Name three of Korea's provinces OTHER than Gyeonggi-do.

Jeollando, blah blah blah

Looks like I have a lot of more paying attention to do...ah well.

Caring About Dokdo

Some have said that no one in the world would give a crap about Dokdo and the dispute Korea and Japan have over these tiny islets in the sea.

Well I guess we don't have to care about the rocks themselves, instead let's focus on the dispute.

Following MISSISSIPPI to KOREA's blog post about this issue mentioned in the Boston Glob, I came across a thoughtful remark left by "PN" in the commentary.

There is an interesting disconnect between how East and West view Japan. Westerners think of Japan as a modern, polite and peaceful nation. A land of smiling faces and cute cartoon characters.

In Asia Japan is more noted for its fascist, imperialist past - a nation that killed tens of millions of innocent civilians, forced hundreds of thousands of girls and women into sexual slavery, and conducted medical experiments on live human subjects. Millions of people who suffered under Imperial Japan are still alive today.

Imperial Japan, in many ways, was much worse than Nazi Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes
This history is common knowledge to any school age kid in China and Korea, but is swept under the rug by the Japanese education system. The US education system isn't much better in this regard.

Japanese territorial aggression goes back way farther than WWII. It's a centuries old story for Japan to claim land that does not belong to her.

I see a lot of people wondering what all the fuss is about. This conflict is not just about two little rocks in the middle of the sea. An issue like Dokdo will only make sense when put into proper historical context.

A great point was made in this quote, which is that the citizens of Eastern Asia have an internally historical relationship with Japan. If you grew up in a nation that had been raped and ravished by another nation, than you might too feel a little sting underneath your grin. And I think the same would go for the citizens of Japan, although I have no clue, that they might feel a bit of pain for the context of their history.

Ah well, who knows if this issue will some day be put to rest. For now it will always make for great topics to discuss and I guess make fun of.

In the meantime please enjoy these photos of a Dokdo Documentary DVD I found at the Kyobo bookstore in Gwanghwamun.
I didn't purchase this oh so collectible item (on a budget lately) but if I did I think it would look something like this:

Sorry, Dokdo Korean Documentary Trailer - Free videos are just a click away

The awareness campaign for Dokdo here in Korea spreads to T-shirts, hats, pencil cases, notebooks and so on. A spectacle, really.

Tokyo Diary (Day 1)

Departure:
Wake up was at 6:00 am this morning in order to catch the Express Bus to Incheon Airport. I left just in time to catch the bus. Other sleepy eyed people got on the bus, as the sun was not yet in the sky.

At Incheon Airport I joined a long line of Flight JAL950 passengers. Looking around I found that I was one of about two other westerners in line. Check-in went okay, except I didn't really understand the gals instructions and ran around the area for a little bit before I found my.

Leaving for an International Flight at Incheon airport was a little mind boggling.

• Step 1: Check in and get your ticket.
• Step 2: Go through security check point (if you wear boots, take them off... I wore boots)
• Step 3: Go through an immigration desk (they check your passport and give it a stamp, it seems my visa was already set up for multiple entries in and out of Korea.)
• Step 4: Find your way to the gate. This meant taking about 3 flights of escalators, a mini-train, and another 2 flights of escalators.
  

Airports ~

The plane ride itself was enjoyable. This was a huge plane and I got to sit on that bubble part in the front. You know the upstairs part. It felt like our own private cabin. Flight time wasn't very long but they gave us a little meal anyways.

I believe this to be a Bento with rice and eel in it. Accompanying the meal was a snack pack with rice crisps inside. It was satisfying.

Arrival in Japan:
Getting off the plane it was time to go through an exit procedure in the airport. I have to say that the more you travel the more tedious these procedures start to feel.

Exit procedure at Narita airport:

• Walk through the terminal for a long time, doing so by riding those moving sidewalk things. I rode on about 4 or 5 of these to get to the end. But there were real orchids lining the hallway and this ambient music on the over head, as if Brian Eno himself wrote the score.
• Enter Immigration: You had to fill out an exit immigration card stating your name and time of stay. You show this to an inspector, who also takes your fingerprints and a picture.
  
• Walla! You are now free to get your luggage, but still can't leave yet.
• After picking up your luggage you have to show another form. This one just to state whether you brought in valuable goods or other such things.
• Presto! You are on your way~
  

Luggage pick up terminal:

Ticket purchasing floor to ride the subway.

Sign inside the bathroom. This was above an auto-hand dryer that looked like it could have been a trash can. So I guess some people mistake it for one and put trash in it. Haha... I guess when someone comes to dry their hands the trash blows at them.

Vending machine.
Train Ride to Tokyo:
By now I was getting tired, thirsty and hungry, which are probably the 3 emergency signs of any traveler. So I needed to get on my way to my hotel. But first I had to take the train to Tokyo station. This was an Express train that had nice seats and places for your luggage.

The train ride was something special because the view was a wonder to behold. Narita Airport must be out in the countryside because as you start the journey you see farmland and traditional architectures houses. Alongside these were small patches of bamboo forests. I was in heaven watching the scene. Mostly because it looked just like something out of a Miyazaki film.

But as we approached Tokyo more and more the countryside image faded away into that of a city. Towering apartment complexes and department stores started to shade over the skyline.

Hotel Check-In:
Once I figured out which side of the platform to stand on at Tokyo station, I finally made it to Bakurocho and to my hotel.

My room (sorry no pictures at the moment) is small. In fact it is smaller than my house, which is not that big. Yet it has all one could ask for. And it is located in a decent area, which seems like a quiet place before you get to the bigger parts of Tokyo.
Walk around the neighborhood:
After taking a moment in my hotel room to hook up my laptop to the internet, and refresh myself it was time to go out. At this point I was really hungry and didn't really know what to eat. Also I wanted to get to a LAWSON store to buy the Ghibli museum ticket.

A look down the street where my hotel is located.

Found this place to eat, which had curry and rice dishes. And yes to order you had to use a vending type machine. Put in your money and then press the button of the meal you wanted. Sorry I was too shy to take a picture of it. Thanks Kim for the pointer! I had a curry dinner which was only ¥450. (Came with Miso soup)

Graffiti on the way to a LAWSON.

Kimono store.
Buying the Ghibli Museum Ticket:
Finding the LAWSON store was easy and it was only located 10 minutes walking from my hotel. However using the Loppi machine (only in Japanese) was difficult. Despite the fact that I had a printed guide with me, I got stuck at one point where it asked for a code. What code?

So I got the old man behind the counter to help me out. This guy had a balding head with white hair crowned around the bald spot. I used the little Japanese I know to ask for help. We went to the machine where he proceeded to touch the buttons and work it out. It seems though that he too was new to it. So after a few tries I finally got a printed receipt, which I took to the counter to transform into a real ticket.

Scheduled visit is tomorrow at 12pm! Yippeee! It wasn't so hard...see. haha

The rest:
I was really enjoying walking around my neighborhood and stopped in a convenience store to buy some ramen and crackers, in case I got hungry. At this point I was starting to get some coins in my purse.

But as excited as I was to be there seeing everything my mind and body was feeling quite fatigued. So I headed back to the hotel.

Along the way I couldn't help but reflect on how I still felt like I was in Korea. I know this probably sounds strange, but many aspects of Japan (so far) feel similar to Korea. However it is definitely a duel relationship because there are many differences of course. For one, there are actual sidewalks next to the street. In Korea it is just a huge area where cars can park or motorcycles can drive there. And of course there are the major differences such as the people, language and culture. I will try to write more on these similarities and differences as they become more clear to me.

For the ending of my Day 1 post I would like to show a series of pictures from the view of my hotel window, as the scene turns to dark.

Seoulpodcast and Conservativsm

Out here in Korea you tend to lean towards an expat community. Whether this is your fellow coworkers or other expat bloggers, it seems there is a need to keep in touch with people from the same background.

The Seoulpodcast, created by Joe McPhereson, is a production that has given me the ability to feel like I am still in touch with what is going on around the world and the expat community here. Sometimes the show can go far off base, but when it is on target it offers well rounded opinion and analysis.

There is one recent show that I find particularly noteworthy titled: SeoulPodcast #28: Super Party Blowout

Because it centers itself on whether or not expat bloggers are mostly Conservative.

Background:
Most of the panelists on the show have been here in Korea over 2 years. With this kind of perspective they know about the blogging history here and follow closely what is verbally exchanged throughout the net.

I have yet gotten myself into every expat blog, especially the popular ones.

The Issue:
One word: Conservatism

The panelists on the show tried to grapple with the question of whether or not some of the expat blogs out there are conservative. Whether or not there are too many conservative blogs to begin with?

Is there a disproportionate conservative bias in Korea ex-pats and bloggers compared to other places?

Hmm? Compared to other places?

Ah ha!!

The link is between people and place.

Let me explain:

Korean society is conservative. Yes they walk around wearing designer handbags, designer cell phones that broadcast live TV, there are flat screen TV's blaring in the doctor's office and the youth wear miniskirts. But this is just a mirage. These modern aspects are merely a shell projected outward. Inward, Korean people are instinctively conservative.

Remember I am getting this all from observation.

How is Korea conservative?

Wikipedia's take on South Korea's Conservativism

South Korea

The liberal conservative Grand National Party is the most popular party in South Korea. Left-wing parties are unpopular among South Koreans, the largest left-wing party receiving only some 3% of votes. After decades of free market policies, free trade, and low taxation, South Korea is a major economic power and one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. It had one of the world's fastest growing economies since the 1960s, now highly developed^[21] and the fourth largest^[22] in Asia and 13th largest^[23] in the world.

Ok, so they are liberal conservative, but what does that mean?

Libertarian conservatism

Freedom & Virtue: The Conservative Libertarian Debate, edited by George W. Carey, includes a number of essays which describe "the tension between liberty and morality" as "the main fault line dividing the two philosophies."^[7] Conservatives hold that shared values, morals, standards, and traditions are necessary for social order while libertarians consider individual liberty as the highest value.

Some key words here:

• Shared values, morals ... traditions
• Social order

Observed examples of these conservative traits:

I. Respect your elders and those in higher power:

• At lunch time at my school the Vice President accompanies the teachers for lunch. After we are about done eating, this guy uses his time to talk to the other teachers about classroom management.
• He is the only man in the room, the rest are the woman teachers.
  
• Everyone nods or looks down. Only a few make comments and when this is done the comments are light and not questioning.
• The man talked for the whole lunch hour, no one was allowed to clean up and leave.
  
• What I saw was one man talking in a stern way, while the woman below him nodded and went along. No thought of the "group" input was shown.

II. Woman cook and clean / Men work and drink:

• It isn't necessary to be living with a Korean family to see this. News items and other television programming project this patriarchal concept.
  
• TV dramas show a woman staying at home, while the father and son come home from work or school. Both demanding to be fed.
  
• Woman have a tougher time getting a high paying / quality job at a big company. My boyfriend had interviews at some of the top companies in Seoul and whilst he was there he only saw 1 or 2 females. Yet things have changed from the past.
• This aspect is probably not completely typical across the board, but the overall social thought that woman end up at home, while the husband is out working permeates deeply here.

Those are the two major conservative concepts I can think of that are most often observed here.

All of which brings me to the point of convergence and what the Seoulpodcast was touching on.

Expats in a Conservative world:

Logically it would go like this:

If you are deeply conservative and move to South Korea than living here may be your political and social paradise.

If you are deeply or somewhat moderately liberal / democratic than living here may your political or social nightmare.

Therefore the expat will likely end up in one of those two places. Either way, I actually think that the social issues and functions that are observed here are so conservative that no matter what area of the chopping block you come from, it all can be shocking.

I think with liberalism comes warmth and open-mindedness. Hell, I came from San Francisco! The capital of liberalism. The bums on the street would even say hello. If you stood in line at the pharmacy usually you could strike up a friendly conversation. Putting aside the fact that I don't speak Korean, in general I don't get the sense of warm friendliness here. I blame it on the conservative social framework.

Put a good 'ol American in to the mix of all this and you end up feeling alienated upon alienation. When I see other foreigners, I want to say hello and strike up a conversation. But I feel it would shatter the social code, of "keep quiet."

People like to talk, analyze and express themselves, and so they blog about it. If they like the conservative atmosphere than there is praise. If it is all too shocking than there is expression of disgust and ignorance.

Let's Conclude this Long Post:

My answer Joe for you Podcast is that I don't think the expat blogs are conservative. I think it is just that our surroundings are deeply conservative, and it affects the nature of our thought and the mechanics by which we came to Korea with.

But there are miracles within this society, as if one finds a small flower pop up out of the cement sidewalk. Because when you get to know some Korean people, you start to see that although they live by a conservative code, they are not zombies.

National pride

Quick blog here from work. I would be teaching my one-to-one right now but the kid was so engrossed with watching Korea vs. USA at the Olympics, that mom let him stay home.

This made me realize that it would be great to mention how very dedicated people are here to their team. When I walk home from work I pass by places with television screens. One is in the subway station. Yesterday, there was a crowd there gathered staring at the Olympics going on. This wasn't just a leisurely crowd, these were businessmen and women in their suits coming home from work.

Everyone stood still in their tracks and stared off at the screens. I felt it was a scene out of some kind of movie. I for one never really saw such National pride in America as passionate as it is here. After I left the subway station I could continue to see this kind of devotion to the screen inside restaurants. Some of which weren't even seated just standing and staring.

I keep reminding myself to carry my camera and take a picture, so hopefully I will get a snapshot of this.

In general though it is kind of heartwarming to see such National pride in everyone. Usually in America there is sometimes this sentiment of spite towards our nation. Also I never really considered the Olympics such a time for pride. I always thought it was just this sporty thing where athletes compete. In fact I usually found it boring to watch. But now I feel a reason to watch, it is wonderful to hear the announcers go berserk after the Korean team wins.

Anyways, go Korea! (and USA)!

The Ramen Girl

Although I do eat ramen (Korean instant ramen) nearly every night during the week for dinner, I don't know if it quite captures the spirit of this upcoming movie.



The star is a white girl Brittany Murphy who plays a girl in Japan who followed her boyfriend there only to be dumped.

She ends up finding new life in becoming a Ramen chef, only of course to find out it takes more than just hot water and instant ramen noodles.

As an expat in an Asian country I will look forward to seeing this someday because I too at times feel a sense of trying to find how I fit in here.

I hope it isn't a flop.

Complaining Expats: A resolution?

Roboseyo and Ask An Korean have done it again with a follow up post this time examining the causes for Koreans defensive attitudes and a way to be criticizing without being so damaging.

It is a doozy to read but well worth it.

I have to say that I can not find any memories of when I complained about Korea to a Korean and got an angry response. Actually I haven't really been complaining about Korea all that much. If I do it would end up in BK's ears. I think sometimes I joke about the amount of stairs from subway stations, or other little nuances. But is never a reflection of how undeveloped Korea is.

A quote from the post that I find illuminating:

First, let us eliminate one popular hypothesis from the running. Some observers posit that Korean culture is simply not a “criticizing culture”, because it emphasizes homogeneity and harmony. Because Koreans are reluctant to criticize one another, the theory goes, any amount of criticism is considered a very bold act, and often deeply insulting.

The Korean can unequivocally say that this theory is 100 percent crap, because Koreans liberally criticize their country and each other. And truly, the severe and ignorant nature of their criticisms aimed toward their fellow Koreans makes criticisms from expats look like sprinkles of flowers and baby powder

This is so true!!!! I experienced a Korean's level of complaining when I met Rainbow (young Korean woman) last year in San Francisco when I worked at the Asian Art Museum. She complained and nit picked about people and places with great accuracy and also a fierce tongue.

The Post goes on to say:

that a Korean when trying to defend a nasty comment about their country will fail to respond in English in an analytical and objective way:
So when the irresistible compulsion to defend Korea against non-Korean-generated criticism of Korea strikes an average Korean, she is often poorly equipped to do so. Her argumentative tools simply are not adequate to properly express her fervor. Therefore, she flails about as she tries to stand her ground, and frequently resorts to poor rhetoric and obstinate denial.

 Now, I think this needs careful reconsideration. Because I have had very intelligent conversations with Rainbow (she made this name for herself) and BK. I was very impressed by Rainbow's  understanding of her country's position in the world and her understanding of its differences. The same goes for BK, he too understands that Korea, although developed, is still using old regimes of thought to function.

Of course though both of these individuals English levels are high. But I think I am making an important point.

As an Expat you kind of naturally believe that because of the language barrier you tend to think that a Korean speaker does not have the capacity to think as advanced as you.

This is FALSE!

Anyone on this planet whether poor or rich has an opinion. They may not be able to express this in every language or within a thesis paper, but the ability to form an opinion is a function every human is born with.


The Point:

• Leave your assumptions at the door.

And so I hope we all can see that these kind of issues arise out of the fact that the world functions on a global scale. That when an American travels to Asia they bring with them their American way of thinking. And so a mixing of thoughts is born in cities across the globe. 


This is nothing new and has shaped many cultures for centuries. The only realization now is how it will shape our world for the future?


Anyways its VACATION TIME!

Soothing rain showers

Awe, yea relax.... the rainy season allows one to slow down and remember to enjoy your moments in life. This is something I need because lately I have been drowning myself in preparing my lessons. Working hard is one thing but trying to get ahead to the point your at the office from 9am to 7:30pm, and only getting paid for 6 of those hours...is well nuts really.

But I take pride in my planning because I know that when the intensive period comes up at the end of the month (and in August) I will be able to tackle it with less stress. Everyday when I go to work at 10am I remind myself that for four weeks I will have to get there by 9am, that isn't a great feeling. But at my last job I had to be there before 8:30 am, and make it by a 45 min ride on the subway, so there is a contrast.

Anyways, back to the relaxing rain. Seeing it come pouring down outside reminds me of my Florida times when it would pour and pour then stop for a little bit then pour down again. Let me help you understand some history here.

(Me in Florida at age about 12-13)

I lived in Florida for 15 years when then I moved to California to live with my father. Since then I have visited Florida only about 2-4 times. There are certain aspects of Florida that I miss:

• Tropical fruit
• Thunder, lightning and pouring rain
• Swimming pools
• Atlantic Ocean (warm)
• Family

So I find it somewhat humbling to travel across the world and be reminded of my childhood upbringings. I guess it is cliche to say but it is like going full circle, only exception is this is another country and it has mountains, Florida is as flat as pancakes. Anyways I will be going to work here in an hour or so, but I made it a point to just relax this morning and not think about work, instead try to focus on myself and my life.

Love comes a knocking: Part I

Saturday awoke to a new day as I knew my love, BK was going to see me. I awoke feeling anxious but mostly excited that I would be meeting him in my new home. Indeed when we found each other at the subway station that tingling feeling inside was all over me and I didn't know whether to hug him or not in public.

I showed him my studio apartment we talked a bit, but then we went out to get me a cell phone. This time I was off with BK on a bus, because apparently it was a lot faster than taking the subway. Our Destination was TechnoMart.Imagine if you will a mall, now most malls (especially those in America) are laid out architecturally amongst a horizontal plan. Think about this for a moment, building a structure like this can fit a lot of stores in one space but it also consumes a lot of land. This precious commodity is something to be bargained for here in Seoul, so department stores that promise many stores in one area are packed into a structure that functions vertically. Horizontal space becomes Vertical.

To get from one area to the other, you can take two well known modes of vertical transportation:

The Escalator (google images)

and The Elevator

Technomart, Hyundai Department store and Emart (all places I have now visited) function on a vertical format. To get from one floor to the next you take the escalator or the elevator.

Each floor promises something different, for instance in Emart:

• Floor 1 is packaged food
• Floor 2 is kitchen and bathroom items
• Floor 3 is clothing
• Floor 4 is more clothing and jewelry
• Floor 5 has Electronics and school supplies (my fav)
• Sub-floor has the vegetables, fruit, cheese and other perishables.

When shopping in these places you don't walk from one end to the next, instead you plan your path from top to bottom or visa-versa. I find this aspect of architectural planning an intriguing use of space compared to America's use of space.

Cell Phone:

But the real reason we went to TechnoMart was to find myself a good yet cheap cell phone. BK did most, well all of the talking and got me a pretty sweet deal.

So cute! The salesman threw in the extras, like that clear case and a travel plug all for free.

Total cost: Purchase of the Sky phone was about $30 USD, Deposit about $30 and monthly service fee is approximately $12.

It has been a lot of fun being connected to a cell phone again. Yet the only person I have been contacting has been BK. Yet, I am sure my contact list will grow as time passes.

After the purchase we explored the building and found a grocery store below (Lotte Mart), which was a bit more expensive than Emart, so I only a bought a few things. Well TechnoMart you were pretty cool and I hope to come back someday when I fancy myself a large Plasma Screen Tv. ;)