Modern Design Museum: Hidden Gem in Hongdae

As I found myself on the edge of Hongdae, further away from the bustling restaurant, cafe and club streets near the station, I wandered up a hill. On my phone was a map I downloaded that had highlights one could find in the area. 

If you happen to be looking closely at this map then you could have found me in the B1 section. The main part of Hongdae being in the D2-1 quandrants.  I saw something up there that said "Modern Design Museum" and so headed in that direction. 

After coming to the end of a steep hill I noticed clearly a building marked with that name, and looked suitable to house the attributes of design. 

I walked up to the cafe entrance and saw a sign which read, "Push red button for museum entrance." (Yes, in English.) I must have been in Wonderland as there was no one around, and a red button beckoning me. I pressed, waited a while and proceeded inside the cafe. I was greeted by a young lady who asked for 5,000 Won, and showed me up the stairs to the 1st gallery.

The Modern Design Museum is arranged in such a way that you can get a very good idea of how design entered and endured through Korea's modern history. You'll see that the use of design from the beginning was for filial and political use, mostly. But as time went on and Western culture seeped in more, the elements and "things" of design permeated it's way into the culture. 

Before entering the actually gallery you are greeted by this small guest table, with stamps and postcards for sale. I left a little something behind for their pleasure. 

The gallery space is sectioned off into different time periods but mostly categorized by how design had an affect on Korea.

Section 1: Inception Stage (Introduction of Western modern culture...) 1876-1910

The first area you walk in to is full of small photos, pins and memorabilia that any antique enthusiast would roll over in glee about. 

Mostly, you could tell, they were trying to show the earliest form of how Korea was promoted to the world. The use of small flags amongst others represents this, which you can get a sense for in the following slideshow.

The incredibly delicate and historic looking photographs were very illuminating. This is an archive definitely worth checking out in your free time. It gave me a greater sense of this country's history.

Section 2: Stationary Stage (Slump of Korean traditional culture and the beginning of the corporate) 1910-1945

The next section featured more commercial type items, like postcards and newspapers. Here you got a feel for the propaganda machine in high gear. 

It was fun to see familiar things yet in an older light, such as these traditional playing cards.

Everything had this real used feel to it and the collection was very well put together, organized on view in such a way you could really grasp the concept. These dolls, scene behind glass and featured in a traditional style book case, were ultimately captivating.

Section 3: Incubating Stage (Begininning of understanding the design usefulness) 1945 - 1961 / Section 4: Early developing stage 1961 - 1976 / Section 5 Developing Stage: (Systemizing design and development through international sports)1976 - 1988 / Section 6: Take-off stage 1988 - 2000 / Section 7: Maturing stage 2000 ~

One moves on from the second floor to the third where they start to enter a part of Korean history where things move upward economically and the role of design becomes more important towards developing an international image. 

Everything from small tin-toys, to rice-cookers and TVs seemed to infiltrate themselves into Korean households. It was actually kind of humorous because I could have sworn I've seen some of these old items at use in some places. But all together I really enjoyed this section because it gave me a broader sense of how Korea developed into it's modern self today. I also started to see how important household appliances are and their significance in the change of a traditional society into a modern one. 

From rotary phones to keyboards and wireless phones, it seems the conveniences of today opened themselves up to Korea, just as it had everywhere else.

When you get to the final room, the one with sports paraphernalia (the 2002 World Cup), you come to a full understanding of how design made its way through Korea's tumultuous modern history.

After I left the gallery space and headed back down to the cafe, I couldn't help leaving inspired. I mostly feel an affinity to the early postcards that were on display. Already I have inspiration for some new art works. Let's hope I don't take too long to create it.

I purchased a few postcards, said my goodbye and went on my way. But I am here today to tell you to check out this museum. For several reasons:

1. It's a hidden gem amongst the glut of cafes, couples and Hongdae crowds.
2. Since it is a hidden gem you likely will find yourself as the only person viewing the place. I was there on a Sunday afternoon, and was the only one. Otherwise, you won't find yourself fighting for elbow room here. 
3. The cafe looked very inviting.
4. There is a park nearby, worth exploring.
5. The history! By golly... this place will give your head a swirl.

Directions:

View 근현대디자인박물관 Modern Design Museum in a larger map




Step 1: Go out exit 8 and face this way:

Step 2: Make your way to the rotary:

Step 3: Go left and head towards a street you can take on the right, that features a Family Mart.

Step 4: Find the road on the right that has the Family Mart.

Step 5: Head down the road, alllll the way to the end. You will pass cafes and boutique clothing shops. Plus the Prince Coffee Shop drama place. 

Step 6: Find the crosswalk, cross it. Once on the other side make a little U-turn to find a road that is going uphill.

When you see the following, then you know you are in the right spot!

The Changed Job Market for Public School Seekers

As I consider my future job hunt here in Korea I am starting to recognize how much things have changed. First let me just say this is only in regards to public schools, since that is my target. Also keep in mind this is for those looking for a public school in Gyeonggi-do and not going the way of the GEPIK application. Meaning finding a school that searches for their own teacher instead of having one randomly placed there. One could still apply to GEPIK and find themselves placed at a school randomly but only for the Fall or Spring start.

Now that I got that out of the air let's look at how things have changed for those seeking a public school outside the application process.

Last year I was looking for a job around this time. I was in Korea and just got my TEFL certificate and was finishing my previous school. I had several offers and more were coming in towards the end of my contract. I was just looking for elementary schools and in a target region of Yongin and Bundang, so things were naturally limited. Yet I did have offers and even some schools willing to hire me on the spot.

Although I am not looking for a job currently my foreign coworker is and has been having trouble. Things are definitely more competitive now and schools are for sure being more picky. Another factor seems to be that people are choosing to continue their careers here in Korea so there are more experienced people to compete with than before.

However, my coworker has had several offers, one she rejected and others rejected her. I believe she has landed a job now but there are some complications in her documents. So things aren't terribly bleak but from what I can tell she didn't have a whole lot to choose from. In the past you could have more choices but these days being picky is hard.

The landscape of job hunting for a public school in Korea has changed because there has been a surge in applicants and schools have become pickier.

I saw what was happening to my coworker as warning signs for my future job hunt and so decided to contact a few recruiters with my concerns.

Recruiters Expressing the Change:

The following are the responses I got from several recruiters. I won't mention who they are but they are coming from reputable sources.

1. "We have not been too successful with these of late. (Talking about independent public schools)
   Getting the match is simply too hard and usually a waste of time for us.
   Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now.
   If we are lucky enough to have those candidates, we have to be able to offer them positions in the locations they desire.
   If we are incredibly lucky to still have a match, the teacher has to be able to pass the interview and get the docs in before the other applicants from other companies.
   It just does not usually work out. So we will not be dealing with independent schools anymore. Life is too short for them.
   I do hope you find something you want."
2. "Honestly competition among foreign teachers to get a position is really intense so far. Even stable public schools or private academies’ principals tell me they want teacher who has degree in English or Education or Teacher license. Or they are looking for a teacher who has teaching experiences in Korea AND who is in Korea. Because economy in Korea is bad like the world does. So their budget is reduced. They need to stay on the budget and have to hire qualified teacher. So they choose to do not pay overseas flights then hire a qualified teacher. Even some Public schools and private academies don’t care TEFL, TESOL.
   School needs to prove they have good quality teachers for students. Most foreign teachers who already stay in Korea currently, they are extending to contract with school for next year. Because they heard there are no opportunities to make money back home now. I think you don’t want to work for bad institute during your rest of contracted days. So I’m telling you about present scene of Teaching in Korea. Anyway I didn’t mean to knock you down about it. But if my say made you it, I apologize to you."

 This line "Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now " seems to be the most controversial part of this new job hunting game. Even on Dave's ESL cafe there are threads where people go on about how they can't get a job because they don't fit the new biased criteria of schools. We can sit here and discuss this discrimination and outright illogical thinking, but the reality is schools have the upper hand. In that case one needs to prepare themselves for a much harder job hunting climate.

My advice to get a job in this new climate:

1. Be patient! Look at the reality of the situation and understand that it might take longer than expected.
2. Get a professional photo. It really doesn't take much to put on an ironed dress-shirt and sit in front of a camera. In fact you can go to your local Emart or Lotte mart and make a visit to the photo booth section. Here they can take your photo under those studio lights than do a little photoshopping to make everything look smooth. You can get both digital and hard copies to take home. From what I have heard on Dave's ESL, and from what my coworker has experienced, this seems to be working like a charm. Consider your professional photo next to other applicant's casual ones, which one do you think they will take more seriously.  
3. Be nice to the recruiters. They probably have no worries with getting paid. So if you are rude or impatient to them they can likely put you on the bottom of their pile. I suggest keeping things simple and concise when communicating. Also some might not know all the answers to things such as immigration issues or (well) your life.
4. Have a Plan B, C, D... Because the job market is tougher one should have a plan if they don't get a new job right after your current contract ends. Either make plans to go back to your home country or choose to stay in Korea. You can stay here on an extended visa or go in and out of the country and stay here on a tourist visa. This goes without saying, but have money saved up for this in between time.
5. Send photos of your work with children: Some might say schools don't want to hire experienced teachers because they cost more. However sending pictures of you working with happy smiling children might convince a school otherwise. If you are working at a school now ask your coteacher to take your picture during a special activity. 

It is my opinion that there is no solid "one type" of person that schools are looking for. One school might want an experienced applicant while another wants one fresh off the boat. Yes it is important to keep in mind that most schools are choosing just based on age, race and looks. We all know this is wrong but it is the way it is. That's why you have to take what you got and step it up a notch! 

Although, all of this makes me nervous I can't help but see that it was inevitable. With the job market being so poor in America (and other countries) and new graduates having trouble finding work coming here looks like gold. 

The most important aspect I feel, in the end, is to support each other. That is what I am doing right now by providing this insight I feel on the current job market.

But let's hear from you!

Are you having troubles finding a new job?
If you work for a hagwon are things changing in that sector too?
Any words of wisdom?

Comments?

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!

Thanksgiving Dinner at Toque's

Last year around Thanksgiving I had just started my job at the Sanbon school and was feeling miserable. I was sick along with recovering from all the stress I went through quitting the hagwon. On top of which relations between me and my exboyfriend weren't so good.

Needless to say getting out to Seoul on a Thursday evening for a Thanksgiving dinner was difficult.

Amazingly, this year I not only was in Seoul but in a position to easily catch a Thanksgiving dinner put on by Toque's.

Last night I met up with JH after he got off of work and we headed over to Hangangjin where Toque's is located.

The special aspect of attending the dinner was teaching JH about the tradition and the stories from my childhood. This was his first Thanksgiving dinner and I think he enjoyed it very much.

We were seated inside near the buffet and we waited as more people were seated. The smells of Thanksgiving were aromatic with the scent of stuffing and gravy looming.

Waiting I think was the hard part since I traditionally starved myself throughout the day.

 

 

Finally everyone arrived and the staff handed out our plates. The style they did the serving in was that you receive your plate with turkey and stuffing on it, then you go over to the buffet to fill up on the other fixings.

• Turkey (white and dark meat)
• Stuffing
• Tuna Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole (my fav)
• Candied yams
• Mashed potatoes
• Broccoli Cheese
• Cranberry Sauce

There was also a section of salads and a mushroom saute. There was also a small dessert table with tiny slices of pumpkin pie and carrot cake along with a selection of fruits. I think they could have pumped up the volume more on the desserts. Maybe not thought of but Thanksgiving desserts are a major part of the meal. Not just pumpkin pie but pecan and rhubarb were always my favorites along with ice cream. Also whip cream was an option but kind of secretive where you had to ask a staff member for it.

All in all, though I will take what I can get. The meal was delicious and the flavors brought me back to America. JH really liked the mashed potatoes and salad. Also it was his first time eating turkey and remarked that it is a very "smooth meat". haha

Yum!!! If you want to catch this again many restaurants will do a version of this for Christmas. So check the interwebs for it. ;)

Outlook of Being a Foreign Woman in SK

Lola O. asks:

I wanted to ask, if you would write a blog entry about your outlook of being a foreign woman in SK, as far as safety, discrimination, and anything else you can think of.

I would like to hear what you think, and I am sure others would appreciate that.

This topic, I feel, is very important to address. But I also feel that I need to be cautious of passing feminist judgments on to the people of South Korea. I intend to answer this question solely based upon my own experience as a woman in South Korea. This experience is based upon surely several factors including my appearance and status. I am a 28 year old woman with a small frame and average body weight. Often times I have been called beautiful but I am not trying to point this out in an arrogant way. I don't wear make up or dress up in high heels or other fancy stuff. I tend to lean towards casual dress.

As for my status I am an English teacher here in South Korea. I have a Korean boyfriend.

The following is my analysis of what it is like to be a "foreign woman" in South Korea. Bear in mind that everyone has a different experience.

Safety:

I would have to say that being a woman in South Korea is generally easy and not difficult. Meaning I can get around easily, shop and do regular life things without facing any major hurdles.

This is because the streets of South Korea feel safe most of the time. I lived in San Francisco for a few years and felt at times threatened due to being a woman. This would come from walking down unsafe streets with drug dealers and homeless people. There were times when strange men would approach me either on the street or on public transit.

Young women are doubtless the target for men who feel the need to take advantage of them. These type of men are prevalent in any society whether they appear out in the open or stay hidden. In San Francisco they were out in the open, but in South Korea I don't see their presence. In other words I don't feel threatened here as much as I did back in San Francisco.

Keep in mind I am not out late at night or walk the streets drunken. I feel if I were to do that more often my safety would be more of concern.

Discrimination:
To make sure I fully understand the concept and meaning of discrimination I am going to do a brief wikipedia look up.

Discrimination is a sociological term referring to the treatment taken toward or against a person of a certain group that is taken in consideration based on class or category. The United Nations explains: "Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection."^[1]

 Have I been excluded because I am a White American Woman? The answer is No. I have never once felt myself excluded from an activity or place due to my appearance.

However, I have felt that my appearance has rewarded me with staring, and oddball questions. It is my opinion, that if you live in a country where your appearance drastically differs from the native appearance around you that these people cannot help but notice you. How they react is an individual decision made upon that person's lack of or bountiful experience with people like you.

Someone's reaction can thus be considered as discriminatory, depending on the degree to which they react.

But I feel the question about discrimination here is not entirely about my race but my sex and whether or not being a woman means that I have been discriminated.

The question is then: Have I been discriminated against due to being a woman in South Korea?
The answer is that I have been treated differently than what I feel a man would be treated like here.

How?
The accounts I am speaking of relate to that I have been treated like I am delicate and dependent. For example, I am often offered the more comfortable seat at restaurants. One time at JH's office his coworker gave up his comfortable desk chair to me. Is this because I am a woman? I think so because it connects with other similar experiences. I don't think a man would be treated in such a way as being "delicate" instead I assume they would be treated as "strong" and "independent".


Is this discrimination or just people being nice? I think the line is crossed when people start to treat me like I am ignorant and subordinate. That my ability to lift heavy tables or chairs are hindered because I am a woman. Or that I my opinions are somehow less important than a man's.

Woman have a subordinate role:
I think we all have to understand what is going on here, which is that South Korea functions socially in a different way from the west. The dynamic in South Korea is that woman are generally placed in subordinate role and that we as "foreign woman" are also being placed into this. At work I tend to feel myself in this position and also observe the woman around me acting out these roles.

My Korean woman coworkers seem use to it and are okay with being put at a subordinate level. Indeed, the one one male teacher at my old school was made to do many of the sport and activity organization duties due to that he was the "man" at the school.

Therefore you can see that as a foreign woman who is use to being put at the same level as men in their western society will find themselves integrating inside a different social environment and coda.

Often times my head strong independent woman self comes up against this social barrier set for women here in South Korea. It is often times aggravating and depressing. But this is 2009 and many changes have been made to Korean society and woman nowadays are taking on more responsibilities and claiming their place in society here.

Therefore as far as discriminiation goes I cannot help but feel I am treated differently because I am a woman. In addition, I consider that I am also treated somewhat differentially because I am a foreign woman.

Although, no accounts of discrimination have been painful or severe, rather they are mentally mind boggling and exhausting.

Separation of the Sexes:

Woman over here and men over there.

On some occasions I have been separated from men. Take for example this past weekend spent with JH and his friends. The men were not allowed to sleep in the same room as the women. If this were a similar party in America no one would give a hoot whether the men or women slept together, unless possibly it was some ultra conservative group. But generally the feeling that I was 14 again and had to go to my "room" so not be around the guys felt a little odd.

Again, however there really is no harm in this treatment. It's just as I have said a little confusing considering that we were all adults and it's the year 2009 and not 1945.

Generally though as a woman in South Korea you will encounter experiences where you are to be seperated from the men. However, in public you can hang out with guys and it is fine.

Conclusion:

South Korea is generally a non hostile place to live. Underneath the glamour and modern aspects of society here there still remain codes of Neo-Confucianism that govern how a woman is treated here.

As a foreign woman you can survive here without having to fear walking down a street. Yet you will find yourself in situations where because you are a foreign woman that your appearance affects the people around you and how you are treated.

Traveling the world is a great opportunity to see how other cultures function and treat each other. As a global citizen you must be willing to understand what you see around you and learn from your experiences. In addition, as a woman traveler it would be important to keep in mind that most cultures still follow codes that treat women not as equal to men. But it is not something we should point the finger at and partake shame, rather it is best to come to terms with these factors and try to understand their origins.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that as a woman we travel not only with our appearance but with our way of thinking and functioning in society. With that said it is a good idea to make female friends of the foreign country and have discussions about these differences.

Therefore, my response of being a foreign woman in South Korea is pretty much clean of any horror stories. Bear in mind, though that I have heard accounts from other foreign women of having nasty experiences here in South Korea due to being women. In conclusion, no matter where you are in the world you are still a woman and men are still men.

Please comment with your thoughts or any corrections you would have towards my accounts here. Certainly I am not the carrier of truth and would like to hear what others have to say whether you are a man or a woman.

Accents and Qualifications

I don't know if you guys noticed but I tend to shy away from blogging about the controversial topics affecting the expat community. That doesn't mean I don't have an opinion, it's just that I find myself at odds with those around me.

For one I don't really want to talk about stuff I know nothing about, and two it seems most people wright with fear as their reaction. After I read through several blogs that are mashing up the hot topics I start to believe that my job is doomed and that I am a worthless teacher. I don't know why but there seems to be this mania out there that makes my head spin. Yet I can't pull away from it.

And now there is the new controversial topic of the Education Ministry hiring 100 Indian (From India) English teachers.

Right away the Chosun Bimbo asks:

Are jobs for NESTs from "The Big 7" being outsourced to India?

Which is fine to ask really. Sure this is what it sounds like, perhaps 100 of those jobs would of gone to a NEST from a country other than India.

And then things spiral into that they reported the motive to hire Indian teachers is because the NEST's from the other countries have been deemed mostly as "unqualified."

But if they are going to pay any individual less for teaching English out here than of course this comes as an omen to what may come. Chosun Bimbo says:

Hmmmmm. To be honest that would probably be the best thing for Korea. But the reality is something completely different. The first thing that comes to mind is about wages. Initially I can see English teacher pay taking a nose dive in the face of South Asian teachers willing to teach for considerably less and who are probably more inclined to live together (In smaller apartments) than there American, Canadian, British, Australian, South African and New Zealander counterparts.

My reaction to this is that I can't help but see the person in charge thinking to themselves: If I hire the Indian teacher we won't have to pay as much as hiring the Canadian, America, South African...etc...teacher.

And who knows then maybe local governments will start to think about it this way: Why are we paying these western country kids more money than the Eastern Asian folks? We should revise the pay scale so that it is equal.

Wait I know!!!! Why don't we just pay everyone what they are worth! (But what are we worth?)

As you can see this little bit of news caused a big splash in the expat pond.

And of course many can't help but feel that Indian teachers would logical be undesirable due to their accent.

This gets my head spinning and I hate to sound idealist but this is just wrong and unfair. I believe that teaching EFL effectively has no correlation with one's accent.

Accent is only a marker of one's origins. So folks if you have some time check out this NPR Talk of the Nation radio show. It is about how English travels and what defines our accents.

Here for you are some short quotes:

CONAN: And to begin with, how do you define your accent?

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. CRYSTAL: I wish I could. Well, you know, an accent reflects where you've been, where you've been brought up. And most people these days don't spend their whole lives in one place. So, whereas once upon a time it was quite easy to almost predict where somebody had come from just by listening to them, you listen to somebody like me and what you hear in this voice you're hearing now is the first 10 years of my life living in Wales - living in Wales it would have been that sort of accent then. And then the next 10 years of my life living in Liverpool, well, everybody knows the Beatles. The Beatles accent, you know. And there was that sort of accent mixed in with it. And then I lived for 20 years down in the south of England and there was a kind of, you know, southern accent that came on top of the other two. And they've all mixed together to produce what you're hearing now.

In the end folks is there any way to think about all this in a positive way? When the government meddles with our job sector does it always have to mean doom?

I wrote on Chris's comment board that perhaps with this influx of Indians it might help a xenophobic Korea change and give non-white people a chance for better treatment.
**Three posts in one day ~ ><**

Shakira Shakes it With Korean Drummers

Found this through the lovely interwebs. Shakira appeared to sing on Saturday Night Live with Korean drummers in the background.

Sure looks like one huge spectacle, of course, but I am not entirely sure if the great American audience even knew those were Korean drummers. I have a sinking feeling most people assumed they were Japanese Taiko drummers.

But if entertainers are starting to look towards Korean traditions as a way to spice up American pop culture, then I guess that's a good thing. Ah well...I'm not a fan of Shakira but it was interesting to see this musical mix.

KIAF 2009

Art has always been a major part of my life. Despite that my work hours are consumed with teaching children English in my mind I am often thinking about art. In my home I bought a little table that I keep as my "studio." It houses my drawing materials and watercolor supplies. Now and then I put everything that distracts me aside and draw or paint something.

I subscribe to ArtAsiaPacific magazine, which I find to be a good primer on current and historical Asian Art. In addition, as you probably well know by now, I like to frequent art museums and galleries around Seoul and elsewhere.

Then it should come as no surprise that I anticipated participating in the KIAF (Korean International Art Fair) this year. I went last year and it felt like I was a young girl in a candy store.

This year's show was just as great as last year's event. Indeed, I engaged more with the gallery owners and exhibits. I dragged JH out to this and rattled his brain about why some artworks are "art" or not.

Come with me as we walk through contemporary Asian art.

I showed up fairly early to meet JH, around 12 pm. I was early so I waited outside for him near the COEX convention hall building.

We entered and bought our tickets.

As I entered my art brain switched on to hyper drive as I started to see the works. JH innocently entered and made some comical jokes about the first works we saw. But my art brain wasn't having any of it and I started to tell him that the artworks have meaning and historical context. What a good sport! He went a long with it and we had meaningful artsy conversations about the works. I think it taught me a lesson that anyone can feel something from art and that they don't have to have an art background.

Song Myung Jin

Oh Byung Wook "Sea of my mind"

Kim Jeong Geol (I appreciated this piece because of the skill in rendering the nude body. Click on the picture to see the detail.)

Do you see that metal sculpture there? Well there was a man asking the gallery assistant some questions but she only knew English and Japanese. So I helped out a little and helped the guy get some answers. Then I started explaining to JH how it was made and how difficult working with steel is. Another gallery assistant overheard me and talked to me about it too.

You would not believe how refreshing those 15 minutes were. To be able to talk about art and have receptive ears is something I am so grateful for. Makes me think that it would be worthwhile to get together more with artists out here.

Naoko Kadokura

Chun Kwang Young Mixed media with Korean mulberry paper

Lee U Fan "Correspondence"
Here is where JH and I had a little disagreement on what qualifies a work a piece of "art". For him this work makes him feel that anyone could do that. So I asked him how was it made and he looked at it closer and determined its basic elements. But I told him that Lee U Fan is a very famous Korean artist and is well known. Also that his works reflect an aesthetic that is unique. JH kind of just thought about this and I could tell that he was grasping these concepts.

We walked around more in this space and the gallery owner came by and overheard our conversation and so joined in. It was again another great moment where I talked about art and theory.

Lee Eun "Catch Me if You Can." This is a painting and I told JH about how it is part of the genre of photo-realistic. He seemed pleased with this one and I was too.

We moved on, had some lunch and then got back into looking around. At this point an hour had passed and the pace of visitors picked up. I felt a bit relieved to have shown up before the crowds, because after more people came in it was harder to have conversations.

A lot of the works on display were very whimsical and playful. I have to wonder why many Asian artists go this route.

Byon Kyung Soo "The Afro Thinker" Kids loved this one...

Park Won Yung (I liked this piece because it reminded of traditional chekkori paintings, which I don't know if you know what I am talking about.)

Every year the International Art Exhibit has a host country and gives a special exhibition of their works. This year the host country was India, and I think the selected pieces were well represented. However I felt there should have been more reading material on the artists and their statements. In general through out the whole fair I thought there could be more English material next to the artworks for one to read. I know there were tables at each booth where you could read books on the artist but I would have rather liked something readily available near the artworks.

Anyways, the Indian Art exhibit was very interesting and it seemed focused on contemporary issues.

After checking out the Indian exhibit we moved on to some more around the other galleries. Check out this piece it has samples from well known artists on it.

I liked this picture because of the people sitting and talking next to the gallery wall.

Takashi Murakami (One of my favorites and hopefully someday I will see a whole show of his works.)

Kim Kira (We had fun with this one. The lights blinked to different colors.)

Lee Jo Heum (This one I feel speaks to Korean life, where for example if you notice there is a human head in there amongst all the cartoon ones. Walking down the crowded streets of Seoul you often feel this sort of feeling.)

Well did you make it this far? This show closes tomorrow so if you got the time try and make it out there. I want to note that the art world is also feeling the pinch of the global crisis, and this show is not just meant to display art but also sell it. Many galleries around the world are having trouble selling their art. Contemporary Asian Art is part of a recent phenomenon of being widely commercially available in galleries around the globe. I think it is important for these artists' work to get out there because with them they show their countries rich history in art.

It is also important to note who politically sponsors art. Unfortunately in Korea right now the conservative party is controlling what kinds of art goes on display. They also have their hands in Universities and are making some Professors and their classes vanish, because their courses are too thought provoking. In other words, a class that examines culture and theory is deemed unnecessary by the conservative Korean government.

Hyungjin Kim wrote a great peice about this current affair in this Month's issue of Art Asia Pacific.

He wrote:

The conservative government's plan to remake the cultural field extends to Korea's art academies. ... Yoo is attempting to close down the recently established interdisciplinary department of art...at Korean National University of Arts.

....
Yoo claims that K-Art's theoretical department was designed by left-leaning intellectuals and that the school is neglecting its original mission to focus on studio practice...

...students objected (to closed classes) saying, "Studying technical training without theoretical study makes us technicians not artists."

I was shocked after reading this article, and mostly because I had no clue this was going on. But it is no surprise to find the government reacting and behaving in this way. Art that addresses social and theoretical parts of life often times tends to hold a mirror up to those in charge.

I just hope that this isn't the permemant path for future Korean artists studying here in Korea.

So that was my journey through KIAF 2009, and I hope you weren't too bothered with my artsy lessons and chit-chat. Till next year KIAF!