Do you like shooting yourself in the foot, Korea?

As posted on my on my other blog about teaching English in a university in Korea:

So there is a well-known group in Korea, called the anti-English spectrum which does such honorable things as making up complete lies in the form of crazy stats about how many foreigners in Korea have aids and take drugs, stalking random foreigners, and sending death threats to the president of ATEK. More on the whole thing from Brian. Quite a nice friendly group of people, it seems. Despite numerous complaints from human rights organizations and the like, to both the goverment and Naver, who hosts the site, no action is being taken against this outright racist ( almost to the level of Klu-Klux-Klan-ish) and xenophobic group.

Anyway, their activities seem to have made news back in my motherland, Canada, in the well-respected National Post.

Now, all I have to say about this whole fiasco is well done Korea. Do you want to have a worse reputation overseas than you already do? Yes, it seems you do. Do you want the foreigners who get screwed over at hagwons to tell their friends back home at the shit they had to put up with in Korea and now the people they tell back home will have a newspaper article to put to the stories they hear? Yes, it seems you want that to. Do you want to prevent any quality teachers coming from overseas to teach a language, that despite all the money you throw out at it, seems to be beyond your grasp. Yes, it seems that you do want the bottom of the barrel since a just qualifed Masters in TESOL/TEFL/English grad, when reading that article is probably going to look elsewhere. English spectrum...you want quality teachers...except your blatantly racist hate campaign may actually prevent them from coming here.

Do you love your job?

So, back in my grad school days at Regent College in Vancouver, everyone talked about finding a vocation, or something. Whatever that meant. I didn't get it then and I still don't really get it now. And from following blogs/Facebook profiles of my former classmates, many of them are either unemployed or under-employed. And even the people that did find jobs in their chosen field (vocation?), life is not always great. Not enough vacation. Too much work. Thankless bosses, always wanting more. Boring, tedious stuff to do.

And so I wonder...does anyone actually really, truly love their job? Like, you're happy and enthusiastic to wake up and go to work everyday? Or, is manageable? There are a few benefits and a few drawbacks. Or, do you hate it and you'd give your right arm to be doing something different but options are limited in the state of the economy.

As for me...I fall into the manageable category. I don't hate teaching but I don't enjoy teaching students who don't care about what I'm trying to teach them (as is often the case in Korea...students are studying because it's a mandatory subject/their parents make them/or they need it for a job). I don't hate waking up every morning and getting organized to go to work. When I'm in the class, it's a bit boring sometimes but quite entertaining at other times, depending on the students. The paperwork is not a big deal to me and I can get it done quickly. So the actual work is a solid so-so.

But...the benefits. Vacation/salary/hours worked during the week/days off. I essentially have more paid vacation days than working days in year. And who gives that up? Even if the job is not fun-filled and exciting and my "vocation." Is it okay? Is this the reality of most people's lives these days or is anyone actually super-excited about their jobs?

Why can't you just leave people alone?

...so I read a lot of blogs each morning about various things and lately I've been reading news about how American Christians/the Church are helping to defeat gay marriage bills in New York, or tampering in other countries so that there might be a new law making it okay to kill homosexuals.

As one pastor in one of the New York articles said:

"The Pentecostal pastor argued he could not check his Christianity at the door. "I am the church. I am the state. How can I separate myself from myself?," he explained. "When I come through that door, I leave my Bible outside. Don't please, don't. That's a wrong statement to say. The Bible should never be left out."

I'm sincerely disturbed/embarrassed for those who are Christians and believe this kind of stuff. Making a mockery of themselves by being so homophobic and out of touch with reality. And I wonder how I could sincerely call myself a Christian and be aligned with these people? Not that I do align myself, but it's just that the rest of the world automatically lumps us together. And do Christians even realize that outside of their own circle of Christian people, the term "Christian" has only negative connotations because of these crazy homophobic things that they do (and other stuff too)?

And as the pastor points out, Church and state are not separated in America. This is wrong on so many levels, since a whole lot of America doesn't actually believe in the Bible. And why should the Church shove this down people's throats in the form of discriminatory laws, when a lot of people don't want to have anything to do with it, because they have a different, or no religion.

And why are American Christians interfering in other countries, trying to get anti-homosexual laws passed? Like, you can't kill homosexuals in America, so you try to get it done in other countries?

So wrong. So, so wrong. I feel disgusted. And I wonder why people in the Church needs a scapegoat as for why things aren't perfect in America? Like you have Jesus and He loves you and you should love your neighbors, all of them. But that's not enough? You feel like you need to pick on the little people because Jesus doesn't love you enough so you have to feel better and bigger about yourself somehow? Like a schoolyard bully?

Homemade Goodness

So I'm pretty obsessed with Korean food. Like, I am much happier going to a Korean restaurant instead of a Western style one most days. I usually just end up going Western to appease my friends. Anyway, I do get an occasional craving for my old Western favs...and since it's winter and getting cold here in Korea, definitely time for a couple big pots of split pea soup. Here's my recipe:

Soak green and yellow split peas overnight. You can buy them at the foreign food market in Itaewon or the most delicious Indian place at Cheonan Station. Then cook them up for an hour or so until they're getting soft.

Fry up: onion(lots!)/garlic/zucchini/green pepper/carrot(lots!)/potato/celery (if you can find).

Ham is not scarce at all here, in the disgusting sandwich form. However, real ham, like on a bone or something is. Ditto with Bacon. So...I bought a couple piece of samgyupsal and fried those up with the veggies.

Mix it all together, add some salt/pepper/soup stock (cubes from foreign food markets)/basil/parsley. Add some barley. Cook for a couple hours. If you like it smooth, blender it up. I do about 1/2 for a smooth texture, but a few chunks. Mmmm. Going to go eat now. Yummy.

Native Speakers in Korea

As posted on my other blog:

There seems to be a lot of animosity from certain groups of Koreans towards the foreign English teachers. Sometimes, it has some merit. Like there really are a lot of dumb-asses who perhaps drink too much or (very RARELY) touch a child inappropriately. I would argue that these things happen a lot more frequently among the Korean population though. This is the only country that I've ever been to (and I've been to about 20) that you see businessman passed out on the street corner on a weeknight. AND it's socially acceptable. And the only place that I've ever heard of, where a teacher gets caught for molestation and they get a "strong verbal warning" and go back to class.

Anyway, the latest news in the native speaker world in Korea. Some talk of mandatory cultural indoctrination to hopefully combat this dumb-assery I guess. See Brian's article for the latest. My $0.02 is that it will be useless. Dumb-asses are dumb-asses and a week long training session about kimchi and hanbok is not going to help them. As Brian points out, the solution would seem to be not hiring them in the first place. I thought the stricter visa regulations and hassles from a couple years ago would weed them out but apparently not. A pulse still seems to be the requirement. Anyway, for the sake of Korea I sincerely hope that the ESL industry will grow up and get a bit of professionalism. It'd be good for everyone...Koreans and foreigners who are serious about teaching.

The Grey Cup

...a Canadian tradition. Not that I usually cared so much, but I did usually end up going to a party when I was in Canada. For those not in the know, it's Canadian rules football. Anyway, this was a pretty amazing game, check out the highlights here.

Korea

...has been wearing me down a bit lately. Not that it's a bad place to live...I usually love it. It's just that it's not exciting to go out anymore. Like, back when I was in my first couple years here, everyday was an adventure and I'd see something random or crazy and couldn't believe I didn't have my camera with me. These days, I don't even really notice that I'm only surrounded by Koreans or that no one speaks English. And I've travelled almost everywhere there is to travel around Korea. And tried most of the food. And learned (almost) all there is to know about the culture. Maybe it's time for a change. Some other random country, full of new adventures. Except, I'd probably have to work a lot more than I do now. The dilemna.

Books for Sale or Trade

4000 Won each if picked up. We can meet in Cheonan/Asan or Yongsan area in Seoul. Please buy at least 5 to make it worth my time Or, I can ship for an extra 1000/book. Minimum of 3 perhaps.

I'm also very happy to trade. Post/send your list.

Fiction:
Brad Meltzer: The First Counsel
Paul Coelho: Eleven Minutes
Alvin Toffler: Future Shock
Michael Crichton: Rising Sun
John Grisham: The Testament
John Irving: A Widow for One Year
Nick Hornby: About a Boy
Jimmy Buffet: Where is Joe Merchant (poor condition: 2000 Won)
David Gutterson: East of the Mountains
Belva Plain: After the Fire
Ruth Rendell: From Doon with Death
Helen Fielding: Bridget Jones's Diary
Arthur Golden: The Memoirs of a Geisha
Mary Higgins Clark: Moonlight Becomes You

Non-Fiction:
Malcolm Gladwell: Blink
Barbara Thiering: Jesus the Man
Norman Cantor: in the Wake of the Plague
Jared Diamond: The Third Chimpanzee
Steven Landsburg: More Sex is Safer Sex
Paul Theroux: The Old Patagonian Express
Chicken Soup for the Soul

Christian:
Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
Frederick Buechner: The Sacred Journey/Now and Then/Telling Secrets
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Meditating on the Word

Reference:
Lonely Planet Cambodia (copy): 2000 Won
Lonely Planet Loas (copy): 2000 Won
Minjung's New Little English-Korean Dictionary
Minjung's Pocket Korean-English Dictionary

The Seoul Global Center

A helpful one, from The Seoul Podcast about the Seoul Global Center. Anything you need, they should be your first call it looks like. And their website looks pretty decent, if you use internet explorer. If you don't, well, I guess you should in this case.

Cultural Indoctrination

So there is talk from the Korean government about making a cultural orientation/indoctrination mandatory for new hagwon teachers here in Korea. The Marmot's Hole thinks it won't do much to improve the quality of education here in Korea because the problem lies in hiring young people with no teaching experience. I agree with point number one in that it won't do anything to really help education. I can picture a lecture about kimchi being the most nutritious food ever. And then how Hanguel is the most scientific language. And then ending off with a tour of Korea's cultural heritage sights. Useless.

But point number 2...I think part of the problem is hiring anyone with a pulse, sight unseen from overseas. But the bigger problem is the corruption of hagwons. Of course you're not going to give a shit, if your hagwon is working you hard for 10 hours a day, making you live in a moldy shit-hole apartment with no hot water and then on top of all that, not paying you. Who would actually try to do a good, honest job of teaching in a situation like this?

Stuff

So, I will very rarely buy "stuff (except scuba!)" And if I do, I will think and debate about it for months before actually buying it. And I almost never give people stuff as presents. Instead, I'll buy them a birthday dinner or drink, or take them out for an experience or some sort. If a thing is required, as in a secret santa situation, I'll usually give used books, because free English books are usually appreciated a lot here in Korea.

Anyway, my one exception is the Korea buy/sell/trade forum on Eslcafe. It's genius. I cruise it faithfully everyday, just waiting for the good stuff. I read a lot, about 3 or 4 books/week usually and this is the exclusive place I get them from. The bookstores are way too expensive. I'll also sell mine there when they start to get out of control at my house. I've also done lots of book trading on there as well. Just like a library! And I sometimes just give away broken electronics, which people handier than I can put to use. And just today, a got a new camera for 50 000 Won. It's a basic Canon point and shoot, which is perfect for my 1/2-hearted photo taking efforts. And a tent for 20 000 Won. It's too good to be true! Stuff, that's kind of used but still has a lot of life in it. And since shipping is so cheap in Korea, you don't even have to leave your own house.

I love Korea. Seriously.

And summertime has to come faster! RC and I have a big plan to get an inflatable raft and cruise down this river from Danyang to Cheongju that we checked out at Chuseok for 4 or 5 days. It's going to be a crazy adventure. And now we have a tent! Yeah!

So why's everyone worried about swine flu?

I'm not really sure what the deal is in North America with regard to swine flu, but here in Korea there has been a lot of hysteria going on. Anyway, I don't think it's such a big deal. Perhaps people should be a whole lot more worried about heart disease, mental health, safer sex and eating vegetables. Or at the very least, if you still think you're going to actually die from swine flu, or some other infectious disease, wash your hands after using the bathroom.

And another one from Betty Bowers...

...this one about Mormons and their opposition to gay marriage. It's bizarre, how governments lets Mormons dictate "family values" when they themselves have quite a sordid history with regard to family.

Mrs. Betty Bowers

She's soooooo funny! Hahahahah! I can't stop laughing!

A Bible Based Marriage

Thanks to my friend Stephanie for the heads up about this entertaining video. "Some" (not all!) Christians seem to get freaky about allowing gay people to get married. Like it somehow threatens their notion of what a Bible-based marriage is. Anyway, are you really sure you want a marriage based literally on the Bible? That'd be kind of freaky I think. Much freakier than 2 men or 2 women in a loving monogamous relationship.