Wow, it's 2012 already. It seems like 2011 just flew by and yet, when I look back, it was a decent year with a few ups and downs and certainly better than 2010, so that's a plus. I feel like I did more, accomplished more and even with a few of the real curveballs 2011 threw me I was still able to have a good time.
I guess the three biggest things that stick out for me involve changing jobs very unexpectedly, visiting Canada for the first time in years and venturing to Taiwan and many new places in Korea.
The most eventful time was certainly in April and May when SEI was shutting down and I was basically unemployed. Looking back they were good about it, but it was still very unexpected and it did throw a real wrench in my plans to start courses at Keimyung in September. However it really did all work out in the end as I have a new job with a great boss and great coworkers. I'll also be able to start at least a language class at Keimyung in March if I want to. Looking back at my blogs at the time I noted that this shakeup was probably good for me, even if it didn't feel like it at the time. Well I was right. I probably was getting a bit too comfy there.
What the job change did allow me to do was have an extended holiday in Vancouver (8 weeks). I managed two trips to Vancouver Island and saw a bunch of places that I hadn't seen in years. It's amazing how little North Van has changed in so many ways. I was real happy to catch up with Elliot and Allan and meet Jaclyn and her new husband Chris. I met up with Steph, who I went to uni with and is now teaching in China and it was great to compare notes and hang out. I didn't see everyone I wanted or as often as I wanted to (I only managed one visit with Jenn :( ) but I hope to go back again next year (2013) so hopefully I can meet anyone I missed then. It was also great to see family and see how everyone is doing. Cousins who I think of as being 15 are now in university. Again I didn't see all the family as much as I wanted, but I did see just about everyone at least once.
Finally Taiwan was an epic trip. I really fell in love with Taipei and would love to go back at some point soon. It's an amazing place that western tourism has largely overlooked, but hopefully that will change soon. I also managed a huge chunk of Korea, including Chuncheongdo in great detail and way more cities in Gyeongsang. I also managed to explore more of Seoul.
Other accomplishments include joining a gym, improving my Korean language skills and cutting most booze out (not that a kettle of Makkeoli on a special occasion isn't very welcome). However I feel that I failed to get back to school, which was a big goal for 2011. I had wanted to do courses in Korea that transferred to Canadian universities but with the mess at SEI I was gone for key dates and didn't go. I feel that is something I have to fix. I also wanted to drop serious weight, which I have not done yet (I've lost a bit, but I mean really get fit). I hope that the gym and less booze will start me off in that direction.
As for 2012, my resolutions are to drop 20 lbs to end my 20's (I turn 30 this year.....), get back to school with the aim of being qualified to teach public schools or College kids by 2013 and full uni kids by 2014 and having transferrable courses should I want to finish the degree in Canada. I also am adamant about China this summer, even if it's only for a week.
Well here's wishing everyone a great 2012 (don't listen to the Mayans or Hollywood, it'll be a great year).
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A Trip Down to Busan
With Thursday and Friday being days for my academy I decided to make the most of my time, do some much needed shopping and head down to Busan. Bobby, who has the week off decided to join me, as he had never been to Busan before. Kris wanted to come to to see where Nopodong market was and get some new clothes in a western size.
I met Kris at 9 and we headed off to Dongdaegu. We got on the same train as Bobby but were three cars down so we just met at Busan Station. Busan was in full Christmas mode with trees and lights up everywhere. Actually it was cool and it did make the city feel different that in the summertime when I usually go and when the city is considered to be "at its best". We first headed for coffee and up Nampodong tower, something I have done numerous times but neither of them had done. Everyone liked it and it was a decently clear day. Under the tower they had a photo studio of shots of Busan going back to 1890. It's amazing to see how quickly it has grown. In 1950 it looked like Cambodia, in 1970 it looked like how Bangkok looks today and yet in 2011 it is an ultramodern city. Really neat to stop and browse.
We then went to Jalgachi fish market to see the largest fish market in Korea and get some very fresh sashimi for lunch. Watching an old lady wrestle with an octopus as another one makes a break for it is always entertaining :) Then off to Nopodong where I got new jeans. Both Kris and Bobby loved Busan, which is also my favourite city in Korea. We then headed back to Daegu and Sangin for Makkeoli at the dear leaders Makkeoli jip before calling it a night.
I met Kris at 9 and we headed off to Dongdaegu. We got on the same train as Bobby but were three cars down so we just met at Busan Station. Busan was in full Christmas mode with trees and lights up everywhere. Actually it was cool and it did make the city feel different that in the summertime when I usually go and when the city is considered to be "at its best". We first headed for coffee and up Nampodong tower, something I have done numerous times but neither of them had done. Everyone liked it and it was a decently clear day. Under the tower they had a photo studio of shots of Busan going back to 1890. It's amazing to see how quickly it has grown. In 1950 it looked like Cambodia, in 1970 it looked like how Bangkok looks today and yet in 2011 it is an ultramodern city. Really neat to stop and browse.
We then went to Jalgachi fish market to see the largest fish market in Korea and get some very fresh sashimi for lunch. Watching an old lady wrestle with an octopus as another one makes a break for it is always entertaining :) Then off to Nopodong where I got new jeans. Both Kris and Bobby loved Busan, which is also my favourite city in Korea. We then headed back to Daegu and Sangin for Makkeoli at the dear leaders Makkeoli jip before calling it a night.
Believe it or not, out of water he can still really move
Cool shot as we were leaving
Merry Christmas Jews?
Nampodong in 1954
Nampodong in 2011
Live action Jagalchi
A great last trip out of Daegu in 2011.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Starting at the gym
ohhh a gym,
I've heard of these places before, but a youth spent with warehouse jobs and then, well getting fat, means I haven't really spent much time in them. All that changed when my corworker Mike and I went down to the Health club Jay uses (who is built and knows his stuff) and signed up. We did our first workout today and while I'm somewhat ashamed of how much upper body muscle I've lost in the last couple of years it felt great to get back in to it, and I'm already excited for tomorrow.
I can see why people do this every day.
I've heard of these places before, but a youth spent with warehouse jobs and then, well getting fat, means I haven't really spent much time in them. All that changed when my corworker Mike and I went down to the Health club Jay uses (who is built and knows his stuff) and signed up. We did our first workout today and while I'm somewhat ashamed of how much upper body muscle I've lost in the last couple of years it felt great to get back in to it, and I'm already excited for tomorrow.
I can see why people do this every day.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas Weather
Okay, this might be a boring/stupid post, but over the last few years I've managed to make a few friends who are now all over the globe and who I've been wishing a Merry Christmas. It's weird to think how different Christmas would be if you had been born in Mexico or Thailand or Australia. So I thought I'd have a look at what it's like for people I know today who have sent me Xmas greetings in the last few weeks. These are daytime highs:
For me in Daegu it's bright and sunny, and not counting the windchill it's 1.
For my family in Vancouver it's cloudy and 8.
For my friends Bobby, Jenny and Kwangho in Seoul it's a sunny -5.
For my friends Mumi and Jason in Bangkok it's a sunny 26.
My friend Serena, who is in Korea now but originally from Taipei, would be enjoying a sunny 16.
For Paul, who will be back in Palmerston North, New Zealand by the end of the week, it's a sunny 23.
My friend Steph in Dalian, China is enjoying a sunny -3.
Kurt in San Diego is enjoying a sunny 22.
My sister in Scotland (though the report is for Edinburgh, not where she is) is apparently having a rainy 11.
My friend David in Beijing is enjoying a sunny 4.
For Ange in Cheongju it's a sunny, clear -3.
For Leanne in Toronto it's a partially cloudy 1.
For Kris and Miranda in Halifax it's -2.
My friend Pearl in Shenzhen, China (across the border from Hong Kong) is having a sunny 17.
Interesting (or not).
For me in Daegu it's bright and sunny, and not counting the windchill it's 1.
For my family in Vancouver it's cloudy and 8.
For my friends Bobby, Jenny and Kwangho in Seoul it's a sunny -5.
For my friends Mumi and Jason in Bangkok it's a sunny 26.
My friend Serena, who is in Korea now but originally from Taipei, would be enjoying a sunny 16.
For Paul, who will be back in Palmerston North, New Zealand by the end of the week, it's a sunny 23.
My friend Steph in Dalian, China is enjoying a sunny -3.
Kurt in San Diego is enjoying a sunny 22.
My sister in Scotland (though the report is for Edinburgh, not where she is) is apparently having a rainy 11.
My friend David in Beijing is enjoying a sunny 4.
For Ange in Cheongju it's a sunny, clear -3.
For Leanne in Toronto it's a partially cloudy 1.
For Kris and Miranda in Halifax it's -2.
My friend Pearl in Shenzhen, China (across the border from Hong Kong) is having a sunny 17.
Interesting (or not).
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas 2011
Well being late afternoon Christmas Day I think I can start a write up of Christmas. I'm relaxing with Elvis Presley's Christmas album. I woke up around 10 after being up til 330 watching Christmas films. I immediately got on skype with my Mom for a while and then cooked breakfast. Unlike last year when I went for a Korean style Christmas this year I did pancakes, coffee cakes and fruit, though being one of my new toys is a tea pot especially for green tea I've been knocking back the Chinese tea fairly hard with my coffee. I skyped with my Dad and his side of the family before settling in to another Christmas film and some buns. Tonight I'm going to try to get my sister in Scotland and my Mom in Vancouver at the same time on skype. We'll see how that works. I had thought about a Christmas dinner too but to be honest I'm not a big fan of cooking and I've already done a big brunch so I may get lazy and order in :P We'll see. It's been a quiet, relaxing Christmas which is exactly what I wanted, and being that the daytime high is -4 with the windchill I'm more than happy to stay in.
To everyone around the world, Merry Christmas :)
To everyone around the world, Merry Christmas :)
Kim Jong Update
as a quick follow up to last weeks big news from the north.
It looks like Kim Jong Un, or the "great successor" will be taking over the helm of the DPRK with some help from him uncle Sung Taek and military leaders. It's interesting that there seems to be no one leader as there has been since 1945, which is an interesting divergence and, oddly enough, what happened in China after Mao's death. While I think we are still a ways away from Pyongyang hosting the Olympics it's actually a good start. Of course no one knows with certainty what is happening, but it seems the Fox News prediction of Santa weaving between mushroom clouds this Christmas is not going to be.
Lee Myung Bak, the President of the Republic of Korea (south) has sent condolences to "the people of north Korea" which is a difference from 1994 when Kim Il Sung died and the south did nothing. The ROK will not send a delegation to the north but small groups can go with the approval of the Ministry of Unification. Hyundai, who set up a plant in Kaesong (DPRK) under a joint management system will send a delegation. I think the south is handling it well. Not sending high level delegations and pretending they are sad about Kim's death (cause let's be honest, they're not) but sending informal delegates and wishing the people of the DPRK well instead. I think it's a good balance that will not go unnoticed in the north.
As to the video's of Korean's weeping hysterically for Kim. My personal take is that for people in Pyongyang it's probably real. They are the priviledged who have luxuries that most north Koreans don't have, such as food. Really they have nice modern apartments paid for by the state and would not be affected by seeing south Korean drama's, as their lives would be comparable. For the average peasant it's hard to say. I mean, a guy imprisons your family, starves you and makes your son spend 15 years in the military it's hard to believe that there would be much affection for him, but by all accounts from comparable situations the grief is real. Russians of the time genuinely grieved for Stalin's death, the suicide rate even spiked that week. Chinese today still venerate Mao Zedong and by all accounts his death was seen as a real loss. However, peasant north Koreans can buy bootleg south Korean drama's in China and they circulate in the north despite the ban. Chances are they have seen these shows and the production value alone would make it clear that they are not doing that badly. I mean, watch two Seoulites talk over a cup of coffee in a Korean movie would be a luxury unimagineable to these people, and from most accounts many northerners have seen this. North Korean defectors have also said that Kim Il Sung was genuinely loved by his people, as he was an actual revolutionary and guerilla fighter (say what you will about him, he was out there in -20 Manchurian nights bombing Japanese railroads and getting in to battles with Japanese troops in the 1930's and 1940's). There were also no major famines under him. In fact, in the 1960's north Korea was considered the more successful state. In contrast Kim Jong-Il was apparently less loved for the reasons outlined above. My guess is that much of the grief in Pyongyang is genuine (though the spontaneous eruption of tears at the news of his death is clearly staged) and the tears elsewhere may be a mix of grief and fear. Not fear for what will happen if you don't cry, but fear of what will happen next. Monarchical successions are tough at any time, and for a country that has endured 15 years of famine and starvation the unknown might be enough to make some people cry out of pure frustration and anger. I guess we'll have to wait for the north to collapse before we'll ever really know.
As for how it will all turn out. Kim Jong-Un lived in Switzerland as a teenager and is apparently an avid NBA fan. If he has real power he may wish to open up or be forced to to survive. However if he is merely a figurehead with Sung Taek and the military in real control then change may still be a ways away. As to predictions of impending doom in Korea. Don't be on it, it's the Japanese who do the suicide thing en masse.
It looks like Kim Jong Un, or the "great successor" will be taking over the helm of the DPRK with some help from him uncle Sung Taek and military leaders. It's interesting that there seems to be no one leader as there has been since 1945, which is an interesting divergence and, oddly enough, what happened in China after Mao's death. While I think we are still a ways away from Pyongyang hosting the Olympics it's actually a good start. Of course no one knows with certainty what is happening, but it seems the Fox News prediction of Santa weaving between mushroom clouds this Christmas is not going to be.
Lee Myung Bak, the President of the Republic of Korea (south) has sent condolences to "the people of north Korea" which is a difference from 1994 when Kim Il Sung died and the south did nothing. The ROK will not send a delegation to the north but small groups can go with the approval of the Ministry of Unification. Hyundai, who set up a plant in Kaesong (DPRK) under a joint management system will send a delegation. I think the south is handling it well. Not sending high level delegations and pretending they are sad about Kim's death (cause let's be honest, they're not) but sending informal delegates and wishing the people of the DPRK well instead. I think it's a good balance that will not go unnoticed in the north.
As to the video's of Korean's weeping hysterically for Kim. My personal take is that for people in Pyongyang it's probably real. They are the priviledged who have luxuries that most north Koreans don't have, such as food. Really they have nice modern apartments paid for by the state and would not be affected by seeing south Korean drama's, as their lives would be comparable. For the average peasant it's hard to say. I mean, a guy imprisons your family, starves you and makes your son spend 15 years in the military it's hard to believe that there would be much affection for him, but by all accounts from comparable situations the grief is real. Russians of the time genuinely grieved for Stalin's death, the suicide rate even spiked that week. Chinese today still venerate Mao Zedong and by all accounts his death was seen as a real loss. However, peasant north Koreans can buy bootleg south Korean drama's in China and they circulate in the north despite the ban. Chances are they have seen these shows and the production value alone would make it clear that they are not doing that badly. I mean, watch two Seoulites talk over a cup of coffee in a Korean movie would be a luxury unimagineable to these people, and from most accounts many northerners have seen this. North Korean defectors have also said that Kim Il Sung was genuinely loved by his people, as he was an actual revolutionary and guerilla fighter (say what you will about him, he was out there in -20 Manchurian nights bombing Japanese railroads and getting in to battles with Japanese troops in the 1930's and 1940's). There were also no major famines under him. In fact, in the 1960's north Korea was considered the more successful state. In contrast Kim Jong-Il was apparently less loved for the reasons outlined above. My guess is that much of the grief in Pyongyang is genuine (though the spontaneous eruption of tears at the news of his death is clearly staged) and the tears elsewhere may be a mix of grief and fear. Not fear for what will happen if you don't cry, but fear of what will happen next. Monarchical successions are tough at any time, and for a country that has endured 15 years of famine and starvation the unknown might be enough to make some people cry out of pure frustration and anger. I guess we'll have to wait for the north to collapse before we'll ever really know.
As for how it will all turn out. Kim Jong-Un lived in Switzerland as a teenager and is apparently an avid NBA fan. If he has real power he may wish to open up or be forced to to survive. However if he is merely a figurehead with Sung Taek and the military in real control then change may still be a ways away. As to predictions of impending doom in Korea. Don't be on it, it's the Japanese who do the suicide thing en masse.
Happy Festivus!
Well it's that time of year again. It is again Christmas on the peninsula and I am settling in for a very merry one. I have Alastair Sim's Scrooge, Miracle on 34th Street, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the Trailer Park Boys Dear Santa Go Fuck Yourself. The classics.
Actually Christmas snuck up on me this year. I left work friday saying "have a good weekend" and my boss said "Merry Christmas" and it dawned on me that Sunday would in fact be Christmas. I guess with everything happening in Korea both personally and politically it was easy to let it slip by, and it almost did. However, Friday night I decorated a tree properly that I had put up and put lights on a while back. I had Elvis' Christmas album and then watched Rudolph and Home Alone. Today was a final shopping day (not crazy like last minute shopping in Canada is, just regular Korean Saturday shopping crazy......... ok so I guess it's about the same). Tonight is eating and watching more Christmas movies before a Sunday of gift swapping and skype chats with the family in Canada and Scotland.
So for everyone in Korea, Canada or anywhere else. Merry Christmas!
Actually Christmas snuck up on me this year. I left work friday saying "have a good weekend" and my boss said "Merry Christmas" and it dawned on me that Sunday would in fact be Christmas. I guess with everything happening in Korea both personally and politically it was easy to let it slip by, and it almost did. However, Friday night I decorated a tree properly that I had put up and put lights on a while back. I had Elvis' Christmas album and then watched Rudolph and Home Alone. Today was a final shopping day (not crazy like last minute shopping in Canada is, just regular Korean Saturday shopping crazy......... ok so I guess it's about the same). Tonight is eating and watching more Christmas movies before a Sunday of gift swapping and skype chats with the family in Canada and Scotland.
So for everyone in Korea, Canada or anywhere else. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Kim Jong-Il is dead, long live Kim Jong-Un
Really. Kim is dead at age 69. He died Saturday morning and it was announced today on North Korean TV which was picked up in the south. The south is on full military alert but my guess (hope) is that it won't be necessary. Everyone panicked in 1994 when Kim Il-Sung died but power was transferred successfully. As in most monarchical successions (it is a Confucian monarchy up there, NOT a communist regime) there's always danger, but it looks like his son Kim Jung-Un will be taking over the reigns of the DPRK.
I'm sure more news will come in the days ahead and I'll try to post it as I hear about it. Still, a big news morning here on the peninsula.
I'm sure more news will come in the days ahead and I'll try to post it as I hear about it. Still, a big news morning here on the peninsula.
Best beers in Asia
Well a post like this has been a while overdue. Having travelled a fair bit of this section of the globe, and sampled cuisine from much more of it, I think I have had a fair bit of what Asia has to offer. So with that in mind I thought I'd name a few of my favourite beers by country and brand and hopefully recommend a few to people who enjoy a good brew. Asia is actually a fantastic destination for quality brews, with many coming from colonial times when Brits, Germans and Americans built breweries or when locals went to those locations to study brewing. In Japan's case they sent brewmasters to Germany to learn their brewing techniques and brought them back to Japan in the 1880's (before mass brewing perfected by Anheiser-Busch existed).
Two countries that in my mind make top quality beers are:
1) Japan - This is an area where the Japanese excel. Asahi, Sapporo, Suntory and Kirin are all world class export beers. Yebisu, available only in Japan, is in my opinion better than any of these, should also be on that list of exports, and hopefully one day it will be. All four export brands are equal in taste and quality to any quality brewer in North America (ie - not Molson, Coors or Anheiser-Busch). Asahi Premium, a beer that has only been available in Korea for about a year now, is fantastic and well worth the $3 price tag.
2) Thailand. A strictly buddhist country where brewers can only establish themselves with permission from the king has nonetheless made several superior quality beers. Singha is quite possibly the best beer to have on a warm summer day (Corona being Mexican for Aztec urine) but also enjoyable when it cools down. It's flavourful and well worth it. Chang is another decent Thai beer that is worth the effort to find, although the export Chang is not half as good as what you'd get in Thailand. There is also Leo beer, popular in Thailand but almost impossible to find elsewhere, that is quite tasty.
As to beers themselves I'll just make my favourite beers :
1 - Asahi (esp. Premium) - Japan
2 - Singha - Thailand
3 - Yebisu - Japan
4 - Sapporo - Japan
5 - Chang Draft - Thailand
6 - San Miguel - Philippines
7 - Tsingtao - China
8 - Kirin - Japan
9 - Suntory - Japan
10 - Taiwan Lager - Taiwan
11 - Tiger - Tiger
12 - OB Lager - Korea
13 - Leo Beer - Thailand
14 - Cass - Korea
15 - Saigon Beer - Vietnam
Some might think Tiger deserves better, but I do think that it's overrated. This also does not include domestic only beers in China and micro breweries in Japan, of which there are hundreds.
As to Korean beer well........ it's a good thing there's makkeoli. OB Golden Lager is the first Korean beer that I've had that I like enough to recommend to people. It actually has taste and doesn't have the huge markup that non-Korean beers have so it's the best option if you want a cheaper beer that still tastes good. It's still far from what is on offer in neighbouring Japan, but it's certainly tasty. However, for Korean beer that's available everywhere I'll usually buy a Cass. It's not great, but it actually has taste, which is more than can be said for its competitors Hite, OB Blue and Max, which have none. While Korean food would easily be in my top 3 for Asian cuisine (with Szechuan and Thai) it's beer leaves much to be desired.
Two countries that in my mind make top quality beers are:
1) Japan - This is an area where the Japanese excel. Asahi, Sapporo, Suntory and Kirin are all world class export beers. Yebisu, available only in Japan, is in my opinion better than any of these, should also be on that list of exports, and hopefully one day it will be. All four export brands are equal in taste and quality to any quality brewer in North America (ie - not Molson, Coors or Anheiser-Busch). Asahi Premium, a beer that has only been available in Korea for about a year now, is fantastic and well worth the $3 price tag.
2) Thailand. A strictly buddhist country where brewers can only establish themselves with permission from the king has nonetheless made several superior quality beers. Singha is quite possibly the best beer to have on a warm summer day (Corona being Mexican for Aztec urine) but also enjoyable when it cools down. It's flavourful and well worth it. Chang is another decent Thai beer that is worth the effort to find, although the export Chang is not half as good as what you'd get in Thailand. There is also Leo beer, popular in Thailand but almost impossible to find elsewhere, that is quite tasty.
As to beers themselves I'll just make my favourite beers :
1 - Asahi (esp. Premium) - Japan
2 - Singha - Thailand
3 - Yebisu - Japan
4 - Sapporo - Japan
5 - Chang Draft - Thailand
6 - San Miguel - Philippines
7 - Tsingtao - China
8 - Kirin - Japan
9 - Suntory - Japan
10 - Taiwan Lager - Taiwan
11 - Tiger - Tiger
12 - OB Lager - Korea
13 - Leo Beer - Thailand
14 - Cass - Korea
15 - Saigon Beer - Vietnam
Some might think Tiger deserves better, but I do think that it's overrated. This also does not include domestic only beers in China and micro breweries in Japan, of which there are hundreds.
As to Korean beer well........ it's a good thing there's makkeoli. OB Golden Lager is the first Korean beer that I've had that I like enough to recommend to people. It actually has taste and doesn't have the huge markup that non-Korean beers have so it's the best option if you want a cheaper beer that still tastes good. It's still far from what is on offer in neighbouring Japan, but it's certainly tasty. However, for Korean beer that's available everywhere I'll usually buy a Cass. It's not great, but it actually has taste, which is more than can be said for its competitors Hite, OB Blue and Max, which have none. While Korean food would easily be in my top 3 for Asian cuisine (with Szechuan and Thai) it's beer leaves much to be desired.
The US announces the end of the Iraq War
The Iraq War officially ended on Thursday as President Obama agreed to withdraw all US troops from Iraq by New Years Eve, leaving only a few in Kuwait should they be needed again. It ends an event that has, in many ways, defined a generation in much the same way that Vietnam defined our parents generation. Whether you were in a country that supported the US like the UK or Australia, or a nation that opposed it like Canada, France or New Zealand the issue divided public opinion, set world leaders apart and in the end, much like Vietnam, ended with a whimper.
I remember in 2003 being in Canada, where about 40% of people polled supported the war, including the then leader of the opposition and now Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Bush had sold the world a story of a man who was actively aiding Al Qaeda, building weapons designed to kill millions and that we were mere months away from armageddon. For a US population still in shock over the 9/11 attacks and looking for security the story sold well, with up to 70% of Americans suporting the initial invasion. While nowhere else in the world had even 50% support many leaders followed Bush in, most notably British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to what was sold as a quick war where the occupying forces would be greeted as liberators.
Personally I opposed the invasion as more western colonialism and accused Bush of using 9/11 to manufacture a war that had been the dream of many of the American extreme right for a decade. It fell out fairly close to that as US troops guarded Iraqi oil fields while the Baghdad museum, home to ancient treasures dating back to the dawn of humanity, was looted and priceless object taken or destroyed. To this day the Iraqi government accounts for a quarter of all US arms sales to foreign nations (and has since 2006). The Iraqi government that has been put in place is not ideal for US needs, but with the Islamic parties and the Baath party not allowed to run in elections, it's fairly close (notice that in Egypt or Palestine, where the people rose up on their own, Islamists have done very well in elections). I wonder if, a few years from now, an Islamist party will win a popular election in an Iraq free of US troops. It would be a bit like the iconic evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon in 1975 and is a real possibility.
Outside the US opinion solidified fairly quickly that the Iraq war was a giant manufactured lie. It was shown that the intelligence used to show that Saddam had weapons was horrendously out of date and had already been disproven and of course, there were no weapons there. European leaders who felt that they had been lied to quickly pulled troops out until only Blair and Bush were left towing the war barge. Iraq quickly fell in to a decade of civil war and perhaps the most memorable moment of the invasion was when Bush had a shoe throw at him by a journalist and the people of Iraq built a statue of that shoe. I think that shows how grateful the Iraqi's were for their "liberation". In the end, the war ended not with surrender on an aircraft carrier, nor with a drawn out peace process in Paris but with a failure between the Iraqi government and the US government to agree on terms to renew the US-Iraqi agreement to keep the troops there. A fitting end to one of the sadder moments of western colonialism.
It also created cultural icons who opposed the war and vaulted a new generation of media pundits in to the limelight. Jon Stewart was virtually unknown on his Daily Show until he became a focus for people who were sick of the shallow reporting on "our fallen heroes" etc. and found his comedy news better than the coverage offered by CNN. Also, people who didn't want to watch a republican and a democrat argue about the same 5 issues over and over again began to watch him. It also vaulted conservative Fox News in to the limelight, as those who felt patriotism = don't question your government allowed the likes of Glenn Beck to predict doom and gloom and use his showmanship to launch his brand of baseless fearmongering in to the national spotlight and make himself a millionnaire in the process. Not that Stewart is financially hurting, but he got it by pointing out the absurdity of this whole debacle, not by telling you that democrat healthcare will lead to Nazi style euthanasia as Beck has done.
As to what we allegedly learned from this. A new generation, who had apparently forgotten the lessons of Vietnam or a new generation of Britons who had forgotten the lessons of, well the last 300 years of their history, supposedly learned to be skeptical of their leaders. To hold those in power accountable for their misdeeds. That you can't force political change with a gun and that intervention in a country's internal politics, no matter how well intentioned, leaves people resentful of you for doing so (as opposed to country A attacks country B so we all go to help country B). However Fox News remains the most popular news broadcast in America and CNN and even the BBC are still running the "fallen heroes" editorials instead of discussing what the hell just happened? My fear is that as a people we learned very little from this disaster that cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars and helped push the western economy in to the worst recession since the depression. The real tragedy are the thousands of dead Iraqi's and the huge numbers of orphans that will grow up blaming the west for their childhoods. Also for the troops who really died and suffered for nothing. The final tragedy is that the makers of all this violence get to live free and wealthy (how big is that Bush ranch again?) while those they hurt will spend a lifetime rebuilding what was taken from them.
Hopefully Iraq folows the path of Vietnam and emerges from a decade of violence strong and independent. Maybe one day we will even be able to visit Baghdad and see the ancient city much in the same way we can now see Hanoi (who'd have imagined that in 1975, or heck 1985?). I also hope that as a species we might have learned something from this and think twice before giving in to baseless fear of the different or unknown............ and as an added bonus if we do make that evolutionary leap we can all see Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs at the unemployment office :)
I remember in 2003 being in Canada, where about 40% of people polled supported the war, including the then leader of the opposition and now Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Bush had sold the world a story of a man who was actively aiding Al Qaeda, building weapons designed to kill millions and that we were mere months away from armageddon. For a US population still in shock over the 9/11 attacks and looking for security the story sold well, with up to 70% of Americans suporting the initial invasion. While nowhere else in the world had even 50% support many leaders followed Bush in, most notably British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to what was sold as a quick war where the occupying forces would be greeted as liberators.
Personally I opposed the invasion as more western colonialism and accused Bush of using 9/11 to manufacture a war that had been the dream of many of the American extreme right for a decade. It fell out fairly close to that as US troops guarded Iraqi oil fields while the Baghdad museum, home to ancient treasures dating back to the dawn of humanity, was looted and priceless object taken or destroyed. To this day the Iraqi government accounts for a quarter of all US arms sales to foreign nations (and has since 2006). The Iraqi government that has been put in place is not ideal for US needs, but with the Islamic parties and the Baath party not allowed to run in elections, it's fairly close (notice that in Egypt or Palestine, where the people rose up on their own, Islamists have done very well in elections). I wonder if, a few years from now, an Islamist party will win a popular election in an Iraq free of US troops. It would be a bit like the iconic evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon in 1975 and is a real possibility.
Outside the US opinion solidified fairly quickly that the Iraq war was a giant manufactured lie. It was shown that the intelligence used to show that Saddam had weapons was horrendously out of date and had already been disproven and of course, there were no weapons there. European leaders who felt that they had been lied to quickly pulled troops out until only Blair and Bush were left towing the war barge. Iraq quickly fell in to a decade of civil war and perhaps the most memorable moment of the invasion was when Bush had a shoe throw at him by a journalist and the people of Iraq built a statue of that shoe. I think that shows how grateful the Iraqi's were for their "liberation". In the end, the war ended not with surrender on an aircraft carrier, nor with a drawn out peace process in Paris but with a failure between the Iraqi government and the US government to agree on terms to renew the US-Iraqi agreement to keep the troops there. A fitting end to one of the sadder moments of western colonialism.
It also created cultural icons who opposed the war and vaulted a new generation of media pundits in to the limelight. Jon Stewart was virtually unknown on his Daily Show until he became a focus for people who were sick of the shallow reporting on "our fallen heroes" etc. and found his comedy news better than the coverage offered by CNN. Also, people who didn't want to watch a republican and a democrat argue about the same 5 issues over and over again began to watch him. It also vaulted conservative Fox News in to the limelight, as those who felt patriotism = don't question your government allowed the likes of Glenn Beck to predict doom and gloom and use his showmanship to launch his brand of baseless fearmongering in to the national spotlight and make himself a millionnaire in the process. Not that Stewart is financially hurting, but he got it by pointing out the absurdity of this whole debacle, not by telling you that democrat healthcare will lead to Nazi style euthanasia as Beck has done.
As to what we allegedly learned from this. A new generation, who had apparently forgotten the lessons of Vietnam or a new generation of Britons who had forgotten the lessons of, well the last 300 years of their history, supposedly learned to be skeptical of their leaders. To hold those in power accountable for their misdeeds. That you can't force political change with a gun and that intervention in a country's internal politics, no matter how well intentioned, leaves people resentful of you for doing so (as opposed to country A attacks country B so we all go to help country B). However Fox News remains the most popular news broadcast in America and CNN and even the BBC are still running the "fallen heroes" editorials instead of discussing what the hell just happened? My fear is that as a people we learned very little from this disaster that cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars and helped push the western economy in to the worst recession since the depression. The real tragedy are the thousands of dead Iraqi's and the huge numbers of orphans that will grow up blaming the west for their childhoods. Also for the troops who really died and suffered for nothing. The final tragedy is that the makers of all this violence get to live free and wealthy (how big is that Bush ranch again?) while those they hurt will spend a lifetime rebuilding what was taken from them.
Hopefully Iraq folows the path of Vietnam and emerges from a decade of violence strong and independent. Maybe one day we will even be able to visit Baghdad and see the ancient city much in the same way we can now see Hanoi (who'd have imagined that in 1975, or heck 1985?). I also hope that as a species we might have learned something from this and think twice before giving in to baseless fear of the different or unknown............ and as an added bonus if we do make that evolutionary leap we can all see Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs at the unemployment office :)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Mun (문) Family Home
Today being a sunny day I decided to brave the subarctic temperatures and make our way to the Mun (spelled Moon for some tourists) house for some sightseeing. The Mun family residence is actually the clan headquarters of the Mun family and is located about twenty minutes from my house. It's not exceptionally old by Korean standards, with the original buildings being made only in the 18th century, but it's a functional clan house and it is located right in the mountains. I took some great pics so here's a few shots:
me by the city wall
an alley in the clan residential area
the wall from the outside
some pine trees near the residence
Korean clans are somewhat similar to Scottish clans in structure, though in modern Korea are far less important than they are in contemporary Scotland. However, they still can determine who you can marry. For example a member of the Gimhae Kim clan who falls in love with another Kim must make sure that they are not also Gimhae Kim or else they can not get married. With Gimhae Kim being the largest Kim clan (and thus something like 8% of the Korean population) it can be a big deal for some people. However in the Joseon period (14th - 20th century) clan membership was very important. The Mun family would be a relatively small clan and would have been yangban (Korean nobility) in Daegu and Gyeongsang province, though be of lesser importance in Seoul. Their house was very well maintained and it looks like the clan puts real effort in to maintaining it.
Next to it it another Joseon era building, a seowon. Seowon's are the original hagwon's and were places where yangban studied Confucian texts with learned masters. The most famous one is Deosan Seowon in Andong and it is so revered that it is on the 1000won ($1) note (that's right, there's a hagwon on the Korean $1 bill). This one was very small in contrast and closed, but I still took a few pictures of the outside of it:
the entrance
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
It was a great day out and it was a chance to see a bit of local history, even if we had a daytime high of -2.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
winter weeks
Apologies for the lack of posts of late, but with winter rolling in here in Korea there just isn't much to write about. During the week I'm working and after work it is so frickin' cold that I just want to duck back home and turn on the heat. I have managed a few dinners out with the Hwang family, Geoff, coworkers and other friends.
Christmas is looking to be me mostly skyping with family and drinking coffee (perfect) but the week after that I have a four day New Years break. Not long enough to fly off to Japan or anything, but certainly enough to hit Busan or Seochang and maybe go west on a bus. In fact in that respect my vacation time has been set, with two short vacations this winter and a longer one this summer.
Finally, I've managed to find a place to stream Korean TV with English subtitles. The romantic drama's have made chick flick from the states seem reasonable but their historical epics are actually pretty good. Good find as at 1145am it's -3 outside.
Hope everyone stays warm today^^
Christmas is looking to be me mostly skyping with family and drinking coffee (perfect) but the week after that I have a four day New Years break. Not long enough to fly off to Japan or anything, but certainly enough to hit Busan or Seochang and maybe go west on a bus. In fact in that respect my vacation time has been set, with two short vacations this winter and a longer one this summer.
Finally, I've managed to find a place to stream Korean TV with English subtitles. The romantic drama's have made chick flick from the states seem reasonable but their historical epics are actually pretty good. Good find as at 1145am it's -3 outside.
Hope everyone stays warm today^^
Monday, December 12, 2011
anyone else have bronze age burial grounds in their neighbourhood?
Cause I do.
I discovered them On Sunday when we went for a walk after having a lazy sleep in after a busy(ish) Saturday.
Saturday morning was one of my three Saturday work days (as mentioned previously). I was there at 10:30 and out by two. It was actually okay, and some student presentations were great. Also, unlike the one presentation I did at SEI these ones are just done at the school. After that it was Mike's birthday so we went downtown to an all you can eat place and fed well. They were off to booze and club so I decided to go home and relax. Given that it was a work day it was good.
Sunday I had talked about going to Dodong Seowon or the Moon Family residence (both later Joseon era buildings, around the 17th century) but slept in a bit and so decided just to see some ruins that were walking distance from my place. Well walking distance means 15 minutes and ruins means bronze age burial mounds.
In reality it was some carefully stacked cut rocks with a large rock in the middle that had various symbols carved in to it. It was amazing mostly because it was over 2000 years old and the people there were obviously of some importance to the culture living there. Since this was done before the introduction of writing we don't know who they are or who is buried there, but that just adds to the mystery. It was only discovered in the 1990's as development rolled in to the area (it's strange to see various high rise apartments and 4-5 story walkups surrounding this little park with a bronze age monument, but that's Korea :P) and was surveyed by a team from Kyungpook University before teh city council made it a park to protect it from development. It's a great little thing to have so close to where i live, I'm sure I'll go back.
Overall it was a good, quiet weekend.
I discovered them On Sunday when we went for a walk after having a lazy sleep in after a busy(ish) Saturday.
Saturday morning was one of my three Saturday work days (as mentioned previously). I was there at 10:30 and out by two. It was actually okay, and some student presentations were great. Also, unlike the one presentation I did at SEI these ones are just done at the school. After that it was Mike's birthday so we went downtown to an all you can eat place and fed well. They were off to booze and club so I decided to go home and relax. Given that it was a work day it was good.
Sunday I had talked about going to Dodong Seowon or the Moon Family residence (both later Joseon era buildings, around the 17th century) but slept in a bit and so decided just to see some ruins that were walking distance from my place. Well walking distance means 15 minutes and ruins means bronze age burial mounds.
In reality it was some carefully stacked cut rocks with a large rock in the middle that had various symbols carved in to it. It was amazing mostly because it was over 2000 years old and the people there were obviously of some importance to the culture living there. Since this was done before the introduction of writing we don't know who they are or who is buried there, but that just adds to the mystery. It was only discovered in the 1990's as development rolled in to the area (it's strange to see various high rise apartments and 4-5 story walkups surrounding this little park with a bronze age monument, but that's Korea :P) and was surveyed by a team from Kyungpook University before teh city council made it a park to protect it from development. It's a great little thing to have so close to where i live, I'm sure I'll go back.
Overall it was a good, quiet weekend.
Friday, December 9, 2011
SMOE to cut 700 native teacher jobs in 2012
read a brief summary here.
Now I know some people are already saying that the jig is up. Korea has opted out of English. The esl community here will be dead soon. No more cushy high paying, low responsibility public school positions with optional sobriety! (.......well the last one is accurate). Seoul city went on the hiring spree to end all hiring sprees last year, hiring a Native English Teacher (NET) for every elementary, middle and high school in the city. That's over 1200 people. Most of these people are fresh of the boat uni grads who have nothing but their BA in Criminology which apparently is enough to teach English in Korea with absolutely no job training in their home country or in Korea (note, THAT failure is solely the responsibility of the Seoul Ministry of Education (SMOE) and not the fault of the 23 year old who applied for an available job, was hired, showed up on Sunday and was told to "go teach" on Monday). They have now decided to scale that number back. However, it's a small adjustment that really does makes sense given the cost of hiring so many people and bringing them over.
First, out of 22,000 E2 visa holders plus all the F visa holders there will be 700 less jobs, and I wonder how many hagwons will expand/open to fill the void? The fact is that the market will NOT become "flooded" with esl teachers. What will happen is that people will start to lose jobs for which they are thoroughly unqualified. I mean, the example 23 year old with a Criminology degree shows up in Seoul on a flight paid for by the Korean government. They get free accommodation in a world class city, a generous (relative to Korean standards) salary and 5 official weeks vacation (which does not include all the random days off, test days etc. where most teachers either play on facebook all day or else don't have to show up at all) and more if they can opt out (and want to opt out) or winter and summer camps. Now I know stories range from school to school and some teachers work long hours and don't have as many random days, but the fact remains that it is a relative gravy train for someone who's use is highly debatable in the first place. If some of these people want to stay in Korea, they will have to get TOEFL's (not online) and get hagwon jobs or else get relevant qualifications to teach (which you CAN do in Korea if you wish). These jobs are still readily available, but more and more you will actually have to show some ability or qualification to do the job. The simple truth is that if you don't know what a verb is you aren't qualified to teach anything but Phonetics to a pre-schooler.
Second, there's the turnover rate among NET's meaning that of the 550 that are staying in Seoul would be close to the number that would be renewing anyway. It also brings the number in line with other major Korea cities. For example (these number have not been fact checked so feel free to do so if they're way off) Daegu has about 300 NET's with a population of around 3 million. Busan has about 350 with a population of around 4.5 million. Seoul City (minus Incheon, Suwon etc.) has a population of around 10 million. In that sense 550 seems a reasonable number, especially if some will work in more than one school as has been suggested.
Also, hiring some 23 year old with a Criminology degree to teach English at a public school is... well dumb. For hagwon's I'd argue that a BA and a TEOFL/TEFL/CELTA is probably enough, but public school teaching is different, or at least it should be. Could you imagine what would happen in the US, Canada, Ireland etc. if the government decided everyone had to learn French and proceeded to hire a bunch of 23-35 year olds with no relevant education just because they happened to be from France, Quebec or West Africa? Now I am a big believer in the idea that a native speaker is essential when learning another language. Many Korean english teachers still say stuff like "You are from Canada, how about there?" However, 1200+ in Seoul alone seems excessive.
I also think many esl teachers have done this to themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've heard Koreans complain about their native teacher. Stories ranging from "he comes in hung over and stinking of booze every day" to "we called her at two and she had gone home with some random GI after being out til six on a Wednesday and was in some hotel across town." You have been hired to do a job. If you want to backpack Asia, boozing and getting up at noon, do that. Don't take a job and show up and act like an idiot and then get upset when you don't keep your desireable, well financed job. Also, the arguement that Koreans do it too doesn't fly as if a Korean shows up late with a story like that then they will be fired immediately and although coming in hungover is acceptable sometimes (much moreso than in the west), stinking of booze and talking about "how shittered" you got last night isn't and you don't hear the Koreans doing that. I know this isn't everybody that comes over, and I know many 23 year olds show up and do a great job but there are simply too many who treat their year(s) here as a holiday. Perhaps a measure that will weed out the idiots and get people who actually want to do the job they were hired to do (which includes MANY that are here now) isn't a bad thing at all.
This has happened before in the esl industry. In the 70's Japan was the place to go. You a functioning alcoholic with some education? Come live in Tokyo and be a teacher! Then the Japanese stopped and did some evaluations. The fact is that jobs in Japanese public schools are still readily available, but most people in them have a BA and an education degree, or an MA, or at least an English major. They also can lose their jobs if they under-perform as they have to pay their own way over and only get reinbursed if they finish their contract successfully. While I think Japan has gone too far the other way (it has been said that Japan speaks to the world through translators) certainly places like Singapore or Hong Kong seem to have found a happy balance. Teaching at a Hong Kong private school involves a real interview, and only people with education degrees or MA's in linguistics, education, TOEFL etc. are usually interviewed.
At the end of the day, very few people will notice the difference. EPIK may follow suit and drop some people, the economy isn't what it used to be, but I do think that hagwon work will fill the void. The real losers in that situation are the kids who can't afford private lessons at academies, although I don't know how much 2 hours a week saying "hello, where are you from?" with a westerner is going to teach them, at least it's something. I also think that Korea will (or should) follow the Hong Kong example. A smaller number of qualified teachers making a decent salary rather than cheap (relative to what HK teachers make) white people hired by the dozen. As to people in Korea now, many universities offer course based MA's in TOEFL, linguistics or even Asian studies (at least you'll be writing papers and studying a second language) in English. Do one. It's usually a year to 18 months (24-36 part time) and when you are finished you will have real qualifications. Most MA's here transfer to your own country either as an MA or as course credit towards one. Otherwise education degrees take a year in most western countries.
Finally, it wasn't that long ago that my fictional 23 year old with a Criminology degree could get a job teaching English at a UNIVERSITY. I mean, in Canada you can't even be a TA at a uni unless you are an MA student. Imagine signing up at your university for a French class and having a teacher with a Criminology degree walk in and not know the answer to your simple grammar questions... I'd want a refund. Well now that is increasingly rare in Korea and no one seems to be surprised, although it wasn't that long ago that the same objections were raised about weeding out Uni profs with no relevant experience, saying that it would raise the cost of English education in post secondary institutions. I think public schools are following suit.
So what it comes down to is this: you have a BA and maybe a TOEFL. You will be working hagwons.
You have an MA, and education degree or some other relevant qualifications. You can work public schools.
OR-
Next month some new policy will take effect with the government and everything I have just written will be irrelevant.
Now I know some people are already saying that the jig is up. Korea has opted out of English. The esl community here will be dead soon. No more cushy high paying, low responsibility public school positions with optional sobriety! (.......well the last one is accurate). Seoul city went on the hiring spree to end all hiring sprees last year, hiring a Native English Teacher (NET) for every elementary, middle and high school in the city. That's over 1200 people. Most of these people are fresh of the boat uni grads who have nothing but their BA in Criminology which apparently is enough to teach English in Korea with absolutely no job training in their home country or in Korea (note, THAT failure is solely the responsibility of the Seoul Ministry of Education (SMOE) and not the fault of the 23 year old who applied for an available job, was hired, showed up on Sunday and was told to "go teach" on Monday). They have now decided to scale that number back. However, it's a small adjustment that really does makes sense given the cost of hiring so many people and bringing them over.
First, out of 22,000 E2 visa holders plus all the F visa holders there will be 700 less jobs, and I wonder how many hagwons will expand/open to fill the void? The fact is that the market will NOT become "flooded" with esl teachers. What will happen is that people will start to lose jobs for which they are thoroughly unqualified. I mean, the example 23 year old with a Criminology degree shows up in Seoul on a flight paid for by the Korean government. They get free accommodation in a world class city, a generous (relative to Korean standards) salary and 5 official weeks vacation (which does not include all the random days off, test days etc. where most teachers either play on facebook all day or else don't have to show up at all) and more if they can opt out (and want to opt out) or winter and summer camps. Now I know stories range from school to school and some teachers work long hours and don't have as many random days, but the fact remains that it is a relative gravy train for someone who's use is highly debatable in the first place. If some of these people want to stay in Korea, they will have to get TOEFL's (not online) and get hagwon jobs or else get relevant qualifications to teach (which you CAN do in Korea if you wish). These jobs are still readily available, but more and more you will actually have to show some ability or qualification to do the job. The simple truth is that if you don't know what a verb is you aren't qualified to teach anything but Phonetics to a pre-schooler.
Second, there's the turnover rate among NET's meaning that of the 550 that are staying in Seoul would be close to the number that would be renewing anyway. It also brings the number in line with other major Korea cities. For example (these number have not been fact checked so feel free to do so if they're way off) Daegu has about 300 NET's with a population of around 3 million. Busan has about 350 with a population of around 4.5 million. Seoul City (minus Incheon, Suwon etc.) has a population of around 10 million. In that sense 550 seems a reasonable number, especially if some will work in more than one school as has been suggested.
Also, hiring some 23 year old with a Criminology degree to teach English at a public school is... well dumb. For hagwon's I'd argue that a BA and a TEOFL/TEFL/CELTA is probably enough, but public school teaching is different, or at least it should be. Could you imagine what would happen in the US, Canada, Ireland etc. if the government decided everyone had to learn French and proceeded to hire a bunch of 23-35 year olds with no relevant education just because they happened to be from France, Quebec or West Africa? Now I am a big believer in the idea that a native speaker is essential when learning another language. Many Korean english teachers still say stuff like "You are from Canada, how about there?" However, 1200+ in Seoul alone seems excessive.
I also think many esl teachers have done this to themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've heard Koreans complain about their native teacher. Stories ranging from "he comes in hung over and stinking of booze every day" to "we called her at two and she had gone home with some random GI after being out til six on a Wednesday and was in some hotel across town." You have been hired to do a job. If you want to backpack Asia, boozing and getting up at noon, do that. Don't take a job and show up and act like an idiot and then get upset when you don't keep your desireable, well financed job. Also, the arguement that Koreans do it too doesn't fly as if a Korean shows up late with a story like that then they will be fired immediately and although coming in hungover is acceptable sometimes (much moreso than in the west), stinking of booze and talking about "how shittered" you got last night isn't and you don't hear the Koreans doing that. I know this isn't everybody that comes over, and I know many 23 year olds show up and do a great job but there are simply too many who treat their year(s) here as a holiday. Perhaps a measure that will weed out the idiots and get people who actually want to do the job they were hired to do (which includes MANY that are here now) isn't a bad thing at all.
This has happened before in the esl industry. In the 70's Japan was the place to go. You a functioning alcoholic with some education? Come live in Tokyo and be a teacher! Then the Japanese stopped and did some evaluations. The fact is that jobs in Japanese public schools are still readily available, but most people in them have a BA and an education degree, or an MA, or at least an English major. They also can lose their jobs if they under-perform as they have to pay their own way over and only get reinbursed if they finish their contract successfully. While I think Japan has gone too far the other way (it has been said that Japan speaks to the world through translators) certainly places like Singapore or Hong Kong seem to have found a happy balance. Teaching at a Hong Kong private school involves a real interview, and only people with education degrees or MA's in linguistics, education, TOEFL etc. are usually interviewed.
At the end of the day, very few people will notice the difference. EPIK may follow suit and drop some people, the economy isn't what it used to be, but I do think that hagwon work will fill the void. The real losers in that situation are the kids who can't afford private lessons at academies, although I don't know how much 2 hours a week saying "hello, where are you from?" with a westerner is going to teach them, at least it's something. I also think that Korea will (or should) follow the Hong Kong example. A smaller number of qualified teachers making a decent salary rather than cheap (relative to what HK teachers make) white people hired by the dozen. As to people in Korea now, many universities offer course based MA's in TOEFL, linguistics or even Asian studies (at least you'll be writing papers and studying a second language) in English. Do one. It's usually a year to 18 months (24-36 part time) and when you are finished you will have real qualifications. Most MA's here transfer to your own country either as an MA or as course credit towards one. Otherwise education degrees take a year in most western countries.
Finally, it wasn't that long ago that my fictional 23 year old with a Criminology degree could get a job teaching English at a UNIVERSITY. I mean, in Canada you can't even be a TA at a uni unless you are an MA student. Imagine signing up at your university for a French class and having a teacher with a Criminology degree walk in and not know the answer to your simple grammar questions... I'd want a refund. Well now that is increasingly rare in Korea and no one seems to be surprised, although it wasn't that long ago that the same objections were raised about weeding out Uni profs with no relevant experience, saying that it would raise the cost of English education in post secondary institutions. I think public schools are following suit.
So what it comes down to is this: you have a BA and maybe a TOEFL. You will be working hagwons.
You have an MA, and education degree or some other relevant qualifications. You can work public schools.
OR-
Next month some new policy will take effect with the government and everything I have just written will be irrelevant.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
working on a Saturday
well in my contract it says that I must work 3 Saturdays in a year.... not bad at all and I can't really complain as it's 1030-1 and it's watching my students give presentations. It's a great way to gauge how well they are doing and it's over early.
What I was a little annoyed about is that we only found out on Wednesday, and then through our coteacher who asked if we were going to the lunch after the presentation. What presentation? What lunch? Our boss insisted that she had told us but as all three of us had no idea my guess is that she had talked about presentations (which we actually thought was for their public school) and assumed we just knew the rest. I was supposed to go to a wedding for my old coworker Sally but I'm not sure I'll be making that now, which is also frustrating as I said I'd be there. I'll probably just bolt after the reception and see what I can do.
Being how good the school has been so far and that this is the first real issue I've had I've just decided to let it go. My boss is great and I think with the new semester starting Dec 2nd my guess is it just slipped her mind. What can you do right?
What I was a little annoyed about is that we only found out on Wednesday, and then through our coteacher who asked if we were going to the lunch after the presentation. What presentation? What lunch? Our boss insisted that she had told us but as all three of us had no idea my guess is that she had talked about presentations (which we actually thought was for their public school) and assumed we just knew the rest. I was supposed to go to a wedding for my old coworker Sally but I'm not sure I'll be making that now, which is also frustrating as I said I'd be there. I'll probably just bolt after the reception and see what I can do.
Being how good the school has been so far and that this is the first real issue I've had I've just decided to let it go. My boss is great and I think with the new semester starting Dec 2nd my guess is it just slipped her mind. What can you do right?
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Korean Unification in the 21st Century
My friend Jason posted a great link from the BBC on the new Korean online channel dedicated to reunification. The network has been started as a response to the sheer number of young people who seem to simply not care about the north anymore. It argues that while the first two generations of the post-1953 division had real family links, the younger generation (say under 30) has virtually none that it knows about. It's an interesting situation and the BBC does a decent job of describing the channel. Officially there is one Korea, as both sides claim ownership of the whole nation. In Korea maps show one nation and no one uses the term "South Korea." Unofficially however, Koreans know that there is in effect two states and for younger people, the north seems a largely irrelevant issue.
I know in my own experiences talking with Korean friends it does seem like a distant issue. People whos great grandmothers were in Seoul and who's great uncles were in Kaesong (just across the border) were ripped apart during the war and never allowed to see each other again. I have one example of a friend whos grandmother and great aunt were on a shopping trip to Seoul (the family was from just outside of Pyeongyang). They went down for a week long summer vacation when the north invaded. While every detail wasn't shared with me, what happened was after the war they were in Daegu and although you had, in theory, 90 days to choose which side of the border to live on in reality you didn't. So after 90 days the border was shut and the girls never saw their older brother or parents again and have never even been able to find out what happened to them. That is just one of thousands of heartbreaking stories that come out of that generation. For people who lived through that time one can understand how reunification was seen as so important.
However, for their grandchildren they have, at most, aunts, uncles and cousins up in the north at this point, and most have less than that. They have also never met these relatives. I know I have cousins who I have never really met and who I might have trouble naming. For many of these people it's the same thing. The north is an annoyance and reunification a secondary problem. Since reunification will almost certainly occur as the north crumbles and is absorbed by the south it will be a major economic blow to the south (some estimates say it will cost $100 billion US to the south's economy). In a nation with an excess of university students and record high prices for food and housing (relative to the country, no Canadian would complain about what $600/m would get you here apartment wise) it's a borderline unwelcome blow that one friend says she hopes will happen when she is in her 50's and economically stable. Most young south Koreans are caught in a culture and generational gap where they are still expected to care for their parents financially and pay for their childrens education and housing through to their marriage and do this in a society that is rapidly westernizing and where this expectation is no longer a realistic one. The kids are obsessed with education and smart phones and the 20 and 30 somethings are adjusting to this cultural shift as best they can. With these circumstances you can understand why the north just isn't the issue it once was among anyone under 40.
Also there's the fact that for young Koreans, American movies and music, Japanese animation and European food have a far greater impact on their culture and daily lives than the north. While everyone seems to agree that unification should happen, the simple fact is that more Koreans visit the US, Japan, Taiwan and a host of SE Asian nations with far greater frequency than they do the north. In fact, I would argue that a young couple living in Gangnam, Seoul has far more in common with their counterparts in Los Angeles, Hong Kong or Tokyo than they do with their counterparts in Pyeongyang. Reunification would, at this point, bring two very alien groups together. Yes they have a common language and a shared history going back 1500 years that can not be easily dismissed, but the last 60 years have created two different realities. I mean, north Koreans don't even know what Starcraft is!
However, I'm glad that some people in the Korean government are still paying attention and want the new generation engaged, because whether it's a military coup, civilian food riots, a war or something else the north will collapse, and probably in my lifetime. Whether or not the two Koreas ever reunite is still unknown, but no matter what happens the south will bare the brunt of it and younger people need to be ready for that.
I know in my own experiences talking with Korean friends it does seem like a distant issue. People whos great grandmothers were in Seoul and who's great uncles were in Kaesong (just across the border) were ripped apart during the war and never allowed to see each other again. I have one example of a friend whos grandmother and great aunt were on a shopping trip to Seoul (the family was from just outside of Pyeongyang). They went down for a week long summer vacation when the north invaded. While every detail wasn't shared with me, what happened was after the war they were in Daegu and although you had, in theory, 90 days to choose which side of the border to live on in reality you didn't. So after 90 days the border was shut and the girls never saw their older brother or parents again and have never even been able to find out what happened to them. That is just one of thousands of heartbreaking stories that come out of that generation. For people who lived through that time one can understand how reunification was seen as so important.
However, for their grandchildren they have, at most, aunts, uncles and cousins up in the north at this point, and most have less than that. They have also never met these relatives. I know I have cousins who I have never really met and who I might have trouble naming. For many of these people it's the same thing. The north is an annoyance and reunification a secondary problem. Since reunification will almost certainly occur as the north crumbles and is absorbed by the south it will be a major economic blow to the south (some estimates say it will cost $100 billion US to the south's economy). In a nation with an excess of university students and record high prices for food and housing (relative to the country, no Canadian would complain about what $600/m would get you here apartment wise) it's a borderline unwelcome blow that one friend says she hopes will happen when she is in her 50's and economically stable. Most young south Koreans are caught in a culture and generational gap where they are still expected to care for their parents financially and pay for their childrens education and housing through to their marriage and do this in a society that is rapidly westernizing and where this expectation is no longer a realistic one. The kids are obsessed with education and smart phones and the 20 and 30 somethings are adjusting to this cultural shift as best they can. With these circumstances you can understand why the north just isn't the issue it once was among anyone under 40.
Also there's the fact that for young Koreans, American movies and music, Japanese animation and European food have a far greater impact on their culture and daily lives than the north. While everyone seems to agree that unification should happen, the simple fact is that more Koreans visit the US, Japan, Taiwan and a host of SE Asian nations with far greater frequency than they do the north. In fact, I would argue that a young couple living in Gangnam, Seoul has far more in common with their counterparts in Los Angeles, Hong Kong or Tokyo than they do with their counterparts in Pyeongyang. Reunification would, at this point, bring two very alien groups together. Yes they have a common language and a shared history going back 1500 years that can not be easily dismissed, but the last 60 years have created two different realities. I mean, north Koreans don't even know what Starcraft is!
However, I'm glad that some people in the Korean government are still paying attention and want the new generation engaged, because whether it's a military coup, civilian food riots, a war or something else the north will collapse, and probably in my lifetime. Whether or not the two Koreas ever reunite is still unknown, but no matter what happens the south will bare the brunt of it and younger people need to be ready for that.
Friday, December 2, 2011
eating 족발
so after work on Friday I ran down to homeplus to grab a few essentials (tp and makkeoli) and then went for a long walk up to the base of Apsan where I often walk after work. It's about 30-40 minutes each way (depending on my pace/how far up I go) and a great walk at night. On my way back I stopped off at a few vendors to pick up some veggies and some meat. Well an old guy was selling an undisclosed meat that smelled great and was down to 7000 won from the usual 10,000 (so about $6.50 down from $9.50) so I bought it, took it home and tried some. It was chewy, really chewy.... almost rubbery. It tasted like pork I used to get in Hong Kong and it's about the most delicious thing I ate while there so I began eating it up.
It was Chokbal.
Now Korean in one of those languages where every word has more than one meaning and there is more than one word for everything, due to the influx of Chinese words in classical times, so for example "배" can mean boat, stomach, pear or behind depending on context and the hanja. Therefore I ignored the "발" as it must have more meanings than "foot".
Well it still might but I'll have to look it up later. I had picked up a piece of meat which was unmistakably a pig's hoof (Koreans don't have the same need to hide what their meat is through selective cutting, and they eat all of it). In fact, "족" is the Chinese work for foot, so the dish translates as foot foot. In fact the full name of this dish was : 서울왕족발 or Seoul King foot foot.
Ack, ewwww. Pigs feet! That's gross, that's awful that's....... well really quite delicious and actually very healthy. While I had never planned to eat pigs feet they are actually really good and I'm glad I accidentally did. While it isn't quite fried spider or silk worm larvae on the list of weird stuff I've eaten it's a fun story.
It was Chokbal.
Now Korean in one of those languages where every word has more than one meaning and there is more than one word for everything, due to the influx of Chinese words in classical times, so for example "배" can mean boat, stomach, pear or behind depending on context and the hanja. Therefore I ignored the "발" as it must have more meanings than "foot".
Well it still might but I'll have to look it up later. I had picked up a piece of meat which was unmistakably a pig's hoof (Koreans don't have the same need to hide what their meat is through selective cutting, and they eat all of it). In fact, "족" is the Chinese work for foot, so the dish translates as foot foot. In fact the full name of this dish was : 서울왕족발 or Seoul King foot foot.
Ack, ewwww. Pigs feet! That's gross, that's awful that's....... well really quite delicious and actually very healthy. While I had never planned to eat pigs feet they are actually really good and I'm glad I accidentally did. While it isn't quite fried spider or silk worm larvae on the list of weird stuff I've eaten it's a fun story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)