It was a great five day weekend before my two weeks off :P I mostly stayed in Daegu but managed to see a few things that I hadn't seen before and have a solid, relaxing holiday.
On Tuesday after work I went up to the lake park for outdoor BBQ and campfire with Zeke and friends of his. A great atmosphere and decent meat. On Wednesday Yen came over and we went across town with her friends to Ariana hotel. I had heard about it for years but never been. I would certainly go again. With a live band and buffet the only thing I didn't much care for was the rude bartenders (poor customer service is more common in Korea than in Canada, but rude customer service is unheard of). Otherwise a great night.
Thursday we got up early and headed off to Palgongsan. Hoe to the giant Buddha and a cable car that, as it turns out, I have never been on before. The views from the top were amazing and worth the 90 minute commute.
Friday night Darren came down from Gumi, I hadn't seen him in moths and it was great to catch up over some sake. Really hoping it isn't another six months before he comes down (or I go up there).
Saturday Yen had to work so I had my first lazy day, watching Yankees/Red Sox. Looks like NY is out this postseason but given their injuries it is amazing that they were even in the running for so long. I hope this is A-Roid's last run but I do hope Ichiro comes back for one more season. There's a guy who should have a World Series ring.
Saturday night and Sunday I spent with Yen watching movies and hanging out. We did make a quick mission out to Suseong Lake but the wind and consequent lack of paddleboats made for a very quick return trip.
Overall an amazing Chuseok.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
They Just Don't Make Movies "Like" That Anymore.
They make the same films.
I know this topic is something old people do. Here's how it is done in music:
I know this topic is something old people do. Here's how it is done in music:
share this if you want
the world to know you are old
and washed up.
Cause comparing Freddie Mercury to Justin Bieber is fair. How about comparing Bieber to some of Mercury's contemporaries? Oh yeah, we've all had 40 years to forget about Ram Jam and Lulu. Remember that in 1968 Lulu and the Monkees both outsold the Beatles. Let that sink in.
But with movies I feel it is different. They ARE making the exact same movies. I remember going to Batman in 1989 as a very young boy. Guess what I go to now? Now granted the new films were great (well the first two anyway) but it is still Batman.
Star Trek might be my favourite example. The new Abrams film might be the worst film I have ever seen. Silly plot, silly depictions of classic characters and remember, if you stick an upper class Englishman in a big coat and make him temperamental you have a villain every time. Ricardo Montalban was scary, that Khan was not a guy you wanted to fuck with. This new one seems like the guy who calls his lawyers over a parking ticket. Also, why is a pasty white guy in his 20's playing an Indian warlord who is supposed to be in his 40's? Ricardo Montalban was 46 when he played Khan in 1966 and 62 in 1982 when they made the film. Isn't that like having Chris Brown play Hitler?
One of these Khan's is going to
kill Kirk after he drops his niece off at
soccer practice and gets a latte.
The Hobbit is another great example. Lord of the Rings (a classic set of films, the first one came out when I was still in High School). Lets take Frodo light and stick him with Dwarves that belong in Snow White rather than the Hobbit novel.
Superman, Predator, Alien, Terminator, Die Hard, XMen. I watched them in High School and most of them on VHS. Classic films. We don't need 12 sequels. Wolverine is played out. Terminator's seem ineffective at killing anything at this point. Alien is after sexy college co-eds. Right now I am waiting for the Godfather remake starring Charlie Sheen and a rapper.
I don't complain that movies aren't what they used to be, I complain that they are exactly what they used to be, but dumbed down for the NASCAR crowd (Star Trek) or with pointless changes to try and keep in fresh (John Connor is a mutant?!?!). Most of my favourite movies are a few years old now (Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Bridge on the River Kwai) but they are solid and original films. I like Batman, but there is only so many times and ways you can tell that same story.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Things Koreans Believe About Learning English That Aren't True
Well it is the elephant in the room in Korea that this country spends more on English education than anywhere else on earth and yet very, very few people speak it with much fluency. There are a few things against them becoming fluent, the most obvious is that the two languages, Korean and English, are just so much different. However there are several ideas ingrained in to Korean education that simply do not work in language acquisition. Here are a few of my favourites-
Your accent matters-
Koreans are adamant that they want U.S English. I get it to a point as Korea's largest trading partner is the U.S, the U.S/ROK defence treaty is a part of every Koreans life and the number of overseas Koreans in the U.S. exceeds all other nations combined. However, the accent of your teacher has zero effect on your ability to learn U.S English. My accent is a west coast North American one, it always will be. I may pick up British slang if I live in the U.K but I won't be saying "maths" or dropping my "R's" unless I am trying too hard, and no one seems to hate that more than the Brits. I will never be able to pull off being British and I would be stupid to try. Along those same lines Koreans will always have a Korean accent. No one will mistake them for a native English speaker, ever. Even if they speak with fluency there will always be Koreanised English. Koreans talk about their health as a condition, saying "my condition is poor." That sounds odd to native speakers of every country and I am sure they didn't learn that from us (it makes us sound like a broken car). The way they mix up popular and famous is a uniquely Korean take on English as well ("this restaurant is very famous in Daegu."). There is no academic or even observational evidence that my "North American" accent (cause of course Alabama, Nova Scotia, New England, Chicago and Vancouver all have the same accent....) makes me a better English teacher. I tend to think doing my MA in linguistics makes me a better teacher, but here that actual qualification goes second in priority to my coveted accent. In the job market accent (along with gender and age) seem to get more priority at many schools than actual qualifications. "Oh you are 45 with a Master's degree in Linguistics and a teacher certificate? Oh sorry, you are from Bristol. We are going to hire this 22 year old girl from New York with a degree in music instead." Now if you want to teach American spelling to keep it simple for the kids that makes sense. But us Canadians write like Brits, yet we are coveted for our accents. This blog is set to "English-United Kingdom". When in class I drop the 'u' in colour. I am sure that most British and Australian citizens can master this feat of intellect and spell "theatre" as "theater."
Living overseas matters-
It can. If a Korean moves to Toronto and hangs out with Canadians they will improve their English immensely. But often as not they hang out with a Korean expat community. I remember back at SEI we had a teacher who went to University of Toronto for four years. She had come back and thought she was hot shit. Our boss and another teacher, neither of whom had spent much time outside of Daegu, both had English that was much better. This girl constantly mixed up plurals, couldn't distinguish 'r' from 'l', would mix up 'bye', 'by' and 'buy' etc. Well a quick chat confirmed that she had dated a bi-lingual Korean-Canadian, spent all her time in Toronto's Korea-town eating Korean food and drinking soju. Most importantly, she only ever spoke Korean. Well por years rater she is happy por beings back home in Kolea. Immersion work, going to another country doesn't. The sheer number of ESL teachers and migrant workers here who can't speak Korean should make that obvious.
Your English is a social status-
Some Koreans may believe this but few westerners do. I may complement someone who speaks English well, but I would compliment them just as much if they did something else well. Speaking English allows you to communicate with around 60% of the world (who speak it as a first or second language). You can go anywhere using English and get by without any hassle. It does not make you a better or more intelligent person.
Grammar-translation/Audio-linguistics and testing = fluency-
Students across Korea study vocabulary for tests. They do this at school and at hagwon. They must learn 200 words a week. Complete waste of time. Without context they are just words. I can study the same Korean word 10 times and not remember it. Use it once in the context of a sentence or my life, I'll remember it. I may remember a few words that I study but I can't tell you how many students take these tests, then I quiz them by using the word in a sentence within 30 minutes of the test and they have completely forgotten it. Your ability to pass an English test does not equate to your ability to use the language. I can read a lot of French, a leftover from a Canadian public school education. Can't speak a word of it (in fact it often comes out in Korean when I try). I met a wonderful French family in the Philippines last spring. I could not communicate with any except the bilingual mom but could navigate their i-pad to show their kids pictures of Canada and Korea without them translating for me. I was taught using Audio-lingual and Grammar-translation methods. The only test that matters in language acquisition is whether or not you can chat with a native speaker fluently. Asking me where I am prom 50 times does not count.
In India they hire professional educators. Indians speak 2-3 languages fluently. In Europe they do the same and how many Europeans speak 3-4 languages fluently. I met a Dutch guy in Thailand who spoke Dutch, English and French fluently and spoke a respectable amount of Thai as well.
Your accent matters-
Koreans are adamant that they want U.S English. I get it to a point as Korea's largest trading partner is the U.S, the U.S/ROK defence treaty is a part of every Koreans life and the number of overseas Koreans in the U.S. exceeds all other nations combined. However, the accent of your teacher has zero effect on your ability to learn U.S English. My accent is a west coast North American one, it always will be. I may pick up British slang if I live in the U.K but I won't be saying "maths" or dropping my "R's" unless I am trying too hard, and no one seems to hate that more than the Brits. I will never be able to pull off being British and I would be stupid to try. Along those same lines Koreans will always have a Korean accent. No one will mistake them for a native English speaker, ever. Even if they speak with fluency there will always be Koreanised English. Koreans talk about their health as a condition, saying "my condition is poor." That sounds odd to native speakers of every country and I am sure they didn't learn that from us (it makes us sound like a broken car). The way they mix up popular and famous is a uniquely Korean take on English as well ("this restaurant is very famous in Daegu."). There is no academic or even observational evidence that my "North American" accent (cause of course Alabama, Nova Scotia, New England, Chicago and Vancouver all have the same accent....) makes me a better English teacher. I tend to think doing my MA in linguistics makes me a better teacher, but here that actual qualification goes second in priority to my coveted accent. In the job market accent (along with gender and age) seem to get more priority at many schools than actual qualifications. "Oh you are 45 with a Master's degree in Linguistics and a teacher certificate? Oh sorry, you are from Bristol. We are going to hire this 22 year old girl from New York with a degree in music instead." Now if you want to teach American spelling to keep it simple for the kids that makes sense. But us Canadians write like Brits, yet we are coveted for our accents. This blog is set to "English-United Kingdom". When in class I drop the 'u' in colour. I am sure that most British and Australian citizens can master this feat of intellect and spell "theatre" as "theater."
Living overseas matters-
It can. If a Korean moves to Toronto and hangs out with Canadians they will improve their English immensely. But often as not they hang out with a Korean expat community. I remember back at SEI we had a teacher who went to University of Toronto for four years. She had come back and thought she was hot shit. Our boss and another teacher, neither of whom had spent much time outside of Daegu, both had English that was much better. This girl constantly mixed up plurals, couldn't distinguish 'r' from 'l', would mix up 'bye', 'by' and 'buy' etc. Well a quick chat confirmed that she had dated a bi-lingual Korean-Canadian, spent all her time in Toronto's Korea-town eating Korean food and drinking soju. Most importantly, she only ever spoke Korean. Well por years rater she is happy por beings back home in Kolea. Immersion work, going to another country doesn't. The sheer number of ESL teachers and migrant workers here who can't speak Korean should make that obvious.
Your English is a social status-
Some Koreans may believe this but few westerners do. I may complement someone who speaks English well, but I would compliment them just as much if they did something else well. Speaking English allows you to communicate with around 60% of the world (who speak it as a first or second language). You can go anywhere using English and get by without any hassle. It does not make you a better or more intelligent person.
Grammar-translation/Audio-linguistics and testing = fluency-
Students across Korea study vocabulary for tests. They do this at school and at hagwon. They must learn 200 words a week. Complete waste of time. Without context they are just words. I can study the same Korean word 10 times and not remember it. Use it once in the context of a sentence or my life, I'll remember it. I may remember a few words that I study but I can't tell you how many students take these tests, then I quiz them by using the word in a sentence within 30 minutes of the test and they have completely forgotten it. Your ability to pass an English test does not equate to your ability to use the language. I can read a lot of French, a leftover from a Canadian public school education. Can't speak a word of it (in fact it often comes out in Korean when I try). I met a wonderful French family in the Philippines last spring. I could not communicate with any except the bilingual mom but could navigate their i-pad to show their kids pictures of Canada and Korea without them translating for me. I was taught using Audio-lingual and Grammar-translation methods. The only test that matters in language acquisition is whether or not you can chat with a native speaker fluently. Asking me where I am prom 50 times does not count.
In India they hire professional educators. Indians speak 2-3 languages fluently. In Europe they do the same and how many Europeans speak 3-4 languages fluently. I met a Dutch guy in Thailand who spoke Dutch, English and French fluently and spoke a respectable amount of Thai as well.
Horizontal Striped Shirts... Now They Have Their Own Blog
Now I know we have fads in the west, but Koreans take them to new heights. One feature which I have always felt Korea lacks is artistic/creative diversity. All K-Pop kinda sounds the same, all TV dramas have the exact same theme and ending, there seems to be 3-4 hair cuts for men and I do like the pictures of flowers and food that everyone takes. So when an item becomes fashionable you see it on a scale you would not anywhere else.
This fall it is shirts with horizontal stripes, usually black and white but occasionally blue and white. I mean on a bus of 34 people I counted nine people with the same shirt and a tenth with a hat with above mentioned stripes.
It is so ridiculous that a good friend of mine has started a blog to document this Korean phenomenon:
http://southkoreanswearingstripes.tumblr.com/
If you are here look around at the nearest Coffee shop or WaBar. I bet a fifth of the men have that shirt on.
This fall it is shirts with horizontal stripes, usually black and white but occasionally blue and white. I mean on a bus of 34 people I counted nine people with the same shirt and a tenth with a hat with above mentioned stripes.
It is so ridiculous that a good friend of mine has started a blog to document this Korean phenomenon:
http://southkoreanswearingstripes.tumblr.com/
If you are here look around at the nearest Coffee shop or WaBar. I bet a fifth of the men have that shirt on.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
The Sangin Strip
I dunno how that name came in to being but it is a street that, for better or worse, has defined a great deal of my time in Korea.
It is a strip of restaurants and bars near Sangin station that has, for 2.5 years, been a regular hangout. I first met Bobby there, I had Kurts going away there, I turned 30 there. Even today i meet Zeke weekly for bbq and beer ther, in what has become one of my favourite mid-week rituals.
A few places have come and gone or changed beyond recognition. Fish and Grill was an amazing place until they decided to throw up a bunch of partitions and make it a series of closets. Babara is still going, though its appeal is still the patio. Seorae gogi changed owners and is now awful but a new place is up at the other end that has better meat and a wonderful crew working there. Beer Tunnel has opened up and become the place to get an import beer. Beer Kaiser and Old Man makgeolli haven't changed and probably never will. There are also a few Japanese places and an odeng house with great Andong soju.
It is a strip of restaurants and bars near Sangin station that has, for 2.5 years, been a regular hangout. I first met Bobby there, I had Kurts going away there, I turned 30 there. Even today i meet Zeke weekly for bbq and beer ther, in what has become one of my favourite mid-week rituals.
A few places have come and gone or changed beyond recognition. Fish and Grill was an amazing place until they decided to throw up a bunch of partitions and make it a series of closets. Babara is still going, though its appeal is still the patio. Seorae gogi changed owners and is now awful but a new place is up at the other end that has better meat and a wonderful crew working there. Beer Tunnel has opened up and become the place to get an import beer. Beer Kaiser and Old Man makgeolli haven't changed and probably never will. There are also a few Japanese places and an odeng house with great Andong soju.
Sangin
Again
Next Block
Pishee and Guhlill
My Favourite Beer Mart
Best Restaurant There
It is really just like any part of Korea, and with the high turnover of expats and restaurants its glory days are well and truly over. Still, I always look forward to Thursday beers and BBQ.
End of August Mobile Pics
By DongDaegu
Entrance to Donghwasa
Palgongsan
Gardens at Palgongsan
Buddha
Coins and Fish
Lanterns everywhere
WaBar
Beer Tunnel
Sangin
Beer Kaiser
Odeng
What a Fall
I won't say this summer was bad, because it wasn't THAT bad at all. It was just uneventful. There were no long weekends, no trips, lots of school and record heat in Daegu (41 and 60% humidity). There was also the fact that so many people were leaving and it had me pondering my own future, which was both good and bad.
Now it is the fall and what a fall to get excited about.
First off, I work two full weeks in the next two months.
My boss emailed me to tell me I had two vacation days left and it was use 'em or lose 'em (by lose I mean time and a half pay for two days). So I have next Friday and Mon Oct. 21st off.
Next week is a four day week.
Week after is middle school test prep and Chuseok, I will teach six classes and have a five day weekend.
Next week is middle school prep week, so I work 2-4 classes a day.
Then my Mom is here and we are in Japan and Busan. No work
The second week she is here I have two days off as well.
Then two weeks regular.
Then a Monday off. Then it is November.
(did I mention I will go to Hong Kong for 5 days in December for Mike's 30th? It is being paid for mostly by my $1000 resigning bonus.)
Yup, this fall.
I am breaking the bank a bit with this fall (I am paying for school as well) but it is well worth it. My mom will get to see Asia, I will go to Kyoto and back to Hong Kong (my love affair with that city is the subject of another blog) and the weather is mid-high 20's and the humidity is way down.
This fall.
Now it is the fall and what a fall to get excited about.
First off, I work two full weeks in the next two months.
My boss emailed me to tell me I had two vacation days left and it was use 'em or lose 'em (by lose I mean time and a half pay for two days). So I have next Friday and Mon Oct. 21st off.
Next week is a four day week.
Week after is middle school test prep and Chuseok, I will teach six classes and have a five day weekend.
Next week is middle school prep week, so I work 2-4 classes a day.
Then my Mom is here and we are in Japan and Busan. No work
The second week she is here I have two days off as well.
Then two weeks regular.
Then a Monday off. Then it is November.
(did I mention I will go to Hong Kong for 5 days in December for Mike's 30th? It is being paid for mostly by my $1000 resigning bonus.)
Yup, this fall.
I am breaking the bank a bit with this fall (I am paying for school as well) but it is well worth it. My mom will get to see Asia, I will go to Kyoto and back to Hong Kong (my love affair with that city is the subject of another blog) and the weather is mid-high 20's and the humidity is way down.
This fall.
Odeng 오뎅
Odeng.
I am hooked.
This Korean snack is essentially fish paste and msg but with the right dip it is simply amazing.
I am hooked.
This Korean snack is essentially fish paste and msg but with the right dip it is simply amazing.
Odeng
It is served on skewers and a dip and usually it is dirt cheap. 2000 won for 5 or 1000 for three is the norm. (.90 = 1000won). I have become very guilty of buying this on my way home from work and in the little Korean shopping street neat Wolbae station.
Cheap and easy. Perfect.
Off to Palgongsan
Last Sunday was a beautiful and hot day so Yen and I decided to head off to Palgongsan for the afternoon.
Palgongsan is home to Donghwasa and the 30m staning Buddha. I have been there previously but it is always fun and we had a good time, eating local meat and veggies and climbing up to see the Buddha.
It is a bit of a mission to get there (subway to Dongdaegu and 30 minute bus ride from there) but well worth it if the weather is nice.
Afterwards we went to WaBar in Sangin for a cocktail and snack. Singapore Slings on a hot afternoon work.
Anyway here are a few pics:
Palgongsan is home to Donghwasa and the 30m staning Buddha. I have been there previously but it is always fun and we had a good time, eating local meat and veggies and climbing up to see the Buddha.
It is a bit of a mission to get there (subway to Dongdaegu and 30 minute bus ride from there) but well worth it if the weather is nice.
Afterwards we went to WaBar in Sangin for a cocktail and snack. Singapore Slings on a hot afternoon work.
Anyway here are a few pics:
Flowers at Palgongsan
Lake
Buddha
WaBar
Did I do something wrong?
I guess not
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