A Quick Update

Well it has been a week and a half since my Mom left and it has not been idle.

I am doing more editing and writing for Moonkkang. This time historical fiction. I'll be writing mostly on British history and Hong Kong. The books will be used for the Moonkkang branches in China which, I am led to believe, will soon be in full operation (at present only a few schools are). Hong Kong is especially nice because in December....

I will be going to Hong Kong. It is $300 on Air India from Incheon and I have a week off so I will just go from Wed-Sun with Mike. It is a cheap hop down to one of, if not my favourite, city on earth. I'll also get to Macau, which I have never been to before. I understand it is mostly gambling and hookers (Las Vegas before it became all family friendly and whitewashed) but there is a neat Portuguese colonial history as well that is worth exploring and being that it is a day trip, worth the ferry ride.

I am also looking to pay off the last of my British Columbia student loans by next spring. Their "management" has been horrendous and with some consequences to me personally, I have decided to just pay them all off asap. It is actually a very trivial sum so it seems foolish not to just be done with them.

I have been hitting the gym hard with Zeke and Will and am feeling great for it (though sore). Will keep that up through the winter and hopefully get fit for the spring. Blood pressure and waistline are down and ability to lift something heavy and put it down for no reason is up. Also running regularly (though increasingly at the gym..... I am a cold wimp).

My second school paper is coming along nicely, though I will probably spend this weekend (it is a 3 day weekend for me) working on it and Moonkkang stories.

My Love Affair With Hong Kong

Last Thursday I was out with beer with Zeke and we was talking about Singapore being his favourite place. First time on your own overseas etc. It becomes the city that all cities are measured against. While I love Singapore mine is undoubtedly Hong Kong.

I first went through Hong Kong in 2003 on a LOOONG stopover. I was 21 and mindblown. How can I be in Hong Kong.... Hong Kong is China.... How can I be in China? .......... (I was only 21)

My interest in the place probably goes back to reading Tai-Pan as a teenager at Qualicum one summer. A Chinese outpost, a British opium den, a naval and trading port where junks are side by side with Royal navy warships. Of course today opium smuggling carries the death penalty and the Royal navy doesn't get any closer than Cyprus but the city is still the largest port in the world and accounts for about a fifth of China's economy.

I went back in 2004 to actually see the city and it is what probably made me go back to school, so that I could get a job that would allow me to live in a place like that. While Daegu isn't exactly Hong Kong it is at least in the ballpark. I was back again in 2008 and 2009, both on the end of long trips, when both money and energy were low. I managed great times both ties, but that city is not one to be in on a budget. Its slogan in 2004 was "Asia's World City" and while Tokyo or Beijing may take exception to that it is true. It is just one of those places. However, it does make it slightly more expensive than a Bangkok or even a Seoul.

That is why I am looking forward to going this year with some money and a bit more time. It is a city that inspires. It has the feel of a great city, a feeling I have had in London and I am told you get in New York and Tokyo. I have done the sights but, like most great cities, the best parts about it are the side alleys, small local drinking and eating holes and getting in to the city.

One of the tallest buildings in the world

On Kowloon

The old clock tower, once the tallest building

in the colony (many years ago).

view from the Peak

at night.

Mom's Visit

I have spent the last two weeks showing my Mom, who came to visit for the first time, a bit of Korea and Japan. We did Seoul, Kyoto, Daegu, Busan and some historical parts of Gyeongsan. It was a lot of fun.

It started on Saturday when I took the long bus ride up to Incheon airport. I had never actually done that ride during the day (I have done it three times overnight) and it is actually a fairly scenic ride.

We met and went in to town. She was staying in Myeongdong right downtown so we went there and she quickly fell asleep. The next morning we went to Gyeongbokgung where we met Jenny, Kwangho, Jin and Chae eun. We saw the changing of the guards, elbowed overly aggressive Chinese tourists (an aside, Chinese tourists are the new German tourists..... lots of fun) and managed to tour the castle. We then went to Insadong for dinner.

Cheonggyecheon

Admira Yi Sun-sin's statue on Sejong St.

King Sejong's statue

the palace

Inside the palace

Imperial pond

Chae-eun enjoying the pond

On Monday we started the long trip down to Busan via my house in West Daegu to drop off excess luggage. It was mostly a travel day.

We then spent the next four days in Kyoto, Japan, the ancient capital and home to many Japanese relics including virtually every one that escaped bombing during the Second World War. We arrived on Tuesday and managed to see the Imperial Palace but heat and exhaustion were setting in so we opted to head back early, rest a bit, and go out for dinner. We met a wonderful old lady and her family who owned a very nice restaurant in Gion and we ate and drank there.

The next day we met friends Chiharu and Takashi, who were both exceptionally nice and took the day off to drive us around their city. We then finished that day off with an amazing Japanese dinner.

Entrance to the Kyoto Imperial Palace

again

Kinkaku-ji

again

streets of Kyoto

Yakasa

Buddha

walking towards a major temple

Higashiyama district

Kiyomizu-dera

again

Outside Nijo-jo

Chiharu and Takashi

On Thursday we did more temple sightseeing but by Thursday night we were a bit templed-out so we went back to Kyoto city for food and a stroll in the main city. We saw most of the historic sights of Kyoto and had a great time.

Friday was back to Korea and Daegu and was another travel day.

Saturday we explored Daegu a bit and relaxed. we ended up meeting Zeke and Julie for outdoor bbq. Korean mountains are a major part of what makes Korea great so it is nice to spend an afternoon in them. Korean bbq is fairly amazing too.

On Sunday Yen came along and we made the trip up to Haeinsa to see the Tripitaka Koreana and the temple. Despite terrible weather Mom said it was her favourite sight of the trip, followed by Kiyomizu dera.

Monday we made the almost familiar tourist trip to Nampo-dong in Busan to visit the Nampo tower, Jagalchi fish market and shop in nampo.

Haeinsa

Haeinsa with mist covered mountains

Nampo is quiet on a Monday at noon

Busan Tower

view from the tower

Tuesday was our last full day so we decided to go to Palgongsan to see the temples and mountain. The weather was rainy again (we had had rain on the weekend but escaped in Monday morning in Busan). It was a day out that also included a Daegu city bus tour thanks to the lengthy ride back on the #1 Express bus.

Daegu's Giant Buddha

Buddhist art in Donghwasa

On Wednesday We got up and went out to Dong Daegu station where we said goodbye and she got on a train bound for Seoul.

It was a great trip. It gave me a chance to see a new city in Japan and gave me a new appreciation for things in Korea.

Chuseok 2013

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.

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:

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. 

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.

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.