the view from here

nope, i'm not dead...

2012-01-10T11:54:00.002+09:00

i've just moved over to... *shhh* wordpress..

go check it out.

microscopic beauty

2009-01-09T09:28:00.005+09:00

ever wondered what a piece of dust might look like under a microscope? how bout a grain of sand? .. no eh? me neither. and if you did look at such objects up close, guess what? you'll find that they are exactly as you imagine them to be - dull, unimportant, meaningless...

however, there is an artist out there by the name of willard wigam who is able to see beyond the norm. when he looks at a speck of dirt, he can see the statue of liberty. when he views a grain of sugar, he sees a boxing ring with two fighters duking it out. many would call him 'crazy', or perhaps, 'delusional' if not for his amazing ability to produce the very things he sees potential for. by slowing down his pulse and working inbetween heartbeats, wigam is able to create masterpieces out of miniscule objects that most might just inhale without even realizing it.

many of his pieces are framed inside the eye of a needle

i almost didn't really believe it when i saw it, but they validated his work on snopes - he seems to be the real deal. i'll never look at a speck of dust the same way again..

the blog is back!

2009-01-07T23:11:00.000+09:00

so... anyone still following this blog? after the last few months of silence i don't blame you if you bailed. however, things are happening, wheels are in motion, and the view from here is now going to be a glimpse of different surroundings..

recap time: becky and i came back from south korea on october 31, a mere 2.5 months ago. it was a pretty odd experience reintegrating back into canadian culture. they call it reverse culture shock, and it's often worse than the original one (so they say; I thought it was a myth..). it was weird enough leaving asia and arriving back in toronto just two hours after we left (...with the time difference of course.. you know..), but as soon as we landed, i knew... we'd just left the island, and i don't think we're going to find our way back ('lost' reference). we were slammed back into canadian culture, like a puck flying into a snowbank - and it was sooo good. standing in line at customs we followed instructions from a guy who gave them in english, and french, and pointed to a sign with other languages all over it - I was home. no more mono-culture. becky and i continued through the airport checks (where they took away my so-ju! man! i'll never be able to share the experience with the people back home!), and it just so happened that the hockey game was playing.. mmmm.

and so it went on like this, at least for me, for a week or so. the jet lag was pretty brutal, but it was expected. what i didn't expect was the weirdness i felt while i walked through our mall, and tried to have a conversation with the bank teller. "and how can i help you today?" "...uhhh...무엇?" it was so weird! and i know that all my friends that they feel the same way when they come back home for the holiday's, saying "yeah, milton is so different now, eh?". yes it has been through a pretty crazy growth spurt, even been called "canada's fastest growing municipality", but it wasn't that kind of culture shock. this was a "whoa! i can communicate with over 90% of the population now!" kind of shock.

but that is old news.

presently, i'm beginning to feel a bit more like a normal canadian again. i'm even applying for schools for next year here in canada. the year abroad had good points and bad (i'll do more of a korea wrap-up in a later blog), but, at least for the moment, i'm looking to stick around this country for a while.

for now i'll end here - i really hope to write in this blog more, and maybe with more of a purpose. some blogs are all about something you know; about the environment, or about beer, or.. something. this is the year of being decisive. no more writing about nothing. i'm going to make decisions and ... write about ... something..

..til then here's a great video of this guys who dances in europe. his name is davey, and he's dancin!

DaveyDanceBlog -59- Heidelberg from Pheasant Plucker on Vimeo.

almost done..

2008-10-09T10:41:00.003+09:00

It's been 15 months since I first arrived on the land of the morning calm and my time here is just about up. Becky and I have been trying to figure out all the things we want to do and see before we leave here - but I think we've pretty much check all the "to do's" off the list. Now all that seems to be left is selling some stuff off, and packing up.
There's been some highlights and lowlights in the Korean experience, and in this blog I want to share those with you. In the spirit of "Top Five's", here it is.
The top five's about my Korean experience (in no particular order). The good news, or the bad news first? .. lets start with the bad (save the best for last).

The Top Five Negatives About My Korean Experience
1. Turns out that Korean food is... well it's not what I expected it to be. I thought "yeah, Thai food is awesome, so is Malaysian food, and Chinese food, and Japanese food..." My mom might say, "when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me." .. i like that one.

2. Living 10 minutes from the beach isn't what I first thought it would be like. I imagined morning runs on the beach (in slow motion), and surfing lots on weekends. Turns out that even though Korea is surrounded by ocean, the waves suck! The surfing contest turned into a paddling contest this year.

(I would have put that my apartment was a negative, but... I moved to a much sweeter place, so it heads for the positive)

3. The distance between us all. Busan isn't a big city, but it is a thick city. I imagined all of us 'former ssuers' living in a kind of community (I don't mean living in a big yellow building, but you know..), or at least close to each other where we could see each other often. We were at opposite corners of the city, and Jessie and Justin were not even in town! Those potluck weekends, or those night's out just didn't happen as much as I had wanted, or hoped.

4. My goal about learning Korea has come to a crashing disappointment. I studied for the first month or two - even had a language exchange with a Korean friend - but I gave up soon after I realized that I would probably never use it again after I leave Korea.

5. Just as I'm about to cash in my last two paychecks, and my bonus month paycheck, the Korean won has fallen the lowest it has in 10 years against the dollar. This means that I'm making thousands of dollars less than I would have if it had stayed constant from the time I arrived here. I don't want to add it all up because it is just too painful.

Top Five Positives About My Korean Experience
1. I survived a year in a culture that I couldn't communicate with. Not only was I able to get by, but I made some good Korean friends along the way (the English speaking ones). I feel accomplished in being able to navigate my way around the city with only using a tourist map - unable to ask people questions about direction, food or drink (it might sound like a lame accomplishment, but it makes me feel like I find my way around here, I'll never feel lost anywhere else.)

2. The tickets for professional sports events are super cheap! I got to see a basketball game, soccer game, and like, 5 baseball games, all for what it would cost to get half a ticket back home. And although the soccer and basketball might not be the caliber as back home, the baseball has got to be - these guys won the Olympics.

3. I was able to save; the expenses are minimal. I got a free apartment, and free flights here. The food is just as cheap to eat out, as it is to cook for myself. The stuff I bought, I can sell to another foreigner for almost the same price. I moved out of a small dump with one window that faced a brick wall, to a two room apartment with a view of the harbor (sure, it's the ship building harbor, but so what? I can see water..). The living conditions are pretty sweet in terms of my expenses toward them.

4. The travel. I was able to buy a motorcycle and travel around a bunch of South Korea. Camping on beautiful islands and driving through paddy fields surrounded by mountains - it was awesome! I got to check out Japan, and spend some time in Vietnam. The experience alone would be worth it even if I hadn't saved money. (well... then again... all that debt?...)

5. The experience with the magazine The Korea Sun. I was invited to be a staff writer for the magazine several months back, and that gave me a bunch of experience with what it's like to be an actual journalist. I don't know what I want to do career-wise, but photo-journalism is an option. With the writer/photographer job I also got a media pass- this was the coolest part. With this pass I got to go backstage at nearly every event, and sit with the press. I got to go ring side for the muay thai competition, and on top of the halfpipe at the TreX-Games. I got to sit with the other photographers (who have lenses about 50x bigger than mine), and watch the baseball game on the field (in 'high-fiving range' of the ball players). Also, writing the Korean history column every month has really helped me get to know, and respect Korea's history and culture. I first suggested this article because I felt that foreigners were living here with no idea about the cool past that this country has. I wanted to share it with them - and it's great that it all seemed to work out.

These are the top fives of both the positive and the negative aspects of my Korean experience. Funny, it's all about expectations. I suppose that if I had none coming into Korea I might have less to call negative in the end... But I think, even if I expected the Won to fall so much, I would still feel gypped.

happy birthday

2008-08-29T23:42:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday Andy!!

soon we'll be living in cities called "Wal-martville" or "McDonald'ston"

2008-08-06T15:05:00.002+09:00

Since when did the brand become bigger than the place? Naomi Klein would break down and cry if she came to Korea..
I tell the children I teach that I'm going to see a baseball game between the Giants and the Tigers. The look at me with blank faces. "I'm going to see the Busan Giants, you know, the baseball team?" Still with the blank faces. One of the kids quietly says "Lotte?", and then the others catch on what I was trying to say to them. "Ohhh, LO-tte!"
The sports teams out here are named after their sponsors - they are known ONLY by their sponsors. The basketball team is the "KTF (cell phone company) Magicwings", the soccer team is know as "Ipark" (I think it's a similar company to green park, or some other building company), and then the "Lotte Giants".

Should I be bothered by this?... mm yes. I think so. Over here, this is normal - no one would question it, or even think of it being weird. But i cant help but think of this brand worshiping crossing over the pacific, and reaching Canadian shores. Has it already happened? We go to watch hockey games at the "Air Canada Center", and while we cheer on the Leafs, we still watch them skate around the advertisement haven, skating over the Reebok owned blue lines.

Pretty soon will we be cheering on the Tim Horton's Leafs? Will we be rooting for the Microsoft Jays, and the Nike Raptors? Little kids will be screaming "GOO NIKEEE!!" and chanting the brand (just like here).

We should know better. We are losing our teams, our buildings, and all of our sacred space to the corporate names. We need to get back to the good old days where these giants are still thought of the heartless corporations that run local business under, rather than these iconic sports teams that portray superhero-like attributes.

Some things i dont get..

2008-08-05T23:50:00.000+09:00

Just outside my school, about once a week, the community center fogs the streets to help contain the outbreak of mosquitoes. I'm not sure why, but whenever mosquitoes are around, the Korean people are instantly aware of their presence. There seems to be a fear of them, like others might fear killer bees. There are tons of different methods to get rid of the pests, my favorite being the 'electric tennis racket'. This device is exactly as it sounds: a tennis racket sized frame with an electric mesh that shocks its prey with 1.5 volts of power (it feels like more though..).
Anyways, It always amazes me how the parents just stand by and watch their kids running through the insecticides when they fog here. The sprayers move from doorway to alley way, even to food stalls, spraying their killer gas. I've asked my co-teachers and they swear it's safe, and even endorse the school kids going out to play in it. Being kind of new to this tactic of getting rid of mosquitoes, I'm a little shocked. Do they do this in Canada or the States? And if they do, do kids treat the insecticide like a sprinkler?

I guess it's just another one of those things that I don't get, and probably wont get.

a wake up call.

2008-07-25T08:24:00.003+09:00

I'm disgusted. I woke up this morning, turned on the tv to watch BBC world news and the first story I heard was .. surprise.. about how the cost of oil has been shaping our standard of living. Ford Motor Company announced an $8.7 billion loss in the second quarter of this year, so they have decided to make 'smaller' cars. Yes, instead of investing in research that might keep their company afloat 10 -20 years from now, they've decided to take the easy route and make cars that drain the worlds resources in a slower manner - still completely unsustainable. The company is striving to once again be amongst the leaders in the car world, but they are going about it with the 'now or never attitude'. They know that there is a problem with the culture's practice of oil consumption, but instead of stepping up and being leaders in their field, they continue on that same path, giving them a bit of time before they are forced to change. The consumers are equally responsible, for it is our way of living that drives these giant companies to do what they do. There needs to be a leader out there in the automobile industry who has balls to turn towards something sustainable and move away from the dead end road of petrol.

So they've found oil and natural gas in the Arctic - apparently it's enough to meet the world's demand for the next three years. THREE years. "According to the survey, the Arctic holds about 13% of the world's undiscovered oil, 30% of the undiscovered natural gas, and 20% of the undiscovered natural gas liquids." It's great that we found some back up to aid us in our change over from fossil fuels, but there is a worry about how the drilling will effect the permanent sea ice, or even the habitat of endangered species. "Exploration companies believe the recent rapid ice melt in the Arctic may make it easier to get reserves out of the region." It seems to me that we are so quick to move in, pillage what we can, and then move on to the next place. Glaciers are receding at an unprecedented rate. Yet, this will only aid us in the exploitation of the area? This whole issue should be a wake up call for us to move away from our addiction to oil, but I fear that it will only be the next step in our quest to drain the world of it's resources, and leave nothing in our path.

Some shots from the beef protests

2008-07-12T16:04:00.009+09:00

For more pictures, click here.

What's the beef?

2008-07-02T11:23:00.002+09:00

The following is an article I wrote for the Korea Sun magazine. I've written a few this past while but none have been as contraversial as this one. There are over a million people who have been protesting this issue every week for the last few months, so i wanted to make sure i gave an objective analysis. But it's interesting about how this country is handling this issue. The Koreans are so different than Westerners..

Korea’s Beef with the American Cow

On June 10 2008, an estimated 500,000 people took to the streets of downtown Seoul, armed with candles and slogans. With barricades and riot police to keep the angry masses in check, they were united with one common goal: the ousting of Korean president Lee Myung-bak.

To anyone who hasn’t been keeping up with these demonstrations, or to someone who may have just arrived in Korea, these protests must seem fairly alarming. Although they are often referred to as the “mad cow protests”, there is more to this issue than meets the eye. As it turns out, the import of American cow is only one of many aspects to the Korean people’s beef with the government. To give a better understanding of what’s been going on, here is a timeline of events leading up to the present.

2003 – The Korean government suspends imports of American beef after an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly referred to as mad cow disease. Prior to this ban, Korea was the third largest importer of American beef, with 80% of its beef imports coming from the US.

April 2007 – Seoul and Washington reach a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Experts estimate that this agreement could increase the countries’ two-way annual trade by $20 billion. However, the FTA will only pass if Seoul once again allows the import of American beef.

May 2007 – The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) classified the US as a “controlled risk country” for mad cow disease. This classification states that the US beef and beef products, from cattle of any age, can be safely traded in accordance with international guidelines¹.

December 2007 – Lee Myung-bak wins a landslide victory and becomes the president of South Korea. While his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, was criticized over his ‘leftist, anti-US’ sentiment, Mr. Lee was voted in to strengthen the US relationship and to revitalize the economy.

April 18 2008 – Mr. Lee travels to the US to meet with Mr. Bush. While in Washington he announced the lifting of the ban on American beef imports, showing his eagerness to rebuild ties with the US.

April 29 2008 – MBC’s PD Diary (a Korean news program) aired with a special presentation on American beef and mad cow disease. In this report, it is claimed that Koreans are three times more susceptible to contracting the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD – the human strain of BSE). It also highlighted the death of a 20 year old American woman who was said to have died from vCJD. These two key points stated on the show were found to be untrue, and PD Diary was forced to retract their statements. However, even if the program apologized for its yellow journalism (which it hasn’t yet), the damage was already done. An editorial in The Chosun Ilbo puts it nicely; “It’s as if MBC had virtually set the entire country on fire and was trying to hide the matches.”²

May 2 2008 – The protests began, and they have yet to cease.

The fear of a mad cow outbreak continued to grow throughout May and June as the internet only amplified the shoddy journalism. But the import of American beef is not the only thing that brought people onto the streets; it served as the initial spark that brought many other issues to flame. The privatization of state-run companies and the construction of the controversial cross-country canal are among these issues. Yet the main concern runs deeper than any of these. Many of the protesters will tell you that the main issue is not so much about the beef; it’s about Korea selling out its national pride to a bigger power.

Mr. Lee has been accused of paying tribute to Washington, as the kings of the past paid tribute to Chinese emperors. Many Korean people have suppressed feelings of resentment over the sway the US has on their country. They have fought so hard for independence, the last thing they want is to be taken advantage of by another nation. The American beef deal was seen as just that, with Mr. Lee bowing to the US demands.

On top of that, citizens are angry at their CEO President, who treats them as if they were his employees. By making quick decisions without acknowledging the wishes of the people, Mr. Lee was viewed as dictatorial. These street protests have been compared to the massive demonstrations made in 1987, where the people actually brought down the military dictatorship. The BBC writes that “some protesters see the conservative President Lee as representing a return to South Korea's authoritarian past - and the beef protests as vital in resisting this.”³

The US beef is expected to hit the shelves by the beginning of July, but no one can predict when the protests will end. Even if the street demonstrations come to a stop, the online protests are sure to continue. How will the FTA affect the Korean economy? Will Mr. Lee be able to recover from this political nightmare? Will the fears of BSE entering Korea ever die down? Obviously there are more questions than answers. The only thing one can be sure of is the price of American beef: it’s going to be cheap.

Taekkyon: The base of all hand to hand combat in Korea

2008-06-30T22:15:00.003+09:00

I wrote this for the August issue of the Korea Sun (www.thekoreasun.com) .

The Life, Death and Ressurection of Korea's Oldest Martial Art.

The music begins to play. A circle is formed surrounding the two in the middle as they sway side to side. Their movements are smooth, fluid, and rhythmic… Although this may sound like a romantic dance between two lovers, I’m actually describing one of Korea’s oldest martial arts: taekkyon.

This traditional art form, though far from romantic, has been said to hold the origins of all the bare-hand martial arts currently practiced in Korea. The creation of this art has not been accredited to a sole individual; its origins stem from the basic evolution of hand to hand combat. Although there is no definite date as to when it came into practice, a painting found in a grave from the Goguryo dynasty suggests that taekkyon has been around since the 5th or 6th century AD.

Originally, taekkyon was practiced by the nobility for self defence and personal well being. In the Silla dynasty (7th to 10th centuries) an elite society of youths known as the Hwarang, were also trained in this deadly art form. The popularity of taekkyon peaked between the 9th and 12th century with both the ruling class and the common people practicing the art. From the king to the farmers, taekkyon was a well-liked pastime. However in the 13th century, with the gradual movement of society towards literature, and the military opting for the sword over bare-hand combat, taekkyon became more favoured as a folk custom.

Up until the Japanese occupation (1910 – 1945), taekkyon was still considered an important piece of Korean heritage. However, during the occupation the practice of taekkyon was banned and forced underground. Only a handful of masters continued to train secretly under the cover of night. By the time Korea won its independence, this ancient martial art was nearly extinct. The Korea Taekkyon Association attributes the sole survival of taekkyon to one person: grandmaster Song Duk Ki. With his diligent effort he was able to train a select few who would in turn, insure the survival of this ancient art form in the years to come.

Presently, taekkyon is still not very popular. But this sport has been gaining ground in recent years. In 1983 it was designated “Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76”. Also, in 2001 taekkyon was officially approved as specialty athletics by the Korea Sports Council. One of the main reasons it has a hard time gaining popularity is that, while it is the predecessor of taekwondo, it lives in the shadow of its younger brother. There are few who know the difference between these two sports.

Similar to taekwondo, taekkyon uses kicks as its primary method of attack. There is very little defence used in taekkyon; attacks are often answered with another attack. In a match, two fighters will square off close to each other and continually change their stance in a rhythmic movement. The main objective is not to injure the opponent but bring them down unharmed. The whole battle looks like an ancient dance until the kicks start flying. Youtube “taekkyon” (also spelled “taekyun” and “taekkyeon”) and you’ll see what I mean.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of training facilities and knowledgeable instructors, this ancient sport will most likely continue to be a dying martial art. Yet in my eyes, this is its major draw; how cool is it to be among the few people with knowledge of this 1500 year old fighting style? Though the passing of time is its biggest adversary, I have a feeling that this historical dance will not soon be forgotten. Its unique blend of power and grace will be survived, if only through a handful of students.

back from nam..

2008-06-18T09:32:00.004+09:00

Becky and I had our week's holiday last week. We get one week off in our year's contract so we decided to check out Vietnam. For an illustrated update, click here and here to see the photo albums I put up on facebook.

We arrived in Hanoi (the capital) on a Saturday, and then we waited around for our flight to Da Nang. At this time we could have exchanged the heaps of Korean Won that we had with us, but we just wanted to catch our flight and get there. Big mistake. We got to Da Nang, and found out that ONLY at Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh airports would they accept Korean Won. We were stuck with no money, and I forgot my four digit pin on my credit card.. So I used the good ol' Bank of Montreal card, and it got us through (with a few costly service charges).

The taxi driver who found us our hotel assured us that the hotel could loan us the money until the banks opened on Monday, and they did. We got 1,000,000 dong (their currency is called 'dong' .. i found this funny..), which was about $58 Canadian. This trip was almost completely unplanned out (this kind of adventure is new for me), and Becky and I didn't really know what we wanted to do for the week, or where we wanted to go. All we knew was that we wanted our open water diver's license.

This could end up being a super long post if I go through the week, so i'll summarize it like this: The first 3 days Becky and I went diving; one dive in the pool and then 5 dives in the ocean. We had our license by Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were shopping days, where we perused the market and bought some Christmas gifts (we'll be back home for Christmas this year). Saturday we took a scooter to Marble Mountain and packed up and caught a flight back to Busan. The pictures illustrate the journey better than I'm going to write, but I will mention my favorite highlight.

On Friday afternoon I went to meet up with this Vietnamese family I met a few days before. I met a guy named Sang, a fisherman in Hoi An (the city we were in). He showed us "the real Vietnam life" by taking us on a boat tour with his father, and even showing us how they catch fish. It was incredible to see this side of the country.

This is Sang, a 17 year old fisherman. His English is excellent, but he has yet to complete school. He had to take two years off to save money before he can finish his last two years. He told Becky and I that a year of school costs about $100 - this gives a picture of the situation out there.

Here's Sang's father, celebrating his catch.

Bringing home the bacon, or... fish.

king sejong the great

2008-06-05T23:36:00.002+09:00

the following is an article i wrote for the korea sun magazine. i really liked researching this guy; his life story has so much more that can be squeezed into 500 words or less (this one is way over the limit!), but i hope i did it justice.

King Sejong ‘the Great’

They Don’t Give This Title Out to Just Anyone

The history of Korea dates back thousands of years and has been shaped by a host of influential characters. Among the most significant of these is King Sejong, the only ruler to have ever been given the title ‘Great’ by the people of Korea. Thanks to the Sillok, or ‘Annals of the Choson Dynasty’, there is a lot of historical data written on the king, allowing a clear window in which through view his life, character and spirit. What relevance does a king from six hundred years ago have in today’s modern Korea? You might be surprised.

The life of King Sejong is like a beacon from the past, still visible in today’s progressive culture. One of the ways he is viewed today is through his achievements and innovations. Sejong began his reign with many ambitions. Being a well educated man he could see that there was much to be improved on in his newly acquired kingdom. In order to make his objectives come to pass, he established a royal institute of research called the Chiphyonjon, or ‘Jade Hall’. This building housed up to thirty-two scholars who served as the king’s research team, helping his projects come to fruition.

With this team of academics, Sejong was able to complete many of these undertakings, although nothing happened quickly. The reorganization of the taxation system took twenty-six years to complete, and it was thirty years before the national ceremonies were standardized. However long it took, the king was determined to meet the challenging targets he had set for himself.

What sets him apart from other rulers of this time is his true concern for his people, and his actions and achievements confirm this. Some of his accomplishments include contributions to medical science, advances in agriculture, astronomy, and the development of standard musical notes. Understanding the importance of literacy, Sejong improved the standard of printing technology, even creating larger fonts to aid the elderly in reading. All these triumphs greatly benefited the culture and the nation, but surprisingly these are not what he is remembered by.

The Korean alphabet or Hangul is widely considered the greatest legacy of King Sejong the Great. Ten years in the making, the new Korean written language was published in 1446, in the 28^th year of Sejong’s reign. At this time Chinese characters were the only form of a written language. The king was greatly distressed because amongst the uneducated people there were many who were unable to read or write. The creation of a basic 28 letters was to level out the class differences, allowing the commoner to be just as literate as the nobleman.

Hangul is the only alphabet created by an individual for which the motives behind its creation were clearly set out and explained. Each consonant symbol resembles the shape of the mouth or throat while pronouncing that particular sound, while the vowels were formed after the fundamental characters of heaven, earth and man. Compared to Chinese characters, the written language prior to Hangul, these few symbols are incredibly easy to learn and understand. Unlike any other writing system in the world, scholars have called Hangul one of the greatest achievements in the field of linguistics. To King Sejong, it was so much more. Hangul is the embodiment of the king; it is the response to, and the atonement for injustices and inequalities within the Korean kingdom.
King Sejong the Great undoubtedly deserves his title. With thirty-two years in power, he was able to inspire a nation, remove class barriers, and set down examples of how a population should be governed and cared for. By ruling with understanding and compassion, Sejong clearly sets a precedent as to how any kingdom should be run; the love for people comes before the love of self.

an update

2008-06-05T22:52:00.004+09:00

the last little while has been a mess of activity: from traveling to planning other trips, to getting new jobs to buying cool things; this last month has been awesome.

first: geoje-do. this is the name of one of the largest islands in korea, second only to jeju. i got to travel there a couple of times this past month, both times being incredible and refreshing. the first time was a weekend spent with jessie's parents, and the second was a camping trip in which kevin, meaghan, jessie, justin, becky and i went camping on the edge of this amazing pebble beach. (for pictures see here)

second: vietnam. throughout our one year contract becky and i get a week of vacation, and that time off has already begun. tomorrow is the korean 'memorial day', in which the country pays tribute to its fallen soldiers. on saturday becky and i will board a plane traveling to da nang, vietnam. we'll stay 8 days there, with the theme of the trip being scuba diving. i like having themes to things - they are like having 'goals', but they are easier to obtain (probably because they are not called goals).

third: magazine writer. so a little while back i responded to an ad that spoke of a magazine looking to expand throughout all of korea. after sending in a few articles, the publisher emailed me back and asked if i wanted to become a staff writer/photographer! i was, and still am stoked. it's a monthly magazine called the korea sun (check it out!), and my trash or treasure article is actually the 'feature' for june! i actually suggested that each issue have some sort of history article (cause the history of korea needs to be shared - it's really interesting), and so, among other articles that i could send in, i get to write the history section! gregg finley would be so proud...

fourth: motorcycle. i am now the proud owner of a 1997 daelim 125cc motorcycle. i'm sure i'll have a picture soon. it was a bit of a hassle to get it, but all in all, i'm pleased with my purchase. this bike will do many a trips to geoje, and hopefully to festivals and events at which i can take some sweet pictures, or write an article. busan drivers suck by the way (just in case you were wondering). i feel like they receive their license free when they buy a cell phone and a satellite tv for their car (why wouldn't you want to watch your favorite tv show while you talk on the phone and drive?).

yup... it's been busy - but it's been fun. oh! and i moved to a bigger apartment too!! the new apartment news deserves to be more than just a sidenote, but i'm done with the update. all you need to know is that this apartment gets natural sunlight (a giant step up from the last one).

if you are into history at all, check out the history of korea - i'll post the history article i wrote for the magazine soon, if any are interested - it's on one of the hero's of 'the land of the morning calm', king sejong the great.

tips from no impact man

2008-05-08T10:59:00.004+09:00

about a week ago i arrived at my new apartment - and it is awesome! It's about twice the size of my old one and the windows actually let natural light in! amazing!
as i was packing and unpacking i was analyzing all the stuff i have and... i have a lot of stuff. not only that, but i have a lot of stuff i don't even use! I kept extra blankets in the winter in case people wanted to crash at my house, i save my plastic bags (in hopes that i'll never take another one again from the market, but that collection somehow keeps growing), and i have a ton of stuff that i need to get rid of. i've noticed that the products in korean stores are packaged to protect them in case of nuclear attacks (not seriously- i just mean there's a lot of plastic). if i were to buy some sushi at homeplus (the tesco owned mega store), it would have an outside layer, individually wrapped sushi pieces, and the plastic from the sauce packets and garnishings; most of the product's weight isn't edible. all this said, i've also been reading the no impact man blog and discovered a list of things that would greatly cut down on the waste that we produce. for those who've read that blog in the past are probably familiar with some stuff on this list, but for those who haven't... check it out. apparently the average american produces 4.5 pounds of trash per day. if even a few of these tips are taken to heart i think this average would drop immensely.

*for the actual blog by no impact man click here*

No soda in cans (which means we’re probably less likely to get cancer from aspartame).
No water in plastic bottles (which means we get to keep our endocrines undisrupted).
No coffee in disposable cups (which means we don’t suffer from the morning sluggishness that comes from overnight caffeine withdrawal).
No throwaway plastic razors and blade cartridges (I’m staging the straightedge razor comeback).
Using non-disposable feminine-hygiene products that aren’t bad for women and are good for the planet.
No Indian food in throwaway takeout tubs.
No Italian food in plastic throwaway tubs.
No Chinese food in plastic throwaway tubs.
Taking our own reusable containers to takeout joints (except that now we’re eating local so this tip is out for us).
Admitting that we sometimes miss Indian, Italian and Chinese takeout.
Hopping on the scale and celebrating the loss of my 20-pound spare tire since I stopped eating bucketsful of Indian, Italian and Chinese takeout.
Buying milk in returnable, reusable glass bottles.
Shopping for honey and pickled veggies and other goods in jars only from merchants who will take back the jars and reuse them.
Returning egg and berry cartons to the vendors at the farmers’ market for reuse.
Using neither paper nor plastic bags and bringing our own reusable bags when grocery shopping.
Canceling our magazine and newspaper subscriptions and reading online.
Putting an end to the junk mail tree killing.
Carrying my ultra-cool reusable cup and water bottle (which is a glass jar I diverted from the landfill and got for free).
Carrying reusable cloths for everything from blowing my nose to drying my hands to wrapping up a purchased bagel.
Wiping my hands on my pants instead of using a paper towel when I forget my cloth.
Politely asking restaurant servers to take away paper and plastic napkins, placemats, straws, cups and single-serving containers.
Explaining to servers with a big smile that I am on a make-no-garbage kick.
Leaving servers a big tip for dealing with my obsessive-compulsive, make-no-garbage nonsense, since they can’t take the big smile to the bank.
Pretending McDonalds and Burger King and all their paper and plastic wrappers just don’t exist.
Buying no candy bars, gum, lollypops or ice cream (not even Ben and Jerry’s peanut butter cup) that is individually packaged.
Making my own household cleaners to avoid all the throwaway plastic bottles.
Using baking soda from a recyclable container to brush my teeth.
Using baking soda for a deodorant to avoid the plastic containers that deodorant typically comes in (cheap and works well).
Using baking soda for shampoo to avoid plastic shampoo bottles.
Using the plastic bags that other people’s newspapers are delivered in to pick up Frankie the dog’s poop.
Keeping a worm bin to compost our food scraps into nourishment that can be returned to the earth instead of toxins that seep from the landfills.
Switching to real—meaning cloth—diapers which Isabella, before she was potty-trained, liked much better.
Not buying anything disposable.
Not buying anything in packaging (and count the money we save because that means pretty much buy nothing unless it’s second hand).
Shopping for food only from the bulk bins and from the local farmer’s market where food is unpackaged and fresh.
Forgetting about prepackaged, processed food of any description.
Being happy that the result is that we get to eat food instead of chemicals.
Giving our second-hand clothes away to Housing Works or other charities.
Offering products we no longer need on Freecycle instead of throwing them away.
Collecting used paper from other people's trash and using the other side.
Using old clothes for rags around the apartment instead of paper towels.
Talking with humor about what we’re doing because making a little less trash is a concrete first step everyone can take that leads to more and more environmental consciousness.

the father of korea

2008-05-01T22:46:00.003+09:00

here is an article that i wrote for the korea sun magazine. it's about one of my favorite korean folk tales...

If one looks just beyond the first appearance of this modern industrialized country they would find a wealth of cultural treasure. The stories of Korean heritage date back thousands of years and are greatly contribute to the contemporary culture of today. Arguably the most famous of these tales is the story of Tan-gun, the legendary founder of Korea. Although it can be told in a number of ways, here’s my rendition of the story.

Legend has it that Hwan-in (who was the god and ruler of all) sent his son Hwan-ung to earth to build a new country in the east. He was given three divine assistants: the clouds, the winds, and the rains. Hwan-in also gave his son the souls of 3,000 others, an entire race, to help him in his task. They descended to Mount Taebaeksan (now called Baekdusan), and Hwan-ung named this place Shinshi, “City of God”.

Not far from Shinshi was a cave that housed a tiger and a bear. Both animals witnessed the happiness of the humans under Hwan-ung’s rule and prayed to become human themselves. Moved by the animal’s prayers, Hwan-ung gave them instructions to follow in order for their request to be granted. He told them that becoming human requires great patience and perseverance. He said “you must stay secluded in your cave for 100 days without sunlight, and eat nothing but these 20 garlic cloves and this bundle of mugwort. If you can persevere through this, then you will become human.”

The tiger and bear agreed and followed Hwan-ung’s instructions. After a number of days living in these conditions, the tiger gave up and left the cave. However, the bear persisted and stuck to the challenge. As the dawn broke on the hundred-and-first day, a beautiful young woman emerged from the cave. The bear-woman was so stunning in fact, that Hwan-ung proposed to her. Soon after their marriage the bear-woman gave birth to a son and named him Tan-gun, meaning “high priest” or “founder”.

When Hwan-ung departed from Earth in 2333 BC, Tangun became the first great ruler of Korea. He called the land Choson, which means “Land of the Morning Calm”, and here taught his people about government, agriculture, worship of God, and other important matters.

This story has been passed down through generations for thousands of years, and occupies a special place in the heart of Korean culture. Although there are some who take the story as a literal truth, and some who make their own interpretations. Personally, I see the story as a narrative describing the character and struggle of the Korean people. The bear and tiger were representations of the different tribes. It was the perseverance of the bear tribe, as opposed to the strength of the tiger tribe that, led to survival through these very harsh conditions. Also, the name Tan-gun might just be a title, as this label had been given to kings of old, expressing how their rule was divinely blessed.
However this story is interpreted, one thing is for certain; the history of the Korean people is rich with beauty and sorrow, successes and failures, victories and defeats: it all depends on how you view it.

a scary weekend..

2008-04-24T13:56:00.002+09:00

this past weekend was planned to be sweet gathering at jessie and justin's place, enjoying the cultural festival in their city. However instead of going and hanging out with friends, I stayed at home and worried about my health..

you see, about four months ago my neck became stiff and sore - and it's been the same ever since then. i figured it was stress, or a bad mattress or pillow, or a cold draft in my apartment, or some other non-serious thing. but after two months of the annoying neck issue i went to see a doctor. he said (in "konglish", 'korean+english') that my muscles were just sore and tired. he prescribed three different pills to be taken three times a day; one pill for the pain, one for the swelling, and one more for the side affects of the first two. i decided that i would be worse off if i took them, so i let time carry on.

then a few weeks ago, after complaining to my boss, he got his father (a traditional oriental doctor) to give me acupuncture. it was weird having someone put little needles in your face and arms and legs, but it did relax my muscles. yet, my neck was still sore.

finally i decided to go back to search around and find a doctor who speaks english and who would take my complaints seriously. this past weekend i headed to an international clinic at 'dong eui medical center' and had a doctor there check me out. after being unable to find the problem he suggested an x-ray. my medical insurance deductible is at about $100, so it didn't quite cover the $50 x-ray (though i was surprised at how cheap it was!)

about 20 minutes later i was up in the doctor's office looking at an x-ray of my neck (it's pretty humbling to see an x-ray of your body- proof of our mortal bodies). it looked normal at first glance, but then he pointed out this 'jellybean shaped' mass in between my cervical and thoracic vertebrae. "i worry about that", he says. i didn't know what to say.

he calmly told me that "it was probably just arthritis or degeneration of the joint, but that there was maybe a 20% chance that it was a tumor". shit. he booked an mri for me on monday, which would be two days from then (who knows how long i would wait in canada).

so i left the hospital, only about an hour and a half after i had arrived. i came looking for a solution to my neck stiffness and left with a one in five chance that i had a tumor on my spine. it was mid saturday and i didn't know what to do. i felt more alone than i've ever been, and i was (of course) over analyzing that 20%.

time ticked by.. and monday came around.
monday was mri day. i took a sick day at work and went to the hospital with becky. i really feel for those people who have to get mri's on a regular basis.. because it sucks. anyone with even the slightest claustrophobic tendencies would have to be sedated.

for those of you who don't know what an mri.. uh.. machine looks like, here's a picture. the worst part about it is that, before they put me in there they explained in very broken english about when, and when i couldn't swallow. while taking an mri of my neck, i couldn't be swallowing spit and blurring the picture.

anyways, with that finished, then began the waiting game. i was told that i would have the results on wednesday (yesterday), at 9am. tuesday night was one of the worst sleeps of my life, anxiously awaiting the phone call at 9:00. the doctor hadn't called by 9:02 so i called her.
... talking on the phone with someone who speaks broken english is a tricky thing to do, especially when the subject is of dire importance. the message that i took from the phone call was that 'there was no problem', but had to go to the hospital to talk about it.

the doctor told me that the mass-like picture on the x-ray was actually bone that was made denser by the arthritis. apparently i have arthritis in that part of my neck, and it might have been caused by some trauma that i had recently, or up to ten years ago.

anyways, the important thing that i took from the experience is that the mri came back clean - no abnormal 'tumor-like' stuff in my spine. WOO! i was so relieved.

even though i was told that it was a relatively small percentage, i spent from saturday until yesterday thinking about how it was all going to go down - in the most negative light. i thought about deciding where to have the surgery, here in korea or back home in canada -if i would have to wait a long time there, or if i would even be covered under health insurance... it was a horrible experience, but extremely relieving in the end. all this went down in a span of just a few days. life is short.

this experience gave me great respect for life... and time... and how important each moment is.

crazy..

free hugs

2008-04-11T10:06:00.002+09:00

if you haven't heard of the "free hugs campaign", it's time you have. check out freehugscampaign.org and see why there are almost 900 videos on youtube promoting this campaign. here's quote from the website.

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

the potential to be heard..

2008-04-11T01:32:00.002+09:00

i've recently been handed an opportunity to write in a magazine that will be circulated korean wide, and read mostly by foreigners. it's called The Korean Sun, and next month will be its first real debut in korea. i really don't know much about writing magazine articles, but i do feel like this kind of chance doesn't come along everyday, so i'm going to jump on it. i just finished and sent off an article to the editor, along with several ideas for other possible stories. here is my first article entitled "trash or treasure - you make the call".

Does the old cliché ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ mean anything to you? Well, to a bunch of foreigners in Busan, this phrase carries a lot of weight – literally.

As I wander the streets near my apartment I’m constantly amazed by the amount of furniture that I see on the side of the road. I don’t mean the old comfortable looking chairs in front of the side street coffee shops. I’m referring to the upside down couches with bags of garbage strewn beside them; the antique coffee tables that are placed next to the bins. It’s too bad the locals aren’t interested in the historical furnishings of past generations; my neighbourhood could be a haven for antique collectors. The most common items I come across include couches that are creased from use, desks that are faded from age, or shelves that are simply out of date.

Of course finding these pieces did not surprise me much as you can find such discarded furnishings in nearly any culture that is rich enough to afford new stuff. It’s amazing to me how cheap you can find brand new furniture these days. But what happens to the old stuff? These items are just left out until someone thrifty comes along and finds use for them, right? Wrong. I had the unfortunate chance to witness a whole living room set that was smashed to pieces, just so it would fit into the back of the truck to be brought to the dump. It seems to be an unjust end for these beautiful pieces of furniture. That is, unless someone comes along and saves them…

After seeing all those chairs and closets turned into firewood, I decided that I would try and rescue other items left stranded, awaiting a similar fate. It didn’t take long for my little studio apartment to fill up with couches, chairs, tables, you name it. Yet, as fast as these items come in, they can be shipped out thanks to websites like Pusanweb and Koreabridge Classifieds. It’s funny how many responses you’ll get if you post an ad titled “Free Couch”; apparently there are lots of foreigners in Busan who are sick of sitting on the floor.
After turning my place into a little furniture warehouse and talking to others about it, I’ve realized that I’m not the only one who does this. There are some who deal in used furniture so much that it makes their teaching position look like a job on the side. I’m glad too, because in this age of consumption it feels good to reuse these previously loved pieces. So now, as I wander the streets and come across a hand carved cabinet, or an uber comfortable couch, I know that sooner or later, someone else will be enjoying this in their house. Trash is transformed into treasure, as life in Korea just becomes more comfortable.

the distribution of knowledge

2008-04-03T08:07:00.003+09:00

i was browsing the stingy scholar blog and came across this video that really highlights the incredible change over the past few years in how we distribute information. what does the distribution of knowledge look like today? it's no longer exclusive to the higher learning institutions, but has been handed down (or stolen) by us.. the people. the wealth of knowledge (and garbage) online is infinite, and access to all of this requires only a connection (guidance could also be useful too).
it seems that because so much knowledge is so readily available (for those who can get online), i feel overwhelmed with it all. you could read books or order books, or have them read to you; you could watch others videos or upload your own videos to share; you can call up someone in another country for free on skype or take a virtual tour of that country; you can watch a lecture online, or even teach English to a class online; there seems to be so many options that you really only have to know where to look. i wonder if the traditional ideas of credible sources will change/have changed? can a blog be cited as a reliable source of knowledge? or wikipedia or other open source projects?..
enjoy the video.

kickin' it in geumchon..

2008-03-25T12:50:00.002+09:00

this is such an awesome video made by some 'wae-gooks' (foreigners) in a place called geumchon. it covers so much of the daily life here in korea, it's just ridiculous. i'm not sure how it would be to watch it having never been here, but i wanted to share it none the less.
enjoy.

a st patrick's day video..

2008-03-18T13:22:00.002+09:00

unrelated to my last post, i wanted to post this video made around this time last year. this is st. patty's day last year at poppa's pub in st. stephen. rap star noah fitch in his prime.

holiday in spain..

2008-03-18T13:02:00.002+09:00

although this video is a bit overdue, and not of very good quality, it's still worth the watch if you were on the trip. i'll eventually get it to be better quality but my editing equipment is lacking. this video highlights the ssu europe trip of 2006 as we traveled through spain - i plan to do a video of each country we traveled to. sigh.. good times. hopefully if it ever comes out in better quality i could put it on a cd for everyone.. i'd like to anyways.

emails and God..

2008-03-14T22:58:00.003+09:00

i found this video on rogerflyer.com and i think it's pretty good- er.. funny. .. good and funny.

bill kapoun fund

2008-03-04T12:38:00.002+09:00

i just heard about this today. here is an article that really hits home to me- mainly because he's not so different from myself. a few days ago (feb. 29th) bill kapoun was nearly killed in an apartment fire in seoul. i don't personally know him, but do know that we both shared being in south korea, teaching english to little kids. i wanted to post this to increase the awareness of his, and his family's situation. here is the article:

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, 29 FEBRUARY 2008--Early last Sunday morning a near-fatal fire destroyed the apartment of William Lawrence Kapoun in Haebongchon, Yongsan, Seoul, nearly taking his life with it.

William, an English teacher of 14 months in northern Seoul, was left with third degree burns to nearly seventy percent of his body. He is now facing numerous surgeries and a lengthy recovery that could potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Because of William's contract in Korea he is now left without insurance. His parent's financial situation is no more promising. They have left 4 children, an exchange student and a grandmother undergoing cancer treatment at home. They are unable to work while taking care of their son in S.Korea, and Will's bills are already staggering.

Upon showing up at the hospital they were handed a bill for over $6,000 before they could even see their son. His first surgery alone cost $15,000. Our immediate concern is raising money for him to continue having the surgeries he requires.

Our estimated total is roughly $100, 000. This total does not include reconstructive surgery, physical therapy and various other treatments he will need to undergo in order to fully recover.

William is a world traveler, having visited countries across Europe and Asia. He holds a double bachelors degree in History and Economics from Indiana University, his home state. He is also member of the Acacia Fraternity. He is incredibly intelligent, confident, and caring. Againts all odds, he is fighting a battle inconceivable to the rest of us. We are all inspired by his strength and sheer determination to live.

WE have an opportunity to rally around William and lift him out of this terrible situation. Individuals are urged to join the Facebook group "Save Bill Kapoun". We will also be posting updates on his conditon and other ways you can help. There will be events scheduled in the near future, so please check back often.

This could be any of us. Please help.

this article is from www.billkapoun.com <- this is also where people can donate.
apparently there are many foreigners living in korea that have little to no insurance. there are also many who work for companies that will twist and change the contracts around in order to save themselves some money. i hope that in time, this horrible situation can get better..

yellow dust closes schools..

2008-03-04T00:13:00.004+09:00

and you thought smog warnings were bad.. today, "yellow dust" warnings were issued for much of south-eastern korea. originating in china's gobi desert, the sand or 'dust' sweeps south enveloping the korean peninsula and parts of japan every spring. it gathers heavy metals and carcinogens such as dioxin as it passes over chinese industrial regions before hitting korea and japan. the korean environment institute reports that this yellow dust causes around 165 deaths per year, with about 1.8 million people becoming ill. it also estimates the damage this dust causes to be upwards around ($5.82 billion). this time of year has become widely accepted as "yellow dust season". the streets are nearly empty, but those who dare to be outside are wearing masks specially designed to cope with this season.
it disgusts me that we simply choose to cope with this problem rather than work toward fighting the source of the problem. humans seem to be able to adapt rather well in many different circumstances, but perhaps rolling with the punches isn't the best answer. we as a population need to stand up and stop buying cheap crap from china; stop buying so much stuff that has been shipped from other countries (buy local); stop supporting the big businesses; stop buying crap we don't need.. (i'm kind of tired and whiny- sorry bout that)
recently I've come to the realization that major changes in the world comes either comes very slowly (because the generation in power is often quick to educate, but slow to learn), or a little bit faster than very slowly because of the urgency of the situation.
although we all know that changes need to be made to clean up this world, it seems like we are never too worried about it. maybe it doesn't effect us directly, or we have ongoing projects that don't need finite due dates - but it seems that we are so slow to turn ourselves around when we've come down a wrong road.
i don't know. if we could educate (both the older and younger generations) about the many sustainable ways to live, maybe that would make a difference..

partially inspired by no impact man
yellow dust info gathered here.

creativity -> inspiration -> creativity

2008-02-27T11:28:00.003+09:00

lately i've been really inspired by the multitudes of art created by seemingly simple things. paint and canvas, a single sheet of paper, words on a page... combined in the right way can create something amazing.
a few things that inspire me:

jess weatherhead paintings

random emails with cool art. i recently got one with photos of this artist who used a single 8x10 piece of paper and created some amazing things. his name is Peter Callesen, and for his website, click here. here are some examples of his stuff:

browsing through flickr photos. a few faves:
because i cant really copy them, they are here, here and here.

berkeley rules..

2008-02-20T01:19:00.002+09:00

this quick note is tied to my last post about various websites that help out those who like to study at home. i just found berkeley's webcast page and... it is awesome! they have recorded lectures to make full courses in so many different subjects. just click here, and check it out. i'm excited about it.
shoot.
i guess ry was right.. i am a nerd..

for those who are self motivated..

2008-02-18T21:39:00.002+09:00

since i left my small university i have been suffering from withdrawal. i found that i long not only for the close community that i was once a part of, but also for the challenge that university courses present (i never thought i would say that). and so, seeing as i only work 6.5 hours a day, i have learned how to (partially) satisfy this hunger for knowledge and challenge. i have started reading books that i want to read, and studying things that i think are interesting. i've even found various sites that will act as a (kind of) replacement to university courses. and the best part about it is that it is free. this blog is dedicated to those lovely sites that attempt to show that, with enough determination and perseverance, anyone with an internet connection can obtain a wealth of knowledge. (though i don't think anything could beat a group of eight or nine friends and a professor discussing issues in the context of a defined course... sigh..)
these are some of the sites that i have been able to get some cool stuff from..

logic tutor - this site was shown to me when i was in logic class at ssu. it is supposed to be done with the book, but you don't necessarily need the book.

internet archive - one of my favorite sites: they host a variety of goodies- from audio readings of classic books (dickens, twain, wells, herbert, etc.), to online versions of books and other things. i have an audio library of mp3 books that i often listen to (great for a multi-tasker!).

the stingy scholar - this is a blog that continues to give out ideas on how one (properly motivated) can learn for free on the internet. there are many great ideas throughout his blog, and many great resources he lists.

wide open education - here is another blog that lists many other sites where one can acquire free textbooks, and other educational stuff.

science and engineering texts - here is a group of free science and engineering textbooks.

textbook revolution - this site is dedicated to supplying the links to a bunch of different textbooks.

berkeley courses - this is a pretty cool site - if you have high speed internet you can watch a variety of courses from the university of berkeley that were video taped. my favorite is the introduction to nonviolence course.

uchannel - these are a variety of podcasts compiled from courses and lectures from various universities. i believe this site is associated to princeton university. if you are getting tired of listening to music on your mp3 player, why not turn to a podcast of your favorite subject?

open textbook - another site where you can score some free textbooks..

world lecture hall - free course materials from around the world.

these are a few of the sites that i have found to be pretty good, in terms of giving out quality, free material. if you know of any others, or would like to see more links let me know. in this age anyone with the proper motivation, and the adequate tools (internet), should be able to acquire knowledge in just about any field.
enjoy.

free time = responsibility??

2008-02-12T23:50:00.000+09:00

disclaimer: this entry is unedited and ... made up of various thoughts that may, or may not fit together.. it's your free time.. spend it wisely.

two things that i am beginning to understand:
our human life is finite.
every moment has worth.

there is a problems though.. how does one respond to these two truths? do we use every second we have to try to fill our heads with knowledge and experience, and try to squeeze every last drop of life we can come across before the curtains close? or, do we relax and do anything or nothing because we know that life is not endless? obviously there can be no real objective answer, but that everyone will see the meaning of life in their own way. my view falls dangerously on the former response. i say dangerously, only because - one can go crazy if they never truly rest and relax.
this isn't meant to be a depressing note, but more of a thoughtful one. it's a serious question: how do we go about living our lives? and i definitely don't expect any answer (i imagine that most people ask this question to themselves, in one form or another, daily).

i had no real intention on blogging tonight, but as i wondered around my little apartment with so many aspirations about what i could do with my free time, i felt completely overwhelmed with possibilities. this is a positive thing isn't it? there are so many without, while i'm here wondering about how to spend my time when i'm not working at my high paying job in a foreign country. it's just, the opportunities that i've been given- the social class i grew up in- makes me feel a kind of responsibility with how i spend my time. i don't know if i am alone in feeling this, or if this is a good thing or bad thing, but i think.. that it's a good thing.
a friend of mine once said "we (as fellow human beings) are responsible for the quality of life in this world", and.. i like this. the notion of responsibility, how we are obligated to improve life if it is at all possible. i am also beginning to think that the more possibilities that we have, the more responsibility we are given..
haha, listen to me - the idealist.
the blog started out with me wondering how to spend my free time wisely, and i'll bring it back to that now.
i guess everyone need to find out on their own how to spend their time in such a way that brings life to that individual - be it learning online, watching re-runs of seinfeld, or playing halo 2 on the old x-box. is there such a thing as wasted time? some would say yes, and others would say no, but i guess the final call lies on the shoulders of the individual. does this mean that one man's solitaire addiction is worth just as much as another's research in finding cures for cancer? i suppose to each individual - both endeavors are equal. but the global population, the latter might actually make an impact, and better someone else's life.
so maybe that's the bottom line; that responsibility resulting from ones opportunities is only a weight that is added subjectively to the shoulders of those who do not feel a big enough burden with their own lives? basically, if we want to change the world for the better, we should feel welcome to do so - but there is no real obligation for anyone to do so.. however, if everyone only looked out for themselves, rather than giving something back, i don't think we as a species would have made it this far.. (how far have we made it anyways?)
geez... i gotta stop writing these before i sleep..
does this post make sense? although i think blogs are more honest when they are written this way, i also feel like i should start writing smaller entries. free time is a precious thing.

happy new year!

2008-02-12T11:14:00.000+09:00

although this blog has not been updated recently, or on a regular basis, i plan to change that. as of lately i have been attempting to learn html and create something that isn't a carbon copy of every other blog page. i feel like i divulge enough personal information on this page for the page itself to warrant its own personal feel. i'd like the page to be of my creation, and not a simple copy and paste template.
anyways, this past week saw the celebration of chinese new year! becky and i took advantage of the five day weekend and went off to the island of jeju. it was gorgeous with volcanic rock everywhere. it was as if the people wanted to make sure its visitors knew that the island was formed from a volcano. it reminded me a bit of scotland with its rural landscape and its stone fences. the vacation was a good and relaxing time, although getting to and from the island was a bit trying. we took a boat from busan and traveled along the coast. this would have been a beautiful ride with spectacular views - except, the voyage was eleven hours long, and it was made overnight. departing at 7pm and then arriving at 6am, this lengthy boat ride made me feel like i just spent a full day at wonderland, riding every roller coaster twice.
the ticket prices varied from about 36,000 won ($36) to about 150,000. seeing as we are both in korea to pay off debt, we opted for the 39,000 won tickets - not quite at the bottom. it turned out that the lowest class tickets were for these medium sized rooms that were supposed to hold up to 125 passengers overnight. no chairs, no mats, only floor to sleep on. and a bathroom to share. the tickets that becky and i purchased were for a little nicer surroundings: a room that held ten people, with little foam bricks for pillows. the lack of sleep and the rocking of the boat made the next day fairly interesting.
when we arrived on the island we headed off down a main street, dreaming of breakfast restaurants back home. "would you like coffee or juice?", "you want the hungry man's breakfast?", "white or brown toast?". as we meandered along, completely unfamiliar with the area, we reached a mcdonald's. i'm ashamed to say it, but i was super happy that i found a place that served a standard western breakfast. not surprisingly, we ran into the other foreigners who were also on our ship. also not surprisingly, the big breakfast that i ordered turned out to have been a classic case of false advertising, where the food in the picture was fit for a sunday brunch, but the food delivered was like the leftovers from the sunday brunch.. on monday.
anyways, not to make a long story out of every aspect of our trip, i'll just say that i enjoyed it. becky and i were able to meet up with a friend of ours who worked with us back in july, who is now teaching at a camp on this beautiful island.
funny story - so in our groggy, dizzy state, becky and i decided to pick a place we could put our stuff down, and maybe have a nap to get over the ... boat-lag. we were looked at a map wondering which direction to head towards and decided on this hotel (looked inexpensive with an ocean view) that was close to these 'lava caves' that we wanted to check out. anyways, the place we chose turned out to be within walking distance to our friend's place - and it is a fairly big island; big enough to be a province anyways.
so, the holiday was a good time. i plan on going back, and maybe bringing my bike. the 11 hour ship ride was pretty brutal, but on maybe the next trip we'll get a bigger group to go. and maybe on that trip, we'll opt for the room with bunk beds, rather than floor..

a weekend in gimhae..

2008-01-20T20:49:00.000+09:00

this past weekend was spent with jessie and justin in the little town (at least, compared to busan) of gimhae. arriving in the afternoon on saturday, we spent little time sitting around at their house; they already had an awesome night planned out for becky and i. we started out going to this cool chinese food restaurant (not quite the same as back home) and we had supper. my ability to read korean has reached a point where i can usually identify at least one word in a description of the food, but choosing a meal is still like pointing at the menu with your eyes closed. luckily, the menu at this place was all pictures so it was much easier to order than at most other restaurants.
jessie and justin picked their dishes (fried tofu with veggies), and beck picked her's (mixed stirfried veggies surrounded with tofu), and then i chose a chicken dish. when reading the description of my order i guess i didn't pay too much attention. i saw the word dalk which usually means chicken. i seemed to overlook the word beside it too in my rush to order- the word bal (which means "feet"). sigh... when i received my plate of deep fried chicken feet i kind of regretted not paying closer attention to the order. the texture was terrible, but the taste was pretty good - like a spicy lemon chicken...
from that place we walked to a restaurant called muse. it was pretty fun- there was a live band playing the whole time we were there (two lead vocals, a guitar player and some electronic synthesized background accompaniment. it was there where we met up with jessie and justin's friend, ju. he spoke enough english to communicate with us, and he helped us order food and drinks too.
the last place we went to was another live music place, but more of a bar than the last one. we ordered what we thought would be a pitcher of stout, but it turned out that the bartender just mixed a bottle of dark beer in with the pitcher of light beer - it was still good though. it was a great place. on the stage there was a lone guitarist playing with electronic accompaniment, singing as the smoke machine gave the place a kind of 'hall-o-weeny' feel. in the middle of our time at this bar this random korean guy came up to our table and asked me where i was from. he then shook all of our hands and proceeded to buy us beer on his way out. not even to share a drink with us, but on his way out. i'm not sure if we look like celebrities, or perhaps the older korean men really want us to feel welcome while away from home, but having people buy us drinks after merely looking at us is becoming a common occurrence here. as we reached the end of our night at the bar, our new friend, ju was the one who got up and paid for our pitcher. what a generous culture! in so many cases that i've encountered here, the eldest male usually will make an attempt to pay for the food or drink. i like that this tradition still lives on... and that i am usually one of the younger ones at the table.
today was spent sleeping in and hanging out at coffee shops playing uno together. we capped the weekend off watching this video that justin and jessie rented from the library, called miss potter. set in the early 20th century, the story is about how the struggling artist beatrix potter makes a stand for something she believes in as the creater of the children's books starring peter rabbit. i won't go into the movie or how i was affected by it because this blog is already longer than i was intending. however, i do hope to write other blogs this week inspired by this movie, or maybe just by the thoughts that this movie has led me to.
if you could only map your train of thought... i wonder if it would make sense to anyone else who looked at it?..

stop reading this blog - go on a hike!

2008-01-10T21:45:00.001+09:00

the word addiction makes me think of cigarettes, or maybe alcohol or something of that nature. something that you continue to be involved in, to the extent that it is actually really hard to pull yourself away from.
in south korea, the most "wired country in the world", the addictions that many concern about are none other than cell phone usage, and computer gaming. south korea is said to be "the forefront of gaming culture", where nerds are glorified as tremendous athletes. the addiction to computer gaming has become such an issue here that the bbc actually did a special report, using south korea as a warning to the rest of the world.
there are about 28,000 "pc bangs" (or internet cafes) in korea. these dimly lit, smoke filled rooms could easily compare to the neighborhood tavern, only, there is no age restriction. kids will come to these pc rooms and sit down and play these multi player role playing games, instead of hitting the soccer field, heading off to bike with friends. the instant gratification of the virtual world is a very easy choice for kids who's childhood has been so jam packed full of schooling.
i don't blame the kids, for i think they are conditioned to act this way. many kids attend academies (like the one i teach at) after their regular school day, and don't get home to do their homework until late. these are the same kids who are learning how to speak english at the same time they are learning how to speak korean. they are bred into a culture that pushes kids so hard that many hardly get a chance to sleep in between their school work. so the free time they do get has to go somewhere (and it's not going to be sleep..)
if i turn on my tv at any time of the day or night, it's easy to find some internet game to watch. like, when i used to sit and wait for my turn to play halo in ben and jer's room at ssu watching halo, i didn't think much of it. i was soon to be playing. i guess maybe it could be the same thing, except the viewer is always, the viewer. these tv shows are where the real gamers shine. professional gamers are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars playing for packed audiences in studios that broadcast the games. they are the elite, and just like any other "elite" athlete, they have fans who adore them. you should really check out this bbc podcast - it's funny while at the same time, really sad.
some of the funny things about this gaming culture:
-there is a game where the main premise is to control the virtual characters to clean their house as fast as possible. perhaps these sims would rather be outside doing something else rather than cleaning the house? or, maybe they are just working toward some free time so they can hit up the pc bong.
- there is a training center that people go to, to strengthen their hands and their wrists while they aren't playing the.
-the fans will shower their respective "e-sports athlete" with snacks: candy, chocolate, and other sweets. i'm sure it helps them stay in the zone for longer periods of time.
- "the players arrive carrying their own mice and keyboard." just... a different world here i guess..
the sad part is (not that the above isn't sad, but is sad in a different way..) that this addiction has actually claimed lives. the bbc speaks of a 17 year old boy who went without food or sleep for two days. there was no interruptions with cell phones, or getting a drink, or even going to the washroom. some of the kids just go on their chairs while playing... ugh.... the kid died in the internet cafe. our material bodies just can not support us living in the virtual world.
i started out listening to this report almost laughing at its absurdity, but ended up feeling unsure of how to feel about it. there is a rehab clinic for kids becoming 'unhooked' from the virtual world, where they are forced to go on hikes, feel sunlight and communicate with others.
in my english classes i ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up, and the majority of the boys answer "a pro gamer". such a sad state of affairs..
the bbc report is here

the name game..

2008-01-07T11:27:00.000+09:00

so, for the last couple of months of being here, i have been wondering more and more about this family name i have. the name "seto" has asian decent, but no one in the family has been able to pinpoint from where or how this name got to canada.
the search thus far has taken me to fukuoka, japan where this woman showed me the family name seto or sato, in Kanji (the japanese characters).

it looks like this:

佐

藤

i actually bought a stamp that had this name on it, and it has helped me on this search. but just this morning, i received a letter from my great aunt explaining how at least part of the family is from hong kong. now, there wasn't as many details as I would have liked, but this is a start. good ol' wikipedia suggested that the name sito is a very common name in china,

it's characters looking like this:

司
徒

so where does this lead me? well, my great aunt mentioned some names that might lead me to find out a bit more, but right now i'm a bit stuck.
fortunately on my mother's side, the name bryson has been traced back and found its place of origin in strabane, ireland.
....
I wonder though, as time goes on, and as people become even further removed from their one particular heritage because of our multiculturalism, will there be any concern over one's history? would anyone say "oh yeah? well my great, great, great, great, great, great, great uncle was originally from china, and was the famous war hero... i think.."? one hundred years from now how will we view lineage? what about two hundred years from now? what about five hundred?
if you were to ask a korean about his family tree, i'd be willing to bet that they could trace it back way farther than the average north american (just what it seems like from here). is it good or bad that we can't trace our family's footsteps? i don't know, but i do think it would be cool if i could.
i'm going to continue to search around for the footsteps of my ancestors on my dad's side. i don't know what i'll find, if anything, but i'll be sure to post it here when and if anything comes up.

Top 5 year long goals - resolutions..

2008-01-04T10:22:00.000+09:00

i think that a new years resolution should be to write in this thing more.
i was going to write this blog about how i spent new years going to a turkish restaurant with becky and some of her co-workers, but i think i'll spare you of that since this current sentence says pretty much all you need to know. i had falafels - they were delicious..
instead maybe i'll write a few more new years resolutions..

5. i want to start writing in this more. communicating to friends and family, i'm finding, is really important. so if i can keep up to date in this blog, maybe my lack of email sending wont be noticed.. heh heh...

4. learn the language! learn the history! learn the philosophy! i want to learn how this place managed to hold on to their own individual identity even after their country was occupied by the japanese. who are these koreans, and what makes them distinctly different than the colossal countries that surround them?

3. traveling! good thing my number two goal is to make money, because if this resolution closer to number one i'd have lots of memories and little cash-ola. it seems to me that traveling around korea is pretty cheap. seoul is the furthest i'd probably go, yet it is only a 25,000 won ($25) bus ride (i think). so, anywhere closer is only about 5,000 to 15,000 won - so why not explore!? becky and i want to travel once a month (if possible) and check out the amazing sites that korea has to offer. it would be such a shame to come back from korea a couple of hundreds of dollars richer, but with only the memories of my school and my tiny apartment.

2. make a budget and stick to it! my main purpose to be out here in korea is to make the cash that i owe the government. not that I don't like the traveling part (it's great!), but the ultimate goal is showing me the money! these past three months here i have ended up spending more than i thought, and am now questioning just how good i am at saving. this year should prove to educate me in the ways of going dutch (is that politically correct? [no offense intended]).

1. make a decision as to what direction i would like to go school-wise. i have been thinking about so many options that i have, and some that i do not have (but could have if i worked at it..) and still have not come up with any sort of "plan" about what to do when I return from this land of the morning calm.. currently (doug would say "oh yeah, it's tuesday, so you must be leaning towards this..") i am thinking of going into some sort of design program with my sights set on entering a city planning course a few years down the road. what school do i attend? when do i enroll? how do i get those high school math credits? hopefully this resolution thing will help me answer these questions... at least, to satisfy the year knowing that they might change next year. ugh.

i was right!

2007-12-20T22:00:00.000+09:00

yup, i guess the cheerleaders did the trick! (just kiddin..)
lee myung-bak won the presidential election yesterday, and starting in february, will take his seat in the blue house (seriously.. thats what i've heard that the building is called). he promises to place 'reviving the economy' of south korea among his top priorities throughout his term. lee said “we should create a new development system in which the benefits of growth will be returned to the middle class" - joongang daily. winning the election with over 50% 0f the vote, there seems to be no debate in who koreans want as their leader. i'm excited to take part in the events which will surely unfold under this new governing power. i have been ignorant to politics for long enough, and while here in korea, i would like to stay on top of the news.
However... there is soooo much more going on in the world. isn't it always true, that phrase the grass is always greener on the other side... there is so many stories that are worth following out there, and as someone with easy access to so much information, i feel, as a fellow human being, that it is an obligation to hear at least something about the lives of other humans in our global community - that is, if i am looking to be aware of the lives that reach beyond my local neighborhood. i feel more and more the importance of "taking part", whatever that means. perhaps it means that we should vote, or perhaps it means that we should contribute our opinions to our local political leaders, or perhaps it simply means... uh... not playing loud music and waking the neighbors? in whatever capacity we choose, i feel more and more the importance of getting out there and living as a people, as a part of something. that's just me though. if you are looking for a good place to start learning about the goods and the bads in the world why not try the "not-as-good-as-the-good-news" news first? (save the good news until last!) check out a humanity lost? this is a blog that becky has created to keep herself and its readers informed of the goods and the bads in somalia.

how bout ending on a good note? or.. at least a funny one?

maybe if george bush had cheerleaders... nah, i still don't think it would help him

2007-12-18T21:59:00.000+09:00

so it's election day tomorrow. and a statutory holiday to boot. woo hoo!
since november 27th all i have heard was the banter of pop songs; their lyrics have been changed to state the party's political agenda, and to promote the candidates themselves. near my house, all i hear are these newly written pop songs with the words "ee-myung-bak" (the name of one of the candidates). the funniest thing about it is that in front of their portable stage parked at the side of a busy intersection, they have dancers (whom i call cheerleaders) dancing along to the music in a choreographed manner. donald kirk of the asia times writes "it's an orgy of democracy in action that won't stop until december." december 19 that is... tomorrow.

these dancers are supporting ee-myung-bak, the presidential candidate you see in the poster above.
this poster, placed right beside one of the main bridges to get to the island of yeongdo-gu (where i currently reside), reminded me of orwell's 1984 - big brother, don't you think?
who's to say in this crazy "orgy of democracy" who will win? well, my money's on ee-myung-bak: he's ahead of in the polls, he only as been accused of being involved in a scandal with samsung, and he has the most attractive dancers.

for more info on the election check out:
the korea times
chosun
joongang daily
dongha
or even wikipedia has some up to date stuff, click here for that.

a fear of mine..

2007-12-18T10:43:00.000+09:00

With the Christmas season upon us, and me being at such a distance from my family and many of friends, my mind has been wandering about the idea of time. Time spent in Korea, time spent in school, work time and play time, the present time and lifetime.
So this brings us to the title "a fear of mine.." Ever since my first year of University I've grown to love learning, and thanks to the influence of the community in little St. Stephen, and a few influential and inspiring friends, I have come to see the beauty in so many different things. I think a fault of mine has never been unwillingness to try, but rather the opposite: the willingness to try everything. Starting many things wouldn't be a bad thing, if only they could conceivably be completed. My sights however have been set upon so many different things that it might be impossible to complete them all (to "complete" meaning, to be satisfied enough to move on from that subject). I took a Spanish course in my first year at SSU. I took a German course in my last year. I wanted to/want to learn French again to help me remember what I had lost in the years of not studying it. I am now teaching myself Korean, and am being sidetracked because of the "coolness" of learning Japanese and Chinese. The problem is, that I have a hard time saying to myself "no, it can't be done". So I undertake many things, which lead me to more amazing things that I want to learn and do. This all leads me to one end; being only a little aware in a variety of different subjects.
I have never had "one" passion, or dream, but I've had many. But those many only seldom reach 'near completion'. The question I guess I'm really asking - what leads to a fulfilling life? Aristotle said;

Now the peculiar excellence of man is his power of thought; it is by this faculty that he surpasses and rules other forms of life; and as the growth of this faculty has given him supremacy, so, we may presume, its development will give him a fulfillment and happiness.

So knowledge gives us happiness? does it? What brings us that fulfillment? No Impact Man thinks that if we want fulfillment, if we want to be loved,

what we we need is living rooms full of people instead of closets full of stuff. We need community. Isn't that an important point? We could be happy without the stuff and without wrecking the planet. We just need to hang out more.

I think he's right about less consumeristic practices and more wholesome family time practices, but what about living life. The movie "The Pursuit of Happiness" taught us that we will never reach that final goal, but we'll always be in pursuit of it. So then the question is... How do we pursue?

Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard

2007-12-15T10:54:00.000+09:00

Annie Leonard has spent over 20 years researching the life cycle of stuff. You know, our material purchases- from our mp3 players to our clothes- the life cycle of these items has been hidden half hidden from consumers for some time now. I'm sure many people have wondered about how these everyday items get onto the shelves, but it seems that curiosity rarely goes beyond that initial wonder. Annie Leonard has created a few videos that reveals her findings in a easy to understand, entertaining way. I really think these short videos strike at the heart of a few issues. I also think that their message should be passed around as much as possible. As "going green" and caring about the environment becomes more trendy and cool, perhaps people's mindsets will change.
Check these out - they're short and only take a few minutes, but their worth seeing.

muddled words of fear..

2007-12-04T00:06:00.000+09:00

"me... mother, father.. understand.. not... painful"
I just said goodbye to a Korean friend (although I'm weary to use the word 'friend' without actually knowing his name) who I walked around with after Kom-do (Korean sword fighting). Every night after work I head over to the Kom-do place and take part in the fifty minute training sessions. I find it's one way to get in some exercise in an otherwise un-strenuous day.
Anyways, this Korean friend of mine asked me (using his VERY small English vocabulary) if I would get Ice cream with him. So we went out, and had some ice cream (on a stick) - his treat. I told him that I would treat him the next time that we went out.
That next time was tonight. We went out after Kom-do and I treated him to Dokk-bu-kee (kind of a rice textured tube in a spicy/sweet sauce). After we had finished, it got kind of awkward. I wanted to go home, make some food and then sleep, but he seemed to want to walk and talk. So, we walked. A while later, after walking up and down streets attempting communication with one another, I decided to go home. I told him that I wanted sleep and started toward home. He tagged along and said that he would walk to my house. It wasn't too late so I said I led him to my apartment. I really think that hanging out with a foreigner in public really boosts the status of Korean people, and that's why I think we walked around together. I'm getting to the quote above, don't worry..
So at my house, after looking at my Korean- English dictionary he starts spilling out all these fears that he has about returning home. He says "me... father, fearfull", and points to a Korean word where beside it states it's synonyms: "ill treatment", "treat badly", "abuse". From what I understood of the conversation was that, because he had no job, his parents treated him badly. In Becky's school it is encouraged for the teachers to discipline the children by hitting them, often with a bamboo stick. I'm not sure what parents are allowed to do to their children, but I'm sure it's probably worse. My friend is 29 years old, but even grown men here have quite a high level of reverence toward their parents. If he were beaten, he would probably be beaten badly.
I didn't know what to say to him. "home going... want.. no", he would mutter. We were both holding dictionaries; him with his cellphone dictionary, and me with my book. In between the frantic looking up of words, his father called. And then called again. I don't understand much of the Korean that is spoken here, but one of the first things I looked up was the swear words. "She-bal" otherwise known as "fuck you" (or something to that effect), was said every second word in the phone conversation between father and son. Full of remorse, and fear, my friend headed toward the door. "me talking... late... sorry", he would apologize for staying as long as he did at my apartment. sigh.. what do I do? What can he, or anyone like him do in his situation? The way of life here is SO different than at home. There is no comment that I could make, no consolation that I could provide. Although I turned to the bright side and told him that we'd go for chicken and mek-chu (beer) after the next Kom-do practice, the same fear and sorrow still gripped his face.
I'm not sure how to handle the domestic disputes that happen here, besides turning my head and looking the other way. Not my culture- things are done differently here. But still, I see the stressed out kids at my school; I read about the attempted suicides of kids who have to take the nationwide tests determining whether they make it into good high schools or not; I hear stories of kids living with their grandparents because their parents split up, leaving nobody legally responsible for the child, and I think... this is terrible. There are some amazing roses in Korean culture, but tonight, I can't seem to get past the thorns.

Pretty in pink..

2007-11-30T23:11:00.001+09:00

This article found in the business section of BBC World News. It's pretty funny... check it out.

Clothing stores in Thailand have seen a rush to buy pink shirts, thanks to a fashion craze sparked by the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thais have been queuing in their hundreds to buy the shirts ever since the King left hospital last month wearing both a pink shirt and blazer. The Phufa fashion chain said it had sold 40,000 pink shirts this month.
"Our factory is making these shirts every day, every minute day and night," said a spokeswoman for the company.
"We had no idea they would be this popular."
Other colours
King Bhumibol spent three weeks in hospital last month having treatment for heart problems and other ailments.

Wearing pink brings the king luck. I don't want him to be sick

Rose Tarin, civil servant

Thai commentators said pink first became an important colour for him earlier this year, when royal astrologers determined it was a good colour for his health.
On that recommendation, a pink royal crest was designed for his 80th birthday on 5 December.
Civil servant Rose Tarin, 56, recently camped outside a clothing store from 4am to ensure she was able to buy one of the latest shipments of pink shirts.
"Wearing pink brings the king luck. I don't want him to be sick," she said.
The King, who has traditionally always worn dark suits in public, has now also taken to wearing a range of other brightly coloured items.
This has led to Thai newspapers predicting runs on green and blue shirts.
The world's longest serving monarch, King Bhumibol is regarded by some as semi-divine and his picture hangs in most Thai homes.
Although he has no official political role, he is seen as the country's moral authority.
Last year he helped to restore calm following the military coup.
The rush for pink shirts is not the first fashion craze he has started.
Since King Bhumibol's 60th anniversary on the throne in 2006, many Thais have worn bright yellow shirts every Monday, because that was the day of the week on which he was born.

money - the wedge that divides us all

2007-11-28T10:14:00.000+09:00

Should it be this way?
Many people are born into their place in the social status hierarchy. They are born into families with money, or they begin life in countries that can educate them, or at least feed them. Although some people are able to work hard and move out of their income bracket and climb that ladder, most people seem to stay within the financial bracket they were born into. Probably because they are unable to better themselves; the lack the financial backing to do so.
I was reading an article in the JoongAng Daily newspaper here in Korea, and there was one story that particularly stood out, relating to this very topic. The title of the article was "Gaining entry to elite high schools means cramming at a tender age". By cramming they are not talking about studying really hard five minutes before the test. They are talking about attending special "cram schools", like the kind that I teach at. These are schools that the kids would attend after a day of regular school in hopes that they would be prepared when the time came to apply to an elite high school, or even college. These kids spend their childhood setting up their future, and then spend their future teaching their child how to be successful like them.
The problem that I see with this is not that the kids are sleeping four hours a night studying for their exams. That's how the culture has been for the past few decades, ever since they took so strongly to Western philosophy. It's hard work imitating another's culture while leaving your own to rot in the history books. This is not the problem I see (at least, not the problem for this post!). Because these admission tests are so challenging, almost no one with the standard public school education will be able to even apply. The only ones with a shot at getting into these schools are the kids who's parents can afford the private tutor or cram schools. The Korea Teachers and Workers Union state two other problems. They state that "schools are making students overly dependent on private cram schools, while hurting the quality of education at regular schools and causing a gap between the wealthier students who can afford steep cram-school fees and those who cannot".
I suppose the point of this blog is to discuss how this "gap" between the rich and poor continues to widen. I know that these two groups have existed for a long time, but I always thought the perks of being rich seemed to end with their level of education and quality of life. As time moves forward, how much further will the distance become between the two groups?
Colin Beavan's blog No Impact Man is always inspiring to me. Recently, while catching up on his entries, I came across something that connects with this discussion. He highlighted the battle between public water systems and bottled water corporations. The main issue is this: with the growing demand for bottled water over tap water, what will the future hold? There is a pledge that is being passed around that states that one is to drink tap water instead of bottled water. Apparently of the seventy four Americans that drink bottled water, one in five drink ONLY bottled water... For more facts go here.
Currently, there is over one billion people who do not have enough clean water to fulfill their daily needs. By 2025 it is predicted that 2/3 of the worlds population will be in this category. What will happen if only the wealthy(and I say "the wealthy" knowing that I'm in this category) can afford clean water?
This is a longer post than I intended to make it, but I wanted to raise the point that I know has already been raised time and time again. I think that it's important to be conscious of the outcome of our actions. This includes buying bottled water over drinking tap water, driving a car over taking public transportation, leaving the lights or air conditioner on while no one is home, etc. With so much talk on climate change and how we are to shape the future I'm realizing more and more that how we live our individual lives does have an effect on what life will be like down the road. Individuals doing their own thing may only satisfy their personal goals, but a community of individuals holding each other accountable for their actions, this can have a much bigger impact. To sign the tap water pledge click here. For Colin Bevan's blog on this pledge, click here.

wanted: thrifty people

2007-11-20T01:38:00.000+09:00

"Thrifty" is the word my friend John uses to describe people who take the used furniture from the street corners. I am "thrifty".
Every Monday is 'big stuff' garbage day. This means that people who are sick of their furniture or appliances are able to put them out on the curb and have them picked up by the garbageman. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels this way, but it seems like people get sick of their furniture fairly often. I've already written a blog about this called trash and treasure, but I wanted to throw a picture or two on here to commemorate the future destruction of these awesome closets.

Every Monday, on my one minute walk to my school, I see a pile of awesome furniture, or antique stuff lying out on the street. Last Monday, from my second story classroom where I teach, I got to see the men come in the pickup truck with their crowbars and hammers. I got to see them smash all the tables, chairs and drawers to pieces and load up their trucks. It's not that I'm a huge antique fan or anything, but I just feel like there should be something else that can be done besides smashing these items to bits. To me that seems wasteful and... just sad.
I know that this is the way of the world - we trade off our old stuff when we can afford the newer, shiner stuff- does this cycle end? This closet, with it's hand made, mother-of-pearl inlay door might have been labored over for a long time. Or it might be just like hundreds of thousands of others - out of date and obsolete. Either way, when I walk by that corner tomorrow, and see slivers of mother-of-pearl on the ground, I'll feel slightly upset at our consuming culture. Am I being silly with this, my "thrifty" nature getting the best of me? or am I right to question the amount we consume?

teaching with integrity or... just putting in the time

2007-11-16T18:13:00.000+09:00

I'm out here in South Korea trying to make money, because the government of Canada demands that I pay back my loans. The goal of this year long excursion is to save money enough to end my debt and perhaps return with some money to boot. Of course there is the minor goals of traveling, and experiencing life and culture, but I suppose that these are second to the main goal of saving some cash.
So... how does this fit in with what I actually do here? I teach five days a week; I am the reason the school attracts it's students (the promise of a foreigner's native tongue). But these kids are anywhere from five to fifteen years old. The children want to be children and run around (so they should) and the older ones want to be anywhere else rather than the English Hagwon (academy). I'm realizing as I spend more time at the front of the room that these kids are... just kids! It should have been obvious, but... no it wasn't. I entered the English teaching field with the high hopes of teaching kids how to communicate, but I feel like that goal was set a bit high.
These are just regular kids. At five years old how many different languages did you know? How many different schools did you attend? These kids are worked hard! Trust me, I'm an optimistic person but they will not (most of them) be able to pick up a new language, even if they are pushed as hard as they are. So all this was to say that I have come to a conclusion (or, perhaps a more realistic goal). I will just be there. I will teach what I can, but also play the games. I will run through the curriculum, feeding the kids only what they can handle.
Sounds like the right answer? Maybe, but I feel like I'm taking the easy way out. And it WOULD be the easy way out. It's ridiculous trying to get them to follow any type of structure, or respect. Especially the little kids: back home these kids would be having a nap time, where here, they are learning how to chat about the weather in a foreign language. Have your break kids. Let's play a game.
But my other problem... The older kids, who have the potential to learn and to develop in their English. I can think of one class especially where the balance between teaching them and tolerating them is like walking a tightrope. On one hand there are some people in the class who are picking it up and want to learn. On the other, there are a few who don't want to be there, and swear at you in Korean because you tell them that they can't listen to mp3's in the class. Do I just let things slide to make it easier on me and them, while sacrificing their English lesson? or do I stand my ground and have fifty minutes of hell telling the few of them to behave? I was once told that I should just "do my time" and then come home. I'll get paid either way, but I feel that I can't just let the class run itself. There's much potential for knowledge there that I feel that it is my responsibility to run a good class. The other teacher that has this one particular class just lets them have their way: if the kids don't like the seating plan, then this teacher will cater to the kids. How can I contend with this and go against the other teacher that teaches 80% of the class? I feel like if I stop trying it would be so easy to just play games with them every class - but I'd get NO respect, everyday... I'm not sure if you follow what I'm writing, but it is a bit of an issue that I've been dealing with the last few weeks. How much effort should I put in? What difference is it making? The battle between having integrity, and having an easy year is war, a balance. I'm not sure which side will win...

when i grow up i want to be..

2007-11-02T10:43:00.000+09:00

Disclaimer: this blog is a thought process. From beginning to end, I am writing and working things through. Agree or disagree, these are just my rambling thoughts.

As of recently I've been feeling the pressure of that sentence, and have been disparately wanting to finish it. A friend reminded me a little while ago that applications for universities will be due in February, if I plan to attend in 2008. I'm not sure if this is just for the programs in September or if that application includes the winter term too, but regardless of that, the clock keeps ticking and brings me that much closer to my homecoming.
I'd like to return to school when I get back to Canada but first I am needing to decide what I'm truly interested in. How do people do this I wonder? For those of you who are striving toward a particular vocation, how did you get started? Did you always want to do a particular line of work? or did a friend suggest it to you? Did you study for years with this one goal? or did you stumble upon it out of the blue? How does one choose?
Maybe it's been the influence of TV and movies that has romanticized my idea of what working life will be like. Of course my optimistic mind would filter out the shows that depict a rotten job life, leaving me with a rosy outlook that demands that I 'make a difference in the world'. The influence of the media along with cheery elementary school teachers who ingrain on us the words "you can do anything you put your mind to" have left me with a pristine picture of what life should be, and could be like (as long as I put my mind to it). And who wouldn't want to make a difference in the world if given the opportunity? The problem is that it is very easy to type away at my keyboard talking about it, and much more challenging to actually go out and find that job that satisfies your goals.
Of course, all these options would not even have existed a generation ago. Every new age seems to bring different problems along with (hopefully) different solutions. I am fortunate to have grown up in a middle to upper class family, without experiencing the true meaning of poverty, or even 'struggle' for that matter. But have these circumstances helped or hindered my quest? I wonder if living without wondering where our next meal is coming from has given me a tainted view on what it is to 'have a job'. There are some who work because they need to survive. Working = food and shelter, and food = one more day. Where as people in that situation are forced to work ANY job out of necessity, here I am debating over which job I would like and which job I would not like.
In writing this, I am finding more and more that I am among the fortunate people who have the option to choose a particular type education, or job while rejecting another type. My original comment about what I am going to be when I grow up seems almost selfish in light of my families social status. Yet, the choice of how one should choose to live lies before us all, rich or poor. I guess it would be pretty selfish to blog a whiny tale about how I have so many opportunities and can't quite choose one (that's not what the blog was supposed to be about). Perhaps it would be more appropriate for the discussion to be about the topic of how to live, instead of how to get a job that you like. This general inquiry would then include the choice of vocation along with many other choices that we all seem to face. Of course, our lives are always shaped by our own particular circumstance, but I'm sure that there is an overarching theme to each choice we make. Could it be the theme of 'what makes us happy'?
My friend and I are one day going to put together a photography exhibit that expresses the message that, even the poor people can feel happiness. The goal of this project was to show that happiness exists in all circumstances, and more importantly, that wealth is not the source of ones happiness. But that is a discussion for another blog.
So, how to wrap this rambling session up... It seems that it's not so much important to choose the right career for oneself, but the importance lies in the way life is conducted. If one is able to 'live well' according to their own standards, then this will probably equate to that person's overall happiness with their life. So maybe my search isn't so much with what I want to do as a particular job, but rather who do I want to be as a person.
If you've made it through this random session of ramblings and understood it all, congratulations. I barely made it through myself...

the kindness of strangers

2007-10-30T09:41:00.000+09:00

On the weekend Becky and I got to go to one of the largest temples in Korea, Beomosa. The day was warm and sunny, and so without the thought of rain we were on a bus heading toward the site. There were two options in terms of how to get there. Our final destination was the temple, but I think the journey there is just as important - so we hiked. One of the coolest things about Korea is the kindness of people. It amazes me. As Becky and I tried to decipher the map that was right beside the bus stop, we made the decision to walk instead of bus. Just as we were trying to figure out what to do, a Korean woman who works at the UN memorial park cemetery here in Busan started talking to us. The next thing we know we are getting a history lesson as we scale this huge hill. It was great - gotta love strangers.
So anyways, here's a few pictures of the day.

This fire pit here was on the top of the hill/mountain. If you've ever seen the Lord of the Rings, when they are lighting the beacons on top of the mountain to signal for help, well then you'd be familiar with the purpose of this place. Used about a hundred years ago, this place was used to send smoke signals to allied villages with messages of distress. Those villages in turn would light their own beacons and communicate back. Awesome.

This is a sweet view of Busan; the city in the valley.

Becks and I, posing 'like the Asians do'

This is Becky and our volunteer tour guide and the steps leading down to the temple area.

One part of the temple (it's a pretty big place)
For more pictures of this place click here.

curiosity + free time = random adventures

2007-10-26T21:42:00.000+09:00

This must be random adventure number 81... these events seem to happen often (I kind of look for them).
So I'm biking home after getting my first ever cell phone (I'm excited anyways..) and I ended up taking the long way home and biking past the soccer stadium. As I carry on down the road and approach the subway station, I'm distracted to see the amount of cars on the street, and the streams of people flowing toward the stadium. I thought to myself "Alright! There must be a game tonight!"
So using my very small vocabulary of broken Korean to ask someone if they spoke a bit of English, I found this one lady who did. She was among hundreds who were heading towards the stadium, which was shooting out spotlights as if Star wars was being filmed inside. I thought "ok, I'll check it out". Why not? By this point I knew that it wasn't a soccer game from the screen just outside the stadium. It showed a singer of some kind, so I thought I'd go have a quick peek. This lady who I was walking with led me past police officers, who questioned her on who I was. "Photographer", she said. Apparently I was shooting this event (but I left my camera at home! Man!).
Anyways, we went and sat in the front row of this stadium which was almost completely packed. The only seats available were to the sides of the stage, where no one could see anything anyway. "Is this a concert or something?" I asked her.
"No, this is the Busan Franklin Graham Festival"
...ok. So, not soccer... or a concert. But it was a pretty cool experience to just go and see the fireworks, the laser light show and the tens of thousands of people that were there to support Mr. Graham. I was kind of torn at this point as to whether I should go or stay. I wasn't really interested in the bands or what Mr. Graham had to say, but I did want to stay out of curiosity with what was going to happen.
Overall the night had some noteworthy moments. One was when Franklin Graham told everyone to turn on their cell phones (and hold them up as if they were lighters). They turned off the lasers and spotlights, and there seemed to be more cell phones than there were stars in the sky. It was incredible to see! Another cool moment was when the choir started to play. It was a 5,000 person choir, singing hallelujah. Again, it was pretty cool.
So the night was interesting to say the least. I booked it during the altar call, but not without noticing the balloons that everyone was given, using them as if they were pompoms. Biking away from the thousands of Christians listening to Franklin Graham, I thought of all the random events that seem to happen. Is this what it's like to live in a big city? I think all you need is an open mind, and some free time. Anything could happen.
... Maybe they'll hold some kind of hockey tournament here... It could happen...

Pilgrimage pics

2007-10-25T13:08:00.000+09:00

I've finally (I know it's been long overdue) added a bunch of pilgrimage pictures to my facebook! For those who don't know, I went on a 100km hike from Melrose, Scotland to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, England last May. Here are a bunch of pictures that I took. For the first half of the trip click here. For the second half of the trip click here. And yes I do accept comments :)

What a million people looks like..

2007-10-24T12:05:00.000+09:00

Unfortunately I don't have a wide enough lens to capture the shoulder to shoulder comfort that I watched the fireworks in, but maybe you could imagine. The annual Busan fireworks festival was this past weekend, and Becky, Dan, Ashley and I got to witness the spectacle first hand. It was a two day event, with the first day showcasing traditional dancing followed by a lazer light show, while the second day held even more dancing and demonstrations with the ever awaited fireworks display to cap it all off.
Although on the Friday night (the first night) I missed the lazer show due to teaching, I did get to take in the sights at Gwangalli beach.
The music was... tough to judge because my ear is trained by Canadian music, and not Korean, so we'll say that the music was 'different'. It was really amazing to be there though. One guy came up on stage and played a type of jazz horn, or something, and just went crazy on this little horn, hitting crazy notes (I actually thought he sounded horrible.. but that was just my ears..).
The following night was the main event, the fireworks. It was estimated that about 1.3 million people would be showing up; .3 million for the Friday night, and 1 million for the Saturday. Well, when the four of us finally arrived on a jam packed subway (I was squished against the door), we walked toward the beach with the police directing all of the people. When we finally got to a place where we could see the bridge, we could no longer move. We were completely out of room, but... we could see, and that was more than some people.
The fireworks display went on for about 45 minutes, and was incredible. There were green lasers and spotlights, the whole shebang. Although it was crowded and we didn't get that great of view, it was still worth going down there and experiencing it first hand. Who knows, if they have another one and I have the option of watching it on tv or seeing it live, I think I'd still choose the latter.

Check out all the cellphones in this one! As soon as the show started they took 'em out! So funny!

For more pics, click here

masks and modernity: an epic battle

2007-10-18T22:12:00.000+09:00

This past weekend was the annual Kim and Joe's "take the foreigner's somewhere cool" trip, and I've gotta say, it was awesome! Let me set the scene... forty-three foreigners, one bus, and a lot of american beer.
Just to back it up a bit, "Kim and Joe" is a recruiting agency here in Busan. They work for English hagwons or academys here and look for foreigners to work for them. Becky and I chose to go through these recruiters because they... are just great. They are down to earth people who were just real with us. They are not like some others that often seem faceless to those searching to find a job. These guys even have facebook!
Anyways, the weekend excursion first took us on a boat trip that toured around this river, highlighting specific rock faces and special places. After that we headed out for a 'hike' to a place called Mt. Sokri. We were led up a paved pathway leading to an ancient park where monks used to live, work and pray. It was such a cool place, with artifacts that were hundreds of years old. Here are some pics:

This Buddha statue was massive. Covered in gold leaf.

At the entrance to the village

The architecture here was just incredible

Walking through this little area was breathtaking yet frustrating as well. It was fantastic to behold artifacts that are called 'national treasures', but beside all these treasures were good ol' human comforts: vending machines and little vendors. In my eyes, these places that are selling the cheap 'made in China' crap taint the authenticity of this place. That and the vending machines have a little covering over them done in the same style as the ancient buildings. It just made me disapointed in how we've preserved the precious things in our past. We are quick to sell out, thinking that it is better to make some cash and provide the comforts of home rather than upholding the integrity of the area.
Anyways, the next day we headed out to Hahoe village, a place that was a little less harmed by the modern culture. This place is famous for its Mask festival. For more info about that click here (just click 'English' in the top right corner). I loved this place. This was the minor stop on the trip home, but I liked it so much, I couldn't leave... Becky and I stayed the night in this little... traditional hotel, i guess, called 'minbok'. It was about 15,000 won (roughly $15) each for a night, and it was cool!
Just before the group from Kim and Joe's left, we all got to see the traditional mask play. It said in the brochure that everyone should see the mask play before they die or they will not get to enter heaven! whew! So, as Becky and I were watching this play, there was a part in it where the person who played 'the fool' called people up to dance with him. Here's Becky and I in front of a few hundred people, instantly becoming celebrities. Here we are dancing:

(photo by Kyle Carnes)

The village was incredible, and Becky and I got to see authentic Korean life before they became detached from their roots (maybe I'm too harsh by saying that they've sold out? I'm just disappointed). I'd go back in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm organizing my schedule so that I can return on a weekend or something. Such a good place. For an even more detailed version of this weekend, click here for Becky's blog. You can also find more pictures of this weekend on my Facebook account here.

No Impact Man

2007-10-10T10:52:00.000+09:00

Can one live in this world while making no net impact on the environment? Can we live without creating trash, without electricity, without putting toxins in the water? Of course, us merely being alive has an effect on the environment, but on more of a philosophical level, can we live with our net impact on the world at 0?
I know that in my current situation, that would be very hard to do. Recently however, I have been inspired and persuaded to venture a little closer to that road. There is this blog site by writer Colin Beavan that documents a year long experiment that tries to answer this question whether a human, in a modern society, can live without producing any negative impact toward the environment. The site is called "No Impact Man", and it has recently been influencing me a lot.
His philosophy is simple: live life in such a way that is "eco-effective". To describe this he gives the example of Menominee tribe of Wisconsin who have lived off the land, cutting down mass amounts of trees for sale. Yet, with over one hundred years of cutting down trees in the same area, they have ended up with more trees now than when they first began. How? "They have figured out what the forest can productively offer them instead of considering only what they want to take from it." By cutting down the weaker trees, and giving room for the larger trees to grow, it actually helps the environment; almost like grooming it or something.
Humans however, are not following suit. Beavan argues that largely every other species lives with this eco-effective mindset; they just do it. He writes,

Lions neither starve themselves nor gorge to the point of wiping out the gazelle population. Instead, they promote the health of the gazelle herd by culling its weaker members and preventing herd overgrowth which in turn prevents overgrazing of the savannah. Animal waste does not poison the ground but fertilizes the soil so that it can produce more vegetation for the animals to eat. Bees feed on the pollen of flowers but far from damaging them they provide the crucial service of pollinating them.

Can humans live like this? Is it possible to live without killing the planet along with everything else that calls earth its home? I submit that it is possible, and I think that this No Impact man has some great ideas. Check out his site, I definitely recommend it.

My Chu-sok

2007-10-04T12:09:00.000+09:00

... Otherwise known as the Thanksgiving holiday here in Busan, Chu-sok fell on September 24th - 26th. Such a good time for a holiday because that gave everyone a five day weekend. Sweet. Yet during this time, most Koreans were off visiting family, and having special meals. Because us foreigners could not join in the festivities, we decided to have our own special meal to celebrate the Korean Thanksgiving. We searched for turkeys, or duck, or some kind of giant bird that would still fit in my toaster oven, but with no avail. All we could find were chickens, so that's what we settled on. Here's a picture of my awesome toaster oven with the birds inside.

It's tricky living in Korea without having much connection to things going on back at home. Bringing everyone together for a thanksgiving meal helped lessen that feeling of separation from our own culture. Held at Becky's apartment, those attending were Adam and Leta, Becky's co-worker Ann, Becky and I. Ann brought the mashed potatoes, Becky made the veggies with cheese sauce, and Adam and Leta brought the dessert. Overall, it turned out to be a great time (I was impressed with my toaster oven... I didn't know if it could do the job!).
Living out here in Yongdo (an area in Busan) where there are few foreigners, and few people who speak English, life can seem lonely if I don't get out and do stuff. I'm beginning to see more and more the value of friends and family. I know there's that saying that 'you don't know what you have until it's gone', and I think it's quite true. Living at SSU I was close to friends; even if I didn't go visit them I knew that they were right there. There's something comforting in knowing that people you care about are nearby. Community is no longer that dreaded 'C'-word that is over used and annoying, but has become an important aspect to my life. The Thanksgiving meal was a great way to bring us all together, even just for a great meal. Before this blog turns into too much of a hallmark card, I'd better leave it at that (I really just wanted to show off the chickens!).

trash and treasure

2007-09-28T20:54:00.000+09:00

This post is mainly to show you the layout of my apartment. It's basically a box with a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room all wrapped up in one, with a bathroom/laundry room on the side. But Check it out...So I've been here in this apartment, this room, for about three weeks now, and its finally come to a point where I'm comfortable. When I moved in, it felt like the smallest place ever, and it was incredibly dirty. The first few nights I woke up with a sore throat, probably from dust inhalation. But anyways, I've added a few things and cleaned it up a little bit.

-one man's trash is another man's treasure-

So when I first entered the apartment, it was fairly empty. There was the table, the bed and the tv. Now, I'm not saying that I need stuff to live comfortably, but if there was a choice in having a furnished apartment, and not having one, I would definitely choose the former. In this next picture you'll see some of the highlighted items I got to make my apartment feel a bit more homey.

The desk, the little table, and the couches were picked up, not at a store (I don't make that much here!!), but on the side of the street. These pieces of furniture were garbage, probably being replaced by newer items.
Sprite's slogan "Image is nothing, thirst is everything... Obey your thirst"; I don't think that they showed that commercial over here, because image is definitely not nothing. I don't want to generalize the population and suggest that all Koreans are obsessed with their image, but in my experience it seems that the culture is geared towards the importance of people looking their best. For instance, there are mirrors scattered throughout the city, both little and big. I have seen maybe one in five people continue to walk past the mirror without checking themselves out and ensuring that they still look good. It's funny to see the amount of people looking into the back of their cell phones, trying to see if their hair is still good. Also, there's plastic surgery advertisements everywhere. It's not just the ad that's worth commenting about, but beneath these advertisements is a mirror. So people are to look into the mirror, judge themselves, and then look a little higher towards the model in the plastic surgery poster... disgusting.
Anyways, so as I took my newly acquired pieces of furniture home and washed them off outside (they were garbage after all), it was amazing the amount of dirty looks I got by people walking by. Maybe they were more confused looks rather than dirty ones... but it seemed that no one understood why I wouldn't just buy something new. I can understand how people who live here and have some extra money would rather buy new pieces for their home. But as for me, these stray pieces of furniture work out great. If I needed a new chair, and I didn't mind that someone sat in it before me, I'd have no problem finding it.
Although I understand the need to upgrade to newer stuff, it feels like such a waste to have so many perfectly good items sitting on the curbs. What can be done about this? While the Korean people turn the other way while walking past a dusty coffee table, the foreign English teachers visiting the country are thinking "Sweet! A new coffee table for my place!" Perhaps we just need more people who are unfamiliar with this culture of image.

Geez.... Time for an update!

2007-09-25T09:21:00.000+09:00

Alright! So I officially have the internet in my apartment now. And, I officially have an apartment (goes well with my internet). I also have a job, and a salary, and a toaster oven; hopefully this blog will address all the newness that follows with moving to a place of my own in Korea.
It was on September 12th when I finally settled into my apartment (pictures to come). In most English academies when a new teacher comes to fill the older teacher's position, he literally does that; replaces the old teacher in almost every aspect. Even my teaching schedule still has 'Jeremy' on it where 'Chris' should be written. I moved in on a Wednesday morning to an apartment that was not much to look at. The wallpaper was 'off white' a little bit more than it should have been, and the place smelled like moth balls (apparently there was a problem with mold..). The apartment, when first stepping through the door, had its kitchen on the right, its bedroom on the left, and its bathroom and shower straight in front. Yet, there were no walls dividing the different rooms (the bathroom has a glass sliding door); it was all in one room. This is what is called a studio, and it is the most common type of apartment that is offered to a foreign teacher.
So, after getting my place, I went to my new job. Now, I don't know how most schools work, but I think that mine is unique. There are four other Korean teachers who work at my school, and their job is to teach the kids English grammar. They speak a little bit of English, enough to understand if I have any issues in the classroom. These teachers each have their own class that they teach during the 2:10pm to 8:30pm day. My job is to teach each of their classes once a week. So, without going into anymore details, I teach 29 classes per week, and I only see one class more than once. Almost every class that I teach, I only see them once a week. That equates to about 200 students (learning their names is difficult).
Unfortunately, with this many students and seeing them so rarely, it's difficult to develop any type of personal 'student-teacher' dynamic. It makes it challenging to chart their individual progress, because they seem to all blend together with the once a week that I see them. But my job really isn't very difficult. I'm hired because I know English and have a good western accent, and lets face it, because I'm white. The parents want to know that their kid is being taught by an actual foreigner. So whenever there is a parent who comes to the school I must be present, just so long as they can see me and know that their child is learning from a white kid.
My neighborhood is... Korean. By this I mean that there are no foreigners in this area, at least none that I have seen. Usually, when you walk past another white guy you kind of look at each other and say "hey, what's up?", just for the fact that you'll be understood. It's pretty funny. But anyways, in my area there are no Outback Steakhouse's, or TGIF's, or any of those western food places. There are however Korean barbecue places and traditional Korean markets all over the place. All I have to do now is learn the language...
So there's a bit of info about where I am, and what I'm doing. It seems that I daily come across some issue, or some contrast to the culture that I'm used to that makes me want to blog about it. But I'm done for now.
Here are some pictures of the Busan Aquarium - it was awesome.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54147&l=ab75f&id=517865133

Small face, big eyes

2007-08-17T00:05:00.000+09:00

That my friends, is the definition of cute. This is what I was told by one of my students. The attitude towards one's image here is so funny. In class one day the kids were to do this collage about themselves. So while flipping through the magazine, they would point to every woman they could find and say "ugly... ugly..." (but it would be more like "uh-guh-lee"). Only the old men, and the cartoons with big eyes get the favored title of 'cute'. It's odd because you see a similar concern about image in adults too. If there is a mirror to be walked past, whether it be ten inches or ten centimeters, almost everyone that I've seen will stop and check themselves out... It's funny. And hey, we may do this back home and I've just never noticed it, but those who I've seen were very obvious in doing it. Anyways, just an interesting thought.
So, Becky and I are headed to Busan! Our contract to work at Haeundae Beach turned out to be a contract to work near Pusan university instead (communication errors I guess..), but this seems like a good thing... Haeundae was SO packed, and since I visited all I've heard is negative things about it. Though a busy place in the summer, it's supposed to be empty in the winter. The cold winds that come off the ocean make it a harsh place to live in those chilly months. And it is one of the most expensive areas in Busan as well... So, we head to the cheaper, more student oriented life near the university. We leave in two days, and actually start teaching in early September.
How fun was 'How Fun English Camp'? Well, I must say it has both positives and negatives. I've really enjoyed hanging out with the other native teachers I've met, as well as the T.A.'s. And the food has been great. Because there are hardly any western options I've been forced to dive into the local food, and besides kim chi (and those odd mini hotdogs), I really like it. Yet the one overarching issue that seems pervasive among the western teachers is this wall that has been placed in between 'us' and 'them'. This is an issue that'll be talked about in later blogs I'm sure, but I wanted to mention it quickly here. It seems like the staff here have this idea that they need to protect their own interests by placing a divider between the Korean people and the foreigners. Thus, we teachers are on a need to know basis, and it seems like we never need to know. I wonder if there is this overarching mindset passed down through generations that makes Koreans feel like they need to protect their identity or way of doing things from outsiders. Is there still a spirit of oppression among them? I don't know. It might just be at this camp (and probably is just at this camp) that the westerners are told "you wont understand because you're not Korean". And although this is true, after running into a few westerners who have been here for years, some who are even married and are settling down here, it seems like there is no way to be truly accepted as a local if you were not born here. (Disclaimer: this is just my experiences here at this camp. In no way am I generalizing any other part of Korea to be of this mindset.) And it's not the end of the world that westerners are restricted on how far they can enter into the Korean here (at How Fun), but it does pose a problem with building any type of community or friendship. I just think it's too bad that we can't click a bit more with the staff here... they seem like really cool people.
Anyways, hopefully this post doesn't jump around too much. It's late and my mind isn't on any one topic. For more pictures check out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38693&l=d04e1&id=517865133

The meaning of pilgrimage...

2007-08-02T21:56:00.000+09:00

The word pilgrimage seems to be one of those words that often escapes definition, at least one that is more specific. And as I learned in May of this year, the reasoning behind the journey for each individual is usually quite subjective. As I walked this trail called St. Cuthbert's way, a path that dates back to around the middle of the 7th century, I pondered the possible reasons that I would want to walk this 100km trek from Melrose, Scotland to Lindisfarne England. My reasons are many but they wont be discussed in this blog. Instead, I'll give you the run down on a bit of the history of St. Cuthbert and this trail according to "The Scottish Borders" brochure.

The life and progress of St Cuthbert has provided the inspiration for this route to be developed. St Cuthbert started his ministry in Melrose in about 650AD. After a period at Ripon, he came to Lindisfarne to be Prior. While here, he became famous for his healing powers. He was appointed Bishop of Linisfarne, and for several years travelled widely, preaching the Gospel.

He spent the last part of his life on Inner Farne island in retreat, died there, and was buried on Lindisfarne. Eleven years later his coffin was opened, and hjis body was found to be perfectly preserved, which led to his beatification. In the following centruy the Community of St Cuthbert was responsible for the Lindisfarne Gospels, perhaps the greatest work of art of the Anglo-Saxon period.

- The Scottish Borders Council; 2007.

I hope these videos will play ok for you, and give a brief glimpse of our trip. They are in order, so if you are one of the pilgrims viewing, start from here moving down. That way you get our walk in order... Enjoy.

The island of Iona... it was so beautiful.

To be that man who walked a thousand miles and falls down at your door...

St. Cuthbert must have been in shape...

Of the bus, onto the trail

The darkest woods and the greenest fields

We near the end of our journey.

Credits

Recap.

2007-07-27T07:22:00.001+09:00

Coming to Korea seems like such a blur to me. But then again, so does the last few months. I went from SSU, a safe, secure, consistent home, to living at home; traveling to Scotland; staying at my cottage; and then just bouncing around seeing friends before I jet out of the country. And now that that's done, it almost feels like I have to catch up to myself. The camp job is pretty intense as well; there seems to be very little free time. This weekend Becky and I get to travel to Jeonju to visit Rachel, Becky's sister. I'm looking forward to the weekend, catching up, not only on sleep but on life in the past little while. Here's a few pictures from the trip thus far. My facebook has a bunch of shots up as well and you can check that out at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38693&l=d04e1&id=517865133 .

Arrival. Here's the plane we flew in (or one just like it!)

Korean BBQ. Jeremy suggested I check it out. It was pretty awesome. The brown stuff in the jugs are 'brown rice water', and it taste... like water that rice has been sitting in. It's almost like a tea.
I thought this was a cool picture.
Don't you want to go in here?! Hof and Soju... pretty much like a bar. Soju is their type of local wine/hard alcohol. It's 21% and taste (in my opinion) similar to vodka. Hof I believe, is other alcoholic drinks. I did think this picture was pretty funny though.

This is one of the kids from my class - a pretty funny guy.

This is a picture of me. Or rather, a picture of the guys drawing a picture of me.

Ok. So, the camp is made up of six different classes that are based on skill level. Each of those classes has their own classrooms named after a well known school in the US. So I can actually say that "I teach English at Stanford University". Pretty cool eh?

"Everytime you do that thing you do..."

2007-07-24T07:06:00.000+09:00

Good morning Korea!! I just awoke from a 12 hour sleep, but I'm not sure jet lag has been adequately fought off. I'm staying in a dorm room with a roommate (Mike from Windsor), and we are two of six English teachers. The "How Fun English Camp" is located in Juchiwon, which is a small town in the mid western part of South Korea.
Lets see, here's an overview of the last few days.
Thursday night: We arrived. Although we left on Wednesday morning at 10 am, and the flight was much longer than 12 hours, we still didn't see a bit of sunset or night time. We went from Wednesday to Thursday without any type of night! Once we arrived, Becky and I had to look for a man holding a sign with our names. It was pretty awesome walking out of the baggage claim area because there were SO many Koreans there with signs and cameras and hopeful looks in their eyes. It felt like I was walking out on stage at a rock concert at a little venue. And they were so interested in what we were doing and where we were going. Three or four came up and asked us who we were or where we were going, and ... being the paranoid Western type, being trained on what to do when strangers ask personal information I just replied "No, it's ok. We're being picked up by a friend." And that sent them off looking for another white face; probably another English teacher.
So finally outside the airport we saw a bit of night time. We traveled back to the University (3 hours away) and found our dorms. Pretty nice rooms, with "True" high speed internet.
The weekend was spend in meetings, and wanderings by myself, Becky and my four other co-workers. We tried to catch up on sleep but... at least for me, it didn't happen. We eat together in the cafeteria everyday, breakfast lunch and supper. The food is... different, not in a bad way. Kim chi and rice seem to be standards in every meal. It doesn't seem to matter the meal, the food is relatively the same type, although they might have toast and cereal at breakfast time.
The kids arrived on Sunday and the classes began on Monday. Yesterday (Monday), the classes felt SO long. The day went like this: Woke at 7am (they play the song "that thing you do", I think its by the Moffat's, every morning over the intercom as a wake up call). Breakfast is at 8am, Classes start at 9am and go until 12:30. Lunch ends at 1:30pm and then classes resume. The classes will end around 2:50pm or so, and the project classes begin. Project classes include games, and more games. At 5:50pm we head off to supper, and then the 'work' part of the day is done. I guess I must be recovering from Jet lag still cause I was SO tired yesterday.
I teach the intermediate class, level one. This just means that they can understand key words that I might say. Conversational English does not exist with them yet. But they are better in English than I am in Korean...
Anyways, it's a pretty good time, and fun work atmosphere. And I'm sure after the tiredness wears off I'll be able to be able to take advantage of the cool hiking trails that surround the school. Pictures will come soon! But now, it's off to shower and then breakfast, and then off to the classes.

Heading toward the homeland..

2007-07-18T12:29:00.000+09:00

"So, you're heading to Korea eh? North or South; cause you don't want to go to the north... too many crazy's up there. It's run by a mad man!"
"Teaching english eh? I've heard a lot of people are doing that! Why did you pick Korea?"
"Wow, Korea eh? Good luck!"

I've heard a variety of responses to my traveling to Korea, and most have been fairly positive. Many people will seem quite excited for me, but with a sort of 'why would you ever want to go there and do that?' kind of expression on their faces. Well, I guess the main reason is money. I suppose that if I had won the lottery a while back and was fairly financially sound, then I might not have decided Korea to be my home for the next year. But I don't think that money is the only drive for me there; the idea of community among friends in a larger setting in comparison to SSU would be another good reason. Also, the adventure of it all is quite appealing! I've never been there, I don't know the language, and I don't know much about the culture. What an opportunity! I look forward to learning the language, seeing the things that I've never seen, eating the things that I have never thought about, or considered eating, and walking on ground I never dreamed of walking on.
Another draw for me to go there would be the teaching aspect (good thing right?!). I think it will be challenging, yes, but I also am looking forward to learning how to teach, and how to express myself to a group who does not understand me at all. I've taught snowboarding, and coached hockey and waterskiing and wakeboarding... but teaching in a formal setting with kids sitting down at desks expecting me to help them grasp the elusive, confusing English language... well that's a challenge. How will I handle it? I don't know. And maybe it's this idea of 'not knowing' that is drawing me there. I am the optimist. Don used to say "it'll be ok in the end. If it's not ok, then its not the end", and I love that quote. I love having a challenge and working through that. hmm, maybe this is why I always choose the underdog, why I believe I can do things that I have never been able to do... why I cheer for the Leafs... Well, here's to optimism. I am looking forward to this new part of life, and I am eager to find out how I will do in this new context.
It's funny writing a blog without photos, I didn't think I would do that on this site. It's tough, because I thing that my pictures speak what I am trying to convey much better than I can with words. And it's also odd how open one is online when they are tired and exhausted.
Anyways, I leave for Korea at 10am tomorrow, and will arrive there, on Friday sometime. My feelings about that right now? Just relaxed, it seems too surreal for me to react in any other way than just, going and doing it. So, I suppose that this blog will be my window for those interested in viewing what I am doing over there. For those who will be looking through it, hopefully you will be able to see and understand my experiences and attitudes through photo and story. Hopefully you will be able to see 'the view from here', while I'm over there.

Da bears

2007-06-13T09:54:00.000+09:00

So I returned back to the cottage around 8pm or so from my kayak, and just before I get out of the boat I see this bear sitting in front of my door eating birdseed from the feeder that was knocked over. I definitely sat in the kayak for a few minutes strategically planning on my next move. It's funny, my first inclination was to go get my camera; so the plan revolved around somehow documenting this situation. Just as my dad pulled away on Sunday afternoon he said "Oh yeah, and some people have seen a bear in the area recently, so... watch out for it."
Out from the Kayak I crept slowly not to draw too much attention to my white body with my uber white bathing suit. As I passed the fire place I grabbed a piece of wood that would have made my cavemen ancestors proud; you know, you need to defend yourself right? Now, I wasn't planing on getting very close to this bear, but if he were to run at me I didn't want to just stand there and expect a bear hug. So I went along the shore and eventually got to the cottage where I grabbed my camera. Here's what happened after that:

I call this one, "should I swing, or should I go maul Chris?"

I guess he was practicing his mauling stills here...

I was just worried that momma bear was going to show up right behind me... I'm glad I just saw the baby.

Playing with a dragonfly

2007-06-12T11:32:00.000+09:00

Some shots at my cottage... My cottage is up on Lake Kasshabog in Ontario. I've spent much of my childhood here swimming, skiing and just playing around on the lake, and as a kid I took much of this for granted. Yet, the older I get, the more I realize how fortunate I am. I love this place. Hope you enjoy some of these shots.

This is me skiing - Photo by Becky G.
(nice shot Becks)

I call this one "life raft - After the storm"
Although the lake was SO calm, only an hour or so before this picture it was thundering with very rough water. Debris was all over the lake... this piece had a dragonfly on it.

This is a eves trough dropping water. I just wanted to highlight a few drops of water..

This dragonfly was awesome! It kept following me while I was out on the water.
I got some good shots of him.

A kayak on the sunset

2007-06-11T21:52:00.001+09:00

It was a beautiful kayak last night; an amazing escape from the southern-Ontario bullshit. I get to spend a week up here at my cottage, the only place of my childhood that is still in my life. And it's amazing here. Our kayaks are the family kind, the 'pg' version; almost unable to tip, so it felt ok to bring my camera out and cruise around. Here are some of my favs from last night.

St Stephen beauty

2007-06-09T00:34:00.000+09:00

So, although I've spent four years at St. Stephen University, it turns out that four years is not nearly enough. Although four years is a good chunk of time, when it is spent without a car, or any real mode of transportation to explore the surrounding areas, there is so much of southern New Brunswick that I have not yet seen! After consulting a few local sources, I was tipped off with some suggestions on where to go, and what to see out here. Here are a few pictures taken just last week; some of Deer Island (so beautiful), some of just around Charlotte County. It turns out that beauty can be anywhere, even in St. Stephen.

Tresspassers will be shot.

The food was good, but the view was much better.

This boardwalk used to be somewhat flat. It felt like if one were brave enough to cross it, they would deserve some type of reward. Turns out that the reward was 'not getting soaked by the river below'.

Natural Disaster for these trees.

Heart of the forest.

Our suite rocked... The hot-tub was the best part.

Evening walk at the house

2007-06-07T12:57:00.000+09:00

We have such beautiful property here, I thought I would just walk around it and take some shots...
A mozzy bite.

After a cool walk around the property in Campbellville, and nearly being chased inside by mosquitoes, I took a few pics of this Caterpillar on our deck.

Made me think of "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform".

I like the texture of the wood with the fuzzyness of the Caterpiller.

grey is black and white

2007-04-29T05:20:00.000+09:00

So, whenever I go out somewhere I usually try to bring my camera with me. This blog will be made up of a variety of photos taken in the random areas where I have been. I often take MANY shots, but only really like a few. So here's a spot where I can post the few that I like.

This is my Dog, Max. He's a Golden Doodle (awesome name, eh?); part Golden Retriever/Poodle mix.

Bryden's is the classic spot to find old high school friends, and others who you haven't seen in years. But as everything else in this town, the younger crowd has moved in, dispersing the people I know, leaving only the 'lifers' left to hold the fort.

Someone drew a smiley face on the glass. Plus, i thought the Bruce Lee statue looked pretty cool. (I told you these photos were random!)

In this house it is the dogs who have to 'beware of the cats'. Maybe the sign is aimed at little dogs... or maybe they keep tigers?