"I'm Feeling Good"

Swine Flu...er, I mean, the H1N1virus (I try to keep things proper) is still going strong. I've read that people lined the streets for vaccinations recently (I did not get one), and that some children even died while being treated.

Citizens line up for influenza A tests at Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul, Monday. Inoculations using a domestic flu vaccine will start today. 

Korea Times Photo by Koh Young-kwon

I'm not really worried....yet. I've always been pretty healthy and consider myself to have a strong immune system. I would like to take the time to thank my parents for letting me play outside. (and occasionally practice geophagia, play with animals, and look the other way when I extended the "5 second rule" to a minute and a half).

I would also like to thank my immune system for capitalizing on those events then - and now - as I've shared many community dishes with people from all over the globe. (So I suppose a thank you is also in order for many Asian countries and their ancestors for not knowing how much bacteria can spread by sharing food)

At this point I think I'll live to be 120 years old, and will never be ashamed to "double dip" again.

I was feeling under the weather for a few days - mainly a sore throat that went away today. I just think that it is seasonal though. I ate some kimchi, so I should be pretty much immortal now if what  every Korean says is true about the stuff (as it seems to be a cure-all) and I'm always reminded of the "Put some Windex on it" line from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

As for my school, the kids are dropping like flies. In the past 2 days I've had a third of one class out sick, and an entire different class was told not to come to school until next week because more than half the class had the flu. Of course this was the day AFTER I had taught them. But I just consider myself lucky that the administration doesn't force me teach in a mask like some other teachers at nearby schools.

I've heard rumors that the city's schools might close down for a week because of all of this. (I could only hope for a weeks vacation). Knowing my luck, I'd get sick during it though.

I've been hearing similar news from back in the States- as I believe it probably is worse there than here?

Stay healthy everyone, and have a nice Halloween! I probably won't celebrate it (I've never been a big fan of the holiday). I thought about going as Kim Jung-Il...but for some reason, I don't think that's smart.

oh, and enjoy this video (Kara  카라 - Mister)

"Tiny Dancer"

One of the most popular athletes in South Korea is none other that 2009 World Figure Skating Champion 김연아 (Kim Yu Na).  aka Queen Yu Na!

She is very popular in my area of Gunpo because -- well, her hometown is Gunpo! You cannot go anywhere without seeing her face. My first day in Gunpo I saw her poster plastered 3 stories high across the street from my building.

At only the age of 18 (19 Korean) age, she has accomplished so much:

She is the 2009 World champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, a two-time (2006-2007, 2007-2008) Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005-2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a four-time (2002-2005) South Korean national champion.
Kim is the first South Korean figure skater who medaled and won at a ISU Junior Grand Prix and at the Junior Grand Prix Final, at a ISU Grand Prix and at the Grand Prix Final, and at the World Championships. She is one of the most highly recognized athletes and media figures in South Korea.

I guess it also helps that her coach is Brian Orser. 

Kim Yu Na is basically considered infallible here, she's thought of as highly intelligent, beautiful, generous, and the best figure skater to ever live. I have to admit, she is quite amazing to watch.

"Fishin' In The Dark"

This weekend wasn't too eventful, but still fulfilling. Friday, I met Hwayoung for dinner with some of her closest friends. They were so nice, and they seemed to like me as well. (friends approving of your boyfriend or girlfriend is always important). We decided to get galbi (BBQ), and her best friend Min-young and her boyfriend Song-un came as well as her friend/co-worker Chang. They even referred to me as their "hyun-nim" (other brother) and "awoo" (younger brother). It made me smile.

Saturday was pretty dull, but Hwayoung and I decided on seeing a movie and getting Indian food. (yum). We saw New York, I Love You. (we didn't have many choices of movies that were in English). The trailer looked fairly good and it had an amazing group of actors and directors, but it was incredibly long and boring and didn't have much of a point to it besides showing the different ways people can love one another. (and it takes place in a city that I pretty much can't stand -- basically because of the stupid Yankees).

Sunday, we went to lunch at Bennigan's at the COEX Mall in Samseong. I hadn't had Western food in a while, so chowing down on a chicken and beef quesadilla was a nice treat. -- yes, they have Bennigan's in Korea.

 While at COEX, we planned on going to the COEX Aquarium. It's not exactly cheap, but it was pretty nice, and had a lot of interesting sea life for being located in an underground mall.

Fish in funny places....

As usual all the photos can be found here.

Here are some super short videos I took:

Our new friend the stingray...he waved at us.

Cute Harbor Seals playing.

A cute beaver enjoying his healthy dinner. 

(sorry about the waterfall sound in the background)

 

Overall, it was a relaxing weekend, and we had a good time with the 3 F's - Friends, Food, and Fish!

"The Power of Love"

I stumbled across this article published in the Korea Times. I think it does an excellent job talking about being gay in Korea and the ostracism and lack of understanding that it seems to exist in this very conservative culture. (and sadly as well as my own)

Basically the saying is: "There are no gay people in Korea." - meaning, even if you are gay, they either 1. have no clue what gay is, 2. refuse to accept that Koreans can be gay, or 3. a sarcastic response by people like me who know or have met gay Koreans or even have students that I can tell are still in the closet.

I thought this topic was something that many people do not know about, (or even approve of), but as a human rights supporter, and with the momentum being made with President Obama's extension on hate crime legislation, I felt this was as good a time as any to discuss it.

 

The article is below. 

PLEASE SUPPORT THE HRC!

By Matthew Klauber
Contributing Writer



Article Link
 
On Fridays and Saturdays after the sun goes down, both Korean and foreign gay residents begin to trickle into Itaewon from all over Seoul and parts beyond. They are businessmen and university students, English teachers and soldiers, mostly but not exclusively young men.

They come to socialize, openly about their sexuality in the only place that allows it in a still highly conservative, Confucian society. Social space has classified them as outsiders, along with foreigners and the sometimes disreputable businesses that cater to them.

It has cordoned them into grimy alleys that worm behind the flickering neon and newly refurbished facades of Itaewon's main drag, into clubs that seem to have been carved out of worn brick and cinderblock structures eerily redolent of 20th-century Seoul's poverty and war.

``Some people protect gay people and love them,'' said a 23-year-old bartender who asked to be identified by his English name, Nathaniel. Nathaniel, with artfully coiffed hair and posh attire, works at Queen, one of the most prominent and enduring of Itaewon's gay bars.

Queen is large, bright, well-maintained and tastefully decorated. Its core clientele is comprised of gay men and their straight female friends, though others are welcome as well. ``Especially straight girls... Some straight women in Korea like gay men, but no straight men. It is sad,'' he said.

Despite the hopes expressed by many young Korean gay people, there has been little direct change in public discourse on the issue of sexual minorities, only gathering momentum on the fringes of society.

Membership in gay student unions, for example, has steadily increased since the early 1990s, and the legal system has become steadily more supportive of sexual minorities, as with the Korean Supreme Court's 2006 decision allowing post-operative transgendered people to legally change their sex.

Gays are receiving more attention from the entertainment industry, as well. For instance, movies with same-sex content, such as ``Wang Ui-namja,'' ``BB Mountain,'' or recently, ``Hello My Love,'' all gathered significant controversy as they ran their course.

The off-screen attention, however, has sometimes been negative, as with the coverage of gay television actor Kim Ji-Hoo's suicide in 2008. Gays in Korea also face potential ostracism at work and in most venues of public life, outside of a few cosmopolitan industries such as fashion, the arts, and cosmetics.

In yet another sign of Korea's well-known generation gap, there has been a growing consciousness of, and less frequently, acceptance of, homosexuality among Korea's tech-savvy and increasingly cosmopolitan youth. Many young gays are impatient for the increased freedom they know exists in the West and Japan, and express a desire to travel and even live abroad.

``Tokyo is famous. Kyoto is too,'' Nathaniel reported. ``Many Korean people live in Hokkaido.''

Japan, close to home, with a large Korean population already, is a popular destination among Korean gays.

``Why would you go to Korea and not Japan?'' was a question that puzzled You-jeong about his Western customers. The 20 year-old, whose bold demeanor is belied by his slender build and tastefully colorful attire, tends bar at SoHo, down the road from Queen.

``Korea is a very conservative society. I would like to live in Tokyo,'' he said. The cosmopolitan outlook of many younger, urban Koreans is voiced even more strongly by young gays like You-jeong. ``I like Korean men, Japanese men, Western, all kinds. I just care about the person.''

You-jeong came out with his sexuality in high school, to his family, fellow students and everyone else in his life. He reported some confusion but little serious harassment.



Older Koreans are far more reticent to come out, or even to speak on the record, with a few notable exceptions. One of the most notable, of course, is Hong Seok-chun, the actor who lost his career when he came out in 2000. He started a business in Itaewon, the now-famous restaurant Our Place.

It became successful, and Hong opened several more Asian and Western restaurants in the district. He has since reappeared on television as a gay hairdresser on a popular soap opera and is now opening a club called My Bad.

Hong is as impressed with the pace of change in Korea as younger gays are impatient with it. ``Yes, of course, it's changed a lot,'' he said. ``These days you can meet a lot of gay people in the street and they are not shy anymore.'' Still, he admits, many stay in the closet. ``As a gay in Korea, they feel ashamed, and try to hide it from their family and things like that. They feel insecure.''

It was Hong's former boyfriend, a Dutch national, who helped him overcome his own sense of shame. ``He said, `You should know that you are a beautiful person... You have a good heart.' He changed my character.''

Moreover, parents of gay children in Korea often respond with denial and anxiety. ``I think all the parents of gay kids are worried about their kids' careers. They worry about how they will survive in this conservative society.'' Hong's own parents simply refused to accept that he was gay at first, and asked him when he would marry a woman for years after he told them.

``I think the gay issue is not that big of an issue because of what happened with me,'' among other things, Hong said. ``Still, we have to keep fighting. It takes time. But I am willing to do that, I will fight.''

Gay Koreans describe their lives less as sad than confined and secretive. The string of bars and nightclubs known to habitu?s as 'homo hill' and its outliers are the hub of gay life in Korea. There is reputedly a smaller circle of bars in the Gwanghwamun area, quieter and more private, open mainly to Korean regulars and their guests. Outside of Seoul, with the exception of a handful of bars in Busan and some sites on the Internet, there is nothing.

matthew.klauber@gmail.com

 

Also, if you haven't seen "MILK", I highly recommend it. The most touching movie I have seen this year.  

"Just A Girl"

I've noticed recently, that a handful of people have complained about their schools. I'm not positive about the reason but I think I've narrowed it down using my Sherlock Holmes detective style. (and yes, I do like to wear the hat).

Here are some of the most common complaints:

• "My co-teachers hate me, and treat me badly."
• "My students are rude to me or insult me."
• "Other teachers in the school tell me I'm fat or should lose weight."

These people (who shall not be named) have one thing in common -- they are all women.

I discussed this with a few of my teachers while at dinner the other night, and their answer shocked me.

"We don't like female foreign teachers because they are seen as weak or complain a lot about many things because they are too sensitive."

I think female teachers come into the job just as anyone else, but the second they walk in that school door they have already been stigmatized. Perhaps they don't live up to the expectations of what Western women are "supposed" to be like. Apparently in Korea this means all Western women look like Angelina Jolie - and there is a big disappointment when they face reality.

As for the students being rude or insulting female teachers, again, I am surprised. My students are nothing but respectful to me. Almost all of them say I am either handsome (I don't think I am), or that I look like I've lost a lot of weight (I haven't -- ok, maybe a few pounds), but they never -- NEVER -- insult me. Then again, I'm not a woman.

If sensitivity is an issue, I could understand why Western women would feel they are being insulted. The English ability among the students (and most native teachers) is relatively low. Most of the time they are simply translating from Korean to English - and it can be very blunt. For example, I showed a picture of a crutches to my students for a lesson on hospitals. They translated it into "wooden leg". Part of the reason we're teaching here is to give these students a larger vocabulary and to teach them how to say things properly. If someone calls you fat, you should teach them the word "impolite" and then teach them how to say it a nicer way. An overly sensitive person will not survive here if they are not aware of the cultural and language barrier that most definitely exists.

On the flip side, I get into trouble when I say the words "crazy" or "cute". If I say to a Korean "you are crazy" in a jesting way, they sometimes take it as an insult, as if I were saying they actually were psychotic. If I say a beautiful woman is cute, they think I'm calling them cute as in a dog or a baby - and not attractive.

If you are planning on coming to Korea, I recommend you do some research beforehand about the culture. It is a society based on respect, and sadly, they respect men more than women. They also sadly respect Caucasian over being Black, Latino, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander. (and Korean above all others). Most of the communities with those immigrants are seen as the dangerous places to go. Like in most cultures - what you don't understand is scary to you.

As for the women out there having a tough time - good luck! I wish I could change how cultures view gender, but all I can give you for advice is to try and gain respect in the classroom and try not to take offense.

I Love Ajumas

Ajuma means "old married lady"

"Me and My Gang"

It was yet another eventful weekend. I ♥ autumn! Although the trees have just started to change enough to notice, the cooler weather has finally arrived. I'm pretty confident that my heating bills will be low though, as my apartment gets a ton of sunlight and I still keep my windows open for it to be a comfortable temperature for me.

Friday night was date night, so Hwayoung and I went to Gangnam and we got Chinese food. (There is something glorious about how the Chinese fry their rice, versus the blandness of how Koreans "prepare" theirs). We rented "No Reservations" which I've seen before, but then again, I've seen just about every movie that has been put out in the last 10 years given that I don't watch Korean TV and need to be entertained in my down time.

Saturday night I met up with some of the GEPIK teachers that I have met over the course of the past (almost) 5 months. We decided to go to Namsan Seoul Tower - the famous "space needle looking thing" that I keep posting picture about but never get to. Finally, I made the trek up the mountain (ok, so we took the bus), and paid our 7000won for the ticket to the observation deck. The Tower's website can be found here.

I apologize for my lack of photographic ability in shooting in dim lighting and the dark.

 

Seoul looks amazing at night, I hope you can at least get a little taste of what this ginormous city looks like when lit up like a Christmas tree.

Not my photo - but I felt you should get to see a better one.

I took a video though, that seems to be better than the photos for some reason

Afterward, we headed to Hongdae for a nice Galbi dinner (marinated beef), and Hwayoung (who had to work) met up with us.

On Sunday, the two of us wanted to check out the Seoul Design Olympiad 2009 at Jamsil Sports Complex (Olympic Stadium). We had seen promotions for this, and both of us are interested in art and design. The Olympiad is a global design festival to celebrate and embrace the designation of Seoul becoming the World Design Capital of 2010. Seoul is an amazing place for design schools, and I wish I had the talent, money, and knew Korean so I could attend one.

 I had a really good time considering we didn't even get to see some of the main events (as the lines were horrendous). Instead we stuck to the exterior levels and saw some really cool and unique designs and some amazing ideas put into action. The theme of the event was "Go Green", and the designs usually reflected how to make eco-friendly or sustainable energy designs. Overall, a pretty cool event. And FREE! Check out some of the photos - links are at the bottom of the page.

This is one of the food presentations - all the foods were fake models. So realistic though!

All the photos from N'Seoul Tower and the 

Seoul Design Olympiad 2009 can be found by clicking the links or photos.

"What I Love About Sunday"

After a hectic start to the weekend, and several late night parties the past few weeks, all I wanted to do was relax. Originally, Hwayoung and I planned to hike up Surisan (aka Suri Mountain - yes, san means mountain). But we were both too tired to attempt it this week, and Hwayounga had just got back from a company retreat on Jeju Island where they hiked for 10 hours.

Instead, we got some fruit and veggies and headed out for a relaxing picnic near her apartment at Sindaebang Park. (신대방역) I was so happy she brought me there as I have been looking for a decent park since I arrived. In Seoul there are few places that you can lay out on the grass and be surrounded by nature to relax without getting trampled by other people. Sindaebang Park is HUGE compared to the other parks I've seen here, so we camped out on the large green and just enjoyed a quiet afternoon together.

A view above - all that brown is the park. 

Not a bad size considering there are millions of people around.

 Here is a panoramic view of the main green

click the photos to enlarge

The leaves are slowly starting to change. Come on Autumn!

They have a large pond in the middle of the park, half of it is covered with these ginormous "mutated lilipads" I don't know what else to call them.

I suppose Surisan can wait for us another day, as the leaves are only now just starting to change. I want to hike to the top of the mountain and see the vast array of colors that I love seeing back in New England.

As a side note: Some people have inquired to my camera, so I think I'll post some info on it. (I might have done this already though). I'm shooting with a Canon Powershot G10. Thanks to the recommendation of my friend Rob (an amazing wedding photographer along with his wife Kathleen who you can find at robertandkathleen.com), Also thanks to Rob's advice, I bought the G10 from B&H right before I left for Korea. I admit, it wasn't cheap - but it's worth it compared to most of those crappier models, especially if you're traveling and want to cherish memories.

I couldn't be happier with the outcome. It shoots 6.1-30.55mm, 14.7 Mega-pixels, the zoom is incredible and image stabilization is phenomenal. Video is pretty decent too, and I love the panoramic stitch function as well as the software that Canon provides. I highly recommend this to people who want a decent camera that gives high quality photos but isn't a huge burden to carry around. Even though it's bigger and heavier than I would like to carry, it's worth it compared to strapping a big SLR around my neck.

Here's a rundown of the highlights:

• 14.7 Megapixels
• 5x Optical Zoom Lens (28-140mm)
• 3.0" LCD
• Manual Exposure Control
• High Sensitivity (ISO 1600)
• RAW File Capture
• Optical Image Stabilization
• Advanced Face Detection
• E-TTL Flash Hot Shoe

The only negatives I can think of off the top of my head, is that the shooting speed can be a little slow. I miss a lot of good shots because of speed. Also, when switching to the stitch mode, it recognizes the manual setting - not the automatic, so if my last manual setting shot was over or under exposed, so too will be the panoramic shot I'm trying to take unless I change the manual setting back to normal. (Which I have yet to figure out how to get it back to the default setting).

Anyways, I hope you are all enjoying life back at home! I know I am having a blast here!

"Sing, Sing, Sing"

I put up a couple rather popular posts called "Pump Up the Jam" and "Video Killed the Radio Star" a while back, and people back home commented on how much they enjoyed some of the music videos. Here is a follow-up to that posting with some newer songs that the kids here seem to enjoy. They particularly love G-Dragon's "Heartbreaker" (he is from Big Bang - and, if you ask me, looks like a freaky clown). Also hugely popular is  Brown Eyed Girls' "Abracadabra" as it has a nice beat and is a little more risque in the dance style and the video is pretty sexually explicit for the conservative culture.

Enjoy!

G-Dragon - "Heartbreaker"

 Brown Eyed Girls - "Abracadabra"

DBSK "Mirotic" (Under My Skin)

Lee Hyori - "U-Go-Girl"

MC Mong - "Indian Boy"

2NE1 - "Fire"

"Heart and Seoul"

With the Chuseok holiday finally coming to a close, I can look back on the past few days with amazement of how awesome Seoul can really be and how many things there really are to see and do.

On Saturday, Hwayoung brought me to Myeongdong, a popular neighborhood in the city full of shopping. According to her, it was not crowded as it usually is, so it was a good day to go. Seeing as I thought it was very crowded, I would hate to see what it is like when it really is busy!

Later, we headed over to Chungmuro where we visited a Chuseok festival going on near Korea House at Namsan Hanok Village. It was such a beautiful day, and getting to see the traditional events going on while being surrounded by the culture, architecture, music, games, and families brought a huge smile to my face the entire time.

My friend Alan and a couple of his friends met up with us for dinner. Alan has taught in Japan and has been teaching in China for the past 2 years. We used to work together at a summer program stateside and haven't seen each other in years! It was awesome to see him again, and share some laughs and our experiences (which are not all that dissimilar, besides taking into account how strict the Chinese government can be!)

Later that night, we got cheap movie tickets at CGV (thanks to Hwayoung's connections in her business as an event planner). We saw Fame, which was pretty good - but I liked the original better. This one was a lot more child friendly, and not as dark and pessimistic. They did keep the "Out Here On My Own" solo from the original though, but threw in a new "Hot Lunch Jam" that got my toe tapping and wasn't as corny as the original. I recommend you watch both and decide for yourself.

Some clips from the original

On Sunday, Hwayoung wanted to take me out for a picnic at the park near City Hall, however our plans changed quickly, and instead she took me to a traditional market near her house in Sindaebang. She introduced me to a few fruits such as Korean pears which are the size of grapefruits and have an almost honey sweetness to them, as well as Korean plums and apricots, which were pretty yummy!

Those are pears on the right...crazy...

We headed up to City Hall and did some sight seeing nearby, and walked along a popular waterway that cuts down to City Hall. She showed me one of Korea's National Treasures (one of 4 old forts that used to guard the city). We got tickets to see Deoksu Palace, and wandered around checking out the amazing architecture and landscape.

One thing that is so unique to Korea is the blend of new and old world. You can see a one thousand year old palace right next to a skyscraper. For me, seeing that takes a little of the charm and exoticism out of the picture, but you start to get used to it enough not to really notice.

That night, we sat for a free concert on City Hall's park, where we were treated to a acoustic band, followed by traditional Korean folk songs, dancing and story telling for Chuseok - and it was followed up by a underground rap group called SupremeTeam. It was something for everybody, and truly shows that new world and old world being mixed can be found in more than simply the landscape, but in the people as well.

As usual, you can find all my photos here (part 1) and here (part 2).