Princess Kevin

8 weeks...the countdown is on. There are actually a few countdowns going on at the same time. On Tuesday (April 3rd) or April second, Ontario, Canada time, I find out if I've been accepted to the Teacher Education Programs I've applied to. I've applied to 5 schools across Ontario and if I'm accepted, I'll start this September and become a credentialed "real" teacher. If for some strange reason, I don't get in, I have a "Plan B." It involves, Australia, Japan, and probably too much to drink on Tuesday night!

Another countdown...refering to the 8 weeks I initially wrote before the Teacher's College thing. 8 weeks left in Korea! That's all...then there's no coming back, but...never say never I suppose. I was just reading an article today in the Korea Times that there is a shortage of qualified teachers to work at international schools across Asia. That's good for me once...if...no...ONCE...I get my qualifications.




It's Princess Kevin. This lovely creation appeared on my white board during a breaktime today. My class is made up of 3rd graders so I have no problem with it. Apparently I'm the "Ugliest Canadian Male Princess in all of Korea."

There Be Gangsters Everywhere!

If there’s one thing Busan is famous for in Korea, its mobsters. The city is teeming with gangsters which are referred to in Korean as “Gangpeh.” Busan gangsters are famous in Korea because of the movie “Chingu” (Friend) which is the life story of a group of friends who become gangsters in Busan, during the 1970’s and 80’s. If anyone is interested in seeing real life gangsters, all they have to do is come to my neighborhood. If you hang around the Family Mart outside of my apartment any night of the week or even sit in the local Starbucks, there they are.



My apartment building and the one next to it are filled with young women who are employed by Busan’s underworld. Dozens of girls spend the night be ferried to Room Salons, business clubs, whiskey bars and other dubious locations to entertain Korean businessmen. This often involves just drinking and having conversation with businessmen, but often, if the price is right, shadier deals are done between the young women and male clients. Throughout the day, there is a fleet of black sedans parked behind my apartment building. Each one usually has a solitary driver, young, thuggish looking man. They taxi the women around during the daytime, helping them buy groceries and whisking them off to daytime rendezvous.

During the evening and night, the area around my apartment is buzzing with activity. Girls get into sedans and are driven off, arriving back sometimes quickly, when they hop out of one car and into another. This activity goes on all night. Every night. If you are awake early in the morning, between the hours of 6am-8am, you can usually see and hear these girls stumble back home.

Aside from the hostesses, there are other dark characters lurking about. Often you can see groups of hulking Korean guys milling about in the neighborhood, perfectly fitting the description of the stereotypical “Gangpeh.” Today in my local Starbucks was a table full of such men. They had “dangerous” written all over them. What was interesting was that at a second table, sat a lone lackey. He sat apart from them but closely watched them. At one point when their water cups were empty, he ran over refilled them and sat back down at his “Lackey Table.” I once even saw a group of about 20 scary looking, black suit-clad goons bowing to what looked like a kingpin as police sat in the distance writing down license plate numbers. Ive read that luckily, “Gangpeh” avoid foreigners for fear of drawing attention to themselves…good!

Needless to say, I live in an interesting neighborhood.

Old School Vids and Whatnot...

I was surfing YouTube last night...and came across some videos of the Hermit Kings from last year. A little blurry, but cool nontheless. It's us playin at Ol'55.

We did takea few months off, but we're playin again lately and having a lot of fun doing it. Most of us are leaving Korea in a fewmonths so why not play our way out s ROCK GODS!!!!!! hahaha! anyways....enjoy!

Running and Ranting in Busan...

The best day of the year so far. It reached 18c today....sooo nice. I didn't go out this weekend and got to bed relatively early last night. This morning there was a Half marathon in Busan. Tom was running his first race and Cindy and Sheri were doing it as well. I wanted to be there to video them and take pics. I was up early and got some good shots. I have to admit I was envious. After I went home I went for a 7km run. I'm in crap shape though, that's why I didn't run with them. I'm on my way back to getting in good shape though!





I was the only one who didn't run today (in the race...iI did run afterwards....mostly from guilt). In the pictures it's myself, Cindy, Sheri and Tom.

Dancing the Afternoon Away...Sexy Style!

It's Spring in Korea and with the change in season comes a change in temperature. It has been 16c for the past 2 days and I'm loving it. After the gym this morning I gravitated towards my usual Jangsan perch. The spot just outside of the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts (one of the Western comfort zone for foreigners in Jangsan), is a prime location for people watching. I brought my video camera with me today. A new seafood restaurant was having its' grand opening. Whenever a new business opens in Korea they celebrate by displaying large floral arrangements that are donated by friends wishing them luck. They also hire dancing girls. The girls dance, act sexy and talk about the business over a microphone. I filmed some of it today...haha...it's wierd for those who haven't lived in Korea. Common for us who have!

What's a Korean Boy to Do?

What’s happening in Busan these days? Lots of things I suppose, some interesting and some not. The streets and clubs have been and will be filled with American sailors. The aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan is in town and with it, 5,000 sailors. It’s a great Friday night to avoid all the local foreigner bars. Somehow, US servicemen are given all of the information to find all the regular foreigner watering holes like, Starface, U2, Ol’55 etc. They come in droves and with them, testosterone fueled, drunken behavior. I’ll always remember last summer walking in U2 in Haeundae and seeing at least 100 G.I.s. They were all massive, drunk and some were even punching each other in the face for a laugh. If you’re willing to punch your friend in the face for a laugh, imagine what could happen if you direct your anger towards a small English teacher minding his own business? I quickly did an about face and left. I’m actually thankful that our gig at Ol’55 tomorrow night was cancelled!

This is also a very sad day for many Korean and foreign males residing here as well. The Korean government has decided to ban all foreign porn internet sites. What’s a boy to do? I suppose Korean netizens will have to leave their dark little rooms in their parents’ homes and attempt to find “real” girlfriends!

Here’s a story from today’s Korea Times:

Foreign Porn Sites Will Be Blocked
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter

The government plans to block foreign pornographic Internet sites to protect teenagers from obscene video files.

The Ministry of Science and Technology called on the country's major fixed-line operators Friday to check the technical viability of the scheme.

``We are set to deny access to porn sites based overseas, with details being unveiled early next week,'' said Suh Byung-jo, director general at the ministry.

``We feel obliged to come up with measures to counter the recent woes caused by adult video clips available on the internet,'' said Suh, who chaired the meeting.

Suh's remarks came in the wake of a set of mishaps early this week involving major portal sites such as Yahoo Korea, Daum Communication and Naver.
On March 18, two porn videos were posted on
Daum, the second-largest portal site, also carried an audio-visual file of foreign fashion models exposing their breasts for approximately seven hours l Yahoo Korea, the nation's second-string Web portal. More than 20,000 users downloaded the files.

Unaware of this, Yahoo Korea left the clips on their site for roughly six hours and a number of minors are believed to have downloaded them. ast Tuesday.
Read More…

The ironic thing is, Korea’s sex industry is booming. Everywhere you go there are room salons, whisky bars, and nightclubs where young women will “comfort” businessmen; if the price is right! At times Korea can be a nation of denial and contradictions. Fashion models flashing boobies online is too risqué, but taking a woman half your age, (while your wife and kids are at home) to a love motel for an hour or two is perfectly acceptable by society!

Here’s an interesting insight into the seedy underbelly of Korean Business:
Sex, Booze and Business (Korean Style)

Jangsan Mountain Madness

Sunday was a great day to scramble to the top of a crowded mountain in Busan. At times we thought that a rock concert had been held at the top and as we walked up, the concert goers, in their thousands, flooded down. Then we realized that there was indeed no concert, just a regular, crowded, North Face ridden mountain in Korea. The view from the top of Jangsan (Jang Mountain) was spectacular. You can see Busan 360 degrees...very impressive! The throngs of people drinking on the mountain were impressive as well!



This is what happens when two young adventures take on a force of nature called the Mountain Ajushi. The Mountain Ajushi can be found throughout Korea wherever there are mountains and booze. Boozing it on a mountain is a traditional activity of many Korean men.






Two of the pictures are of Busan from the top of Jang Mountain. You can see my neighborhood. It looks like it's made from Lego blocks. Soviet-era architecture is all the rage in South Korea. The pictures of us playing were taken at U2 a few weeks ago.

Guinness Glasses and Magical Arm Beards

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day! I wish I didn’t have to work today, but no such luck. I do it Korean style; that is, I work 6 days a week. It’s been a good day so far…mostly because it’s been pointed out by my low level students that I have “arm beards.” They learned the word beard today and upon the realization that my arms are hairy, came up with the term. I like it.



It’s Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s a day for foreigners across the Korean peninsula to get pissed. How is that different than any other day? Well, tonight they could possibly be wearing green plastic hats while drinking and of course that would make tonight slightly different than a regular foreigner in Korea drunk-fest. Am I insinuating that people who live and teach English in Korea tend to drink more than the average person in their native countries? Yes I am. Is it because many teachers are fresh out of university and earning more money than they ever have before? Maybe! Is it because income tax is so much lower here than in a country like Canada, so people have a lot more cash in their pockets? Maybe! Is it because booze is cheaper than in Western countries and it’s totally legal and acceptable to drink in public? Maybe! Is it because Korean culture is a drinking culture and many natives spend a lot of time pissed so foreigners figure they can get away with it too? Maybe! At the end of the day; a large portion of the teacher population are having a good time. Smiles all around!

The Hermit Kings will be performing at U2 in a few hours. That should hopefully be a good time. Two weeks ago, when we last played there, it was dead. Since U2 is one of the few places in the city with Guinness on tap, it should be crowded.

Soju Attack!

I just made this video. It's from last Halloween here in Busan. Sean, a Canadian teacher made a great "soju bottle" costume. I think he even won the best cotune contest at Vinyl Underground. I m of course dressed as the magical and mystical Michael Bolton....singer and mullet ridden, adult-contemporary artist extrordinare!



There are some more flicks on my YouTube page.

Oh yeah...check out the Hermit Kings, Live at U2 in Haeundae tomorrow night. It's a St. Paddy's Day Party!!! Bring your green plastic hats and liver!

Gimme DimSum Baby

Open Mike last night at Ol'55. There was a good crowd there. Not as many musicians as usual, but that ok with me. It gave me a chance to play more than I normally do. Kurt was on bass last night and The Hermit Kings played for about 45 minutes.

Yes...many things happening here this week. A teacher at my school decided she wanted to head back home or get another job, but failed to inform anyone about her decision. When she didn't show up to teach her class, we were thrown into chaos....not much fun! Also, yesterday was White Day. What is White Day? In Korea and Japan, they've taken Valentine's Day and divided it in 2. Valentine's Day is the day when girls and women buy gifts and chocolate for their boyfriends/husbands. White Day is the man's turn to open his wallet and make his lady smile.


I was in Haeundae yesterday and as I walked past a mandoo or dimsum place I saw this little doggie. I just thought it was cute. He really wanted some dimsum!


If you're a Korean girl, you're praying with all of your might that your lovely (possibly pastel shirt wearing) boyfriend will buy you a monstrosity, I mean gift basket like this!


I didn't stage these photos!!! I saw dozens of grinning women walking around, proudly clutching their boyfriend's wirey arms and big, fluffy, tacky, nasty, flower-like objects. Sometimes I think I'm living in space. Cultural tastes sure do differ!

By the way, it's been another slow news day for the Joongang Daily here on the penninsula. Maybe I should look at myself and reflect...I mean...I'm the one who actually reads this stuff!

The lazy will feel the wrath!!



The barber shop at Seoul City Hall’s annex building, normally full of public servants, was nearly empty yesterday as the city government geared up to fire public servants who don’t work hard. The city has announced plans to cut 3 percent of its workforce. The list of candidates to be laid off is due this week.

I was cruisin around tonight and found an awesome video. If you love soul music and a funky groove in a cool way...check out this clip!!!!

Hermit Kings

The Migration Begins...

The exodus begins. Within a few months, almost everyone I've met and became close to in Korea will no longer be in Korea. Amity is gone in a few days. Both Tom and I have 11 weeks left and of course Mai. She left this morning. She's gone back to Osaka. Luckily she'll be back here in a month to see me and then a month after that I'll be in Japan. She'll be happy to be in a place where no one thinks she's Korean. If you are of Asian ethnicity and in Korea, every Korean assumes you too are Korean. Even when you tell them that you're not Korean, some won't believe you and think you are just messin with them. Mai will no longer have to worry about people berating her for not speaking Korean, even after she tells them she's Japanese! Non-Asian foreigners are certainly treated differently here. Life is much easier for us. At leat people know we're not Korean from a hundred meters.

Mai and I. Last night at her farewell dinner.
The gang enjoying Korean BBQ and saying farewell to Mai and Amity.

Giant Strawberries in the Korean Countryside

Today was a great day. It's amazing how the countryside of Korea is a completely different world compared to the city. I suppose that's the case everywhere and not just in Korea , but it's been awhile since I've had the chance to get out of the city. Mai has only 2 days left in Korea , so we went into the country this morning with one of her former coworkers. He coworker's parents own a strawberry farm and it's the middle of strawberry season here in Korea . If there's one thing that I have to admit Koreans do well, it's growing great strawberries.

We drove about an hour outside of Busan to a town called Jinyeoung. We met the owners of the farm and some old women who worked as berry pickers. They were all over 70 years of age, one was 84! They seemed like very tough ladies, the kind of women who have lived hard lives. I think I was quite possibly the first foreigners they've probably met. They were very friendly, asking Mai and I to sit down and drink coffee and eat strawberries with them

Mai's hand holding a 200gram berry...looks like a tomato!What kind of steroids have they been feeding these guys???

This woman was the youngest of the pickers and she was in her 70's. Full od life and vigor as well.

This is the only strawberry I could find...poor me! I'd never cut it as a berry picker.The old women would have simply left me for dead and possibly turned me into kimchi.

Long story short, we picked some strawberries and were kindly given some homemade strawberry jam. It was a great example of country hospitality. Oh yeah, I also had enough time to grab a couple of kebabs at Lotte Department Store on my way back to work. I was the envy of my school's break room...poo haha!!!!

Tonight will both be a happy and a sad one. There's going to be a party in Haeundae. It's a going away party. I ususally make nothing of going away parties in Korea because it seems as if someone is always leaving Korea and they are usually, at best, an acquaintance. This time it's Mai, leaving and Amity is on her way as well. Of course, I'll see Mai in a month or so, but life in Korea is going to be strange without her close by. Looks like we'll have a feed of Korean BBQ tonight at a nice little spot in Jangsan (my neighborhood),. Should be 20-25 people there.

Important People on the Move

Only a few days left and Mai will be outta here. After a year in Busan it's time for her to head back to home; Osaka. Sunday afternoon she's boarding a plane and will be home shortly after that. Amity is outta here as well just a few days later. I too am aproaching my final days. 5 years in and there's little less than 3 months left for me on the penninsula. Most of my long-term friends here in Korea have made their way to other pastures so this is a good time for me to do the same I think.

Mai and I went to Songjeon Beach yesterday for a bite to eat and a walk in the freezing cold (by Korean standards). We saw a store front filled with giant plush teddy bear butts and couldn't resist..."Kiss out butts!!!"
It's Mr. Nova Scotia himself!!!! Those who know me, know that I was born and grew up in Nova Scotia. My family has since moved on to Ontario, but I'm a Nova Scotian. If you ever crawl to Sonjeong Beach in Busan, you can eat some fresh lobster. It must cost a bloody fortune though!

There's been an interesting as well as morbid news story that has been developing in Korea for the past few months. It's related to my favorite Korean film which is based on a true story.

Salinui chueok (Memories of Murder) 2003

Synopsis

Based on a true story, Memories of Murder is a Korean suspense thriller offering an unusual blend of death and laughter, while recollecting truly nightmarish events.

This is a true story.

In a small town outside of Seoul (Hwasong), over the course of six years, 10 women were raped and murdered in a 2km raius. Korean society's first serial killer took the lives of 10 victims, ranging from a 71 year old grandmaother to a 13 old schoolgirl.

As timewent on, the methods of the killer grew more well planned and bold. One victim was stabbed 19 times in the chest, while another victim was found with 9 pieces of peach embedded in her.

Other than the victims, the killer left not a single shred of evidence. Over 3,000 suspects were interrogated. At least 300,000 police took part in the massive investigation. But not a single person was indicted for the crimes.

This is a true story about the detectives.

Now, the creepy thing about this is the fact that it appears that this illusive killer has come back and begun to strike again. I read a story about this in the newspaper a few months ago and then this morning, in the Korean Times I saw this story; "Woman Found Dead in Hwasong."

FISH...We Pray For Thee!

Researchers at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Gijang County, Busan, hold a memorial service for fish that died in various experiments. Fruit, pork and other food that the subject fish enjoyed were laid out as offerings./Yonhap

I'm at a loss for words on this one....nuff' said!

Transgenders, Marriage and the Korean Way

Anyone who has spent sometime living in Korea will know something about the enormous pressure cast upon young Koreans to get married. There is nothing like this in the Canadian culture I grew up in. It comes from all sides, "When will you get married?" To whom isn't so important, as long as he or she comes from a good family and has money (shall we say financial security). Love is often an issue that most Korean families never factor into the marriage equation when harrassing their offspring to "tie the knot." I read a very interesting article about this today in the Korea Times called, "Korea's Social Revolutionaries", by Michael Breen. Here's a taste:

Here’s the argument. Most single and a lot of divorced women over the age of 23 are looking for a good husband. Why? They feel they have to. For many, I suspect, the real motive is less to actually find a husband than to dodge the sledgehammer-in-the-face question, ``When are you going to get married?’’

The question, and the way it is endlessly asked by relatives, acquaintances and colleagues, represents a level of intrusion into the personal business of individuals that is very destructive. It becomes a form of Chinese water torture over the years and avoiding it leads people to make choices that, in their hearts, they don’t want to make. Thus people marry without love and without commitment. Thus they live lives driven by the expectations of others. Feeling pushed, there are doors in their hearts that never open to their spouse.

So, if you ask your wife, ``Did you marry me because you loved me?’’ she might say, if she’s honest, ``No, I married you because I have annoying relatives.’’

The Korea Times

READ MORE...

March 1st Independence Day

"Taegukis" (Korean flags) are flying everywhere in Busan today as it's Korean Independence Day. This one is close to my school in Gwangan.

This Sunday night there will be a monster bonfire on Haeundae Beach. I believe it will be for a traditional Korean holiday called “Chongwol Taeborum,” which means “big full moon in the first month of the year.”I took this pic this afternoon as I walked to work. They were building a massive pile of wood and brush to set ablaze later. Notice I mentioned that I was going to work? Yep...even on a National holiday!

It’s another day on the Korean Peninsula, but not just any day. Today is Korean Independence Day. This is the day when all Korean’s celebrate their freedom from Japanese colonial rule. Most Koreans and foreigners living in Korea are enjoying this national holiday by relaxing, visiting friends and eating out. I found out that this Sunday there will be a huge bonfire on Haeundae Beach in Busan to celebrate “Chongwol Taeborum,” which means “big full moon in the first month of the year.”. I was there this afternoon and checked out the scene, as I went to work. Yes, Kevin was walking to work on yet another statutory holiday! As a CDI (Chung Dahm Language Institute) teacher, I have to work on all national holidays (for those who know me, you will remember my rant about working Xmas Day). CDI is actually a very good place to work aside from a severe lack of time off. The people I’ve met who complain the most about working at my school are those who seem to have an allergy to work. This is an allergy that most English teachers I meet in Korea seem to have. Many are simply here to play and travel and when a school actually expects them to earn their keep, most teachers end up in arms, complaining and moaning.

So many people I meet complain that their schools are unreasonable. “They actually expect me to be at school 20 minutes before my class. I’m not even getting paid for it! I can’t believe the nerve they have to ask me that.” EEEkkk…heaven forbid a teacher actually having to prepare for a class they must teach (loads of sarcasm here!). I suppose that tells you a lot about a “teacher” when they don’t even think it’s necessary to prepare for a class. Mind you, there are many difficulties and often unreasonable demands made of teachers in Korea, but I don’t think this is one of them.

I hope everyone has a nice Independence Day and can see the giant bonfires Sunday evening. There will be a nice one at Haeundae Beach. I'll try to be there.