Busan Boat Madness

It's been awhile since I've added a post. Hmmmm....winding down here in Korea. Lots of wonderful folks from Seoul have been coming down here to visit for the past few weekends. It's been great. After a year and a half in Haeundae, I finally went on a boat tour of the area. It was pretty cool....aside from my brutal sunburn. Jeez....I'm really going to miss living by the beach!



Damn....that's a fine spot for a picture!!!



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The Finale is Creeping Up

Not much to say these days I suppose. I guess my feeling and emotions are all over the map, but I usually choose to keep those things to myself. My last days in Korea are poppin along and there are not too may left. Soon I'll be back to Canada and resuming what some deem a "normal" lfe, but after 5 years here in Korea, will be quite "abnormal" to me. I suppose the "normal" thing will come along quite quickly...I'm looking forward to it.

Here's a pic I grabbed from facebook.com tonight of the Hermit kings...in all of our glory!



Gino, Travis, Kevin (Me), Mike and Tom @ U2...the illustious Hermit Kings...post-gig!

Veteran remembrance

A Korean War veteran looks for the names of his fallen comrades engraved on a memorial tablet at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul. About 105 Korean War veterans from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Britain arrived Sunday in Korea for a seven-day visit and to participate in ceremonies commemorating the 1950-53 Korean War, in which they fought under the flag of the United Nations. They paid their respects yesterday to Korean War victims at the National Cemetery in Seoul.
[YONHAP]

The Korean War is often referred to as Canada's forgotten war. There are many Canadians who don't even realize that we had a role in the battle for freedom on the Korean Peninnsula.


Canada in Korea

"After the Second World War, Canada rapidly demobilized. When the Korean War broke out, Canada needed several months to bring its military forces up to strength, and eventually formed part of British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Canadian land forces thus missed most of the early back-and-forth campaigns because they did not arrive until 1951, when the attrition phase of the war had largely started. Canadian troops fought as part of the 1st Commonwealth Division, and distinguished themselves at the Battle of Kapyong and in other land engagements. HMCS Haida and other ships of the Royal Canadian Navy were in active service in the Korean conflict.

Canada sent over 25,000 troops to fight in Korea. There were 1,558 Canadian casualties, including 516 dead. Korea has often been described as "The Forgotten War", because for most Canadians it is overshadowed by the Canadian contributions to the two world wars. Canada is a signatory to the original 1953 armistice, but did not keep a garrison in South Korea after 1955"

A little bit of history for any Canadians out there who may be interested.

Monster Dancing!

I do live in Busan and for a time Choi Hong-man, Korea's famous MONSTER kickboxer (he fights in K1) was training at the same gym I go to. Quite a frightening creature he is. At 218 cm (about 7'3'') and weighing 165kg (363lbs...ripped) he was quite freaky to see walking around lifting weights. Well, he was recently KOed for the first time. Before that, I suppose a guy has to make a buck any way he can!

Check out this very Korean gum commercial (Koreans call it a CF...or Commercial Film).

Virginia Tech Massacre - Killer was South Korean student

Gunman in U.S. college killings was 23 year-old South Korean

(CNN) -- The gunman who killed 30 people at Virginia Tech's Norris Hall before turning the gun on himself was student Cho Seung-hui, university police Chief Wendell Flinchum said Tuesday.

University officials said they were still trying to determine if Cho was responsible for an earlier shooting at a dormitory that left two dead.

Cho, a 23-year-old South Korean and resident alien, lived at the university's Harper Hall, Flinchum said. He was an English major, the chief said.

Cho was a loner and authorities are having a hard time finding information about him, said Harry Hincker, associate vice president for university relations.

Koreans Drinking More Wine and Soju Than Ever

Koreans Drinking More Wine and Soju Than Ever (Chosun Ilbo)

Korea's alcohol consumption increased for yet another year. But while consumption of soju, beer, and wine was up last year, consumption of whiskey was down.
The National Tax Service announced on Monday that the volume of alcoholic beverages produced last year amounted to 3.16 billion liters, an increase of 2.4 percent from 2005. Alcohol production in 2005 had decreased slightly from the year before.

Korean adults over 19 consumed an average of 79.79 bottles (640§¢) of beer in 2006, up slightly from 79.28 in 2005. Soju consumption increased from 71.26 bottles (360§¢) to 72.42 bottles. Consumption of whiskey decreased from 1.81 bottles (500§¢) per adult to 1.71 bottles.

The National Tax Service said beer and soju consumption were up due to an increase in women drinkers and new soju products with low alcohol content, and the consumption of whiskey, which is considered an expensive drink, decreased due to the economic slowdown.

Wine imports rose sharply thanks to a free trade agreement with Chile and a growing taste for the product among office workers. Wine consumption hit 27 million liters in 2006, up 8 percent from 25 million liters in 2005. It's more than 1.6 times the amount of wine consumed in 2002, which was 17.4 million liters.

(englishnews@chosun.com )


I supose that this breaking story from today's Chosun Ilbo comes as no real surprise to those of us who live here. As one dances through the streets in the early morning in an effort to avoid stepping in one of the many piles of vomit (stretching as far as the eye can see), you can't help but feel as if you're waltzing through a techni-coloured mine field!


Heave Ho (It's Rice-liftin Time!)
Housewives compete to lift 60 kilograms of rice at Lotte Mart’s Seoul Station store, yesterday. The winner lifting the heaviest load was set to take home 180 kilograms of rice. [YONHAP]

I saw this on the Joong-ang Daily web site tonight and had a laugh.

Korean Mysteries Abound...

Sorry...it's been awhile since I've said anything. Life is busy I suppose. I'm getting ready for my grand departure. Only about 6 weks left in Korea and then on to new things.

The Hermit Kings were at Interplay last night. We played with Cuttlefish. It was a greta gig. Interplay is such a great live venue. Mind you, the smoke machine nearly choked me to death. Tonight we're playing at Ol'55 (the base of operations). We played there last Saturday night, but the crowd didn't have much spunk....hopefully they'll be more drunk tonight!

Bunny Breeder: Kim Jong-il ate my Rabbits

Bunny Breeder: Kim Jong-il ate my Rabbits

BERLIN (UPI) – A German breeder of giant rabbits said he believes the animals he sold to begin a breeding program in North Korea were killed and eaten by officials.

Karl Szmolinsky sold 12 giant rabbits to Pyongyang to help the country start a breeding program to alleviate food shortages, The Times of London reported Thursday.

Szmolinsky said after he was contacted by a North Korean official who said that his trip to the country to provide advice on setting up a rabbit farm has been cancelled and that he believes the animals were killed and eaten at a birthday banquet for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

If you can't teach your kids to hate, who can you teach??

Last week I was reading something in the Korea Times about the new Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Many people are obviously unhappy (a taxi driver in Seoul set himself on fire in protest of the FTA), while others seem pleased that the markets will be opening up. I read that in 2005 foreign investment in Korea was more than $9 billion U.S., but by 2006 had dropped to a little more than $4 billion U.S. Many Koreans are up in arms and wondering why foreign companies simply won't invest in the Korean economy. I think one of the causes of this a completely Korean made one.

If you've ever had the opportunity to live and work in Korea you'll know what I'm talking about. The Korean attitude towards those of other races, especially other Asian cultures is quiet frightening and sad. From the time they are in diapers, Korean children are taught by both family and teachers that they are a "pure" race and should look down upon others. When word spreads around the world that a country is rabidly xenophobic, it's no surprise that foreign companies don't want to invest in that place.

How does Korea's reputation for ignorance spread? Easily, when thousands of foreign language teachers hear their students, on a daily basis, throw around ignorant and racist comments about anyone non-Korean.

Example: (This really happened on Wednesday)
A low level class (very bright and young) had to complete an exercise where they have to finish a model sentence with their own words.

Model: "I...and my best friend...too."

Student Response: "I hate the Japanese and Chinese and my friend hates them too."

No joke. A very bright and friendly 8 year old boy said that with a huge grin on his face.
As we all know, young children are innocent. They don't develop ideas like this on their own. Ideas and thoughts like this are taught. Young children are not born hating other races and those from other countries. Who are the default role models of children? Well, for starters, their parents. Then of course, when they are of school age, their teachers become role models. These are the people who are charged with the responsibility of teaching and protecting the young. What happens when these people teach the youth of Korea to hate those who are not Korean? What happens when Korean children tell their foreign language teachers that Chinese people are dirty, Japanese are evil, Southeast Asians are sub-humans and that people from Africa are no more than monkeys?

What happens is that we go back home to our respective countries, Canada , the U.S. , England , etc. and we tell those we know all about it. The word spreads. The dubious reputation grows and then eventually, Koreans start to see the negative repercussions of their xenophobia. Foreign business people don't want to live and work in Korea . Some think twice about doing business with Korea . Foreign investment declines. It could be a reason (although I realize there are many others as well).

The Korea Times recently said that nearly 200,000 Korean students are currently abroad studying. Korean parents are forever going in debt in order to send their children to other countries in order to be educated. What I want to know is; how can Korean parents expect their children to thrive in multi-cultural countries, when they teach their children that they should look down upon those other cultures?

I've been around the block as a language teacher in Korea . From Seoul to Busan, I've seen no change in attitudes. What surprises me is when I meet bright students who have lived abroad for most of their lives harbor feelings of racism. But, I suppose if parents, teachers, television shows, documentaries and history books tell you something long enough, you believe it to be the truth. Here on the Korean penninsula they call it "pride", everywhere else in the world (and the world is a big place), they call it racism. It's a shame.

Korean Mysteries

It's a beautiful Spring day here in Korea. It's simply great. It's warm and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom throughout Busan. I went for a walk this morning to check out nature in all of it's glory. What I came across was a mystery. I mystery library nontheless. What is Busan's Mystery Library? I'm not sure. I couldn't find it! Maybe that's part of this Korean Mystery.