Fertility Festivals and Pornographic Plays....

Lots of "naughty" news happening this week in Northeast Asia!!! There is a definite sexual theme in some of the more interesting stories I came across today...

Thousands gather for fertility festival
KAWASAKI -- Thousands flocked to a small shrine here Sunday to take part in the Kanamara Festival, an event with roots dating back centuries and known for its huge consecrated phallus portable shrine carried mostly by transvestites.

Revelers also watched mostly young women sit atop huge wooden penises made as Shinto totems, each woman sparking a rapid-fire succession of camera flashes from the dozens of mostly middle-aged men armed with digital cameras.

Shinto fertility related items including amulets, prayer tablets and other religious paraphernalia were on sale, as were candies made in the shape of the genitalia of both sexes. Sellers of some candies found it hard to keep up with demand.
This was from today's Mainichi News....check out the pictures!!!

Here's some video of this year's Kanamara Festival!




Sex with White Guys! Oh No!!!!
This is from the Marmot's Hole...
(You'll need to read Korean to get the full scoop). Looks like another "news" program in Seoul doing yet another expose on "bad" Korean girls mixing with "evil" foreigners!


Chosun-Period Pornographic Play Discovered
From Friday's Chosun Ilbo


"With an arrow put to the string, I have no choice but to shoot it." "How shameless you are! We're almost there. How can I stop it even if you ask me to? Damn this skirt of mine! Why is it here now?"

These are lines of dialogue from an explicit play dating back to the late Chosun Dynasty. Titled “Buksanggi”, it was discovered by Ahn Dae-hoe, a professor of Korean literature in classical Chinese at Sungkyunkwan University. On Saturday, Ahn will publish a paper on the play at a seminar sponsored by the Korean Classical Literature Association at Hanyang University.

The play is presumed to have been written either in 1780, the fourth year of the reign of King Jeongjo, or in 1840, the sixth year of the reign of King Heonjong. The author’s name is given as Donggo Eocho, a man presumed to have been a ruined aristocrat. At 124 pages long, it was written in the Chinese style then current as a story in dialogue. It is the second Chosun-period play, following "Dongsanggi" by Lee Ok.
Read more....


Let's get physical with a fitness fling!
Mainichi Daily News

Japan's exercise industry is going through an unprecedented boom, but the heady times for the workout business have had the unexpected side-effect of sparking a wave of housewives undergoing "fitness flings," according to Shukan Post (10/5).

"Fitness clubs have become like hallowed ground for those with latent desires to play around or with lecherous thoughts. They're places where people move around and build up a sweat, then can shower and do their make-up at the same place once they've finished," Sanae Kameyama, a journalist specializing in women's issues, tells Shukan Post. "What that means is that exercise gives them an excuse for having had a shower before they go home to their husbands and hide the proof of them playing around."Read More...

Nova Claims it will pay teachers...

Interesting news from the world of ESL over in Japan. For those following the ongoing Nova saga, you may know that upwards of 7,000 english teachers have ben left in the lurch; unpaid by Nova. I saw this on JapanProbe.com this afternoon.

This is an update to the continuing saga that surrounds NOVA English Conversation School. The update comes via a blog entry on Let’s Japan.org:

Nova pay up - finally!

Submitted by backtobed (not verified) on Fri, 09/28/2007 - 18:22.

I was up until recently a NOVA trainer and today we got paid…after being given the 14th,19th,21st,25th and 26th as dates when the money would “definitely” arrive in our accounts. Myself and many others are breathing a sigh of relief - that salary will pay for us to get to our job interviews. I don’t believe for a second that the fact that we’ve been paid today means everyone will be paid on time next month, or at all, but I just thought I’d let you all know - BTs and ATs were paid today. Good luck to everyone, whether you stick it out or walk.

I can tell you that this is true and not some fabrication. Amidst all the “promises” people have been paid, and from what I gather, in full.

To get some really good background info check out this article that appeared in the Japan Times entitled “Is is all over for NOVA?”.

Japan Probe


I suppose there's always an element of risk when one decides to pack up his or her life and move to Korea or Japan to teach ESL. Maybe the culture, food, language or people's attitudes simply won't be for you. One of the worst things that can happen to a new ESL teacher though, is walking into a sour work situation. A poor working environment or employer can ruin one's journey and time in a new country. I've met many a teacher who simply hated Korea. It had nothing to do with Korea itself, it was the fact that they were screwed over by a shadey school owner. Now this is happening in Japan with Nova, but on a very grand scale. Those with Japan experience have told me though that this was expected for quite some time.

I suppose there are some things you can do to prevent yourself from getting into a bad "ESL" school situation.

1. Be wary of small schools with less than 4 or 5 teachers. They may not be financially strong.
2. Especially be wary of schools where you will be the only foreign teacher (strength in numbers)...mind you...this isn'ta worry with something like the JET Program.
3. Contact current or former employees and try to get the "honest" scoop.
4. Ask honest questions on ESL forums..."google" the school name to se if it's on any Korean ESL blacklists.
5. Really big schools; the types with hundreds of teachers could possibly treat you as if you were simply another cog in the wheel.
6. Be wary of schools that ask for a "security deposit."(I personally think this is a huge red flag!) They may want to take 200,000 won off your first 3 paychecks. It's doubtful that you will ever get this money back.
7. Be wary of schools that want you to work in several locations (if you are in Korea).
8. If a school says they cannot give you any kind of pay advance upon arrival; that may be a sign of low bank accounts on their end.

These aren't written in stone. Just some personal lessons I have learned and many colleagues and friends have learned over the years...often the hard way!

Chuseok Traffic Sucks...and more Nova Teacher Blues!

Man...this looks like it sucks! I hope everyone went to the restroom at the reststop...or at least has an empty water bottle!

With hundreds of thousands of people heading back to Seoul from the Chuseok holidays, gridlock conditions snarl traffic on major highways leading to Seoul yesterday, the last day of the festival. Vehicles were jammed trying to leave the Cheongwon Rest Area on Gyeongbu Expressway yesterday afternoon in North Chungcheong.
Joongang Daily

I thought this was an interesting article in the Joongang Daily about a tattoos in Korea and the fact that it is still illegal to get one!

Until death (or surgery) do us part

‘I just want people to understand that a tattoo is just another form of self-expression. It’s not just something for gangsters or criminals.
A few months ago in Daehangno, 32-year-old tattoo artist Lee Rang publicly inked the back of a friend to protest against laws that prohibit tattoo artists from practicing their craft unless they have a medical license. The protest ended in a scuffle and arrests.
In April the Constitutional Court decided in favor of a lower court ruling that said tattooing was a medical procedure...
Read More


I came across more news about the hundreds, if not thousands of Nova teachers who have been royally screwed in Japan. Most of them are still being duped...flown to Japan in the last few weeks to work at Nova although Nova has no money to pay anyone!

I caught this on transpacificradio.com...
Another tale from the inside of Nova
Another email arrived tonight from a new Nova instructor:

I just wanted to tell you my story, since I’m sure you’ve heard from about as many people as you wish to. However, I feel that I should get the word out somehow.

Nova brought a bunch of recruits over here on September 5th. We were clueless. They told us nothing of the impending doom, or of any financial problems. After working for one week, rumors start to go around that the Titled Instructors haven’t been paid. They still haven’t.

Apparently, a new shipment of recruits arrived just last week. They are worse off than I am. But I feel like I have been royally screwed. I can’t afford another plane ticket right now. I won’t be getting the salary advance I was promised. I probably won’t see a paycheck come October 15th. I have no experience, so finding another job is really unlikely, considering there are about 5,000 other foreigners out looking. Nova has put us in an unbelievable situation, and a lot of us have no idea what to do…

..My interview was done many months ago, before everything seemed to go downhill. However, when the recruiting office contacted me in July and then again in August, nothing was said about the situation. We were led blindly, thinking that everything was fine and that the job would be stable. We were told, in the interview, that there would be great opportunities for overtime…

…It is a very difficult time for all of us. Some feel like we deserve it, because Nova no longer has a decent reputation. However, the instructors have nothing to do with that. Most of us came over looking for a job. We needed the money. And now we’re suffering because of Nova’s stupidity…

Pervert Stole School Girls' Flutes and Backpacks!!

Ok....due to the Chuseok Holiday, Korean news websites have for the most part been on hiatus so I've been sorting and sifting through sites and blogs sround the "Penninsula" and Japan as well to fins things that are strange and of interest.....FIRST.....

Pervert Stole Elementary School Girls' Flutes and Backpacks!!
A man was arrested in Tokyo earlier this month for illegally entering an elementary school to steal backpacks and recorders. Police later searched his house and found over 200 backpacks and flutes, all of which appeared to have been the property of elementary school girls [the above video has all the stolen items lined up as if the police had made a major drug bust]. The man admitted that he had been stealing the items from elementary schools for years, and that he “had an interest” in things owned by elementary school girls.

Creepy….

From Japan Probe...


Ok...this is a scary story.This sort of news is usually not my cup of tea, but since it happened in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, I thought I'd add it. I lived there for 2 years and absolutely loved the place...so...this story struck a nerve (I lived fairly close to that subway station).

Police Officer Commits Rape
A police officer was arrested Friday for kidnapping, raping and robbing women.

According to the police, the 39-year-old officer, identified as Lee, at Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, threatened 33-year-old woman who was in her car at a parking lot near Daehwa subway station around 11:30 p.m. Aug. 29 with a weapon. He raped her after taking her to a nearby mountain and tying her up with tape. Lee also took 7 million won from her after taking her credit card.

The officer has allegedly kidnapped three women from the parking lot since January, sexually assaulting two of them and taking a total of 19 million won. He followed the victims to their cars when they were alone late at night.

Following the series of kidnappings at the parking lot, police set up surveillance of the area from the end of last month, and caught Lee in the act at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday as he was trying to assault another woman after tying her with tape.

Lee said he committed the crime for the money, as most of his salary has been seized due to a 300 million won debt. In 1997, the officer, with 19 years experience, had been discharged on suspicions of taking bribes, but was reinstated a year later after winning an appeal.
Korea Times


Ok...I just realized due to the time difference, this notice will be a little late for this week, BUT....if you are in Busan....next Wednesday...or any Wednesday and wanna have some fun, there's only one place to go! Head to Ol'55 (near Kyungsun University) for Open Mic night hosted by Mike. I was the drummer in the house band for a long time, but can't seem to make my arms reach that far anymore (I'm in Canada at the moment for those unaware). It's one of the few places to here great live music. If you're a musician and wanna play, tune in with the foreigner music community or wanna put a band together....Ol'55 on Wednesday is the place to network.

For more info...check out the FaceBook group "Ol' 55 - Open Mic Wednesdays"...if you check out the video "Independently Happy" you can hear me on drums ^^

ALSO....Check out the Burning Softy Pandas triumphant return to Soul Train by Pusan National University on October 5th (Friday) at 11:00pm...these guys are too fun!!! Again...FaceBook group..."Burning Softy Panda Returns"...have fun!

It's a good time! Check it out...

Teaching ESL Part 2...Visas in Korea

Lots of people have been asking me questions about my time in Korea working as an ESL teacher and some have been wondering if it's something they'd like to try their hand at as well. I've had many interesting questions posted about my last "Teaching ESL in Korea" video on youtube. Most questions and comments have been about working visas. What do I need to qualify? Can I teach private lessons with a visa? Are they easy to get?, etc.

In "Teaching ESL in Korea...Part 2" I've answered some more questions and a little more indepth. Please remember though, I am not an expert, just a guy who taught in Korea for several years.

(My apologies about the grainy quality of the video...appaerently my laptop has been possessed by an evil demon...hopefully it can be removed soon!) You can see more videos by me, right here!

If you have more questions about legalities and technicalities, check out
www.efl-law.com. There's some great information on that site!

Just a story I found of personal interest in today's Korea Times.

09-24-2007
Foreign Veterans Wounded in Korean War to Visit Seoul

A group of former members of U.N. forces who were wounded during the Korean War will visit Seoul next week at the invitation of the nation's war veteran organization, the group said Monday.

Eighteen veterans from six nations _ the U.S., Canada, Turkey, Ethiopia, Thailand and Australia _ and 11 of their family members will make the nine-day visit from Wednesday, the Korea Disabled Veterans Organization said in a statement.

"The invitation was designed to praise the sacrifice of the veterans and strengthen friendship with them," the statement said.

South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 war, in which the United Nations intervened after the North's invasion of the South, ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Korea Times



On a much lighter note (serious laughs here), if you aren't farmiliar with the charcter "Ken Tanaka" you should watch this vid. He's an entertaining part of youtube. He's an adopted man....Japanese parents...looking for his American birthparents! In this vid, he teaches you "How to Speak Fluent Japanese without saying a word"!!!


If you wanna see some more "Ken Tanaka" jems, check out his site...HelpMeFindMyParents. Enjoy^^

Tommy Lee Jones Japanese "Suntory Boss Coffee" Commercials

I just love these ads. Tommy Lee Jones stars in a series of Japanese television commercials for Suntory "Boss Coffee." He plays an alien from outer space, sent to Japan to observe Japanese life. He worksin a supermarket, as a host in a host bar, in a kareoke bar, etc.

"Alien Jones" works in a kareoke bar and has a touching moment.


He's wearing a snazzy outfitand handing out flyers...the dogs of Japan know there's something up!

Busan Questions Efficiency of Foreign Teachers

Here's a story from my not-so-long-ago home, Busan. More ESL teacher news.

Busan Questions Efficiency of Foreign Teachers

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

BUSAN _ Busan education authorities are pessimistic about the effectiveness of native English speakers teaching English classes.

``Although many schools want to hire native English-speaking teachers, they can't afford to do so due to financial difficulties. Additionally, they are currently in need of teachers who can speak both English and Korean,'' a Busan education office spokesman said Thursday.

In the wake of this problem, the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education plans to employ foreign spouses of Korean nationals or Koreans fluent in English as assistant teachers at elementary and secondary schools starting next month.

It is Busan's first official trial in hiring non-English native speakers as assistant teachers. The teachers will be required to teach a maximum of 14 hours a week, prepare extra teaching material and lead programs such as the ``English-only zone'' and ``English library.''

Some English teachers in the biggest port city welcomed the regional government's decision. ``Many children have difficulties with English native speakers as most foreigners cannot speak Korean. I think one-way classes will not work for quality English classes,'' a teacher in Anrak Middle School told The Korea Times.

The city education government will recruit a total of 10 bilingual assistant teachers and dispatch them to several schools for a three-month trial. The results of the pilot system will decide whether the system will be expanded to all schools in Korea's second biggest city.

I saw this in today's Korea Times.

Nova Teachers Screwed!

This is a crappy week to be an ESL teacher in Japan. Especially if you work for Nova. Nova is Japan's largest "eikaiwa" private English school and has the worst reputation. Many people have told me that when I head to Japan, "Never work for Nova!" With more than than 7,000 foreign employees (Japan's largets employer of foreigners), they overexpanded and did themselves in.

Teachers were supposed to be paid this week, but they weren't. Looks like they won't be getting paid at all. Looks like a large number of Canadian ESL teachers have been caught in the middle of the mess too!

An official letter from Nova telling teachers that they are screwed!

Yesterday, Nova teachers protested in Osaka. They are demanding money that is owed them by Nova.

More Nova teachers demanding their pay.

Here's more about the Nova scandal in Japan.

Apparently, most people in Japan were expecting this to happen for wuite some time. Nova got into trouble a few months ago the Japanese government banned them from getting new students. Obviously, no students means no money and no money means the end of a business. The four majoy adult conversation schools in Japan; Nova, Geos, ECC and Aeon have long had bad reputations as schools where teachers were judged on popularity as opposed to actual teaching skill; not easy places to work.

I wonder if some of these teachers will make their way across the water to Korea. There are certainly lots of high-paying jobs waiting for them in Korea if they are so inclined.

Ajuma Power!!!

Those who know about Korea know what an ajuma is. An "ajuma" is a middle-aged, married Korean woman. Many people say that in Korea there are three genders...male, female and ajuma. If you are farmiliar with the mighty ajuma, you also know never to mess with one. They'll push, shove and elbow the crap out of you as they try to get on or off any form of public transportation. The word "manners" means nothing to them!

An arm wrestling contest for women in Junggok-dong, Seoul. [YONHAP]

I saw this great pick of arm-wrestlin juma in today's Joong-ang Daily...classic stuff!

Terry Fox Run in Seoul

I thought this was a great story. I ran in the Terry Fox Run in Seoul 3 years ago. It was a good time and I have some great memories. Last year (2006), I ran in Busan's first Terry Fox run. It was a few weeks after the Seoul run. Not many people were there, but hopefully it will grow this year!



Run honors Terry Fox cancer fight

Mark Stevenson and his wife Nancy weren’t worried about their time in the Terry Fox run against cancer Sunday.

Stevenson jogged the 10-kilometer course in Seoul, the third country where he’s run in the benefit race that honors the legacy of Canadian Terry Fox.
The Terry Fox Run is named for the late Canadian bone cancer patient.
It is held in September each year across Canada and in about 55 other countries.
As Chief Operating Officer for PCA Life in Korea, Stevenson has worked throughout Asia, and he completed earlier Fox runs in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Though born in Toronto, Stevenson said the race is not about patriotism.
“It’s not as much a nationalistic thing as a charity for a good cause,” he said. “I’ve always been inspired by his story. It makes you feel pretty humble when you look at what he accomplished.”

Before the race, Duane McMullen, senior trade commissioner at the Canadian Embassy to Korea, told the crowd at Yeouido Rugby Stadium, “We are here together making our contribution to help defeat this terrible disease.”

On Sunday the Terry Fox Run celebrated its 17th anniversary in Korea, and this year there were about 4,000 participants, up from 3,300 last year, according to the Canadian Embassy, an event sponsor.

The turnout was high considering a warning from the Korean weather agency of an approaching typhoon, Nari, which killed 14 people in other parts of Korea on Sunday and Monday.

The typhoon changed direction and there was only scattered rain in Seoul Sunday afternoon.

The majority of the runners in the event ― comprised of 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) and 5-kilometer courses ― were Koreans, and many came in company groups.
Canadians were also visible in the event, including Jocelyn Kaiser, a 25-year-old English teacher from Calgary.

Kaiser said the event is a high-profile happening in Canada.
“I learned about it at school,” Kaiser said while waiting for the race to begin with two friends. “We’ve grown up learning about him ― about what he did and how he helped cancer research.”

Michael Jones from Williams Lake, British Columbia, ran a strong time of 40 minutes in the 10K.

“I went down there to get some exercise among people with positive attitudes and kind hearts,” said Jones, who has taught English in Korea for five years.
To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research, according to the Terry Fox Foundation.

During the effort by Fox, which he called the “Marathon of Hope,” Fox ran on one leg about 5,373 kilometers (3,339 miles) across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

His journey, however, came to a halt at about the halfway point when his health deteriorated in 1980. He died the next year at the age of 22.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea introduced the Terry Fox Run to Korea in 1991 and has hosted the annual event since.
“It is such an inspiring story,” said Terry Tuharsky, chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea. “We just have to do it every year.”

Tuharsky has run every year since 1999. He said the run continues to grow in Korea.
Philippe Poggianti, a French employee of LG-Nortel, a Korean-Canadian company, said he ran for his Korean boss, who is recovering from cancer.

“It’s very personal to me, because my manager had cancer last year,” Poggianti said after completing the 10-kilometer run with about 50 coworkers. “We ran to support him,” Poggianti said.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said about $75,000 was raised. It will be donated to Youngdong Severance Hospital in Seoul.

Joong-ang Daily

Drunk Teachers Making Lasting Childhood Memories!

I was just surfin around and came across an interesting little piece of youtube work. I have to admit that after a few years in Korea, I came to a clear understanding that it can be a "drinking culture", but I never saw anything quite like this. Looks like a Korean school trip, lots of kids and some drunken Korean teachers. They are trying to sing "noraebang"...the Korean equivelant of kareoke on the bus and are waving around beer bottles. You can see little kids the whole time....nuts!

I'm glad I didn't have to work at that school!

I suppose that if you are going to scar a child's memories for life, you might as well do it with Korean beer and song. And to think, it's all those Canadian and American esl teachers who have the bad reputations!

East Coast meets the Far East

I did some exploring of Ottawa today and went to a few places that were new and refreshing for me. I ventured downtown to Slater street (not the new part of town I mentioned) and found a small store that sells only Japanese food products. It was a cool little place. Picked up a few things there and then moved on the the end of Somerset Street, aka, Chinatown. Chinatown was devestated by a huge fire last month. Large fire destroyed an apartment building and the rubble from the destroyed building blocked the street for nearly two weeks.

I suppose Ottawa's Chinatown is more like an "Asiatown" cause there were reems of Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese restaurants there as well. Mai and I picked up quite a few nice things at the Kowloon Market. It's a great place to pick up some things that remind me of my years abroad. This week's project is to make dimsum-like meat dumplings. Actually, that won't be a problem since Mai will be showing me how to do it. I personally haven't a clue since I've never done it before.

Bank of Nova Scotia..."The East Coast meets The Far East" (Scotiabank in Ottawa's Chinatown).


A great view of the Rideau Canal from the MacKenzie Bridge this morning. Ottawa is sure a nice place to be in the Fall...which seems to be quickly approaching.

On a more sombre note; three young men, all students at the University of Ottawa drowned yesterday in Lac Philippe in Gatineau Park. It is a very sad story.

Sex, Drugs and English Teachers

Lst night, I was perusing through the Marmot's Hole when I came across yet another story about foreign English teacher drug busts and sex scandals in Korea. One of the greatest passtimes of Korea's so called "media" is to (about twice a year) write and produce a series of scandals about English teachers in Korea and how they are soley corrupting Korean society.

Sex Drugs and English Teachers (Marmot's Hole, Sept.5, 2007)

Police have busted a number of foreign English teachers for pot smoking — 22 of ‘em, to be exact.

According to NoCut News, the star suspect is a 24-year-old Canadian identified as Mr. S, who came to Korea in 2004. Since 2006, he has allegedly been buying pot off a Ghanaian drug dealer — police say he even taught his students while stoned.

The cops note he wasn’t the only one teaching English by day, and toking up at night.

An official with the foreign affairs department of Seoul Metropolitan Police told NoCut News, “American and Canadian English teachers think of Korea as the Land of Opportunity.”

He said they believe that they can make millions of won a month teaching not only in hagwon, but also privates.

The official also added — sit down for this — that in most cases, these teachers easily seduce Korean women looking to learn English, and end up doing drugs together.

Scoundrels!

NoCut News said Korea, the “Land of Opportunity” for foreign English teachers, is more like a “depraved paradise.”

A “representative example,” said NoCut News, is the case of 24-year-old American teacher Mr. R, who was busted for smoking pot with his Korean girlfriend.

Mr. R, who lived with a 20-something Korean woman who worked for a foreign bank (say no more!), is suspected of taking his woman to the bars of Hongdae and Itaewon, where they would regularly smoke pot.

Police said the teachers they’ve busted were almost all local college teachers or hagwon teachers in Gangnam, Seocho-gu, Yangcheon-gu, Bupyeong and Gwangmyeong.

Police complain that to stop these teachers from coming into the country, they’d need to see their rap sheets beforehand.

On a positive note, the teachers’ degrees seem to have been legitimate.

Luckily, there will be more on all this tonight when KBS’s “In Depth 60 Minutes” dives into the sordid world of the foreign English teacher (HT to reader).
Here’s a highlight:

"Lee Eun-ju (assumed name), who lived with an American English teacher on the premise of getting married. She has informed our production team of some shocking information about her ex-boyfriend. She said he regularly hung out with other foreign English teachers smoking pot."

Lovely.


So, there you have it. During my years in Korea this type of "scandal" was very cyclical. I remember back to the days of "EnglishSpectrum Gate" and the anger that ensued. These scandals come, then go and are forgotten...then are reborn..again and again...kind of like a strange time warp. Now of course it's not just foreigner's corrupting Korean society. What about all those housewives in Korea that were recently caught prostituting themselves over the internet for group sex??

At the end of the day though, if you are an English teacher coming to Korea from elsewhere and you get caught with drugs, you basically get what you deserve. You are a guest in another country, and might I add, a country with very harsh drug laws (not just for foreigners, but for Koreans as well...it's not discrimintation). Leave the weed in Canada or the States, cause if you get caught in Korea, you're looking at a whole big world of hurt!

Another thing whas recently confused and perplexed me. Well, many people know that the concept of a good education is paramount in Korea. Where you attended university can make or break the lives of you and apparently your family for generations to come. There have been many recent high profile scandals this year with Korean academics holding fake degrees and getting busted. Shin Jeong-ah was a Donguk University professor and art expert scandalized for having a fake degree...but at the end of the day, she was damn good at her job, but just wasn't good enough. I realized after several years of working in education that "what you can do" or "how good you are" isn't important at all. Everything revolves around "where were you educated." I have to admit that some of the worst teachers I've ever met were Ivy-League educated and some of the best went to schools you've never heard of.

Now what I found soooooooooo....funny was the fact that the actor and model, Daniel Henney is embroiled in some sort of farcical degree scandal! (you can see here in the Chosun Ilbo)
Ok...he's a model. Need I say that again? "He's a model!!!" Is job is to look good! He does this job well. People around the world never equate models with the university they went to. Do people really say, "Jeesh..that model didn't go to the university he said he did...he may look good, but we can't use him for any more shoots." Will people soon look at pop-phenom Lee Hyo-lee and say, well she's hot, but didn't go to Princeton...turn off the tv?? In Korea..maybe. Things seem to be moving that way! Isn't that just plain ole funny??

Teaching Math, ESL and having fun!

As some of you may already know (and if you don't, you will as of now), I am in the midst of geting my teaching qualifications. Classes at university have started and the assignments and homework have begun to flood in. These were of course things that I expected. BUT...something has happened that I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams. I LIKE MATH! A self-confessed "mathphobe" I has spent the greater part of my life ducking behind trees and hiding under shrubs in order to avoid anything mathematical! This makes sense, I was the product of a not-so-well-oiled system of education that was a(when it came to math)one-way, black and white, right and wrong sort of a show. Simply put, it made math scary for a lot of people; myself included.

Well, things have changed and if I could do primary school all over agin, I'd wanna be here in Ontario...now. The way things are done these days are sooooo cool. Kids get to be creative, explore, work together and solve problems as a team. They don't have to live in the "black and white" world of math their parents did. I could have never imagined myself saying this in the past, but "Math is Cool!"

So, on to other things. On a more serious (though the coolness of primary math is not to be taken lightly)note. As I've been thinking a lot about my future in the education profession, I have as well been reflecting on the past 5 years of my life as an ESL instructor in South Korea. I learned a lot by living in Korea for so long. Not only did I learn methodologies and tactics of teaching and managing a classroom, but I learned a lot about the private education industry in Korea...good and bad. There are many wonderful aspects to moving abroad and teaching ESL, but there are some pitfalls as well. I decided to take some of my knowledge and put it online in the form of videos. I'm starting with some general information and advice, but if the demand arises, I'll continue to make more videos on more specific topics of teaching in Korea.

Here's my first one.


If you're interested in seeing more of my videos (they tend to be about the sillier side of life), you can take a peek at my youtube site.

www.youtube.com/busankevin

It's Frosh Week in Canada!!!

It's time for the masses of excited young teenagers to hit university campuses across the country this week. It's a time for making friends, team building, drinking, vomiting and quite possibly the sharing of std's!!!Doesn't that just warm the heart? Yes...it Frosh Week! I can actually, with all honesty, say that I'm pleased to be a crusty old-fart of a student and don't have to have anything to do with it ^^

Frosh week in Ottawa!

Kyoto...a Tits and Boobs kinda city.

Kyoto, Japan. The once ancient capital and the very heart of Japan. A place that evokes inages of Emperors, princes, the mysterious Geisha and Maiko shuffling through streets after dusk. Kyoto, the biggest tourist destination in Japan...a city of wonder. Kyoto...a city of boobs and tits!

Obviously, after a hard days work, a salaryman needs to unwind and relax with a drink and conversation of a young lady. All over Japan there are thousands if not billions of establishments where the black suit-wearing office worker can do this. Kyoto is no exception. An unreasonably priced bevarage can be purchased almost anywhere...why not at one of these fine establishments?

Ahhh...boobtime. Conveniently located at the end of Kyoto's main drag.

I especially enjoyed "Tit's Cafe". This was located directly beside the ryukon I was staying in. Now, it was closed in the morning whn I took this photo and when I came back in the evening, I was simply to tired to enjoy the tits which may have been within.

Japan, a land of history, mystery, Tit's Cafe nd Boob Time!

btw...I just found these pics while looking through the hundreds of shots I took while touring Japan this Spring.

Honours and Respect...photos too!

So, those who know me, know that after many years I have left Korea and am, for the time being, calling Ottawa my home. If you're not Canadian, Ottawa is the capital city of Canada(not Toronto...it's the largest city). Being the capital, it's a major tourist destination. Ottawa is home to many of Canada's finest museums, galleries, monuments and of course, the houses of Parliment.

Ottawa is also home to the Canadian War Memorial and a newer addition, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was installed in 2000. The Governor General's Footguard is a Canadian military unit famous for doing presenntations and drills every morning during the summer months on Parliment Hill.

During the summer months they also post sentries at the War Memorial. They look snazzy and when some idiot disrespects the tomb (I saw one idiot sit on it so he could get a better angle while taking a picture of his wife) they tear them a new one!! (That poor sap almost had a corinary when they screamed at him, "Get off the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...he deserved it...it's like sitting on a person's coffin). I think that another major reason for having the guards there during the summer months is to create a photo opprotunity for visitors to the city...they are a smash with camera-happy tourists.



Here's a video I took a few weeks ago of the Governor General's Footguard doing a guard change at the Canadian War Memorial.

I realize that this is a very "touristy" blog, but give me a break. I haven't been in Canada in years and it's really my first time being in Ottawa. I'm still seeing the city through "tourist" eyes.