LATENIGHT - KOREA

Wednesday, October 31, 2001

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN !!!

We are on the eve of Hallowe'en. Pardon the redundancy but last year I missed my favourite of holidays, just as I am missing it now. A couple of my classes-- the first and last out of the five I had today (the Alpha and Omega?)-- opted to hear me tell ghost stories from home instead of working at their lessons.

With the aid of a Zippo lighter, I was able to convey the story of the Phantom Ship of Baie Du Chaleur.

I illustrated the story of the Headless Nun of French Fort Cove with a quick cartoon sketch of a nun on the white board and an even quicker slash off the top with the board eraser. (Sister Marie is now a tourist attraction back home, by the way).

My only setback was when after five classes, a dry throat (not to mention a shred of modesty) handicapped me while whooping out the story of the Dungarven Whooper.

... A Local Korean Legend...

The Korean Nine-Tailed Fox !!!
This unadulterated photo recently discovered!

In return, one of my elder students told me a story about the mysterious and mystical Nine-Tailed Fox. Once upon a time, this fox wandered around Korea (and apparently quite a bit of the rest Asia too). Its dream was to become human. To achieve this purpose, it stalked humans at night, with a single grisly intent. Using its razor sharp claws, it would pounce on its victim, rip open their chest, and feast upon their liver. Still on the prowl at night today, I was told that once this ferocious sub-canine has devoured one thousand human livers, it would be granted its desire-- to join humanity. How's that for ironic?! (If I frightened you, go here.)

Of course, my student is still learning English so he didn't quite use all those 형용사 (hyung-yohng-sa or adjectives). But importantly, it reminded me of a report that I had read about a somewhat easterly population of Bigfoot who, it was claimed, were resorting to abandoning their strict vegetarianism in favour of consuming deer livers in the winter. Although we are a bit north of the general phenomenon, I am wondering if the fox legend, or this Bigfoot story, may have some link with that of the Yiren of South East Asia and China. How philosophically different is an animal that wishes to be human, from a human that struggles to remain an animal?

...Synchronicity...
Just as I feared I was venturing too far into the realm of cryptozoology, and straying from the truely spooky spirit of Hallowe'en-- coincidence set in. Lo and behold, I come home to find a story in my email box reporting that British researchers had claimed to find DNA evidence of the Orang Pendek of Western Sumatra.

...More Synchronicity...
This is also coinciding with rumours of a South East Asian war on terrorism, starting in Indonesia. In fact, a thousand 'goodwill ambassador' U.S. Marine's landed in East Timor today, to supplement those that arrived on another auspicious day.

U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters were buzzing like flies over 창원 (Changwon) today. Note that there is no military base here, so I can only suspect what was happening in other parts of Korea or Japan. (Sure, they could be hunting for Bigfoot.) The potential start of this new theatre of the War on Terror is just some info that I got second-hand from someone who was watching CNN during one of those rare times that I wasn't. Indonesia and Malaysia are being accused of harbouring vast numbers of Moslems. While none of these people have actually been accused of terrorism (human rights violations-- yes, but not terrorism), it seems important that they be closely watched and patrolled, in their own countries (where they make up the majority), for the sake of freedom. Mind you, I have a pet theory that with the heavy amount of tourism advertising that Malaysia has been pitching on CNN - Asia Pacific, some general may have just decided he needed an excuse to go on a vacation at taxpayers' expense.

Trick or Treat? You be the judge. I suspect that a lot more ghosts will be around for next Hallowe'en.

Happy Hallowe'en.

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

It's after 1pm. In the last 12 hours I have had 15 responses to my job posting. Strangely however, after writing explicitly that I wanted a job for January, I received ONE job from a school offering a January job. The rest were made up of recruiters and schools who were eager to let me know about jobs opening up NEXT WEEK. The ideas of six days preparation for new jobs, and everything being done last minute, are rampant and syndromatic. Getting ready to go to work now and exercise my frustration by working a little bile into my day.

I have given up any hope of receiving help from the recruiting company, HRC. First of all, let me state that my contract ends at the close of this month. Any additional time I spend in Changwon is due to the ineptitude of HRC who have been sitting on my transfer request for two months. Sure they finally sent me job offers last week for two schools and when I decided on one, I found out the job doesn't open when they said it would (January). It actually opens next April. So in a seemingly guilty reply, they added another school to the list which I also felt was satisfactory. The job there opens January 15th. I sent back a reply saying that I was ready to negotiate a contract. My old recruiter from last year, who in September had shrugged me off onto an equally inept intern (or something), replied to say that the company doesn't negotiate it's standardized contract. That leads me to question why they asked me so many questions about what I wanted in a contract when I visited them to start this whole ball rolling. I have since sent back email to question why they haven't quoted me the non-negotiable salary and to ask for the standardized contract to review in advance.

Already imagining the response this will solicit. I have two options now-- the second of which is scheduled for tomorrow. HRC is a recruiting company subcontracted by my school chain. They therefore both hate it, and get no commission, if someone approaches school directors individually-- which I can do through my director, along with an immediate glowing recommendation which surpasses anything a resume can provide. (Out of misplaced respect for my recruiter I have avoided doing this so far). My first option, however, was to post to Dave's ESL cafe. I did this less than an hour ago, at midnight. The website states that there is up to a 36 hour waiting period for postings to appear. WRONG. It took ten minutes and by the time 20 minutes had passed, I had already had a job offer by phone from 수원 (Suwon) for 600k Won more than I am earning now. That's close to $700CAD more a month. I have no idea how many calls I will get, waking me up, tomorrow when business hours start.

Last year, I had 6 days to prepare for my current job in Korea. If they think they can pull that off again, while sitting on my resume and the horse they rode in on.

On a related side note, I was able to use HRC on the phone tonight, as an example, in explaining the English expression, "tits on a bull".

Sunday, October 21, 2001

Korean TV is so sad. Yesterday it was all about how terribly husbands and wives act when they get older. Today it's all young people sitcoms about love and stuff. I think the one I am watching now is called "Love in the City" and is about this guy, Sung Wook, who falls for a girl, Hee Joo, whom he passes by in a novelty store. He rushes home to tell his best friend all about her. Later, he finds her working at a book store and hastily gets a job working with her. They get along great and then end up out on a date-- where she confesses she is in love with his best friend, Beum Seok, whom she met at her academy. Only, Beum Seok is sort of a book worm and doesn't care about girls. Now Hee Joo is wailing and crying because Beum Seok doesn't love her and Sung Wook is about ready to punch his best friend for not recognizing such a wonderful girl. Ah-HA! Sung Wook, in times past, told Beum Seok that no girl would fall for a logical, bookish-type guy like him so now, Beum Seok thinks any advances made by girls are fake and that he shouldn't hold on to false hopes... then... wondering why Sung Wook is so angry, he realizes-- IT'S THE SAME GIRL! Okay.... I gotta post and publish or I'll never find out how this ends. Mind you, I noticed that this is Episode 42 so I doubt much of a resolution will occur.

Yep, I was right. Hee Joo is broken hearted but Sung Wook is arranging flowers, alone, and contemplating who is better off-- Hee Joo who tried and lost, or him, who never spoke his feelings aloud. At least nobody died in this show, like they always do in Korean music videos. The Korean phrase for this type of love is 닭살 (Dak-Sal) Translated, it means 'chicken skin' which is a surprisingly close resemblance to its meaning in English-- 'Goose Bumps'. While in the West, it's used for when something is scary, here it is used to reference something that is too romantic, sappy, or sickeningly sweet.

Now it's on to another documentary on temples.

Saturday, October 20, 2001

It's a slow Saturday. I ordered some spaghetti from Pizza Hut, which took almost an hour and a half to be delivered. No, I didn't get it free.

I just finished watching a hillarious sitcom on Arirang TV called "Woman Vs. Woman". I thought it was going to be a completely different kind of show but it turned out to be a sitcom. English subtitles let me follow along. It's about women growing older, their habits, and the strain they place on their husbands. It reminds me of Njal's Saga, from the old Icelandic.

Arirang broadcasts a lot of Korean shows with English translation so from time to time, I feel like I am watching real TV. Other than that, my viewing is usually movies on OCN or the 24-hour Anthrax station, CNN. Oh yeah, and even though it's not really in English, MNet is great for Korean music. Time for some more coffee and a bit of guitar playing, methinks.

Thursday, October 18, 2001

Today was definitely a day of red tape, pent up rage, and logistical nightmares. Okay... maybe I am being overdramatic but annoyances plagued me like swarms of bees, intent on pollinating my problems and sucking the nectar from the last strands of my peace. I was reviewing a couple of contracts and had almost settled on accepting one. The problem was that I didn't have a concrete start date. My boss, the manager, and the administrative Korean guy at work (sorry but front desk staff have a high turnover rate here so I never learned his name), all tackled me when I came into work. They were trying to ascertain how I would renew my work visa in the most expeditious fashion. Also, the concept of contract extension came up-- but more in the way a bad plate of nachos comes up when you suffer nausea and indigestion. Mmmm... I miss nachos. The Catch 22 here is that since I am only switching schools and not companies, my company wants me to provide them with the same date that I am waiting for my company to provide me with. That is, the start date. Complicating things are the renewal of my plane ticket so that I can go home for Christmas, and the acquisition of a return ticket from whatever school the roulette wheel settles on. Further complicating things is the fear my director has of trying to find a replacement teacher for me before Christmas (which I agree is a problem).

So... I quickly decided on a school and we called the director there, to discuss a mid-January start date. I won't even start to mention the problems inherent in going over the head of a recruiter and dealing directly with directors. This is the point where I learned that for all the limited information I was able to garner in the last month of searching for a job, I knew less than I suspected. The job does not exist. The teacher I would have replaced is planning on extending himself, all the way to April. My director put in a great word for me with the director of the other school, which has made him excited to hire me. My director is excited that I can stay until April. I am distressed. At this point I have been misinformed. I have been left bereft of satisfactory options. I have to start my job hunt all over again.

In an ironic twist, if I do go to work at this school in April, it will have taken me 8 months to get a 12 month contract. This is more humourous in relation to the fact that I got my present job within 6 days while I was still in Canada. You would think that being closer would make things move more smoothly, huh?

So I had one entertaining point planned for my day. I brought my video camera and taped a few of my classes. Some of my students are real hams and love the limelight. On my way home however, while videotaping the outside of my building, I met with two successive cases of extreme rudeness (racism?). One guy in an optometry shop (I hesitate to call him an optometrist) demanded to know why I was videotaping the building. Just before, another Korean actually did something I read about in a book I picked up while in Canada. Apparently it goes something like this: Koreans are used to crowded streets so psychologically, even when only two people are passing each other on a stretch of pavement (in this case, one that was about 8 metres wide), they instinctively bump into each other. Nope... there was no one else around. He just walked toward me and bumped into my arm while I was trying to pan my video camera around the building. If you doubt me, I have it safely recorded on 8mm.

The middle of my day was pretty good. The beginning and ending weren't. Oh, and I didn't mention this yet; the student who told me that the Chakra concert was on the 9th (I assumed November), corrected himself today to say that it is actually on the 19th (meaning October). In other words-- it's Friday. Glancing at the date, that's tomorrow. I guess I'll have to sit at home and download the videos.

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

More K-Pop stuff guys but I will spare myself the trouble and spare you the loading times-- no images in this posting. Instead, you will find a battery of polls to respond to. If you are unfamiliar with the groups and singers mentionned, follow one of my K-Pop links and you will be treated to English profile pages and galleries of fine images. The word 가수 (Gasoo) is Korean for 'singer'.

Naturally, I have to include at least a link to my favourite band, Chakra. One of my students rushed up to me last Friday with the fabulous news that they will be playing, about half an hour away in 김해 (Kimhae), on November 9th. I have enlisted our school manager's support in acquiring tickets (and the day off work), but she has yet to assure me of her conviction in the matter. Kimhae, for those who don't know, is where the international airport is, servicing primarily 부산 (Pusan) as well as 창원 (Changwon) and 마산 (Masan).

Okay... I lied. I couldn't resist at least one pic from their fastly becoming old and worn 2nd Album. Here they are, on their way to the concert. That's my favourite, 려원 (Ryu Won) in front. My students assure me, to their distaste, that she is the only one who speaks English. Try not to let their sultry expressions influence the voting.

Korean Super Girl Group- Chakra.

Friday, October 12, 2001

I know I should write something. I have simply been too busy lately, playing Shogun: Total War. Last night, however, as I had one remaining province to conquer-- a province filled with over 12 000 seemingly indestructable ronin, my line died out. I had no heir. I was the last daimyo left too-- so I guess in that universe, Japan probably would have ended up going communist.

That frees me up to go out to the I.P. with some coworkers. The new Korean guy at our front desk wants to take the new foreign teachers... but I think he wants me to take him at the same time since I don't think he knows where to find it.

This has also been one of those periods of time when everything seems to fall apart or break. My watch battery died. I lost my old Boy Scout Swiss Army knife (yes, I had kept it in my pocket ever since I was a Boy Scout). While I was searching for the knife behind my bed, I accidently pulled out the wires from my phone line and had to replace that too... On the flip side, It's also been one of those periods when I get emails from people that I haven't heard from in months. Almost all at the same time, last Monday.

One last note, I am reviewing contracts for next year and without letting the cat out of the bag, I think I am going to have to change the name of this blog from Kyungnam Journal to an as yet undisclosed Korean province's journal. Current plans have me moving to the big city (1st most populous in it's core) by mid to late December. These plans also open a window for a trip back to Canada sometime around or before Christmas. While it's not a certainty that I will volunteer to spend 46 hours in a plane over 2 weeks, this is an official early warning heads-up.

Wednesday, October 03, 2001

CLICK for Tare Panda's Official Company Site!

File this one under 'How did I get talked into this?' along with the myriad other things that I think my kids will like. They should get a kick out of it the next time they steal my cell phone to check if I have a girlfriend. I now have two Tare Pandas moshing(?) on my display screen. Tare Panda is Japanese for 'Lazy Panda' or 'Floppy Panda'. The same word seems translatable as anything unstereotypically Japanese in the field of work-- probably not excluding "Procrastinating Panda', '3-Day Weekend Panda', or 'Does Anything to Get Fired Panda'.

He is just one of the many fine and lucrative characters by the Japanese company San-X. This is the same company which also produces characters such as Kogepan (a kind of bread people that look more like 똥), and Buru Buru Dog (a hypercephalic, shivering, poodle-esque thing-- mind you most dogs I see here in real life are violently shivering little poodle things that have been inbred to be small and cute for their entire short lives). The little brown dog, by the way, with the large, rainbow-coloured ethnic hair- is a yet-to-become-popular character named Afro Ken. Somehow I doubt this one will be imported to the West. For those looking to buy in on the commercial frenzy and join the fun, Dream Kitty's Tare Panda page is a great place to start online. Just don't be confused. Hello Kitty is made by Japan's Sanrio company (click here for their English U.S.A.affiliate).

CLICK for Tare Panda's Official Fan Site!

*Note: This is supposed to be an animated graphic. If it isn't moving, that's because Tare Panda is SOOooo LAZY! ㅋㅋㅋ

Tuesday, October 02, 2001

The Korea Herald has printed a story detailing the results of a survey in Korea's intelligensia-- in regard to the upcoming scheduled war. Some valid points are stressed that have Koreans concerned. One point is certainly the constitutional ammendments proposed by the government of Japan, to allow their defence forces to be used for the operation (whether or not there is a name change the result will be 'offensive' to many, I think). Another valid point will be the possible consequential actions by terrorist forces, as Korea cohosts (with Japan) the World Cup in 2002. A motivated science fiction writer might even be able to tie these two in together. As a final note... I noticed that web pages have hastily appeared for both the present and former codenames for the planned actions. There's not much aside from a pretty picture of pre-holocaust New York on www.InfiniteJustice.Com but if you're jumping at the bit to launch bombs for Christ, some psychos at Pandromeda have created a sort of 'Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?' game at www.EnduringFreedom.Com. From the looks of it, the game doesn't actually take place on Earth though... I wonder why?