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The Bear Made Me Do It

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!!! SURPRISE !!!

By: Eric "Never Had A Surprise Party" Anderson

Happy Birthday to YOU!


.. we'll  have some drinks, and play some games...







 ... and then we'll take you out on the town and do it all over again ...















.... but careful around those white bears....

\

...they inspire mischief ...


... which is always a requirement on the best Saturday nights ...















Eventually we snuck Harvey back to his home ...


 ... and then the big kids ate, and ate, and ate ....



... and then tried to eat some more ..



... I guess word got out in the bear community that we're the fun big
kids because look who we found hanging around outside the next morning...


“Gender Advertisements” in the Korean Context: A Request

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( Source )

If you’d told me a week ago that I’d be spending much of my birthday looking for images of Korean men touching themselves, I’d probably have politely told you never to comment on my blog again.

Prompted by this analysis of Korean magazine advertisements that found that Korean men were significantly more likely to be shown doing so than Western men in them however, that’s precisely what I’ve been doing. But for all their supposed ubiquity, it’s proving surprisingly difficult to find examples, throwing off my schedule for the next posts in this series.

To be specific, I’m after advertisements like these, but featuring Korean men rather than women, and would really appreciate any help. Seriously, what search terms would you suggest, in English or Korean?^^

Of course I do have some examples, and will continue looking: my planned post will simply take longer than expected. In the meantime then, let me briefly offer some amusing and/or interesting advertisements that have cropped up recently instead, starting with that for Coca Cola Korea (한국 코카콜라) above featuring Thai-American Nichkhun (닉쿤) of the Korean band 2PM. I think its humor speaks for itself, but in the unlikely event that you feel I’m reading too much into it, please see those featuring other…er…members of the band here, of which Junho (준호) in particular seems to be enjoying holding his miniCoke bottle entirely too much!

Next is this one for Venus lingerie (비너스) featuring Han Ye-seul (한예슬), featured on the front page of Korea’s main portal site Naver (네이버) as I type this. Why it’s interesting is because of the English name “Glam Up” for the bra featured, which, making little sense otherwise, supports the argument that the English word “glamor” has somehow come to mean “voluptuous” or “curvaceous” in Korean:

( Source )

In turn, it demonstrates the ridiculousness of the new Korean phrase cheongsoon-gullaemor (청순글래머; or “innocent glamor”), but which is nevertheless very much in vogue in the Korean media at the moment. But that is no great surprise in view of the enduring popularity of older ones for women’s bodies like “S-line” (S라인) perhaps, and so, lest I begin to sound too serious here, let me move on to this advertisement for Nike Korea (나이키) featuring ice skater Kim Yu-na (김연아):

( Source: korean lovers photoblog )

One of the most endearing athletes I’ve ever seen (well before she won her gold medal), it’s difficult not to simply adore Yuna, but I confess I still had to to laugh at what Matt at Gusts of Popular Feeling wrote about this ad last month:

By the way, does anyone find Kim’s expression in this ad to be, uh, ecstatic?

Perhaps there’s a reason the left hand side was cut off where it was. Just do it, indeed.

Okay, perhaps that was reading too much into it, and I’m sure you can understand my reluctance in not posting it earlier, the image of her at #10 here alone receiving thousands of hits in the last week of February, presumably most of them from fans…

Either way, I hope you at least one of those advertisements made you smile and/or think. And again, if anyone can help find examples of the sorts of advertisements I’m looking for, I would very much appreciate it; even if it’s only because you feel guilty for forgetting my birthday!^^

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Filed under: Body Image, Boy Groups, Gender Socialization, Korean Advertisements, Korean Media, Sex in Advertising Tagged: 2PM, Han Ye-seul, Junho, Kim Yuna, Nichkhun
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Finding my voice

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My Gangwon Notes blog, the best damn blog never to be nominated by 10 Magazine for a best blog award, had a pretty clear focus: Gangwon Province.  Yes, I also mentioned my homeland, Canada, Korean politics and conservation efforts, a few book reviews, but I stayed mostly true to the title of my blog.

I am now in a new location and it is not undersupplied with bloggers (can you ever have enough bloggers?) and don’t intend to be ‘the voice of Busan’. but what do I intend?  Well, I have mentioned somewhere that I am interested in a few things, but I still don’t feel comfortable with the direction of this blog.  I am in a new location, have a new job and am using a new blogging site, why follow the same  path?  Still, I do enjoy blogging and want to write about something.

———————–

today. I looked at these articles in Korea’s English newspapers.

The Korea Herald looked at blood donor rates, which are increasing.

The number of blood donors hit a record high, health officials said yesterday.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.57 million people donated blood last year, up 9.5 percent from 2008.

Compared with the average over the past three years, the figure is an increase of 14.4 percent, officials said.

The KCDC also reported that the nation’s blood donating population is becoming diversified, with the participation of more women and people aged over 30.

Maybe I had something to do with this. Chris in South Korea recently talked about teaching ESL being a real job.  I agree and try to be professional about my work.  Still, I also award 1% to any student who shows me a recent blood donor card. Well, I did at my previous job, I don’t have as many points to be able to throw one away like that.

I hope my friend at a women’s university in Seoul isn’t having problems after complaints arose over their personal english comprehension test.  I don’t know much about any of the big name tests, but TOEIC is certainly the most famous.  I like the focus this test apparently has (from the Korea Times) :

..”[other] English exams focus highly on reading and listening skills, but our test is to evaluate speaking and writing skills.”

The test was developed with the help of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages for their proficiency guidelines and the Center for Applied Linguistics for their expertise in computerized assessments.

I want to skate more and it’s probably because of the recent Olympics coverage.  Also, Brian Orser did some/ most of  his training near my hometown.  Anyway, he and Kim Yuna are in the news (Dong-a Ilbo):

“As a Canadian, I’m glad Canada won the gold medal in ice hockey, the final competition of the Olympics, but not as much as when Yu-na won her medal.”

Orser won the Olympic silver medal in figure skating in 1984 and 1988. Though failing to win the gold, he channeled his energy to get Kim to do what he could not. With a smile, he said, “I was finally able to let go of any hard feelings for the Olympics after she won her gold medal.”

Orser came into Kim’s life in 2006. With great affection for his disciple, he said, “I’d say this is the happiest moment out of the four years I’ve spent with Kim. The worst was when Yu-na struggled with injury between 2006 and 2007.”

What the hey is a ‘half-moon bear’? Anyway, their are two new ones in Jirisan now (Joongang):

An Asiatic black bear, protected as endangered species in Korea, has given birth to two cubs on the Mount Jiri, the National Park Service said yesterday. It is the second time that the bear, known more commonly as a half-moon bear in Korea, gave birth after being released to the wild.

According to park authorities, researchers from the Species Restoration Center found the cubs and the mother on Feb. 23. The team made the discovery when the members visited a cave on the mountain.

They were there to replace a transmitter placed on the female bear. The bear was brought into Korea in 2005 from Russia. It was one of the 27 half-moon bears that have been released on the mountain since 2004 to live in the wild as a part of the endangered species restoration project. Only 17 survived. The researchers said two cubs and the mother were resting inside the cave when they were found. The mother’s activity was slower because it was winter hibernation time, but she attempted to protect the cubs when the researchers tried to take a photo.

I’ve followed the re-introduction of bears into Jirisan with interest and more than a little cynicism. Two bears were quickly killed and I expected the rest would soon follow.  I may be proven wrong and I will be happy if that is the case.

I love that Yonhap news used the full name of the ‘boozehound’ in their article, which isn’t about drinking or this guy at all:

SEOUL, March 7 (Yonhap) — Once known as a boozehound among his colleagues, Kim Tae-ju used to have no trouble getting back home by subway, walking through crowded stations to and from platforms no matter how drunk he was.

But these days, Kim, 42, who gave up drinking this year, finds himself bumping into and apologizing to people even while sober, as the government’s new walkway campaign — which requires South Koreans to walk on the right instead of the left in public places — bumps up against an 88-year-old Korean practice.

I have long been interested in traffic patterns, although I have normally looked at automobile traffic.  I would mostly say here, that I don’t mind where Koreans walk but would like them to 1) not walk four across on a sidewalk wide enough to four and 2) to close doors when they go in- or out-side a building.

More:

“I personally think we should have switched the (non-binding) rules a long time ago,” Yu added. “Familiar and comfortable rules are not always the best ones.”

There are still concerns that the right-side pedestrian campaign will cause more inconvenience to disabled or elderly people who carry canes or rely on guide dogs.

“Most of these people carry sticks in their right hands and hold onto the left side handrails when they walk up and down the stairs,” said Yoo Jung-hye, an official at the Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute. “Making them reverse is virtually impossible.”

Despite the growing dissatisfaction among people, the government is firm on the necessity of undoing the country’s 88-year-old pedestrian traffic legacy.

The government cites research that shows keeping to the right could reduce up to 24 percent of pedestrian collisions and increase walking speed by up to 1.7 percent. Because pedestrians can make eye contact with the cars coming toward them when they walk on the right side, the new measures will also reduce people-car collisions to a considerable amount, it believes.

I am amused by the apparent need to emphasize the ‘non-binding’ power of the new rules.  I feel sympathy for the disabled who have become locked by long-formed habit to using the left-side stair railings.  But, I am confused by the final paragraph.  Oh, I am also amused but the “increase walking speed by 1.7%” part.  The confusing part is about reducing people-car collisions.  If people walk by the same rules as cars drive, they will have cars approaching them from behind.  Walking on the left side, into traffic, is the best way to see approaching traffic.


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What Makes a Good Teacher?

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I spend a lot of time gripping about the absolute absurdities that get published in Korean papers about education.  When I was on the phone with my parents last night, they mentioned that they had read an absolutely fascinating article in the magazine section of the New York Times about teaching called "Building a Better Teacher." For all of you teachers out there reading this blog, go read it!

Basically, a consultant for American schools found that across the spectrum of factors that led to higher test scores, good teachers had the largest impact on scores. The most challenging thing: education degrees aren't teaching teachers how to effectively teach.  Many of the methods they mentioned were things I had already learned, either through internet research, using my own experience as a student in my favorite classes or blundered into sometime during my first semester teaching.  One of the biggest issues is the effective lack of vocabulary for teachers to discuss what works and what doesn't. Classes in education degrees aren't discussing it either leaving a dirth of discussion that needs to be happening. I will admit that having a certain charisma can be useful in the classroom but it is absolutely not necessary. You just have to figure out how to do it...something that isn't clear cut. Even my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate focused overly on grammar and teaching theories. Theories are great for intellectual pursuits but they do jack shit for preparing a teacher on how to effectively get their students to really learn.

It was really great to read a well though-out, extensively researched article that examined the data around how to improve schools.

...I'm totally lusting after this guy's book.
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http://aaaalexsadventuresinasia.blogspot.com/

This One's Mostly About Barf

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I am jet lag's whore. I'm confident that in time, I can flip this relationship on it's head. For now, I float through the day slightly groggy. My first flight left Busan at 7am Wednesday morning; my last arrived in Toronto at 8pm the same day (so to speak). Were it not for the 10 hour layover in Incheon, or my completely failure to fall asleep, this might be an easier transition.

Two Gravol pills are usually enough to get the ball rolling on my barf-free journeys. I learned my lesson from the 6 hour barfathon that was my 2004 New York bus trip. Not yet having appreciated the full potential of my motion sickness, I neglected to bring any antinauseants with me, and began keeling over the bus shit hole not long after the border crossing. This continued for the remainder of the bus trip and, after a brief respite sitting on the filthy Port Authority floors, on the number 7 train to Queens. There's nothing like discovering a hole in your vomit bag across from the family of three that you've been putting on a Hurl Show for, to teach you the value of always having some puke meds on you.

In November 2008, prior to my first plane trip back to Canada, I discovered that rather than getting drunk on Gravol, I could try these patches which I found at a pharmacy in Busan. I have no idea what their American equivalent is, though I imagine that one exists. Essentially they are small patches that you stick behind your ear and keep you in check, barf-wise, for about 72 hours. The first couple of times that I tried them out, I also used a little bit of Gravol, just to play it safe. This time I did not, hence my failure to fall asleep. As it turns out, I do not sleep like a baby on planes, as I have long boasted; I sleep like a baby when I consume large amounts of Gravol. Duh.

Where I failed to fall asleep, my seatmate was quite successful. Of course, the sleeping came after I fed him some Gravol to prevent further barfing. Thankfully, such things don't bother me much. My senses are so dulled on airplanes that I barely noticed him utilizing his barf bag in the first place.

The Gravol was more or less a trade-off for the No Jet Lag pills that he'd been passing me. Apparently if you take one of these No Jet Lag pills every 37 seconds while in flight, you will feel like a golden pony once you touch ground. I read the package with suspicion, which prompted him to assure me that they were legit. I suppose that it looked like I didn't trust taking pills from a stranger, which would probably have been true, had it not been outweighed by my suspicion that whoever was responsible for the pill's packaging was full of shit. In the end, I can't say whether they really helped or not, but I've felt worse. So, maybe.

Airtime and Love Motels

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Airtime. Last Globe and Mail and a view of The Rockies.

 

Fast forward two bus rides, a ferry, a plane, three films (The Wrestler is exceptional), a seatmate from Portland who’s in the shoe business, an unfortunate three hours dealing with baggage in Seoul, and a final flight (and nap) to Busan, and you’ve got 22 hours from the Johnson Street Bridge to Mr. Song holding up a sign at arrivals that says Courtney Leane. 

Mr. Song, a short Korean man with a round face, was joined by Mr. Wan, both officials of the Sogang Language Program (SLP) Institute, where I now work.  They wore black suits.  Mr. Song’s job, I sooned learned, is to take care of the foreign teachers, a curious occupation, as he speaks no English.  More on that later.  Mr. Wan is the head guy.  He was tall and his suit had pin stripes.  In the parking lot he sparked up a cigarette while Mr. Song steered the baggage cart back to the terminal.  We talked about the weather.  The night was cool and dark.  The car was black and had the word Dynasty spelled across one rear corner in silver metal letters.     

In the dim, vacant lobby of The Rotary Motel, where I would stay my first five days, I noticed five or six cards the size of baseball cards lined up along the floor and propped against the wall.  On them were pictures of naked Korean women.  Ashley, an American teacher at the school who I’d been in email contact with, had mentioned I would stay at a “Love Motel” when I arrived.  There’s a few in the area, most with names less subtle than The Rotary: “Romance” and “Joy” were just around the corner.  The rooms are cheap, so the schools pay for foreigners to stay in them while they’re waiting for their apartment to be vacated by the teacher on his or her way out.  We rode a tiny elevator to the 5th floor.  Two trips for my bags and payment to a man behind a frosted glass window, and we arrived at Room 516, my new home between homes.    

Room 516. Romance for some, jet lag recovery for others.

Mr. Wan and Mr. Song offered to show me a couple nearby stores, so we locked the room and strolled a minute down the road, which was like an alley but wider, and lit up with neon light spilling down from each side.  At the G5 I picked out two bottles of water (you don’t drink tap water in Korea), a box of almond cookies, and some Dr. You crackers.  Mr. Song paid for everything.  We paused outside a closed restaurant and Mr. Wan pointed through the glass. ”The menus will be in Korean,” he said.  It was somewhere around 10 p.m., and the streets were busy with people walking in every direction.  I told him I had a phrasebook, and I would be fine.  It was a Tuesday night.  The motel parking lot was half full.  On Thursday morning Mr. Wan would pick me up, he said, and drive me to SLP for my first day of teaching orientation.  We said goodbye and I turned in to the lobby, to the glow of The Rotary sign.

The Lobby. Maybe they should call it the Green Light District?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Sung Ae Won Orphanage & Habitat For Humanity

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I was gonna work out but decided to eat another chunk of Carol's tiramisu and blog.  It's all about priorities.

Well, the last two weeks have been incredibly busy.  We've got our Navy Reserves in town for the Freedom Banner exercise down in Mokpo, another group of Reserves here for the Joint Chiefs of Staff exercise, Key Resolve and another group helping to support the many ships we have here in the Korean Theater of Operations (KTO).  Been working the last couple of weekends.

I also had the great honor of preaching the sermon at our church here in Busan last Sunday.  Definitely not the typical birthday for me.  I thought it went really well.  Something I won't easily forget.  I'll be blogging on that one later.  The latest event that's been keeping me busy was the big fundraiser we held this past Friday night.

Side note:  Just heard Carol in the background emphasizing to Jake, "Get your pee in the toilet!  Get your pee in the toilet!"  Oh, the joys of raising children.

I digress.  So before I go into details about the fundraiser (can you say "Toga Party?"), I'm long overdue in talking about  the two important causes which this fundraiser benefited - the Sung Ae Won Orphanage and Habitat For Humanity.  My command, Military Sealift Command Korea and the Busan Foreign School decided to team up in an effort to raise awareness and funds for these two causes.

Here's an article I wrote for the Busan Haps magazine on the fundraiser:

Busan Haps Article on Fundraiser

I won't go into details but the orphanage situation in Korea is significant.  My heart really does go out to these kids.  On a weekly basis I'm dealing with some pretty heavy issues at work - noncombatant evacuation operations, major military exercises, ammunition movements, multiple ships, General and Flag officers and of course, our neighbors to the north.  I can honestly say though that from my vantage point, the most important - and most fulfilling thing I do all week - is visit and hug on those kids at Sung Ae Won.  I can't make it every week but I try.

I get the feeling that many Koreans think that orphanages are depressing places.  I'll tell you that from my experience, this is not true at all.  The depressing thing for me is when I have to leave and some of the kids start crying.  With no mom or dad, these kids are missing out on a lot of playing, hugging and affection.  That's where volunteers can really help out, especially if you're able to make it a regular occurrence.  It doesn't cost a thing to volunteer.  Well, maybe gas money or bus/taxi fare.  These kids will love you for it.  Take a look at these pics:


The Busan International Women's Association (BIWA) is how MSCO Korea and Pier 8 got involved with Sung Ae Won.  What started out as just a handful of volunteers has blossomed into a significant volunteer effort.  Pictured here are some ladies from BIWA and US Army soldiers from Daegu.



Here's Ms. Chang from the MSCO Korea staff playing with the kids.  If you can speak Korean, that'll make your volunteer experience that much better.


Our Navy Reserves volunteer as well.  When they come to Korea for their duty, they stay very busy.  It says a lot about their character that they spend a few hours on their off day to volunteer at Sung Ae Won.  This is CDR Mike Gochis helping out during a big pizza party we threw for the kids.



Captain Rich Bayard during the pizza party.  The children can really use male volunteers.  They just don't get to have much male contact in their lives.  You guys out there in Busan - come on out and help!



The Captain of the USNS POMEROY, Mike Finnigan gave his ship ballcaps to each of the kids.



Everyone had a great time at the pizza party.


That's Air Force Technical Sergeant Daisy Galan in the middle.  She's been a great volunteer at Sung Ae Won.  My wife, Carol on the left coordinates the Sung Ae Won volunteer effort for BIWA.


As far as volunteering, first it was BIWA, then MSCO Korea got into the act.  I spread it out to all the commands at Pier 8 to include the US Army and Air Force units and even folks from Daegu.  We also try to get as many of our Navy Reserves to volunteer as well.  We also have volunteer groups from our church, Antioch International Ministries (AIM) of Sooyoungro.


Beach picnic for the kids at Haeundae Beach with BIWA in 2008.


We expanded last year's beach picnic to include BIWA, MSCO Korea, 837th Transportation Battalion, other units from Pier 8, Busan Storage Facility employees and the American Presence Post.




It's also great when the weather cooperates.  Awesome beach day with the kids!


One of our good friends in Alabama sent us a bunch of children's clothes for the orphanage.  She rallied some of her friends to contribute from thousands of miles away.  This is the Chairman of Sung Ae Won accepting the clothing donation.  Thank you so much Heather!  For those of you in the US or wherever, if you have children's clothing that's just sitting around the house, we'll gladly accept them and send them over to Sung Ae Won!


TSgt Galan was key to a successful toy drive for Sung Ae Won.  Because of this toy drive, we were able to provide each child their own toy during the Christmas Party that we sponsored.


The Christmas Party was a huge success.  We had face painting, a magician, pizza and lots of good food, plenty of toys and just a great time.



We even had a Korean speaking Santa Claus to give presents to every child.


Here's Scott Jolly, the Principal of Busan Foreign School.  BFS also had a toy drive which helped make the Christmas Party a big success.  Thanks a bunch Scott, Amber and the rest of the BFS crew!


Most of the little girls asked for Barbie dolls.  We even got them little hanboks for the dolls.  They loved them!





The kids were mesmerized by the magic show.  It was their first time seeing magic tricks. 


We were also able to provide the orphanage with some special gifts.  They were in need of DVD players so we got them two.  We also got them a Wii video game system with 4 controllers.  When it gets cold, it's hard for the kids to have good physical activity.  The Wii is one way for them to expel some energy.


Some of the smaller kids were asleep when Santa Claus came.  Here are two kids that understand that "the early bird gets the worm."  Check out the sleepy-heads in the background.  This little girl was not gonna let go of this present!


The Busan Foreign School has been volunteering for Habitat For Humanity for a couple of years now.  Building homes for those less fortunate is hard work.  We're talking serious sweat and soreness.  Here is the BFS crew in action in Thailand.



Here's Kristin doing her best "Cool Hand Luke" impersonation.  Kristin also had the great idea of teaming up and doing the combined fundraiser.


Sebastian Cabrera hard at work under the hot sun.







Finally done!  The students undergo a life changing experience from this volunteer effort.  Many of us are coddled in our comfortable environments and forget how difficult life is for millions of people out there.  There's nothing more fulfilling than helping others.


I've gotten several requests through previous blog entries from folks who want to help at the orphanage.  It's always heartwarming to hear from folks that want to help.  For those interested in volunteering at Sung Ae Won, take a look at the scanned brochure below.  You'll have to click on the picture to read it properly of course.  It has contact information and different ways you can help.  Chris from the orphanage speaks great English and is incredibly helpful.  I hope you can make some time to spend with these kids.







So here are a couple of pointers for potential volunteers:

- Always call in advance.  Sometimes the kids will get sick or have last minute schedule changes where a visit will need to be rescheduled.

- The little ones (2 year olds) are great.  They will jump into your arms and sit in your laps after just a few minutes.  The 3 year olds can be skiddish sometimes.  They can get shy and even cry so you'll need to warm up to them more than the others.  The 4 year olds and older usually aren't shy.

- They love playing with little adhesive stickers.  Bringing stickers and maybe some paper for them to stick on is a nice ice breaker.

- Crayons and paper is good too.  Some of them might put things into their mouths that they're not supposed to.  Just watch out for that.

- Take their picture and show it to them on your camera.  They usually get a kick out of that.

- They like small treats - raisins, fruit, etc.  I'd ask the helpers first if it's okay to give candy and other snacks.  You don't want to ruin their lunch or dinner.

- Bounce them on your knee.

- As you're holding them in your arms bear hug style, lean forward and dip them down.

- Don't be afraid to just pick one up and put them in your lap.  They'll let you know if they want to get down.

In the last two years, we've been able to do some really good things for Sung Ae Won.  The volunteer effort is off and running but they can really use your help.  If you're reading this and no one has ever pushed you to volunteer, well I'm pushing you now.  If you're Busan, Sung Ae Won can use your help.  If you're in the US, how about Habitat For Humanity, Big Brothers or Big Sisters or any one of many great organizations?  You're a good person, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this.  Now it's time to stop talking and do something about it!

Speaking of doing something, that's exactly why MSCO Korea and Busan Foreign School teamed up to do a big fundraiser...but that's for the next entry.  Stay tuned.  Until next time -- C2

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