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Fall - and colored leaves - are on their way

Thank Matt Kelley (and http://www.pbase.com/dbh/autumn) over at Discovering Korea for this find:

These are just predictions, of course, but it looks like the better part of the colors will make themselves pretty in the latter part of October. If you miss them, keep going south until you see some (or until mid-November).

Don't forget that you don't have to go to a mountain to see the colors - last year's stroll around Insa-dong (scroll to the bottom part of the post) was quite nice.

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Mr.Toasty or The Swede

I introduced Mr.Toasty to the Swede ....

... it almost felt like I was cheating.

Followup: Korean man harassing foreigners gets slapped on fingers

From the Korea Beat comes the follow-up story about the Korean man indicted for racial harassment - and it isn't particularly good news (original story from the Hankyoreh):

In the end, on August 28th the Bucheon branch indicted Mr. Park on charges
of criminal insult. From indictment to pronouncement of sentence typically takes
one month. The media widely reported it as the country’s first punishment of
racial discrimination. The “t-shirt man” must have learned Prof. Hussein’s face
about that time.

Prosecutors were not so moved. “This case was investigated and charged no differently from any other,” said an employee of the prosecutors’ office. There is no law prohibiting racial discrimination. On the size of the fine, the employee said that, “it will be similar to those give to Koreans in similar cases.” It will likely be from W500,000 to W1,000,000, but the precise amount has not been determined [emphases mine].

So 'criminal insult' is the term being used here, because there's no law against racial discrimination. It sounds like that was the best possible charge, all things considered, yet even getting that charge merits no jail time. A 500,000 won fine, on the smaller end, is about $414 US dollars - hardly the strong deterrence needed against such an act.

But Prof. Hussein’s friend Ms. Han still feels angry. Ms. Han was riding the bus with Prof. Hussein when she was insulted with the phrase “you’re a Chosun x, aren’t you?” She is also a victim seeking for Mr. Park to be charged with criminal insult. But most media reports did not feature her. “The media did not focus on Koreans, in particular Korean women, with immigrant and foreign friends and family.”

After the Hankyoreh21 report, 27-year old Mrs. Kim, who lives in Seoul, sent an e-mail. She said that she has experienced “the stinging gaze and insults of middle-aged Korean men.” Mrs. Kim’s husband is a white person born in Australia. The couple cannot forgot December 3rd of last year. That was the day they registered their marriage. It was also the day they suffered unexpected insults.

The couple was walking together on a street in Myeongdong. Across from them came a middle-aged Korean man in a suit. The “middle-aged suit man” began to berate them. “Ugh, you foreigner’s whore. Dirty…” Mrs. Kim’s ears turned red. "What did you just say?” The middle-aged suit man seemed to pause, then insulted her in Korean and English, saying, “foreigner’s whore, dirty bitch, slut, hooker, whore.” “Your parents must feel terrible. Where did you come from? Are you next to that man because you speak English?” Mrs. Kim said, “if that happens again I will go straight to the police.”

I'm rather surprised she didn't grab the guy by the ear and 'escort' him to the nearest police station. And I wish I had had a video camera to catch it...

Due to this incident, Democratic Party representative Jeon Byeong-heon plans to introduce a bill banning racial discrimination to the National Assembly in September. The bill provides that discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity, and skin color would, at the order of the National Human Rights Commission, be punishable to up to two years in prison and a fine of up [to] W10,000,000.

Will Prof. Hussein be safe if the law is passed? When he was accosted by the “t-shirt man” on the early morning of September 11th, the two police officers who took the report were unable to speak English. Though they were very kind, they did not understand what Prof. Hussein was saying. He had to call a Korean friend and ask the friend to interpret. By the time the police understood what had happened it was 2:30 in the morning. The “t-shirt man” had disappeared.

“I’ve been to several countries in Asia, but that was my first time to be physically threatened. It’s not safe to live in Korea.” I asked him what he plans for the future. He said the only thing he can do is be careful. Just understand and be careful. That is the weapon of the defenseless.

It should be pointed out that we are NOT defenseless. Andrea Vandom's case regarding the required drugs and AIDS tests is going forward in the Constitutional Court, as is Professor Ben Wagner's work in making foreigners equal. It is up to Korea to make those laws to change the culture, then enforce the laws they've chosen to enact.

In the meantime, don't take discrimination or harassment sitting down. Challenge it. Question it. Use the Korean you know to ask them what they meant. Like some bullies you may have met in school, most Koreans aren't used to being challenged in that way. Make it clear that you won't tolerate it - the message can get out there.

How to Learn

23 Sep 2009, I've realised that trying teach a second/foreign language is just like trying to teach math: very few kids will actually understand the fundamental principles, so the best you can hope for is to teach a few basic patterns.

Question from a reader: nervous about living in Seoul

A reader I'll call M.G. writes in:

Hey Chris, I found your email on a blog sight about Americans in South Korea. I have recently interviewed with the Army Corps of Engineers for a civilian job in Seoul, Korea, and was hoping you could answer some questions about living in Seoul for me. I am a recent college graduate and have never lived outside of the US. I do not speak Korean would like to know how hard it was for you feel comfortable going out on your own in the city to do typical errands; grocery shopping, buying typical grooming items, going to restaurants, sight seeing, etc. Also, I am 23 years old and was wondering if there is plenty for someone my age to do in Seoul in order to meet some other people my own age. I am not concerned about learning Korean for the job since I was told everything will be done in English, but is learning Korean a nessecity for living in the city in order to function?

For most English teachers that come to Korea, this is their first international experience. Korea, especially Seoul, makes it pretty easy to get along and get started with life. As far as your job goes, yes that will presumably be entirely in English; what happens outside of work will be a different story.

As an anecdote, I'd like to share that I was successfully riding the subway (which is in Korean and English - good practice!), ordering food at a restaurant, and grocery shopping by myself within my first week here. I didn't know much of the language or the alphabet, but managed all the same. Remember that a store wants to sell you something as much as you want to buy it. Even restaurants that have a menu only in Korean often have pictures. The 'point and smile' approach also works too, but not as well if you have allergies or are vegetarian. Once you arrive, ask your colleagues for the nearest supermarket or department store - E-mart, Lotte, Homeplus, and a few other chains are similar to Walmart / K-mart back in the states. Over time, it becomes a routine, just like living anywhere else in the world.

As for the 'what to do' question - you're set. Seriously. As a civvie you'll probably be able to pass for the otherwise ubiquitous English teacher that will comprise the vast majority of foreigners not living on an Army base. The Army soldiers here in Korea do have some regulations they have to follow, so know whether you have to follow them or not as a contractor. For meeting other young Koreans or foreigners, Hongdae is well known for the night life. Itaewon (near the Yongsan army base) is like a foreigner-town, Sinchon has some night life and is near multiple universities, and Gangnam is one fashion capital worth visiting for the night scene. All are within Seoul and connected to the subway system.

As for learning Korean - you'll want to learn some basic Korean words or phrases once you arrive. For most people, learning hangeul (the Korean alphabet) is easy, and knowing some basic things in Korean can get you started. Conversing is a bit more difficult, but can be learned as well. In some cases, just knowing how to read the Korean alphabet is enough to decipher what the label or menu says - quite a few English words have been transliterated into Korean characters. Pick up a Korean book before you leave the US and pick up a few basics (you can find them in Korea too, but it's always nice to get a head start).

Life in Seoul will be a bit of a shock at first, just like everyone else. Everyone finds their own comfort zone within the city and culture, however. You'll be fine.

Destination: Korea International Art Fair (ends today)

Updated slightly to include link to the KIAF website and a fellow bloggers report on the event.

The Costume of Painter - Phantom of Museum Au Bouguereau little thief - Oil and Lenticular on canvas by Bae Joon Sung.

Seeing art in Korea is about as difficult as finding kimchi at a Korean restaurant. Most buildings sponsor some abstract sculptures to decorate their buildings, while many other areas offer museum after museum. So why go to an art fair - to be surrounded by snooty, pretentious art whose price tags run into eight figures (Korean won, of course)? No - as a matter of course, most of the art seen here was neither snooty or pretentious art, but the prices on said art were still astronomical. The typical fair-goer is likely a person that appreciates art, and wants to see a wide variety of it without feeling any obligation to buy it.

Untitled, acrylic on linen, George Tjungurrayi, 2004

And what a wide variety there is. While you won't see any names you're familiar with (unless you're into the Korean art scene), the styles you learned in your introductory college art class will come back to you: Impressionism, Minimalism, Abstract, Video Art, and Postmodernism all made appearences.

Smaller pieces: a series called "Reiterinnen", tempera on wood, since 2005. Larger piece: Naoko, Sarah (II), oil on canvas, 2009. Both pieces from the Galerie Supper in Germany

Start by finding the 3rd floor convention center a few floors up from the COEX mall. Once there, pay a surprisingly high fee of 15,000 won to get in, pick up a program in English and begin your tour. The KIAF takes up two very large conference areas, so expect to spend at least a few hours making your way around.

The art is organized by galleries, and while most is for sale, let's just say it's out of the average teacher's price range. Taking pictures was allowed - for the price of most of the art and the admission I'd better be able to take pictures!

Untitled #3 (soft) from Arvo Part's Alina, Music for the Eyes series, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, by Robert Owen, 2008

Overstepping A/P, digital print, by Julie Rapp, 2001.

That seems like a plastic surgery that would be popular here in Korea.

Soldered galvinzed wire, by Neil Taylor of Niagara Galleries, 2008

Various wire sculptures - between the tables and walls, there were more than enough perspectives to see from.

Daybreak, Kim Seong Ho, oil on canvas, 2009.

An decidedly Impressionistic look at the big city.

The Blue Worldleach, Lee Szuhui, acryiic on canvas, 2008, part of the Artist Support Program / Artist Portfolio Presentation.

According to her artist statement, this piece "draws heavily on traditional patterns well known to Asians in an attempt to trigger shared memories among the viewers."

Two pieces by Youngdon Choi; on top, 'A day', digital C-print, 2008; on bottom, 'A century', digital C-print, 2008.

I especially enjoy abstract pieces that I can understand :)

No title given, Lin Tian Lu, of the Pyo Gallery in Korea.

Audrey Hepburn vs Gregory Peck, Kim Dong Yu, oil on canvas, 2009.

It's the same smaller picture over and over with different tints.

Title not given, Cheon Seong Gil, 2009

If you've seen any of the Coke polar bear commercials, this should make more sense.

Visual Vortex - Merlau Ponty III Yellow, by HC Berg, acrylics, 2007

One piece that made me go 'Woah' - try reading the English message against the curved mirror.

Several dozen international galleries were present, and a special exhibition of modern Indian art was also worth a view, but the majority of art is Korean.

Both pieces by Rohini Devasher; on left, Archetype, digital print with drawing on archical paper, 2007; on right, Chimera, 2008.

One piece from the exhibition of Indian art. Called 'Failed Plot', the exhibition focuses on "the idea of the incomplete picture. No matter how we frame the image, is it ever complete?" Think about the unfinished or incomplete things in your life and picture the exhibit through that lens.

E-Mc2 Part 2, LN Tallur, oil, 2008.

The art you've seen is a tiny percentage of both halls - with 168 galleries each featuring at least several pieces, it can take the better part of a day to see it all. I'll be making my plans to see next year's fair around the same time of the year.

The KIAF ends September 22. 15,000 won for adults. Go to the COEX Mall (Samseong station, line 2, exit 6), then take the escalators up and follow the flags to the 3rd floor. Open from 11am to 5pm on Tuesday.

Daily dose of Korean news

From across the K-blogosphere comes news, views, and other information you might wish to intake.

The Joongang Daily (HT to ROKDrop for first post) tells us about how much police time is spent on drunk people:

According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, officers at the city’s
58 police precincts handled 54,925 cases of drunk pedestrians between January
and May, or some 364 cases per day. Handling drunks can take up a third of the
task of an average officer. Police precincts that handle Busan’s most crowded
and busy areas - Seomyeon, Yeonil, Jeonpo - complain that there are so many
drunks that they completely clog up their daily tasks.

The Busan police department estimates that the nation’s police spends at
least 50 billion won ($41 million) annually on drunks.

I wonder what the percentages might be in Seoul, especially considering that during three different trips to Busan I didn't see as much of the drinking as I've seen here in Seoul.

From the Natural News (HT to ROK Sojourn for first post) comes ten lies about the swine flu told by the mainstream media. While the entire article is worth a look, you may find #3 through #5 particularly interesting:

Lie #3 – Vaccines protect you from swine flu

This is the biggest lie of all, and the media pushes it hard. Getting a vaccine, they insist, will protect you from the swine flu. But it’s just flat-out false. Even if the vaccine produces antibodies, that’s not the same thing as real-world immunity from a live virus, especially if the virus mutates (as they often do).

As I pointed out in a recent article, statistically speaking the average American is 40 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to have their life saved by a swine flu vaccine. (http://www.naturalnews.com/026955_s…)

Lie #4 – Vaccines are safe

And how would any journalists actually know this? None of the vaccines have been subjected to real-world testing for any meaningful duration. The “safety” of these vaccines is nothing more than wishful thinking.

The MSM also doesn’t want you to know what’s in the vaccines. Some vaccines are made from viral fragments grown in diseased African monkeys. If that sounds incredible, read the true story here: http://www.naturalnews.com/026779_s…

Lie #5 – The vaccine isn’t mandatory
You hear this lie all the time: The swine flu vaccine shot is voluntary, they say. But it’s not true if you’re an employee at a place where vaccines are being mandated. Millions of Americans are now being told by their employers that if they don’t get vaccine shots, they will be effectively fired from their jobs. It’s especially true with health care workers, day care employees and school teachers [emphasis added].

Whether it would be made mandatory in Korea is a different story; thus far I've yet to hear about any employers planning on making the upcoming vaccine available to their teachers.

Finally, from the ROK Drop again comes a story about people finding jobs (original story in the Chosun Ilbo):

According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Korean Educational Development Institute on Sunday, 379,524 or 76.4 percent of 547,416 new university graduates found jobs after leaving school in February.

But only 48.3 percent landed permanent jobs, down 7.8 percent from 56.1 percent last year, whereas the percentage who found temporary jobs rose from 18.8 percent last year to 26.2 percent this year. In 2005, 56.7 percent of new university graduates found permanent employment and 15.7 percent temporary jobs.

This is good news for the military (even after they've served their mandatory two years):

According to a paper submitted by the Education Ministry to the National
Assembly for parliamentary audit, 5,461 or 3.7 percent of male graduates from
four-year universities joined the military last year. That is even higher than
3.38 percent during the 1997 economic crisis, and more than three times greater
than 1.07 percent in 2007.

We've seen the same thing happen in the US - a bad economy is good for military recruiters. For better or worse, the promise of a steady paycheck is more enticing than the fear of being shipped off to a war that may never end.

Chau Doc Com's Good

As my last post not too subtley expressed, I've been feeling a little disillusioned with the street food in Chau Doc since I've been here. To be honest it wasn't just the food that was getting me down - the heat, harassment, and tiredness all had a part to play.

It's amazing, however, how a few good sleeps and Twins (starring Arnold Swarzenegger and Danny De Vito) can revitilize ones spirits. Today I hit the streets of Chau Doc reinvigorated and hungry for action, managing to score a street food triple whammy for my pains.

Strike 1: After booking our boat tickets to Phnom Pehn, Sarah and I spotted this little ice-cream stall on the side of the road. 2000 dong (about 7p) a piece bought us a single scoop in a cone with a sprinking of crushed nuts on top. The ice cream had a soft, rich, creamy consistency, and a mild coconut taste. It also boasted a brittle, savory, rose-shaped cone that was as tasty as it was aesthetically pleasing.

Strike 2: There's a great market down the street from our hotel with some interesting food options. The place bustles with street food (some good, some not so good) and today we went to one of the bigger outfits for lunch. I ordered the Com Suan (pork chop with rice) and was rewarded with a lesson in simplicity. The plate brought together the four elements of meat, rice, veg and chilli sauce with effortless grace, and reminded me why I love street food so much. The pork chop had been glazed then grilled, and had that dreamy charred/sticky thing going on. Two generous portions were served on top of rice, cabbage and some hot hot hot chilli sauce. Perfect, simple, filling, and at 15000 dong (50p) a real bargain.

Strike 3: Back in Glasgow one of my favourite sandwiches was the "flamin' spiceball" from Il Cappucino on Great Western Road. This super creation involved meatballs, hot sauce and cheese and is proabably number four or five on the "must eat " list when I get home. Little did I know that I'd come across something similar in Vietnam however. This tasty little number involved a crusty baguette, pork meatballs in spicy tomato sauce, and sliced carrots and onions. Had there been a little bit of cheese on top and I could have been back in dear old glesgae there and then (except for the fact that it was pushing 30 degrees and nobody was trying to bottle me.) As sandwiches go, this one was damn good, and at 15000 dong, about 40 times cheaper than the flamin' spiceball (yes, I did just work that out on the calculator.)

All in all, it was a great day for street food, and the perfect way to spend our last day in Vietnam.

A tale of two tombs and a memorial hall

Today's travel destination is sponsored by...several dead people. That's right, it's time to see some tombs given to people somehow related to the royalty of the time. Three tombs and a memorial hall are within a kilometer of each other in Seoul's northeast corner of Cheongnyangni. Above we have the entrance to Uireung - a tomb holding the king-and-queen pair of King Gyeongjong (reigned 1720-1724) and his second Queen, Seonui. The red gate with two wooden pillars is called a 홍살문 (hong-sal-mun), and begins the sacred area of the tomb.

If you've ever wondered what the Joseon Dynasty royal family tree looked like, put on your magic reading-Korean glasses and take a look. Both Uireung and the next tomb we visited both had this long-lasting metal sign posted.

If you work for the Korea Tourism Organization, the press, or have some sort of special access, you could probably pass by the ropes just behind the 수라간 (su-ra-gan) memorial hall and climb the hill to see the top of the tomb. Since I'd rather not have some security guard running after yours truly, I'll have to settle for what I can get with a long zoom. Military officers, scholars, and horses are made of stone, then arranged around the mound where the person themselves has been buried. Unlike most other tombs, Uireung claim to fame is that the tombs are front and back, not side-by-side, in accordance with geomancy (the natural energy of the earth converges).

This page on the official Korea Tourism site describes more of the pieces than we can actually see, but will give you an idea of the meanings.

Go ahead, have a seat. You know you want to. One of several benches to rest at before making a choice - keep hiking or have a second look at the tomb?

The tombs of Uireung is only one reason why people come here - a walking trail about 2.75 kilometers long makes a long loop around part of the shrine. If hiking wasn't in your plans, there's a much shorter loop that basically doubles back on itself, allowing a look up at the tombs along their right side:

Again, not much to see while staying on the right side of the rope. I wish there were a way to see things without encroaching too far on their territory...

Our trip to Uireung complete, we headed down the street to find two more tombs for our viewing pleasure:

The second tomb is named Sunginwon for Yi Jin, the eldest son of Crown Prince Uimin. He died at the ripe old age of 8 months and 3 weeks (August 18, 1921 - May 11, 1922) by mysterious circumstances, yet gets the same royal treatment based on his royal status. The area was home to another tomb before that (called Hongneung, or the tomb of Empress Myeongseong), but that was moved to Namyangju in 1919. The name persists to this day - after all, would you rather have your area named after an Empress or a baby that may have never tasted solid food?

The ceiling of the memorial hall - either this hasn't been the highest priority for renovation, or they mixed a bad batch of paint.

The number of stone statues seem a few less than the accomplished king, but then again, consider what might be done for a baby that (unfortunately) dies when they're less a year old these days...

The other tomb on this site, Yeonghwiwon, is where Lady Eom (1854-1911) was built. So you know, the name of a tomb is won (like the money) when it's the tomb of prince or royal concubine and neung (or reung, thanks to Romanization) for a King or Queen. A concubine of Emperor Gojang, she took an interest in the then-new-fangled style of Western education. In her lifetime she founded two schools and donated a large sum of money to a third, giving raise to the modern private school that many of us English teachers now work at.

The 수라간 (su-ra-gan), or memorial hall for our Lady. If they all sort of look the same, that's sort of the point - although recreations, they are based on plans from several hundreds of years old.

From here, we explored some wooded areas that separated the quiet tombs from the bustle of the city streets before walking down the aforementioned street to our last stop of the day: King Sejong's Memorial Hall.

At the entrance to the area is 세종대왕 신도비 - the Tomb Monument of King Sejong. The text praises the King's wisdom and records data on the Queen and her offspring. Originally erected in modern-day Seocho-gu in 1452 but moved here in 1974. The tomb was moved elsewhere in Gyeonggi-do (the province surrounding Seoul) in 1469, but this tomb monument and other items were left behind.

A peek inside the structure at the monument itself. There are supposedly 4,886 characters engraved on this monument, but even the nearby sign admits they're "now very difficult to read." Not pictured to the left is the parking lot and entrance for the Korean Film Council.

Walk past the monument, take a left, then look right to be presented with a close-up view:

At first, they sort of reminded me of huge chess pieces (Knight to D3!) but without the rope, the hill, or awkward view from the bottom of the hill. This was just the prelude:

Welcome to 세종대왕 기념관 - better known as the King Sejong Memorial Hall. Opened in October 1973, it contains more than enough Korean hangeul to enjoy. While some recreations of Korean drums were interesting, this piece from the Hangeul room fascinated me:

Once you've taught the masses about this new language, you still need a translation guide for the Chinese characters. Dating from 1527, this 유합 offered a description in Korean only, just like the rest of the hall.

Of a more modern nature are some old-school typewriters. There are dozens of different typewriters and a few small laptop computers pre-dating Windows 95 - several of which have different keyboard layouts. Some were hangeul only, while a few offered a Korean and English layouts in different varieties. This goes beyond the DVORAK layout - several of them to be seen here.

Of a much newer nature - hangeul fridge magnets, anyone? Peering through glass and offering only a description in Korean means that's just a guess. There does appear to be a game behind it - I wonder if they still sell these anywhere...

Although our day wasn't planned this way, the wonder of Seoul is that you can stumble across something just as interesting as your original destination without much effort.

Directions to Uireung: Take line 1 of the Seoul subway system to the Cheongnyangni station. Take exit 2, then turn right and walk 150 meters to the bus stop. Transfer to bus 1215, then get off a few stops later at the Uireung bus stop. After getting off, backtrack towards the light, then turn right. Follow the signs from there - you'll also be in the Korea National University of Arts area. If you live in the area, buses 120, 1222, 147, or 261 also stop here. 1,000 won admission, handicapped / stroller accessible. Open 9am-6:30pm during the spring and summer and 9am-5:30pm during the fall and winter, but closed on Mondays.

To Yeonghwiwon and Sunginwon (AKA 관람 or Gwannam): Follow the above directions - same subway station and bus stop. Instead of backtracking, KEEP GOING STRAIGHT until you see the entrance on your right - about 300 meters. 1,000 won admission, handicapped / stroller accessible. Open 9am-6:30pm during the spring and summer and 9am-5:30pm during the fall and winter, but closed on Mondays.

To the King Sejong Memorial Hall: Follow the above directions - same subway station and bus stop. Instead of backtracking, keep going straight PAST THE AFOREMENTIONED TOMBS until you see the entrance (a driveway going uphill) on your right. Signs for the Korean Film Council should also help you to the area as well. Free admission, wheelchair and stroller-accessible.

Koreabridge