Ruminations in Korea

A few changes have been made here on my blog. To some, the changes may seem minor, while others may see the changes as significant. Some may not even notice the changes, and others will notice the changes immediately.

I will not get into the specifics of the changes other than to say that some people who read my blog have been concerned about some of the contents herein and the direction of a few of the posts.

While I maintain that the purpose of those posts were purely parody, satire, and to express my own shock, amazement, and outrage about certain things, others have felt that the writings were endorsements and promotion of those things. I am sure that those who know me well, understand that parody, satire, and sarcam are a big part of the way i critique society. These people also understand that it possible to say, “that is a good thing,” but sarcastically actually mean, “that is the worst, stupidest, and most offensive thing i have ever seen.” However, others who don’t know me, may not understand this and may think that my sarcasm is a reflection of my true views and feelings.

Ordinarily, I could overlook such comments from people that don’t know me and chalk them up to people’s misunderstanding, lack of humor, etc. However, the sources of these complaints were from people that I cannot, in good conscience, ignore. Thus, the changes were made and care will be taken to avoid such concerns in the future.

A new night club opened new Kwangangli Beach here in Pusan. Apparently, the club is called "Twins". Unless it is a gay club (which I doubt, because Korea frowns on such things being displayed openly), then I have no idea where the marketing company came up with idea for this poster advertisement. Gay club or not, why is dude sticking his hand in the other dude’s mouth and why is this on a street where young children play? I don’t care if it is two guys, two girls, or one of each, it is stupid and pointless.

If not more disturbing, then equally as disturbing as "Twins" is the Joon Bear (US$ 291)

Will someone please slap this jerk?

According to this article from Japan Today:

Expressing disgust about the unrealistic expectations that Japanese women are putting on their men because of this guy:

"Yong-sama is viewed by these women as some kind of Mr Perfect, who completely lacks a male body odor, and who doesn’t even excrete semen," says Iwai. "He may seem to be appealing to these middle-aged Japanese women, but I think what the women really love are themselves."

As an added bonus (of ridculousness and stupidity)…I used to have a link to some idiotic "Korean Seduction Science" product that some morons put togther and try to sell to anyone dumb enough to buy it. I first saw the link on The Beast’s Blog found it so dumb that I thought to post it here and comment on it in my usual sarcastic, mocking manner. I have removed the link becuase of all of the flak coming my way because of it. At least I am not alone in being misunderstood….The Beast’s Blog owner also seems to have come under fire for basically the same thing. He says:

"Y’all need to learn how to take a joke. I wasn’t serious about that thing. It was JUST A JOKE! Lighten up! It’s so stupid, I had to comment on it. You know, like a dumb and dumber thing? Come on people, you know me better than that. And if you’re a random person reading my blog, then you don’t know me."

I second that.

This post was inspired by a post over at A Yank Abroad. In an homage to the Incestuous Amplification blog of days gone by, I decided to count the number of times I hear certain questions, hear certain statements, or experience certain events in a single day.

Here’s a fun game to play: Take the following numbers, multiply them by 365 days, then multiply the resulting number by 16.5 years and you will get some idea of how many times I have had certain experiences. It is hard for me to remain calm and keep in mind that it is probably the first time that the speaker has said or asked something even though it may literally be the 10,000th time i have heard something.

Number of times heard “You speak Korean well”: 28

Number of times heard “You speak Korean well” after only hearing me say “annyeong haseyo”: 17

Number of times heard “You sound just like a Korean”: 27

Number of times asked “Can you eat Kimchi?”: 15

Number of times asked “But isn’t it Kimchi too spicy?”: 15

Number of times was told directly or overheard someone say i am fat: 8

Number of times total strangers asked how much money I make: 3

Number of times someone giggled and/or laughed when I spoke Korean : 11

Number of times someone stared into my shopping basket: 5

Number of times someone yelled “Oh Yeah!” near me for no reason: 5

In the ongoing aftermath of the English Spectrum nonsense, the US Embassy has issued the following warning about the likelihood of violence against Americans and other English speakers in university areas.

The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following information through the
Embassy’s warden system as a public service to all U.S. citizens in the
Republic of Korea. Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in
your organizations.

Recently, inflammatory sexual content was posted to a website for
English language teachers in Korea. That posting together with
subsequent postings were taken by some to demean Korean women. We have
noted recently, strong reaction in the form of web postings threatening
attacks in the vicinity of Hongik University and the Sinchon area
against Americans and other foreigners who speak English. All Americans
and their families (especially young adults) are encouraged to exercise
prudence and caution when visiting these neighborhoods. The Embassy
advises that inappropriate social behavior in public may be seen as
provocative by Korean nationals.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul will continue to keep the U.S. community
informed of any changes in the overall security situation. The Embassy
encourages all U.S. citizens to register their presence in Korea with
the American Citizens Services (ACS) office at the U.S. Embassy or via
the Internet at http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_registration.html
or http://www.asktheconsul.org/.

American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy Seoul
32, Sejongno, Jongno-gu
Seoul 110-710, Korea
Tel: 02-397-4114
Fax: 02-397-4101
DSN: 721-4114
http://www.asktheconsul.org/ (English)
http://www.usavisas.org/ (Korean)
e-mail: seoul_acs@state.gov

To receive notices about new warnings and other notices Directly from the US Embassy by email and/or cell phone, please visit http://www.asktheconsul.org and submit your information in the appropriate box(es) on the left side.

The first snow of 2005 in Pusan fell heavily on January 16th. Here are a few shots through the scratched lens of a poor quality phone cam.

Me at Pusan Station.

Pusan Station

Bear Love