Fan, Friend, or Interpreter? (Part 1)

Three or four weeks ago, I had a rare Wednesday night-out in nightclub-town Hongdae with my Korean friend Seolak to see a live of a Korean band called Achtung. Neither of us knew of the band , but the music was smooth and upbeat acoustic indie rock and the concert (with a totally packed house) was pretty energetic. The lead singer even spoke and sing a decent amount of English. I liked it enough to buy a CD and I listened to it on my Ipod pretty frequently.

About two weeks later I was back in Hongdae on a Friday with another group of friends, Lukas from Czech and Wiyen from Malaysian. We were searching the labyrinth of Gold Bar I, Gold Bar III, and Ho Bar I to VI for some dance club, when Lukas paused to read a sign. “Hey, they have some German band playing at this club. Hmmm, I've never heard of Achtung...” I stopped dead in my tracks. In blind excitement I dragged everyone inside. The show was almost over, but the audience of kept calling for encores. I added my own shouts in English and it was enough to attract the lead singer Cho Seung-Yup's attention. “Hey, I know you...”, he called out. “And I know you!” I replied. He strummed his guitar and absentmindedly crooned out a tune. “I know you... you know me...”, till suddenly he seemed to realize he was still on stage and apologized to his audience, drawing giggles from Korean girls. While he continued into the next song, my heart melted in my chest like hot butter– he'd just serenaded me!!!

After he got off the stage and came round the bar, I approached him and told him how much I deeply enjoyed his music. I asked him if I could buy his second album and... could I buy him a drink? (Yes, this is the first time I have ever bought a drink for a man.)
I had a fairly good time chatting with him about music, his influences, and his inspirations... turns out Seung-Yup knows many of my favorite bands like Counting Crows and he's a big fan of U2. I think it's very rare to meet a musician who doesn't mind socializing with audience members after a show... too many artists seem to want to keep some distance. But we all had a good enough that midnight came and went, we left the first club and changed locales in search of food and coffee, and it's was 3am before anyone mentioned about going home. Though my friends and I considered crashing at a jimjilbang (a public bathhouse with a communal resting space – not for a good night's sleep by any means) Seung-Yup offered to spare us the trouble and give us a ride home in his car! Driving through Seoul in the early dawn hours along the Han River Highway, with none of the usual traffic other than a few rouge taxi drivers, Czechoslovakian Lukas singing along to Bollywood parodies of Christmas songs, sitting in the car of my new favorite band's lead singer- this is a memory which will be forever imprinted into my mind. Life is strange and beautiful.

After dropping Lukas off, Seung-Yup and I chatted a bit and I told him I want to try and become a singer. I sung him my best version of Cowboy Bebop's “Real Folk Blues” and he seemed appreciative, saying (perhaps half-jokingly) that I could possibly sing for Achtung. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to call me about meeting up again.

Well... tonight was that meeting....
...and I'm too tired tonight, so the story will continue tomorrow (^^;;)

Darker SIde of Teaching in Korea

I was surfing ELT forums looking for lesson ideas when I discovered this post. The topic was about renewing for another year:

I have a sweet job that I am leaving in a boys middle school and my wife has the same in another boys middle school. Comes complete with a very nice two bedroom apartment for which we pay NO utilities.
EPIK, or anyone, can have it. We are done with the xenaphobia, hate, racism, and irresponsibility of a culture that cannot grow up and make it to the twentieth century, let alone the twenty first.
We are going to Myanmar to work in an international school for half the pay, we are at the top of the EPIK pay scale, but way more job satisfaction and a much better quality of life.
Put it this way, five years here, a school that loves me, the head of the local POE told them to do anything to keep me, yet I did not even get a raise when I renewed, even to the mythical EPIK 1+ scale, not even brought up, utter dreck.
Trust me, there are many who feel as we do and many more who are leaving. As long as Korea remains mired in the Confusian culture that treats non-Koreans as second class citizens with no rights, who are vilified in the press and on the news, and have no respect for laws, contracts, and just plain common courtesy people will be leaving the country and jobs will be open.
As long as Korea requires nothing more than a B.A. (how stupid is that) to teach their children, they will suffer the dubious distinction of being 191st in the world on TOEIC scores, with a population that cannot innovate, think critically, and communicate effectivly in the English.
To put it bluntly, the Korean public school system is losing two teachers, with over ten years experience between them, teaching creds., and CELTAs becuase they treat us like cattle.
If you want to come here, please do, its a nice life for a while, but when the real Korea shows through, as it eventually will, the boredom, hate, and stupidity will reach in and grab you and you will wonder why you ever got off the plane at Incheon.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=180417

I've heard all this from other sources and from my own experiences too. My co-worker refers to anyone who is not Korean as a foreigner and often asks me questions that begin like "Do other foreigners also do _______?" Unlike this man, I don't have such larges amount of credentials or experience but I do feel how the administration doesn't take my complains or requests very seriously.

These days I'm thinking more seriously about how long I want to stay here. And at the very least, I'm glad I'm not Korean so I have the option of leaving.

Blurring Gender Lines

What is to be handsome? What is makes a man a man? It may not be common knowledge that the ideals of "manliness" do not hold true for all countries. In Seoul, I've spotted quite a few examples of men behaving in ways that men back home wouldn't be caught dead doing.

Take Evidence #1: Pink Cellphone

This lovely shade of princess pink is not a color an average American Joe Smith would likely choose. I will continue to investigate further as to why pink is not a taboo color for men.

Evidence #2: Make-overs at Manskin Men's Beauty Shop

This isn't for a photo shoot or a television appearance. This is taken at a shop entirely devoted to men's skin health and beauty. And from some of the smiles he gave the camera, he seems to be enjoying it....

American men, pay attention~!!! You too can powder you nose a bit and cover up your unsightly pimples!

Evidence #3: Male Manicure

This was shocking even to my Korean friends. A Korean couple are getting a manicure TOGETHER. Korean couples have a very strong "togetherness" factor. They tend to cling to each other like 2012 is tomorrow. My guess is that she talked him into buffing up his nails.

Conclusion:

Concern for a man's beauty is more of a health consideration and has nothing to do with being "feminine". Overall, Koreans seem to place great value on health and hygiene so there isn't anything "gay" about caring for your health.

The pink cellphone though... that's just way out there.

Peace~

Claire