What the ... peacemongering?!?!?

A friend sent me a link to a Korea Times article today entitled "FIFA praises Korea's efforts toward world peace." My first impulse was to just ignore the article. It is a Korea Times article which probably means it is either fantasy or garbage. Or both. Then, considering how many train wreck articles come out of the rag known as the Korea Times, curiosity got the better of me and I peeked at the article.

The first thing that struck me is that the article is written by an intern. They actually have interns? They "train" people on how to report? Or, since we are talking about the Korea Times how to report badly.

Then I forced myself to read the article. Considering how often the Korea Times, let alone other Korean so-called media outlets, have fabricated interview responses I found myself wondering if the comments associate with FIFA Chief delegate Harold Mayne-Nicholls were accurate let alone true.

According to the article;

FIFA delegation for the bid to host the World Cup in 2022 Sunday praised South Korea’s efforts to contribute to the world peace by holding the tournament.

Chief delegate Harold Mayne-Nicholls emphasized the most notable fact he discovered regarding the nation’s effort to host the football gala is based on world peace.

“I confirmed that Seoul’s endeavor is to deliver what today’s world needs most ― ’peace for men,’” the Chilean head said.

What the kimchi?!? Seriously?!? Korea's effort to host the World Cup is based on world peace? The MOST notable fact? Korean please! As with ANY country hoping to host the World Cup the effort is based on two things ... money and prestige. To try and seriously link it to a desire for world peace is disingenuous.

Considering the extent of prostitution in Korea one has to wonder if Mayne-Nicholls really didn't say "What today's world needs most is a piece for men." and the intern just twisted it around to make it look good.

Does the World Cup REALLY promote World Peace? Can any sport really promote peace? Especially when you take into account the hard feelings that exist anytime one side wins and another loses. I'm guilty of that myself, I still have bad feeling about the Argentine National team, especially Maradonna, because of the whole "Hand of God" bullshit. FIFA should worry more about fixing the glaring problems with officiating rather than worrying about being a source of world peace.

After finishing the article the title of it struck me as extremely disingenuous. Which isn't surprising considering the rag it appears in. The gyst of the article was about the FIFA delegation coming to inspect the football facilities currently available in Korea and to point out where improvements are needed for a proper World Cup bid. Something the world peace rhetoric seems to try and gloss over and distract you from.

What the ... qualification?!?!?

I have to start off with a big thank you to Gusts of Popular Feeling for translating and providing the transcript of Lee Eun-Ung's interview. Enjoyed the post too.

Lee Eun-Ung, stalker of foreigners and founder of the Anti-English Spectrum group, now called The Citizen's Movement To Expel Illegal Teachers of Foreign Languages. (Of course they only seem to be going after those teaching English.)

One of the things that stuck in my craw from the interview is the talk of "unqualified teachers" .

Lee Eun-ung:

That's right. There are qualifications to become an English teacher. Have you studied for 4 years at a university in an English-speaking country? With that simple qualification, many unqualified teachers have had the opportunity to come to Korea.

Eh? Many unqualified teachers have the qualification? I knew the guy was a moron but jeeze. If they have the qualification then they are ... qualified. Just like if you have a habit of saying moronic things you are a moron.

Qualifications, you must have a Bachelor degree. You must come from 1 of 7 countries that are acceptable to Korea. Although that is being altered to allow a few other nationalities in to teach English for less money. You must pass whatever checks and tests that Korea decides to throw at you. If someone is here teaching on an E-2 (or F-2) VISA they are QUALIFIED.

To hear dumbasses like Eun-Ung spout off you would think that most teachers were unqualified. Especially when he makes up statistics. And his interviewer, in a stunning display of the lack of journalistic ability I have come to expect from Korea "media", just laps everything up.

Anchor Seo Du-won:

So a teacher’s criminal record should be accurately confirmed before [deciding] one is qualified enough to be a teacher.

Yeah that is more important than confirming they have a degree or even teaching ability. It is the criminal background check that gives them the ability to teach? This guy must work for the Korea Times in his free time. What a fucking idiot.

Lee Eun-ung:

People who have married Koreans and become the spouse of a citizen. If you look at such cases, it’s extremely difficult to punish and deport such people.

Anchor Seo Du-won:

So in such a case, those who are arrested can in the end only be fined.

Lee Eun-ung:

Yes.

Wow. I never knew that. Extremely difficult to punish and deport? I gotta get me one so I can go back to Korea and start kicking this shit out of assholes like these two twats with impugnity. Or maybe it is because of the use of blood money that it is difficult to "punish" them? You know, pay your way out your crime? Something the Korean variety of rapist will use to get out of trouble or to lessen his sentence. Of course it sounds like so much bull shit.

I love the way Eun-Ung would pull facts and statistics out of his ass and the joke of an interviewer would just accept it all. Oh well, the "interview" lived down to my expectations.

Mr. Wonderful ...

... has a point. What you expected something else? :)

Something Mr. Wonderful, and others, have said time and again but the internet morons just ignore; If you don't like a site don't go to it. Move on.

Look at some of the people that are regularly make negative comments at his site. They piss and moan about how crappy the site is. They whine about how awful he is. The rant about the uselessness of the blog. Yet they keep coming back. If it were audio I would say they just like the sound of their own voices. Maybe they just like reading their own words?

I think of the YouTube idiots and the Kamikaze Kimchi Kommandoes. Leaving out the more whackado ones ... why do they keep coming back for more? Do they honestly believe they will change anyones mind with their vitriol? Do they honestly think they are making Korea look good? (If they do then they truly are deluded.) Or is it just that they need to feel that they are important in some way? (Which would still make them deluded.) Are they just attention whores?

Since I started using Toad Man's site as an example I will keep going with it. There are times when it bores the shit out of me just as there are times it makes me laugh. Economics was never my forte. So, and this is a revolutionary thought if you are one of the internet idiots, I skip over that stuff. I ignore it and wait for something I want to read to come up. If nothing I found interesting in some way came up ... I would move on. It is wonderful thing, the ability to move on. :)

The YouTube idiots take this to new heights of absurdity. They troll YouTube to find things they don't like and then go on the comment attack. That is how they spend their free time? Hell, they may even be doing it during work time looking at home prolific some of them are. On the other hand, a job would probably interfere with their trolling so it is doubtful they have one.

How pathetic must someones life be if the best they can do is haunt a site they claim to hate and/or find boring? I can just imagine them talking about their life with friends.

"What did you do today John?"

"Oh I (worked/studied/goofed off) all day and then I went onto that website I hate and told them how much I hate it again. It is a boring site. No redeeming value."

"Didn't you do that yesterday?"

"Yeah, but I have to make sure my message gets through."

"Your message?"

"Yeah. I have to let people know how horrible the site is so they stop reading it. If I don't go on and keep letting them know the site is boring and no good who will?"

"Damn, I need new friends and you need a life."

Cult of Victimology

(I told ya that the YouTube idiots got me thinking. :) This is to the tune of Cult of Personality.)

"Some folks take on a "victim personality" and they express themselves as a victim in every situation." (Bi-Polar Disorder Today)

Look in our eyes, what do you see?

the Cult of Victomology

Do you know our anger, and our dreams

We've lost everything can't you see ohhh…

We're in the Cult of Victomology

Crimes of America and the Chinese

We're in the Cult of Victimology

the Cult of Victimology

the Cult of Victimology

Our land, others prize

When others speak, they just tell lies

The Japanese won't let us be

Only we can keep Dokdo free

We sell the things you need to see

We're the Korean Wave on your T.V. ohh…

We're in the Cult of Personality

You exploit us; still won't let us be

Korea is best why can't you see ohh…

We're in the Cult of Victimology

Like the Korea Times and Kang Shin Who ohh…

We're in the Cult of Victimology

the Cult of Victimology

the Cult of Victimology

Our Prez made a great beef deal,

But we're too prone to catch EVERYTHING.

You won't get as sick as us,

Why do you always throw us under the bus?

(Guitar solo)

You envy our fortune, you envy our fame

You envy our power as we evade blame

We are the people you need to be ohh…

We're, stuck, in, the, Cult, of, Vic, Tim, Ol, Ogy

We're in the Cult of (x8)

Victimology

"The widespread self-image of ``Korea-as-victim,'' along with its byproduct of conspiracy theories, is an important ingredient in Korea's national glue." (Jon Huer in The Korea Times)

"More than a half-century later, South Korea’s nationalistic fervor and sense of victimhood still inform sporting rivalries between the two nations." (Jere Longman in NY Times)

“If it's never our fault, we can't take responsibility for it. If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always be its victim.” (Richard Bach)

What The... Parking Ticket?!

Yes, I actually received a parking ticket in Korea. It's my second parking ticket, as a matter of fact. I always wonder why and how Korean police hand out parking tickets. What criteria do they use? Whimsy? Flint and I have spent many an afternoon at the patio at Dunkin' Donuts, looking at all the infractions in view, and saying that the cops could clean up if they ticketed everyone breaking the rules.
I was at Burger King the other day, watching the mooks push on the door marked "Pull," and saw this mook park his vehicle on a one lane street while he came inside and got a burger. He did a lot of milling around, looking up and down the street, as well.

Fucking mook.
As I was eating, another mook on a delivery scooter made his way up the sidewalk. Why use the road, right?

Here, he has parked his cycle in order to block the sidewalk and force pedestrians out on the road.
Fucking mook.

Here's a delivery truck, parked sort of in a bus stop, forcing the buses to edge around him, taking up two lanes of traffic.
Fucking mook.

This is pretty typical of the way mooks park in this country; up on the sidewalk. You can find them everywhere you go.
Fucking mook.

This is an example of the street near my con-apt, with mooks parked on both sides, narrowing it down to one lane, forcing any cars that meet to back up or give way.
Fucking mooks.

This asshole exhibits the tactic that fucking drives me nuts - parking on a corner. Not only is he blocking the door to the building, and parked facing the wrong way, but his ass is sticking out into traffic; anyone going around the corner has to make an extra wide turn to go around him. But the fucking mooks will park on a corner every time, even when there're spaces in the middle of the block.
Fucking mooks.

Here's another mook doing exactly the same thing.
Fucking mook.

While I was taking the above photo, another mook parked on the opposite side of the street, also facing the wrong way. Mooks don't care if they do this, even if it means they have to park out in the lane of traffic so they can get their door open.
Fucking mooks.
And I get a fucking ticket?!

Mook Of The Week

You know, the way Koreans act and behave as a normal way of life makes me wonder why this country isn't a smoking ruin from one end to the other. Their foolish inattention to details (selfishly oblivious) should rain disaster down on their heads every day of their lives. They just have no common sense whatsoever.
Take this week's mook, for instance. He is one of two or three mooks who deliver liquid propane gas in and around Oksan, where my hagwon is. When the LPG trucks aren't racing around with their contents clanging and banging away in the back, one or another of them is parked on the same block at some time during the day, usually at night when they're off drinking soju and molesting schoolgirls.
This week's mook has taken the selfish obliviousness to a new level by parking his truck next to an open flame. The mooks in this town take to burning their shit (literally) whenever and wherever they want to, so there are days when the air is thick enough to chew.
Maybe he didn't park their when the fire was lit, so the mook doing the burning is the MOTW. All I know is, this was the situation when I left work Friday night.

Whichever is the case, we have a mook of breathtaking stupidity.
My hagwon is still there, but for how long?
You fucking waste of skin, you are a mook!

What the ... YouTube stupidity?!?!?

I used to use YouTube a lot. A friend, as he was then, got me started on it. He was addicted to it. It became a fun way of venting, kind of like blogging. Like blogging it also attracted a WHOLE lot of fucking idiots, especially if you mentioned something about South Korea.

The bulk of my videos weren't critical. But I would rant at times about things that pissed me off. I stopped posting on you tube regularly well over a year ago. In fact the first video I put since July 2009 was about being home.

Of course, none of that matters to the psychoes of YouTube. And the Korean Net Nazis are alive and well there. As I said in a previous post they just can't handle ANY criticism of Korea. Whether real or perceived. whether constructive or nasty. And like children they act out any way they can.

On YouTube, as on many blogs, this takes the form of posting comments. What they fail to realize is that they don't help their arguments and make Korea look good. In fact they tend to achieve the opposite. They make themselves look like idiots and anyone thinking they represent Korea would be left with a bad image of Korea and Koreans. Much like the KKKunts I mentioned in a previous post.

Some of the Korean idiots on the net have found the videos about racism and started leaving comments. The usual BS. Lots of profanity, sometimes threats of violence, while ignoring the issue of racism. Part of me is glad they are leaving them because I have found myself a bit bored lately and they give me something to do.

Last night one twit posted the STUPIDEST defense of Korea against racism that I have ever read. Actually I am not sure if it is a defense or not. It actually left me speechless once I figured out what it was saying.

MrKittycat331 said

"You are saying right I agree with but um ... but we (koreans) have racisms but we did'nt start it and not all koreans are racist we are not ONLY rascism people I agree with you but the some points I don't understand you You are not wrong but it is insult to korean people"

Let's break down what he said.

1) I was right about racism in Korea.

2) but Koreans didn't start racism

3) and not all Koreans are racist

4) and Koreans aren't the only racists

5) so he doesn't understand why I am bringing up racism in South Korea

6) However I was right

7) BUT pointing out the truth is insulting to Koreans

8) so no one should ever mention racism in South Korea.

Wow. I was gobsmacked again. All I could do was stare at the screen for a while as my brain tried to process the illogic of what MrKittycat331 said. It is staggering in it's stupidity.

The theme of his comment can be found in most of the "sentries" defending South Korea by showing their stupidity. Basically they say there is racism in other countries so it is ok if Koreans are racist. One of the funniest comments I read was this twat going by the handle ericroh123. He said:

"many koreans are racist but said all other countries are racist too so u cant be making video about just the fucken koreans being racist."

Almost as mind blowingly stupid as MrKittycat331's comments.

A lot of it reminds me of the whole Cult of Victimhood that Koreans seem to subscribe to. Especially when you get some of these idiots saying koreans aren't racist it is the jap and chink mother fuckers who are racist. They will try to defend Korea by making racist statements about non-Koreans. They remind me of that Grand Wizard on the KKKunt site, MidwestIndahm82. Oh well it is the internet and assholes abound. :)

Mind you, the pro-Korean whackjobs then attract the anti-Korean whackjobs. Both sides use racial slurs while whining about how racist the other person is. It is kind of amusing yet sad at the same time. It just makese me think they are all a bunch of racist assholes.

It is amazing how much time and energy this morons use on YouTube and websites attacking each other. One trying to trash the other for being a racist, the whole time making racist comments. They really need someone to unplug their computers and force them out into reality.

But I digress.

What the ... heat beater?!?!?

Holy shit! There is a chance that Chris in South Korea can parlay his banality and penchant for pedantic posting into a job. (I almost said job in journalism but was laughing too much to go through with it. After all we are talking the Korea Times here.)

I was reading a humourous post on Fun Times in South Korea. For some reason I decided to follow the link to a Korea Times article called Beat the Heat, Korean Style. As with Chris' post it was talking about ways to stay cool in the summer. While it wasn't pedantic it was ... kind of ... stupid in spots.

There were some interesting "health" tips like;

"If you consume cold food just because it is hot, your stomach and organs will get cold, possibly leading to flu."

Wow! Who knew it? Eating a lot of cold food can give you the flu. Really?

In the spirit of "you never know it could be true in some twisted way" I did some checking. Could find nothing to confirm this. Talked to my Sister-in-law, a nurse, and she thought I was kidding. She never heard of it.

"Scientifically, it's not a great idea to eat just cold food over and over again, as it will ruin your stomach and appetite in the long run."

So, scientifically it isn't a good idea to eat kimchi all the time then?

Once again, I looked for confirmation of this and found nothing. Maybe they mistook the old adage "everything in moderation" for scientific evidence?

Then again isn't South Korea the country that had a Government Minister declare that science wasn't important only culture was during the Mad Cow BS? They should have stuck with the culture card this time.

"The “yeonpotang” or the baby octopus stew is a favorite “boyangsik” or energy-booster for Koreans during the sizzling hot summer. "

The baby octopus stew? The? Oh wait this is the Korea Times. I almost expected some professionalism from them. Bad Flint! Bad! And since when did energy-booster equate to healthy?

"If you're not sure which to eat first and don't want to be overwhelmed with all the options, start out with something simpler, such as ``tteokbokki'' or even kimchi. "

Basically it seemed like they were just rattling off a list of spicy Korean food. After Samgaetang and Yukgaejang they stopped talking about health benefits of the ingredients and just went on about foods that will make you sweat.

"For a more modern palate, visit Taco Bell which recently opened in Itaewon a week ago. The famous chain launched its special spicy menu, perfect for both Koreans and non-Koreans to take part in the ``iyeol chiyeol'' tradition in the summer. "

Seriously? They are pushing taco Bell as a healthy way to beat the heat? Is Taco Bell a new advertiser in the Korea Times? Well then in that vein you should be heading off to Popeye's Chicken. Their spicy Cajun Chicken will help make you sweat! Follow it up with a jalapeno pepper sandwhich.

I have to wonder if Han SangHee can actually tell you what a palate is without using a dictionary. I can just see the email response now:

Yes I know! The palate is what we eat our food off of!

With pieces of shit like the Korea Times out there crappy writers still have a hope of finding a job.

Don't rock the boat!

There is something you can do if you want to fit in and be loved while living in Korea. Lie. Hold back. Never say what is on your mind if what you will do is criticize South Korea in ANY way. This is advice the Toad Man has been giving for as long as I can remember. If you are like me it falls on deaf ears. :)

For the most part Koreans don't seem to be able to take any criticism, whether constructive or not. Especially when it comes to South Korea. Criticism will bring out whole new forms of stupid as they try to show you that you are wrong, or as they try to defend against what you said. Even if it is indefensible. Look at some of the Korean net nazis.

If you want to get always be loved you have to hold back your comments even if true. The only time you seem to be able to get away with some criticism is if you trash other countries, especially the most hated ones (America, China, Japan) at the same time. For example, "The street I live on is filthy but Shanghai is filthier." They will hear "Shanghai is filthier than *insert city name here*." and all will be well.

It is kind of sad. especially when you consider how much we can and do criticize out own countries at times. It is kind of Beckian. (Glenn Beck) Thinking, even in the face of reality, that your country is perfect and can never do wrong. Or rather not being able to stomach others talking about.

I have freaked out more than one class by complaining about Canada. They would give the "holy shit" stare (when they understood). A few even said "Teacher, there is bad in your country?" Of course there is, no where is perfect. Only an idiot would think their country is perfect and could do no wrong. But I didn't quite say it that way to my students.

Hagwon owners are another good example of Koreans who can't cope with criticism. (Or co-teachers in the public schools.) If you question something they tell you to do you are criticizing them. Even if you couch it in diplomatic language that they understand. Even if they ASKED for your opinion., especially if it is an idea of theirs. Once you do that you become a bad teacher and a bad person. Everything must be great and happy in the Land of the Morning Calm. Or else.

So if you want to be a good drone and always be loved by Koreans never criticizing will help you. Of course you will never be fully accepted, unless you are Korean.

Coming to Korea

A reader emailed me recently and said she was toying with the idea of coming to South Korea to teach. She was kind of worried about being screwed over by a recruiter or hagwon. Job offers had come in but it seemed to good to be true.

That is the problem when dealing with most recruiters and hagwons. They will tell you what they think you want to hear. When you arrive in Korea you find out things are different.

The recruiters (for the most part) aren't really concerned about what you are looking for. They want to fill a position and make some money. Then move on. They will tell you whatever they have to in order to get you to South Korea and at a school. What happens after that is not their problem.

One woman who came to work at the hell hole called Ivy School was hired by such a recruiter. She told the recruiter that she did NOT want to work with kids. Only adults. The recruiter said no problem. So of course she found herself at a school that taught kindergarten up to middle school and had NO adult classes. The lieing assholes that ran the school never corrected the comments of the recruiter because they wanted a teacher ASAP.

Even dealing with Hagwons directly doesn't guarantee getting what you are looking for. As mentioned above, the hagwons will lie to you as well. One of the problems with talking to current teachers is that you can't be 100% sure you are talking to them or getting the truth. It is a good idea to try and talk to them but you have to be able to separate the chaff from the wheat.

For example many hagwons will give you the email address for a current teacher. But it is really them. The ones with poor English usually give themselves away. Some are more devious and get people who have good English pretend to be the teacher. after I stopped doing recruiting for them Ivy School would get current teachers to email prospective teachers BUT they had to send the email from work. Sometimes a Korean teacher, like the bitch of an office manager, would read what you sent. Someone with good English who would know if you told the truth about problems or bad schools. (The truth being that there are problems.)

Even when it comes to phone calls you have to be careful. Once again using Ivy School as an example, they would have you call people form the Hawgon. They would stand behind you and listen (or have someone with good English do it) to everything you said. These tactics will make some foreigners hesitate to speak the truth about schools.

It isn't always the Koreans that will screw you around either. At my first Hagwon the owner offered 300,000 won to any teacher who brought in new teachers. Matt brought in 2 new teachers, a couple. He lied and held back information because he wanted the money. The guy in the couple was a friend of his. Greedy assholes like that will screw you over just as quickly to make a buck as a recruiter or hagwon owners.

This doesn't make it easy to actually trust anyone when you trying to get to Korea for the first time. Just remember that the ONLY person you can count on to look out for your interests is YOU. Don't expect the recruiter to do it, or the hagwon, or even a friend. They all have their own interests and goals.

The best thing you can do is to research. When the recruiter gives you the name of a hagwon or school interested in you google it. A little research can go a long way. One reader once asked me about a school in Daegu called Andover. Language School. A simple google check set off a LOT of warning bells. If you have friends already there get them to ask around about the school in question. There is even a Facebook page about schools in Korea.

Not to keep repeating myself but I am going to anyway. :) Don't count on anyone to look out for your best interest except you. Do your homework. The chance of being screwed over or jerked around will be lower.

What the ... pedantic posting?

Chris in South Korea once wrote:

"I beg of you, for the love of whatever God / Goddess you believe in, to never mention the Yankee Nom / Idiot’s Tale blog ever again. It may well be a popular blog that reaches to people’s most basic needs (in the same way ‘Ow my balls!’ did in the movie ‘Idiocracy’), but it has nothing credible to assist people in Korea. I can’t believe it’s considered popular, and hope it fades into a meaningless existence."

What prompted him to do this was that in an online popularity contest ... I mean poll ... An Idiots Tale was winning. Chris' site wasn't. He felt that his blog was better because it is credible. That is, it helps new comers to Korea learn about things and gives travel information. While he felt An Idiot's Tale did nothing. (Except make people laugh.)

As I said back then, I don't usually go to his site. The few times I have gone I found it ... lacking. He tried, I have to give that to him. But for me, he failed. His pictures were ok but christ having 2 boring paragraphs describing an empty lot. No thanks. I was willing to admit that it could just be me. As Chris often whines, the site, especially the Life in Korea section, is more for newbies to Korea than "old timers".

Today a friend pointed out a post on An Idiots Tale. It talked about Chris' latest "helpful information" post. I have to say it just confirmed what I already knew. His site is pedantic. If I were a newcomer to Korea I would find it more insulting than useful because he seems to have an extremely low view of the intelligence of newbies.

In the aforementioned post, Chris came up with 4 ways to beat the heat in Korea. Reading that one would expect some insightful things. Places to go and things to do. If you expected that you were sadly mistaken. It isn't that his 4 suggestions were just bland or unimaginative. They were just so obvious that to actually use them in a serious post is crazy. His 4 points, with my comments, are:

1) Make sure your floor heat is off.

You would think that feeling it on would have someone asking their boss how to turn it off. I mean give people SOME credit. "Hey. My apartment is hot. My floor is hot. How do I shut it off? I know, I'll ask my boss."

2) Reduce the humidity.

Now this one, and the advice about the hippos, had the potential to be good. I never learned about hippos until well into my 1st summer in Korea. While they don't do much for dragging the overall humidity of a room down they are good for use in closets and enclosed balconies to prevent mold from forming. Chris' comment makes it sound the hippo will drain all the humidity from your apartment, which isn't true.

3) Use a fan or air conditioner.

How stupid are the people that frequent his page? Or how stupid does he think they are? I can't think of anyone that would need to be told this when they first get to Korea. It ranks up there with Ralph Wiggum informing Lisa that his cat's breath smells like cat food.

4) Eat ice cream or something cold. Once again ... what the kimchi?!?!? He thinks people have to be told this?!?!?!? Ralph what does your cat's breath smell like again?

This is the great information that makes his blog credible and helpful for newcomers?

In the comment section, there were only 4 comments, 2 are replies from Chris. One commentor hit the nail on the head. Mr T said:

"Are you serious? These suggestions are obvious things that a common idiot would or should know about. There is no real redeeming quality to this post."

That is a pretty spot on. I do think the Hippo stuff had some value but Chris missed it. Chris' reply basically ignored the gyst of Mr T's comment and, well, reality.

"@Mr. T - Posts starting with 'Life in Korea' are written/aimed towards those newer expats among us - not everyone knows to look for the controls on the wall, or to look for 'Hippo Packs'. Perhaps it's not as relevant to you or a more experienced expat, but there are far more 'newbies' than veterans."

What the kimchi?!?!? What the blue hell does there being more newbies than experienced people have to do with the fact that only an idiot would have to be TOLD to use a fan or air conditioner to stay cool? Only an utter moron would need to be told to eat ice cream to cool off. Nice of him to avoid mentioning those tidbits of advice in his reply.

Then I started looking at past "informative" posts.

How to get a haircut? He actually gives the tourist hotline number for people to call for help? I would suggest they do what I did ... ask their co-workers for help. It isn't rocket science.

Packing up, moving out, and moving in. You will need boxes. You should cancel your internet. Change your addresses to your new one. Throw away what you don't need. Clean. Jesus H MF Christ, are these people new to Korea or new to life?

I could go on and on but why beat a dead horse. If this is an example of a credible blog then give me the incredible ones because it sucks. I have seen better advice on Dave's ESL Cafe and that is something I NEVER thought I would say.

My advice to others would be what I am going back to do (at least until he posts something else this funny in its stupidity) which is ignore the site.

If you are new to Korea and need help talk to your co-workers or find a credible site and ask questions there. A site where you aren't assumed to have the IQ of a door knob.

What the ... Real Job?!?

"Why don't you get a real job?" is something you hear from internet morons and sometimes real life ones. I heard it a lot while working in Korea, especially dealing with the Korean Kimchi Kommandoes.

Exactly what do these brain trusts think a real job is? A job is something you do to earn money to live. If married to help support your family.

Well, when I worked in Korea I had a real job. I provided a service, teaching English, and was compensated for that. The compensation took the form of my monthly pay and my apartment. I made more than someone making minimum wage in Canada who was working more hours. I made ... and for you freaks reading this now is when your head will start to hurt because I am asking you to THINK ... a living.

Unlike some of these KKK assholes I also CONTRIBUTED to the South Korean economy. One of the things these wastes of space like to prattle on about when attacking people teaching English in Korea is that we are a drain on the country. We contribute nothing. A lot of these fucktards are sitting in their parents basements in the USA rambling on about how great the Motherland is. Many of them haven't even been to Korea. But THEY know what it is like in Korea and they contribute more than we stupid foreigners ever could.

Bubble bursting time morons. Those of us WORKING in South Korea contribute more to the country than you probably ever will unless you get off your asses and MOVE to Korea and WORK. We don't just earn a wage and send all the money home. Even the people who send a sizeable chunk of change home STILL contribute more than these KKK idiots.

I know these twits are confused right now. After all how could the foreigners who don't have real jobs possibly contribute? Well, for starters, we ALL pay taxes. Which the South Korean government uses to run the country. We also support local businesses with our daily living requirements. We don't import our food from our home country and never eat local. We pay for utilities. Most of this money goes into the local, not just the national, economy. Which is a bigger contribution than these Kyopo Kunts make, let alone the fanboys sitting in their parents apartments in South Korea playing Star Craft and whining about foreigners, make to South Korea.

Like it or now, teaching English in South Korea is a job. By any definition of the word. Some people may want to quibble or be self-deprecating but they are just fooling themselves. Not only is it a real job but it allows us to contribute to the South Korean economy.

Mook Of The Week

There are so many candidates.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
We'll get to 'em sooner or later, though.
I see so many when I'm driving, I wish I had someone riding shotgun to take the picture.
Like this morning when I was heading to my TESOL class. I came to the intersection just before the university, and I'm going to make a right turn (Clyde!).
The first available lane is open, so I can make the turn okay, but the next available lane is not open. Some dumb cunt has stopped and is chatting gaily away with another dumb cunt coming the other way. The both of them are blocking not only two lanes, but anyone who wants to turn into them from any of the other roads leading into the intersection.
They were still talking away after I had made my turn and was going into the university parking lot!
Fucking mooks!
But since I couldn't get a photo of them, this week's mook is the dumb fuck in an SUV, who has stopped in the middle of a six-way intersection. When mooks do something like this, I always wonder why they just don't keep going, rather than sit in the fucking middle and block the way.
Mooks don't usually pay attention to yellow lights, other than to speed up and make it before the light turns red. And even when the light does turn red, they think it's only a suggestion, and some of 'em keep going. This idiot must've thought he could make it, and then decided he couldn't. Of course, he stopped where he could cause the most confusion.

All of the other vehicles coming from the left had to bypass him to get through. They passed behind and in front of him. I would have let him know he was number one! (Hmmmmmm, what finger is that?)
You, you waste of skin, are a mook!

Damn!

It looks like the Korean Rum diary is gone for good now. I popped by a little while ago to see if there was anything new and there wasn't. Mind you there wasn't anything old either. All of KRD's old posts are gone. :(

You will be missed Rummy. Best of luck in your future endeavours.

Teaching kids

Discrimination is usually a good topic for free talking and high level classes as is gender roles. The two subjects can actually be merged when you talk about men doing jobs we traditionally associate with women. Society tends to look down on men that do those jobs.

When we see a man who is a hair dresser, secretary, or steward some people think they must be gay. It was ingrained into our heads that these jobs and some others were for women not men. Real men would never do those jobs according to the bigots.

When we see a man who is a nurse many people think, and some assholes say, "What? You weren't good enough to be a doctor?" One of my best friends has felt the bite of this kind of bigotry. He went into nursing and has worked ever since getting his degree as an emergency room nurse. He loves the job and those he work with love his skill and dedication. But he still has to put up with the odd asshole making gay or "not good enough to be a doctor" comments.

When we see men teaching elementary school some people think they must be gay or perverts. God forbid the guy actually says he enjoys teaching kids. Then the idiots think they MUST just be there to find kids to molest.

When it comes to homosexuals these idiots (the ones who think they just want to molest children) forget something very important. Being gay doesn't mean you are sexually attracted to children. But the tiny brain of the bigot can't comprehend that. They fear that if they aren't there cruising for kids then they must be there to convert the kids to homosexuality. Like I said, tiny brains. They just can't comprehend anything outside of the box their little life fits into.

When it comes to male teachers at the elementary level everything I have heard from parents and educators in Canada says the opposite. Schools would kill to get a male who wants to teach at the elementary level. They are in high demand. Many parents want a male teacher at that level too. They feel the kids can use a male role model during those years and a male elementary school teacher would do that.

There is a small segment of society, the tiny brained ones previously mentioned, who disregard reality and think their bigoted view is the norm. They are one of the reasons men STAY AWAY from teaching at this level. Fear of running into these morons and being attacked by them.

Recently on one web site a Korean-American "woman" going by the name of Angry Mother pretty much spewed out the examples of this stupidity that I talked about in some of my classes. He is the perfect example of one of these morons. Yes, I said he. Angry Mother sounds more like Angry Homophobe or Troll Man and not a woman. Spewing forth all the bigoted stereotypes that tend to be put out when one of them sees a man in a job we traditionally see as woman's work.

Here are some of the comments the troll made.

Angry Mother said...

It makes perfect sense. How many schools back home hire adult males to teach elementary aged children? None that I know of. There's a reason for that -- 1. parents wouldn't be at all comfortable with it 2. you really have to question the motives of a man who WANTS to teach little children. Any normal, well adjusted man would rather stick his dick in a blender than babysit children. But here in Korea every guy from Michigan, Manitoba, Manchester and Melbourne seem to be teaching kindy kids. And 99% of them are complete freaks. No way id allow my kid near one of these classes.

July 8, 2010 2:01 PM

Angry Mother said...

...

And dont even start with the whole "its something i really enjoy doing" bullshit. No grown man would want to do that as a career. Not only is it really embarrassing but its creepy too.

Qualified female teachers -- ok i can understand it. They are more nurturing and understanding. A grown man has no business whatsoever being in a classroom with small children. Period. And the more you dispute it, the more you prove my point. You are a freakshow loser trying to defend your lack of ambition, laziness and possible pedophilia tendencies.

Guys not qualified to work at a 7-11 in their home countries and molding impressionable young children? Wow, sign me up.

July 8, 2010 2:49 PM

...

How do your fathers feel about your line of work? You even tell them? I imagine them to be horribly embarrassed by the whole thing. All that money dropped into a post-secondary education to sit infront of a group of children who wouldnt bat an eyelash if you turned up dead in a gutter one morning.

Must be really fulfilling work repeating "banana" over and over again though.

Unless of course you are hiding a raging hard-on while doing it. Which woulnd't surprise me in the least with you lot.

Angry Mother said...

Here's a reality check for all your losers: most adults who work real jobs and have children feel exactly the same way I feel. Grown men have no business teaching kindy kids. Yes i know, i know I am a spiteful, horrible man hating cunt. Yet I have an ambassador for a husband who i love dearly and 2 young boys whom i also love dearly. And the accredited, international school they go to ONLY hires certified teachers -- non of which are male at an elementary level. Yah, as it should be and as it is the world over.

July 8, 2010 5:22 PM

Angry Mother said...

Read: ignorant and uniformed that their child is being cared for by a sexual predator. Way to go champ. Keep patting yourself on the back (and your children on the ass). You're accomplishing so so much. You must go to bed at night with a real feeling of accomplishment.

By the way, im Korean-American so i'll let you deduce my husbands country of origin. And even it was Zimbabwe or Yemen what does it matter to you? You're a racist and a child molester? Wow, Korea sure is continuing the trend of hiring the best of the best.

Angry Mother said...

If you teach kindy kids and you are male do the world a favor and jump off a building. Nobody will miss you. Especially the children who put up with the dancing monkey a few hours a week.

July 9, 2010 12:06 PM

When a female blogger replied to Angry Homphobe he got indignant.

Angry Mother said...

Wow, typical liberal western bullshit sentimentalism.

Hey airhead, since you claim to be an educator yourself, tell me, how often have you seen a male adult teaching primary aged children back in your home country? Dont bother answering because I know the answer: its zero. And why is that? Because NORMAL men dont want to do it and parents dont want grown men alone with their children.

And yes, a grown man applying for a job teaching kindy kids is fucking suspicious. As a parent thats just the way it is. They are either gay, completely fucked up or a child molester. To be fair to most of you male teachers, dont worry, i know most of you fall in that 2nd category.

July 8, 2010 4:06 PM

Angry Mother said...

I'll say it again. Any adult male teaching kindy kids is completely fucked up or is doing it strictly to make money. It's a crucial time in a child's development. Pardon me if i want my child being molded by a teacher who is certified, compassionate and actually wants to be there (as you see in elementary schools the states). Not some washed-up loser who is trying to make a quick buck like he's begrudgingly working construction for a summer to play some bills.

You people are fucked if you can't see this.

*******

Of course the guy purporting to be Angry Mother also claims to be a Korean-American woman who is the wife of an Ambassador.

" Yes i know, i know I am a spiteful, horrible man hating cunt. Yet I have an ambassador for a husband who i love dearly and 2 young boys whom i also love dearly."

"By the way, im Korean-American so i'll let you deduce my husbands country of origin."

Unless, of course, "her" sons want to become Elementary School teachers. Then "she" will have to sacrifice them on the altar of "her" bigotry. Always nice to see the wife of an Ambassador trolling blogs. :)

Mind you if "her" husband is an Ambassador is "she" implying her husband is the US Ambassador Kathleen Stephens? That would make "her" a self-loathing lesbian then wouldn't it? If it were true. But like most of what spewed out of Angry Mothers .... pie hole ... it is just so much noise. Like a good bilabial fricative.

"i have a post secondary eduction -- a B.A in finance and an M.A International Relations. I had a private (and very lucrative) consulting practice for almost 10 years. And no, i've never worked a 9-5 job. My working hours were usually more in the range of 8am-10pm. "

Ah the old I am much better educated, employed, and wealthier so I am better than you ploy. Standard troll tactics. My husband is an Ambassador. My family loves me. I am better educated than you. I had a better job then you. I am better than you. Yet I still come trolling on a blog. Sorry "Mom" you get a FAIL on believability but a PASS on trolling.

I was going to say it is hard to believe someone is this bigoted and stupid but then again there is Sarah Palin. But I digress. This was supposed to be about the bigotry people face when taking jobs that traditionally go to the opposite gender.

I do owe Angry Mother a thank you even if "she" is just a troll. Next time the subject of discrimination and gender roles comes up I have some GREAT material to use to illustrate the assholes people have to put up with when taking jobs that are seen as traditional for the other gender.

Murder by Mook?

A tip of the hat to an anonymous reader for pointing out the Marmot's Hole article which pointed me to the Jongang Daily article.

We have talked a lot about the obliviousness and selfishness of many Koreans on this blog. Unfortunately, a prime example of it became a literal hit on the highway.

This fine example of a mook, who has the surname Kim, caused the deaths of 12 people and injuries to 12 others. According to the article her car had engine troubles so she STOPPED HER CAR in the middle of Incheon Bridge. She didn't pull it to the side of the road she left it iN THE MIDDLE. Then she walked to the shoulder and called her insurance agent. She just put her 4 way flashers on, a common site on a normal day in Korea, and left the car.

A 1 ton truck tried to avoid it but hit it. A few seconds later an Airport Bus tried to avoid the two vehicles but hit the car and went off the bridge.

What makes this story even sadder, and that bitch more of a murderer, is that she was told At THE TOLL GATES not to drive the car. It was reported that when the car went through the toll gates the driver noticed something was wrong. She pulled over to the shoulder. She was told by a toll gate worker not to drive the car. Of course she ignored it and got a whole 300 meters before stopping it again leading to the crash. What a bizzy ditch!

Police say the bus driver was also culpable for the crash because he wasn't a safe distance back from the truck and was not paying enough attention to the road. NO? Really? A Korean driver NOT paying attention to the road and what is going on around them? Say it isn't so!

A senseless tragedy that could have been AVOIDED if the drivers weren't mooks. 12 lives snuffed out because of some oblivious and selfish assholes. :(

I don't mean to make light of what happened with the references to mooks and murder. At the least these assholes should be charged with negligent homicide. Personally I believe that their gross stupidity deserves something stronger like a murder charge. Make an example of them.

Shave and a haircut .... not here.

I miss getting my hair cut in Korea. It is possible to get a straight razor shave with your cut at most barber shops. (You haven't been able to get a shave at a barber shop in Canada in well over a decade. Maybe over 2 decades.) The Barber barber shop not the massage parlour and sex barber shop. ;)

I found Blue Club (for Men) when I lived in Yongam-dong. Always went there after that. When I moved to GaGyeong-Dong there was a Blue Club by my school. They know how to treat a customer.

Blue Club breaks things down so even the most clueless newbie to Korea can get a haircut. They have pictures showing the 6, or is it 8, main cuts they do. A basic cut costs about $5. For $7-8 you can get a head massage shampoo. They also dye hair.

Today I went to the hair shop I have always gone to at home. I haven't been there in 2 years. It has changed a lot. The staff is still great. Very friendly and efficient. But it cost $22 for a cut and shampoo! A men's die would have cost another $20 if I wanted one. At Blue club a mens cut, dye, and shampoo is $20. Plus in korea there is NO tipping.

In Korea they treat you like a VIP when you are getting a haircut. They MADE good drip coffee for customers. Usually threw in a bit of a head massage even if you weren't getting one. As I have said many times Korean's are usually good at customer service.

While service was good today by Canadian standards it would have been considered poor service in Korea. Had to drown my sorrows in a cup of Tim Horton's coffee.

Hand Rolled Cigars

As regular readers of this blog know, Flint and I are cigar smokers, and we have enjoyed many a fine cigar in Korea, thanks to the good folks at Maska's Cigar Shop, located in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul.
This past Saturday, Maska's hosted a hand rolling event, which featured Alfredo, a roller from the H. Upmann Company. I took the opportunity to travel to Seoul on a hot and humid day with the threat of rain. It's a fairly quick trip to Seoul, though, and the hotel is conveniently located next to the terminal.
I arrived about 3:30. The event was scheduled to start at 4:00, but Alfredo was running a bit late. Each person signing up for the event was eligible for two cigars, so I signed up early.
Alfredo was rolling torpedoes, robusto's, Churchill's, and even double robusto's. I requested one of each of the latter two.
Alfredo set up on a table in the lobby. He had a cigar cutting machine, a wooden cutting board, and a couple of blades for trimming the tobacco leaves. Rolling cigars is almost an art form, and Alfredo is a master.

He starts be selecting the leaves that will become the outer wrapper. The leaf is folded in half, and the stem is taken out. The two halves are then trimmed for consistency, and then laid aside.

Alfredo begins assembling the leaves to be wrapped by bunching a variety from seperate piles into his hand, ripping off bits here and there, and making sure the bunch is a relatively standard length.
Once enough leaves have been put together, Alfredo begins rolling them in the outer wrapper. He makes it look so easy, and the finished product is so tightly wrapped, you wonder if the cigar will draw. Believe me, it does!

The only thing left to do after rolling up the cigar is to finish off the cap. It's sealed with wax, and topped off with a small piece of tobacco so that the one end is completely wrapped. The other end is left untrimmed, in a very rough condition.

The whole process takes about ten minutes to complete, and Vince (Maska's owner) made sure that Alfredo was happy by making sure a tumbler of scotch was always close to hand. Nice working conditions! I wish my boss was so considerate...
Vince says that these cigars are very good if smoked right away (I can attest to that). But after about a week, the cigar takes on a kind of "green" taste, and it's best to let them mature for about a year in order to get a good cigar taste.
After watching Alfredo for a while, and then receiving my cigars, I repaired to the smoking area for a puff. Complemented by tumbler after tumber of Glennfiddich, the double robusto was a magnificent smoke, lasting almost two hours. I was flying at the end of it.

I chatted with Vince for a while, and was lucky enough to be able to sign up for another cigar, this time a torpedo. I'm trying to decide if I should smoke it tonight, or try the Churchill.
Happy dilemma!

What The... Cho-ah?!

Readers of this blog might remember a story about mook vocabulary. The word "mook" was used for the basis of what the usual mook has to say, with various expletives thrown in. Anyone who begins to understand Korean (and Korean profanity) realizes sooner or later that it's fairly widespread among the population - even the kids.
Last winter, Flint and I added "cho-ah," the Korean word for cold, to the average mook conversation. It was, and is, their habit to constantly comment on the cold, whether it was to say, "It's cold," "I'm cold," "They're cold," "It's so fucking cold," etc., etc., etc.
I wondered, as winter turned to spring, what the mooks would say instead of "cho-ah." Would it be "tta-ttu," (warm)? Or "i-go," (hot)?
No, I have learned, they still say "cho-ah."
What the kimchi?
The hagwon where I work has an ancient air conditioning system that barely stays ahead of the heat and humidity. When the clasroom is full of 10-12 students, things can become... uncomfortable.
There is one room that is equipped with an extra wall unit, but I'm only in there twice a week. My favourite days to teach.
And the teacher's room gets pretty cool, as the teachers are not there during class. During break, it's a nice oasis for me, but every Korean teacher who walks in says "cho-ah," as soon as they feel the A/C hit them.
It's like it's still winter for them.
The room with the extra A/C unit gets positively chilly. If I crank it, even I begin to feel uncomfortable. I try to keep it at a point where both myself and the Koreans aren't distracted by the temperature, but I'm beginning to think this is impossible.
Arms will get withdrawn into t-shirts, so it looks like I'm teaching a class of amputees.
There's always at least one kid who mutters "cho-ah." Sometimes they'll say, "Alan, cold!" to which I reply, "No, I'm not."
Never let an opportunity go by to either teach them proper English, or torture them.