Oct 25
By Gabriel Sylvian with Iwazaru
The Eternal of My Youth
I want something different that is not this.
I want to go somewhere different that is not here.
Suffering
Loneliness
Longing
The eternal triangle of my youth.
Oct 25
By Lee Scott
Leveraging social media is a new headache for webmasters. Recently, I listened to a friend of mine complain how he’d lost access to his Facebook account. “Why?” I asked him. Surely there must have been some kind of warning process. “I think it might be because I was sending friend requests to lots of random people and I was constantly trying to promote my music,” he replied. Wait…isn’t that what Facebook is supposed to be about?
Oct 25
The Sexualization of Korea (lawmaker proposes ban on “forced excessive body exposure”)
Korean Life 7 comments!By Iwazaru
The ROK airwaves and broadband are buzzing this week with a story about a 30-something-year-old female middle school teacher who had sexual relations with a 15-year-old student.
Where things get interesting and slightly confounding is the fact that there aren’t any legal grounds to punish the teacher—the mother did report it—due to the fact that it was “consensual” and the boy isn’t under 13. Yep, 13.
Oct 25
By Alex Lowry
The Monkees – Introduction (Hey hey we’re the…)
This harmless tune is bright and cheery, yet there’s something disingenuous about the whole thing; after all, the “Monkees” wouldn’t know the first thing about being a monkey. (An aside: learn to spell, you cheeky bastards…) In the end, the song is an inert attempt to emulate the Kinks and the Beatles, back when that was the most lucrative thing to do. It’s not terrible, but this monkey can think of a thousand other songs he’d rather go to heaven or hell for, but alas I digress…
Oct 24
By John Kay
“Go on then, so what’s the connection between Ken Dodd and Kim Jong il?”
”Ok, both men have a wild shock of dark hair; both men are exactly 5 feet 7 inches tall; both are fully experienced in the art of public speaking: only Ken Dodd is intentionally absurd and funny while Kim Jong Il does it by accident. My plan is this; first Ken Dodd is trained to look, walk, talk and think like Kim Jong il. This may have to be done partly by hypnosis just like nikita only without the sex appeal. Then the next time Kim Jong Il goes on a diplomatic begging mission to China a switch is made. Our aging comedian and former chart topper makes his Stalinist way to Pyongyang; while Kim Jong il is swiftly smuggled out of China and kept under lock and key. Once in Pyongyang our comedian come dictator starts a massive series of reforms both economic and political, which lead to the first democratic elections north of the DMZ. Unification is then only a handshake away.”
Oct 18
By Remo Dello
Most of my students had never been to the Statue of Liberty and/or Ellis Island. From a class of 30, 20 decided to come, the group including students from Albania, Yemen, Palestine, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico China, Korea (of course) and Vietnam. Working with so many different ethnic groups was challenging but after while you know what to expect and my strategy was to try to get them thinking about that now they are here in New York and for better or worse all part of the same world.
So on the day of the trip, on my way down to Battery Park on the subway, I am on my cell calling the tour agent to tell her exactly how many of us will be there in one hour! Funny thing is she kind of expected that last minute dash—like she was used to it. I kept telling myself this will be worth it. These students better get something out of this for all the headaches I am dealing with.
Oct 18
By Mizaru
When reading any of the English language mainstream press in Korea, it is hard not to run into something sooner or later that comes out against “Konglish”. You know the phrases in English with a Korean twist to its usage. “Handphone” instead of cell phone or cellular phone; “One shot” instead of cheers or bottoms up quickly come to mind. The mainstream hack with perhaps too little time or spirit to explore fresh expression no doubt wants to grind Konglish back down to earth and chastise anyone who is not at open war with it. Tirades against “Konglish” are often delivered by various Korean government officials with a PhD.
Oct 18
By Lauren McGee
Finally stepping off the shuttle bus at the entrance of Nanji Park, everyone cheered and bounced off. There was a party in my eyes when I saw the various stalls and themed tents and even a big bus with a roof to dance on. There was no limitations on getting your Western fix and the festival had everything from chilli fries, quesadillas to Indian food.
Oct 18
By Tony MacGregor
I had been living in the Thong Poon Hotel in room 95/904 for about a month studying for an M.A. degree in Buddhism at Kasicorn University in Bangkok when the presence came.
I wasn’t upset when I began feeling something beside me in the icy water of the cold pool in the sauna. It felt benign, even kindly, floating beside me, translucent and imageless. It was there and yet not there. I felt it but why was it there?
I had made an impulsive decision to come to Bangkok to study Buddhism after three years of working in Seoul, Korea. In Korea I had worked too hard for too long, slept too little, pushed myself too hard and finally became exhausted. I had originally intended to study Buddhism in Myanmar but the military government wouldn’t let me in because I’m a journalist so I ended up at the Hotel Thong Poon.
Oct 11
By Mizaru
The lack of concern that the Won Chon school managers showed towards what was happening or not-happening in the class was disconcerting. Some days I would make a copy of the lesson plan and bring it to the school principal and he would smile and approve getting back to his day. The rest of the administration never took much of an interest. The Ministry of Justice officials were always pluming and gossiping with themselves while walking around upon the compound. The same ones who were only a few months earlier so impressed with my baseball prowess now often looked in the English class at me with winces and vexations. It seemed to me like one of those prime-time TV shows when the tribal council gathers together to decide who they are happy with living on their island and who they decided was going to have to go.
Oct 11
By Kathy Fidler
Despite a seating capacity of 450 and wait staff who move at lightning speed, there’s always a crowd. Tables are communal, with cushioned floor seating and shared pots of kimchi. The regular menu fits comfortably on a small wooden plaque. The fame and crowds are definitely a part of the experience: people exchange pleasantries with each other at the tables, but the staff is too busy to chitchat with anyone (except, presumably, the heads of state that drop in for a meal).
The signature dish is samgyetang, a soup made from a whole chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, dates, and chestnuts. The broth is mild but richer than it looks, especially after the rice stuffing is mixed in. Each serving comes in a hefty clay pot with a side dish of salt and pepper for dipping the chicken.
Oct 09
“Like I said,” resumed Mike, speaking solely to Reggie, “I can’t see it from here. Even so, supposing that fellow is missing half his pinkie finger. What’s more likely… there’s someone else out there in the big, wide world missing half a pinky finger… or someone who, even though their one-hit wonder band was buried, still made millions on that one hit, is now slumming in South Korea, teaching English to Korean munchkins?”
Oct 07
By Iwazaru
Since the beginning of the week Korea has been abuzz about this video clip of an older woman, an ajjuma, wrestling with a schoolgirl who reportedly brushed the woman with her muddy shoes. The older woman, who according to reports and netizens is notorious for seeking squabbles on Line 2, rebuffed the girls apologies and latched on to her while other riders looked on.
The general public seems split on the issue as the deference to the elderly is deeply ingrained and in almost any physical altercation between young and old, the benefit of the doubt is given to the old. Yet, the women looks to be accosting the girl excessively and her reported reputation hasn’t helped her case.
In addition, the nonchalance and passivity of the passengers has drawn criticism; why didn’t someone step in to separate them?
Oct 04
By Conor O’Reilly
Don’t let this fool you! The whole festival is a massive outlet for people trying to be cool, trying to be real, trying to festival. It’s a place where people try to escape into the streets, have run-ins with the 5-O, dress over conspicuously and raise their chin higher than the person they are talking to. This is a place where people walk down the street with an empty guitar case just to get the nod from a fellow case carrier. Yes, the Hardly Bothered Coming Festival® really is a wonderful place to be cool. Disgusting!
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