Damn

Shawn Matthews is gone. He took his own life in China.

To those who travel the Korean Blog circuit, Shawn was something of a minor celebrity due to the popularity of his Korea life Blog and then later his China Life Blog.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Shawn. We exchanged an e-mail or two over the years and I was an avid reader of his writings. I, like many others, lived vicariously through him at times as it seemed he could see the bright side of any messed up situation.

This whole thing has brought home to me the power of the internet. Even though I never met him, I felt a tremendous sense of loss at the news of his passing. I felt as if I knew him through his blogs and that he was a friend of sorts. Strange feeling.

The how's and why's of his suicide are covered in some detail on blogs written by those who knew him best.

He will definitely be missed. I know I will miss him. Is it strange to miss someone you never met?

All I can say is....damn.

RIP Shawn.

Things are looking up!

Yesterday, I was in the office making copies for my first class of the day when I heard the Director of the English Department say "LOJ is that you?" He then strolled into the office and stated "I have some good news." I replied, " I could use some right now." He continued, "You can have Phillip's 2 bedroom apartment on campus." Hot damn! So now I have my "Winter home" in one part of Jeju and my "Summer Home" in another. Yep, LOJ is movin' on up to the big time!

I took the opportunity to inquire as to my status for the next semester. I asked "Am I going to be here in September?" I continued "I've heard some things and rumors are starting to fly about the department." My director replied "You are our best teacher, of course you will be here in September." I don't know if I really believe him, but combined with the new apartment I am inclined to believe it. Good news. But I did notice he didn't comment about the rumors about the department. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Later that day, two of my students, who are Culinary/Cuisine majors brought me a large piece of sweet bread they had been working on in preparation for their final exams. I can say, without reservation, it was some of the best darn bread I have tasted in quite awhile! There went my diet.

Good news and a full stomache, life was good today.

Election Madness

I can't wait for the elections to take place. The Korean way of campaigning, while at first interesting and fun to watch, has quickly become bothersome.

The candidate's trucks blaring music and recorded speeches while driving around my neighborhood at all hours are irritating to say the least. Added to this, the campaign ajumma hit squads that wait in ambush pouncing on unsuspecting couples out for an evening stroll. After bowing deeply, these campaign ninjas then try to convince you to vote for their candidate. Their arguments include such gems as "He went to your school!" (This was said to me last week!) or "He is a college student!" or the ever successful "Puhlleeaassee vote for him. He is handsome." At first it was kinda cute, but now I loathe seeing the sugary sweet, overly polite campaign volunteers approaching my wife and I while we take our evening strolls. May 31st can't come fast enough for me.

My wife asked me for whom I thought she should cast her vote? I told her that she should ask her father who is the best candidate and then vote for the other guy. My wife asked me why she should do that and I told her because I like to see her father hyperventilate.

My father-in-law is really into the elections. I love reminding him that he voted for Roh. And just think the World Cup is just around the corner! Soon I will be able watch the games with my father-in-law and cheer for every team that plays against Korea! I like to live dangerously.

Random Stuff

The past week has been fast and furious at work. Sometimes things were moving too fast and at other times things made me furious. But I guess that can be said of any job. The reprecussions stemming from Philip's midnight run are still being felt. I am counting the days until this semester ends.

I am getting the feeling there is something in the wind at the college. Some of the other professors are acting a little strange. Well, let me clarify. They are acting stranger than usual. Without going into specifics as to why, I have come to the conclusion that the English department at the college is going to be restructured and/or downsized. We currently have 3 foreign teachers. If I was a betting man, I would bet that that number will be smaller by September. The issue is further muddied by the fact that the other two foreign teachers are a married couple. So, if they decide to get rid of one teacher it will be me by default. If they decide to get rid of two it will be them. If they decide to just hire part-timers from area hogwans, like Tamna University did/does, then all three of us are history.

The problem is, as with most things, the powers that be will not inform anyone until the very last minute. So, of course, you won't have time to do a quality job hunt. Another issue is that if I go with my gut instinct and start to send out resumes, my director will find out and may consider me to be disloyal or "Not part of the team." I always found it funny that the only time, as a foreigner, you are really part of the team is when they want something from you. But that's another subject.

My wife has suggested that I approach the director with my misgivings. I am tempted to broach the subject, but how can I believe what he says when I am not even sure he is getting the straight information from his superiors? In addition, by doing so would I be signaling a willingness or desire on my part to leave and make it an easy decision for the administration? I don't know what to do at this point. *Sigh*

I am going to keep my eyes peeled for college/university positions opening on Jeju Island. If I see an opportunity.........

Last night I went to see the Da Vinci Code with my wife and a friend. We went to the Lotte 7 Cinema which is located under the World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo. It is a nice theater. In fact, it is the nicest one I have been to on Jeju Island. But then again, it is only the third one I've been to on Jeju Island.

The movie, in my humble opinion, was terrible. I read the book and maybe that's why I found the movie version of the story so bad. It doesn't even come close to the quality of the book. I am a Tom Hanks fan, but found his performance in the movie below average at best. When the movie ended my friend stated "I have no idea what happended. I am lost." Be advised that there is a good amount of French dialog in the film and the subtitles for the French are, of course, in Korean. So, if you don't read Korean - quickly - you may miss the flow of the story. That was my friend's problem, I think.

Well, the sun is supposed to come out today. I think I'll take the family to Jungmun Beach and relax.

Korean Class Orientation

Yesterday was the long awaited orientation meeting for the free Korean language class at the local “dong” office.

It turns out there will be about 16 students. The nationalities include:

미국 (U.S. = 1)
영국 (U.K. = 1)
일본 (Japan = 3)
필리핀 (Philippines = 5)
캄보디아 (Cambodia = 1)
중국 (China = 2)
한국계중국인 (Korean-Chinese = 2)
베트남 (Vietnam = 1)

There are only 3 men in the class. The men include me, my new friend from the U.K. and one of the three students from Japan. The only white guys in the class are the man from the U.K. and I. We also appear to be the only ones over 40 years of age. There was supposed to be an Aussie man in the class. Unfortunately, the Aussie is the same man that executed the “Midnight Run” from my school. I didn’t expect him to show up, of course, but it would have been nice to have the opportunity to ask him “Why?” (while I was throwing him off the roof of the building)

The orientation was conducted entirely in Korean and it became apparent that some in the class were totally lost. It finally became apparent to the organizers about half-way through the meeting. Some, like my new friend can’t even read Hangul yet. The ladies from Vietnam and Cambodia and one Korean-Chinese could not construct a simple introduction. I don’t say this as a put down, it is just that when their level is compared with that demonstrated by some of the Filipina’s and Japanese students, it is evident the class has a wide range of ability levels.

The teacher is an older woman who attended a college on the mainland and graduated from Jeju National University. According to her resume she has a degree in Korean Language and Culture. Her resume doesn’t list special or formal training in teaching Korean as a Second Language (KSL). But then again, how many English teachers in Korea have any specialized training in ESL/EFL? So, I can’t really count this as a negative.

The class schedule changed and will now be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 – 6:00pm. The class will begin on the 5^th of June. The materials will be passed out at that time. The class will be conducted entirely in Korean.

My only concern so far is that the wide range of abilities in the class will cause the teacher to fall into the trap of paying more attention to the “advanced” students and leaving the struggling students behind. I have seen this dynamic at work in many EFL classes. It is easier for the teacher to interact with the advanced students so they get more attention and help while the lower ability students become frustrated and drop out. We shall see.

The teacher did say that she was going to be a little bit strict with the class and give homework every class. She assigned us homework for the next class. We are supposed to write a self-introductory letter addressing our personal history and life in Korea. I wonder if I should mention that unfortunate incident involving me, a bottle of tequila, a German shepherd and a plunger? Naw, probably not a good idea at this point.

Korean Class Update #4

Last Friday I received another letter from the local “dong” office. There is supposed to be an orientation class tomorrow, Tuesday 5/23. This will be followed 2 weeks later by the start of the class.

According to the letter, the class has to start after the elections because having a group of people at the dong office might constitute a violation of Korean election laws!!?? The fact that none of the group are eligible to vote in Korea doesn’t matter. So, in keeping with this somewhat suspect reasoning, the class has been scheduled to start, officially, on June 5^th.

Anyways, today I received a text message on my cell phone confirming the orientation meeting tomorrow. My wife also received the same message on her phone, and then they called my wife to confirm she had received the text message and that I was going to show up tomorrow. I have a sneaking suspicion there is going to be some big-wig at the office tomorrow and they want to show off the local “weigukin.” I don’t know, but it seems they have gotten real animated about this class for some reason. We’ll see.

This last weekend, I stopped by BookTown in Jeju City and browsed through the English section on the second floor. While there I saw an advertisement for Korean language classes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm. I was thinking I might stop by and check them out some time soon.

Midnight Run

The lack of updates the past few days is a direct result of a midnight run. Not mine, but by one of the teachers at my college. It is one of the few times I have ever heard of someone doing a runner from a college. I have no idea why the so-called teacher, named Phillip, (yes, that is his real name – this son-of-a-bitch person doesn’t deserve anonymity) abandoned his position, and students, with only 4 teaching weeks left in the semester. But the simple fact is, this ass-wipe teacher left last weekend. Of course, with only a few weeks to go in the semester the administration is not going to hire a new teacher. So they, and I, have gone into survival mode. I have been given the honor of teaching dick-head’s Phillip’s students. This has, in effect, doubled my work load. As an example, in my morning intermediate level class I have been given 10 new students. The problem is the new students are all basic level. To say this has put the breaks on the entire class is an understatement. I have now two different classes occupying the same physical space every morning. It reminds me of a very bad Star Trek episode. I don’t even want to talk about the mess my afternoons have become because of this irresponsible piece of cow dung teacher named Phillip. But I shall muddle through until the end of the semester. I just feel really bad for his students, and mine.

When I was speaking with the department director about the situation he stated something to the effect of “I don’t understand why this…………Phillip… did this.” I answered, “Well, first of all the word you are looking for is “Son-of-a-bitch.” He brightened up, smiled and said “Thank you.” “Yeah, that son…of…a…bitch.” It seemed I had given him permission of sorts to let his guard down and say what he really felt. The venom in his voice was almost palpable.

I don’t care what people say, in this situation, there was NO justification for the run.

So, Phillip you miserable piece of crap, thank you for validating the opinions of those Korean professors at the college who think the foreign staff are worthless. You did more damage than you can imagine with your irresponsible, juvenile, ethically and morally corrupt actions.

Korean Class Update 3

I had my wife call the local "dong" office today. Since it is the 15th and they did say the class would begin "next week" or "middle of May" I thought it might begin today. Wrong again.

After being transferred 3 times and having to call back twice, my wife eventually ended up speaking with someone who knew something about the class, well, sort of. She was told the students would be called this week and the class would begin next week. Unfortunately, this is the same story we have been told for the past 3 weeks. *Sigh*

Don't Forget!!!

Just a reminder that today is Mother's Day. If you are over here and your mother is "over there" go ahead and give her a call.

And while I'm on the subject, Father's Day is coming up in a month or so. It is not too early to let your dad know you were thinking about him. I know it may seem kind of "mushy" but it is well worth the effort.

If I could add one little piece of advice: If you have issues with either or both of your parents that are causing hard feelings, clear them up now. I can tell you from personal experience that it sucks to live with "I wish I would have told them....etc., etc.." or "I'm sorry" after they are gone.

I was never an overly emotional kind of guy - before my daughter was born - but I really wish I could have told my father how I really felt.

I remember when I first arrived in Korea, I would inwardly snicker at my Korean in-laws when I would see them start crying when certain songs were played/sung at the local Noraebang. I would think "Hey, it's only a song. Jeez." Or "Get a grip, people."

A few years ago I heard a song that made me change my way of thinking. It is a country song by Brad Paisley.

Artist/Band: Paisley Brad
Lyrics for Song: He Didn't Have To Be
Lyrics for Album: Who Needs Pictures

When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone
Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes

And then all of a sudden
Oh, it seemed so strange to me
How we went from something's missing
To a family
Lookin' back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be

I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago
We had the perfect marriage but we wanted somethin' more
Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends
Crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in

And now all of a sudden
It seemed so strange to me
How we've gone from something's missing
To a family
Lookin' through the glass I think about the man
That's standin' next to me
And I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be

Lookin' back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be

Yeah, I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be
Because he didn't have to be
You know he didn't have to be

It seemed as if the lyrics were speaking directly to me and said the things that I wanted to tell my own father. But it's too late now.

Give 'em a call.

It's not over yet.

I thought when I wrote about the ups and downs of this last week I could safely assume it was over. Wrong.

My car has been returned. The front passenger side quarter panel has been replaced and looks better than new.

As I was leaving, the repair master said that I should return in a few days to take care of the pieces on the car that are rusting through. Say what!!??

I came back to the rancho del LOJ and thought I'd check a few Korean language study sites. I found a nice site put together by someone studying Korean. It can be found here.

There is a page on the site that may be useful for native speakers to use while teaching English. It is titled "Korean Classroom Metalanguage." It is located here.

So, thinking "Hey, I found a pretty good site to add to my collection," I clicked on the photography page and then clicked on "Album: Advertisements" (If you see the picture you can imagine why that was my first choice). Well, this was followed by an innocent click on this advertisement.

While I was listening attentively to the Korean spoken in the ad (no, really), my wife walked into the room wanting to see what I was doing. Doh!!

I can't wait for this week to end.

This week

This week, I thought, was going to be a piece of cake. Boy, was I wrong.

It all started when I made the mistake of making my last car payment. After 3 years of making monthly payments to Mr. Hyundai and Company I finally paid off my car. The last payment was sent on Tuesday. Yeah!!, Yeah!!, Ohhhh, Yeah!!

The next day I ran into a stone wall. Literally.

Wednesday I finally figured out how to use a certain P2P program and was able to download and burn a CD of my favorite music. Beer and Southern Rock, Oh Yeah!!!

The next day my computer was infected with the Osama Bin Laden of viruses.

Yesterday I tried out a digital camera that a friend uses and finally decided that I wanted to get one just like it.

Today I find out the model has been discontinued.

So now I sit here, without a car, contemplating the 500,000 Won it is costing me to repair the damage.

So now here I sit about to start a complete reformat of my computer’s hard drive to get rid of Osama.

So now here I sit trying to figure out which camera I want to purchase.

But at least I have some good music to listen to and some refreshing Budweiser to drink.

In spite of it all, life is good

Language Notes

Chinese? No. Korean? No. English? Of course!

A few years ago I read a book written by David Crystal concerning the growth of English as a global language. A few days a go I saw the theories and research, outlined in the book, in action.

While sitting in a restaurant I noticed a Chinese tourist finishing his meal. The man called the waiter over and attempted to speak to him in Mandarin. The waiter didn’t understand Mandarin and it was apparent the Chinese tourist didn’t understand Korean. However, to overcome this impasse, both men then switched to English. The Chinese tourist wanted a taxi to take him back to the Silla Hotel in Jungmun. The waiter called a taxi, returned to the table, and informed the tourist that the taxi would arrive in 10 minutes. This was followed by a few more exchanges between the two regarding local tourist spots. The taxi arrived, the tourist departed, and the waiter went back to work.

As I contemplated what I had just witnessed, it seemed as if the 200 or so pages in Crystal’s book were reduced to a simple 2 minute conversation between strangers. I found the whole scene very interesting. I wish I had a video camera to record the event for my students.

Jeju? No. Korean? Yes.

As mentioned previously, I am interested in learning some Jeju dialect to go along with my atrocious Korean. This has proven to be a small, but good natured, point of contention with my in-laws. When I use the few words I know in Jeju dialect with my father-in-law (a Jeju native) he always seems impressed and usually makes some comment about a white guy speaking Jeju dialect. On the other hand, when I do so with my mother-in-law (originally from the mainland), she gives me a stern lecture. Her point is that I should study, and speak, only standard Korean. This is because Jeju dialect, in her opinion, is a “low” language or a language only used by commoners. It is not the language used by educated people on the island. I find the difference in viewpoints between my in-laws interesting. I do make a point of using Jeju dialect around my mother-in-law whenever I can though, just to bug her.

Korean Language Class? Maybe.

The latest information on the free Korean language class at the local “dong” office is that it will begin sometime during the “middle of May.” Unfortunately, the phrase “middle of May” can mean anytime from yesterday to the year 2010.

Immoral United!!!???

Immoral United!!?? ...... Immoral Jeju!!??

Say it ain’t so! Unfortunately, it is. Today I learned that Jeju, my adopted home, is a bastion of immorality. I just don’t know how I will be able to look at another dolharubang (stone grandfather) in the face. How will I be able to tell people I meet that I am from “Immorality Central” in Korea? Sigh…….

Today, I was doing some research regarding the local soccer (or “football” for you European purists out there) team “Jeju United.” A quick look at Wikipedia revealed that the history of the team is not without controversy. The decision by the team owners to move the team from the mainland to Jeju has earned the team the nickname “Immoral United.”

I have come to the conclusion that the heavy weight of being the soccer version of a “wangta” is the reason the team couldn’t win a game even if their friggin’ lives depended on it!!!!

Here is a picture of the "morally challenged" Jeju soccer warriors.

Although the picture is supposed to show the team hard at work preparing to lose to a local girl’s middle school team, I believe they are actually practicing for their next job…. as backup dancers for BOA. At least then they could hear someone actually cheer for them.

Update:

I have been taken to task by my daughter for my disparaging comments about Immoral, uhhh I mean, Jeju United. It seems I forgot she is a member of the official cheering squad for the team. Yep, she has the T-shirt, the scarf and the face paint. She said that the players are "cute" so I should be nice. It seems I neglected to take into account the "cuteness factor" in my appraisal of the team. I asked my daughter, the staunch defender of J.U., why she didn't go to the game last weekend and she replied, "Because it's boring, they always lose and there's nothing to cheer about." But remember everyone, they're "cute" so it's OK.

Language and Culture

As (frustrated) students of the Korean language know, there are several regional dialects in Korea. One of the most unique is the dialect spoken by Jeju islanders. The Jeju Island dialect is so distinct that some linguists have advanced the idea that it is, in fact, a separate language. Now, I am not smart enough to know if this is true or not, but I do know that people from other parts of Korea have difficulty understanding the local language. I have had discussions with local college professors, originally from the mainland, who have shared with me their frustrations with teaching on Jeju. One of their frustrations is that their students will talk amongst themselves and the professor will not understand what they are saying. My response to them has always been "Hey, welcome to my world."

For those, like myself, who are interested in studying this interesting dialect, the following website may be of use. It is one of the few I have found that lists common Jeju expressions along side their standard (Seoul) Korean equivalent.

Jeju - Korean Language Equivalents

I am also interested in Jeju culture and mythology. For those who can read Korean the following website may be of interest.

Jeju Stories

Information Overload

I have been searching for a good, multi-purpose digital camera. Little did I realize that, because of my limited knowledge, I would become the victim of information overload.

The advent of the internet has seen an explosive growth in available information. However, one of the side effects is becoming the recepient of too much information.

As I am ignorant when it comes to digital photgraphy, I have been searching the 'net for relevant information. The search has resulted in conflicting information and confusing opinions with regards to which camera I should purchase. To say I am a wee bit confused is an understatement.

Should anyone who happens to stumble across this post have an idea or recommendation please pass it along. Thanks.

Korean Class Update

Not a good start. Well, not any kind of start really. The “dong” office seems to be - surprise, surprise - unorganized and clueless. The class was supposed to begin this week. However, it has been pushed back to next week – maybe.

Earlier, I was informed that there were 15 students signed up. I was told yesterday that information was "just a rumor." What does that mean? I dunno. I have a feeling this class is going to go nowhere, fast. But hey, it's free. I can't really complain too much.

I went on a "date" this weekend!!!

This last weekend I did something I hadn’t done in who knows how long. I went on a "date."

On Saturday afternoon, after completing some work that I had successfully put off until the very last minute, I decided to take a walk around town. It was one of those strolls where you don’t plan on doing anything special and have no particular destination. It was supposed to be an “I’ll start walking and see where my feet take me” adventure.

I soon found myself walking along the road next to the port. As I continued on my way I watched fishermen tend to their boats, nodded to the baby-faced sailor guarding a patrol boat, and politely turned down emphatic requests by restaurant owners to sample the fish at their restaurant. The weather was warm and it was turning out to be one of those unremarkable, peaceful days I seem to forget about all too soon.

Then it happened. I was awakened out of my peaceful thoughts by the irritating sound of my cell phone. It rang several times before I, grudgingly, decided to answer. As I put it to my ear I heard a female voice say “LOJ?” “Yes,” I replied. The lady on the other end continued, asking me if I had time to meet for some coffee. Although I have known this woman for quite some time I hadn’t really paid much attention to her lately. Our conversations had, previously, been limited to business. Knowing that we had no business to work on during the weekend I was surprised to hear from her. We agreed to meet at a local cafe next to the port.

I arrived at the café first and sat at a table outside to watch the birds and the occasional jumping fish. A little while later my "date" arrived, purchased a couple of beers, and brought them to my table. I was a little bit taken aback by the fact that she had remembered my favorite beer and had bought them for the both of us.

After sitting down across from me we began the usual small talk. All the while I was wondering when I was going to discover the reason she wanted to meet me. After about thirty minutes of small talk I decided to find out. In a manner a little more blunt than I had intended I inquired as to the reason she wanted to meet. I continued that I was a little shocked that she wanted to come out on a “date” with me. She replied “Oh, this is a date?” I made a feeble attempt at humor to diffuse my embarrassment. She finally responded “OK, I like that, we’re on a date.”

She told me that while she was having lunch with her brother she had started thinking about me and really wanted to see me, just to talk and share some time together.

For the next few hours she and I sat there talking about everything and nothing. I began to see what a great woman she was and felt grateful that she had decided to make the first move, as it were, to become closer. I began to see her in a way I hadn’t since we first met. I really wanted to go out with her again, to get to know her better.

We had another "date" on Sunday morning and went for a walk at one of the local parks. We walked and talked and laughed. It was so comfortable. I really didn’t want it to end. I asked if I could take her out for a late lunch or early dinner at a little place near the ocean. She smiled and said “Sure, I’d like that.” We met later on that day and had another long, very comfortable, conversation. As I looked at her over dinner I started to feel some things I thought were long gone. In a short 48 hours I had become hooked on this woman and wanted to "date" her as much as possible. I wanted to go on as many "dates" as she would agree to, in as short a time as possible. She had and has become like a drug.

Well, I just returned from my fourth "date" in three days with this woman. I feel a little like a pimple faced high school freshman who has just returned from a "date" with the prom queen. Maybe I’m getting in over my head, I don’t know. But I like how it feels.

I am so thankful that she decided to ask me out on a “date.” I am kicking myself that I hadn’t thought of calling her first and asking her to go on a “date.” However, I am glad about something I did,............... I’m sure glad I married her 14 years ago.