More Random Stuff

A while back I posted a short note about the Asiana flight that safely landed after being beat up during a hail storm. Today I found a picture of the aircraft. This picture really shows the skill of the pilots in being able to land this plane safely. Notice the smashed windshield and lack of radar (or entire front of the aircraft!). Basically, these guys were flying and landing blind. Again, well done, guys. Or, as Robert Duvall's character said in the movie Apocalypse Now, "Getcha a case a beer for that one!"


As part of a larger project to construct a state-of-the-art research observatory at Tamna University on Jeju, the university has recently opened a smaller outdoor observatory for students and other interested persons. It costs about 2,000 Won and is open from 2:00pm to 10:00pm daily.






This time of year is the rainy season in Korea (장마). It has been almost non-stop rain for the past week here on the island. As much as I can't wait for the rain to stop, I am dreading the oppresive heat and humidity that usually follows.

The grey skies and rain tend to make me a little depressed and lethargic. I was feeling that way today. However, my day was brightened when I received a few messages from "Andy" whom I wrote about in a previous post. She always seems to know when to send me a message. Even when I was having a particularly crappy day at work, she always seemed to send me a message at the right time to get my mind off whatever was bugging me. Thanks Andy.

Last week, during a particularly foggy and rainy evening, I received a message from a former student who is working in Seoul. He was reminding me to call him when I visit Seoul so we can go out. Again, the message came at a time I was feeling really lethargic. Thanks Ricky. I can't wait to see you and Andy sometime in August!

As much as it can be a severe pain in the butt sometimes, students like "Andy," "Ricky," "Liz," "Dillon," "Sarah," "Rosa" and "Wild Man Mike," make teaching an enjoyable experience.

Job and No Coffee

A few days ago I had a meeting with my supervisor at work (as opposed to my supervisor at home, Mrs. LOJ). I thought the meeting was going to be about a book project he and I are supposed to collaborate on this summer. Wrong, as usual.

After I sat down, I was relieved to NOT be offered a cup of coffee. I don’t know if this is a typical practice in other organizations in Korea, but at my college whenever you are offered a cup of coffee by your supervisor it usually means they want something from you like extra work or want to give you some bad news. No coffee. Good so far.

My supervisor whom I will call “E” hands me a letter. Knowing that grades had just been posted I imagined it to either be a letter of dismissal or a death threat. Instead it was a letter stating that my contract was up at the end of August and that they would like me to stay on for another year. “E” added “They will probably want you to sign another contract.” Strange comment, I thought. I responded “Good, there are some things I would like to add or change in the contract.” “E” responded with a blank stare. “Good,” I thought. Situation normal. I will probably see a contract a month or two after I start working next semester.

After talking about some other issues at the college, “E” says he wants to speak with me about something else. I look around but still no coffee. Good. Turns out he wanted to know if I’d be interested in working a summer job. I immediately think “Oh great, they want extra work – and I didn’t even get a damn cup of coffee! However, before I give him my usual excuses about a sick goldfish or a cousin who’s just informed the family he’s become a male lesbian, I reply “I might be.” “E” then explains it is a job that hasn’t been advertised (Uh oh) for another school on Jeju (Here it comes) for 5 weeks (Oh, great, there goes my club med trip to Baghdad). I ask, “How many hours a week?” I wanted to cut to the chase and ask about money, but thought it would be silly to show my mercenary side at this point. “E” says its two days a week, 2 hours a day. OK enough playing around. How much? I so eloquently ask. “E” tells me. "That sounds okay," I reply (In my mind I was thinking "Are you friggin kidding, that's great!). However, before I break my poker face expression I ask “Where is the job?’ “E” informs me it is about a 10 minute drive from my apartment.

With that last bit of information my goldfish made a miraculous recovery, my cousin’s family embraced his male lesbianism, and Club Med Baghdad went out of business. Long vacation good. Big money better. Now, I might be able to afford that darn digital camera I’ve been salivating over for the past month.

True Story: The Rat

As I mentioned previously, I have been given use of an on-campus apartment. Last week, Thursday, I attempted to move some of my stuff into the apartment and make it LOJ Casa Grande. Well, come to find out the previous 2 occupants, whom I affectionately refer to as psycho boy Peter (don’t ask) and shit-head Phillip, were both, how shall I say…..friggin pigs!!!! The place was trashed. I don’t even want to talk about the funny stains on the mattress or the large pile of wadded up handfuls of toilet paper I found under the bed. (I think I now understand why shit-head Phillip was always in a hurry to get back to the apartment to ahem “watch DVD’s”) Eeeeewwwww.

Anyways, as I was attempting to do some clean-up I see a brown flash go between the bathroom and the bedroom. I immediately recognized the flash as that created by a rat. Oh great. Now I have to deal with rats. Wuuuunderful. So, I have Mrs. LOJ call the maintenance nazi’s at the college. A few minutes later they show up and are shown the evidence of rat habitation. More accurately, I show them the rat shit I found. No problem says they. They will call the exterminator. Good news. Uhhh, bad news. The exterminator can only come on Tuesday.

Fast forward to this last Tuesday. At 10:00 sharp the exterminator shows up to de-rat the building. The exterminator looked like the Korean twin of the exterminator from the movie “Arachnophobia.” Accompanying him was an assistant that reminded me of a Korean Barney Fife. These guys had enough poison and scary looking equipment to be classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction by the Bush administration. I mean they were loaded for war. After an hour of climbing around, getting into the ceilings, cursing, laughing and killing, they were finished. According to the exterminator the poison they used would take about 3 to 5 days to kill all the rats. OK, nooo problem. Rat you are on your last legs bwahhahahahah!

On Wednesday. I decided to do a little more cleaning in my future castle when what do I see? More rat shit and another brown flash. The rat runs into the bedroom, climbs up on top of the closet and stares at me. I stare at him and he stares back at me. What the hell was he staring at? It was then I realized I was standing in front of the TV. Was he waiting for me to put on a “ahem” DVD? Would I find a pile of rat sized wadded up toilet paper pieces on top of the closet? Who was his favorite ahem cough, cough “actress?” I wondered.

Then I got pissed. Hey, rat this is my place now! I am not into watching Debbie Does Dallas or even Rat Does Reno! Sorry, the porn theater is closed, permanently! The silence was deafening. The rat vs. LOJ stare down contest intensified. The only thing missing was the theme song from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. As I contemplated my next move I had an epiphany. I would take care of the problem. I would deal with this rat myself! And I knew exactly how to handle the rat……….

I would bomb it! As an American, who has spent some years in the Army, I knew that there was no problem known to man that couldn’t be corrected with the proper application of high explosive. But I realized the college would probably get pissed if I blew up their building to kill a rat. To kill a psycho foreign teacher, maybe, but not a rat. So, I decided to do the next best thing. Taking a page from Saddam’s forthcoming book “The Art of Compromise Under Saddam,” I decided on chemical warfare. Yeah, that’s the ticket! Use chemical weapons on this little rat pervert. So, slyly pretending to look for the remote control for the TV, I slowly crept to the entrance of the bedroom and slammed the door shut. Hah! I have you, now!

I rushed to the nearest department store (E-mart, uggghhhh.) and browsed the aisles looking for mustard gas or maybe even a little nerve agent. No luck. So I settled on Raid insecticide bombs that, when activated, work like a smoke bomb. According to the package each canister would cover about 5 pyung (1 pyung = 3.3 sq. meters). Wow, pretty intense stuff. So, thinking that my apartment is about 15 pyung I thought “Ohhh, maybe 6 canisters would do the job.” Yeah, I know, overkill. But I didn’t like the way the rat was looking at me plus I’m reeaallyy bad at math.

I arrived back at the apartment (renamed “the killbox”) and found that Mrs. LOJ had arrived …..and opened the bedroom door. Damn! No sign of the rat. I had planned to just smoke the bedroom with 2 canisters and, if I got a body count, I wouldn’t have to use the others. But now, I had no choice, I had to smoke the entire apartment. However, I remembered that I did have neighbors (the couple that is leaving shortly) and that the construction of the walls would most assuredly allow some seepage into their apartment. I checked and found no one home. Great, no chance of collateral damage! “Operation Kill Rat” is a go!

Mrs. LOJ has an evil streak that ever so often rears its ugly head. The thought of using chemical warfare on a rat was too much for her to pass up. So, she grabs a couple of canisters, as do I, and we proceed to place them in the apartment. The canisters, once activated, started to smoke…. a lot. The Mrs. and I beat a hasty retreat out the door. We put plastic under and above the door to ensure none on the poison smoke got into the hallway. I asked the Mrs. “Did you happen to read how long these things continue to smoke?” She replied “Oh, about an hour.” I then asked “How long until we can go back in?” To which she replied “According to the instructions on the box, about 3 hours.” Oh crap. Guess where my car keys were?

After about 45 minutes of meandering around the building, the wife and I started to talk about our two dogs. Dogs? Dogs???!!!!! Holy crap, I forgot about the neighbor’s overweight, asthmatic dog! Oh, great. The neighbors will come back and find Fido stiff as a board and smelling like Raid. I ran to the front door of their apartment and started banging on the door to get the dog to bark at me as it usually does. Silence. More banging, more silence. Oh God, I killed Fido! I asked my wife what I should do. She gave me a look that basically said “Hey Saddam, it’s your party. I was just following orders.” Thanks for the support, babe. The only thing I could think of was to get rid of the evidence and play dumb if asked. I am really good at playing dumb, just ask anyone who knows me.

I decided I had to go into the apartment, collect the canisters, and ventilate the room ASAP. My wife then tells me she doesn’t think it a good idea. What does she know? So, I unseal the door and rush into the thick white (and poisonous) smoke. Holding my breath I rush around collecting the canisters. As my lungs were about to burst I exited out the back sliding glass doors and gulped air. Not too bad, I thought. I looked at the canisters in the plastic bag I used to collect them and counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…. 5!!!! Where in the hell was number 6? Back in I go rushing around the apartment, bumping into furniture, cursing the rat and then back out again. No number 6. Crap. Back I go again. I find number 6 in the bathroom and back out I go. Then I had to go back in to open all the windows and turn on the A/C. After some minutes the smoke cleared enough for me to open the front door. I look around for the rat. No rat. I call Fido’s name. Silence. After about 30 minutes the smoke was gone and the smell was bearable. The wife and I then closed the door and left. I tried to call Fido’s name a couple of more times hoping against hope I wasn’t a dog murderer. Silence.

It was when we were driving home that the pounding headache and nausea started. I mumbled to my wife “Honey, I think I poisoned myself.” To which she replied “Stupid, I told you not to go back in there.” Wow sweetheart your concern is underwhelming, I thought. She then asked “Are you okay to drive? I don’t want you to kill us.” The heartfelt concern emanating from my wife touched my ……

I got home after shrugging off my wife’s suggestion to go to the hospital. After all, I would rather die from rat poison then die from embarrassment. What would they put on my death certificate anyways Cause of Death: Stupidity. I don’t think my life insurance covers stupidity. I spent the rest of the day and night and all day Thursday sick as the proverbial dog.

Today, Friday, I went back to the apartment. After all, I didn’t want to return to the scene of the crime too soon. I started to clean around the apartment again. No rat. Good. No rat body. Not good. A kill can only be confirmed with a corpse. Anyways, I met one of the neighbors in the hallway. I struck up a conversation about small things, what did you do, where did you go, etc. No mention about a deceased dog. Hmmmmm. I turned the conversation to what the neighbors did the day of Operation Kill Rat. My neighbor replied “We went to the beach. Fido really likes the water.” Say wha….? Fido wasn’t in the apartment! “That’s nice.” I replied.

Next time I’ll wait the 3 to 5 days.

Coming To Korea #1

On the various forums, blogs and sites, concerning Korea there are always questions by those considering coming to Korea. I think it is great that these potential visitors want to ask questions before coming over. I thought about what advice I would give to someone who asked me about coming over here. So from time to time I’ll bore the reader with some of my thoughts regarding coming to “The Land of the Not Quite Right.” What follows is my first installment. I want to stress that these are my opinions. If you disagree, write it on your own damn blog.

Research, Research, Research.

Unfortunately, some people spend more time researching which DVD they are going to buy than researching the pro’s and con’s of moving to Korea. Too many people come here totally unprepared for the ups and downs of being an expat in Korea. Most of the problems I have read about could have been prevented with a little preparation before coming to Korea.

The most important step is to arm yourself with information. In the case of coming to Korea, information IS power. There are numerous sites on the ‘net from which you can read some helpful information. It is important that in your pre-trip planning you give yourself enough time to gather as much information as you can. A couple of nights on the ‘net surfing some sites is definitely not enough. I have very little pity for those who get themselves into a bad situation that could have been prevented with a little preparation.

Dave’s ESL Cafe

I guess the most popular site is Dave’s ESL Café. Admittedly, it does, on occasion, provide some valuable information. There are a very few contributors that actually have a wealth of experience to share with those who are thinking about teaching in Korea. Unfortunately, there are also many others who are obviously dysfunctional and in need of some professional counseling IMHO.

The most important thing to remember about Dave’s is, regardless of what you may have heard, it is NOT one-stop shopping for information. It is just one small piece of a very large information pizza on the ‘net. You will be doing yourself a great disservice if you only consult Dave’s ESL Café when looking for information. You will also be disappointed if you think that every poster on Dave’s actually knows what they are talking about. So take the information – and opinions – there with a grain of salt.

Blogs

I would recommend that the potential visitor spend time reading blogs by those in Korea. The Korean Blog List is a good place to start, I guess. Most blogs will not, however, provide much information regarding the legalities and hoops you have to jump through to work in Korea. They will provide glimpses into some aspects of daily life for some expats in Korea.

Other Sites:

There are numerous sites. Too many to even try to talk about here. I have taken a short look at Galbijim and it seems OK, but I have not had enough time to really look at it in-depth so I really don’t know if it would be useful or not. One site that I have taken a short look at is Kimchipot. My first impression of the site is not good (see my comments about dysfunctional people above), but that is just me. Some others may like it.

The main thing is to take enough time to do your homework. Too often people give weight to those opinions and information that agree with their own preconceived notions while at the same time disregarding information and opinions that don’t. With regards to Korea, this is a mistake that can cost you, in more ways than one.

Do your research, take a good honest look at the situation and, most importantly, yourself and then come to an informed decision as to whether Korea is right for you. Only you can make that decision. Just make sure you take the rose-colored glasses off before you make the decision to come.

More Random Stuff

Grades
Today I handed in my grade sheets. I think a couple of my students are going to be pleasantly surprised, while others are going to be disappointed. Oh well. I figure the phone calls and the text messages from students will begin some time next week. What fun!
Andy
The end of this semester marked the departure of my favorite student. "Andy" was an intelligent, mature young lady in her late twenties. Her English ability was excellent and we had many conversations in my office about life in general. Her ability was so high that I didn't feel the need to "dumb-down" my English at all. She was one of those rare students that have an innate ability in languages. Her maturity and wealth of life experience made it a joy to talk with her. During this semester, she wasn't in any of my classes but she would still come by the office and we'd spend an hour or two just talking about anything and everything. When others would come by, while Andy and I were talking, I found myself introducing her as my "friend" and not as "my former student." I can say that that is how I felt. The thoughts we shared during our conversations were those shared between friends. Heck, even my wife liked her! And believe me, that says a lot! Anyways, she left to go to Seoul to begin a job search and get on with her life . I am going to miss our conversations. I am going to miss her. Andy, if you read this remember you always have a friend on Jeju. Reach for the stars and don't take any crap from that boyfriend of yours! If you need anything, you've got my number.
Foreign Teachers
The married couple at the college signed a contract with an Australian run Chinese college English program (try to say that 5 times in one breath, whew). I think they'll find China a weeee bit different than Korea. It should be an exciting and interesting time for them. Good luck, guys.
It's Contagious, Dammit!
OK, so I got caught up in the World Cup excitement around town. I stayed up all night to watch the Japan/Croat game then the Brazil/Aussie game and finally the Korea/Cheese-Eating-Surrender-Monkey game. I have never been a soccer fan, but I find myself becoming more and more interested in the darn sport and Korea's participation in it. The excitement is contagious.
Ridiculous
Ridiculous is the only way to describe the new bus terminal situation in Seogwipo (서귀포). Someone decided the new Seogwipo bus terminal should be built out next to the E-mart in Shin Se Gagi (신시가지), which is about 3 kilometers from downtown Seogwipo! Brilliant guys. Besides the obvious problems with traveling by bus from Shin Jeju (신제주) to Seogwipo and having to transfer, the shared parking lot with the E-mart has already created problems with the bus stop/parking area. The new bus stop was supposed to open in June 1st. However, my wife told me that she had heard from a bus driver that the drivers, collectively, have refused to use the new terminal. They had recommended a new terminal be constructed on some vacant land near Jungang Rotary (중앙 로타리) in Seogwipo, near the center of town. However, their suggestion was dismissed out of hand. They have told the government that the location of the new bus terminal is inconvenient for passengers, ridiculous as it is located next to, and shares a parking area with, E-mart and thus is a major accident just waiting to happen. Consequently, they have refused to use the new terminal. So, the opening of the new terminal has been delayed by ahem "technical difficulties." As someone who drives almost everyday, I hold no great love for bus drivers, but in this case they are absolutely correct. Give 'em hell guys!!!! Seogwipo Bus Drivers 파이팅!!!!

Finals Week

This week is "Finals Week" at the college. It should be named "Whining Week." This is that time of the semester when you get to meet those students, whose names you have seen on the class roster over the past 12 weeks, but have never met. Every person who has taught in a Korean college setting knows what I am talking about. These are the same students who, in about a week, will whine when their failing grades are posted.

This is the time of year when those students who think they deserve a "A" just for gracing me with their presence (on occasion) will whine because they have received a "C" or worse. Never mind that they did miserably on the tests, didn't do any homework, and were basically comatose in class. They were there (occasionally) and they deserve an "A" dammit!

What is it about Korean college girls anyway? They all seem to have developed an ability to make such irritating sounds when whining. I shudder every time I hear Oh Keeeeyohhhhsoooooniiiim you are sooo handsome, I luuuuvvvv you. You me give score good class Okaaaayyyyy??? You best teaching Englishee (insert pouting eyes and puckered lips here). Added to the verbal assault and contorted facial expressions is the occasional stomping of the foot, Korean female perfected snorting "hummpphh," and crossed arms. I usually respond by asking "Who are you? Are you in my class?" Don't they realize I am not their "Oppa." I don't think it is cute nor will it influence me in any way. If anything it makes me less likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. But try they must, and try they do. Sheeesshh.

Not to say I am a total ogre or anything. I have been known to massage grades. There, I admit it. For example, I have one student who is attending the college on a sort of scholarship. As part of her scholarship, she has to work part time for the college. I have often seen her mopping, sweeping, emptying trash cans, cleaning offices, etc., during the day. Do I give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to attendance and homework? Damn skippy I do. I know she has to do menial labor around the campus and get excellent grades to keep her scholarship. As one who had to work his way through college, I have a definite soft spot in my heart for students who work while going to school. This soft spot is reinforced by the constant sight of "princesses" and spoiled "mama's boys" from Seoul who strut around on campus thinking their feces does not produce an offensive odor. I am willing to give a working student a break while at the same time giving a lesson in the harsh realities of life to some of the others. But, that's just me I guess.

Well, on the employment front, it came down from the college version of the gods that the married couple will be leaving in August. There was no choice in the matter. But, from what I heard they were actively looking anyways, so no big surprise I guess. So, unless the situation changes I will be the only weigukin at the college, not counting the Japanese and Chinese teachers. That is either going to be good or it is going to be a nightmare. Personally, I am leaning towards the nightmare scenario.

There Should Be A T-Shirt

On Saturday I went to the new E-Mart that opened Friday in Seogwipo. E-Mart is one of the "big" department stores on Jeju Island. There are a couple in Jeju City and now there is one in Seogwipo. I guess it is supposed to be the competition for the recently opened "Homeplus" (or "홈플" if you are studying Konglish) in town.

The grand opening for the E-Mart was on Friday and I had heard that it was so crowded that it took over an hour to get through the check out line! Stupidly, I thought Saturday would be a little better. Wrong. The crowd was enormous and aggressive.

The situation was made worse by what appeared to be a complete lack of organization by the store powers-that-be. Nothing made sense, from parking to the number of assistants to the massive amounts of display items leaning to the side ready to fall at the slightest touch.

It was an exercise in frustration to find a parking space after being directed by parking assistants that had absolutely no idea if there were any parking spaces available and, most important, where they were located.

After entering the store the crowd made the whole experience an exercise in shopping survival tactics. Added to this were the screams of colorfully dressed "assistants" who were trying to tempt you to buy one thing or another. At one point I counted 5 "assistants" in one aisle screaming at customers. In another aisle 4 "assistants," dressed in snappy blue skirts and berets, were huddled together chit-chatting while customers valiantly attempted to navigate their carts around them. The other aisles had much the same. The whole scene bordered on the surreal and scary. There is nothing more terrifying than an determined sale-hunting ajumma with a shopping cart, careening down an aisle at high speed with 3 screaming rugrats in tow. I felt like I was in the middle of a "mosh pit" at a punk rock concert.

After about 10 minutes my wife, who is a veteran a "K-Mart Blue Light Specials" in the States, said, "Let's get out of here, this is insane." Thankfully, we left. We went back up to the parking lot and were met with the mentally challenged parking attendants trying to direct cars into and out of the parking lot. Uggghhhhh. It took me about 20 minutes to navigate out of the parking lot. While driving home I told my wife "There ought to be a t-shirt" The shirt should say "I Survived E-Mart" or "I Was Stupid Enough to go to E-Mart" or a simple "E-Mart - The Horror, The Horror."

On a different subject I read over at "gdimension" about the Asiana pilots who safely landed their plane after it was beat to shit by hail. Kudo's to the pilots. They sure earned their paycheck on that flight. See the story here and here.

Korean Class Update #6

Well, I called it. My friend "George" didn’t show up for the second class. However, three more women from the Philippines showed up. So now it is me, 2 Japanese guys and 15 women. Most, if not all, of the women appeared to be the wives of Korean men. They seem to be able to communicate in Korean, but their reading skills seem to be much lower than their speaking skills. Interesting.

In the latest class we went over how to ask and answer questions concerning occupations (직업). A majority of the class was spent learning how to describe what each occupation does. Several times the teacher appeared to go off on a tangent of one sort or another. At one point she seemed to be going off on a tangent and my mind started to wander a little bit …ok it wandered a lot. Anyways, all of the sudden the teacher gets back on track and asks me a question. I felt, and probably looked, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. After about 3 or 4 hours (actually it was only about 5 seconds, it just felt that long) she asked the question again. After fumbling around a bit I was able to produce an utterly incomprehensible answer. Heck, I didn't even understand what I said when I said it. The teacher repeated/restated/corrected my answer (it sure sounded a lot better when she said it) but I still couldn’t understand what I had said originally. Uggghhh. I guess that’ll teach me to travel to mental “Lala” land during class.

An interesting note about the ladies in class is that some of them will answer questions using Jeju dialect. The teacher does not like it one bit. No if's, and's or but's about it. She got on one of the women for answering a simple question using the dialect. I guess I can see her point. It is probably better to teach the standard rather than slipping into a dialect for foreign language learners

I did discover, however, that the teacher has a boyfriend. Yep, and I even know his name. It is “Mr. Homework.” The teacher loves to pile on the 숙제. Last week I wrote so much my hand started to cramp. This weekend I have much more of the same.

This week and next week are the finals weeks at the college. I am extremely busy since I have to also do the work of the shit-head teacher (Philip) that did the midnight run. Thanks *&^%$#@!!!!, wherever you are.

Korean Class Update #5.........George

Yesterday was the first official Korean language class at the “dong” office.

As I walked into the classroom I was struck by the diversity of the students. As I entered the room I heard at least 3 different languages being spoken, and none of them were English – or Korean.

After listening to a welcome speech by local officials, and introductions of the “dong” office staff, we all had to give the raised fist “fighting!” (파이팅!!) cheer. I guess that was the first lesson in Korean culture and/or preparation for the World Cup, I don’t know.

My partner by default I guess is “George.” He is the older man from the U.K. George is a nice enough man. Unfortunately, he has absolutely no clue about the Korean language. He showed me a piece of paper where his wife wrote the “dong” office location on it for the taxi driver. While we were waiting for the class to begin, I translated the paper for him and tried to give him a very quick intro to reading simple Korean. I was somewhat taken aback by the fact that he had been in country for a few months now and he still could not read any Korean. Especially, since it had been a couple of weeks since the orientation, and learning how to read Hangul is relatively easy. It takes the average person, I’ve heard, about two weeks to pick up the basics. This lack of study came back to haunt him, and me, almost immediately.

The teacher was using a type of “Whole Language” methodology that dispenses with any dedicated time to simple phonics based reading instruction. This is good for a class such as ours (which can read basic Korean), but it is not a good method for people like George.

During the class I saw George writing down what the teacher was asking using English spelled out phonetically such as “Nah nun George im needa,” “Jee gup”, or “Dah she.” I really felt bad for the guy. The teacher tried her best with him, even switching to simple English to get George to do what she wanted.

The class, taught entirely in Korean, consisted of learning the basics of introductions, some simple numbers, etc. The teacher was very animated and there were a lot of in-class exercises. Throughout the class, I would lean over from time to time to help George answer the teacher’s questions. However, because he was lost, (he couldn’t even read what the teacher was writing on the board), he would often turn to me and make comments about how everything the teacher was saying or writing was over his head. This became very irritating. More so, because I found myself having to concentrate so much to listen to what the teacher was saying. His comments would break my concentration and I would have to quickly acknowledge his comment, or attempt at humor, and then try to catch up listening to the teacher.

During the class the teacher talked about reading and practicing at home. She then pulled out two Korean novels as examples. She was the author of both books. A little self-promotion never hurts, I guess.

After about 90 minutes the class concluded and I had to spend some extra time explaining the homework assignment to George. My wife had joined me by this time. The teacher came over to my wife I and asked if the class was too slow or basic for me. She was genuinely concerned that, because it started at such a basic level, some of the students would get bored. I told her that reviewing basic material is always beneficial and that I found the class interesting (which I did). I also told her that being in a class conducted entirely in Korean gave me a better appreciation of what my students go through in English-only classes. I actually came out of the class with a small headache because of having to concentrate so hard on what the teacher was saying.

At the end of the class George made some comments that he didn’t know if he would be back. I told him to hang in there and do some extra study and it’ll all come together very quickly. Quite honestly, I don’t think he’ll be back.

Jeju Stone Culture Park

On Saturday the new Jeju Stone Culture Park opened. It is a huge place that showcases the traditional way of life on Jeju. The pictures are not posted in any particular order (click on the pictures). Above is a snapshot of the Oreum that dominates the landscape surrounding the park.

Most of the exhibits have explanations in Korean and English (or sometimes Korean and Konglish) I noticed some of the signs had a large blank space on the side for the English. I guess the translation efforts are still underway.
Some tombs.
The park is very large. According to the information I read, when completed, the size of the park is supposed to be about 1,000,000 pyeong (1 pyeong is equal to 3.3 square meters). Only about 30% of the park has been completed.
These guys are great. They are a group of retired Korean Marines who volunteer to help with crowd/traffic control during special events. Below they are hard at work. Just be sure to cover the kids ears when you are around them. Their language, at times, can be a little "salty." Just like soldiers and marines the world over.

Bus loads of senior citizens arrived at the park the entire time we were there. My wife said that were coming from all over the island to visit the park. I noticed very few children while I was there. Most of the visitors were older people who seemed to be having a great time. The group shown above had just arrived and sat down to have a snack.
I took a picture of this man as he was dismouting from the foundation stones located next to a house. Prior to me taking this picture he was jumping around on the stones like a child (or a budding gymnast for the Korean geriatric olympics).
A collection of stone grandfathers or "dolharubang."
Traditional Jeju houses.
A side view of the entrance to the museum.
Some traditional houses. Inside each house are exhibits showing household and other implements.
Inside the museum. The lighting is a little low and the skill of the photographer (yours truly) is even lower. What I was trying to take a picture of was a large representation of Jeju Island that is in the center of the museum. I am not a science buff, but the information in the museum was very interesting. The information included exhibits showing the forces at work that created the island. I just wish there was a little bit more English used on the exhibits in the museum.
This is another view of the entrance to the museum in the park. In this complex, besides the exhibits, is a place to get a bite to eat and a small, and very expensive, gift shop. I, for one, was amazed that the museum was totally accessible to the handicapped both inside and out.

It is readily apparent that a lot of money went into this place. The museum was very nice and the park itself was very beautiful. If you are even remotely interested in the traditions and culture of the island I recommend you visit the park. However, I would bring some snacks with you. The prices are a little steep in the snack shop/restaurant.

The History of Jeju (or lack of)

I am interested in the history and culture of Jeju Island. As such, whenever I browse through a book on Korean history I always check first to see if the book includes the history of Jeju Island. Without exception, I have found the information regarding Jeju to be very limited. For instance, a very quick glance through 4 books I have in my library shows the following:

Traditional Korea A Cultural History has a total of 6 lines concerning Jeju culture and the Mongol invasion

Korea’s Place in the Modern Sun A Modern History has approximately 2 pages about the 1949 uprising

The Koreans has approximately 2 pages about the Mongol invasion and the 1949 uprising

Korea Old and New A History has a total of 6 lines about Jeju culture, the Mongol invasion, the 1949 uprising, location elections and martial law

The four books combined have a total of 2091 pages regarding Korean history. Yet, by my count, only 4.5 pages combined discuss Jeju Island!

It is indeed unfortunate that the best source of history on Jeju Island I have is Wikipedia!

I began thinking of this yesterday when my wife and I visited the the new Jeju Stone Culture Park. It is a nice place and I would encourage people to visit to get a taste of traditional Jeju culture and history. I took my friends camera with me and will post some photos later.

If there is a good book discussing the history of Jeju, in English, and in-depth, I sure would appreciate someone letting me know.