Conversation With A Nightclub Owner

Mrs. LOJ had an interesting discussion with two women the other day. Each woman owned a drinking establishment or night club. One was located near City Hall (people living in Jeju City know the area I’m talking about) and the other club is located in Shin Jeju. The discussion concerned why some club owners don’t like foreigners.

For the sake of brevity I won’t recount everything that was discussed, but it is because of incidents that have occurred with immature idiots getting drunk, acting like friggin’ morons and then leaving without paying their bill or for damages.

Now some will say that Koreans will do the same. This is true, but when the owner bitches at them and tells them they have to pay for the damages, the Koreans understand what the owner is saying – the foreigners? Nope. Plus, what foreigners don’t do, that many Koreans who act like idiots will do, is return the next day, pay the owner and apologize. The owners Mrs LOJ was speaking with had never heard of a foreigner returning the next day, apologizing and offering to square away the bill. It could have happened, but the owner has never heard of it.

I am personally aware of an incident in Jeju City where a group of young hogwan teachers got together and got drunk at a restaurant. The combination of broken tables and an unpaid food bill cost the owner over 400,000 Won. Did any of the foreigners ever return to the restaurant to make it right or even offer an apology? According to the owner,… no. And now some foreigners get pissed when the owner of the restaurant refuses them service (– except for me, because I’m cute and cuddly).

I know of a restaurant owner in Seogwipo that refuses service to foreigners (especially if they are from the large hogwan located near the big traffic circle) because a group of idiots from this hogwan got drunk and almost burned his damn restaurant to the ground. Any apologies or offer to help the owner with repairs? According to the owner, not one person has ever offered an apology. How about the teacher in Seogwipo that was famous for getting trashed and then taking off ALL his clothes in a bar. How about the foreigner who got stinking drunk and stood in the major intersection downtown Seogwipo screaming at drivers and challenging any/all Koreans to a fight? Yeah, and some wonder why some owners don’t want foreigners in their club.

One of the ladies told Mrs. LOJ that since January 1st she has had to go to the police station 8 times because of incidents involving foreigners in her club. The other woman hasn’t had to involve the police yet but she is sure it will happen sometime.

Club owners have some kind of association where one of the hot topics of conversation is the latest idiocy involving foreigners. So, if an incident occurs in one club, most of the other club owners will hear about it.

One of the club owners said that when a foreigner walks into her club she looks at the following:

1) Are they with a Korean (for language purposes)
2) Are they older, (grey hair is a nice touch)
3) How are they dressed?
4) Do they look liked they know how to use a razor?
5) Do they look like they know how to use a comb or brush?
6) Can you see their underwear?

No, I’m not kidding. Depending on the answers to the above, she determines whether or not to welcome the foreigner or give her stand-by excuse to get rid of them.

Now, I can just hear the western youngsters with their brand new BA in Sociology complaining about coloring the whole group bad because of the actions of a few (more than a few) foreigners. My response would be “Welcome to Korea – deal with it.” The actions of a few DO reflect on the whole.

So, according to the nightclub owners, if you go into a club and find the reception a bit chilly or are refused service all together – don’t be so quick to blame the owner, the blame may rest with the immature idiots who convinced the owner that it is easier to turn away business than deal with foreign drunks.

Help Out If You Can

Hello Friends

Bring Michael White Home!

14 year old Stephen Michael White tragically died in a sauna on May 10, 2008 in Gyoungsan Korea (just south - east of Daegu), under circumstances which are still not clear.

His single American mother, an English Professor at Yeungnam University, does not have the financial means to take her son home for burial. We would like collect donations to help her meet the extraordinary costs she faces. Her friends are hosting a fundraiser on May 30, 2008 and we would appreciate all the support we can get.

Where: Thunderbirds Lounge - Daegu www.thunderbirdlounge.org
When: May 30, 2008 8 - 11pm
What: Live music and door prizes
Why: To help Stephanie White bring her son home
Who: Everyone is invited to give their support
How: Come downtown and show your support

For those of you who are unable to join us on May 30th but would like to offer your support to Stephanie in her tragic time of need, we have set up an account where you can send donations.
S.Micheal White Fund (acct name, but it’s really spelled Michael)Daegu Bank080-10-004509

Stephanie is grateful for any support you can offer! Please forward this message to anyone who may be able to offer support or willing to join us downtown Daegu on May 30th.
Thanks for your support!!

Another Update & Illegal Teachers

Lately, my posting has been sporadic at best. This is because my wife is still dealing with some health issues that are quite draining. And, quite frankly, after stressing out all day between work and wife, the last thing I really feel like doing is working on the blog. I'll try to do better in the future.

In the mean time, I have been spending a lot of time reading and watching the Korean news. I can't help think that I have suffered some form of brain damage from too steady a diet of what passes for news around here.

Case in point - from the Korean Times:

Civic Group Fights Against Illegal Teachers

A Civic group said that its actions to expel illegal English teachers will help upgrade the image of legal foreign educators. The group, named ``Citizens' Association for Lawful English Education,'' has some 16,000 members on its Web site (cafe.naver.com/englishspectrum).

Pictures depicting foreign teachers holding a ``sexy costume party'' in 2005 were the key driver for the creation of the civic group.``There are many illegal foreign teachers. We organized this group to help make our schools and hagwons free of these problematic teachers,'' said Lee Eun-ung, manager of the Internet cafe.

Most members of the group participate in online activities, and some also actively engage in off-line activities to help police find foreigners who engage in drug use. So far, they have played a role in nabbing more than 60 people in illegal drug-related cases. ``Sometimes we stay up at night tracking and watching foreign nationals. We have even found some foreign teachers that take drugs then teach students at hagwons the following day,'' Lee said. ``We will continue to help police deport these foreign teachers.''

The group members vary from university professors, physicians and teachers to office workers and even policemen.It is now calling for the Korean immigration authorities to require visa applicants to submit to drug tests for marijuana. ``The Korean government suddenly removed medical checks for marijuana for E-2 visa applicants. We believe that leads to rises in illegal drug used by foreign teachers,'' Lee said.``In the long run, we will convince the government to introduce regulations on deported foreigners to forfeit illegally earned money.''

Currently more than 27,000 foreign nationals are officially teaching English at schools and hagwons, according to the Korea Immigration Service. However, it is estimated that more than 50,000 foreigners including illegal residents are teaching English here.

The group also plans to work on improving the bad images of foreigners, tarnished by a few illegal foreign nationals.

Link


I don't have the words to describe my disgust. In my time on the island I have had the police/immigration officials visit me twice. Both times was in response to a phone call their office had received by some "concerned citizen" (read "idiot") that reported me as an illegal foreigner/teacher. So, here we have a group of "netidiots" following foreigners around at night. What is wrong with you people!! Yeah, they are working to improve my image. No thanks.

I suggest you look in the mirror you morons and be more concerned with the image you are giving Korea! You are doing nothing more than cementing Korea's growing image as a racist, xenophobic, hypocritical little country that has a huge inferiority complex. Good job. And good job to the media that champions idiot groups like this.

I wonder how many of the "professors" in the group falsified their diplomas? I wonder how many adulterers, wife beaters, alcoholics, mama's boys and spoiled princesses belong to this group of mental midgets who are safeguarding Korean society from us evil foreigners.

Quite honestly, the more I read about things like the US beef lunacy, this garbage, as well as, personally experience the incompetence of many in the medical profession around here, the more I find myself battling to maintain a modicum of respect for the average Korean person I meet on the street.

Maybe it's just all the stress I have on me right now, but lately I have to wonder if I have been somehow magically transported to "The Land That Logic and Simple Human Decency Forgot."

Thank You Korea!!!! & US Beef

I would just like to pass along my appreciation to all those Koreans who have been frothing at the mouth about U.S. beef. The irrational, illogical, and childish rants by some Koreans in the news regarding U.S beef imports have provided me with hours of enjoyment. At first, I thought what I heard in the media was some kind of joke. But then I quickly realized that you guys are actually serious. It’s hilarious!!!!

Thank you again for the hours of entertainment you are providing. Every morning I can’t wait to read the “Korean” newspaper (not to be confused with an actual professional newspaper) and watch the “Korean” broadcast news (again, not to be confused with an actual, real news broadcast) to see what other ridiculous ranting is being passed along as “fact.” It’s great!!!! You couldn’t pay someone for the kind of entertainment the majority of Koreans are providing the foreigner community, as well as, the rest of the world. Heck, even the BBC and the Washington Post are enjoying the show!

Watching the crowds of “lemmings” with their little candles repeatedly demonstrate the intellectual level of abalone is indeed something to see. Someone should think about charging admission for the shows you are putting on.

Please keep it up. I haven’t has this much fun watching collective idiocy in quite some time.

And remember the new motto of Korean media:

“Who needs facts when you have perfectly good rumors to report!”

I would also like to thank my teachers and the entire U.S. education system for ensuring students in the U.S. are/were taught critical thinking skills. Seeing what happens when an entire nation seems to be unable to think rationally, critically and logically (like Korea is now demonstrating), while admittedly very entertaining, is kind of scary – and sad.

Thank you again, people (demonstrators) of Korea. Please keep it up. It is getting funnier by the day. You are being led around by the nose by some special interest groups in Korea and you don’t even realize it! Hahahahahaha!!!!! The media lapdogs are also clueless. It’s some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen in years!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys are great!!!!

Wait a minute………Are you sure you’re not acting??? This isn’t some kind of stunt to market Korea as the “Comedy hub” of Asia is it? Hmmmmm.

(By the way, where is all the news about the Chinese student “riot” a few weeks ago? Oh, I forgot, it’s safer to be anti-American than anti-Chinese. Makes everyone feel so good to stand up to the big bad ole’ U.S., while at the same time bending over to take another one from their Chinese masters.)

What did I tell ya........

From the Korea Times:

A court rejected the application Friday for an arrest warrant for a Chinese student who was accused of assaulting a Korean man. The decision was made one day after police detained him for kicking and hitting a 49-year-old Korean protester with a Chinese national flag, and hurling concrete tiles in a clash between Chinese students and anti-Chinese protestors during the Olympic torch relay in Seoul last Sunday.

Just imagine if it were one of those evil, perverted, drunken English teachers that was arrested for kicking the crap out of a Korean man.

In the above, and in the linked article replace the word "Chinese" or "Chinese students" with "EFL teachers." Do you really think the outcome would be the same? If so, I have a mountain on Jeju Island to sell you.

You can read the rest in the Korea Times article.