Do they Care

There was a NY Times Op Ed piece on Korea's general disinterest in the Cheonan attack.  While I do not agree with this piece, I have to admit that today's most popular reads on the the Chosun Ilbo newspaper made me wonder if I take it more seriously than most people here do:

1. Former Miss Korea to Return to Korea After Graduating from Parsons
2. S.Korea, China, Japan Put Brave Face on Cheonan Differences
3. Ku Hye-sun Breaks Free from Acting
4. Why Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat

Generational Change

Being in Korea, you forget that it was not developed very long ago.  I have colleagues who tell of growing up with no electricity, where cars were a rarity.  30 years ago at there was only 1 person who owned a car at my school.  

There is a story about the changes baby boomers have witnessed.  They give an example of Mr. B, the typical baby boomer:

Mr. B - the typical baby boomer - was born when the nation’s per-capita GDP was only $79, compared to $17,175 in 2009. B went to elementary and secondary schools with an average class size of 65 students, compared to 28 in 2009. B managed to enter college in 1979 when only 29 percent of male high school graduates went to college, compared to 82 percent now. 

Kids today have grown up in a rich country. They may know the history, but their values are not built in poverty. In addition to the seismic changes in wealth, all sorts of social structures are changing. Whether it be marriage, respect for the teachers, or crime, the changes have been immense.  I think it is really tough to be a parent (or teacher) anywhere, but when the kids values are so much different than your own, I think it must be impossible.

Cheonan and China

James Zimmerman, an international lawyer based in Beijing, has an excellent piece in the NY Times explaining China's perspective on the situation. On the recent visit by the guy in high heels:

"While the visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to China in early May was driven by an immediate need for aid and investment, Kim spent much time taking lessons from the Chinese by touring the coastal cities of Dalian and Tianjin, which the hosts promoted as models of economic growth and development. The message was that what worked for China might work for North Korea.

Participating in the entourage was Jang Song-thaek, Kim’s brother-in-law and chief of foreign investment, and Kim Yang-gon, the head of Korea Taepung International Investment Group, which is an agency created this year to channel $10 billion from China to build ports, roads, railways and tourist infrastructure. This huge investment amounts to almost 70 percent of North Korea’s domestic gross product. (my emphasis)

Later this year, it is anticipated that foreign investment (primarily from China) will be allowed in eight major cities of North Korea, and not just in state-sponsored foreign economic zones."

This is very different interpretation from what many of  the papers here presented.  They said the Chinese signaled their frustration with Kim and he was turned away from Beijing empty handed. The trips to Dalian and Tianjin were presented as sightseeing of China's success rather than a learning opportunity. Looking forward:

"China’s priority in its relations with North Korea is stability, since the collapse of the North could result in a flood of refugees into China. China is also wary that an abrupt change of regime would improve chances for unification with the South and thus enhance U.S. military power in the region. So when Kim Jong-il dies, China will likely support his chosen heirs."

 "China is also attracted by the strategic and commercial opportunities in North Korea, namely raw materials, an even cheaper work force than its own, and access to one of Asia’s northern-most ice-free ports on the Sea of Japan."

Unsaid, but true, is human rights is not a priority for China. China, with it's own propensity to jail those who express opinions that run counter to the regime's interest, is in no position to criticize the North Koreans.

As usual in these conflicts, the major powers (China and the US) are trying to jockey for what is best in their own interest in the long term. Unfortunately for the North Koreans, Chinese interest seem to be to keep the brutal regime in power regardless of the toll on the people. The US interest would open the market to a staunch ally (South Korea) but in the process give freedom and democracy to the people.

What is in nobody's interest is a war, so it seems unlikely that there will be one.  On the other hand, when things are this tense, accidents (and then wars) happen.

Cheonan-Not to be believed

Yesterday I had conversations with several colleagues about the incident.  The most surprising thing to me is that all of them said that the evidence is not strong and they are not convinced that the North Koreans are behind the sinking of the Cheonan.  The fact that there was no radar warning of the attack causes them to question whether it happened as it has been stated. In addition, the timing of the announcement, one week before local elections, seems very convenient for the Lee government. They are mostly not supporters of the government and are unlikely to believe anything the government says.

Another surprising thing is text messages warning of an imminent war that a bunch of kids got a middle school.  They went to their teachers and they calmed them.  I wonder if the North Koreans were behind that....not sure.

That said, the President Lee has had a slow but steady rise in popularity in the last year and it seems it is peaking at a good time.

A Mature Response

I guess I remember all of the chair throwing and crazy videos of the Korean parliament from the past, so I did not expect much from them on the Cheonan ship sinking incident. I was completely wrong.


I think things have been handled pretty close to perfectly so far.  The rhetoric was measured and designed to keep the public from getting ahead of any possible response.  The government did a good job involving other countries in the investigation to be sure it was transparent and above repute. The response was a bit slow but thoughtful. They have done a good job working in concert with their partners on China.


The president's statement today was perfect I think:

"Fellow citizens, we have always tolerated North Korea's brutality, time and again. We did so because we have always had a genuine longing for peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "But now things are different. North Korea will pay a price corresponding to its provocative acts."

Lee then said that "no North Korean ship will be allowed to make passage through any of the shipping lanes in the waters under our control" and that "any inter-Korean trade or other cooperative activity is meaningless."

Of course, regardless of how perfect things are, the outcome could very well suck.  North Korea will certainly up the rhetoric, they might set off a nuclear bomb and act like a spoiled child (as Hillary Clinton termed their actions it in the past).  The President has been pretty clear that game playing is over.  He said on Friday:

 "From now on, the Republic of Korea will not tolerate any provocative act by the North and will maintain the principle of proactive deterrence," Lee said. "If our territorial waters, airspace or territory are violated, we will immediately exercise our right of self-defense."

This could be just another row, albeit a very serious one, in a long series between the North and the South (this is my guess).  On the other hand, this has the possibility to be a game changer.  Will the little guy in heels show he is really crazy?  Will China act like the partner for stability in the region as they claim? We will see.

High School Days Revisited

A couple of weeks ago two of my favorite students, Yun Ju and Miyeon, invited Sandy and I on a day out.  This week they gave us the cutest invitations ever!

I know it looks like the girls are miserable and we were at a garage, but I am pretty sure they had a good time at a trendy restaurant.

Next we were off to a board game room.  There is a nominal charge to sit at a table and you play board games.  Good fun except for a certain cheating student who forced me to go to another table and have them hit me as a penalty for losing a game.  Yes I know I am a 47 year old idiot.

Finally, we were off to the photo booth store.  

I am really proud of the girls, too.  Yun Ju could only utter a few words 6 months ago.  With a lot of work, she can now chat with Sandy and I for 5 hours. 

Sandy and I are really happy that the girls invited us.  We laughed a lot and had a good time.  In addition, the girls taught us about Korean society from a students perspective. A really good time.

Election Day

June 2nd is election day and the process is active and noisy.  There are trucks going through town blaring the message of the office seeker.  This morning there was one dude with a series of trucks and him making a speech along the main road.  He had a few dozen supporters in blue shirts around him.

There was a second group that was quiet and gave deep bows to traffic going by.  The deeper the bow, the more polite.  I hate to admit how much I liked the simplicity (and lack of noise) from this one. I think we may be better off in the US to have a bow off and whoever bows deepest gets elected.  It is hard to imagine that we would get a worse set of Bozo's with the bowing system than elections.  If nothing else, they would be more polite.

There are signs draped all over buildings promoting the candidates.This one is my favorite because I am pretty sure that the guy is sleeping or really bored in the picture on the lower part of the building.  I think it may be the best advertisement, elect me and I will do nothing to screw up your life...he's got my vote!

Eating Dogs, live Octopus, Dolphin and Cows

In  the last week I watched the movie "The Cove" about Japanese eating dolphins,  read an article about Koreans eating live octopus (called Sannakji), and listened to a student's thoughts on eating dog.

The Japanese say that they have eaten dolphin for generations, it is part of their culture and they have a right to eat it. Koreans say that the octopus is not really live and the nerves in their limbs are just reacting post mortem. My student thinks eating dogs  is part of the culture, the dogs are raised specifically to be eaten, and if you don't want to eat dog you do not have to.

When we lived in Nepal, people thought it was strange/gross/bad that we ate beef. We grew up, of course, eating it and never gave it a second thought.

I guess we all see these things through our cultural glasses. Watching a bunch of dolphin get killed is really upsetting, but is it less upsetting than seeing other animals killed? Cutting off the limbs of octopus seems cruel, but is it less cruel than putting a live lobster in boiling water or housing chickens in small coops for their entire lives? Killing sweet dogs is inhumane, but is it more inhumane that killing sweet cows?(hmmmmmmmm sweet cow) I often wondered this last one as I looked into their big innocent eyes as they walked along the streets of Nepal.

I think that societies evolve and we should try to treat animals humanely as possible. I suppose I think all societies are somewhat inconsistent on all these issues and people with the holier than thou attitude ought to quit it.

On these types of topics, I turn to my bible (the Simpsons) and seek guidance from my idol Homer Simpson who said (I am paraphrasing), if god did not want us to eat animals, why would he have made them so delicious. Alleluia!

Teachers Day

Yesterday was teachers' day in Korea.  On Friday the office was filled with flowers. Traditionally teachers received carnations from students and ex-students but, looking around the office, it seems to me red roses have replaced carnations.  

One kid wrote an essay explaining that said that teachers are like second parents and I do not think she is alone in that thought.  The majority of the kids live in the dormitories and only see their parents every other weekend at most.  The homeroom teacher has a huge role in their lives, guiding them not only in school, but in life. The teachers provide the discipline as well as affection. One kid wrote that, "the teachers can give us the touch of affection when I need it".  

It is hard for me to imagine parents turning over so much of the responsibility for raising their children to teachers, but that speaks to my upbringing in a society where we pay mouth service to respecting teachers. I think the respect for teachers here comes mainly from the Confucian influence in society. I think it is probably waning a bit, but it is still strong.  

Things I See

A local middle/high school has a show and a kid demonstrated his excellent use of English in his drawing (please note the "Fuck You" in the bottom right corner). The words, "Happy Time" scrolled all over the frame kind of balances out the, "I hate you" so I am guessing the kid is not troubled on average.

I was up in the third year teachers office yesterday and saw that Catholic University in Daegu knows how to win friends and influence teachers...Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  I can't stand 'em, but they went fast.

Classroom Responsibility

There was an interesting story in today's NY Times about a Chinese program to teach English in high schools in the US. It follows some of the  trials and tribulations of a foreigner teaching their native language in a very different country...kind of my situation in reverse.

The Korean and Chinese education systems, both of which had similar origins, seem to have other similarities in the modern day.  One quote that I thought was particularly important is:

“In China,” she said after class, “if you teach the students and they don’t get it, that’s their problem. Here if they don’t get it, you teach it again.”

In Korea (and I think China) there are strict rules about student's appearance and behavior, but students have a lot of freedom whether to learn or not.  This means that if kids sleep in a class, many, if not most, teachers tolerate it.  It is the kids responsibility to learn and the teachers to teach.

One surprise is there is no consequence for not learning in the short term; all kids pass and move to the next grade.  The big consequence comes when they take the entrance exam for a university.

While I think there is a lot of merit to this system when you have highly motivated students, I question how it would work in the US where there is a far wider range of students in the classroom.  I think it is not effective in the low level classes here because you could have a whole class of students sleeping even when you have a great engaging lesson. Then, the students are disruptive in future lessons because they do not understand.

Coming from an American perspective, I feel like I am "giving up" on students who are not learning.  This is a different way of thinking for teachers here.  I think some have really re-thought the way they teach, others think it is not necessary (which is ok).

In the end, having a foreigner in the classroom, makes everyone re-think the role of teacher and students whether it is a foreigner in the US or Korea which is a good thing.

Hiking with the dogs

I was out on a hike with another guy and we noticed a couple of dogs with radio collars on them.  I knew that this is so the owners could track their hunting dogs.  I had no idea that they had them here.  Either way one then another and another came up to us.  Finally there were 6 who decided they would hike with us for about a 1/2 hour than chase after feral pigs.

On the way back from the hike, we happened upon the coolest rock with a big tree growing off the top and a traditional Korean pavilion at the bottom.  Quite beautiful to me.

Unhappy Children

Today is Children's Day in Korea.  Parents give children presents and take them out on excursions (this is in principle, I did not see any out today).

All the papers had articles on children's happiness and, as it turns out, it sucks.  According to a survey from a major university, 53% Korean children are happy with their life, the lowest number in the OECD. Children in the Netherlands are the happiest at 94% and 84% for the entire OECD (this seems remarkably high to me)

A couple of different reasons.  According to one article it is 

"Heaviest on their minds were school grades and physical appearances in 2002, but this had changed to school grades and their careers in 2008."

A total of 39.8 percent of 5,658 teenagers said school grades is their biggest worry, followed by their career path at 24.1 percent.

Another article said 

"Of the students, 26.5 percent said they were unhappy with their health, and 18.3 percent said they felt they don’t belong anywhere. Another 16.7 percent said they feel lonely." 

This could be one reason Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world.  According to the same article:

"Suicide was by far the leading cause of death among teenagers. Government research found that 13.5 out of every 100,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 committed suicide in 2008."

As I wrote before, the kids go to school for long hours then they go to cram schools and study hall.  A different article today

"Korean teenagers spend an average of 10 hours and 47 minutes a day studying,

Three out of four people in elementary school, middle school, and high school were receiving some form of private education" 

Is it any surprise that kids that have almost no time to socialize are lonely and feel like they do not belong anywhere?  Is it a surprise that kids who have no time for sports are not happy with their health?  

One of my students wrote an essay last year saying that the Korean education system does a good job developing test taking machines, but a terrible job developing happy, well rounded children. I could not agree more.  I hope someone is listening to brilliant kids like her.

Deliveries

I have not seen anything as cool as this truck for to help people move. Two guys on the bottom load the platform.  The platform flies up to the 10th floor.  Considering they did not strap anything on, it is impressive that nothing took a spill. In about 30 minutes an hour all of these people's belongings were moved into their house.