Enough of the Nonsense!

Now, I am really sick and tired of Korean guys. Period. I have gotten terribly involved with my language exchange partner in the past month(who incidently is from Korea and looks somewhat similiar to the actor above). Somehow, the lack of logic of the male Korean has stimied me again.


The kicker for me is the "lure" of the Korean guy. What girl wouldn't be thrilled when someone always automatically carries their book bag/gym bag/parcels? They don't offer, they just grab the bags without hesitation. The 4--6 text messages a day, with sweet words that all girls love to hear, is also wonderful. Having a guy who's tall, beautiful thick and wavy jet-black hair and has a natural talent for dressing well sure seals the deal. It's always fun to explore the city with someone who's new to it and is polite enough to do whatever "I" want...how many guys would sit in my favorite cafes and sip cappicinos for days on end? Can I mention the variations on "romantic expression" are very different from the typical Canadian norm. He would always go out of the way...even ride an extra hour on the transit system to drop me off in my neighbourhood.

Anyway, things are starting to SUCK. From out of nowhere comes all this shit. It was light, airy, fun and romantic times. Then, he turns "MR SERIOUS". All of a sudden, he mentions that he has mentioned me to his brother, sisiter-in-law, sister #2 in Korea. They are not happy with his choice...what would his mother say..apparently, it's a sin to be in a relationship with someone who has children and is a few years older than him. All I can say is HOLY SHIT, get a life. The guy is 35, and he can't make his own decisions. It's just getting stupid(more stupid). Yes, it's their culture, I have heard it on all the expat blogs. But to actually experience this in person is a joke! All my life, I have made a stand for guys of other cultures than my own...stood up to my own parents even and have almost been excommunicated. But I am an individual and I take pride in expressing myself. My mind is blown that I am being stood up on trial, before a judge and jury, just for being myself...white, middle aged and with kids. It's like being on the Gong-Show, having that "cane of shame" come out from the sidelines and pull me off stage. And then, he has become very serious about his future, his success that he is banking on as a writer when he returns back to Korea, how he should really spend more time writing and speaking English to as many people as possible. Yes, brush-off perhaps but maybe it's just his true personality. Maybe all asian guys learn how to charm in the beginning, but when their realy personality comes out, it's not very wonderful at all.

All I can say is FUCK IT.  I would rather walk along with my integrity and individuality.

Sometimes though, I wish I was blind, so I wouldn't have to look at these handsome Asian guys and think of possibilities...I seem to get burned everytime.

Just Tired

Sometimes, I get very tired of relating to others. It's very exhausting...both emailing regularly and talking face to face with someone. Right now, the worst is in "romantic" or "potentially romantic" situations, especially with Korean guys.

The worst thing is that I have a lot of inside information from bloggers about the attitudes behaviours of Korea guys that they have encoutered while living in Korea. This infomation is always in my mind and inhibits my regualar spontanaiety when I try to think of topics to talk about. The second worse is what about the attitudes and behavious of younger Korean women. I am not trying to be like them and never will. But I can't help but wonder if the "cute-sy" and childish behaviour is something that Korean guys expect. I am the furthest from cutesy, coy, kittenish...however you want to describe it.  Somedays, I am so tomboy that I wonder how many people may speculate that I am a biker dyke(not that there is anything wrong with that...
I am a supporters of peoples' choices and the sexuality of their choice).
I am not fancy, I am polite and pleasant but will tell it like it is when I have to. From trial and error, my limited experience with  Korean guys shows that they don't like hearing the uncut, unedited truth about reality, especially if it has to do with their misbehaviour...they do not  have the spirit of generosity with apologies or admitting their mistakes.

One of the best things about getting older is that I realize that I don't have to pretend to be someone I am not. Sure, I might lose a few potential mates along the way, but hey, I've got to be me regardless of how good looking, intelligent and charming someone is and how much I would be thrilled to be included in their life. Because isn't a relationship really about what goes on inside a person and not about who they "pretend to be"?

Plain Big Meanies in Korean Society

My friend in Korea is short. Let's say 5'6, and that's being generous. So what's the big deal, right? People come and all shapes and sizes...that's what makes the world go 'round. That's why I love Canada, because wherever you go, you see all types of people and there aren't people otherse standing around pointing fingers and saying "oh...look at THAT person...they are so _____". Sure, there are some a-hole who might say something rude and redneck out loud when someone doesn't fit the impossible image of Hollywood or other unacheivable media images. In Korea, being a short male was apparently similar to a social death sentence.

In Seoul, it was was a HUGE shock. In general, they are obsessed with appearance, and not only in regards to fashion. I found out that people stared at people who weren't skeleton thin. Even my friend would stop and stare and say "look at that". I found that shocking and childish. I'm no lightweight and could just imagine what people were thinking of me. I rationalized it that people were soo poor in recent past, that they didn't have enough food to eat so this concenpt of "thin is wonderful" must have stuck with them. Plus, my friend was "food crazy". He would talk about food with such passion. I'm a foodie, but the lust for food that this guy had was prettty crazy . He could describe meals in his imagination with a crazy, glazed over look in his eyes. To him, the concept of "all you can eat seafood buffets" like it was heaven...apparently he had never been to one and that was his ultimate "food goal". It was pretty crazy...I felt a lot of guilt as I have been eating chinese food buffets and mainstream buffets all my life(I was just at an "all you can eat sushi" place last night). I then found out that he grew up in a very poor environment. I asked about his childhood and he said all that he can remember as a youngster was that he "cried alot because there wasn't enough food". Holy Shit! I felt bad. In my family, we always had food...it was something that I always took for granted growing up....that's when I developed my love for daily chocolate cake!

I asked why eveyone seemed to accept plastic surgery. The answer I got was that society was so competitive that everyone wanted to get any type of edge they could. Then my guy asked me why I didn't have the mole on my face removed by plastic surgery yet? I was shocked, as I never that that the mole detracted too much from my appearance...I rather liked it as it made me a bit unique, part of my identifiable physical markings that may be required to recognize my body one day. I explained that the mole was part of me and that it's OK not to have a perfect complection. I was given a shrug in response.

Ok, here's where I present "the biggie". The biggie, that left me totally speechless and feeling unbelievably horrible was this...my guy was beaten by his peers, classmate AND TEACHERS because he was a short and thin male until his university years. I didn't want to pry too much, but even with the limited information he shared made me  feel physically ill. He suffered so much  just for being short. He had no protection, not even from his teachers. He tried to find an excuse, blaming that he didn't have enough nutrition growing up to grow tall and strong. I felt terrible. I tried to console him but I'm not a therapist...what could I say? All I could give is a hug, say "I am so sorry that this happened to you" and lend an ear. All I could think of is Canada in this day and age there are soo many ways that we try to protect the children from bullying and abuse...public service announcments for The Kids Help Phone, rules for teacher-student contact, law enforcement visiting parents who have reportedly abused their kids and taking them into custody if required and the general public reporting beatings of children in public places.

MY GOD, how can Korea, such an advanced and industrialized country, be sooooo backwards? Why bother with the technology, the plastic surgery, the high standards in education if  there is no basic respect and compassion for people, especially the most vulnerable?

No wonder my guy lied on his online profile and said he was 5'9.....

Words That Usually Don't Go Together

I just saw this image upon a website while I was searching for images of frowing older Korean men for my last enty. It is a gem as the header was " There is a particularly handsome homeless man in China."

Here's a bit of the content of the blog:


"And people are FREAKING OUT about it.


Web forum locals in China have dubbed the sultry street walker “Brother Sharp”, apparently with reference to his hauntingly good looks and snappy avant garde dressing style."

I believe that there could be good-looking people in all walks of life. Usually, the last thing that I appraise of a homeless person is their looks.

Hopefully with all this attention, this guy might gain some favour with someone who has the power and influence to pull him out of his poverty and help him get back on his feet again.

You Know, it's funny....

No disrepect , Rev. Sun Myung Moon, I just needed a male Korean frowny face

In Korea, I noticed that the most Korean men over 45 had a very stern and grumpy personality. I never had any luck with taxi drivers or shop keepers even remotely cracking a smile or even interested in me as a consumer...only when I was inquiring about a $100 bottle of Camus from one of the vendors. Why was it that my Korean guy could get information from them so easily, even get a smile...mind you, it took a lot of gestures and bowing on his behalf, but he still got a good reply. So, I generalized  that older generation Korean men have an angry attitude. I don't usually do that, as I like to give people a fair go to prove themselves, but after seeing so much evidence, I couldn't conclude that the opposite was true. I didn't even encounter 1 friendly, older guy in Seoul from the thousands of older guys in Seoul which ran across my path in Seoul!

Then in my TESL class this week, my teacher said that her worst case teaching scenerio was with an older Korean student whom she grouped together with a younger Japanese student. The topic was "discuss you best and worse vacations". I know you can guess what happened....the older Korean told the Japanese student that visiting Japan was his absolute worse vacation and did not restrain his opinion about the terrible feelings he had about Japan and that Japanese people are no good. My teacher said that she listened in horror, as the older Korean student continued to raise his voice about the topic while berating the poor, innocent Japanese language student, who sat in shock as the downward spiral of his good times at english language school in Toronto. The teacher said that she did her best to redirect the class and carry on but was soo shocked at how someone could be so rude and indignant toward another student that she couldn't regroup.

Nooo! How terrible. There goes another balloon bursted in my defense for South Korea. How can someone  NOT KNOW that one should keep their opinion to themselves, that this is Canada, and that everyone from around the world is equally welcome here. How could someone be that clueless and insensitive.

The more I am finding out about various Korean temperments and attitudes, the less I find that I am liking the idea to go there again, actually.

You Lucky Dog!

I have been thinking of dogs, how Koreans eat dogs(especially in the summertime) and how I don't like that one bit.
My Korean guy told me that the Jindoo dog------->
is the only type of dog that is not allowed to be eaten, since it's their "national dog". The Jindoo is suppose to "be the smartest and the most loyal dog to their master"(yes, that explains the personality of most dogs, don't ya think).
In Korea, I was shown the Dog Meat Restaurants and their signage. I didn't feel remotely impressed.

I have heard that the way inwhich the dgos are "killed" in Korea is very far from humane and actually quite evil.
Who could kill a dog by violently beating it? Dogs are cool, their eyes show emotions and they like people...they are our friends.

My Korean guy is from a very poor family. He said that he had a pet dog once when he was young. He loved having a pet dog and it was his best friend. One night, he came home from school and couldn't find the dog. He then found out that the meal sitting before him was his beloved pet.
No wonder this guy has serious issues.

Hankerchiefs are hygenic? Whaaaa?

I found the English radio station online called "Arirang Radio," from Korea. It's a government run radio station. I was pretty excited about it last week when I first found it. Now, I find it a bit boring, as the hosts inwhich I have listened to seem pretty young and inexperienced. They usually talk about really boring, uninteresting things. For example, they were asking each other "how do you stay cool when it's hot outside" and continued to list things for a good 5 minutes. Another mind nummingly dull one was  "what's your plans for the weekend", and then his guest answered "I like to drink beer..ha ha". How can this dull and thoughtless banter be presented as a radio program? It's not even remotely entertaining. Could this entire show be scripted? There's no way...it's just too boring! Maybe I just haven't found the host on the station to listen to..there seems to be a lot of different shows during the day and I have not listened to each one yet.

Yesterday, the last thing that I heard on this station was something very idiotic. It was a public service announcement that went on for a good minute. It's message started with talking about Korea's natural resources. It discussed how the land should be protected and respected. Then it went on to shockingly discuss how hand towel and using washroom hand dryers are "wasting the natural resources". To protect the environment, people should "bring and use their own hankerchief!" OH WOW! You have got to be joking!! How can a government body tell people that this! Reusing a dirty, over-used nose rag is going to save the environment! What about the health of the nation?! How is drying one's freshly washed hands on a boogery rag going help anyone? Nonsense. I am speechless at this twisted type of logic. It does not compute.

What About Holiday Days?

I am reading all these postings for teaching jobs in Korea and notice that the number of sick days allowed is rarely mentioned. Why is that? From what I heard, teachers often get sick soon after their arrival to Korea...sometimes very sick. Mentioning sick days when advertising the contract details would be a huge selling point for me. What happens when one exceeds their sick days and is still sick? So confusing.

I am a walking disaster when it comes to travelling. I always get a sick stomach and a cold almost instantly upon arrival in a foreign country. It's the good ol' Canadian cleanliness, I think. Plus, I grew up eating the typical "meat and potatoes" diet, without any spices except for salt and pepper. 

International Marriage vs Mental and Financial Health

I would be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind that my Korean guy is especially interested in me as I may be "the ticket" out of Korea. He has voiced his disappointment with the Korean system many times, even prior to meeting him in his emails. When I met him, I heard laundry lists of how his morals, viewpoints and aspirations aren't being met in Korea, despite his love for his country. He is a one of those political types where laws, policy making and where the powers fall short are his favorite thing to rant about. I do not follow politics and have a hard time understanding how one can lose sleep over something I can't directly control.

When it comes to marriage for Canadians, how can they trust people that they marry overseas? When the couple comes back to Canada, the foreign bride/groom is "home free" and automatically given Canadian status where the Canadian spouse is financially responsible for the person for 3 years, even if the marriage doesn't last a day in Canada. I've seen it...I live in a big city. I have a friend who married to leave her country and come to Canada then divorced weeks afterward. I also have a friend who married someone overseas, brought her to Canada and just now was presented with a $23 K bill from the government for the 3 years she tallied up on being on social assistance after divorcing him.

There's no guarantee that any marriage will last. But thinking about the risks of marrying overseas, it's huge.
I admit that Canada is awesome, and I can completely understand how people in another country that was overcrowded and lacked social services would likely look to get out through marriage...it way be the only way out. But what about us starry eyed Canadians, who on the most part and friendly and straight forward, trusting and "nice"? Are we destined to be screwed over...have the wool pulled over our eyes by a sexy, foreign stranger who is business savvy(especially in Korea, where working unfathomable hours are a way of survival),willing and able to "play the part" and pretend that we are the only one for them? Sure, true love happens...I'm not a total pessimist. I just wonder how the hell are we suppose to know what is "true love and destiny" and what is just really great acting? Someone "in love" is in an altered mental state and can be fooled sooo easily...

Stay Alive by Yoon Band

Holy, that's a great track...from the YB vs RRM mini-album, which I believe was just released last month(?). Yoon Band's lead singer(Yoon Do Hyun) is unbelievable. ...he can sing ballads and has the power to deliver strong angst when needed. His voice is sweet, tone perfect yet powerful. "Stay Alive" does have a lot of U2ish element but yet remains distinctly different.

Compare the studio version to the live version on u-Tube...they are both un-frickin' believable(I put them up on the blog on the u-tube channel indicator, so you can just click there, at least when it's working).
Yoon Band's singer's English pronuciation is right on target plus he can pull it off live. There are few vocalists who can do this.

Watching the live video makes me chuckle...I was expecting to see the image of a typical North American rock  fan in leather, black t-shirts, the "hair" and billows of smoke from people smokin' weed, ink work everywhere but instead, there are thousands of orderly, multi-coloured glow sticks. I could just imagine owners of those glow sticks were thousands of fashionably and well dressed girls, in high-collared shirts(don't show them boobies), mini-skirts and "respectable" heeled shoes...I am sure there weren't any sterotypical "rocker" chicks in that crowd.

In the live video clip, I love Yoon Do Hyun's new hair cut...very sexy...he has all the right moves...no awkward moments! Plus the video shows the drummer ,Kim Jin Won,  who I just drool over everytime I see the band's photo...please excuse the volumous puddles of liquid flowing out of the computer...it's just my saliva...

Fighting leads to defending K-Pop?

I have had a number of email fights with my Korean guy. An email fight with someone who speaks English is uncomfortable enough but when you add someone who translates almost every English sentence through an electronic translator, you've got real trouble and confusion for both parties.
So far, we have had 2 blow outs. I am waiting for the 3rd any day now in response to my last email.

I would have to say, the most obvious quality in my guy's fight email is fire! He is angry and very hot tempered. And yes, his attitude does prove to be true to the "angry Korean male" sterotype. Unlike a disagreement with a fellow Canadian who would just concentrate on the topic he would bring in his nationalistic pride and his IQ into the picture. Who would involve these 2 irrelivent points into a disagreement that has nothing to do with either topic?
Here's a few classics:

'Do you think that you know(have) knowledges or common senses about all around the world more than me?'

'In Korea, we enter the college(university) over 90% students after the graduate high school.
Korean elementary school children study until 10 p.m. and Korean High school students study at their school until 12 a.m.Do you know why?We do to win others, to survive in the keen competition world.
We study to win Japan, to win America. Have you ever study to survive?But we do.'


'Do you know why Korean B-Boy dance team always win a No.1 prize at the World's dance contest?

Because they dance risk their life.
( I saw that what they said on the newspaper, "We dance risk our life, so we can victory".)'

See what I mean? The issue will never get solved. There is never an apology. There is always an inclusion of this statement ,
"And now, I don't trust you any more."
This one appears so much, I swear it's cut and pasted into the fight email.

So the lesson that I have learned is to pick and choose my battles with him. There are some things that can't be expressed very well through emails. Many things are better discussed face to face to get the other facial expressions involved....as well as having an English Korean dictionary handy and a lot of paper to write/ reword the topic so he really understands what we're talking about.

To Trust or Not to Trust?

When I was in Seoul, I hooked up with a guy that I met online. We had been emailing back and forth for some time, and the emails were pretty normal...things about everyday life, common interests, . There wasn't any talk about sex, or money or nothing. He just seemed like a thinker, well educated, compassionate...I know, he could have been acting, I know! I said it like it is...I don't have anything and am an unemployed student. Was it risky to actually meet someone I have never met before in a strange country? Absolutely. I really listened to my gut prior to doing so, not that my gut would help if I got in trouble. It just SEEMED like the right thing to do at the time. Have you ever had that feeling to do something outside your comfort zone? Not that I am superficial, but his picture was SOO HANDSOME...which was one of the main deciding factors of meeting him. He was the best looking guy that I have seen online, ever!

Luckily, things turned out better than I could have ever imagined. He was kind, smart, normal...but a bit shorter than he said in his email(not that it mattered so much to me, because shorter guys are OK for me).
I discovered that his English was not anything like his emails, which always presented pretty flawless English. He did mention that he uses a translator to understand the full content of my emails but I had no idea that he really didn't understand that much English. I think he understood maybe 30% of what I said to him during the visit...which did cause more than a few misunderstanding.

As time has gone on with distance now separating us and multitudes of emails were exchanged, I wonder if trust should given to him or not. Lately, I have been thinking a bit more cautiously. Sure, he fires out the "I love yous" and all the nicety-nice things that girls love to hear via email, but there's some big holes. Huge holes that I can see now that time has exposed.
     For example, I was thinking about how I saw a picture of a baby on his keychain and a ring around his neck. I recently had a chat with a Korean guy here in Toronto through a friend, and his "ring around his neck" was his wedding ring. But strangely, my guy gave the ring around his neck to me...he said he "found it"?  When I saw the baby picture on my guy's keychain, he said it was his nephew. I later asked how old his nephew was, and he said he was 8? Very confusing...was the keychain not his, meaning that the car wasn't his and maybe his relatives or does that mean that he has a baby that he hasn't told me about? He did say that he really loves his nephew...plus, when people have kids pictures, they give these pics to everyone they know(those packages give way too many pictures). He swore that he was single. How can I know? Why was is that when he got a phone call when we were together, he had to take it privately...I have no idea what he's saying in Korean, so why wou ld it matter? And the latest event that I have analyzed to death is why he doesn't answer my phone calls. I didn't usually call him, but lately had been dying to hear his voice. I called, answering machine. I called a dozen occassions later and no answer...ringing and ringing. I have a phone card so it's cheap and no big deal. I emailed him and asked him on at least 5 occasions WHEN I could call so he can pick it up...no answer. On the last email, he said that he cancelled his phone some time ago and doesn't have another one yet. And get this, he said his reason for cancelling is because I don't call him...???? Yes, giant RED FLAG. Hmm, maybe he could have mentioned that he cancelled is phone when he cancelled it. Was this email an error in English...is he getting bolder and not using his translator?

Anyway, putting all this together, it really looks like he's a married guy with a kid. Truth hurts, but how can I really know? Actions speak louder than words, right?

Just go and teach already!

Over the years, there has been a number of things that have held me back from teaching in Korea. As a fresh grad, I was ready, willing and stoked about going.
I married young and was married at that time. Things weren't going that well with the relationship. At that time, I thought that it's better to stay in town and I'd decline the offer. Don't get me wrong, I still had support from my spouse at the time, but hesitant support. I was soo scared of the unknown. Scared of what I'd lose, not thinking of what I could gain. I had not travelled on my own at that time and could only think of the bad things...fear of the "what ifs". I wasn't raised with the most optimistic parents and my Dad was very parinoid. Unfortunately, I take after my Dad in that respect.

The next time I had the urge to teach overseas, I applied to Nova in Japan. I was super hyped and well on my way with my Visa process. I even went to school with one of the head teachers there and wouldn't be alone. I was heavily involved with another guy at the time, who was also very supportive. My excuse this time was that I didn't have the funds required, as they wanted the teacher to have $1500 in pocket before going. My guy said he would lend me the money too. Again, when it was time to make final arrangements, I declined, even after sending over my contract to Japan with my diploma. The problem again was that I was "IN LOVE" , worrying about the future and the possible collapse of my so "in love" relationship, unsure of what the other side of the work would hold AGAIN. In retrospect, I really can't believe that I didn't go to that one.

My lasted round of "wanting to go and teach" started last year. I wanted to do something with myself that would make a difference to others. I love children and wanted to work with them. Again, I ran into recruiters with contracts that were extremely unclear. I would ask the recruiter to clarify a point, and then I never receive a reply. I must have given the impression that I was " a troublemaker" to them, where in reality, I just wanted clarification. The next recruiters, 2 of them, lost interest in me when they found out that I had kids. My last attempt was just last month, but then life got in the way when one of my parents almost died of a GI emergency. Strangely, after that event, I found out that the school was on a few blacklists. Is it just a coincidence that such an emergency occurred at just the exact time that I was going to mail out my Visa documents? Uncanny, isn't it.
In regards to my a life threatening illness, what if I had to fly back for a funeral? I have read some horror stories in blogs from teachers about schools not allowing the teacher to leave the school to attend their own parent's funeral! How crueul is that! How could they continue to teach at the school without that major blow affecting their performance and attitude toward the management?

So, in summary, the main reasons that haven't been able to get to Korea to teach is because of a) being "IN LOVE"...guys, that seems to be my, and a lot of other girls' "raison d'etre" b) fear of the unknown c)having kids and being a burden to potential employers d)wanting to know full information regarding the contract with the school, which seems to be impossible for the recruiters to get answers for...plus, I am sure they have many, many other potential teachers who will sign the contract without question(so why spend extra time with my file) and lastely d)life' unpredictable circumstances that can happen to anyone at anytime.

Japanese Eye Candy

There's something about a guy who puts a lot of effort into themselves...nice look, colonge, effort on hair, effort on dress and confidence. Wow. Not that I don't enjoy the "natural" /the rough and rugged look. I like to look at great looking guys.
But I am picky...most of what I find "good looking" lately has been East Asian guys.

I just about lost my mind when I learned about Japan's Hosts Clubs and immediately got a hold of the CD "The Great Happiness Space". The movie was a sociologist real look at what the Host club world is all about which went behind the scences to show the real emotions of the staff and the clients. It was really a great documentary and eye opening documentary.

So now, when I drool over the pictures on the website posting the glamour shots of the Japanese hosts advertising their wares(http://www.host2.jp/closeup/index.html), I can now think twice about their exterior beauty and can see beyond it and imagine that behind the beauty, there is pain.

Bidets are cool...and refreshing...

"Bidets" were one of the most welcome sights for me in Seoul. One greeted me upon my arrival to my hotel room in Seoul. It's not the European type which stand seperate from the toilet. This is a funky, electronic toilet seat with a seat warmer, water control adjustments and many other controls, such as temperature, angle of water jet and a host of others I couldn't figure out. My frst attempt to use it was worrisome, as I couldn't turn the water jet off and it soaked the bathroom...all the instructions were in Korean, which I can't read.
Afterwards, I was so happy to see these units. I was elated to see one in the restaurant toilet inwhich I spent a good 1 1/2 hours in after getting food poisioning there. Somehow, being sick is much easier when you have a bidet to keep you company.

"the Oscar" play some good Rock, Korea does Rock!

07/30/2010 Korea Gig Guide in Hongdae Zoo

Time: 8:00pm. Admission: 10,000 won (1 free drink). Sound Smith, Twinkle Star, The Oscar

If anyone likes rock and is in Seoul, go to this show! I saw "the Oscar" and they were really fantastic...they have A LOT of energy and talent.
Mind you, the format for these concerts are totally different than in Canada...each band plays about 5 songs and the bar shuts down quite early compared to Canada.
If you go, you will not be dissapointed...and you'll get a free beer!
Sigh, if I was in Seoul, I'd be there. Korea does rock, the K-pop is just an illusion to fool the masses...

"Colder than a Witches Tit"

Believe it or not, that was one of my Mother's favorite expression...one of her many expressions that we would grow up hearing...thanks for your sensitivity and watching your language around children, Mom. I always hated it. What if the witch was a white witch, a Wiccan...she would be warm hearted and I am sure that her body would be warm too?

Anyway, I am thinking of that expression since I was trying to think of an expression to describe the atmosphere and reception that I got as a female tourist in Seoul. Since that expression was programmed into the deep recesses of my mind, it came up.

In Seoul, I spent a day just walking around by myself. I was pretty much invisible.
I was staying in in the Gangnam area and just walked about 2 hours from my hotel. I walked through the fashion district and wanted to see if I could reach the mountain in the distance, since it didn't look very far and I like to walk. I walked and walked and passed many people...students, business people, a handsome care lot attendant that I had to say "anneyang hasseyo" to(and actually got one back...ahhh).
I walked up past the turn-off for Co-Ex, passed many apartments with busses loaded with children going to their after school programs. I walked around a small, backstreet market around the Gaepo-dong starion, then headed back toward the hotel.
The area was really nice...underneath the underpass there was a recreation trail where people were exercising, well kept apartments and a nearby moutain. I could really handle living there...a mountain, recreation trails, fresh air...a subway station "right there".
My walk back included a stop at the Hyuandi store foodcourt for some Juke and then walked back in the pouring rain, where my trendy paper Hyuandi shopping bag got soaked broke open, spilling my recently shopped items on the sidewalk.
On my return to the hotel, no one at reception even looked up from there work or even looked surprised as I was carrying an armload of soaked boxes and dripping puddles of water through the foyer.

So for the most part, no Seoulite really extended themselves to me that day, even when my shopping bad broke. Were they cold? Well, they weren't "warm and friendly", that's for sure...but I've been to the East Coast of Canada and have been spoiled there by otherworldly hospitality. But of course, I didn't really go out of my way to interact too much either. I think that my big city is pretty much like that too...I don't smile and wave at all the tourists because there are just too many of them.
But come on, the hotel staff should be friendly...they just weren't. It was like "oh no, single female in a room...she's diseased...don't look, it's Medusa!". Hotel staff should at least be friendly...how the hell did they get the job in the first place?

First Post

Hi, there. Welcome to my ramblings.

I am a Canadian gal with no specific "culture". I am a 3rd generation Canadian with eastern euro roots. I am not one of the Canadians who grew up celebrating their culture. My parents have no ethnic traditions that they passed on to us kids. Tim Hortons, the mall, Turkey and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and Christmas is considered 'tradition' for my family. How sad. But hey, that's how we were raised. That's why I think I am international...I tend to respect, admire and envy all the other cultures here in my big city around me.

I went to Seoul this past spring and fell in love with it. I had a week off from school and said "screw it, I'm sick of my life's crap and I'm going". I just looked on Expedia, whipped out my credit card, then BAM...I was ready to travel, BABY! I also fell inlove with someone there which made me love the place even more.

I have wanted to teach in Korea since I finished University way back when. I have always wanted to go and teach there. I think there has been 3 occassions where I had a recruiter find a place for me but then I eventually backed out. Am I a chicken? Did all the postings on Dave's ESL scare me too much? Am I not as international as I believe me to be????

To be continued....