Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

A weekend with excess drinking here in Seoul. But at least for my last weekend here in the Metropolis , I at least had a bit of time to do a couple of things to think about how the modern side of Korea, with Seoul as her best representative, really thinks about itself, especially as she deals with an increased inflow of foreigners here for pure economic gains (rather than military, family reasons as has been the case not that long ago). Traditional culture is still very much alive in the country and among the people...or is it? The first was a sort of action play that act as one of Seoul's longest-running man-made tourist spots. "Nanta" (literally, "random hitting") is a "silent comedy + Stomp + interpretive dance(?)" show that has allegedly been running nonstop since 1997 and in 40 different countries. The lack of actual use of spoken language, the widespread use of martial arts (or what seems to be) has been a major factor for its international ...

My roommate and fellow coworker here at Seoul often makes this statement, "I don't know when is the next time I will be in Korea, so might as well try that too," to literally anything that we have been going through for the past couple of weeks. Whether it be trying unusual food at hole-in-the-wall restaurants with no English spoken, or wondering through sketchy neighborhoods at night drinking excessively and looking for I-don't-know-what, such an attitude gave him the courage to basically venture into sometimes quite uncomfortable unknowns that most sane foreigners in the country may never venture.

For most people, especially foreigners demanding a “foreign lifestyle,” Korea equals to Seoul, and Seoul equals to Korea. The cosmopolitan city has all the foreign people, expat-catered bars, clubs, and restaurants, and above all, a populace that is both friendly and at times, overly envious of the Western lifestyle that we the foreigners somehow come to define. Living in Seoul makes the Westerner feel like he/she is on the top of the socio-economic food chain, even if the person in question is a mere English teacher without much status or respect back home. As someone who took the time to travel to every single province in South Korea (plus one in the North), I know such attitude is definitely not prevalent in the entire country. If anything, in the parts of the country where only the well-heeled foreigners dare to venture, the local reaction to the presence of people with different beliefs (whether they are real foreigners or “foreigner-like” Seoulites) can sometimes get rather, e...

In all societies, there are students who do not give a damn about school. It is nothing surprising that some people, under any environment, would think that school can be worthless or that they can find other ways of success beyond prestigious schooling. And similarly, there are parents who believe in the same thing. They allow their kids to choose their own paths, or simply just do not care where their kids end up without proper schooling. Sometimes, the students and the parents who do not give a damn happen to come from the same household. The result can be a disaster for the kid (in the normal case) or creation of some sort of absurdly unique and widely envied stories of abnormal successes for the kids in question. Well, not in Korea. Kids might be varied in enthusiasm for school just like kids are in any other country, but parents see absolutely no variance whatsoever. In the financial situation allows them to do so, the Korean parents will gladly pay up (and in my opinion, ...

For anyone who reads this blog regularly, there should already be a realization that "individuality" is a recurring theme in its long ranting passages. From fighting for my personal freedom at work to seeking the most unique personalities I can find during my travels , I have spent a large portion of my free time looking for sparks of rebellion against meek collectivism in some of the world's most collectivist societies . And, in all honesty, Korea, like Japan, definitely belong in the ranks of brutal collectivism despite improving political and economic individuality over decades of opening up the countries for Western-style reforms. The resulting social bipolarity, appearing in the form of never-ending conflicts between institutional needs for absolute obedience and the economic glorification of individual materialism, has been a matter of great interest for me as I walk about the streets of the Korean metropolis dissecting its human side. Recently, the concept of fa...

Working within Korean society can bring surprising findings at random moments. The other day, we the teachers came across a gel-tipped highlighter that is unlike anything we have ever seen. Soft and smooth when it touches paper, it actually does to make any marks when slashed across the skin. The Korean students must have been quite amused by a bunch of foreign teachers being amazed by a piece of stationery so commonly used and seen in this country. And this is not the only time I have been amazed by highly practical and technically sophisticated products found on this side of the Pacific. From heated-up toilet seats in Japan to cheap yet extremely multi-functional pirated goods in China, the Asian economic miracle based on strong manufacturing sector has in essence created societies with strong materialistic convenience. The unique products are further complemented by increasingly polite and respectful services when the products are sold or repaired. Certainly beyond anything the...

Another weekend, another round of random adventures in Seoul, with random musings, random meet-ups, and random places....senses overflows with brand-new knowledge, no matter how trivial, and the body overflows with more and more alcohol under random conditions leading to random consequences. For just another foreigner living in the massive metropolis, no experience is really off-limits and no activity really deserves to be set aside as off-limits for any reason. But increasingly, as a foreigner living in a foreign country, not just here in Korea but Japan and pretty soon in the future, England, I am increasingly an inner split between two different kinds of foreignness , battling inside of me for supremacy in every situation I get into. As an Asian-American, the side of me that exemplifies the “Asian” natures of humbleness and respect for authority clashes with the “Western” natures of individuality and spontaneity at every opportunity I get. Without a doubt, these are the clashes ...