Korea's Hawaii

As the rainy season gave way to a typical hot and humid Korean summer, my students have started to look at me funny: “teacher, you’re black!”

I used to smile and reply, “I know! Getting’ my tan, pretty sweet eh!” but they’d start patting my skin saying “No… White is beautiful!”

As it turns out, Koreans and I have a very different definition of how to enjoy summer.

Ever since I was a little girl, my parents would take my brother, my sister and me on vacation in the US and Mexico. We would basically lie on the beach all day, frying up like a couple of eggs. It was heaven to play beach and pool volleyball, building sand castles, snorkeling for hours, braving huge waves and fighting under water.

We were exhausted at the end of the day. And of course I’d always be sunburn, red as a crab, while my mum would rub lotion on my back, mumbling something about sunscreen. No matter how hard she tried, I would always be running away every time she even mentioned sunblock. No way I would stand still for 5 minutes!

I also got head sunburns because I refused to wear a hat. My family still recalls me dancing on the kitchen table of the unit, whipping my crazy blond curly hair all over my red face. Those were the days…

If I could’ve walked around naked I would’ve… just because I wanted to be as free as possible! Worrying about losing my top while attempting some crazy back flip in the swimming pool was, in my tiny little being’s opinion, a waste of time.

As I am now older, I am much less active at the beach. But I still get sunburn from snorkeling for hours, cover myself in sand for no apparent reason, and simply love to swim around doing random stuff.

But average Koreans? Not so much.

One of my ajumma students told me the ideal time to go for a swim is around 5pm – when the sun is weaker. 5pm? I can spend a whole day at the beach! The only reason one might go before 5pm would be to pick up some seaweed or rare shellfish, like many ajummas do.

Or just for fishing, which is especially popular at night after a big day at work.


Korean beaches are PACKED in the summer. It’s not funny. It’s suffocating. The reverie of a deserted beach is so far away from reality. For crying out loud, every single beach is efficient – with lifeguards, boat security, restaurants and convenience stores, shower rooms, rental service, and of course parasols.


The Korea Times had a picture of Haeundae Beach (in Busan) covered with parasols as over 600 000people flocked there on a Sunday. You can’t see the beach. Only people and parasols. And they cost about 10$ to rent. Imagine the profit.

I’ve mentioned before how Koreans desperately love white skin, and how they even buy (though not as much as the Thais do) whitening body lotion. But did I mention they also swim with their clothes on?


Yes indeed.

A typical picture of a family at a Korean beach goes like this: everyone is wearing long shorts, a t-shirt, a big fat hat and sunglasses. A few hot chicks wear a bikini and a few hot guys go in a Speedo –but although it is getting more common, it’s still quite scarce.

Koreans don’t want to get tanned. They’re afraid of skin cancer, but they also just don’t want their skin to get darker. And a lot of them (especially women, even if they’re totally skinny) don’t feel comfortable showing their body to the opposite sex.


However two men can totally share a sweet moment together, having a snack under a parasol without even being gay. Back home they'd be chasing women to prove their masculinity but here, they even rub lotion on each other and it's perfectly normal.



As for swimming….!! Oh boy! About half of my students can’t swim. And all my ajumma students don’t swim at all.

Here’s a typical day at the beach for a Korean couple: the girl is sitting on a yellow tube (they’re all yellow) and her boyfriend/husband is softly pushing it around. He probably has water below his waist. He might try to gently wobble the tube, but not for long as his girlfriend/wife will start screaming and hitting him.

Last Saturday a group of, I don’t know, 6-8 Korean adults were playing volleyball in the sea… with their life vest on!!!!

Doug told me he once was surfing with a some people and Koreans started yelling at him. They ignored them and kept enjoying the (relatively calm) waves… until 3 tiny lifeguards started running toward them with a yellow tube around their waist…..!! They were blowing their whistle, screaming at Doug and his friends.

Doug said “Seriously dude… I was laughing so hard! If those guys got any closer to the waves WE would have had to rescue them!! So we came back to the shore and realized they had a whole emergency team waiting for us. It was insane!”

Every beach has lifeguard boats. At least one. Sometimes many more than necessary.

Jeju is considered Korea’s Hawaii thanks to its gorgeous beaches of white sand and clear blue water, but it’s definitely no surfer’s paradise, with hot chicks in bikinis and rhum/coconuts by the beach!

That being said, this island is definitely enjoyable, especially in the summer, thanks to its huge volcano/mt. Hallasan and countless things to do.

North of Jeju is Hamdeok beach – a 20-minute drive from City Hall, there’s a small hill to hike, tons of seafood restaurants, an amusement park and lots of green spaces around. Not really the spot for waves, but great for snorkeling.

A little farther there's Gimyeong beach - similar to Hamdeok, but a bit less crowded even though there's a huge field where festivals are often held. Water sports are very popular here.

West are Gwakji and Hyeopjae beaches – both gorgeous and always packed with Koreans. It’s in the countryside so less touristy but there are convenience stores and snackshops around. Anything can be rented there as well, including life vests, tubes and snorkeling equipment.




It’s a delight to gaze at Biyangdo Island while swimming at Hyeopjae. There are countless tents for everyone to enjoy, and they also offer boat/banana rides. Like at any beach, renting a parasol is about 10 000 won.

South is Jungmun – located in the big touristy area, you get easy access to world-class hotels like the Lotte or the Hyatt. The waves can get pretty wild and of course this beach also gets packed. Haenyos (women divers) sell fresh seafood, and you can have incredibly expensive western food at any hotel.

We like to hang out at the Hyatt swimming pool while sipping piña coladas because no one asks us any questions… too shy to speak English, ya know ;)

On the East side I’m not really sure what beaches are worth checking out, but if you head to sunrise peak, just catch the (15-minute) ferry to Udo island. The beach is gorgeous and you can also spend the day walking around, hiking to the little lighthouse, eating fresh seafood and riding a bicycle.

You can camp pretty much anywhere and even if you're at the beach for the day, you'll find that many Koreans bring "their home" (i.e. tent) with them. If you get a scooter you will definitely love the experience of driving around feeling free as a bird.

Iho beach is always crowded but it's not as nice as the other beaches and many people go there to drink, party or hangout. It's a bit dirty, and close to the village.

The countryside is still quite rustic so you’ll probably in awe every time you see half-bent 70-year-old women working the field, or men driving weird tractors from the 20’s.

Lava caves are all over the place and really cool to visit. Temples are also awesome and they sell incense, Buddhist stuff and delicious vegetarian food too. Museums are diverse – from peace, to sex, women divers and tea. Tea fields are green and gorgeous.

Horse fields are all around the island. So are waterfalls. The tourist map is probably the best one I’ve EVER seen because every little thing is on it; you can just look at it and randomly decide where to go. There are many small avenues but the main ones that cover the island are big, fast, efficient and easy to find.

Sex, meat, dogs and earthlings

Westerners like to joke about Asian meat (especially Chinese) and presume that they could basically serve you cat or dog meat instead of what you ordered. Of course people automatically make a face. How could anyone eat man’s best friend?

In Korea, dog meat is called “poshintang” and yes, people eat it. It literally means "invigorating soup".

Poshintang is especially popular among old men, who believe such meat will boost their virility. They particularly dig (ha!ha!) it when the dog has been hung – because it is apparently tastier, but more importantly, packed with hormones. See, if the dog struggles for his life, the meat will be filled with testosterone. And that’s just as good as Viagra!

On top of that, dog meat is renowned to cure people suffering from a cold, and to be a great source of energy.

My boss says he eats poshingtang 3-4 times a month; he goes out with his male friends, drinks shitloads of soju, eats the soup, and goes home to his wife feeling more virile than ever!

When his 10-year-old son was feeling weak, he brought home dog meat and his wife made a soup. My boss says his son was much stronger afterwards!

It is a custom to eat poshintang during Chobok, Jungbok, and Malbok. Those are the divisions of the heat peak in summer; Chobok marks the beginning, Jungbok marks the middle, and Malbok marks the end. Yesterday was Chobok – i.e. very hot days ahead…

Koreans believe that one should defeat heat with heat! Since the hot weather makes people weaker, one must eat food rich in energy. That’s when poshingtang comes in! Samgyetang (chicken soup – the chicken being young and stuffed with ginseng, garlic, jujube and sweet rice) is also quite popular to defeat heat.

Eating dog meat is a Korean tradition that probably emerged when the country was poor and such food was cheap. Koreans have a way of bragging about their food with catch phrases like “it’s very very good for your health”

Once labeled as such, poshingtang remained trendy Korean food. Plus, if you tell a man he’ll be able to sexually fulfill his wife’s fantasies… what do you expect!

However this became a problem during the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the government, fearing that the country would suffer from bad publicity, banned dog meat. That’s when poshingtang became Gaegogi, gaejangguk, and so on – Koreans were not ready to stop eating their source of vitality so they just gave it other names.

Koreans also enjoy gaesoju - a fermented drink that is distilled by cooking the dog in a double boiler. Dog’s penis used to be added as a medicine to supplement energy…mmmm?

There are said to be more than 6,000 restaurants across the country selling poshintang, or dog meat soup, getting through about 8,500 tons per year. Another 93,600 tons is used annually to produce kaesoju.

Of course it seems cruel to eat dog meat – they are so cute and we have come to consider them man’s best friend. Always jovial, dogs keep us company, come with us for a run or a walk, and they love to cuddle. We dress them in outfits; some even wear four little boots and a hat. Women carry them in their purse.

We feel like we understand them, and they understand us. People say dogs have feelings – therefore it would be cruel to kill them and eat them.

I agree. But what about other animals we massively raise and nastily kill for the sole purpose of food? Don’t they feel pain? Don’t we hear them scream as the butcher slits they throat open? Aren’t they suffering when they are skinned ALIVE?

Ever since I was a child I’ve been enjoying delicious steaks, fried chicken and exquisite pork cutlet. Meat tastes so good!

And now that I’ve lived in Korea for 2 years, I understand how difficult (though very possible) it would be for someone to be a vegetarian here; social activities revolve around eating – work dinner usually consist of samgyeopsal (fat pork) or galbi (BBQ beef), and huge amounts of soju.

Moreover, when someone more important than you (older, or higher in the social hierarchy) offers you something, it would be rude to refuse. So if your boss says you’re all going out for poshingtang, you can only nod and tag along - no matter if your wife is waiting with the kids or if you’re a vegetarian.

I guess it’s natural to some extent for humans to eat and even crave meat. I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

But the way we raise and kill them….!? It is simply repulsing! Disgusting. Cruel. Appalling. Atrocious. Fucking sick!

So I thought I’d share this video Doug made me watch in an effort to raise a little bit of awareness. Though it is absolutely shocking, I think every single human being (particularly meat eaters) should watch this.

I’m definitely not a vegetarian, but I certainly will eat as less meat as possible. After all, we can live very well without it. And that’s not mentioning trendy delicacies such as monkey brain, snake blood, and so on.

My boss took us out to lunch today and we had shabu shabu (a broth with salad, mushrooms, chives and of course beef/duck/pork meat) and all I could think of was the miserable pig hung from the ceiling, bleeding to death while still struggling for his life…

Enjoy.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967

** The Bible: Peter Singer's "animal liberation"

References: my friends, co-workers, wikipedia, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/422338.stm, http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/1370_per_capita_consumption_of_meat_and.html

The simple maze

It’s simple. The sun rises. The sun sets. Then, once in a while, it rains.

Crops grow, majestic trees and flowers embellish every single day, and then they die. They go back to earth, just like any “dead living” thing.

No matter what departs this life, it inevitably comes back. The flower I smell is the result of the sun, the rain, but mostly the earth – which is rich! So many departed carcasses of fish, cows, birds, humans, even leaves, have enriched it over the years.

My grandma is “living” in that tree and the grass next to her grave. Our ancestors are all around us, even in the air we breathe – the CO² transformed by the flora.

It’s complex yet so simple. Everything is taken care of by nature and all we have to do is live. Just be.

So why the fuck is everything so complicated? Why is the world so messed up?

Serial killers, drug addicts, mass murderers, suicide-bombers, politicians… what an ignominy. Not to mention brain-dead kids staring at the TV box, playing violent video games and growing fatter and lazier every day. And all that crap in our food, even water.

Complicated relationships, drinking, smoking, pretend friends and always keeping in mind this impassible façade. Even the Internet is too much. Too much information. Too much energy. Too addictive.

In such an immense, magnificent world, how come some of us are still stuck in a rut? Why seek destruction, control, power and hatred?

Naked in Korea

This blog is about Jeju but anyone in Korea, including on Jeju island, could happen to lose their passport (or have it stolen...)

Believe me: it sucks big time.

So I thought i'd post some quick info in case anyone is wondering what to do in such case.

1) have some Korean co-worker call every possible place (airport, police station, the "national lost and found" office, your embassy, etc.)

2) Go to the nearest police station and get them to write a report. They'll probably say you don't need one but show them the embassy's checklist and they'll get their ass in gear

3) Get two passport pictures from any photographer. It would be worth to mention here that Korean passport photos are 5X5cm whereas the Canadian passport requires 5X7cm ones...

4) Download the application forms from the embassy's website

5) Get ready to pay something like 200$ for a round-trip flight to Seoul

6) Go to the embassy with all the documents and (reluctantly) give them the fee - 150$ Keep in mind that they're probably open only 2-3hours a DAY so don't go in the afternoon; they'll probably be chilling at the beach

7) Come back to Jeju with empty pockets and accept the fact that you won't be able to spend another dime for a few weeks because you were stupid enough to lose this precious document

8) 3 weeks later (or so), it SHOULD be mailed to you...

Young at heart

Picture this. Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the ships row in, and I watch them row away again… oh wait, I ain’t no Otis Redding!

Still, I was sitting by the ocean, loving the gorgeous view of fishermen boats quietly floating on the water, the sun shining through the clouds. The fresh salty smell of the sea was gently amusing my nostrils while the sound of the waves made me feel more peaceful than ever.

While this has been my daily stop on my way home for a while now, followed by the oh-so-awesome horse-petting a few minutes from home, I was pleasantly surprised to come across “the crew”.

Pickup trucks loaded with old people in tired clothes, ajummas (old women) slowly riding their bicycle with a basket full of seafood and crops, others riding on an old scooter, the exhaust spitting a giant black cloud of smoke. Petrol is so expensive now; I suspect they are using another form of carburant…

She looked so serious and tired. She had a frown on her wrinkled face and her aching legs were painfully pedaling. Like all the other ajummas, she was wearing a worn-out shirt and some dirty loose pants.

The socks she had on used to be white, and her plastic slippers looked like they once were pink. In the intent of protecting her old skin from the sizzling sun, she was wearing a big hat and an old piece of fabric was covering her ears and forehead.

She looked so small, yet so grand. Her half-bent posture and frail bone-structure contrasted with the respect and admiration she woke in me.

Probably 70 years old, she was coming back from a long day working the field or the ocean. They all were.

I greeted her and her face immediately lightened up. Her smile was gorgeous. She got off her bike and sat next to me. Without any words, I offered her a banana and she sunk her teeth right into it. She did worry that I might be hungry, but my appetite was nothing compared to this hard-working woman’s.

We heard someone yell and she turned around, shouting something back in Korean. Of course she didn’t speak English, but we managed to communicate for a little while. I learned that she is a haenyo (woman diver) and that she lives near my school. She learned that I’m a sangsengnim (teacher) from Canada and that I’m leaving in about a month.

Probably worried about her friend, another ajumma was slowing approaching on her bicycle. As soon as she reached us, my ajumma started yapping and gave her half the banana.

I searched for some kind of affection in their voice, but their actions spoke louder. At 70 years old, they were all diving together, day after day, looking through their old goggles to find some expensive seashell they’d later sell in order to make a living. They are tired, but they keep doing it. They don’t really have a choice. But they have each other.

Only women can be haenyos – thus the husbands work the field. I always find it quite endearing to see them pick up their wife on their scooter at the end of the day. It seems romantic to me – though Miss Lee says there’s nothing tender about it. She has never even seen her parents kiss, hug or cuddle.

Another ajumma yelled something our way and the two women shouted something back. They smiled at me, one of the bowed, and they hopped back on their bicycles. I could still hear them laughing “Ooooh! Canada!! Sangsengnim!”

The whole crew kept going and my heart felt so good. Boy, do I admire them ole ladies! They may have old bikes, old clothes, and they may be old people too, but they are so dynamic and young at heart.

Mum and dad in my world

Last month my parents spent two weeks in Seoul and Jeju. It was quite fun and I took them places even I had never been! Aside from my dad’s “special” taste for food (i.e. only the familiar Western cooking...), I was glad to see their daily reaction to new Korean adventures.

Having lived in Seoul for a year, I took them to the usual tourist spots:

Changdeokgung palace – with its gorgeous secret garden, it offers a great anachronism with the big metropolis…


Insadong – the oh-so-lovely Buddhist/artsy neighborhood where they struggled to used chopsticks and mum tasted exquisite seafood pancakes.


It also where one can taste delicious traditional rice cakes prepared on the spot, as you can see on this picture. They beat the rice until it is a thick paste used to make the Korean delicacy.


Obviously the subway experience was one of a kind, surrounded by Koreans watching tv on their cell phones, playing video games, napping on each other’s shoulder… and of course random people selling random stuff such as wallets or socks.



For the first ever I visited the Korean traditional folk village – about an hour subway ride from downtown, and a half-hour bus ride. It’s definitely worth seeing, especially the seesaw and dancing shows. The traditional houses are also pretty cool.




Mum was going to the bathroom before hopping on the bus but she couldn’t… it was nearly impossible to go around those homeless napping. It’s really sad. Seoul station is particularly infamous for its drunk homeless.


We came across a very unusual event – that is, a horny horse trying to get it on with its significant other. Unfortunately it was show time and the crew beat the crap out of it.


A night visit at Cheonggyecheon after delicious samgyeopsal (fat pork) was the logical next step. The stream originally existed years ago and was then buried to make a street where street vendors sold local products. A few years ago, the mayor of Seoul decided to throw away the merchants and rebuild the stream. It is gorgeous at night.


Dad was quite impressed with the amount of police buses all around Gwanghwamun (downtown)... though it is because most embassies are located in the city center, the main reason is because of the recent (and still ongoing) protests against the US beef. Those protests have been held every night for over a month and, though quite peaceful (candle-light vigil), there have been some signs of violence.


My personal favorite was Seodaemun prison, where Koreans were tortured during the Japanese occupation.



Everything in there is VERY visual – from a Korean woman having her shirt ripped off while a Japanese soldier is laughing, to a very disturbing scene in which Japanese soldiers are torturing Koreans. They apparently used sharp objects under people’s nails.







The cells were tiny. It must have been hell.




Big time.

And while some nations try to forget, or forgive, Koreans obviously keep the sadistic memory alive. I really don’t get war. The Japanese were freaking torturing Koreans in their very own country. How sick is that.

Another tourist attraction I hadn’t seen yet is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea) It’s definitely a must.

The following picture is a list of all the efforts for reunification. There are MANY eh!



The most impressive spots were the 3rd tunnel and Dorasan station. This train station was built after the South Korean government gave the North millions to reconnect both Koreas. It took years to even happen, and when it did Kim Jong-Il said he wasn’t ready to have “people” come. Only food. So the place is basically empty.

So even up to that day, the South keeps sending the North food supplies. And no one can catch a train to North Korea. It was such a big deal back then, even George W. Bush paid Dorasan a visit.

It’s incredibly sad to see how far away the North and South still are from each other, even though geographically they are so close.
Discovered in 1978, the 3rd tunnel is one of the many tunnels dug by the North to invade South Korea. Again, it is very, VERY disturbing to see. The South found them but they are afraid there are still more undiscovered.

We went in. 45 meters below the surface. It was humid, dark and narrow. Yet apparently the tunnel could allow the transit of some 30000 soldiers per HOUR. How scary is that? Of course the South considered this a sign of aggression, but the North said there was no proof that it isn’t, in fact, the South that built the tunnel to invade the North.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, I was the closest a normal citizen can get to North Korea. I didn’t see the “no pictures” sign until I was out. Sorry…

Another interesting spot in the DMZ is the freedom bridge. I almost cried when I saw the kids’ drawings, dreaming of reunification. 12.773 Korean war prisoners returned to South Korea, passing this bridge by foot. Thus the name.


The DMZ really is quite a spooky area. Yet I was very surprised to learn that there is a small village in the restricted area where South Korean farmers live, a few minutes away from North Korea. And the same is true on the other side. Whatever the South does (be it build a building, or accidentally shoot), the North always does twice bigger.

There is an observatory that allows people to “see” the North but the day we went we couldn’t see a thing because it was so foggy. It thought it was interesting that there is a line on the ground after which no one is allowed to take pictures. It’s like you can see that North Korea exists, but you can’t prove it ;)


Anyone visiting the DMZ can feel a very strong vibe there, the hope that the North will finally come to its senses and aim at reunification. South Korea has done heaps to help the North, and they only want peace. There are still countless families separated between the North and the South.

Once in a lifetime they get to meet in a mountain at the border, and they get 3 hours to “catch up” – i.e. cry into each other’s arms and wonder why the world is so fucked up.

Our next step was Dongadeamun and Namdeamun markets. Crucial. Anyone coming to Seoul has to see those. But beware: it will give you a hell of a headache because it is PACKED with people selling and buying all kinds of crap – food, clothes, hammers, drinks, shoes, bags, toys, TVs, jewelry, knives, sunglasses, etc.etc.etc.




I took my parents to a very "cozy" restaurant… it was dirty and quite cheap. I think they appreciated the experience, though they weren’t so fond of the ambiance…



Mum got this great shot of a kid peeing on the street, right in the middle of the very crowded Namdaemun market.



After 5 days we left the Sofitel and headed to Jeju. A sweet plane ride spiced up with turbulence and my parents headed to their hotel, the Hyatt, at Jungmun beach. A little piece of heaven, I tell ya.


Unfortunately the weather was crappy for the rest of their stay and they had to deal with rain a lot. I was very impressed with the quantity of things they have seen though! Waterfalls, caves, museums and, well, dad seemed to have a great time…


I slept at their hotel a few nights and enjoyed dinner in their company. It felt nice to eat Western food :) But it was so… surreal! My parents, in Korea! There they are with a haenyo (woman diver) at the Hyatt seafood buffet. Yummy.


They came to my school and mum was speechless when she saw all the kids running around, jumping on my back and yelling my name. Yet when class started everyone was quiet and they both attended my class with a big smile.



I took them to Hallim Park – a pretty great (and big!) tourist spot with plenty of cool flowers and plants and lava caves.







We also drove by cool green tea fields - which look even better on a sunny day :)
They also went to the Hallim 5-day market. Most towns on the island have a market every 5-day and sell local products – from fish, to fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and even worms!


It was pretty sad to see them go. In the past three years, we’ve said goodbye so many times. But it was great having them here and now I only have a month and a half left in Korea. Though the sun, beaches, food, friends and fiestas are very, very (!) nice, I really look forward to going home!

Ingrid Betancourt

If you haven't already heard: the French-Colombian politician was finally freed. Rumors of her death had been going on for the 6 years during which she was held captive by the Colombian Farc rebel group. More info on BBC News.

Cheater, jailer

What would you do if you found your husband in bed with another woman?

Hit him?
Kill him?
Cry?
Forgive?
Divorce?

How about... sending him to jail?

As it turns out, adultery is a crime in Korea and someone found guilty of cheating can face up to two years of jail time.

But I wonder… where is the line? How far should we allow the government to interfere in our personal lives?

Rousseau’s social contract - in which each individual gives up some of his/her personal freedom for the good of the greater society - didn’t discuss adultery. Maybe he should have.

After all, is cheating on your lover really a public matter? Is adultery posing a threat to society? Sure it is a moral issue, but shouldn’t we let individuals solve the matter?

Ironically, Time magazine tells that about 65 percent of Korean married men have dated other women after they married and 41 percent of women have dated other men.

More shockingly, a survey on 3,857 adults nationwide on adultery issues by a local weekly magazine revealed that nearly 68 percent of men and 12 percent of women said they had sex out of marriage.

A recent scandal brought a new wave of raging debates over whether the law should be repealed.

South Korean actor Park Chul pressed charges against his wife, popular TV star Ok So-ri, of cheating on him with his close friend and an Italian chef who was giving her private cooking lessons.

Admitting she indeed had an affair with the friend (not the chef), Ok, 39, took the issue one step further: she filed a petition in court, challenging the constitutionality of the 55-year-old adultery statute.

While the Constitutional Court has already ruled three times in favor of the adultery law (the last time was in 2001), Ok might have a good chance of winning this case – not only is it high-profile, but Korean society is rapidly changing (not necessarily evolving) and this might be a long overdue change.

It is true that Korean culture was (and still is, though not as much) strongly influenced by Confucianism and that back in the days women were treated as inferior to men.

Forbidden to work outside the house, not earning any sort of income, and forbidden to even think about divorce, women probably needed an adultery law. It was their only recourse against a cheating husband.

And it was probably very avant-gardist at that time.

But is such a law still appropriate today?

Could the Korean adultery law actually have become an anachronism? Or is it a permanent response to the West’s free-sex culture? Does such a law even have an impact; does it deter cheaters from cheating? And more importantly, does the punishment even fit the “crime”?

Each year, more than 1,200 people are indicted under the law and about half are convicted.

An article published in the Economist reveals that up to one-fifth of South Korean men between the ages of 20 and 64 pay for sex up to four times each month.

People need sex. They hire escorts. They go to prostitutes. They masturbate. Some attend orgies. Others have affairs.

But it is your problem if you married a cheater, a town bicycle. You can either forgive them, or divorce them.

Some guys I have discussed this with have actually told me that divorce could in some cases feel like getting out of jail. They don't think it would be fair to take them to an actual jail after they've finally escaped the emotional confinement of marriage (!)

Society should not have to pay the price of adultery - how expensive do you think it is to have someone in jail for 2 years? That’s 3 meals a day, electricity, guards, etc? If you cheat on someone you love, you need help/counsel; not jail time.

Ref:
NY Times
Global Voices
The Economist

Rhymes with Jeju

So i've been getting quite a lot of emails lately - mainly from people thinking about coming to Korea to teach English, gain a new experience and meet cool people.

If you've checked out the blog I used to write when I was in Seoul last year, you are probably already familiar with my views on some "losers" who escape their crappy life in America and come to Korea to feel better about themselves.

Pathetic guys who can't get a girl back home suddenly find themselves married to a gorgeous Korean woman. Socially awkward individuals are not bullied anymore - they in turn bully Koreans.

Average Joes become loud and wealthy (coz you make relatively good money here) idiots who think they own the world – getting wasted every week-end, initiating fights, desperately trying to get laid, insulting poor Koreans who have no clue what’s going on, and screaming stupid shit on the street at 5am.

That's of course a very small percentage of the foreign community in Korea and I reckon that anyone coming here will, like me, meet amazingly cool people. Actual travelers, free and open-minded citizens of the world!

The experience of coming to Korea is such a rich one because not only do you learn about Korean culture, but also you mature, grow and learn from really awesome people!

But still, I would suggest taking a look at this Yahoo group called "rhymes with jeju" because some serious immature discussions have been going on there (especially lately). And I am speechless; I just can't believe some of these people are actual teachers!

Australia

I am always happy to fly back to Korea – though I am an alien in this country, it is a familiar environment that almost feels like “home”…that is, when home is out of question until my contract ends.

Over the past two years I have grown fond of this exceptional Korean culture and aside from a few (like in any country) annoyances, I always look forward to coming back to the land of the morning calm.

But not this time.

That week spent in Australia (Oz!) was probably one of the best in my life!

Not too far from Korea, it’s a 2-hour flight to Tokyo and then about 7 hours to Cairns (North East of Australia). I flew with Qantas Airways and I must say it was incredibly nice to see White people with breasts, a solid tush, hips and meat on the bones as opposed to tiny (often skinny) Korean flight attendants! Hearing English was just sweet music to my ears.

Australian customs was a slap in the face at 6am –dogs sniffing my bags as well as an officer searching me and threatening to fine me for bringing wood into the country. As it turns out, those old wood bracelets of mine are made of wood (ya don't say!)… Luckily the chick let me go with a warning and a brochure (in Italian!)

The 20-minute cab ride to the unit cost an exorbitant 42$ because Cairns is apparently some sort of tourist trap. Indeed, the sun was shining and we were staying about 2 minutes away from Trinity beach.

I forgot to take a picture of our unit, but that’s the place next door… pretty sweet eh!

I should mention here that many beaches have huge nets protecting the swimming areas from sharks a jellyfish. It’s quite impressive. Apparently there are countless stories of tourists being injured while swimming away from those nets.

The Australian scenery is breath taking, and the fauna and flora are just delightful. I liked seeing how road sign differ from any country I’ve been to – especially the Kangaroo in a yellow diamond telling drivers to be careful coz they might cross the highway anytime. Back home they’re deer. Oh and the legs at crosswalks haha In Canada we have a full person but in Oz it’s just floating pants and shoes!

To my delight, we basically ate cheese, crackers and drank wine the whole time! Though I did taste Australian classics such as fish burger (mmmm… two buns stuffed with fish, bacon, eggs, salad and sauce), fish and chips (deep fried fish with fries), and beer battered chips ("fries" are called "chips" over there).

If you get a chance to taste a Cooper, DO IT! It’s probably the best beer I’ve ever had! And if you get a chance to check out Chopper Reid on the web, DO IT!! Margeaux showed me a few episodes and it is a hilarious parody of an actual Australian criminal!

I stuffed myself with muesli (oh so expensive in Korea!), fruit, fruit and more fruit, and of course chicken kebab. I did try Vegemite (Kraft’s yeast jam from the 1920s that apparently fed the soldiers during the war) but it was too strong and salty for my taste. Margeaux would moan of pleasure every time she had it, which was basically every day.

We had a swimming pool downstairs so the first few days were spent sunbathing (or sunbaKing as they say) but we did a whole lot of stuff afterwards – a crocodile farm (where Doug actually used to work!), Port Douglas, the Esplanade in Cairns, the waterfall in Kuranda, shopping at the night markets, and a sweet-ass cruise to the great barrier reef.

Hatley’s Crocodile Farm is a great day excursion that can scare the shit out of ya, especially if you witness a crocodile fight – which we did. It was nothing like at the movies or what you see in books!

Crocs basically look like logs in a filthy river and the sounds they make are just surreal. Sometimes all you could see was their eyes and nose, the rest of their body was hidden under water. They are very patient creatures, as I realized when this croc had his jaw wide open for over 20 minutes, (i assume) waiting for a prey to come along.

Margeaux filmed a random fight we saw in a pond:



The zoo was filled with other animals including a funny-looking bird called Cassowary, lizards, birds and even a spider. We checked out the snake and crocodile shows – which were pretty wicked.

Here’s a video of the croc show taking place every day at 3pm – impressive (scary!) jaw sounds and you wouldn’t believe how close the guy gets to the croc!



I ended up having a tasty crocodile skew for only 5 bucks. Dipped in mango sauce, it tastes like chicken, only chewier.

We petted a few crocodiles and their back skin is indeed as rough as it seems, but their "belly" feels kinda soft. I also gave a snake a massage… again, you would be surprised how spongy those feel. I had forgotten how their shed their skin too, eeeeew!

As for Koalas, I thought they were pretty ugly until I saw this couple with a baby... aaaaaw! And the positions they sleep in is also something to see!

We rented a car so Margeaux (wildly! :D) took us through the windy roads along which were breath-taking sceneries or mountains, forests and of course the ocean. She tried showing me a gorge but it just really looked like any random lake back in Quebec… she was all in awe ;)

I personally liked the never-ending sugarcane fields... they are impressively tall but surprisingly untasty...




The Kuranda waterfalls on the other hand look very….dry! Australia’s been suffering from a drought for a while now, but you can tell those falls must be breathtaking after the rain. It was a nice walk through the forest too. I don’t think I had ever seen the rainforest… it smells so good, it’s gorgeous and grandiose!

We really had a lot of fun the whole week and I was excited to learn Aussie expressions! I got this slang dictionary and it’s priceless! Here are a few:

- Fried eggs = flat breasts
- Fair dinkum = true, genuine

- To be stoked = very pleased

- To stand out like dog's balls = obvious

- To drink with the flies = to drink alone

- Give it a burl = give it a try

- Spewin' = very angry

- Liquid laugh = vomit

- Mozzie = mosquito

- Piece of piss = easy task

- Reckon! = You bet!

- Ute = Utility vehicle

- To rubbish = to criticize

- To yabber = talk a lot

- He's got the wobbly boot on = he's drunk

...

I did find that Australians are not as… authentic and genuine as Quebecers, but they sure are nice and funny! I especially love watching "bogans" (equivalent to the American white trash) go about their business… there’s an Aussie show I completely love it’s called “Kath and Kim” , some Australian version of French Canadian parody “Le Coeur a ses raisons”…it’s just so funny and the word plays are hilarious!

Weird birds woke us up every morning with their sharp howling, except that day we took the cruise. Damn, we were up at 6:30am! But it was totally worth it!

If you ever want to check out one of the world’s greatest coral reef barrier, ‘Passions of Paradise’ is a pretty sweet cruise – the staff is very friendly, competent, the boat is cool, the buffet is delicious (Prawns! Prawns! Prawns!), and there’s a whole bunch of activities to do.

It takes about two hours to get to the reef, where we stopped to check out this gorgeous island and snorkel. They provide all the equipment. We even tried scuba diving for free, and Margeaux was so hooked she went for the whole dive! I on the other hand completely freaked out under water and didn’t get the certificate ;)



The clouds came in the afternoon and it was awesome to float on giant waves, witnessing really cool fish and coral. It was freezing when we got out of water though, and the boat was rocking like you wouldn’t believe! There was a whole bunch of people at the back of the boat holding on tight to their paper bag… others danced their way across the boat, anyway it was fun. I napped : )

And then I woke up Monday morning and it was all over.

Red flag for S. Korean President

When former Korean President Roh Moo Hyun left office in February 2008, he was exceptionally unpopular and it is with great expectations that the Korean people elected current President Lee Myung Bak.

Former Seoul mayor and successful businessman as well as CEO, Lee Myung Bak won the December 2007 elections with 48.7% of the votes. Interestingly enough, he was at the time investigated for accusations related to fraud and “his” (sturdily debated) Korean now-defunct investment firm BBK.

Throughout his campaign, Lee emphasized the need for better cooperation with neighbor countries such as Japan, China and Russia.

As opposed to his predecessor Roh Moo Hyun, Lee implemented a tougher policy with North Korea. And unlike Roh – who had a rather dire relationship with the US – Lee turned out to be very pro-American.

He suggested that ALL teachers in public schools across Korea should learn English – be it a math, Korean, or even science teacher. He even hinted that Korean English teachers should be required to train in English-speaking countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and the UK.

Koreans are not very fond of that idea. Though they do already push their kids to learn English (sometimes way too hard, “for their own good”), they also understand that the survival of the Korean culture and language would be at stake should Lee’s plan succeed.

For that and the following reasons, Lee Myung Bak’s popularity took a dive in the past few months. When I mention him in class, students roll their eyes. When I discuss politics with the elderly, they immediately get critical of their President.

Though Koreans are a mix of Christians, Buddhists and Atheists, most Koreans think of themselves as fundamentally Buddhist (i.e. do no harm and love everything). The fact that Lee Myung Bak is Christian has led some to believe this might present a threat to Buddhism in Korea… (?)

Moreover, Koreans are very concerned with the currently fragile economy, and while Lee promised to address that issue during his political campaign, he still hasn’t shown satisfying results (well, numbers) to his people. One of his answers actually echoes US President’s discourse – that is, “people need to work harder.” Go tell a homeless that, or an unemployed mother supporting 3 kids, and see what they have to say (or spray!)

Not to mention that the price of gas has more than doubled over the past year... it is now 1 900won/litre. Massive protests (especially truck drivers) have been held all over Korea.

Lee has also ignored the agreements previously made by the North-South summit, preferring to pursue a hardline policy toward Kim Jong Il’s government. While Roh’s approach might have been wayyyy too soft and flexible, Lee’s is wayyy too strict. Most Koreans want a reunification, and considerable progress had been made under the former President’s reign. But with Lee’s hard-line policy, who knows what might even happen to the "sunshine policy"...

The import of US beef has also become an important issue - especially recently, since thousands of Koreans have held daily protests in Gwanghwamun. Most of them were peaceful (holding candles) but some have been quite violent as well. Koreans are protesting against an agreement with Washington to reopen South Korea to American beef, banned for most of the past 4 1/2 years over fears of mad cow disease.

Another hot issue is Lee's idea of building a canal that would go from Busan (Korea's main import/export harbour) all the way up to Seoul. He thinks it's a good alternative to carry commercial goods.

But most Koreans disagree. They think it will only cost them more money. Moreover, why build a canal when things are perfectly fine the way they are, using trucks, airplanes and trains? Plus, such a project would also greatly damage the environment.

Lee has mostly appointed very wealthy members in his cabinet, thus raising concern that his appointees will favor policies that protect the rich while failing to address the needs of the underprivileged.

Lee Myung Bak was elected by the Korean people because he is an example of what a little boy coming from a poor family can do. Him becoming a very successful businessman and politician certainly gave hope to the nation. Anyone can be a Lee Myung Bak!

But it seems like they didn’t expect him to bring his wealthy, strict and rather pro-American style into politics. Not that soon anyway. And now they’re not sure whether they like it or not.

refs: wikipedia, koreans, hani.co.kr, koreaherald.co.kr
pic: google images

Love my life

Yo llevo en el cuerpo un motor
Que nunca deja de rolar
Yo llevo en el alma un camino
Destinado a nunca llegar
- Manu Chao "Desaparecido"

A fortune teller in Seoul told me that it is my destiny to travel around forever and simply be free. It could have been a wild guess, but he might be right.

Ever since Patrice arrived almost two weeks ago, I have been rediscovering Korea and realized that the daily life of an “explorer” is indeed out of the ordinary.


Be it the unique and tasty food, jawbone massagers (intended to pull back face fat…), 90-degree bent hard-working Korean ajummas in the countryside, breath-taking beaches, mellow sunsets, Korean customs, Korean language (which I understand more and more), walking around naked in saunas, my adorable Korean students, my crazy lovely foreign friends, life here is just another layover in this magnificent world.



May was quite a busy month with Korean holidays such as Buddha’s birthday and Children’s Day, as well as Parents’ Day and Teacher’s Day, not to mention the Western Mother’s Day, my brother’s birthday, my godmother’s birthday, Danila and Chantale’s birthdays, and my very own birthday. Phew.

A lot of great celebrations, a bump on my head and bruises all over my body, a memorable beach party and oh-so much exhaustion. I flew to Seoul to spend a few days with Patrice and bring him with me to Jeju in a hurly-burly charter in which I feared for my life at least twice.

Tiny little birds I’ve seen, lilacs I’ve smelled and gorgeous green leaves are coming out. It’s summer, I’m in love and happy! It freaks me out to realize that yet another year has almost gone by and my head is filled with colors, tastes, music and great memories. And “Hello!!” of course ;)

Only 3 months left – during which my parents are visiting and I’m taking diving lessons. The beach is calling though the water is not warm enough yet, and I don’t know what’s next… India? California? Banff? Australia? How could I ever settle when the world is so wonderful and full of surprises?

Speaking of which… has anyone heard of Loveland? It’s a big park on Jeju island where one can find sex shops and observe giant sex statues for only 7$. Priceless I swear, especially since sex appears to be such a taboo in Korean culture… NOT at Loveland though! We saw Korean couples with kids and strollers posing in front of giant boobies.

Warning: rather explicit pictures...!
















They even had a parked car with inflatable dolls in it, a bra and some panties hanging off the rear mirror, the speaker playing sounds of a moaning woman while the car’s springs were going “couik couik” are the car was bouncing to the rhythm of a couple making love...

Miss Anna

Everyone has an alter ego, but how far you take it, how real it is, certainly depends on who you are. Some of us are one, predictable, entity, while others are internally hosting both Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

Imaginary friends like my brother’s buddy Gilles go away as we get older, but alter egos can follow us for the rest of our life. Lately I’ve come to wonder whether it’s a healthy pattern... or something resembling a mental disorder.

My alter ego is the real deal. More so ever since I’ve been living in Korea. Her name is Miss Anna and she is a superstar! For the sake of the argument, let’s take a look both personalities.

The real me is Anne-Marie, but my alter ego is Miss Anna. Through no fault of my own, I inherited this nickname because Koreans cannot pronounce my name correctly and the way my boss says “Aaaaaann” (sounds like “aaaaaand”) is extremely annoying. It’s just easier for everyone to call me Anna.

The real me is a sociology/polisci bachelor, but Miss Anna has been teaching English for 3 years now.

The real me speaks French. Yes, I’m francophone. But my alter ego speaks, thinks and even dreams in English 24/7.

The real me is average-looking for Western standards, but Miss Anna is a hot babe for Korean men and a role model for Korean kids. Nothing Miss Anna does goes unnoticed, and like a superstar she’s being photographed and stared at every single day.

The real me eats bananas and goat cheese, stuffs on big fat juicy steaks with mashed potatoes (salt and butter mmm) and starts the day with muesli/fruit/yoghurt, but my alter ego never eats breakfast and is constantly craving fermented spicy cabbage (kimchi) and rice. Nothing but kimchi and rice. And seaweed soup.

The real me doesn’t drive at all, except maybe a bicycle, but Miss Anna is a road warrior, driving for an hour to work every single day. Miss Anna is even learning to drive manual.

The real me is lazy as a cow on the beach, but my alter ego is freaking out of the house 12 hours a day, “working” 9-6 and trying to repress road rage for almost 2 hours a day.

The real me is awkward with kids cauz they look so fragile, I’m afraid I might… break them! But Miss Anna is a super teacher, a loving and caring one who gets hugged, massaged (Korean custom…), followed around, praised and even kissed all the time.

And the list goes on.

I know Miss Anna is probably a more mature Anne-Marie, but I like referring to her as my alter ego because she’s so much cooler than Anne-Marie! Hell, she’s living in Korea, traveling the world, she has tons of friends (and is a party animal…), she’s rock climbing, meditating, learning knitting and parading naked in saunas, she’s even gonna be a certified diver and she’s getting pretty good at the guitar!

But Anne-Marie is nothing like that in Canada. She has no career, and 3 years of living overseas have somehow estranged her from most of her friends and family. I guess Miss Anna is the price Anne-Marie is paying for to be a citizen of the world ;)

Maybe we should take the sidewalk?

Spring has set innumerable smiles on my lips and I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. This is a picture i took at Hallim harbor, one day I was checking out the sunset.

The sun is shining, the wind is cool, the earth is awakening, the trees smell fantastic, the birds are singing, flowers are blooming, life is good! Even when it rains, there's a sweet perfume in the air and it makes me blissful.

I actually witnessed quite a few sunsets lately and… what a spectacle! I also try to stop by the horse field on my way home every nite cauz they’re so darn beautiful. Moreover, my friends and I have been cruising around the island and uncovered some hidden paradises and beaches. Stuck in my city life, I had forgotten all about the joys of the countryside.




Sasha and I rode our motorbikes down south yesterday, which was awesome just like that road trip with Lisa last week-end.




While sitting on the beach eating strawberries, we caught the high tide and the "hot-tub-like" in front of us turned into tiny waterwfalls!
We also hung out with the cows and enjoyed some quiet countryside peace, calm and silence. It's funny how you find Korean traditional graves right in the middle of a field. Good fertilizer?

The Cherry Blossom festival was quite nice, but I truly enjoyed the “off-spot” spectacle all over the island. Cherry Blossoms don’t smell anything at all, but they are beautiful as hell and their petals fly all around, just like some cute little snowstorm in winter. Very romantic too.

Danila, Alicia and Kyle got their hand waxed for only 5 bucks, which was totally cool. The whole area surrounding the stadium was quite festive and we spent the afternoon there, completely hungover and happy. I even won a tiny stuffed animal for my skills at arcade shooting (not something to be proud of, I know)






Meanwhile a horrible smell was floating on the streets, some apparently "delicious" Korean snack that repulses most foreigners to their very heart. I don’t know what it’s called, but eeeew!


A few of us were lucky enough to get free tickets to the “Nanta” premiere on Jeju island – a popular Korea show back in Seoul that revolves around making mind-blowing music with kitchen stuff. I was quickly told to turn off my camera, but you should check out the footage of one of their show posted on youtube. Mind-BLOWING.



I believe I've mentionned this before - when a Korean restaurant, show, or whatever, opens, friends send those big flower things with their name on it as a sign of support. The more flowers you get, the more friends you have - hence the more people should trust your product.

We then headed to Troy’s BBQ – he has this great place in the countryside, looks like a palace (check out the hall!) and I felt incredibly heartbroken by the sight of this gorgeous Labrador being stuck in a cage all day. It’s certainly not waiting to become the meat in some “energizing” Korean dog soup; it’s just there for no apparent reason. Why have a dog if you’re going to leave it in a cage all day? Troy takes it for a run once in a while, but the owner really doesn’t give a shit. And that’s sad.







Heading back to Shin-Jeju, we caught this great Korean band playing at Led Zepplin, very mellow music, kinda reminded me of Radiohead. And the bass player is a chick!



A week ago was Laurie’s bday celebration– loads of fun and partying until sunrise, actually 8am!! It was a crazy night (except when Sasha massaged my feet... that was just nice! :) especially that bit at the noreabang (karaoke)...







The night before we had gone out to GP for a few drinks and came across this drunken man completely passed out on a sidewalk. We tried waking him up but he didn’t move. Funny thing is that he wasn’t dressed like a hobo at all – which once again demonstrates how any, ANY, Korean man (except like one of two in the entire country) will get freaking wasted any chance he gets. Sometimes it’s work pressure, or peer pressure, but in this case the man was all alone. No friends in sight. Anyway, it blows my mind.

Any day of the week, in any restaurant, you can expect to find Korean men in work suit being pissed at like 8pm. We've seen it all... the red face drunk-dialing, staggering all over, yelling "i love you" to foreigners, trying to light up a cigarette from the wrong end, even sleeping on the table!


My motorbike finally got fixed and I’m quite relieved. Koreans drive according to their very own "standards"– which is safe as long as everyone does it, but with my bike stalling every 5 sec… I was a hazard! More so than cars parked on sidewalks, buses changing 2 lanes at a time, taxi drivers cutting you off and motorbikes driving on the sidewalk.

Which reminds of something funny my friend said as we were waiting for a red light. He turned to me and said “maybe we should take the sidewalk” and we did and avoided traffic. People would have killed us back home, but here it wasn’t a big deal, especially since we were driving carefully – as opposed to those countless delivery dude almost running over the elderly every single minute of the day!

And the "maybe" part of his question is so Korean! Koreans always say "mmmm, maybe you can have a seat?", "mmmm maybe we can stop here", etc. which is their way of being respectful. But even when they have the plane ticket to go to, say, Tokyo, even when they're flying off the next day, they'll be saying "mmmm, maybe I go to Tokyo tomorrow" hahaha

On my way to work I saw seaweed being dried on the side of the road. I thought it was cute until I realized how much pollution (car exhaust!) must be going into that seaweed, not to mention the pee and spit already laid on the concrete. So much for health standards.


Another week, only 4 months and a half left here, it’s crazy how time flies. I’m turning 25 in less than a month and that’s freaking me out. Gonna keep going to meditation and keep trying that rock climbing thing because I refuse not to be able to pull my own weight after living a quarter of a century on this planet!

Oh yeah, and I got Kyle this wicked "good bush, bad Bush" t-shirt in Bali, check it out hahaha

Shortage of Hellos

Did you know that William Shakespeare used over 884 647 words altogether (works included), whereas an average contemporary person knows between 12 000 – 20 000 words? I wonder what happened to our brain.

Yet when a Korean sees a foreigner, the only English word that they seem to know is “Hello” It’s not their fault; it’s their brain. It’s their mom who told them to say “Hello” every time they see a weiguk (foreigner). It's a reflex.

But here’s the problem: I’m all out of “hello”s. It’s nothing personal really. The word just won’t come out anymore. I’m physically traumatized. I can’t say it anymore. My brain won’t let me.

I’d be glad to say “good morning”, “yes it is a beautiful day” or just smile. But even my beautiful smile is not enough. They need to hear me say "Hello"

I'm a tall girl with blond curly hair so of course I’m an easy target. And here are a few (real life) scenarios that might be why I’m all out of “hellos”:

• Having a chat with my co-worker outside, some girls yelled “Hellooooo” to us. I smiled at them and kept talking with Bill. Unsatisfied, the girls yelled even louder “Helllllllooooo”. I thought they were rude so I ignored them (after all, I did smile at them even thought they interrupted us). That’s when they screamed their lungs out “HELLOOOOO”
  
• Driving my scooter near City Hall, my curly hair was coming out of my helmet and some kids walking the opposite way noticed. They shouted “Hello, hello, hello” 3 times, as if what…? They expected me to stop the scooter and go talk to them? Maybe wave and get into a traffic accident?
  
• Going to the supermarket, I keep my helmet on to ensure some privacy. Stupid idea, I know. Some little girl spotted me from afar and ran to the dairy section where I was just to say “Hello!!” Of course people turned around as soon as they heard the magic word and I saw parents telling their kids “go say hello to the weiguk”. Within a second, I was bombarded with “Helloooooo” Meanwhile, the parents were looking at my basket, trying to figure out what people like me eat, and they rushed to the cheese section to get the same.
  
• On a raining day, at night, I’m walking with my hood on. I’m even wearing glasses and they’re so thick (I’m practically blind) that you can’t see my eyes. I’m looking down anyway. My hair is tied up, hidden under my hood, no visible sign that I’m a foreigner. Well guess what. A bunch of youngsters turn to me as soon as they hear me come and say “Hello!!”
  It’s night. It’s dark. How do they do it!?
  
• I’m in the countryside, speaking on the phone with my friend when this little boy comes up to me. He sees that I’m clearly having a conversation, but he doesn’t care. He stands in front of me and says “Hello, how are you, I’m good, my name is hae jeong, nice to meet you, bye” – as if all those words were in fact one very long word. Without even waiting for an answer he leaves.
  
• That’s a daily one: I’m in my office, the window is next to my computer and I’m doing class prep. I swear: every single one of my students will come by, look inside, open the window and shout “helloooo”.
  
• Sitting on the bus, completely lost in my thoughts and listening to my music, a group of teenagers get in and of course spot me right away! What do they say? “Helloooooooo” loud enough to interrupt my quiet reverie.
  
• Aaaah my favorite: eating at the school cafeteria. Bill and I are like aliens. Koreans of all age look at our tray, wondering if we eat like them. If there’s a lot of kimchi, they laugh. If there’s not enough rice, they laugh. Everything we do is laughable. Then the bell rings and the students rush in. 50 girls yelling “Helloooooo”
  
• Walking by the Middle School, there’s a gym class going on outside. Korean teachers are very strict and the kids must behave in class. Except when weiguks walk by. Jump ropes are put down and countless “Helloooo”s are being yelled. Sometimes the teacher will point his golf club and tell them to shut it, but most of the time he doesn’t.
  
• Having a nice dinner out with friends, i barely have time to swallow my rice when a kid comes up to me and stares. then, he either leaves without a word, or says "Hellooo" before turning around.

And the list goes on. I probably say “Hello” and “Hi” at least 100 times a day. I just physically can’t do it anymore. But if I ignore them, they chase me. Or they scream, which is even worse. If I reply, they laugh, covering their mouth while giggling.

In theory, they are cute. They are really cute. Man, how many times have I said that people back home can be really anti-social?

But the thing is, I don’t think Koreans do it to be social. It’s like a dare game. And it’s freakin’ annoying.

What annoys me the most is that it seems like “Hello” is the only English word they know. We spend so much energy teaching them how to converse in English, and all they can say is “Helloooo”, and run away?

I think I like it better when ajummas satisfy their cultural curiosity by slapping my butt. It's totally inappropriate, but at least it's funny.

When I go back to Quebec next summer, I will try the following:
- I’ll slap a Japanese woman’s ass
- I’ll blatantly stare at a Korean child
- I’ll scream “Ni hao” to every Chinese person I see until they reply. Then, I’ll burst into laughter.

This is going to be fun.