Canadians teachers in S. Korea closely watching response to North's nuke test
(Koreas-Nuclear-Cdn-Te)
Source: The Canadian Press
Oct 12, 2006 12:26

By Lauren Krugel

The Canadian Press

A Canadian teaching English in South Korea says he secured his passport, filled his car with gas and withdrew cash from the bank after North Korea's claim this week of a nuclear test.

But Shaun Driver from Williams Lake, B.C., says his contingency plan to leave the country only came at the urging of his mother in Canada, who is not as calm as he and his fellow expats.

``The only time that there actually seems to be any stress is when we talk to people back home,'' said Driver, 28, who is on the second of two one-year teaching contracts.

He said he's been taking the developments in stride _ mostly because the South Koreans he talks to about the crisis are nonchalant.

``It's hard to be worried about anything when you look around the streets and you don't see anyone stressed out,'' he said.

World attention has been tightly focused on North Korea since Monday, when the Communist regime claimed to have tested a nuclear weapon. Neighbouring countries have moved to bolster their defences and the United Nations is considering sanctions _ an action Pyongyang says would be considered an act of war.

Gary Ng, a Victoria native on a one-year teaching assignment, hasn't noticed much reaction on the streets of Seoul, a city less than 100 kilometres from the world's most heavily fortified border. But he's watching the news closely.

``You see all that and then your mind starts racing, but other than that I feel pretty safe here,'' he said. ``I'm not scared. I don't lose sleep at night or anything.''

``But the reality is something could happen, and if it does, we're right in the thick of things.''

Ng, 24, and his girlfriend had been planning a trip to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, that divides the two Koreas. They booked their Oct. 21 excursion before Monday's announced testing and are deciding whether they still want to go, Ng said.

He said he's less scared now than he was before he left Canada in July, when North Korea tested a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which many believe to be capable of hitting the western United States.

Driver said the locals he's talked to don't see the purported test as a deviation from what has happened in the past.

``It's the same as it always was,'' he said. ``Kim Jong Il raises a ruckus and causes some problems, and then the western world threatens sanctions, and at the end of it they'll send him financial compensation. That's how he does business.''

He said children in his Grade 5 class seem the most perturbed because they're old enough to understand the news from western media outlets.

``One girl was really panicked about it. I said, `Why are you so worried when no one else is?' and she was like, `I was watching CNN last night.'''

Ng said the subject seldom comes up among his co-workers.

``When we're in the staff room we don't talk about `we're all going to die.' We talk about normal things, like `how was your day?'''

Ng said he was taken aback when the Canadian Embassy called him to check on the accuracy of his contact information.

``They're on the ball. I'd say they're doing a good job so far.''

The nuclear test has only piqued Driver's interest in travelling to North Korea, which he plans to do next August.

Through a Chinese company, Driver booked a one-week trip to Pyongyang for C$1,600. He said he's eager to see North Korea's Mass Games, which feature thousands of North Korean children performing synchronized dances and creating elaborate murals by holding up multi-coloured placards. The tour company's website says the Mass Games will take place despite tensions on the peninsula.

``I'm more curious to get my feet on the ground and actually see what's going on as much as I possibly can,'' Driver said.

What happens when you take a team that over-achieved last World Cup and pile immense pressure on the players and coaches? You get this sad side, which despite some lively Asian fantasias I've read, stinks. They shouldn't bother to unpack.

Togo players face being dropped from their World Cup team if they speak to reporters from group rivals South Korea, midfielder Junior Senaya was quoted as saying. ... Senaya said the coach had also told Togo players not to talk to Japanese or Chinese people, apparently in case they were actually Korean media, the paper reported.

"I'm sorry. I can't talk about the health risks of kimchi in the media. Kimchi is our national food," said a researcher at Seoul National University, who begged not to be quoted by name. Among the papers not to be found in the vast library of the kimchi museum is one published in June 2005 in the Beijing-based World Journal of Gastroenterology titled "Kimchi and Soybean Pastes Are Risk Factors of Gastric Cancer." The researchers, all South Korean, report that kimchi and other spicy and fermented foods could be linked to the most common cancer among Koreans. Rates of gastric cancer among Koreans and Japanese are 10 times higher than in the United States.

.. we expected some entertainment.

Needless to say.. it was immediately evident that they were a little unique. He (an Australian) was one of those people that cuts a person off at every sentence.. or upon hearing a word in a sentence will go off on a long diatribe that has nothing to do about the topic at hand.... speaking of hands.. did you know that... (sorry.. maybe it is contagious)... contagious.. I got a cold once from this guy that... cold.. do you think it is cold here.... GAWD... OK.. you get the point. She (a Korean) was.. umm.. well.. cluelessly offensive. She annoyed the hell out of my girlfriend with continuous.. "when are we going dances" when an approximate 15 came out in a 2 minute span while my girlfriend was trying to carry on a conversation. But.. what I deemed more offensive than that was the following conversation (translated by a third party). Now.. when reading the conversation remember Nani (the nutter) doesn't know my girlfriend at all.. and this was what came out of the very first "who are you session"... Nani: Hello what is your name? S.M.: My name is S.M.. and you are? Nani: I'm Nani. Are you dating him? (pointing at me) S.M.: Yes. Nani: Why? S.M.: We're just dating.. do I need a reason? Nani: I have to warn you that he might hurt you. So.. be careful. S.M.: Why would you say that? Nani: How old are you? S.M.: I'm 25. Nani: I'm 31 and from my experience... I really think you have to be careful. He might leave you when he is done with you. He probably will take advantage of you. So you have to be very careful. S.M.: Thanks (and tuned her out and talked to my friend...) Later... S.M. excused herself to the ladies room and I had the pleasure of talking to Nani... and our conversation went like this (across the table). Nani: Who are you? Me: My name is Shaun... and you are. Nani: I'm Nani. Me: Nice to meet you. Nani: Sure. Do you love her? Me: Who? My girlfriend? Absolutely. Nani: Really? Me: Yah.. totally. I have never been happier. Nani: Where are you from? Me: Canada. Nani: Yah. I hate you. Me: Ohh.. ok... nice talking to you. The rest of the night... she used my girlfriend as a translator.. in every conversation she had.. she would get poked in the arm and have to translate what was said.... cluelessly annoying.

I think I might get restless.

I don't think that same bond that I made with that gang will be the same as the new gang at school... only because of proximity. I am "all by myself" (I've had that song running through my head a lot) in the corner. I love having my space. I have spent heaps of my own time planning and designing things for the walls... organizing and re-organizing my furniture. I have put in 90 minutes of my own free time setting everything up... loving every moment of it. Two weeks in and I have put in more planning time than I did in one year at the hagwon. I am enjoying the fact that I never have to wait for a computer.. because I have my own.. that I can put my own stuff on. But, with all my space I find myself getting... well.. restless. Besides, I can't complain to anyone (but I don't know what I'd complain about).

..my first encounter with a Korean hospital.

I admit it was a VERY different both with the service and the logistical set-up. Now in Canada, we are unfortunate enough (yes I have come to that conclusion) to have Universal Health Care... that means there are extremely low "out of pocket" expenses in the bricks and mortar of the hospital but extremely high "out of pocket" expenses to cover the expenses of a health care system that can't even determine the cost of a procedure because that form of "cost-analysis" has never been done. The Canadian System is crap... ANYWAY.. that's a rant for a different day... that means the ground floor is very different. I walked past 8 ATM machines in one group alone and all of them were being accessed except for the one I stepped up to. The first floor actually reminded me more of a bank than a hospital.

..almost had a meltdown...

I felt a little hollow coming home today and realizing.. wait.. I had nothing to complain about.. nothing went wrong.. in fact it hasn't in about a week. Damnit.. no more rants! Well.. that SUCKS. So this is me.. RANTING... because I can't RANT. I hate it when things go well. I hate it when there are cool surprises I find every day. I am going to have to go back through my blog and see if it is just the honeymoon period.. but really... Korea has turned itself back into being a place I really enjoy in a damn quick hurry. Is this where I start singing Bible Camp songs about being Redeemed? Nah.. way out to lunch.

맥을 달리하여 제가 근무하는 사무실 같은 건물의 영어학원 선생 나부랭이들의 세태를 올립니다 Now i'm gonna talk about the petty foreign English teachers who work at my office building. 여기는 ***구요... It's in *** 학원명은 *** 영어학원이에요 (이거 학원 브랜드죠 제가 어렸을 때부터 있었던 것 같습니다) The name of hagwon is *** ( a famous English hagwon chain, I think it's been there since I was a kid) 이 주변에는 초등학생들도 상당히 많습니다 근처에 아파트 단지가 있거든요 There are some apartment complex near hear so lots of elementary students go to the hagwon. 매일 아침 유아반 아이들이 노란 가방을 메고 들어오는 것을 보면 너무 귀엽습니다 Every morning they came in this building with their yellow bags...they are so cute. (물론 엘레베이터 탈때는 심히 괴롭지만요^^;;) (Of course, it's a pain in the ass when i share an elevator with them) 낮시간이 되면 초등반 아이들이 몰려 옵니다 In the afternoon, the kids come in crowds. 초글러... 뭐 딱히 하고 싶은 말은 없습니다^^;; Well.. I don't have anything to say about the kids. * 제가 5층에 있고 이 학원은 4층에 있는데 가끔 엘레베이터를 누르고 도망가는 초글러들이 있어 들입따 욕질해주고 싶지만.... 아가들을 위해 참습니다^^ I work on the fifth floor, and the hagwon is on the fourth. When they press the elevator button and run away i just want to swear at them but.. i keep my temper. 그리고 저녁시간에는 중등부 학생들이 간간보이구요 and in the evening.. some middle-schoolers come to the hagwon. (요녀석들은 공부라기보다는 그냥 시간때우러 오는 듯 하하) (These kids seem like they come to kill time rather than to study haha) 뭐 학원 규모도 꽤 크고 아무래도 유아, 초등학생들의 영어교육이 더 활발하니까 그 만큼 나이 어린 아이들이 많이 다닙니다 This hagwon is pretty big and kindergarten english education is huge these days, so there are mostly kindies in this hagwon. (운행 차량만해도 대형 승합차 4~5대에 버스도 있을 정도입니다) ( they run 4~5 full sized school buses) 제 문제 인식은 며칠 전에 발생했습니다 A few days ago, I realised there was a problem. 솔직히 교육에 관심이 많은 저는 뉴스를 통해 여기에서 일하는 외국인 선생들이 과연 교육자의 자질이 있는지 궁금해왔던 터입니다 I'm very interested in education, to be honest, I've always been doubtful of the foreign teachers' qualifications as educators. 외근 나가려고 엘레베이터를 타면 외국인 선생들하고 같이 타고 내려가는데 자기들끼리 하는 말을 듣다보면 어이가 없는 말들을 자주 합니다 When i am in the elevator with the foreigners, I often hear them making absurd remarks. 4층에서 이 들이 탔을 때 초등학생 한명이 "하이~ 데이브" 하고 남자 선생에게 인사를 하고 까르르 웃었습니다 On the fourth floor, when they got on the elevator one of the kids said " Hi Dave!" and laughed. 그러자 데이브라는 놈이 손을 들어 쓰윽 하이~ 하고 답하더니 엘레베이터 문이 닫히자 마자 그 동료들과 함께 하는 말이, "어글리 코리안 쉿.."(이하는 못 들음) , "크레이지 보이즈" 등등이라며 킥킥 대는 것입니다 Then that guy "Dave" waved to the kid and said hello. But as soon as the door was closed, he said to his co-worker " Ugly Korean shit! ... Crazy boys.." (couldn't pick up the rest) and they giggled. 저, 영어로 스피킹은 안되도 히어링은 대충 됩니다 I don't speak English very well but I can understand fine. 그 날 엘레에이터 내려가는 동안 그럴 줄 알았어... 양아치 양키쉐리들... 하고 속으로 생각하다가 생각해보니 점점 기가 막혀져서 학원장에게 전화라도 하려다 꾹꾹 참았습니다 In the elevator I thought " Yeah..white trash. I knew you were like that" . The more I think about it, the more I got upset. I almost feel like calling the president of the school. 그러다가 다시 며칠 뒤 퇴근하는데 이번에는 그 때 그 데이브라는 놈과 한국선생(여자) 두명이 탔습니다 A couple of days later, Dave and 2 Korean teachers got in the elevator. 저, 아주 기절하는 줄 알았습니다 I almost fainted as i was listening their conversation. 탈 때부터 데이브와 여선생 나누는 대화가 이미 도를 넘어선 내용이었습니다 It was far over the top from the beginning what they were talking about. 게다가, 제가 타고 있는데도 1층까지 계속 대화가 진행되었습니다 Besides, they didn't stop till we got the 1st floor even though i was listening. 내용인즉슨: The conversation goes like this.. 남 : "모텔에 가면 일명 러브머신이라고 쓰인 기계가 있던데 난 그게 체력단련용 머신인 줄 알았어 한참 생각했는데.. 왜 "러브" 머신일까? 하고 말야" 여 : "그건 섹스를 돕는 기계야 그걸 사용하면 편리해 재미있기도 하고^^" the guy : I've seen a device called "love machine" in a love motel. I thought it would be some kind of weight machine(at the gym..) but i was wondering.. Why is it called a "love machine"? the girl : It helps sex. It's easier and fun if you use it. 욱..... 토할 뻔 했습니다 Gross.. i almost threw up. 우리가 그러던가요? Is that what we do? (??) 저도 성인이고 性에 나름 개방적인 사람입니다 I'm an adult and I'm open on "sex" 그런데 남이 못 알아들을거라 생각하고 태연히 사람이 옆에 있는데도 그런 대화를 주고 받을 수 있나요? But, do you think it's ok to have that kind of conversation right next to other people assuming that they don't understand? 제가 너무 어이가 없어서 뒤돌아선 데이브 한번 빼려보고 옆에 선 여선생 힐끗했습니다 I was so pissed off so i looked back both of them. 나이로는 제 동년배 같았어요 (25살 정도?) They seemed to be about the same age as i am.(25?) 그러자 이 여자, 흠~ 니가 뭘 알아들었겠어? 하는 표정으로 샐쭉하게 웃어보이더군요 Then, she sneered at me like thinking " you didn't understand a word, did you?" 진짜 한대 갈겨주고 싶었습니다 I really wanted to slap her face.

..white guy to go red in the face and...

I picked up another "bad" word. Now.. I have been informed that the translation to English makes the word sound a little stronger than it does in Korean. But.. today I was called 변태 (Byeon Tae) by a Grade 3 student. The closest translation to English is 'sexual pervert.' Now.. I'm going to have to qualify this because some idiot is going to post in the comments that maybe I am.. I assure you that I am not (and don't feel it necessary to go beyond that). We were playing a vocabulary retention game that involves the kids banging a rubber mallet on flashcards in rapid succession after I say them.. if they got 5 right.. they got to beat the teacher in the head with a mallet (a game I know that I'd love if I was there age) and if they lost I got to tap them (and it was a very gentle tap). It may sound a little rough but the squeaky toy mallet is used in numerous games here and the kids were hitting themselves harder than I would EVER imagine to.

.. a new outlook on the whole thing.

But.. I digress from the reason for this post. I have a little 'un in my Kindergarten class. Jane. She's in with my 7's but actually could be with the 6's. She's also going to attend Elementary School next year when she could do another year at Kindergarten. Anyways... she isn't the brightest.. but she sure as hell isn't the slowest. She's always energetic.. always willing to put forth the effort... and tries her damndest to get the language. Put her with her age group and she's leading the class.. but with the older kids she's securely average (much to her mother's disappointment).

I feel sorta special.

I've been riding the subway a LOT more lately with S.M. down in Gangnam and the house without heat the journeys have become more frequent just because I hate being able to cut glass with my nipples everytime I step out of the shower into the freezing cold house that is my apartment. Now.. I hate pulling out my Korean language book on the subway because the gawking becomes even more abundant with people trying to read upwards from my crotch to catch a glimpse at my level.. only to roll their eyes when they see (depending on the book) that I'm pretty useless.

..the topic of blog hate.

I mean if you have ever been to the Best Blogs in Asia site you will notice that my ranking goes up and down more than a pair of hooker's panties in the red light district at Chenyongni. I have some fan(s) somewhere who makes sure I'm near the top.. only to get downvoted in a quick hurry right down to the bottom. Love/Hate. Now.. I am not one of those popularity freaks who gets teary-eyed when I don't win the latest blog award. But, I do find it extremely interesting and am curious as to how the divide has occurred. Let's just look at some of the recent comments:

..apartment is without heat AGAIN!

Now.. my roomate has been a bit more vocal about his displeasure... and they have put him up in a love motel for awhile. However, that ends tomorrow and head office denied the request for key money to the school I'm at. So, he has basically been told he has to move back into his freezing room (which is way worse than mine). But, they will buy him an electric blanket. Yah.. thumbs up to that one... he gets heat in a 7 foot by 3 foot square... and 2 months more of winter to enjoy.

..the girls are just nuts.

Back to the clothes. Let's start at the top. The head. What will you see? Nothing. I did a random sample while walking through Gangnam and of the 250 people I walked past only four people were wearing anything on their heads. Two were wearing a toque (sorry.. a beanie for any reader outside of Canada), one had her hood up, and one girl was wearing those stupid snow-man ear-muffs that have just become popular in the last two weeks here (I expect everyone to have them in two weeks). They go well with the Gucci bags. Now... we all know that most (I believe it is 40-50% but could be wrong) body heat escapes through the head.. why don't people cover it? The sample from conversations with students and S.M. because it isn't fashionable and it will ruin their hair. Style before comfort people... style before comfort.

..private schools suck .

In Korea, the problem takes shape in the competitive nature of their education system as a whole and how that influences the daily lives of their kids. The kids, whose parents can afford the additional education, are dumped into a wide variety of hagwons (math, English, art, piano, etc...) that are intended to give their kids a leg up on their peers. And.. in a society where perception is the truth (even more than I've experienced in Canada or New Zealand) the parents are destroyed when they hear that their kids are doing poorly. Therefore, if you are a private institution... always make it look like their kid is brilliant.. even if you know their education is suffering for it.

..world's way of swift kicking me in the junk.

But, the kid refused to go... the Korean-Kindergarten teachers have put the fear of god into the kids. This little guy was latched on tho the chair.. then assisted by his friend who hooked himself on to his leg. The kid went from desk to desk grabbing on in fear for his life. Too be honest I wasn't, initially, that mad but just wanted to show the kid the difference between right and wrong. I thought that in any situation calling anyone crap and letting them know that they smell of crap would be wrong. Guess not. If I had done that in Canada.. I would have been smacked so hard in the back of the head I'd be hearing ringing. And like Pavlov's dog.. I'd remember that ringing bell when I thought it'd be good to insult someone again. I mean it is not a teachers job in ANY situation to smack a kid. It isn't. But, they have to at least let the kids no right and wrong (don't they?). I finally hoisted the kid to the Korean-kindergarten teachers where the intrigue of Korean hagwon discipline began.. I am not mad at the kid as much as I was the hagwon's way of dealing with the situation (me):

..noticed a couple of flakes were falling.

Well.. at night there was a pretty good dump of the white stuff and a lot of it has hung around through the day. Ahhh.. the familiar sounds of snow crunching under foot and the spinning of tires on icy streets. Actually, for the amount of snow that has fallen there is a heck of a lot more tire spinning than I'm used to.. but I attribute that to the fact Korea doesn't see a lot of snow so many don't know how to drive in it.. just due to the lack of experience. I snapped some pictures but I'll have to get them up later.

..might as well tell a war veteran to go f**k themselves.

There are just too many moral reasons to justify voting that the excuses (vote doesn't count... they're all crooks.. etc. etc.) don't sit well with me...but at my age I usually just close my lips and walk away disgruntled when informed of that choice. Afterall... I suppose the joy of living in Canada is people are free to make that choice as well (still irks me though). (.pdf file)Application for Registration and Special Ballot - For Canadian Citizens residing outside of Canada who are not part of the Armed Forces OR have a permanent address within Canada. Guide to filling out the Application for Registration and Special Ballot - Link to Elections Canada website guide. Eligibility Requirements to vote on a Special Ballot for Canadians residing outside of Canada - Link to the Elections Canada site that lists requirements. And even though in my riding in Northern British Columbia my vote is typically insignificant (the riding always goes to a Right Wing party)... I will be voting: I'd rather you leave the political banter out of the comments.. if you feel like talking to me about it you can do so by e-mailing me.

..oh crap.. something is wrong.

My mom just called thinking I had contacted her.. but I decided to use the time to do some teaching. "Say hello to Shaun Teacher's mom." (and the class repeated it on cue). I even let one of the kids (Sally 1) talk to my mom for a little bit... just long enough to get in the "How are you?" The class then gave a resounding "Good bye Shaun Teacher's mom." It was just nice to see the kids glowing (and they were). I'm sure my mom was too... it was her first little taste of what I go through in a day. The thing is... the kids all thought that my mom was in Korea. ("You mom come Korea when?") When I told them that Sally 1 talked to my mom in Canada some jaws dropped and they went nuts and now they all want a turn. I might have to talk to my boss and mother to see if I can arrange a little "oral test" over my cell phone through my mom. I know they'd love the opportunity.