News Flashes - The Times, They Are A Changin'

I have five news stories this time, so I won't make many comments. I'll just leave it up to you to post your comments below. I'd love to hear what you think. Let's light this message board up.

Fined For Slander

For the first time, a Korean man was fined for slandering an Indian man. The insults were racially offensive remarks, a problem that can be all too common here, but is usually just accepted. But now, a group of lawmakers is looking to form a bill to ban discrimination based on race and color.

Ninja Assassinated?

I haven't seen too many good reviews for the new movie "Ninja Assassin," starring Korean superstar Rain. One of my friends saw it and said it would have been better had the fights not all been celebrations of CGI.

Rain still needs some English practice, according to a Korean publication.

Anyway, this article says that the biggest problem with Rain is his broken English. A publication called "Sports Seoul" said it makes viewers feel uncomfortable.

It seems to me that people with heavy accents are generally accepted as Hollywood actors, while actors with no discernible accent are often butchering those of other countries.

Fried Egg As A Symbol

I read this editorial a few times and am still having trouble finding some of the connections it seeks to point out.

It starts out talking about how the friend egg was once a special treat saved for the man of the household, because of its rarity in the meal, and because of the male status in society.

It then talks about how a university chick recently called all males under 180 cm tall losers.

This leads to a discussion of how the role of the woman in society has changed, and is still changing, giving her the upper hand. A cultural psychologist as a university in Seoul says the outlook is only getting worse for the male psyche in Korea.

She then says the egg is no longer for the loser.

My guess is it's that in the past, even if a dude was a total loser and failure, his wife, children and society would put him up on a pedestal, therefor earning him the egg. But he no longer qualifies for that egg by just being a male. I think that's what it means. Can any Koreans help me out.

Also, I'm only 175 cm. So I suppose Korean university chicks won't date me.

Drinking To Connect With The People

Another Korea Times editorial points out how the hot trend in politics is to drink makgeolli with people to better connect with them. Makgeolli is a rice wine that used to be favored by poorer people because it's so inexpensive.



I like makgeolli. It's still inexpensive and I like the flavor. It certainly does the trick in providing entertainment for a night.

It looks as though even President Lee Myung-bak, who has some pretty low approval ratings, is jumping on the makgeolli wagon to connect with people.

Teacher Disappears In Germany

This last story doesn't take place in Korea, but it is a fellow English teacher. A 22-year-old American has been missing since last weekend after attending a concert in Germany. He was teaching in Prague since July.

I know my tiny blog won't help Devon Hollahan or his family, but let's just look at this as a warning for those of us who feel relatively safe wherever we are. Even someone who seems prepared can get into trouble in a split second.

Now, we don't know all the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, and the news clip isn't too in depth, but keep an eye out for your friends and use common sense as much as possible. We want to avoid these sad stories as much as possible.