Apparently, South Korea's Choco-Pies are so popular in North Korea that they go for about $9.50 on the black market, according to story in The Chosun Ilbo.
Even though workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex are given two or three of the snacks a day, the speculation is that most of the pies are moved on the black market. Who knew a snack cake could have such a huge impact in someone's life -- besides leading to obesity and diabetes.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Another Slide In Quality Of Life
It seems that the longer I'm in Korea, the more they fall down the quality of life rankings. That sucks. It gives some of my dumb rants justification.
If anyone ever disagrees with me when I'm in a particularly moody day, I can just tell them to check out the quality of life rankings.
While 42nd isn't super-low, it's just low enough for me to feel like my complaining has some merit.
I'm having a way better year this year than last year overall. There are a few things I would change back to last year, if I could. Those things include some personal, relationship-related things, as well as amount of work I actually do at my job.
I only had two classes in the morning today, but I spent 5 of the next 6 hours preparing for future classes. That 1 free hour I had went toward lunch and studying Korean. So in a day with only 2 classes, I had almost no down time.
I hear from some of my friends how bored they are at their job, but they don't know what luxury they have. I don't mind the teaching part at all, but we're always preparing for something new. Or, we're forced to prepare for something routine, in a new and particularly annoying way. Maybe the principal or vice principal just "feel" like we should be doing it differently. Annoying.
If anyone ever disagrees with me when I'm in a particularly moody day, I can just tell them to check out the quality of life rankings.
While 42nd isn't super-low, it's just low enough for me to feel like my complaining has some merit.
I'm having a way better year this year than last year overall. There are a few things I would change back to last year, if I could. Those things include some personal, relationship-related things, as well as amount of work I actually do at my job.
I only had two classes in the morning today, but I spent 5 of the next 6 hours preparing for future classes. That 1 free hour I had went toward lunch and studying Korean. So in a day with only 2 classes, I had almost no down time.
I hear from some of my friends how bored they are at their job, but they don't know what luxury they have. I don't mind the teaching part at all, but we're always preparing for something new. Or, we're forced to prepare for something routine, in a new and particularly annoying way. Maybe the principal or vice principal just "feel" like we should be doing it differently. Annoying.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Korea Loses to Zambia???
That's right. Korea's national soccer team went down to Zambia by an incredibly embarrassing 4-2 score. I don't even think Zambia has a recognized professional league. This is not a good sign at all, with the World Cup just 6 months away. They'd better pull it together quick, or don't expect a repeat of 2002.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bamboo Dance Training Team Member!
Forgive me for neglecting the blog for a few days and then bombarding you with a bunch of stories, but salsa dance has kept me insanely busy. Because of that, I now have some very good news to share.
After the optional class on Wednesday night, Fafa and Leon were showing me the special training team. This is the group of dancers who train advanced moves, and after six months to one year, can move onto the competitive performance team.
Fafa asked me what I thought about them, and I said I thought they were great. He then asked me if I wanted to join!
I was a bit surprised, considering I've only been dancing for a month, but it felt great to be invited to join the training team.
I thought about the commitment, both financially and time-wise, that it would take, and I decided that it is definitely a worthwhile adventure for me.
So after my class today, I agreed to join the training team! I'm extremely excited to get started. I'm also a tiny bit nervous. As the moves become more advanced, it's getting more difficult. that sounds obvious, but there's more to it than just technique. I'm learning the technique fine. But since the class is taught in Korean, I sometimes need to see it one extra time before I fully understand.
The instructors usually get a kick out of me when I'm watching intently. They like to crack little jokes in Korean to the other students. But they're also very supportive and really make sure I nail it.
So now, I'll be dancing for two hours a day, three days a week. And with my training team membership, all extra classes, such as the Saturday open class, are free. They also do occasional parties and get-togethers, which are also included in the cost.
The way I look at it is this: The money is a little expensive for the team, but I would just be spending that on beer and going out otherwise. So now, I'll drink less and be active more. It's also great to be in the company of Koreans 3-4 days a week. A few of the students speak English, but this really gives me a chance to be immersed in an all-Korean class. It's way better than just studying my books, and even better than any conversation class I would have to pay for.
So there is a big time commitment, but I just have to stick to a tight schedule and make sure I get my studying and sleeping in as well. But I'm starting a really great adventure, and I'm looking forward to all the benefits along the way.
Oh, yeah. Don't forget that I get to dance with a bunch of really hot chicks all week. That's important too.^^*
After the optional class on Wednesday night, Fafa and Leon were showing me the special training team. This is the group of dancers who train advanced moves, and after six months to one year, can move onto the competitive performance team.
Fafa asked me what I thought about them, and I said I thought they were great. He then asked me if I wanted to join!
I was a bit surprised, considering I've only been dancing for a month, but it felt great to be invited to join the training team.
I thought about the commitment, both financially and time-wise, that it would take, and I decided that it is definitely a worthwhile adventure for me.
So after my class today, I agreed to join the training team! I'm extremely excited to get started. I'm also a tiny bit nervous. As the moves become more advanced, it's getting more difficult. that sounds obvious, but there's more to it than just technique. I'm learning the technique fine. But since the class is taught in Korean, I sometimes need to see it one extra time before I fully understand.
The instructors usually get a kick out of me when I'm watching intently. They like to crack little jokes in Korean to the other students. But they're also very supportive and really make sure I nail it.
So now, I'll be dancing for two hours a day, three days a week. And with my training team membership, all extra classes, such as the Saturday open class, are free. They also do occasional parties and get-togethers, which are also included in the cost.
The way I look at it is this: The money is a little expensive for the team, but I would just be spending that on beer and going out otherwise. So now, I'll drink less and be active more. It's also great to be in the company of Koreans 3-4 days a week. A few of the students speak English, but this really gives me a chance to be immersed in an all-Korean class. It's way better than just studying my books, and even better than any conversation class I would have to pay for.
So there is a big time commitment, but I just have to stick to a tight schedule and make sure I get my studying and sleeping in as well. But I'm starting a really great adventure, and I'm looking forward to all the benefits along the way.
Oh, yeah. Don't forget that I get to dance with a bunch of really hot chicks all week. That's important too.^^*
The Korea Herald Year in Review
The Korea Herald posted a Year in Review with many of the most talked-about stories of the year from Seoul and Busan. There's some really interesting things in it, and it does a good job of touching on a lot of the subjects that made the headlines this year.
Check it out here. It's worth a read.
Check it out here. It's worth a read.
Inter-Korean Summit Soon???
An editorial in The Chosun Ilbo hints at a possible Inter-Korean summit in the near future.
From the story:
From the story:
'Since a North Korean delegation came to the funeral of former president Kim Dae-jung and met President Lee Myung-bak in August last year, the two Koreas have exchanged views on the agenda and conditions of a summit, one government official said. "Once the heads of state of both sides make up their minds, a summit could be held."'It's hard to say how accurate any of this is, however. In typical Korean journalism fashion, no sources are actually cited beyond saying someone is "a key official." That and 900 won will get me a cup of coffee. And I don't even like coffee.
Korean Government Requests Extradition
The government has officially requested extradition for Arthur Patterson, one of two American citizens accused of killing a Korean 12 years ago in Seoul. The case was recently brought back into the limelight by the movie "Itaewon Murder."
From the story:
From the story:
'The 31-year-old Patterson, a son of a U.S. soldier, was sentenced to a prison term as he carried a weapon, but was not indicted for murder. He was released on a special pardon in August 1998.'From what I understand, the weapons charge was in connection with the murder, so it seems unlikely the US will give Patterson back, most likely citing double jeopardy in the case. But it takes a long time for these requests to go through, and a lot can happen in that time. This could get interesting.
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