Planning on a Hospital Stay in South Korea? Don't Forget Your Extended Family

"I want to use the restroom," I said in my best Korean. The nurse stopped in her tracks and tilted her head as she considered what I had said.

"Where are your friends?" she asked.

Confused, I cast a glance at the clock hanging above my bed. "Working," I said in bewilderment.

The nurse sighed and hurried out of the room with one last glance in my direction. She returned after a moment with a wheelchair from the hallway and helped me navigate myself into it, taking special care of my wires and recently operated leg. I got the distinct impression that the nurse really didn't want to help me into that restroom, despite the task being what I had thought was part of her job. 

Later,  I would learn that the responsibilities of nurses in South Korea are, in fact, vastly different from those in the USA.

In America, nurses do a variety of small jobs. They hook up monitors, make note of the patient's fluid intake and output, check to see if the patient has been getting adequate rest, relay information given to them by the doctors, and ensure that the patient is following a prescribed diet if one exists. In many hospitals in South Korea, the story is quite different...

[caption id="attachment_3603" align="alignnone" width="2100"] An American nurse checks a boy's vital signs after surgery.[/caption]

I was asleep, finally. It was probably around 9 or 10 A.M. I remember having already been woken up around 5:30 A.M. for my morning butt injections. I hated those. I was victim to the nurses' needles at least three times per day. I switched sides on the nurses because each butt cheek would become so sore that sitting on it became uncomfortable. Later, someone would tell me that injections are cheaper than pills. Maybe that's why I was getting so many? I didn't know.

Anyway, it was around mid-morning, and I was finally asleep, when I suddenly heard the crinkling of cellophane. I opened my heavy eyes slowly, seeing only a wall of black fabric at first. It backed away from me, and surprised, I looked up and realized what I was seeing. A man in a suit was standing at my bedside and placing something beneath the pillow, where my face had just been a second before.

Why was a man sticking things under my head, and why was he waking me up when I was finally, finally asleep, I asked myself. By the time I opened my mouth, the man had moved on to give one of his bags to another patient. I propped myself up on my elbow and pulled the package out to look at it. It had several hard fruit candies inside with a religious leaflet. Ah. Advertising for a church, I realized.

I looked around the room. There were seven other patients and some of their family members. At the other end of the room, an older patient talked with a person I didn't recognize. They had Bibles in their hands.

In the United States, I have the impression that the nurse is like a knight standing guard between you, the patient, and the outside world. If a visitor comes into the hospital and brings forty friends, the nurse and/or nurses will not let the stress of forty visitors (plus one) into the room where the patient is fighting a battle to regain or maintain newly-won good health. It wasn't long ago that men weren't allowed into birthing rooms. It wasn't long ago that children weren't allowed into hospitals. If it brings too much stress, or too many germs, the nurse forms a human barrier against it and keeps that riff-raff out of her kingdom.

And yet here I was, trying so hard to finally get some sleep, and a strange old man in a pinstriped suit was sticking candies under my pillow. He didn't even ask if I was diabetic! On a few occasions, a woman would come with huge trash bags full of things like panties, slippers, socks, and pajamas, which she would drape across our beds and start hawking right there in our room. Other patients would come in from other rooms while dragging their IV carts behind them. Then, people would actually buy this woman's underwear.

The American parts of me thought, "What the hell is going on here!?" How could people expect to get any sleep in these conditions, and did nobody care at all about the germs from outside? Seriously? The nurses weren't monitoring the things that were happening in that room at all. By this point, I had contacted my friends and coworkers and told them that the nurses made it clear to me that I would need help from someone other than them.

It is thus impossible for me to write this without making some mention of the gratitude I owe to so many people from outside the hospital. There were people who helped me take a shower, despite how awkward it is to help your friend undress and get in and out of a wheelchair while naked. There were friends who helped me repeatedly get into a bathroom that really wasn't meant for handicapped people. There were people who brought me home-made chili, fruit trays, chocolates, chips, candies, books to read, extra blankets, and pillows. One person even painted my nails. My boss came to make sure I used the restroom and got fresh water to drink at least every morning and every night. She held a cup and straw to my mouth and stayed with me for eight hours post-operation when I was told I wasn't allowed to lift my head from my bed. I never knew how loved I was until I needed to be loved in this way. Thank you.

[caption id="attachment_3604" align="aligncenter" width="758"] My boss's lovely daughter and my coworker's brand-new son during a wonderful visit that lifted my spirits.[/caption]

But the bottom line is, we had people barging into our rooms day and night, and the nurses were doing nothing. They didn't help us get our lunches, they didn't help us into the bathroom, they didn't even help me get down to the basement when I started physical therapy and learning to walk again. I began to think about what that meant for the hospital environment. It meant that we patients had to rely on other people to fight for our right to sleep and regular bathroom visits.

Because of this initially uncomfortable situation, I realized that the hospital is a much more cheerful and welcoming place when you rely on the help of your loved ones than on a stranger to care for you.

In thinking about it, I realized that if I had to choose between my own mother helping me get my pants down for a shower or having some stranger do it, I'd rather it be my own mother. On top of your own family members caring for you, the fact that my bed had no privacy curtain coupled with the fact that I was stuck in a room with seven other people meant that those seven other people were in the same plight as I was. Though some of them could walk, they understood what it meant to be there in that moment and to be stuck in it. One of the walkers would get our lunch trays and put them on or next to our beds, and the woman who did this for me always slammed mine down and yelled "EAT YOUR RICE!!" in Korean. It was like I had my very own angry Korean grandmother, and even though I really, really did not want to eat my rice, the fact that she wanted me to eat it made me very happy---and it even made me try a little bit.

Perhaps even worse than not monitoring who was coming or going, the nurses didn't seem to care whether we left---which we did. Every couple of days, one of the walkers would simply leave the hospital altogether (still wearing her gown and still pulling her IV behind her on a wheeled stand), and return with treats for us, having walked herself all the way to the supermarket and back. Why even stay in the hospital?

The surgery I had, while I don't recommend just going in and doing it for fun, is actually an out-patient procedure in the United States. However, in Korea, I had to beg them every day to let me leave. Finally, twelve days after my operation, they let me go...but they didn't know that I had actually left before. With the help of two friends, I decided to go outside and get some fresh air, and even go to a café just behind the hospital. We had a really good time taking pictures of me pretending to walk, but really just balancing on my good leg with the wheelchair out of view.

[caption id="attachment_3605" align="aligncenter" width="720"] I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for that meddling conscience! People probably would've worried if I disappeared.[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3606" align="aligncenter" width="720"] It was about as soft as my bed. Top-notch spot for a nap.[/caption]

I thought very seriously about going home, but since I lived two floors up on slick granite floors and was completely unable to bend my leg, I decided to stay until they released me. So why do nurses not care if their patients come and go, why do they fill such minimalistic roles, and why do they not care who visits the patients?

I found an interesting blog written by a Canadian woman who talks about her child's stay in a Korean hospital, and she recounts many of the same things I've mentioned, though it seems that her hospital was furnished with more equipment than mine. It's important to remember that my story might stray from the norm.

Originally, my thought was that patients in Korea have long hospital stays because Koreans work hard and have stressful lives, so staying in a hospital grants them a reprieve from their responsibilities. I recall someone telling me that a hospital stay can be a bit like a vacation for people there, and I remember being a little horrified by the notion, because I would have much preferred to have been at work than confined to a bed. I did some digging around on the Internet and learned that there are incentives to having patients stay longer. Apparently, South Korea ranks #2 behind Japan in average length of hospital stays in the OECD.

In my reading, I also read that there are fewer nurses per patient in South Korea than there are in the US and in most other OECD nations. Perhaps this helps to explain why nurses seem to do so little for patients in Korea. Perhaps they're stretched thin. I came across an article advocating better treatment and conditions for nurses in South Korea, and it said:

“Nursing in the two countries also differs in many respects, too. For example, in addition to the much higher patient load in South Korea, nurses there are expected to fulfill many of the duties support personnel here in the United States would normally handle. Sung Hee Kwon, an operating room RN at Korea University Hospital, was impressed that OR nurses here never leave their patients’ bedsides. Back home, she is expected to also manage all the OR equipment, supplies, cleaning, set up, ordering, and inventory."

It appears that while I thought my Korean nurses simply didn't care much for me or that culturally they weren't expected to, what may have been happening is that they were simply too busy to devote to me and my fellow patients the kind of time and attention that I expected due to my American background. I am quite impressed by the number of tasks that nurses accomplish which have so little to do with direct patient care, like the management of inventory.

Another interesting excerpt from the article is this paragraph:

“We are still thinking about what number to propose in Korea,” said Yoo Ji Hyun, RN and secretary general of KMHU. “To start, we’re looking at a range from 1:5 to 1:10. But the hospital industry is attacking that, saying that 1:10 in Korea is about the same as 1:5 in the United States. That’s why we’ve come to compare actual nursing tasks to refute their argument.”

Why would the hospital industry attest that one nurse for ten patients in Korea is the same as one nurse for five patients in the US? I think it is making a reference to the apparent fact that much of the care patients receive in hospitals comes from patient family members and friends than from nurses. Given what I've learned about nurses' responsibilities, I'm inclined to disagree with this ratio.

Korean nurses don't do less; they do different things. Perhaps if Korean hospitals hired support staff to take care of some of their responsibilities, the nurses could devote more time to patients---but is it really better that way? When I think of my very own ajumma yelling at me to eat my rice, it honestly makes me think fondly of my time there somehow.

Perhaps they're already doing things in the best way possible.

Whitewater Kayaking in South Korea

Greetings! Today, I will take you on another splendid journey through time. You have the honor of accompanying me as I recount my personal quest to go whitewater kayaking in South Korea. Is it possible? Is it popular? How can it be done? Not only will these questions be answered, but they will also be placed in a cultural context. Do you think you know everything there is to know about Korea? Have you thought about how recent Korean history may have shaped whitewater activity in the country? If you find yourself unable to answer these questions, continue reading.

Kayaking Becomes a Part of My Life

In my home state of Tennessee, whitewater activity generates millions of dollars in economic growth each year as a result of local tour businesses, the sale of locally-made equipment, and profits generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA releases water from dams periodically in controlled amounts in order to provide whitewater for sport while conserving the state's resources. Arguably the most popular of such rivers, the Ocoee river generated over 40 million dollars in the space of a single year due to guided rafting trips alone. Two geographic features make this sport possible: mountains and moving water.

[caption id="attachment_3526" align="aligncenter" width="1452"] I promise there's a raft in there somewhere.[/caption]

I had gone whitewater rafting on the Ocoee every Spring and Summer for a couple of years. One day, I brought my father along and my family was forever changed. Suddenly, my dear old dad put down his xbox controller and each member of my family had a kayak of his or her own. I like to joke that he hit his mid-life crisis, and instead of finding a younger woman and buying a sports car, he decided to throw us all in the river.

With our new kayaks (liquidlogic xp9's and an xp10 for my dad), we set out to learn everything we could. I had just gotten into the sport, having paddled a couple of small whitewater rivers in the area, when I surprised everyone and graduated from my university. Ready to step out into the great big world, I found myself in contact with a recruiter for teachers to go teach English as a foreign language in South Korea.

[caption id="attachment_3528" align="aligncenter" width="1304"] Apparently, this is what aging looks like.[/caption]

Moving to South Korea

When asked where in Korea I'd like to live, I said it didn't matter much to me- but that I liked the outdoors. I signed a contract with a school in the city of Chuncheon. “Chuncheon” means “spring river,” and is described as being one of Korea's best cities for nature and the outdoors. It's also called the city of three rivers, because of the three rivers that wind through it. Nestled in a mountain range in a mountainous country, it seemed like I would find whitewater there.

I lived in Korea for a total of 25 months. I am not sure if I ever saw a single kayak while there.

The Quest Begins: River Rafting and Sea Kayaking

I tried finding whitewater. I found dams, rivers, and waterfalls, but never heard of anyone actually kayaking whitewater. I learned that in the city of Inje, one can sign up for a rafting trip. Curious about how “big” the water would be, I did a search to see how the river was classed. Whitewater ranges in levels from class I-VI. Class I is very easy water to paddle. Class VI is something people rarely attempt, as rescue may be impossible and death likely. I wasn't able to find out what class the river rafting trip in Inje would be, so I decided to go and find out for myself.

[caption id="attachment_3532" align="aligncenter" width="1320"] Do you recognize this class VI river? [The answer is at the end of the article].[/caption]River rafting in Inje would probably have been very enjoyable if I had not already been paddling larger water. If I had to make a guess, I'd say that Inje was a class I-II river. I was not satisfied, and I set out to find something bigger. Unfortunately, my Google searches were yielding nothing. I learned about a trip to a place called “Pirate's Island,” in Namhae. It was about as far away as possible from my home in the province of Gangwon-do, but among the other activities, the trip listed sea kayaking. I signed up to go on the trip and promptly fell ill. I had to cancel.

The next year, the same travel company advertised the same trip. I signed up and went. After travelling two hours by train to meet the travel company in Seoul, we drove overnight in a bus for five hours toward our destination. At this point, I had travelled seven hours. We started the morning by hiking up a mountain to the most beautiful temple I have ever seen in South Korea: Boriam Temple. We watched the sun rise over the sea. Its brightness spread across the sky and cleared away the twinkling lights of the ships at sea near the coastline along the stars perched in the sky above them. It was breathtakingly beautiful but I was distraced by my excitement for sea kayaking later in the day.

We left the temple and boarded the bus. After another hour of driving through winding mountain roads, while I coped with my fatigue and car sickness, we arrived at a beach. A tour guide left the bus, said he'd return, and after a few minutes he came back. He explained to everyone on the bus that due to choppy seas, we would not be kayaking.

Making a Greater Effort

The rest of the trip was enjoyable and I am glad I saw the temple, but after having travelled all night long and all morning, I was tired and disappointed. Upon returning home, I again searched for a place to go kayaking and came up with nothing. During a conversation with my dad, he told me that one of his friends working for Jackson Kayak, a company which designs and builds kayaks and equipment based in Tennessee, was a customer service representative. Apparently, he worked with a Korean business that sells kayaking gear and equipment. It became my new goal to track them down.

With all of the mountains, rivers, and people dressed in outdoor equipment, I knew that real whitewater had to be somewhere. Finally, it was winter. In Tennessee, kayaking can be considered a winter sport. There is more water in the rivers during winter, so people gear up in special winter equipment and throw themselves down water-filled ravines, often with snow on the rocks beside them. I appealed to my Korean friends on Facebook, asking if anyone knew of a place where I could go whitewater kayaking in Korea. A very, very helpful friend told me about Inje. I explained that I'd already been there and was looking for something bigger, and not rafting. He told me it sounded strange that I wanted to go kayaking in the dead of winter, so I explained that I was used to the idea of paddling in the snow. Finally, he found me a link to a kayaking school. If I remember correctly, they were affiliated with the same company that my dad's friend worked with.

When I went to their website, I learned that they would take people on kayaking trips through their school, but in order to paddle with them on Class III water (which was my goal at the time), I would first have to paddle with them on flat water, Class I, and Class II water. At each level, I would have to be certified by them before advancing to the next level. The classes were very, very expensive.

I gave up and threw myself into a new sport, which I had fallen in love with in Korea: cycling. I've biked in the US, France, and in the Netherlands. It is my very strong opinion that no country so far rivals Korea in cycling infrastructure. It is by far my favorite activity in South Korea. I hope to write about its merits one day.

Asking Why I Failed

I am living in France now, and I've learned that kayaking competitions are sometimes held in a town nearby. It should be easy for me to find a place to kayak here. So, in Tennessee, the eastern half of which is mountainous, I can go kayaking. In Normandy, which is not mountainous but does have rolling hills, I can go kayaking. But in Gangwon-do, South Korea, a region of mountains, valleys, and rushing water, it took me two years of searching for a place to go kayaking and I never truly found what I was looking for.

Why?

Why have whitewater sports taken such deep roots in Appalachia and in Normandy, but have not done so in South Korea? One of the first things that outsiders will often notice when they visit Korea for the first time is the droves of people dressed fashionably in outdoor clothing: hiking boots, sturdy hiking pants, windbreakers, and waterproof hats with wide brims. Hiking into the mountains is an extremely popular activity in Korea, and the trails are generally well-maintained and beautiful. Personally, I am impressed with them. Hundreds of miles of beautiful running, walking, and cycling paths stretch across the country from east to west, north to south, and along the eastern coastline. Along these paths, one will often discover people exercising on equipment installed there for public use.

Tennis courts, driving ranges, soccer fields, swimming pools, gyms, and public parks are found everywhere. It has always appeared to me that healthy eating and exercise are large considerations in Korean society. So, why have whitewater sports not caught on in a country which, geographically, seems to be made for it? Why especially have they not caught on in a country which seems to enjoy outdoor sports to a vast degree?

Maybe It's Cultural

One of the jobs of an expatriot ought to be discovering not only how other cultures differ, but also ask himself or herself the question of why it is different. I remember a conversation I had with another American in Korea; we were discussing the idea that “Koreans can't swim.” It's not a good idea to make broad generalizations, but this statement danced around inside my head like a carrot in front of a horse for a long time. If I were to accept the idea that Koreans swim less often or less well than their American counterparts do, this might help explain the curious lack of interest in Korean whitewater.

The first thing I began doing was questioning what I knew about Korean swimming habits. Contrary to what my friend said, I knew that many of my students attended swimming classes, and I knew of a few swimming pools in my city. I suggested to my friend that he might be mistaken, and he countered with the idea that Korean children are now learning to swim perhaps because their parents could not. He suggested that maybe their parents wanted to make sure that their children had the opportunity to learn a skill they were not able to learn in their youth.

He told me a story about the time when Park Geun-Hye's father was a dictator in the newly-recreated nation. He claimed that he read about the Han River in Seoul being surrounded by fences and access to it forbidden. My friend said that since the time of the Korean War, people were discouraged from swimming and from visiting beaches because of the opportunity it might present to defect to either side. Given that the country is so mountainous and the border so heavily guarded, the beach might present a much safer passage across the border. In addition, crossing the border sometimes means crossing a river. Crossing a river means that the defector may have to swim.

Are the Rumors True?

Even now, at night on certain beaches, you'll find that they are sometimes lit up like the top of a birthday cake before the candles are blown out. I was born in Florida and attended middle school there. I had a particularly vocal biology teacher who lamented the city lights on our coasts because they encouraged hatchling sea turtles to move toward the lights and cross into the road instead of following the reflection of the moon into the sea, as is their instinct. So, when I visited a certain beach at night in Korea, and I saw the flood lights stretched as far as I could see in either direction, I wondered about the effect it might have on the nearby wildlife. What would drive a city to install floodlights on a beach that isn't used at night?

It made me wonder if the stories about using the beaches to defect were true and it made me wonder if stories about older Koreans not knowing how to swim might actually have some merit. The next day, I went swimming in a very small area of the beach that was roped off and guarded vigilantly by two very fit lifeguards. Most people simply bobbed around where they could still stand up if they needed to, and nobody was trying to do laps. When my friend and I ventured further out to the edge of the barrier, the lifeguards immediately came near to us. Did they think we were in danger of drowning? I'll never know without asking.

[caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="1414"] Haeundae Beach at night.[/caption]

What Do You Think?

I urge the readers of this article to tell me about their experiences with Korean beaches at night. I also ask that you share with me your thoughts on Korean swimming habits and culture. I do not think that a simple, “general inability to swim” can explain the lack of whitewater activity in South Korea. As I said before, geographically, Korea is as perfect for whitewater as a hand is to a glove.

The image of the Class VI waterfall is Niagara Falls.

Globalize Your Traditions

Tradition vs. Globalization

My father’s family moved from Latvia to the United States in the 1940s. With them they brought a vast array of traditions and beliefs and one of my favorite things about this life is being able to participate in some of them. I have always loved listening to Latvian folk tales, making perogs and pastries with my ‘Vecmamin’ (Grandmother), and  wearing some of the older fashions to school. I still love dancing traditional Latvian dances to traditional Latvian songs at family gatherings and weddings. And yet, although my cousins and I have tried our best to continue appreciating all of these special traditions, we are failing at being exactly like our elders.

[caption id="attachment_3500" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The Indans Family arriving to America from Latvia circa mid 1940s[/caption]

In college, I attempted to tackle this issue of family traditions in peril in a short documentary film. The danger of lost tradition appeared to stem from two main culprits: intermarriage and personal lack of consideration. Particularly the intermarriage, appeared to contribute most visibly to the loss of tradition, but a closer look suggested that the story was perhaps more complex than that. Intermarriage brings together the disparate families and traditions of two individuals from different backgrounds. Traditions may be consequently lost to this new pair, but this does not mean that all traditions are. If anything, intermarriage simply enables one individual to choose among more traditions than she or he might otherwise have in her cultural armamentarium.

A very close friend of mine whose family originates from Venezuela is to be married to an American next summer. Traditionally in Venezuela, the woman keeps both her original last name and also takes on her husband’s last name. Now, living in the United States, she will take on her fiancé’s last name. Even though the situation irks me, as I am annoyed that women ‘have’ to take a man’s last name, there is a beauty in the transition of one’s tradition into a new one. Simply, my friend slipped into another’s line of transmission.

Globalization may be seen as a much more extended, version of intermarriage. Throughout the processes of both Globalization and legal intermarriage individuals experience interaction and integration, making deals or promises, trading and investing. Just like intermarriage, sometimes globalization is looked upon as an imperialistic approach to conform everyone’s culture; to ‘advance’ it. There is some bad to this, some truth; but, there is also some good to focus on.

Because of globalization, now it is not just the United States of America that might be considered a melting pot. Countries all over the world are exchanging their traditions and beliefs with each other at a fever pitch; we are arguably all connecting a little bit more than we used to. And it makes sense that we would. In a world that is constantly evolving, in which new technologies and jobs are being created every day, won’t we have to find a way for tradition and globalization complement each other? Isn’t that a whole tradition in itself: Humans working together and connecting from around the world? What is tradition anyway, and what makes it anathema to globalization – or vice versa? IS the continuance of tradition simple to “Stay Pure” or “Create a Rarity”? Why the versus? Can’t the two complement each other? I vote yes!

Doesn't the ability of traditions to evolve make them even more special than their oddity or exoticism in their original forms? Just like the evolution of humans, cultural beliefs and customs evolve and twist and turn, and future generations will look back on it all and probably wonder what the big deal is to everybody now. Globalization at its finest, incorporates and appreciates all cultures. The humans working for international trade and investment companies are hopefully taking that to heart.

Which is more popular? TV vs. Internet in Korea and America

The mid-20th century gave us television. The late 20th century gave us the Internet. Now in the 21st century, a battle rages between the two, as they try to conquer the market of countless viewers. Who will come out the victor? Well, that depends on the part of the world in which you happen to be residing. Let the fight begin!

 

Korea

TV
Before everything went online, Korea, along with the rest of the world, had simple broadcast television. What’s broadcast television, you ask? It simply means your TV picks up signals sent out by broadcasting stations like your local news station or big corporate stations like MBC (Munwha Broadcasting Corporation) or SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System).
When it comes to Korean TV, Korean dramas have teenage girls (and some men) swooning, jumping, screaming, and whatever other overemotional reaction, over their favorite K-stars.

[caption id="attachment_3247" align="aligncenter" width="382"] Fans look up as their saviors come down upon them from Heaven[/caption]

The Korean wave, or Hallyu, began in the mid 1990s, but it took most of Asia by storm at the beginning of the 21st century. As it spread around Asia, Korean dramas and boy/girl bands picked up popularity in Europe and America as well. These dramas are what make Korean TV essential to its audience.

Want to watch “Modern Farmer”? Tune in to SBS on the weekends. Have an itch for the latest “Music Bank”? Flip over to KBS Friday night. TV still plays a gargantuan role in being a platform for viewers to catch up on their favorite Korean shows. According to a survey by Quartz, a whopping 78 percent of Koreans watch television every day, compared to the 26 percent that watch online videos.

The news is also a big part of any home television set. Folks that have yet to catch onto this new "Internet fad" still rely on good old fashioned television for information. The biggest broadcasting stations in Korea like MBC , SBS, or KBS produce great drama series and other family-fun programs like "Running Man (러닝맨)" or "Infinite Challenge (무한도전)." However, they are also the biggest news media outlets in Korea as well. These stations hold the most viewership rating in Korea. Though it's true they may be biased towards their political views when it comes to reporting the news, the majority of Koreans watch their shows for the latest news. However, with Internet, a lot of Koreans can find other news sources online.

Exactly  how much Internet do the Korean people use in this IT era?

[caption id="attachment_3248" align="aligncenter" width="392"] Grow your own Hallyu star![/caption]

 

Internet
Everyone knows South Korea provides many of the fastest Internet networks in the world. But do they use the Internet to its full advantage? After all, there are more Internet users (33 million) than there are people with television sets (15 million). With such a fast connection, watching videos or simply surfing the Internet is quite convenient. Korean television provides original shows, but even TV programs can be found on the Internet. Sites like wwitv.com air major Korean and other countries’ broadcasts online.

[caption id="attachment_3249" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Pictured: Social gathering[/caption]

But the Internet is more than just watching shows. It’s a vast cyberworld where information and other forms of entertainment collide---not to mention the online games. There are thousands of Internet cafes and PC rooms scattered throughout Korea that bring in people of all ages. Also, let's not forget  the smartphones. Oh God, are they everywhere in Korea. According to Mashable, 73 percent of Koreans have a smartphone, and with free messaging apps like Kakaotalk, it’s quite difficult for people to get along in society without one. Hell, some people can’t go an entire day without their smartphones (my personal record is six hours).

 

Winner: Internet

Yes, Korean dramas are quite popular throughout all of Asia and in some Western countries, too. However, Gangnam Style spread like wildfire throughout the world, and that would not have been possible without the Internet. A lot of Koreans rely on the Internet to watch, read, and listen to news as well as talk to their friends and associates. And when many of the college students in Korea don’t own a television, it’s much easier for this age group to be content with having the Internet. Koreans are more dependent on the Internet than they are on TV. With mobile technology such as smartphones, almost everyone has a connection to the Internet. This connection to their phones and tablets seems like an addiction in Korean. Though TV is still popular when it comes to shows and other mainstream media, the people of Korea would still prefer their Internet connection.

 

USA

 

TV
Let’s start with the stats. According to Tubefilter, the average American watches 5.3 times more TV than YouTube. Roughly speaking, Americans watch about four hours of TV per day. It’s hard to imagine being able to sit on the couch everyday and watch TV for that long. Perhaps the shows are that much entertaining. After all, American TV shows like the never-ending NCIS have penetrated many countries, including Korea. It’s not only popular shows that keep Americans stuck to their televisions.

[caption id="attachment_3250" align="aligncenter" width="383"] 11 years in the running. Seriously, we get it. You guys are awesome. Now just stop. Please.[/caption]

Sports broadcasts are televised year-long. The biggest sporting event is the Super Bowl. Companies spend millions of dollars for 30 seconds of advertisements. The 2014 Super Bowl set the record for the highest viewed show in U.S. history with 111.5 million views. These sporting events along with other shows are great at bringing people together.
Many people flock to someone’s house to watch the latest NFL game or NBA match. And even those who like similar shows like Glee, have a party dedicated to eating unhealthy junk food and watching their favorite shows.
However, the amount of time spent watching television is beginning to fade due to the Internet.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d-dZlxqs7g]

 

Internet
With apps like Hulu and Netflix, Americans can watch their favorite TV shows anywhere and anytime. The Internet gives them the flexibility to catch up on their latest shows at the viewer’s convenience. It’s also a gateway for people to comment and express their thoughts and opinions about the TV shows they have come to adore. I don’t think there has been a single episode of Game of Thrones after which viewers would go online and praise or spout angry comments. Pretty soon, viewers won’t have to watch TV. They can just simply watch what they want online.

Americans between the ages of 18 and 49, which is the target for most major networks, are watching less television than the previous year, according to a Nielsen survey. After all, it makes more sense to pay 10 dollars a month rather than spend nearly 100 dollars on broadcast television. Let’s not forget that smartphones and tablet computers are also having a major impact on increased internet usage.

Viewers would need a TV set to watch shows and other programs, but with mobile phones and tablets providing the freedom to log onto the Internet, viewers have access almost anywhere.

[caption id="attachment_3251" align="aligncenter" width="364"] Words of wisdom from Ron Burgundy himself[/caption]

 

Winner: TV

Surprised? It’s true broadcast TV is dying down while Internet streaming is gaining more popularity. However, TV is still the biggest media outlet in America at the moment. True, you can watch almost anything online, but the television is still the biggest medium when it comes to shows and other TV programs. Ever since the invention of the television, TV has been one of the forefronts in bringing people together. Though that may soon change with the rise of the Internet, the modern television has yet to lose its popularity in America.

Korean Memes vs. American Memes

Meme – n. a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way. (dictionary.com)

Memes are designed to make us laugh. But depending on where you’re from, some memes will have you gasping for air, and some will simply not resonate. While some cultures have different perspectives on what's funny or not, some memes just simply have people xD/MDR/ㅋㅋㅋ/LOLing anywhere in the world. I’ve had a lot of trouble getting Korean people to laugh at some of the memes from America, and vice versa, but sometimes I would hit the jackpot and have both the East and the West bursting out in laughter. Let's take a look at  some of the similarities and differences I found between Korean and American memes, and how the Korean and American people are wired when it comes to comedy.

1. 
   

   Pop culture

   
   The biggest contributors to memes are figures from pop culture. In Korea, celebrities such as Yoo Jae-Seok (유재석) or Park Myung-Soo (박명수) are used to deliver image-based memes. They're the icons of Korean comedy, and their notorious for their starring roles in Infinite Challenge (무한도전). Viewers really like the show. And when I mean "really like the show," I mean eight years worth of liking the show. The first episode aired in 2006, and the program has been running nonstop ever since.
   In America, a series has seasons like Seinfeld, Modern Family, or Community. But Korea doesn't have seasons. They just run the show every week until it finally dies out on its own.
   As the title says, Infinite Challenge has endless obstacles for the cast to overcome, and in their quest to overcome these challenges, they often find themselves in humorous situations. In their horror specials (much like The Treehouse of Horror on the Simpsons), they go through a maze filled with ghosts and other scary monsters, hoping to complete the tasks assigned to them. One of the more memorable episodes had a member of the cast try to balance himself on a surfboard, but he failed miserably. Koreans especially love laughing at comedians performing body humor, so when they see some of their favorite comedians getting hit on the head, falling down, or making weird funny faces, they can't help but laugh.
   
   [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" class=" "] "Shut up" - Yoo Jae-Seok[/caption]
   
   At one point, Chuck Norris was all the rage in America, and recently, Jonathan Goldsmith is the biggest image for memes in America. While Korea loves slapstick comedy, Americans can't help but poke fun at almost anything which can range from politics to celebrities. America doesn't rely heavily on body humor, and thus, anything can be used for satire or parodies. Go ahead, name anything in America that people haven't already tried to make fun of. There are thousands of videos about racism, even when human rights activists try so hard to promote equality. Just watch an episode of South Park, and you'll have a general idea of how anything can be used for humor. I didn't think anyone could or would use Christopher Reeves (Superman) as the butt of their joke, but alas, I stood corrected.
   The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are really popular because they can find the humor in anything such as mainstream news medias like Fox News. And there are many other shows that satirically comment on social issues like racism and politics which show Americans generally find humor in situations that don't seem to be funny on the surface. But when American humor digs under that surface, they can laugh at what they find.
   
   [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" class=" "] Chuck Noris just got served, which is funny 'cuz he's the one that's supposed to be serving.[/caption]
   
   Though the content may be different, the fact remains pop culture plays a big role in memes. It’s the biggest common factor to which almost everyone can relate. It’s easy to recognize and deliver to audiences, which in turn, goes viral. However, the same cannot be said about…


2. 
   

   Video-based memes

   
   Vine, an app that allows users to shoot a 6 second video, is one of the most popular mediums to deliver short funny videos in America. Koreans, however, rarely use the app. Instead, they cut out certain scenes from sketch comedy programs like Gag Concert or dramas. There aren't many original videos Korean people make. In fact, many of the memes Korean people share are actually ones from abroad, and even then, they're usually videos about people getting hurt or some form of slapstick. There is only so much slapstick people can do without landing themselves in a hospital ward. Thus, most video memes go viral in Korea if they can provide body humor, to which Koreans are so accustomed.
   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0itk4pUcIvA]
   On the other hand, a lot of the video memes in America are shot by average people hoping to go viral. They have a lot of material to their advantage such as other videos taken from movies or even news footage. One of the most famous to spread throughout the Internet at the moment is the P-O-P clip, in which a young woman leaves a message for her mom and crew as she is hauled away by the police. It's funny because she tries to act tough while in handcuffs, but suddenly breaks down as she gives a shout out to her associates. In America, almost anything and anyone can be used to deliver humor, whereas in Korea, it would be taboo to speak out (even comically)  against social issues.
   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-rVEs5RLZQ]
   Whether or not the video revolves around slapstick, parody, or satire, these clips need to be delivered. And the best way to spread these memes are…


3. 
   

   Facebook and You Tube

   
   I’ll admit I probably couldn't live without Facebook. I probably check my wall every thirty minutes or so. When I do scroll through Facebook, I generally find myself lost in an endless maze of videos. Sure, Facebook is popular in America, but it’s the biggest growing social network in Korea, and almost everyone has an account. Seven years ago, everyone I knew in Korea had a Cyworld account, but by 2010, they had discarded that social network for Facebook. Back then, everyone would ask for their Cyworld address, but now, they ask whether you're on Facebook or not. Another big distributor of memes is You Tube.
   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLL2EAR5Yjg]
   Though the contents people watch are different in Korea and America, if anyone needs to find a video for anything, they go to You Tube. The top You Tube videos in Korea are usually clips from TV programs.
   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v9sMU3FrDg]
   Americans can use almost any video to set as a meme, so there are no guarantees for what will be the next big thing to go viral. Who knew a chubby little kid would obtain notoriety as he gracefully showed the world his refined swordplay with a fake lightsaber?
   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPj6viIBmU]

Memes put a smile on our faces when we’re procrastinating at work, studying for mid-terms, or just generally when we’re faced with boredom. And they’re a great way to spread humor and laughter around the world, especially with the global connections we have today. Though memes vary in each culture, the slow yet gradual overflow of one culture’s memes into another will help us to laugh together, regardless of distance. With all the conflicts and issues throughout the world, wouldn’t it be great to have some humor to uplift this gloomy atmosphere? After all, laughter is the best medicine.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iz_mVgEzqg]

Take a Soloro Trip

My dream is to travel overseas and experience the many vast cultures of our world. I want to personally examine the Great Pyramids of Egypt, take a long spiritual dip in the Ganges River of Varanasi, and then enjoy cooking and eating dinner with a family in Mongolia. I want to dance in Japan’s underground world, I want to touch the face of an Old Italian man, and I want to hear stories of someone’s grandmother in a tribe of West Africa. More than anything, I want to see, hear, touch, taste, and feel what other people around the world do in their daily life. I want to learn life lessons and techniques from these people, their land, and their history.

My dreams are attainable, but it will take some time and money getting there. In the meantime, I am able to explore most all of the United States without spending too much money and still staying close to my current jobs. In fact, in over the past five years, I have been able to travel up and down and around the United States one to two times a year. It became important to me quickly that when you are traveling in a car, one must be sure to stop and spend quality time exploring each city, its history, its people, and its value. See a sign to catch a free tour of the Mammoth Caves in Southern Kentucky, jump on it. Barely any gasoline left in your gas tank but have the option to continue driving up a winding, beautiful scenic drive in the hills of North Carolina, do it.  Stop and pick out colorful rocks while looking for gold near a natural waterfall. Visit an old, possibly haunted penitentiary in West Virginia while it’s dark and rainy outside by chance. If you have around $500, extra blankets, a good cd collection, and a positive open-mind, a road trip can change your life.

This past summer, I worked over 50-60 hours a week serving, writing, and helping on film projects. I was able to save all of my $1 bills and put them towards an ‘end-of-summer Road trip’ and call it my Soloro Trip. My destination was Nashville, Tennessee, a place I’ve been thinking about moving to in the next year or so. As soon as the summer came to its end in early September, I took my $1 bills out and recounted them. I had enough to get on the road, but this time, I’d be heading out alone – hence, Solo-Ro trip.

Before my week long departure, I had messaged a few friends in random states and let them know I’d be passing through and would like to get together. I only really knew that I’d be driving around Lake Michigan and heading down towards Nashville, but nothing was written in stone. I told my roommates where I was heading, packed my bags, packed some snacks, made sure I brought my massive cd collection, filled up my gas tank, and went on my way.

The first ‘cool thing’ I came across was this beautiful, shoe tree. The tree is located near Kalkaska, Michigan on route US-131. Legend has it that graduating seniors, locals, and any random passerby will toss their shoes up on the tree. The tree had lost a branch in the past due to the weight of the shoes and snow in the winter time. Shoes are even growing on other trees surrounding the Shoe Tree. It was really quite magical to come across.

 

Friends in Sault Ste. Marie of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula took me around town, which bordered Canada, and introduced me to more new friends, including James, who would help put me in touch with someone who managed a brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We all had a great night out, touring the abandoned tourist town and climbing and jumping off of walls, nearly breaking my left knee cap. We woke up early to catch the sunrise peering from Canada’s border and onto Michigan. After some homemade biscuits and gravy, I headed out to get lost on the extremely scenic route across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, coming across hidden beaches, richly-colored trees, old-Indian burial sites, and majestic natural waterfalls.

 

After enjoying a beautiful walk back to my car from the waterfall, I sipped from a Michigan Blueberry-Wheat craft beer, spoke with locals about the town, and headed on out down towards Wisconsin. The ride was peaceful, scenic, and rather quite long. With Wisconsin trees to my right, Lake Michigan was on my left for most of the ride. The weather was rainy, but the sun was still shining.  I sang, I danced, I thought, I didn't think. It was, great.

I had spoken with the brewery manager, Ryan, earlier that day about meeting up in Milwaukee at the Lakefront Brewery.  Moments before I reached the city of Milwaukee, my cellphone died, I ran through the wrong tollbooth, and I realized I might have been lost. Also, the sky went from dusk to really dark in just a few short minutes. I felt a little bit anxious. After stopping at a random fast-food restaurant to charge my phone, I was able to find the address and head on over to the brewery.

The Lakefront Brewery of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was closing at 9:00pm, as I had walked in around 9:09pm. I met one of the managers, Ryan, and some of his coworkers. They offered me a free craft beer on their tap and let me stay with them while they closed up; I was able to charge my phone for the rest of my ride. After mopping during closing time, the small group of talented and light-filled individuals then gave me an entire tour of the brewery house and I learned all about how the beer was made, where it goes to, where extra co2 goes, and how the beer is then bottled and packed up. The tour was so unexpected, so much fun, and so interesting, I need to go again. Before I left, I was even given an entire case of beer to take home. My roommates would be pleased, and I had made new friends.

Next stop was Chicago, Illinois, and I had to get back on the road. I reached my friend Natalie’s place after 12am and stayed up late conversing with her and a friend from her acting and improv class. I shared one of my new Milwaukee crafted beers with this new friend, telling him I heard it was one if the best rated in Canada. The next morning, Natalie and I went to brunch and enjoyed a unique twist on bagels at Reno in Logan Square. I tried the Hook:  Togarashi lox with a delicious artichoke cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and red onion, mmmm. We got on a train to head downtown, but I suggested we get off at a random stop and walk the rest of the way. It was a thirty minute walk through beautiful, artistic, maybe-not-be-here-at-night, sceneries until we reached the skyscrapers and the Michigan Mile (art, food, and shopping for miles).

We spent time in one of my favorite parks to visit, where the flower baskets hang and the man-made waterfall holds pennies of wishes. We got a cheap cab back to her place, and our cab driver made the entire trip to Chicago worth going. He grew up in a mansion in Nigeria, and all of his children were born here in the United States. He, his wife, and their three children all received their masters in doctoral sciences. He could not take his smile off of his face. He kept talking about being a good person, being kind to others, not judging others, and to just be thankful and peaceful. He believed that everything happened for a reason, and that one is never too old to do good work. My heart is still gleaming just thinking about that man and his smile, his beliefs, and his wonderful stories and life lessons. That felt good.

After Natalie and I hugged goodbye, I got in my car to head south, but first, I’d drive a bit more through artistic areas of Chicago I had not yet seen before. This was good, insightful, intriguing, but also very time consuming as I hit almost every single red light. Next thing I know, I’m getting onto the highway heading towards Indianapolis in 5 o’clock traffic. Oy vey.

The ride from Chicago to Indianapolis provided a stretch of road bombarded by corn fields, some houses, and hundreds and hundreds of large wind-turbines. I had just changed over to loud rap, which played somewhat perfectly as I felt intimidated by the alien seeming wind-turbines. Finally, I stopped to get gas at a Family Matters gas station, and the attendant, Kandi, made my day even brighter. She was so kind, thoughtful, funny, cheery, and just perfect as herself. It was a good day to run into kind people.

I stopped in Indianapolis to visit with my childhood friend Charlie and his mother. Charlie jumped in the car with me and we headed down to Louisville, Kentucky. Disappointed by the lack of the nightlife we were once so excited to go see, we decided to keep on driving until we reached Cave City. We found a hotel that was only $50 a night for two queen sized beds, so that was only $25 each. The next morning, we got some old-fashioned country breakfast, visited a rather interesting museum that housed insects, butterflies, and stuffed animals that lived in Kentucky from the 1800s to today. Next stop, Nashville.

When we got to Nashville, we drove around the east side, the west side, and even twenty minutes south to Franklin, Tennessee. In Franklin, we walked around a scenic park for about 5 miles and took photographs of the nature, the trees, and the small lake we encountered (there are not as many lakes in the central south of the United States as there certainly are in North Michigan).

In Nashville, we went our separate ways for a few short hours to really take in the area personally. He wanted to go to a bar and restaurant and I wanted to walked around and up and down the hills in-between buildings and people. Finally, we met back up and with a close friend of mine, Breanna, who had just moved to the area. The three of us got drinks and appetizers at three different bars around and in downtown Nashville. We waltzed the streets and sidewalks and listened to music which played loudly in each bar we walked past. After then visiting with Breanna in her apartment, Charlie and I headed back towards Kentucky as the trip was coming to its end, and the work week was soon to pick back up.

Charlie was left in Indianapolis, helping an elderly woman right away, and I drove back to Grand Rapids, Michigan in five or more hours. The sun was going down, the weather was just right, and the music off was a nice touch to review my findings.

You see, it seemed for a moment that this road trip was maybe taken because I had the time and the resources, perhaps I was even running or driving away from my problems. But in an optimistic way, perhaps these small daring Soloro trips are just steps to getting closer to all of these exotic dreams I have. Small encounters with lovely and lively people just across the lake may suffice traveling thousands of miles just to feel the same feeling.

Try it. I can’t promise you will ‘find yourself’ or ‘change the world’, but I can promise that it will feel good to get away, it will feel good to be on your own, it will feel great to meet new people of all different realms and backgrounds, and you will feel thankful when you’ve made it back home.

From a collection of beloved road trips I had learned that stopping and living in the moment, truly appreciating a new culture and its history, spending time getting to know yourself and others was most meaningful in the end, no matter where in the world you are.

 

**more pictures to follow.

Loving Abroad #3: A Black American in Korea

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Qnrzd4Lg8]
This is my third date. In this episode, I meet an African American living in Korea. On my previous two blind dates, I had met with non-native English speakers. However, with this blind date, I was able to communicate in English, making it easier to talk with one another. There aren’t many black Americans in Korea, and there are a lot of stereotypes against them in Korean culture. Let’s take a look at some of them and see what it was like for Jaye to live in Korea as a black American.

What are some stereotypes you faced as a black American woman in Korea – socially and professionally?

Jaye: “Professionally, people at work think of me as an athlete because they automatically assume I will be good at sports because I’m black. Some parents are afraid their children might learn bad things from black teachers, but I personally haven’t experienced that. In fact, the parents of my students believe their children can learn a lot from me through my teaching methods.
Socially, people always think I’m angry all the time, and it’s mainly due to movies I think. I don’t know what movies they’re watching, but they just think I’m mad which is why they are scared of black people.
When people talk to me, they automatically go into hip hop mode. They think because I’m black, I’m into only hip hop and try to speak to me like I was from a rap video.
Not many people bother me, but they, especially the ajumas, stare a lot and even try to touch my braids or touch my skin.”

[caption id="attachment_2232" align="aligncenter" width="412"] Blackface is still common in Korea. Mainstream medias still portray blackface for entertainment.[/caption]

PDA (Public Display of Affection) – How does it differ in Korea and America?

Jaye: "Korean couples are very lovey-dovey and personal. Also, they can be annoying on public transportations like the subway. I was trying to get through the door, but they were blocking the door and I just have to push through them. Sometimes on the street, they’re holding hands and just kind of creating traffic for the other pedestrians.
American couples are more carefree and they’re very playful. They’ll just flirt a lot."

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Korean couples often wear matching shirts or sometimes entire outfits to show their affection to the entire world.[/caption]

What would you expect from dating a Korean guy compared to an American guy?

Jaye: "I have no expectations of dating a Korean guy. They won’t want to date a black female because of disapproval from parents and the norms in Korean society. But if they were to approach me, I expect he will try to be assertive and play out an image of being hip hop.
For American guys I would expect they would automatically expect me to accept their proposal because there are so few black people in Korea."

[caption id="attachment_2234" align="aligncenter" width="241"] G-Dragon is one of the most popular Korean male figures.[/caption]

How open would your family be to interracial marriage?

Jaye: "They would be very open to it. They are totally cool with that. They already knew that I was an open-minded person so they would really expect it. They wouldn't mind at all. Race doesn't matter at all. Even in America I would date men other than my ethnicity, and they've grown accustomed to my dating preferences."


How well do you think other black Americans would adjust to life in Korea?

Jaye: "They would adjust very well. The cultures may be a little different, but black people, like Koreans, are raised to respect their elders. However, don’t expect Koreans to jump into a relationship with you. It’s easier for black males to pick up Korean women, but it’s not as easy for the black females to date a Korean guy."


[caption id="attachment_2233" align="aligncenter" width="449"] Night life in Gangnam[/caption]

 

Being a foreigner in a different country can be difficult, especially if the people of that country have little knowledge of the foreigner’s cultural background.
It’s important to know the culture of the nation you’re visiting, but it’s also important for that country to be accommodating of your culture as well. Learning culture is neither unilateral nor bilateral. It is multilateral, and the more you learn, the wider your perceptions of life.
The next time you see someone foreign to your country; don’t simply rely on the rumors of others. Instead, open a line of communication and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about a culture you have never had the chance of knowing before.

Jaye Wyn is an English teacher who has lived in Korea for four years. She enjoys not only hip hop but also Korean music. She also enjoys traveling throughout Korea in her free time.

 

Democracy in Revolution: The History of America and Korea

Democracy – n. a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. (dictionary.com)

Democracy has spread throughout the world and affected change in many nation states. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1788, providing the world with the first institution of modern democracy. The U.S. had thrived under its democratic system for over two centuries. The Republic of Korea is also a democratic nation, but democracy is relatively new compared to its Western counterpart. Once freed from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, the Republic of Korea was established as a democracy in 1948.

We will take a look at the history of democracy in the U.S. and South Korea, and how it affected their culture.

History:

America:

The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, signaling the American colonies’ freedom from British rule. What many people don’t realize is that the Declaration of Independence didn’t institute the democracy that America enjoys today. That would be the Constitution, which was ratified in 1788, twelve years after the Declaration. The American Constitution, with a few amendments here and there, lasted for over 200 years, and it is the foundation upon which democracy stands in the U.S.

[caption id="attachment_2214" align="aligncenter" width="375"] The signing of the Declaration of Independence[/caption]

However, though America was a democracy, its past certainly raises questions about how well it upheld the institution. Keeping slaves was commonplace and Southern states wanted to continue using these laborers for their profits.
The Emancipation Proclamation led to the eventual abolishment of slavery, but it brings up questions about the democracy that America’s Founding Fathers had in mind. Because American democracy was led by majority rule, the slavery issue was the forefront to a heated debate and one of the leading causes of the rift between the North and the South.
On one hand, if the majority of the people wanted to continue using slaves, did that mean it would be unconstitutional to go against the public will? On the other hand, wasn’t slavery itself a tyranny against the oppressed? Even after the abolishment of slavery, in 1865, the prejudice against African Americans lasted more than a hundred years.

[caption id="attachment_2213" align="aligncenter" width="386"] African Americans suffered great discrimination for a long time[/caption]

Not until 1965 were African Americans finally free from voting discrimination. Democracy, as stated above, is an institution that gives its people the power to exercise their constitutional rights. But it wasn’t until only 49 years ago that every American citizen could equally take part in democracy’s biggest medium: voting.

Korea:

The government regimes in Korea can be broken down into six republics, each signaling a period of time.

- The First Republic (1948-1960) was under Rhee Syngman’s rule. He used his executive powers to keep himself in power and rid his political oppositions. He pushed amendments to the Constitution that would allow him to serve more than the eight-year presidential term limit. During elections, he would use military force to make sure he would be re-elected at the polls. In 1960, the April 19 Revolution, when college students and professors and civilians protested against Rhee’s dictatorship, forced Rhee to finally give up his presidential seat.

[caption id="attachment_2216" align="aligncenter" width="191"] Korea's first president Rhee Syngman[/caption]

- The Second Republic (1960-1961) was a truly democratic system in which the people had the freedom to practice their constitutional rights that they could not under the Rhee administration. However, the Second Republic only lasted a year because the government had trouble building an effective strategy to improve Korea’s economy along with other policies. In 1961, Major General Park Chung-hee staged a coup and usurped power.

- Park led the country in its Third Republic (1963-1972). He was a military dictator, and anyone that challenged his authority was labeled a traitor and quickly disposed. Like Rhee, Park also forced an amendment to the constitution that would allow him a third term in office. He also declared martial law and dissolved the National Assembly, replacing it with a parliamentary system.

[caption id="attachment_2217" align="aligncenter" width="218"] Park Chung-hee[/caption]

- The Fourth Republic 1972-1979) started with the Yushin Constitution, which gave Park control over the parliament and the prospect of forever being the president. However, in 1979, he was assassinated, bringing his 18-year military rule to an end.

- The Fifth Republic (1979-1987) saw Chun Doo-hwan come into power. He, too, used his military power to take control of the executive power. Through political manipulation and authoritarian power, he got himself elected as president. After mass protests, his presidential term ended in 1987, which paved the way for the current Republic.

- The Sixth Republic (1987-present day) saw many presidents, who were all elected directly through the citizens. Currently, the Park Geun-hye administration stands as Korea’s first female president.

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Korean presidents, from 1980-2008 (Source: South Korea's Miraculous Democracy, Hahm Chaibong)[/caption]

 

Analysis

America:
The road to democracy in America began in the 18^th century, when the colonies rebelled against British rule. The American Revolution brought freedom to Americans after they defeated the British. America established its democratic system and its constitution through war against a foreign oppressor. This united the people together until the Civil War which almost destroyed the America we know to be today. America has been a democratic nation for over 200 years, but in that time span, there have been many bumps.
Today, America is a country of endless diverse ethnicities and cultures. However, there are still many in America that looks upon these multitudes of ethnicities with contempt.
In the Revolutionary War, Americans fought outside forces, which may have led to some Americans today to judge outsiders with prejudice. Even though Barack Obama, the nation’s first non-white president, sits in the Oval Office, the majority of politicians, Congressmen, and Senators are predominantly white.

[caption id="attachment_2208" align="aligncenter" width="300"] President Barack Obama[/caption]

If democracy is supposed to promote equality for everybody, why does it seem so unequal when it comes to who holds power? Of course, every American citizen has the right to vote for their representatives, be it Congressman or the president. However, the history of discrimination against minorities has not made it easier for those that are non-white to hold public office.

Korea:
Unlike America, Korea’s path to democracy started with a revolution against its own government. Koreans didn’t face tyranny from outside forces. Instead, their democratic system was oppressed by dictators and authoritative figures like Park or Rhee.
Korea’s economy flourished under Park’s rule, but at what cost? Those that fought for democracy were met with violent force by the military regimes. In Korea, those that saw its economy thrive under Park’s rule believe that without his firm grasp on power, the country would not be where it is today.
Does the end justify the means? Korea has become a global powerhouse in economic terms, but its democracy has not had time to mature into a system where people have faith in it.

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="aligncenter" width="388"] The Gwangju Democratic Uprising in May, 1980.[/caption]

People in Korea are divided upon issues related to the current administration. The older generation (those that grew up under the Park Chung-hee regime) lean heavily toward right-wing political parties like the Saenuri Party, while the younger generation tends to support more liberal parties like the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (formerly the Democratic Party). Thus, in Korea, liberal minded people are often ridiculed and accused of being “commies.”
With such a stark contrast in public opinion about politics and policies, there isn’t a single Congressional session that goes by without lawmakers going at each other’s throats (sometimes literally).
Having protests against the government is widely looked down upon, and anyone that participates is usually socially ostracized.
Even in the military, servicemen are highly discouraged from admitting that they had been in a demonstration or protest, for fear of being labeled a North Korean sympathizer.

America and Korea both went through uprisings to achieve democracy. Though Korea has only recently practiced democratic freedom (27 years to be exact), it follows a system much like the U.S.
Both country has a judicial, legislative, and executive branch. They also have a constitution to which they adhere.
The history of both countries has led them both to prosperity, but it was not an easy struggle. History plays a huge role in constructing society and culture. It’s important to know a country’s back story in order to truly understand its current structure. We cannot simply look at different cultures and expect things to change without digging deeper and looking at its cultural roots.

Loving Abroad #2: Overcoming the Language Barrier

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gp8euVvINw]

I ventured onto another blind date with another woman from China. And once more, the date was held on Google Hangouts on Air. For those that haven’t seen our first show (Loving Abroad #1: Korean American guy meets a Chinese girl), the objective of our show is to explore the diversity of cultural dating (and perhaps to find myself a soul-mate?).
For this show, we decided to speak in our native languages. I spoke English and she spoke Chinese throughout the date, and we barely understood each other. Watch us try to overcome language barriers with drawings and hand gestures.

Verbal Communication
I spoke English and half the time she understood what I was trying to say. However, during the other half, I had to resort to hand gestures and drawings to get my point across. As you can probably guess, I understood nothing when she spoke Chinese. The only two words that I understood were: bu and sheur (no and yes).
I had difficulty trying to get my point across with words alone. Though we eventually understood what the other was trying to say, it took a lot of time.
COMMUNICATION: 50%


[caption id="attachment_2195" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Not sure if she's smiling because she understood me or if she's just feigning it.[/caption]




Gestures
Everything I said was accompanied with my hands. I felt like I was trying to communicate with the students at my 학원; hagwon; cram school.
My hands waved around the screen pointing at her, me, and some imaginary people. I can’t tell whether or not she understood all of my gestures, but accompanied with my quizzical facial expressions, she seemed to comprehend the nature of my questions.
Mengshen didn’t use many gestures, and this may be due to cultural differences.
In America, many people use their hands to express their words and meaning across, but in Korea or China, not many people make hand gestures.
COMMUNICATION: 35%

[caption id="attachment_2190" align="aligncenter" width="439"] Thumbs up: universal gesture for "good"[/caption]

Visuals
When nothing else worked, we both used pictures to get our messages across.
This worked surprisingly well. When she was trying to tell me what she thought of Korean men, she drew a handsome looking character. At which point I thought she believed all Korean men to be as dashingly good-looking as me. However, upon further interrogation, she drew for me a chart.
For some odd reason, she thought I didn’t belong to the 75 percentile range, where the Korean men are handsome. Instead, she thought I was “okay.”
Despite the differences in our opinions about my physical appearance, we communicated well through visual mediums.
COMMUNICATION: 90%


[caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="441"] Visual mediums: helpful in showing where I stand among men[/caption]




Despite the language barrier, Mengshen and I had a good time on our online date. Regardless of language, culture, or nationality, it’s important to try to communicate with people around the world.
Don’t give yourself excuses like, “Oh, we don’t speak the same language.”
If you try, the other recipient will eventually understand your thoughts and messages. Let’s get out there and communicate with one another. After all, in this day and age, communication is key when it comes to understanding those around us – near or far.

Menghen Hu is a 21-year-old Chinese national from the Anhui Province. She is in Korea studying film at Konkuk University, hoping to be a successful actress someday.

Education: Korean High School vs. American High School

What determines intellect? The standards for intellect differ in many countries, and it’s hard to determine a person’s intellectual capacity.  Well, fear not! This article will give you the answers to achieving great intellect by showing you the comparisons between the Korean and American high school education system. I've attended both American and Korean high schools, so the following content is based on my personal experiences.
Note: experiences may differ for other people.

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="aligncenter" width="286"] Time for School![/caption]

School Hours:

Korea:

To make sure high school students in Korea are ready to be the most intellectual minds on Earth, they usually come to school by 8:00 am. The classes last until 4:00 or 5:00 pm, which in my opinion, is too short. How is one expected to become more knowledgeable by only studying seven or eight hours a day?
Fortunately, thanks to the ingenuity of the Korean education system, students are required to stay an extra four to five hours for mandatory in study hall and review the lectures they learned that day.

[caption id="attachment_2174" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thankfully, Korean high school students can stay longer at school and study some more![/caption]

As you can imagine, the students’ faces light up in anticipation when they hear they can’t go home, but instead have to stay at school longer to study. Why go home to your family when you can stay at school and cram more knowledge into your brain? Who needs family and home when you have the comfort of books to quench your thirst for knowledge!

America:

Like their Korean counterparts, American high school students go to school around 8:00 am as well. However, unlike those lucky Korean students, their classes finish around 2:30 pm.
It pains me just thinking about all that studying those American kids are missing out on. It’s amazing how these American kids can go to college with only this amount of studying. Sure, most high school students in America partake in some form of extracurricular activity, but sticking your nose into a book for over five hours is more fruitful than going out and enjoying the sunshine.

[caption id="attachment_2167" align="aligncenter" width="370"] Why would any kid in their right mind want to take time away from studying?[/caption]

 

Grading system:

Korea:

Because Korean high school students study so hard, it’s hard to pick out the best students. After all, education is all about choosing only the brightest and the best, right?
The only way to motivate these kids to study is by having them compete against each other! In Korea, only a certain percentage of students can achieve 1^st rank percentile. The education system is broken down into ranks, so the students with the top grades are ranked into first, and those with lesser grades are ranked into second, third, and so on, all the way down to the ninth rank percentile. What exactly does that mean?
Well, it means, if in one class, the majority of the students get high marks on a test (ex: 95 on their math tests), the minority that scored less (let’s say 94), would automatically drop down to the second and third rank. Now, that sounds really fair.
After all, how are top-notch universities supposed to choose the brightest students without such a magnificent grading system? And you can’t argue that it’s unfair for the students who studied really hard for an exam and dropped down an entire rank because they made one simple little mistake.

[caption id="attachment_2168" align="aligncenter" width="392"] It's every man for himself when it comes to exams.[/caption]

America:

Students in America are graded based on their individual efforts? You mean they aren’t pitted against each other to compete for grades? What nonsense is this?
Apparently, students are encouraged to take things slowly, at their own pace until they learn the material. Now why would you want to learn, when you can memorize entire books, pass some tests, and forget the materials afterwards?
It’s also amazing how anyone can get an A on their tests and not be ranked into percentile groups like in Korea. I’m not sure how American universities know how to choose the smartest and most intellectual students without percentile ranks. No wonder American students can go to good colleges without having to spend every single minute of their high school life studying from a book.

[caption id="attachment_2175" align="aligncenter" width="447"] Teachers interacting with students?[/caption]

 

Vacation:

Korea:

Like most nations, Korean high schools have summer and winter vacations. Summer breaks last about a month, but winter breaks last nearly two months. But who needs all that time off from school? It’s preposterous to think that high school students would take all that time off from their studies. Thus, the great nation of Korea has wisely cut down summer and winter breaks to one and two weeks, respectively.
Sure, technically, the summer and winter vacations are supposed to be at least a month long, but the schools ask the students to be back in class during the breaks for suppository lectures.
Once back in class, these kids jump in excitement and giggle at the pleasure of utilizing their summer and winter breaks to enhance their much needed education.

[caption id="attachment_2172" align="aligncenter" width="399"] The right way to enjoy your vacation[/caption]

America:

Summer break, winter break, and spring break? And let’s not forget all those silly holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. And can you believe some states even have snow days? Only in America, would dedicated students not go to school because of something as insignificant as fluffy white powder.
I can only imagine the toll it takes on those poor American students who had to suffer during their vacation, away from school. They come back from their long and unexciting holidays only to be too well-rested to get any studying done.
If you want to educate these young minds, the only sane way to teach them anything is taking away their personal time and cramming a book under their noses.

[caption id="attachment_2176" align="aligncenter" width="420"] The wrong way to enjoy your vacation[/caption]

As you have read above, intellect is determined by how much you study. And as such, Koreans are highly intellectual. Who needs happiness and creativity when you have knowledge! Keep up the good work Korea!