End of The Spring Semester &.....

as the saying goes, it won't over till it's over...yes...we officially ended our class (Modern Korean Society & Gender) with 'lunch' @ Namaste, an Indian restaurant just across our campus. Prof. Park asked us where to meet and since me and my friend do not eat meat, we might as well go to Indian restaurant where all of us could savor the likes of meat and non-meat flavor of India.

I had a lunch menu...nan or pratta as I know it....or Indian bread..then curry..( the indispensable main menu in every Indian restaurant), rice, lassie, and...masala....wait..is that right? anyway..that's the picture...let it do the talking.

It looks simple, eh?(but ..it was 11,000 Won...^^ 

Then..the whole gang of our class got together...Prof. Park seemed to enjoy the meal...I think she did. Oh, I didn't mention that..actually it was our last day of class and the final paper was due by noon as we got here!! Yes, we brought along our final term paper to be submitted directly to Prof. Park...with a file of it sent beforehand.  

basically...we're having a class and the talks over the table were not that far from what we'd had in the whole class during this Spring semester.

I learned a lot during this semester...especially this Gender(ed) class..^^ (pun intended).

I mean...Gender & Modern Korean Society.

Thanks to the professor and all of my friends who had made a lively class during the 16-week course we've been through.

*Have a Great Summer Vacation..and till we meet again next semester.^^

**pssst..this lunch is just one of the many series of end-of-class dinner/lunch I'd attend to.^^ ~,~

Being Different is beautiful...

Yes..it's a public service advertisement endorsing Korean society's (seemingly existent) pressure on women/girls to have an 'artificial' look by way of plastic surgery. 

This ad would not have been existent in the first place, HAD the social problem as it postulated NOT BEEN there in the first place, right?

Okay..let me jot down what it says. For those who may not understand Korean language, I'll try to translate the sentences. Hope I translate them correctly.^^ gee....

V -- 똑 떨어지는 V라인 'the exact V-line figure'

342434 Bust.Waist. Hip. 

S --- 완벽한 S라인 'perfect S-line'

대한민국 표준 여성코도?

Korea's standard codes for women?

세상은 나에게 똑같은 몸매, 똑같은 얼굴를 가지라고 하지만 난 그렇게 되고 싶지 않아

Although the world told me to have similar facial and physical figure, I don't want to do that

그건 내가 아니라 남들이 만들어놓든 기준이니까

because that is not me. Instead, it is a standard that others put upon me. 

지금 이대로가 세상에서 단 하나뿐인 진짜 내모습이나까

The way I look as of now is my real looks...the only one in the world.

나도, 당신도 지금 이대로 괜찮아

It's alright to be what we are now. Me and You.  

And I was glad to find out that this public service ad was created by an organization calle Korean women link.

Oh...I also love the copywriter of this ad made it in such a witty way that would give it a plus. At least for me.

다르니까 아름답다

The sentence literally means 'since it's different, then it's beautiful'. 

But the ad wittily emphasizes the syllable 다 in the word 다르(다). 

You see, 다르다  actually means 'different'

but, if you just take the 다, then it means 'ALL'

thus..here it is....ONE simple sentence WITTILY means two things:

(1) 다르니까 아름답다 'different, so it is beautiful'

(2) 다 아름답다 'ALL is beautiful'

I couldn't agree more.^^ 

The bar code that characterizes this simple ad on subways is what caught my attention in the first place. Now I see it on a daily basis on my way to and from school. 

I guess...although this ad is in Korea, I think it is applicable to all women in other society as well. I think. 

AND....I APPLIES to men as well.

I think society also sort of 'forces' men to act or look like what they want them to be...

If only we put our time to ponder again the very idea of why we are created different.

..that ALL is beautiful.

..that being different is beautiful as well.

That's my rant...

What A BOLD yet 'INCOMPREHENSIBLE' headline it was!!!!

What on earth has been going on in Korea actually? no...not the escalating tension between the South and the North. I am talking about something else.^^ I mean..how could such a leading newspaper (online edition JoongAng Ilbo) could daringly put a headline which-- I think-- is so incomprehensibly puzzling like this one?  Well..It says " 한국 골퍼들이 LPGA 레즈비언 몰아냈다"  " Korean Golfers drove out the lesbians from LPGA" * should I give a :) or :( smiley???? Wel...ok..ok ...ok...I got to admit that Korean female golfers have been the 'pinnacle' and the talk of the golf world for the last decade, of course thanks to their winnings after winnings in the championship. But..but...but... I don't think that the article should be headlined like THAT>!!!! gosh gosh gosh.. it is sooooooo IGNORANT!!!!! Controversiallllllllllll!!!! I know that the newspaper referred to the 1990's analyst who once said that 40% of LPGA players were lesbians. Ok, let's face it..and suppose it IS true.....Does it give the headline a sort of moral consent as to blatantly wrote such an INCOMPREHENSIBLE headline????  this is what I had it mind...as I read the article...I could not help but to think that.....BEING lesbians or gays or bi or any LGBT attributes IS soo  NOOON Koreans. Koreans would never be lesbians, gays, or any of these. Is it what the article is implying? I hope it is not. but I don't know why I could not help myself from thinking this way....:( Gosh...as far as I know...we have to use the same level of subjects to compare when we make comparisons.. Koreans can only be comparable to Americans or any other nationalities. (we need to talk about the similar attributes to compare) so the headlines should (AT LEAST) be like " Korean Golfers Drove Out American Golfers at LPGA. or " Korean Golfers Drove Out Western Golfers at LPGA. well, something like that... NOT....Korean Golfers Drove Out Lesbians!!! (or..is there something I'm missing here?...help me pls.)

A Stand-In Role @ KBS World Radio

It's been four days since I started working as a part-timer at KBS World Radio replacing Mr. Mana who is now on leave for a week. Well, it started off as "Right. Let's get on with it! Right. Let's do it' Great. What a Go! Great..it's awesome kind of enthusiasm. And...then...it started to wear me on and on...hahahaha. I like it. The fact that I could end up translating current news on Korean economy, politics, and so many other contemporary news right on the spot makes me wanna jump into the business of being a newscaster myself. hahaha..so proud. Naaahhh.....despite the fact that I love this kind of job....the very fact that I got to go to work in the wee early morning and get home very laaate at night....has never become one of the irresistible factors in my mind....^^
So, I think what I could do now..is try my best to do my best in doing my temporary stand-in role in the office.
Now...all I could say is that I lovveeeee doing this job.^^
Not..to ..mention the part when I got to be the newscaster as well. ^-^ (no comment on this one!!~.~)

End of Year Presents for the Kids

 What could be more exciting for the kids than having presents? Well, of course there are more. But, the one that I am going to jot down here was about the time when Eyra and Freya got their first online present delivered right directly to their hands.  After asking what they wanted, it turned out that Eyra had been eyeing on this particularly so Korean 라면가계  or ramyeon gagye set: a kind of toy with with wich she could pretend making and preparing some noodles for the customers.
As for Freya, she'd been wanting to have her fishing rod with Pororo on top of its rod.

It did not take a long time for us to wait until the toys were safely delivered. 

Just look at their faces when they got their presents. 

Well girls....enjoy and make the best of them while having your Winter holiday.  

Culture Cash for online shopping and more...

Culture cash....for all cultural experience and online shopping. It's been a lucrative market in Korea. Especially in this shivering cold winter. We did not want to spend most of our time going out for not that important things. So, instead of going out for not-that-much shopping, we'd better move our fingers on the screen and touch click touch click and wait for an hour or two...and hooopla....the package safely arrives at our door.  

But first, I got to be a member of all shopping sites that requires me to input all private information necessary to process the request. Oh, well..what could I do other than to succumb and surrender to the prowess of consumerism. Not that I am against it (though a bit)...but at times....no matter how hard I tried to get myself away from it....I did not know what to do to ....with no successful luck...but to keep on using the 문화상붚권 or Cultural Product Coupons that I still have left. 

Well, who would not want to reserve a movie ticket or any other cultural shows online hassle free?

I WOULD^-^

SPEC: what kind of 'creature' is it?

Spec: An Essential Key for most Korean job seekers

Spec? What kind of Animal is it?
Well, it is not an animal. It turned out to be the short term of 'specification'.
The funny thing is that...I just learned that this particular word has been so coined in such a way that it has a special meaning in Korean language. I did not know anything about it until I set my feet again here in Korea.
So, what is so interesting thing about this Spec or how Korean affectionately(?) refer it with..스펙 (seupek).

I would not have been so intrigued had I not talked to my Korean friend who was about to have an interview the other day. She told me a lot about it and how it has affected lots of Korea's job seekers or fresh graduates. It has affected them so much that a lot of concerns have been raised as to whether this so-called 'monster' really necessary in the first place. Monster? Yes..some are so afraid of this spec that they got themselves obsessed with this and preoccupied with this...that .....86% of job seekers got stressed out of it.
I bumped into an article on the net (www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011050907360652449) about this phenomena and how it has affected Korean youths.
It is reported that 8 out of 10 job seekers are stressed out because of this. Based on a survey conducted towards 802 people, 86.6% confirmed that they are under pressure due to this lovable creature (Hhehehe..this is my own coined word for spec). Even, 26% of them said that they are stressed out that they are in a state of necessary psychological counseling. Hmmmmm.....how serious.      ....................For those who might wonder what spec is ....?
please wait till my next entry......(If I would)^^

Spec? What kind of Animal is it?

Well, it is not an animal. It turned out to be the short term of 'specification'.
The funny thing is that...I just learned that this particular word has been so coined in such a way that it has a special meaning in Korean language. I did not know anything about it until I set my feet again here in Korea.
So, what is so interesting thing about this Spec or how Korean affectionately(?) refer it with..스펙 (seupek).
I would not have been so intrigued had I not talked to my Korean friend who was about to have an interview the other day. She told me a lot about it and how it has affected lots of Korea's job seekers or fresh graduates. It has affected them so much that a lot of concerns have been raised as to whether this so-called 'monster' really necessary in the first place. Monster? Yes..some are so afraid of this spec that they got themselves obsessed with this and preoccupied with this...that .....86% of job seekers got stressed out of it.
I bumped into an article on the net (www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011050907360652449) about this phenomena and how it has affected Korean youths.
It is reported that 8 out of 10 job seekers are stressed out because of this. Based on a survey conducted towards 802 people, 86.6% confirmed that they are under pressure due to this lovable creature (Hhehehe..this is my own coined word for spec). Even, 26% of them said that they are stressed out that they are in a state of necessary psychological counseling. Hmmmmm.....how serious.
....................For those who might wonder what spec is ....?
please wait till my next entry......