The Koreas:
- I can’t say I have ever had this happen to me in Seoul.
- It doesn’t surprise me to hear something this wacky on a Korean bus.
- Anyone got a caption for this woman?
- Hines Ward is back in Korea, doing a cameo on Korean TV. More here.
- If you came to Korea for nookie, you may be disappointed.
- Find out if Korea really does have gay people.
- Is there multiculturalism in Korea?
- Make sure to check out DPRK Forum’s first ever podcast.
- Who knew finding an apartment in Korea is such a science?
- Two reasons to cancel your subscription to the Korea Herald.
Japan
- Do Japanese women like being told what to do?
- You gotta love Harajuku Girls.
- Take a look at this monkey.
- The 10 best Japanese anime movies of all time.
- Interesting compilation of Japanese salaries. Japanese hostess are doing extremely well.
China
- Urban Chinese have an increasingly positive view of Japan.
- This child slavery ring operating in China was really sickening.
- Two protesters in China Shenzen province were able to get through security and extinguish the Olympic torch.
- How to resolve the Tibet crisis.
- Well it looks like the arms shipment from China made its way to Zimbabwe.
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12:18 pm on May 11th, 2008 1
GI please consider yourself lucky that you have never had to deal with the interview.
Please let me give you a few demonstrations of what I have had to deal with when it is the English Speaking contest time in February.
1. I was eating lunch at VIP’S, when this Korean lady kept looking at me and I was thinking, “Is her son doing this stupid English contest.” In a few minutes she approaches my table and ask me will I listen to her sons’ speech. I then listen to his memorization of MLK’S “I Have A Dream” After he is finished I asked him what does this speech mean to you? He could not answer the question. I just wanted to run away but I his mother then tried to explain it to me. Lets just say that she has never met anyone “Dark” (her words, not mine). She wondered why all of the “d’s” chased white ladies and what I asked her where she learned all of this she told me, the tv show and movies. I advised her son to speak on a topic that he liked because his speech sounded like a robot and they left me to think about what had just happened in front of me.
2. When I was teaching at a private school (Hogwan) I was asked to listen to a boys speech. His father had written the speech and I could tell real fast that this kid had not a fracking clue what the heck he was talking about. I went back to the office, after I had wasted 1 HOURS LISTENING TO THIS B.S. and I vented, WTF! I refused to play along with this fracking charade. I read each later revision of the speech and IT JUST GOT WORSE AND WORSE. What I will always remember about this speech was the line that included the Korean Hero “Hines Ward”. His father had written the stoopid comment that, “Its not Hines Ward’s fault that he is only half-Korean.” He did not win and he later asked me why. I pointed to my heart and said, “Your speech was not from here.”
3. When I am interviewed, most of the questions are like this, Hello..(The the girl student will do a stoopid.. he he giggle giggle laugh) I try and answer all of their questions but at times its awful annoying.
GI, I try and help but at times I really wonder what the heck are we teaching these kids?
12:57 pm on May 11th, 2008 2
Mike,
The best way to get out of this kind of thing is, when approached, smile broadly, look kindly into their eyes and say,
“Ich spreche kein Englisch.”
You can also make up a language in which you rapidly babble on in enthusiastic European-sounding syllables until the other party feels awkward, puts a palm up with a light nod and mumbles a quick apology before slinking away.
When I do that, I most often get asked (loudly), “Finland?” I don’t know why.
It has gotten me out of everything from tourist touts to Scientology scouts.
In dangerous situations, the Spaz Act is the one of choice… even a Mexican with a knife will leave the loud crazy alone.
10:23 pm on May 11th, 2008 3
Whenever I walk around in Itaewon with White co-worker, these school kids only approahced my White friend and totally ignore me. Which is fine by me, but my friend is from Alabama and he has very deep southern accent which is very hard for Koreans to comprehend. When the kids realized they can not understand what he was saying, they try to approach me, I just smiled and tell them that I am just his local translator in Korean.
10:00 pm on May 12th, 2008 4
hey, thanks for the link. i can always tell when I am included in your linklets because I suddenly get three times the visits.
“So, what is your first impression of Korea?”
7:46 am on May 14th, 2008 5