A true test of acting ability

Can you say it with a straight face? (To see the uncut article)

...interestingly, baring all turned into an effective strategy for actresses to prove their acting skills, commitment and passion for acting. [Right! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink]

"I think of nude scenes as a crucial passage to become a real actress," said actress Um Ji-won after shooting director Hong Sang-soo's "Tale of Cinema." "After stripping in front of the camera, I felt that I could now take any role." [Lauren Bacall and Katherine Hepburn - how can anyone think of them as "real" actresses? They never shot nude.]

Even veteran actresses with over 10 years experience have chosen to shoot nude scenes to reach a higher level of acting.

"I filmed the nude scenes to make a good movie. I can't bear to see that such scenes are being used as tools of promotion," she said [Oh, puleez!]. "I am not an actress who undresses and tumbles about for no reason." [I'm sure she was totally blindsided by this.]

For such reasons, Sung declared that she would from now avoid nude scenes altogether. [Gosh, perhaps she's not a "real" actress after all.]

"It is not the nude scenes that burden me. It's the people who like to make an issue out of them," she said. "I wish people would take the nude scenes as they are and talk no more about them." [Yes, it's our fault for not being able to see her true talent.]

...many actresses fail to attain the title of a skilled actress even after shooting nude scenes. [I don't understand it. I was nude. Why don't they love me?]

[And if they refuse to do nude movies] Movie critics, however, criticize Jeon for focusing too much on her "star strategy" to work on her acting, becoming an "actress without a soul."

After the major box office hit "My Sassy Girl," Jeon has failed to draw audiences to her movies including "Windstruck" and "Daisy." [Yes, I'm sure a little nudity would have saved those movies.]

Despite her 14-year acting career, actress Kim Ji-soo also made it a policy to avoid nudity.

Needless to say [Right. Needless to say.] , nude scenes are often necessary for the narrative of the movie [I knew that something was missing from Casablanca but I just couldn't put my finger on it]. Thus, the fact that actresses no longer avoid going nude to make the best movie is a positive turn of the trend. [Definitely positive]

Almost every sentence contradicts the one before. I'd give it a D-. I don't know which is worse, the actresses who said the things above or the writer for writing such a pile of crap.

Ouch!

Canadians banned from group for cultural understanding

An organization that promotes cultural understanding and brings together people from different nations is open for anyone in Seoul to join. Anyone that is, except Canadians.

In a classified ad in KScene, a free biweekly magazine, World Class describes itself as a group that "brings together all nationalities to discuss world issues and break down cultural barriers and prejudices."

Breaking down the prejudices, however, doesn't extend to all countries. "No Canadians please," the ad continues.

When contacted by a Korea Herald reporter by e-mail, the organizer of the group, Bernard Carleton, elaborated further, "The thing is, CANADIANS ARE SCUM! They are self-loving, welfare supporting, over taxing, work ethic hating scum!!! They are not welcome in our group."

Anyone who would like to join the meetings with Carleton in order to break down prejudices, dissolve stereotypes and have an enhanced understanding of people from other countries can contact him at cbicsmd@yahoo.com.

(jane@heraldm.com)

By Jane Cooper (The Korea Herald, Tues. 28 March, 2006)

That's a touch harsh. I've never met Bernard, but I don't think I like him.

Kimchi health food

I'm always a little too ready to dismiss this kind of thing as obnoxious, Korean nationalistic jingoism: Kimchi recognized as top 5 health food ; however, the Health Magazine online really did have kimchi in its top 5. Of course, it doesn't list it as a cure for bird flu or SARS. Still, I would like to apologize to all of Korea for ever doubting it.

Cool idea

I've been looking for fodder for a positive post, and this seems like such a great idea.

LG's chocolate phone

"The company has boldly stripped away all but the most essential buttons and reduced extra functions to a minimum."

And, VK Mobile’s Slim Phone:

"...it can make phone calls and send or receive text messages, and that’s it."

I have to check them out. I don't want to play games on my phone, and I have a couple of cameras, so I don't need a camera in my phone. Something that is small and light and can slip into my blazer pocket without leaving an unsightly bulge sounds very neat.

The green devil

My current interest in soju started off with this headline in the Chosun Ilbo Jinro Soju, Still World's Number One . I guess I don't really find it too hard to believe "...that each one of some 35 million adults over 19 years of age drank 46 bottles last year." But, I was inspired to do a little research and was surprised (although I don't know why) to find that Wikipedia had a page devoted to the vile poison which explained that from 1965 to 1991, when I had my first exposure to soju, it was made of ethanol, water, and flavoring.

I was surprised to learn that it was traditionally made from rice, was about 45% alcohol, and that "A great number of men naturally developed the art of drinking the strong soju without getting drunk." Clearly, the art of not getting drunk has disappeared. I have always thought of soju as a nasty chemical drink whose only purpose was to make people so incredibly drunk that they would not remember vomiting on the sidewalk.

I have long been under the misguided impression that the Korean rice based drinks were makkoli and dong dong ju (my personal favorite).

So, of course, I had to go directly to the source of soju knowledge in Seoul - Jinro - and clearly things have improved. None of the following was possible 20 years ago when I first came to Korea.

Like Vodka or Jin, Jinro Soju has most no taste making it easy to enjoy. Its is relatively low alcohol content (only 24%) helps lessen the burdon on your body unlike most other spirits with much higher alcohol contents. Whether you drink it straight or with a twist of lemon, it will go down very smooth.

And about their premier soju - Chamjinisulro:

Because Chamjinisulro has been filtered twice, it has never been leaving no harmful ingredients or impurities. You can enjoy pure taste without the burden of hangovers due to it's containing asparagine and affulent minerals.

Imagine my surprise - no hangover. I remember both a vile taste and a nasty hangover.

Soju Lite
Then I discovered that the Doosan Group was reducing the alcohol content of their soju.

Doosan Liquor BG Vice President Sung Jae-chul said, “We decided to make it one-proof lower based on the results of a consumer survey, which showed that consumers nowadays place top priority on a soft flavor when selecting a soju brand and the current trend for preference of lower-proof sojus.”

Oh, yes. Today's discerning soju drinker probably is looking for a soft flavor - as opposed to the cheap quick drunk that was desired in the past.

Then of course, a Doosan spokesperson reading from a different page:

The alcohol content in the new brand was reduced from 21 to 20 percent and the price is 70 won (about 7 cents) cheaper than the mainline version.
Han Key-sun of Doosan's beverage division said the alcoholic content was reduced to cut costs and the savings passed along to consumers who imbibe to forget their economic hardships.

This, of course, shows the generous social consciousness of the company. Imagine a company nowadays that would cut costs and pass the savings on to its customers - all with the selfless desire to help people get drunk and forget their economic hardships. (I have to stop here to wipe a tear from my eye.)

Continuing my research, I came across another thought-provoking survey to contrast with the newspaper report mentioned at the beginning of this post. The Chosun Ilbo in 2005 cited a report by Prof. Chang Keun-ho of Hongik University, "...Korean people aged over 15 consumed 68 bottles of soju a head in 2003." So, people between the ages of 15 and 17 accounted for the increase from 46 bottles per person reported in the newspaper to 68 cited in Prof. Chang's study. That's some serious drinking by underaged kids. Then, of course, trusting surveys to provide real accurate information is always iffy.

Then the final headline: Soju the Firewater of Choice for Korean Women. But, of course, “Women usually drink to create a friendly atmosphere, and this shows that drinking can be a way of spending leisure time with family and thus serve as a means of increasing intimacy between family members.” I'm not sure if the author of this "news" report just fell off the turnip truck. This isn't news. It has been known since the first batch of alcohol was brewed that men offer women alcohol both to create a friendly atmosphere and as a means of increasing intimacy. We sometimes use chocolate, but we've found that liquor is quicker.

Rules! Rules! We need more rules!

Oh...well, actually we don't follow the rules that we do have. Perhaps we need fewer rules.

The grass is always greener...

This is an article from the BBC that I find very interesting. Many Koreans don't like the high pressure education system here and, if they can afford it, they send their kids abroad. A lot of the public school teachers here don't like the educational system and dislike focussing their students on university entrance exams from an early age. In addition, the government is working hard to try to level the educational playing field so that families living outside of Kangnam, Apkujong, and a few other wealthy suberbs are not disadvantaged. And still, there are always some places that are worse - places where the education system is - dare I say - Third World.

Coming from a background of teaching high school in Canada, I can certainly sympathize with those who bemoan educational systems that are leveling themselves downward in an attempt to include everyone and avoid failing anyone. A happy medium would be nice. Korea has done an amazing job, but do we really want to hold the Korean education system up as on to be emulated? Is there any way to encourage kids to value education without burying them under endless hours of private school classes?

Europe's skills fall behind Asia

South Korea has especially high attainment levels in education

Europe is falling behind Asia in terms of education and skills, a report published by the Brussels-based Lisbon Council think-tank says.

It blames France and Germany which are criticised for mediocre education systems and their inherent class bias.

....

South Korea and Finland are highlighted as positive examples where investment in education has taken priority.

...

"Education and skills will be key for Europe to achieve its ambitious goals," he says.

...

Mr Schleicher praises the "miracle" of South Korea - a country which in the 1960s had a lower national income than Mexico and South American countries and sat near the bottom of the 30 OECD countries in terms of educational qualifications.

Demand

Today, 97% of South Korea's 25 to 34-year-olds have high school education - the highest rate among the main industrialised countries.

He says South Korea was transformed by its positive response to a demand for education.

"When demand for education began to outpace supply, students were not sent home," he said. "Instead, class size and schooling hours were extended."

Parents also invested in private tuition for their children.

"The incentives driving these reforms forward was a plethora of merit-based learning opportunities where progress depended on what children were able to do, not where they came from."

Mr Schleicher says this differs from France, Germany and Italy, where class distinction is a cause for concern.

"Europeans from difficult socio-economic backgrounds don't receive the same educational opportunities as children from rich and middle-class families," the study said.

A breath of fresh air

I, and probably a large number of other people, have had enough of the Hwang Woo-suk story. I think it is unfortunate that the breakthrough that Hwang's research seemed have made turned out to be false. The man seems like a very rotten apple, but I don't think that the world looks at Hwang's faults as Korea's fault's, and, for me, the worst thing about the whole story was the response of a lot of Koreans who wanted to look the other way. Lots of blame was piled on the people who were trying to find the truth. There have been a number of violent Hwang supporters picketing. It is nice, however, to see that there are some people who are not afraid to speak out. I've always disliked rabid nationalism and I'm glad that there are Koreans who are saying that it is wrong.

"What we should be ashamed of is not Dr. Hwang. In any country, you can find a monster scientist who will do anything for achievement and manipulate a paper. What we should be ashamed of ... is insane patriotism in which the truth is hidden for the sake of national interests," said analyst Jin Joong-kwon in his column.
The Korea Herald

Marketing strategy

Last night, some friends came over and we ordered pizza from Mr. Pizza. Mr. Pizza is using an interesting advertising campaign. On their box, they stated that the pizza is "made for women." Huh? My friends said that the pizza wasn't greasy and that made it a woman's pizza. We ordered a potato pizza, and, when the pizza came, it looked like a normal pizza. It had cheese, meat, and potato. It tasted really good (and I will certainly order from them again). But, it didn't seem any less greasy than a Pizza Hut pizza.

The marketing campaign is interesting. Do they not make pizza for men? Do they not have a meatlovers pizza (salami, pepperoni, ham, bacon) with extra cheese? Or do they use only lean salami and low-fat cheese? Is their pizza is made for women because women order more pizza than men (that doesn't seem likely)?

What will be the effect of their campaign? Does their campaign turn men off because they don't want 'girly' pizza? I can just imagine a bunch of football players having a few beers and saying, "Let's order a couple of pizza. Maybe we should order from Mr. Pizza. They make pizza for women." Not likely.

I liked the pizza. It tasted really good. I'd order from them again. But, I don't understand the attraction of ordering women's pizza. If you really want to attract women, shouldn't your company be called Mrs. Pizza?
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Interesting culture note: After discussing this with some colleagues, it seems that, unlike in Canada where Canadian men probably order pizza much more often than women (because Canadian men are too lazy or incompetent to cook), Korean women order pizza the most (because Korean men are too lazy or incompetent to cook...and they get the women to order the pizza).

Am I being unreasonable?

This morning, as with most mornings, I was taking the subway to school and, as on most mornings no matter how cold it is, there were dozens of attractive, mini-skirted women hurrying up the stairs. Now, I can ogle a nice pair of legs just as well as the next man, and I like mini-skirts. However, in a city with numerous flights of stairs to walk up and down, would you wear clothes that require you to cover your ass with a book or purse whenever you walk up the stairs - which is quite often. This morning, to add to the ass-covering, several women were wearing shirts that left an inch or two (perhaps 2-4cm) of skin showing around their tummys. And again, I rather like the sight of a nice lower back and stomach. But, I don't think I'd wear clothes that required me to be constantly pulling my shirt down to cover my skin. I certainly don't find a woman attractive if she is walking up the stairs covering her ass with one hand and pulling down her shirt with the other. It looks graceless. If you are going to wear revealing clothes, I think you should be proud. Flaunt it. Revel in the looks (lears) of others. Enjoy the touch of air on your skin. And, if people can see your underwear, wear something cool - perhaps with flowers (or, if you are Canadian, perhaps hockey sticks - I'm sure that would excite the Canadian male). Sorry, no photos with this posting. I didn't want to get arrested for being a dirty old man.

Back at the salt mines

I can't believe that I've only been teaching for 5 days, and I'm already exhausted. I am so looking forward to summer vacation. I have five really nice classes and lots of nice students. I'm only teaching 2-3 classes a day. I'm not overworked. I don't understand it.

I took my vacation to Thailand so that I would be better this semester ( I usually hit a wall here at about 8 months); however, since I came back, I haven't really managed to get into a normal dull, somewhat happy routine. Today, I hip-checked a woman (a woman for God's sake!!!) while getting off the subway. I was getting off the subway, she was standing directly in front of the door when it opened, and she made a dash for an empty seat before anyone could get off. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but a few years ago, I realized that if I led with the leg closest to the person about to crash into me and stepped down solidly on the ground just as they bumped me, people would kind of bounce off my leg (I once bounced a running man about 3 meters to the side before he hit a wall and continued running). The faster they are moving, the farther they bounce. I have never moved out of my way to bump someone - just not moved to avoid them (Well, actually, that's not strictly true. I did block a middle aged woman into the wheelwell of a bus because she was trying to cut in on me. I did it gently but firmly though.). I've even stopped turning my shoulders to avoid being bumped on the street. In re-reading this, I sound really terrible. I'm so ashamed. I think I need a friend to slap me. Maybe a trip to the sauna would help. Maybe when the flowers bloom, I'll be okay. I saw a tree with 1cm long buds today. It shouldn't be long.

I'd like to buy a vowel

There are lots of examples of broken English on signs and T-shirts all over the non-English speaking world. I've been teaching ESL/EFL for more than 20 years, so I'm pretty forgiving. I also think that in the middle of some poor Third World country, it doesn't really matter that much and I don't blame them. The companies have limited budgets and expertise......however, in Korea, where almost everyone has a computer and it takes very little effort to spellcheck something especially if you are using a computer to produce your signs, I really don't understand it. I'm not talking about sentences that a spelling checker can't check or the weird sentences that result from using an online translator, but just simple words. If you do a lot of business in English, you should hire an English speaker. If you don't do much, shouldn't you be extra careful? If I had a business in Vancouver, and I wanted to put up a sign to attract Korean business, I'd certainly make sure it was right.


I'm kind of torn about whether to go in and them that that's not how you spell 'Chinese,' but, if they are happy with the sign, I don't want to disappoint them. Could they even get their W50,000 back from the shop that made it? Probably not.

Now, that small sign is not really such a big deal, but, if you were spending thousands of dollars on a honking big sign to be displayed in the center of Seoul, wouldn't you be a little more careful?



If you were manufacturing a huge neon sign to display a customer's name to everyone, wouldn't you ask an English speaker if it made sense?

Motion

I've always liked motion - running, jumping (and the often inevitable - falling). I've always liked watching ballet, jazz dance, gymnastics, and most sports (except baseball). I got into martial arts in the 70s because of this.

Men's gymnastics was always cool. There was power, flexibility, balance, and grace. In the 70s and 80s, men's pommel horse had really neat leg flairs, and, when the men started doing leg flairs on the floor exercise, it was really cool.

With all of that in mind, I have to say that I don't like all sports. I've never liked half-pipe skateboarding and snowboarding. These two sports always seemed so sloppy and undisciplined that I could never enjoy them. The sport and the attitude was a major turn-off for me. The fact that they could plan to do a 360 turn and then easily turn it into a 180 seemed to allow them to be sloppy. The baggy pants and the hats-on-backwards just seemed to be part of that slovenly "sports" attitude.

So...imagine my surprise when I was flipping through the channels on my new big screen tv and I came across the Red Bull B Boy competition. I've always loved the grace and discipline of ballet and I've seen enough sloppy breakdancing (guys rolling around on the floor and doing sloppy, undisciplined dancing) that I almost immediately changed channels; however, I paused briefly ---- and was amazed. A lot of the moves that gymnasts do on the floor were there - to a musical beat - combined with a strength and flexibility that was awesome. The guys still wear baggy pants and hats on backwards, but the moves they were laying down were truly amazing. I work out quite a bit and I did martial arts for quite a few years, but the b boys were balancing on one hand, whipping their legs around in the air, twisting them like pretzels, and then doing one-arm presses. In my wildest dreams, I could not even come close to the strength and balance of these guys. Now I realize that these guys were at the top of their 'sport' and there are probably a lot of sloppy, undisciplined b boys, but these guys were extremely cool. I would definitely consider going to a b boy competition.