Korea's Drinking Culture and Why I'm a Teetotaller

Saturday night and Sunday I spent with a group of mostly Koreans and some foreigners at a martial art excursion. This had not been my first such an outing with Koreans, so I expected there to be a lot of drinking and therefore prepared myself psychologically for it. As I am a teetotaller, I need such preparation. In general, teetotallers are a minority, but here in Korea with its extreme drinking culture teetotallers are almost non-existent.

Sometimes they start 'em young.
Image Source

If you do not drink in Korea, you are practically ostracised, for almost all social outings include alcohol. Somebody that doesn't drink with the group is considered unsociable and rude. I remember one occasion where I joined a group of Koreans and when I refused to drink I was basically told to leave by one person. Another senior Korean with whom I have close ties came to my rescue and persuaded them that I should stay since I am his “chinggu” (friend) and explained that it is part of my “religion,” which is a half-truth. However, I'm sure that had it not been for me being a foreigner I would either have needed to leave in shame because of my insult for not drinking with them, or I would have had to conform and drink with the group. I have met some “teetotaller” Koreans in Korea who would accept one drink and drink a little of it, just so that they do not come across as insulting. Some Koreans that do not wish to drink come up with stories like being sick or that they are taking medicine with which they are not allowed to use alcohol. However, even with some people showing the medicine as proof, I've witnessed the extreme pressure they receive to drink at least half a glass of soju. While foreigners can get away with not drinking, they will often experience severe pressure and may find themselves indirectly ostracised for being unsociable.

A drunk Korean passing out in public.
Not that uncommon a sight, actually.
Image Source

There are some Korean subcultures that do not drink, whom are part of so-called sectarian faiths such as Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons. Because these Koreans are part of their own communities they at least have a social life. Koreans who do not belong to such religious persuasions are, as I mentioned already, ostracised and struggle to make friends. Even Koreans from these religious groups have a hard time, particularly in their work place. It is customary for colleagues to go drinking together after work, and refusing to do so, particularly if one's senior or boss suggested the drinking, is considered terribly rude, and even disrespectful. In that sense, not drinking could sometimes cost you your job.

Bottles of soju -- Korea's most famous
alcohol comparable to vodka.
Image Source

Had drinking in Korea merely been one or two beers, it would not have been that bad. Unfortunately Koreans take social drinking to the extreme. Drinking often involves drinking games and other group-pressure drinking. Hearing Koreans shout “one-shot”, i.e. gulping down your glass in one go, accompanied with the encouraging cheers, is not unusual. One's ability to “take a drink” is equated with being “strong”. I guess this is not a uniquely Korean thing, but in Korea it really seems to be a continued test and senior citizens going out with their friends do not seem to take it any lighter than when they were youngsters drinking themselves into a stupor. Seeing old Korean men ridiculously drunk is as common as seeing dead-drunk college boys.

Two older Korean friends passed out on the street
together after a night of heavy drinking. Or, at least,
that's my assumption of this picture.
Image Source

There is a small movement amongst upper class Koreans to drink wine. Since whine is so expensive, and since it is enjoyed slowly, wine drinkers tend to drink far less. Wine drinking in Korea is in many cases just for pompous show, like wearing a very expensive name brand suit, and going to art exhibits just for the pretence of appreciating art, but at least wine drinking is giving a way out to some Koreans who would like to socialise without getting completely knackered.

Soju advertisements usually involve a
sexy Korean woman, showing lots of skin
and curves, that enjoys to drink and party.
There is undeniably a sexual connection
made with drinking soju.

The thing that disturbs me the most about Korea's terrible drinking culture are the associated ethics that go with it. When Koreans misbehave while drunk, they are often excused. This is often true even when laws are broken. Here's another example of the shady morality of a drunken culture. So I once went out with a mixed group of foreigners and Koreans. One foreign girl got terribly drunk and started to behave awfully bad. She also became a danger to herself; constantly falling about and hitting her head. She refused to lie down and rest. Two Korean guys told me—and I think they are from different parts of Korea so this must be a common sentiment—that if she was a Korean girl they would just knock her out. They actually showed me the points where they would hit her. Being a martial artist I recognised the pressure points (temple; side of the neck; and somewhere else I'd rather not mention) and realised that these are indeed points to knock someone out with, so they are actually talking from experience. Did you get this? In Korea, it is common and acceptable to hit a rowdy drunk Korean woman unconscious. Eventually the foreign girl in our group did go to sleep without being knocked unconscious. The next morning she had no recollection at all of the previous night. Of course, nobody was angry with her for her misbehaviour—she was drunk after all. But the thing that disturbs me is that she could have been taken advantage of, i.e. raped, were she amongst a different group of people, and she would not have been any the wiser the next day. I'm wondering how often this sort of thing actually happens in Korea. In a culture where ridiculous amounts of alcohol consumption is socially acceptable and even socially encouraged, where drunken misbehaviour is excused, and where knocking out difficult drunk women is common (something I reconfirmed with some of my male students), taken advantage of an unconscious woman while you are drunk yourself, doesn't seem far fetched to me at all.

Luckily for this girl, Korea
is relatively safe.
Image Source

So why don't I drink alcahol? There are a couple of reasons really. The first reason I do not drink is as a statement. It is for the same reason I do not smoke. My father did. He smoked and it made him stink and I swore that I would not be like him. There was also a patch during which he drank and became aggressive. I remember clearly how my brother and I would hide (and sometimes throw away) his whiskey because of how we hated the way it changed his personality. It took him a while, but he eventually realised the negative impact his drinking had on us, so he stopped excessive drinking. I respect him for caring enough for us to choose us over the bottle. Nonetheless, the negative associations with alcohol was set, so I also swore not to be like my father, who continued to drink socially. Second, many people on my maternal side of the family are alcoholics. In particular my uncles, one of them my godfather whom I always looked up to. I saw how the drink had destroyed both their lives and their families and it disgusted me. It also came as a revelation to me that since I take after my mother's side of the family, I probably have a predisposition towards becoming an alcoholic myself. I know I have an addictive personality, so I'm not taking any chances. Later, when I became a Christian and accepted the scripture that says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that therefore healthy living is part of our act of worship, I decided to live a healthy life style. This is in part the reason why I'm a (flexible) vegetarian, why I avoid frequent consumption of caffeine, why I exercise even though I often do not feel like it. Finally, I honestly do not like the taste of alcohol. I once tried to drink Amarula Cream, thinking that I'd at least enjoy the taste since a like fruity, creamy stuff. I do like cherry liqueur dark chocolates after all. Regardless, I had to boil the Amarula Cream for quite some time to get rid of the alcohol taste. Last year I was in a hotel by myself and there was beer in the bar fridge. Being alone I thought I'd just try it a bit--I'm far from anybody who knows me, nobody would know. I took maybe two sips and can still honestly say that I really dislike the taste. If it is indeed an acquired taste, it is a taste I'd rather not acquire.

I'm not against people temperately consuming alcohol. There are many people who seem able to enjoy it in moderation only. Although I do not, many of my friends enjoy a drink on occasion. I am, however, against drunkenness and am definitely against Korea's excessive drinking culture. I strongly believe that Korea would be much better off without this element in its society. It is complete nonsense that a person cannot have fun without alcohol, that one cannot be sociable without drinking. And if it is the case for some timid people who needs the bravado of the bottle, the severe price Korea and its families are paying because of alcohol is not worth it.

In this post I focussed on a very negative aspect of Korea, sure. There are, however, many other positive things about Korea otherwise I would not have lived here for nearly five years now. Korea is cool.

3 dinge

Ek het die onderstaande vrae op 'n ander blog gesien en is toe sommer lus om ook die speletjie te speel.

Noem 3 dinge waaroor jy mal is op die oomblik:

• Antony and the Johnsons' "Hope There's Someone"
• Okkerneutmelk
• Mohisme

Noem 3 dinge wat jy vir jou 20 jarige self sou wou sê as jy kon terugreis in tyd:

Oor 'n jaar gaan jy deur die slegste tyd in jou lewe gaan wat jy jouself kan indink. Jou pa gaan in 'n rooftog in die kopgeskiet word. Jou ma gaan uiteindelik aan haar terminale siekte sterf. Jou beste vriend gaan te verlief wees om jou te ondersteun. Al jou finansiële ondersteuning gaan eensklaps verdwyn. Jy gaan bottels by die kafee moet ingee om 'n brood te koop. Jou meisie gaan die daaropvolgende jaar in 'n motorongeluk sterf. Jou ander beste vriend gaan in 'n koma wees. Jy gaan aan intense depressie lei. Ondanks dit alles gaan jy van die waardevolste lewenslesse leer wat jy moontlik ooit sal leer. God gaan 'n werklikheid vir jou word.

(Okay, dis meer as drie dinge . . . ek kan dit seker afkort tot: daar lê groot stront vir jou voor; jy gaan daaruit leer; God gaan wesenlik word.)

Wat is die 3 (of meer) dinge wat jy voor jou siel weet jy eintlik behoort aan te werk wat jouself aanbetref:

• Gaan slaap om hemelsnaam vroeër!
• Luister met belangstelling na jou broer.
• Maak flippen tyd vir Koreaanselesse.

Waarvoor is jy bang:

Rotte. Hulle kan 60cm hoog spring—hoog genoeg om jou aan jou knaters te byt. Hulle kan deur rioolpype swem tot in jou toilet en jou knaters byt terwyl jy op die toilet sit. Hulle het lang tande.

Wat maak jou kinderlik opgewonde:

Poësie en 'n mooi metafoor.

Watter 3 films wat jy onlangs gesien het, het 'n impak op jou gemaak:

• Warrior
• In Time
• The Help

Noem 3 goeie gewoontes:

• Drink water.
• Lees gereeld en wyd.
• Koop nie emosioneel nie.

"Across the Universe" and Other Cravings

I've been in the mood again for one of my favourite movies, Across the Universe, lately. I wrote about it before. The video below is a scene from the movie in which Evan Rachel Wood covers the beautiful Beatles' song "Blackbird".



Whenever I crave for something, be it food, or music, or visual stimuli, I always wonder what is the cause for the craving. You see, our cravings are signs that our being has a lack of something. As you probably know, I'm mostly a flexible vegetarian so I almost never eat meat, and don't enjoy red meat and if I were to eat it, it has to be cooked very well done. However, on occasion, once a year maybe, I may suddenly crave medium done red meat. What this tells me is that my body is lacking iron. Usually when I take an iron supplement or just eat some spinach the craving disappears. The same principle applies to other cravings in our life. What I'm wondering is, what is it in or about Across the Universe, that my soul has a need for?

Two Lies and a Truth

Following are ten sets of Two-Lies-and-a-Truth about me. Can you guess the Truths?

1. At a time as I child I considered becoming _______ when I grow up:
A. a policeman.
B. a porn star.
C. a horse trainer.

2. I dream of one day learning to:
A. fly a helicopter.
B. juggle.
C. cook Korean food.

3. I once considered studying:
A. Nano-engineering.
B. Biochemistry.
C. Criminology.

4. I'm sad when:
A. babies are born.
B. my baking flops.
C. my pens run out of ink.

5. I'm secretly a fan of:
A. Justin Bieber.
B. Robbie Williams.
C. Apple products.

6. An instrument I would like to own is:
A. a saxophone.
B. a theremin.
C. a xylophone.

7. A piano style I would like to master is:
A. jazz piano.
B. classical piano.
C. acoustic piano.

8. Poetry I wish I could write better is:
A. political poetry.
B. limericks.
C. psalms.

9. The fruit I consume the most is:
A. tangerines.
B. apples.
C. bananas.

10. My hair that bothers me the most is my:
A. grey hair.
B. nose hair.
C. shoulder hair.

"You Owe Me Nothing in Return"

Alanis Morissette's song "You Owe Me Nothing in Return" effectively summarises how I understand love in a relationship ought to be. It describes an unselfish version of love -- "the only kind of love as I understand it that there really is." Unfortunately there are so few people mature enough, and secure enough, to understand and want such a love and a relationship based on such a love. It requires complete trust of and faith in your partner. It also requires self-assurance. There is no room for self-pity and insisting in your partner fulfilling your selfish needs.

I hope to one day find a person to share a relationship based on such an understanding of love. And I hope that when I find that person that I will have grown adequately to present my partner with this type of love in return.



"You Owe Me Nothing In Return"

I'll give you countless amounts of outright acceptance if you want it
I will give you encouragement to choose the path that you want if you need it
You can speak of anger and doubts your fears and freak outs and I'll hold it
You can share your so-called shame filled accounts of times in your life and I won't judge it
(and there are no strings attached to it)

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return

You can ask for space for yourself and only yourself and I'll grant it
You can ask for freedom as well or time to travel and you'll have it
You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else and I'll support it
You can ask for anything you want anything at all and I'll understand it
(and there are no strings attached to it)

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return

I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoe will eventually drop
I bet you're wondering when my conditional police will force you to cough up
I bet you wonder how far you have now danced you way back into debt
This is the only kind of love as I understand it that there really is

You can express your deepest of truths even if it means I'll lose you and I'll hear it
You can fall into the abyss on your way to your bliss I'll empathize with
You can say that you have to skip town to chase your passion and I'll hear it
You can even hit rock bottom have a mid-life crisis and I'll hold it
(and there are no strings attached)

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return

11.11.11

November 11 (11.11) is Pepero Day in South Korea. A Pepero 빼빼로 is a "cookie [stick] dipped in chocolate", a favourite snack in South Korea and Japan, where it is known as Pocky. Pepero Day is somewhat similar to Valentine's Day, but instead of chocolates, roses or other typical Valentine's Day gifts, the gift of choice is Peperos.

This year, however, November 11th is extra special in Korea as children born will have identity numbers that start with "111111". To ensure that their children have a sestet of ones in their identity numbers many pregnant mothers have gone out of their way to get c-section surgeries scheduled for today. According to Reuters, c-sections scheduled for 11 November 2011 is up by 20% from usual. (I'm obliged to a South African friend for sending me the link to the news article.)

Speaking of South Africa, annually on the weekend closest to 11 November, South Africa celebrates Poppy Day. It is in remembrance of those that died and fought in battle during World War I, World War II and other wars. World War I ended at the eleventh hour on 11 November 1918 when Germany signed the armistice. In South Africa it is known as Poppy Day because poppy flowers are traditionally sold as part of fundraising initiatives by the South African Legion to help veterans of war. The poppy was chosen because it grew on the battlefields of Flanders (Western Front), where many soldiers died. A poem written by Colonel John McCrae (a Canadian medic) brought wider attention to the poppie connection.

In Flanders Fields -- John McCrae

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place;wait and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands, we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields!

The red poppie became the symbolic flower of remembrance.

In South Africa Poppy Day remembrance ceremonies are held on the Saturday nearest 11 November and some services are also held on the adjacent Sunday. It is not a national holiday, so I'm not sure how many people actually observe it, but it's function is similar to Remembrance Day or Armistice Day celebrated by countries of the Common Wealth and Veterans Day in the United States which is also celebrated on November 11th. South African's typically use Poppy Day to remember South African soldiers who died in WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Border War, as well as surviving veterans of war. Ceremonies are typically held in Cape Town and Pretoria.

November 11 is also Nigel Tufnel Day kept by the cult following of the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. This day was chosen because of the recurrence of the number 11, which became a significant number in the movie, based on one particularly scene in which the character Nigel Tufnel explains how they can turn the volume of their amplifiers "up to eleven", making them "one louder" that other bands that can only go up to ten. The quote "up to eleven" has become pop-culture idiom, suggesting that something is done better, beyond it's expected limitations. I'm not sure exactly how one celebrates Nigel Tufnel Day; I guess you make sure to do something "up to eleven."

Also from popular culture and linked with 11 November 2011 is the movie that is supposed to have been released today, 11-11-11. While it may have gone on circuit in other parts of the world, I didn't see it showing in Korea (I went to the movies today). Then again, I'm not particularly interested as I avoid horror movies; this film was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, the director of SAW II, III and IV, none of which I've seen. On the other hand, I do like science-fiction films and this is a sci-fi horror. I'll wait a bit and first see how it rates on RottenTomatoes before I make my decision.

On a more philosophical note, 11 November is the anniversary of the death of the Christian philosopher Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, the father of Existentialism. Existentialist thought was most notably expounded upon by later philosophers like Friedrich Nietzche, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre, but it was Kierkegaard that first focussed on the human dilemma of freedom of choice and the existential angst this causes. He wrote about it in his book The Concept of Anxiety. One example in which he explains this angst requires us to imagine a man standing on the edge of a very tall building and looking down. The man experience two kinds of fear: "the fear of falling, and fear brought on by the impulse to throw himself off the edge. This second type of fear, or anxiety, arises from the realization that he has absolute freedom to choose whether to jump or not, and this fear is as dizzying as his vertigo" (The Philosophy Book, p. 195). In short, Kierkegaard argued that apart from the freedom to be born, God endowed us with free choice. Because making life-altering decisions always cause much angst in me, I'm quite attracted to the Existentialists. Kierkegaard died at the young age of 42 on 11 November 1855.

11 November 2011 is also a day on which New Agers celebrate "Interconnectedness Day", with heavy focus on the Green Agenda. Previous such Interconnectedness Days were celebrated on 10 October 2010 and 9 September 2009. I guess next year on 12 December 2012 will be the last year Interconnectedness Day will be celebrated in a very very long time.

On a personal note, my first best friend, Matthys du Preez, and I used to celebrate 11 November as our friendship day. I can't remember exactly what the reason was that we chose this day as our friendship day, but we celebrated it as a birthday. Matthys was literally my first friend. I cannot recall any friend before him. Our parents were friends and because we were of the same age we naturally became friends. We also went to the same elementary school (a "plaasskool") together. We grew up on farms in the same farming community and there was only one elementary school where all the children in the community went -- a little school with hardly 300 pupils. We were so close in personality that many people mistook us as twins, to our delight -- I guess the fact that we often dressed alike contributed to it. We often finished each other's sentences and my mother told me that we seemed to communicate telepathically as we would sometimes just look at each other and seem to know what the other was thinking. Unfortunately my first best friend moved away when we were about 11 years old and due to the distance our friendship waned until we completely lost contact. In recent years I've started to increasingly think about my old friend. I was able to look him up and sent him an email with the hopes of meeting with him at the beginning of this year while I was in South Africa, but he didn't respond to my email. I guess he's not as sentimental as I am about those early years. In our late teens, early twenties, we both lost our mothers to illness. I think we could have been a great comfort to each other had we stayed in contact. I sometimes wish I could have been there for him during that time of loss and during other trials he may have experienced as a child. I have fond memories of our friendship and I remember quite distinctly the good and caring friend he was. I am very blessed with some great friends in my life. I have, in part, Matthys to thank for that. Because my first friendship had been such a very close one, that has become my expectation of a real friendship. Matthys' care and loyalty as a young boyhood friend inspired me to become the same type of friend later in my life.

Happy 11 November, for whatever reason you decide to celebrate it.

My kar is gevind!

Wie sou dit nou kon raai?

Ek het verlede week gerapporteer oor my kar in Suid-Afrika wat gesteel is. In die skrywe het ek genoem dat "if it is found I doubt will be worth more than its value in scrap, for the robbers will strip it down to its frame." Ek was verkeerd. Die kar is vandag gevind en die skelms het sowaar waarde toegevoeg tot my motor!

Hier is die kort e-posboodskap wat ek van my broer se lewensmaat ontvang het. (Haar seun is 'n polisieman.)

Ek hoop ek bring baie goeie nuus. My seun het vandag in Orange Farms gewerk en soos hul ry, sien hy 'n blou golf van voor af aankom en besluit om hom af te trek en doen die nodige ''chassis'' en enjin nr toetse oor polisie radio. Daarna bel hy my en vra vir kenmerke en ek noem 'n hele spul goed en hy antw...mamma ek't die golfie gekry. Hy't 2 gearresteer. [Jou broer] gaan mre oggend voertuigtak toe in Vereeniging. Die kar is oorgespray, volgens [my seun] lyk die kar mooi en daar is 2 nuwe mags agter op, maar daars nou 'n ander injin in, 'n passat enjin. So ja, sal jou weer na more op hoogte hou. Prys ons Hemelse Pappa...dankie Jesus.

Hoop my boodskap bring 'n glimlag op jou gesig.

Ek was in die versoeking gebring om te dink dat die rede hoekom ek my rugsak, wat nou die dag verlore geraak het, weer kon opsoor te make het met die veilige hawe wat Suid-Korea is; en dat ek nooit weer my kar sou sien nie omdat Suid-Afrika so 'n kriminele plek is. Die onwaarskynlikheid om my kar weer terug te kry is 'n wonderwerk en dit herinner my dat my rugsak, met al die waardevolle items wat daarin was, wat ek terug gekry het ook 'n wonderwerk is en nie eenvoudig met Suid-Korea se veiligheid te make het nie. Ek het allermins gebid! Alhoewel ek al baie dinge hier verloor het en weer terug gekry het, het ek ook al duur dinge hier verloor en nooit weer terug gekry nie.

Wenke vir die skryf van gedigte

Image Source

Ek het verlede semester 'n kort seminaar gegee in die skryf van poësie. Hier is drie (en twee-derdes) van my hoofwenke:

• Maak abstrakte stellinge konkreet en konkrete stellinge interesant (deur die gebruik van beelde en simbole -- vergelykings en metafore).
• Kommunikeer gevoel, maar vermy sentiment en clichés. 
• Vermy (eind-)rym, tensy die gedig dit vereis. (Betekenisvolle binnerym skep 'eenheid' in die gedig en is wenslik. Daarinteen laat gedwonge eindrym die gedig na 'n 'rympie' lyk -- definitief onwenslik!)

Lekker skryf!

Sien my gedigte-blog: Ingelegde Lywe.

Kommunikasie is uitputtend

Is moeg.

Het sopas terug gekom na 'n kuier met 'n Koreaanse vriend. Sy Engels is so beperk soos my Koreaans. Jy sal nie glo hoe uitputtend dit is om in twee gebroke tale te kommunikeer nie.

Ek het die vriend seker 'n jaar en 'n half, moontlik twee jaar, gelede laas gesien. Volgens hom het my Koreaans baie verbeter. Persoonlik dink ek dat ek net 'n paar bywoorde by gekry het.

Dankie tog vir vertalende woordeboeke!

Car Got Stolen

Isn't it ironic how my previous (Afrikaans) post was about how much I miss the farm ("Die plaas"); i.e., how I miss South Africa, and then I get the news from my brother that my car in South Africa got stolen yesterday. Now foil this against the post I wrote on Monday ("Lost & Found") about losing my backpack with all its valuables inside here in Korea, but getting it all back intact--not a dime missing. While the possibility of getting things back in Korea is quite high, the possibility for the same thing happening in South Africa is pretty darn small. I have little hope that my car will be found and if it is found I doubt will be worth more than its value in scrap, for the robbers will strip it down to its frame.

Admittedly, it is not a terrible loss for me personally. Since I live in Korea and only visit South Africa for a couple of weeks per year it is not as if I'm using the car regularly. Okay, so it wasn't an expensive car. As a rather old Volkswagen Golf, it is considered an entry level car and is probably worth less than R10 000, based on today's exchange rate that is less than US$1300. 

During my 2009 visit in South Africa I lost a tyre after
I hit a pothole. It was a lovely day to change a tyre,
and I didn't even get robbed, raped or hijacked.
One has to count one's blessings! 

Nonetheless, it is still a loss. It is something that belonged to me and that was taken away from me. Furthermore, I lend my car, which is pretty light on fuel consumption, to my brother whom is going through some financial difficulty. So not only was I stolen from, those I care for are inconvenienced by this crime. 

Now here is the truly disturbing thing. I am thankful that my brother was not in the car when it was stolen, because hijackings in South Africa often lead to the murder of the victim. I am thankful that my family was not harmed and weighed against their lives, I'd gladly give up a car. What is sad about it, is that South Africa is such a criminally violent place that when your car gets stolen without someone being injured or killed in the process, you consider it a blessing. "Hey, my car got stolen. Nobody's dead. What a blessing!" Sadly this is not a joke. I spoke to a South African friend a week ago, who told me of a friend of his who was stabbed to death a few days earlier. The robbers took his cellphone. In South Africa a life is worth a cellphone! For South Africans such crimes are so common that we forget that it is actually abnormal. We live there without thinking it strange. Here in Korea I enter my apartment and immediately lock the door behind me. The force of habit. Most Koreans don't bother. In Korea I'm the strange one for being so over vigilant. In the martial art class when I teach self-defence they think my techniques are overly excessive and I guess in a country like Korea it probably is. 

Die plaas

Pierneef, "Plaas naby Derdepoort"
Beeldbron: Litnet

Ek wou 'n skrywe geskryf het oor my verlange na die plaas vandag, maar toe onthou ek dat ek reeds so 'n skrywe gemaak het sowat twee jaar gelede. As ek vandag die skrywe sou skryf, sou dit basies 'n woordelikse herhaling gewees het van wat ek toe geskryf het: Ek verlang na die plaas. Die plaas bestaan nie meer nie. Daar is dus geen lafenis aan my verlange nie.

In die verlede, nadat ons plaas onteien is, het ek darem weekliks 'n draai by een van my vriende wat ook toe nog op plase gebly het, gaan inloer. Op 'n Vrydagmiddag het ek saam met Howard die beeste gaan haal en kraal toe gejaag of oor 'n naweek het ek by Jaco gaan kuier en ook so tussen bees of skaap gaan stap. Vandag bly albei van hulle in dorpshuise.

My broer bly op 'n plot. 'n Plot is seker beter as 'n dorpshuis omdat daar darem diere op die plot is: perde, hoenders, honde. Maar 'n plot is nie 'n plaas nie en ek verlang na die plaas. Groot oop stroke veld. Doringbome. Reuse bloekoms. Klipperste klip. Rooi grond. Suid-Afrikaanse blou hemele. Kiewiete wat raas as jy verby stap.

Ek sit in my kantoor in Korea en merk vraestelle. 'n Kantoor is beslis nie 'n plaas nie. En Korea se plase is nie soos Suid-Afrika se plase nie.

Invention Idea: Clothing Database and Clothes Personificator

So I have a lot of clothes. Not ridiculous amounts of clothing, but enough so that I sometimes forget to where certain items, partly because I haven't truly looked at these items in a while and thought about wearing them.

So here is my invention idea: I want to invent a little microchip to embed in each clothing item, which will record the frequency with which I interact (i.e. take out of my closet and look at, and / or actually wear) each item. The information will then be stored in a database, which I'm sure will reveal certain trends. Obviously certain clothes will reveal to be seasonal--I'm unlikely to touch my winter clothes during high summer.

It will also show the clothes I hardly wear.The reason could be threefold. Some clothes are used for exclusive events. Take my suits, for instance. I have three. My black suit is something I'd only wear to a very formal night time event, or maybe a funeral. My other suits are also used for formal occasions such as banquets, when I give a special talk, when I attend ceremonies, etc. Secondly, it might be that the clothes don't fit me. I'm not speaking merely of size, but also of style. Finally, it could be merely that I've forgotten about certain clothing items and for that reason I do not wear them, or they have gotten too old, worn and tattered to wear. In all but the case of special event clothes, I ought to get rid of the other clothes--those that are too old, don't fit me, or don't fit my style.

Furthermore, the embedded chip could act to "personify" the clothes. Were I to look at the database I could see which clothing items I am neglecting. The neglected items could possibly show up in the database as feeling depressed, they may even send me a text message to my cellphone or a tweet enquiring why I'm neglecting them. Other clothing items could complain that I wear them too often. Certain pairs of socks that I wear often could, for instance, complain that they feel over used and that I will wear them out if I continue like this. They could do an online search and suggest me certain brands of socks that are similar in fabric and style.

The clothing items could also take note of which combinations (specific items or colours) I often wear together. Amongst themselves they could come up with possible other workable combinations that they could suggest I try. The yellow tie could possibly tell me that it would also be a good match with my navy blue shirt, so I don't always have to don the orange tie. The brown jersey could say that it would work equally well with that blue shirt, so I should give it a try, rather than always opting for the brown jacket.

So there is my invention idea. Anyone of you is welcome to take this idea from me on condition that you always supply me with a workable and updated version of the invention for personal use.

A Video for Halloween: Allison Schulnik's "Mound"

Mound by Allison Schulnik from garaco taco on Vimeo.

Lost & Found

Image Source

Last night coming back from hanging out with my writing crit-group (we watched Zombieland since it's Halloween), I had to transfer from one subway train to another. Half way to my destination on the second train I realised that I had left my backpack on the previous train. A sense of dread got hold of me. In my backpack I had my (expensive) camera, a credit card, my ID-card that is linked with my Korean visa, nearly $300 in cash, and exam papers of my students.

I began to pray fervently. Utmost in my thoughts were the two cards and the student exam papers. The camera can be replaced, but the credit card can easily be exploited long before I can cancel it and I need my ID-card to cancel it. Also, the exam papers are irreplaceable and a dreadful mistake like losing my student's exam papers could seriously affect my job.

It was already very late so I wasn't sure what to do, but I eventually decided to just turn around and go back to the station where the previous train would finally stop. I got there just before midnight, likely close to closing time. After some searching I found the Lost & Found Office. My backpack was there with nothing missing.

While sending up prayers of praise I thought about how different Korea is from South Africa. There are many bad things I can say about Korea, but Koreans are far less likely to steal than the average South African. I've lost a number or things before, and got them back four out of five times, because of the honesty of the average Korean.

My negligence didn't come cheap, however. Because it was so late I missed the last train home so I had to find a motel to sleep over at. It cost me nearly $50. Had I known the area I probably could have found a jjimjilbang (sauna) to sleep at for far cheaper, but unfortunately it was way after midnight and I had to get to bed.

Dropbox and Evernote

There are two online storage applications that I've started to use that have influenced my life for the better. Now we know that the whole world is eager to transit their data to the "cloud". I still have my reservations about this, especially considering the solar storms predicted for 2012 by a NASA study, which could wipe out our online data. So for the time being I will still have the bulk of my data backed up offline. Nevertheless, the ease of having your data online is of great benefit, especially when you are constantly moving between computers--at your work, your home, during transit--as I do. We all know the frustration when you suddenly need to access information that is on your home computer but you are finding yourself at your office. This need not be an issue since data stored in the "cloud" makes geography irrelevant.

Dropbox is a good solution. It provides you with 2 GB of free space. You can upload data to your account and it is available for you to access anywhere you have an internet connection. It is a great way to backup your most important data. For instance, I use it to backup my student's grades. You can also make certain folders within your account accessible to other people, so it is a wonderful way to share data with other people.

Evernote is equally impressive. It is basically a tool for keeping notes, but notes can be defined beyond mere text--it could include online links, parts of webpages and even photos you snapped with your smartphone. For instance, you could take a photo of somebody's business card or of a poster you saw on a lamppost or of a restaurant menu. Evernote automatically recognises the text in the photo and index it for you so when you search for something in your Evernote notes, even the text in your photos are retrievable. The great thing about Evernote is that it comfortably works on your computers and mobile device and periodically synchronises the notes on your computers and mobile device. That means that when I get an idea while sitting on the subway I can quickly enter it onto my mobile device and when I get home the information is waiting for my on my home computer.