Happy Canada Day

In honor of Canada Day, I bring you a rant involving Canadian accents performed by a fellow Canadian, Russell Peters.

Korean War 60th anniversary

I tend to harp on Korea sometimes, but you have to give credit where it's due. Take, for instance, this advertisement at Time Square in New York to mark today, the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

My weird music preferences

Some people say I have the weirdest collection of songs on my iPod. Looking at it, it's hard to argue otherwise.

How is it weird? Well, here's my entire song list in alphabetical order (and the order it appears on my iPod).

• "Addicted" -- Simple Plan
  
• "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" -- Van Halen
  
• "All About Us" -- Tatu
  
• "All My Life" -- Foo Fighters
  
• "All Star" -- Smash Mouth
  
• "All the Small Things" -- Blink 182
  
• "All the Things She Said" -- Tatu
  
• "All You Did Was Save My Life" -- Our Lady Peace
  
• "Always" -- Blink 182
  
• "Amber" -- 311
  
• "Angels Losing Sleep" -- Our Lady Peace
  
• "Are You Gonna Go My Way" -- Lenny Kravitz
  
• "At the Hundredth Meridian" -- The Tragically Hip
  
  
• "Back in Black" -- AC/DC
  
• "Bad Luck" -- Social Distortion
  
• "Bad Romance" -- Lady Gaga
  
• "Before it's Too Late" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
• "Behind Blue Eyes" -- Limp Bizkit
  
• "Better Days" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
• "Beautiful People" -- Marilyn Manson
  
• "Bleed Like Me" -- Garbage
  
• "Boom Boom Pow" -- Black Eyed Peas
  
• "Brand New Low" -- Treble Charger
  
• "Bring Me to Life" -- Evanescence
  
• "Bro Hymn" -- Pennywise
  
• "Broken" -- Seether
  
• "Buffalo Soldier" -- Bob Marley
  
  
• "California" -- Phantom Planet
  
• "California Sun" -- The Ramones
  
• "Call Me When You're Sober" -- Evanescence
  
• "Careless Whisper" -- Seether
  
• "Catch My Fall" -- Katy Rose
  
• "Ch-Check it Out" -- Beastie Boys
  
• "Changes" -- Thornley
  
• "Check My Brain" -- Alice in Chains
  
• "Chelsea Dagger" -- The Fratellis
  
• "Clumsy" -- Our Lady Peace
  
• "Cold Hard Bitch" -- Jet
  
• "Complicated" -- Avril Lavigne
  
• "Crackerman" -- Stone Temple Pilots
  
• "Creep" -- Radiohead
  
• "Crush" -- Jennifer Paige
  
  
• "Devil on my Shoulder" -- Billy Talent
  
• "Diary of Jane" -- Breaking Benjamin
  
• "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" -- AC/DC
  
• "Dirty Little Secret" -- All-American Rejects
  
• "Disconnected" -- Face to Face
  
• "Don't Speak" -- No Doubt
  
• "Down" -- 311
  
• "Dr. Feelgood" -- Motley Crue
  
• "Dragula" -- Rob Zombie
  
• "Dream On" -- Aerosmith
  
• "Dude Looks Like a Lady" -- Aerosmith
  
  
• "Enter Sandman" -- Metallica
  
• "Every Little Thing" -- Melanie Doane
  
• "Every Morning" -- Sugar Ray
  
• "Extraordinary" -- Liz Phair
  
  
• "Face Down" -- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
  
• "Fade to Black" -- Metallica
  
• "Faint" -- Linkin Park
  
• "Father of Mine" -- Everclear
  
• "The Fear (I Don't Know)" -- Lily Allen
  
• "Firestarter" -- Prodigy
  
• "Flagpole Sitta" -- Harvey Danger
  
• "Flowers in the Window" -- Travis
  
• "For the Moment" -- GOB
  
  
• "Get Free" -- The Vines
  
• "Ghetto Superstar" -- Pras
  
• "Gimme Sympathy" -- Metric
  
• "Girlfriend" -- Avril Lavigne
  
• "Give Up the Grudge" -- GOB
  
• "Going Under" -- Evanescence
  
• "The Good Life" -- Three Days Grace
  
  
• "Heading for Nowhere" -- Jets Overhead
  
• "Heaven Coming Down" -- The Tea Party
  
• "Heavy" -- Collective Soul
  
• "Hell Yeah" -- Rev Theory
  
• "Hell's Bells" -- AC/DC
  
• "Hella Good" -- No Doubt
  
• "Help I'm Alive" -- Metric
  
• "Here is Gone" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
• "Hey Baby" -- No Doubt
  
• "Hot 'n' Cold" -- Katy Perry
  
• "How's it Going to Be" -- Third Eye Blind
  
• "Hurricane 2000" -- The Scorpions and Berlin Philharmonic
  
• "Hysteria" -- Muse
  
  
• "I Can't Stop Laughing" -- The Trews
  
• "I Don't Care" -- Fall Out Boy
  
• "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" -- Aerosmith
  
• "I Get Knocked Down" -- Smash Mouth
  
• "I Hear You Calling" -- GOB
  
• "I Kissed a Girl" -- Katy Perry
  
• "I Knew I Love You" -- Savage Garden
  
• "I Know You Want Me" -- Pitbull
  
• "I Like" -- Katy Rose
  
• "I Need You" -- LeAnn Rimes
  
• "I Think I'm Paranoid" -- Garbage
  
• "I Will Follow" -- U2
  
• "I Will Not Bow" -- Breaking Benjamin
  
• "I'm Just a Kid" -- Simple Plan
  
• "I'm Only Happy When it Rains" -- Garbage
  
• "I'm Shipping up to Boston" -- Dropkick Murphys
  
• "I'm With You" -- Avril Lavigne
  
• "If You Only Knew" -- Shinedown
  
• "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" -- Weezer
  
• "Imaginary" -- Evanescence
  
• "In This Life" -- Chantal Kreviazuk
  
• "Indestructible" -- Disturbed
  
• "Innocent" -- Our Lady Peace
  
• "Iris" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
• "It'll be You" -- Daniel Wesley
  
• "It's About Time" -- Lillix
  
  
• "Jumper" -- Third Eye Bline
  
  
• "Kashmir" -- Led Zeppelin
  
• "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World" -- Neil Young
  
• "Kickstart my Heart" -- Motley Crue
  
  
• "Ladies and Gentlemen" -- Saliva
  
• "Last Parade" -- Matthew Good
  
• "Leaving on a Jet Plane" -- Chantal Kreviazuk
  
• "Lemon" -- Katy Rose
  
• "Let it all Hang Out" -- Weezer
  
• "License to Thrill" -- Katy Rose
  
• "Life" -- Ashlin Debison
  
• "Lights and Sounds" -- Yellowcard
  
• "Love is a First" -- The Tragially Hip
  
  
• "Major Tom" -- Shiny Toy Guns
  
• "Man in the Box" -- Alice in Chains
  
• "Man Overboard" -- Thornley
  
• "Master of Puppets" -- Metallica
  
• "Mess of Me" -- Switchfoot
  
• "My Happy Ending" -- Avril Lavigne
  
• "My Immortal" -- Evanescence
  
• "My World" -- Sick Puppies
  
  
• "Never Ever" -- All Saints
  
• "Never Gonna Stop" -- Rob Zombie
  
• "New Divide" -- Linkin Park
  
• "No Rain" -- Blind Melon
  
• "No You Girls" -- Franz Ferdinand
  
• "Now or Never" -- Everlife
  
• "Numb" -- Linkin Park
  
  
• "Oh! Ellin'" -- GOB
  
• "One of a Kind" -- Breaking Point
  
• "Original Skin" -- Katy Rose
  
• "Overdrive" -- Katy Rose
  
  
• "Panama" -- Van Halen
  
• "Panic Switch" -- Silversun Pickups
  
• "Paparazzi" -- Lady Gaga
  
• "Paralyzer" -- Finger Eleven
  
• "Paranoid Freak" -- The Trews
  
• "Party in the USA" -- Miley Cyrus
  
• "Perfect" -- Simple Plan
  
• "Pilgrimage" -- Daniel Wesley
  
• "Poker Face" -- Lady Gaga
  
• "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me" -- The Trews
  
• "Pork and Beans" -- Weezer
  
• "The Pretender" -- Foo Fighters
  
• "Push it" -- Garbage
  
  
• "Ready to Roll" -- Jet Black Stare
  
• "Real World" -- Matchbox 20
  
• "Remedy" -- Seether
  
• "Rescue Me" -- Hawthorne Heights
  
• "Right Now" -- Van Halen
  
• "Rise Above This" -- Seether
  
• "Rock and Roll" -- Led Zeppelin
  
• "Rock Superstar" -- Cypress Hill
  
• "Run Baby Run" -- Garbage
  
• "Runaround" -- Van Halen
  
• "Rusted From the Rain" -- Billy Talent
  
  
• "Saeglopur" -- Sigur Rios
  
• "Saint Veronika" -- Billy Talent
  
• "Saints of Los Angeles" -- Motley Crue
  
• "Santa Monica" -- Everclear
  
• "Savior" -- Rise Against
  
• "Seasons" -- The Veer Union
  
• "See You Again" -- Miley Cyrus
  
• "Seether" -- Veruca Salt
  
• "Sex on Fire" -- Kings of Leon
  
• "Sex Type Thing" -- Stone Temple Pilots
  
• "She Could be You" -- Shawn Hlookoff
  
• "She Likes Me for Me" -- Third Eye Blind
  
• "She Likes Me for Me" -- Everclear
  
• "She's a Genius" -- Jet
  
• "She's so High" -- Tal Bachman
  
• "Sick Muse" -- Metric
  
• "Slide" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
• "So Whatcha Want" -- Beastie Boys
  
• "Somebody Save Me" -- Remi Zero
  
• "Somewhere Out There" -- Our Lady Peace
  
• "Steal My Sunshine" -- Len
  
• "Stupid Girl" -- Garbage
  
• "Sucker Train Blues" -- Velvet Revolver
  
• "Sweet Child of Mine" -- Guns 'n' Roses
  
• "Sympathy" -- Goo Goo Dolls
  
  
• "Take Me Out" -- Franz Ferdinand
  
• "Telephone" -- Lady Gaga
  
• "Then the Morning Comes" -- Smash Mouth
  
• "Thunderstruck" -- AC/DC
  
• "Tik Tok" -- Kesha
  
• "Times like These" -- Foo Fighters
  
• "Tomorrow" -- Lillix
  
• "Too Close" -- Next
  
• "Torn" -- Natalie Imbruglia
  
• "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" -- Stone Temple Pilots
  
• "Truly Madly Deeply" -- Savage Garden
  
• "Typical" -- Mute Math
  
  
• "Ultimate" -- Lindsay Lohan
  
• "Underneath it All" -- No Doubt
  
• "Uprising" -- Muse
  
• "Upside Down (and I Fall)" -- Jakalope
  
• "Us Remains Impossible" -- Matthew Good
  
• "Use Me" -- Hinder
  
• "Use Somebody" -- Kings of Leon
  
  
• "Vivrant Thing" -- Q-Tip
  
  
• "The Wait" -- Metallica
  
• "Walk" -- Pantera
  
• "The Way I Feel" -- 12 Stones
  
• "We Used to be Friends" -- The Danny Warhols
  
• "We're from America" -- Marilyn Manson
  
• "Welcome to My Life" -- Simple Plan
  
• "Welcome to the Jungle" -- Guns 'n' Roses
  
• "What I Like About You" -- Lillix
  
• "What?" -- Rob Zombie
  
• "What's my Age Again?" -- Blink 182
  
• "When I Grow Up" -- Garbage
  
• "When You're Gone" -- Avril Lavigne
  
• "Where the Wild Roses Grow" -- Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave
  
• "Who Are You" -- The Who
  
• "Why Can't I?" -- Liz Phair
  
• "Why do you Love Me?" -- Garbage
  
• "Woman" -- Wolfmother
  
• "Won't Get Fooled Again" -- The Who
  
• "Wonderful" -- Everclear
  
  
• "You Could be Mine" -- Guns 'n' Roses
  
• "You Get What You Give" -- New Radicals
  
• "You're Going Down" -- Sick Puppies
  
• "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" -- Offspring
  
• "Your Love is My Drug" -- Kesha
  
  
• "3 A.M." -- Matchbox 20
  
• "24" -- Jem
  
• "50 Mission Cap" -- The Tragically Hip
  
• "1901" -- Phoenix
  
• "1985" -- Bowling for Soup"
  

Non-Korean Asians in Korea: What to expect

When I was applying for this job, I was curious about one thing -- as a non-Korean Asian, how would things be like in Korea? By physical appearance, I look like everyone else but obviously I wouldn't know the language or the culture too well. I tried looking for resources about what to expect, but came up disappointed. As I approach my 10-month anniversary, I think it's time I came up with some general observations about how it is to be a non-Korean Asian in Korea.

Please note that these are based on my own personal experiences and may or may not have any bearing on any future newcomers. Please take these with a grain of salt; it's different for everyone.

• Koreans can't tell the difference between Koreans, Japanese and Chinese people.
  
  In general, people from places like Hong Kong are able to tell whether you are one of them or not, either from your physical features or your dress. They can often even tell whether you're an Asian expat or not. But not in Korea. Quite often, they simply assume I'm Korean. If they find out I'm not, they predict that I'm Japanese. After that... American. And after that... well, you get the picture. A grand total of 1 person has got it right (even though either "Chinese" or "Canadian" would've been acceptable). They can't tell.
  
  
• If you look Asian and say you can't speak Korean (either in Korean or in English), a lot of people won't believe you.
  
  This is a bit strange, but whenever I say "hanguk mal malayo" or "I don't speak Korean," a lot of Koreans don't believe me and continue talking in rapid Korean to me... then get upset with me when I don't understand them. Quite weird stuff but it happens to be quite often.
  
  
• Mistakes are often magnified.
  
  Whenever you make a cultural mistake, the effects have a much larger impact than if you were Caucasian. You're expected to "know" a lot of stuff in Korean culture even when it applies only to Korea and not to other Asian countries, and committing a faux pas is something to look out for. However, linguistic faux pas have a lesser impact for some reason.
  
  
• The "staring" problem is solved but it comes up as soon as you speak.
  
  A lot of non-Asian foreigners in Korea complain about being stared at. I don't have that problem, but once I open my mouth and reveal that I can't speak Korean (and any Korean I do know is very bastardized), the staring would start and continue until I remove myself from eyeshot. The same thing happens whenever I answer my cellphone in public as well.
  
  
• If you're a teacher, your school is not going to know what to make of you.
  
  I've had instances where my school was surprised that I knew how to use chopsticks, even though I'm Asian. But there'd be other instances where they wouldn't be surprised that you know something Asian-related. It seems that they don't really know what to expect. Students can be a bit on the cruel side as well, such as mocking you for looking like a Korean but not knowing Korean stuff.
  

All in all, it's a mixed bag. There are usually extremes on both sides of the equation, as there are often some people who fit these descriptions perfectly and some who will act completely the opposite -- Korea is a place of extremes.

From what I've noticed, one annoying thing that a lot of Asians tend to complain about is how a lot of people here don't seem to have an awareness of other Asian countries around them while being relatively aware of English-speaking Caucasians. I can see this as well, even though it seems to be improving.

Things might change in a few years and things have changed since last August, so this may change in the future.

Sometimes Vancouver incompetence is so amusing

If this doesn't end up on Failblog, I don't know what will.

Basically, a building demolition company is under investigation for something that happened in downtown Vancouver. They were taking down a concrete building, and they screwed up big-time.

And unfortunately for them, there were a lot of people who videotaped the screw-up and posted it on YouTube; some of the videos have already reached over 100,000 views and have made all the major news outlets in town (Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, News 1130, CBC).

And to boot, it happened during rush hour on a weekday evening on a street in the middle of downtown Vancouver.

As my friend Larry said, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen. (The car near the first collapse was actually driven by a lawyer.)

The World what?

Am I the only one who considers soccer a "fringe sport"?

The future of this blog

In about two months, I will be leaving Korea. I created this blog mostly to document the events leading up to my trip to Korea and during my stay in Korea. Thus, the original purpose of this blog will come to an end.

Now the question is whether this blog should continue after I get back. I'm sure I'll continue blogging in some way but this blog's title was created with Korea in mind. The options are...

1. end this blog (but leave it online) and start a new blog
   
2. continue this blog with a new name
   
3. delete this blog
   

I'm not sure which option to take but I am erring towards option #1 right now. If so, the domain name (buckyhermitkingdom.com) will expire and this blog will cease to be updated and new comments will no longer be published.

But continuing this blog as-is with a new name may provide some sort of logical continuity to everything, which would be nice.

Ah, what to do...

Insane weekend: To Fukuoka (photos): Day 3

Friday was my last day in Japan, and it would be a short one because my ferry back to Korea was scheduled for the mid-afternoon. I spent much of the morning packing my stuff and checked out.

I went to have my last sushi meal and ate more than I did the previous night. Then I went and got some souvenirs for myself and my family, and started making my way to the ferry terminal. Here are my final glimpses in Japan.

Above: The mean streets of Fukuoka.

There are some quirks in Japan that I haven't seen elsewhere. First of all, Fukuoka is a city that really tries to get people to stop smoking. Anti-smoking banners and signs are everywhere.

Above: Even the cute scissors is discouraging smoking.

Above: A weird way to tell people to stop smoking. Scare tactic fail?

Another interesting thing is that buses in Japan operate differently from the ones I'm used to. The ones I've been to would have you pay your fare when you get on at the front of the bus. The buses in Japan are like the streetcars in Hong Kong -- you enter the bus through the back and pay and exit through the front.

Above: A Fukuoka city bus. You enter through the back, and exit and pay through the front.

By the time I got back to Seoul Station, it was late night. I quickly rushed home and went to bed, and got ready for the ill-fated DMZ tour the next day.

Overall, Japan was a refreshing trip but also a shocking one. It is so close to Korea yet the differences between the two are like night and day. I could easily see why visitors generally prefer Japan over Korea and why Japanese people might look down on Koreans. If I had a teaching job in Japan instead, I could see myself living satisfactorily there, but I'd also be broke since everything is so expensive.

It was also my first trip somewhere far without a family member or friend meeting me at the other end (not including the initial journey to Seoul). It was an interesting experience, and it was interesting meeting some of the other people such as backpackers or those who are long-term travelers. I could see myself getting addicted to traveling if I had the money.

Having been to Japan and the places I wanted to go in Korea, I feel like I've accomplished all I wanted to over here in terms of traveling (not including a possible journey to Beijing after my contract). My time here is almost done, and I look forward to coming home.