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I have been working in South Korea now for 4 months. Successfully completing the first 1/3 of my year contract at my Hagwon I feel that I have learned a lot in a short amount of time. For all of you out there who don't know what Hagwons are, they're private schools or (academies) thats main purpose is to tutor children after school in various subjects (e.g. Math, English, Music). Even though keeping children in school all day is part of their culture I wanted to address some of the ups and downs of this course of action.

When I first began to observe the nature of this "All Day Schooling" agenda that these Hagwons provide, I began to draw relationships with my own schooling and those of other American students. After studying these relationships I was able to see that Hagwon Schools combined with their parents overzealous attitudes toward getting their child the best education that money can buy has potential for many different conclusions. Although there are many more outcomes I wanted to discuss 3 main conclusions that are commonplace in the world of the Hagwon.

First "Paycheck + BONUS" - Parents intense urge to over-school their offspring has been around for generations so I can't fault them for that. However a cunning individual can use it to their advantage. Since colleges are VERY hard to get in to there is always a need to teach private lessons. Given your location you could very well supplement or even double your monthly salary by teaching private lessons on the side. But if you remember back to my previous blog entry, I explained that E2 Visas only allow you to work in ONE location throughout the entirety of your year contract. So teaching private lessons is a gamble because it is illegal. So if you are caught that is an immediate termination of your contract, deportation, and a 5 year ban on your allowed presence in South Korea. In the end I say do what you want but don't say that a brotha' didn't warn ya!


Second "A Dime a Dozen" - Since the Hagwon is a private school as opposed to government funded public school there are MANY hagwons that offer educational services. The ratio of hagwons to public schools is around 10:1. That's not to say that this is a bad thing but it warrants a wide range of preference to what After School Academy a parent can enroll their child in. Which leads me into my next conclusion...

Third "Gone like the Wind" - This isn't so much a Conclusion as so much as it is a precursor. Now for whatever reason a Hagwon might have sudden increase or decrease in students. Either way money can be very fickle at times. Thank goodness that my employers aren't shady and they are wholesome people. Which means that I don't have to worry about personal greed getting in the way of me receiving my paycheck on time. Unfortunately is not the case for other teachers working in other private academies who either are not paid on time or even worse, their schools close down because of the lack of funds that this collective migration of students causes.

Now this is the part where selective perception is replaced with my experience of learning about culture and working in a Hagwon myself. In short Hagwons are a Business, and like a business you might see some trends thrive and other trends die out prematurely. And because of this attitude that is kept by the culture I have seen several new attendees enroll or several students leaving around the same time. Seeing this personally I was really unnerved when suddenly my once loud class of 9 students went to a class of 4 in the course of three days. I thought it was maybe something that "I" had done to upset the students or the parents. So I asked my director why did so many of my students had quit the academy? My employer assured me that I was not the problem but the mothers had decided to remove their children simultaneously.

Even though I was relieved that I was not the cause immediately asked myself "Why did the mothers decide this? Why not the fathers? And why all at the same time?"

Luckly these questions can be answered relatively easily. Since Korean culture is mostly homogenous they are first - very reluctant to change and second - they tend to do things collectively. Taking one step further in my probing I found that a most men work very long hours and their wives tend to stay at home. Exposing all of these previous factors about business mentality it was not hard for me to piece together Why this was happening.

In the end it is very hard to combat with a coffee klatch of Korean mothers that make decisions in trends. The power of "Group Think" strikes again! I'm off to study some more. As always Thanks for reading, stay healthy and take care of yourselves.

Joe - OUT!!

My last adventure was a great reminder for me to appreciate all the small things in life both old and new. For instance, one of my friends was cool enough to show me around Itaewon and some of the key places that an expat like myself might enjoy. This conveniently brings up to the topic of shopping.

While looking for new reading materials, my friend and I stopped to get some lunch. Since they were generous enough to pay for the meal I then agreed to go with them to couple of uninteresting touristy type store's. Trinkets aren't really my deal but hey: You gotta pay your debts right?

After perusing through, what seemed to be, a painful onslaught of stores we end up in front of this little gem.



Interestingly enough after reading the sign I became defiant an protested that I didn't want to go in. (You would think that I would appreciate the ONLY store in South Korea with a sign that I could read). And although I didn't have anything against this place the name just didn't register good images in my head. For instance, when I was younger my mother would take me to the Foreign Market in the states. And each time she would force me to go I would attempt to use my secret power to disappear by closing my eyes. However, she always found me....

The reason that I never wanted to go was because I remember her making me try exotic foods that were bland to my adolescent palette. Fortunately now I am careful to stave away from many processed foods that I grew up with.

So the reason that I threw my 23 year-old-man fit was because of an adolesent memory that literally left a bad taste in my mouth. However, after being coxed inside I found the err of my thinking. The "Foreign Market" was filled with AMERICAN FOOD!! Yep, you heard it hear folks. Every so often I become what the French call "Le Dumbass!" I was so excited after leaving that I wanted to show you a picture of all the stuff I got while inside



Now for those of you reading this in the states, this may not seem like post-worthy material. But I tell you this. Trying to fight a cold WITHOUT chicken noodle soup is a crime! Here is a little detailed map to show you how you can get to the Foreign Market in Itaewon.



The address is South Korea Seoul Yongsan-gu Itaewon-dong 132-28 (feel free to copy and paste that into Google Maps if you'd like) but I decided to hook you up with some pictures.



Starting at Point A - You want to come into Itaewon (Stop 630) on Line Number 6. You want to leave out of exit number 3 when you come up to the street.

Then just walk down the street until you see a Dunkin' Doughnuts which will be on the corner (on your right-hand side)This is Point B



Now immediately you will see Sobangseo-gil street. This is Point C. Take a right and go up the hill.



Keep on walking straight and you should be there in about 4 or so minutes of walking. Then BAM! you are at Point D Welcome to Foreign Market!



Alright gang I gotta get going. As always, Thanks for reading and Take care of yourselves. I miss you all very much.

Joe - OUT!!

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to go to one of Korea's most famous restaurants the Songchoo Gamagoll(click for link). This particular restaurant specializes in Galbi, which are short savory butterfly thin beef ribs are served raw but you can cook them quickly on the table grill. Normally I try to stay away from eating meat on a daily basis but every time I eat Galbi it's soo good that I end up eating way too much.



Of course this meal could not have been complete without the thirteen side dishes that came with it. Among these were Korean style mashed potatoes, two types of salad, garlic, stew, rice, lettuce (for wraps) and a traditional sauce to dip your cooked meat in after grilling.




The Menu-------------------------
Gamagoll Galbi (Marinated and Grilled Beef Ribs): 32,000 won / $26 USD
Cheonhaeyeom Galbi (Grilled Beef Ribs Marinated in Mineral Salt): 38,000 won /$31 USD
Teukseon Yukhoe (Sliced Raw Beef): 35,000 won / $29 USD
Naengmyeon (Cold Buckwheat Noodles): 6,000 won / $5 USD

Now at first this might seem a little step but considering the service that you get with your meal is simply amazing. There are many tables throughout this establishment and their is about one waitress to every 3-4 tables. So as are meal was cooking our waitress either came to fill our glasses, flip the meat for us, cut our meat for us, or bring us more side dishes. Which is A LOT for an American like myself who isn't used to seeing this extra effort in a restaurant. And to clarify, when I say 'us' there were nine people in our party that sat down for a meal and we each were tended to. Since the food was replenished after eating (with no charge) you can easily see why I was stuffed :)


How to get there-------------------------
Now the particular restaurant I went to was in Yangju-Si. The address is Gyeonggi-do Yangju Jangheung-myeon Bugok-ri 624-34. To get there you can take the Seoul Ring Expressway, get off at Songchu IC, and go towards Uijeongbu on National Road No. 39.

Local Transportation-------------------------
Bus: Take Bus No. 23 at Uijeongbu Station, Bus No. 360 or 34 at Uijeongbu Ganeung Station, or Bus No. 23, 34, 360, 7724, or 704 at Gupabal Station, and get off at Songchu Elementary School or in front of a Zelkova Tree

Lastly our evening was concluded with some ice cream for the kids and so Soju for the adults. There outside seating is also gorgeous. Where those who would like to enjoy a casual first date might consider moving their meals outside.


When I took this picture I laughed because it greatly identifies the two most important parts of the South Korean diet. The great majority of all the food I have tried has had a spicy option. They will serve Jalapeños or chili peppers as a side dish. While that is easier to pass up if you know the proper phrase you can always enjoy a nice glass of Soju. At first I couldn't stand this drink but I think it has grown on me. It is the equivalent of drinking a sweet vodka.

With that I'm off. I will write again soon. So until then, stay well, be healthy and Thanks for reading!

Joe - OUT!!

So this blog goes out to all of you out there who are either teachers, have kids, or have small infantile siblings. I have noticed that since I've been living and working abroad I've gotten sicker on more occasions than normal. Taking into account my new diet and my new environment I wasn't too quick to point any fingers. However, after some investigating I am confident on whom to blame. It's because of my students!

Understand that children are not the most cleanliest of creatures. They like to wipe their hands and give you a Hi-five in the same motion and think nothing of it. Maybe it's because I am a germophobe but I honestly cringe every time a little kid sneeze's and asks me for a hug. UGH!! It makes me queasy just thinking about it.


As a result of this never ending waves of sickness, that my students pass off to me, I had to make a video about what had happened to me the other day while I was teaching class. It was a moment where all speculation of "I wonder if I'm sick" turned into "Yeah, I know I'm sick." And since I've been spending some quality time with my friends Chicken Noodle Soup, Vitamin C and The Bed I thought I would make a short video for ya!

Sick...Again from Joey Johnson on Vimeo.

While living and working abroad I have noticed that I've been getting sick at a higher rate that usual. This video is about kids and germs...enjoy!

I'm back! Please hold all of you applause until the end, please. I'm switching it up in this post. Instead of writing a boring article for you to read I decided to make a boring video....(See? I told you to hold your applause).

But seriously I had a great time at this drum performance regardless of how random it was. And to commemorate this day I have hired a new staff member on the minimalist of wage $0.00 Take that OSHA! The character, Kevin Steel, will be played by myself on my Expat News show. So without further ado lets watch the embodiment of my neurosis fly out of control in: KIDNAPPED!

Everyones favorite neurotic news anchor, Kevin Steel, has returned for another installment of Expat News. While Joe describes a recent drum performance it is ruined by Kevin's interpretation of Joe's story.

So there has been a lot of discussion about South and North Korea's ongoing dialectic that seems to be escalating by the day.

Before I proceed with this tale of "How this began" I assure you all that I AM SAFE and sound.

On March 26th 2010 South Korea lost a naval ship, the Cheonan, after an unexpected torpedo attack. This incident claimed the lives of 46 South Korean sailors and was tied to a North Korean vessel. Mind you that this has been the deadliest attack on this country in the last 2 decades. Needless to say that North Korea's recklessness act has upset many of the local people.

Many of South Korean individuals are insisting that North Korea issue an apology. Instead North Korea has retorted by claiming that if the United Nations continues to tighten sanctions they will have no choice but to have an "all-out war" with South Korea.

Annnnd PAUSE! Now if you read my last blog "Two Sandboxes One Playground" you can probably guess what I am going to say next. Neither I nor the people of South Korea are responsive to such a threat. North Korea is a country that needs help, economic funding and aid. Their country's cries for war are null in its potency when considering that the country of North Korea is suffering from crop failure and mass hunger.



Lee Myung-bak of South Korea (seen above) is the president of South Korea. He often comes under a lot of scrutiny by North Koreans; calling him a "traitor" and "a pawn of the hostile United States."

He really taken off the Christmas Card List when Lee recently made a statement saying that North Korea "should stop wasting money on grand displays and spend the money on its near-starving population."

There's a novel idea. Instead of using all the millions of dollars in aid money that South Korea gives to North Korea for nuclear tests, why don't you play nice and open up some restaurants? And they wonder why President Lee shut off the aid.

In the end I feel that I am directly affected by North Korea's actions. They have managed to do two things that has really rubbing me the wrong way:

1st - They have my messed around and upset my mom. You NEVER mess with a mans mom!

2nd - They broke a very important commandment: "Thou shalt not play with my money!"

After their shenanigans the value of the Korean Won has fallen. That means that when I move my money from South Korea to the U.S. I am taking a literal pay cut. SONOFABI@#$!!

Alright guys...Be Good, Stay Healthy, I'll check back in with you in a couple of days.

Joe - OUT!!

No, no jokes this time guys. I gotta play this one straight. I went to the Demilitarized Neutral Zone (hereby referred to as the DMZ) a couple of weeks ago. I just really had a hard time putting the whole experience into words. When I pull up the pictures on my computer and I get ready to write the words just never came until now. None of the pictures are graphic or anything, but they just leave me asking "Why?"

Looking back, before I had went, I really didn't know what to expect. As a Sociologist you get your fair share of watching and observing Realistic, Gritty and Violent exhibits of human cruelty and exploitation against other human beings. So I felt like I was ready...



I remember that we couldn't get directly to the DMZ but we could go the observatories and see the gate which seals off the main bridge (The Bridge of Freedom) which spans across the Han River and extends from North Korea to South Korea.

While approaching the gate you feel a sort of presence. Not very strong but you automatically feel very small in relation to your significance. I know that's not an easy thing to hear , but it's not an easy thing to say. I felt like an ant in terms of the progression and the hardships that I have endured in my life. Everywhere you look there are ribbons that have either a message written in Korean or English that expressed a thoughtful sentiment or a prayer for unification.





After taking this all in we traveled to the main observatory that hosted a film that discussed the division of the country and the current state of North Korea. And to put it bluntly, these North Koreans really need help. Their farming methods are not adequate to satiate the demand that is produced from its growing population. There are little to no irrigation systems for farming crops or producing a good yield. Hence the massive hunger crises that continue to affect them.



After the film I got up and walked silently around the theater peering out of the its glass windows. Then I saw something that will be burned in my mind forever, and I would like to share it with you. Look at the following pictures and say to yourself 'What do I see?':





- To the left I saw production, prosperity, advancement and growth.

- And to the right I saw emptiness, solitude, desolation, nothing...

Unfortunately that is EXACTLY what I see when I bring up a mental recollection of North Korea and South Korea. Or until they decide to change. That's not to say that they are not trying but I see South Korea continuously lending a helping hand however I see North Korea pushing it away. Now I can understand South Koreans disposition to love them no matter how much North Korea pushes the envelope. When they see other North Koreans they do not see them as an enemy. Instead they see them as brothers that have simply gone astray.



On the car ride back home I could see the Han River on my right. The entirety of its borders are protected by hundreds of individual watch towers that are equidistantly placed and manned by South Korean military. Not to mention their are several fences that are layered on the beaches to ensure any trespasser would have to face a formidable gauntlet. I just had vivid images of my trips to Jaurez, Mexico and witnessing the maquiladoras coming to mind. I didn't feel cold, mad or upset. I was just blank and I simply wanted to know "Why?"