你好, Taipei
13 Feb 2011 1 Comment
in International Travel, photography Tags: China, foreign, International, Night Markets, other cultures, photos, Taipei, Taipei 101, Taiwan, Travel
The view from the outdoor observatory of Taipei 101 on the 91st story of the second tallest building in the world.
Walking through Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, the city attacks your senses with its sites and smells. Ducking through the night market alleys stinky tofu, pollutes the air. Turning down Snake Alley, caged vipers await their fate as Taiwanese and tourists alike drink their venom, blood, urine and bile to accompany their meal of cobra soup. Lured into Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist temples by the gathering crowds the strong scent of a thousand ritually burning incense sticks stings your nostrils. Relief comes moments later in the sweet smell of the citrus fruit the masses have offered as gifts to the temple.
Even as my head spun with this sensory overload, I found the three days I spent in Taipei were anything but overwhelming.
All to often a short travel experience can be an overwhelming one. With only a few days, or sometimes, a few hours, adventurers pressure themselves into over-stuffing their schedules. People will complain that there is so much to see and so little time. And sadly, even with all the best intentions, instead of seeing everything, the time-crunched traveler will see nothing. Worse yet, they will experience and learn nothing.
Not so in Taipei, where a fast, clean subway system carries you swiftly to night markets and temples. Where signs clearly marked in Chinese and English direct you from station exits to tourist destinations. Best of all, a visitor to Taipei will find it difficult to be burdened by time tables and schedules as every block offers a glimpse into different aspect of Taiwanese culture.
The National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum in Taipei holds the world’s largest collection of Chinese historical artifacts and artworks. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside.
The National Palace Museum in Taipei holds the world’s largest collection of Chinese historical and cultural artifacts and artworks spanning more than 8,000 years. After World War II, as the Communist army was driving out the Nationalist army and government out of China, the Nationalist government made the decision to move their collection of Chinese historic artifacts and artwork to Taiwan for safekeeping. Unable to bring everything, the government sent 3,000 crates of the best pieces. By the time it arrived in February of 1948 the Communists had seized the remainder or the collection. Later, the ousted Nationalist government would become the current government of Taiwan, officially, the Republic of China, and the 3,000 crates of history would become the beginnings of the National Palace Museum.
Most westerners, myself included, do not have an appreciation or understanding of the depth of Chinese history and culture. Walking the halls of the museum is a good place to find one. Some of the highlights include ornately detailed copies Tibetan Buddhist sutras, sublimely beautiful landscape paintings, and an inspiring 12 foot bronze Buddha statue. The museum’s permanent displays include a rare book collection featuring original historical documents from various emperors and dynasties. Looking at these documents I got the feeling it was akin to viewing the Magna Carta, but I believe you need to read Chinese to truly appreciate it. Other collections include jade sculptures and jewelry, bronze work through the centuries and intricate examples of Chinese woodworking.
Temples
- At Baoan Temple, worshipers payed respects to deities from Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and local folklore.
A trip to Longshan Temple or Baoan Temple begins to show some of the religious forces at work in Taiwanese culture. Locals come here to worship a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and folk gods. At Baoan Temple this blend of Eastern religions is especially apparent. At this temple, a four-story modern building in the rear of the grounds houses statues and idols of different deities on each floor.
We were fortunate enough to explore these temples during Chinese New Year, when thousands of people poured in and out, bringing gifts and burning incense. Worshipers would fight the crowds and walk from statue to statue, room to room, placing a handful of lit incense sticks to their third eye (burning end out, of course) and bowing three times.
Local Flavor
A vendor sells crispy fried potatoes at the Shilin Night Market, the largest night market in the city.
To live a bit of the local lifestyle, we took to exploring the night markets. Shilin Night Market is the largest in the city. Mostly consisting of food vendors and carnival games it seems locals and tourist alike come to enjoy the available feast and festival. The fresh blended fruit juices alone – pineapple, mango, strawberry and coconut – make it worth a trip. For dinner, grab a sausage on a stick from any vendor or try to “guess the animal bits,” at another. For desert grab stick of sugar glazed strawberries or cherries as a cart passes by. The more adventurous eater can follow the pungent aroma that fills the air to any number of stands selling stinky tofu, a local favorite of tofu fermented in bile and fried on the spot.
While Shilin may be the biggest night market, the Hwahsi Street market is Taipei’s most notorious. Colloquially known as “Snake Alley” this covered alleyway lives up to its moniker. In addition to its massage parlors and jewelry stores, the market is home to an unusual assortment of reptilian restaurants. Here, you will see not only snakes of all kinds – from king cobras to anacondas – but turtles and lizards too, waiting for their turn to become a delicacy. A graphic video shows how the bodily fluids are extracted from the live creature before it is unmercifully killed and made into soup and stew. If you’re not put off by the video, a vendor is right there to sell you the full meal deal – snake soup with 5 different shot glasses each filled with half grain alcohol and half reptile juice – blood, venom, urine, bile and sperm. Just like mom used to make it.
Taipei 101
Taipei 101, the world's second tallest building was designed to look like a bamboo tree, representing Taiwan's rapid and sustained economic growth.
Taiwan, along with Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea, make up the Four Asian Tigers — four nations whose economic growth in the second half of the 20th century made them models for developing nations. Taipei 101, the true landmark of Taiwan is a monument to that growth. The second tallest building in the world rises 508 meters and 101 stories into the sky. Built to resemble bamboo, the design represents the rapid growth of Taiwan and nation’s aspiration of sustaining it.
We spent our last morning in Taipei looking out over the city from the observation deck. From here you can see the city is nestled between lush green mountains on three sides and follows the path of its rivers toward the sea. The city below gives little hint of its historic and cultural depth or of its Chinese origins. No, you have to be on the ground to get that picture. Nor, do you see the modern struggle of the island: its occupation by Japan, its split with the mainland communist government, its escape of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution and its transition to democracy. From 91 stories up all that seems but the fertile soil that gave rise to Taiwan’s modern prosperity and to Taipei 101.
After descending in the elevator, back to street level, it becomes clear again. There is no bamboo without the soil and there is no economic miracle without Taiwan’s cultural origins and modern struggles. And thank Buddha, Confucius and Lao-Tzu for that because without either one Taipei may not be the compelling destination I found it to be.
Playground Politics with North Korea
26 Nov 2010 2 Comments
On Tuesday afternoon, I stepped off the plane into Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, South Korea after an eleven-hour flight. At first glance there was nothing different about the day, or the travelers. Most people waited patiently in line for security, or sat patiently in chairs to board. Their faces had the same stoic, even bored expression I’ve become used to in Korean airports. The only sign of trouble came from the flashing images on the television screens, positioned at every gate. Cell phone cameras captured fuzzy images of burning buildings. Small South Korean patrol ships fired artillery and machine guns into the distance. A barage of rockets flew from a series of trucks. A computer recreation showed patrol boat paths, artillery firings and a rocket destroying a North Korean bunker. Kim Jong Il stood in front of a gathering of military personnel and applauded.
Clearly, something important was happening. Yet, because all the information was in Korean, I had no way of knowing exactly what it was. I was reassured only by the normalcy of the people around me. There was no panic. There wasn’t even surprise.
Later that night when I finally got home, I wasn’t shocked to learn that North Korea had shelled a South Korean island in the West Sea. I was even less surprised when I discovered the circumstances.
Since the end of the Korean war, this area of the West Sea has belonged to the South. But, this designation has been disputed by the North, as it lies above the 38th parallel (the line demarcating the North from the South on the peninsula). This area has been the sight of clashes in the past, including the sinking of a South Korean Corvette class naval ship in March of this year which killed 46 sailors.
Small naval drills had been scheduled to take place in the disputed area on Tuesday. Recently, North Korea has warned the South over other naval drills. When South Korea and the US held joint naval exercises — twice in the past few months — the North called them acts of war. So, to learn that the North had again warned the South again (prior to the attack), this time over small drills in a disputed area, was unsurprising.
What has been surprising has been the reaction to the event. The response in the US news has, as usual, been one of shock and fear. Shock at the audacity of the attack and fear of what will come from it. However, after understanding the events surrounding the attack — the drills, the warning, the location — any shock certainly must be feigned.
Kim Jong Il is a megalomaniac who holds on to his power only through propaganda at home, a close reputation with China and a wildcard reputation in the international community. When he acts in accordance with his own pattern and nature, no one should be surprised. Especially when such behavior has earned him appeasement aid in the past and an uncertain succession lies in his near future.
Yet, the only people who are acting rationally about it are those with the most reason to fear — South Koreans. The citizens, not the government. Talking with friends and co-workers here, they mention ways to reign in the threat by restarting an unconditional aid program and to be better prepared for such incidents by changing their rules of engagement. But no one has really mentioned war. At least, not without chuckling. Here in South Korea, the North is just something they’ve learned to live with — a playground bully with a dead-end future. And the South, they’re the intelligent, aloof student determined to get on with their studies and make something of themselves, even if it means losing their lunch money now and again.
In fact, all the major international players in the conflict are saying they want to ease tension and avoid war. Yet, all the same international players are also setting in motion actions that may lead to war, and at best are not leading away from it. A chasm of hypocrisy is being created between their words and deeds.
China, who earlier this week claimed they did not know ahead of time about the attack, also called for both countries to do more to contribute towards peace. They also refused to condemn the attacks, or offer any economic measures to reign in North Korea, who they tend to see as a buffer zone between the US and themselves.
Understandably, after the attack South Korea hit back, shelling the North with a roughly equivalent and certainly not escalating amount of firepower. But, they have also decided to move naval drills scheduled for this week from the East Sea to the West Sea. Something we know has angered both the North and China in the past. In addition, the US has decided to send an aircraft carrier group to the area as a “deterrent” and to participate in the drills. But, with the North’s past reaction to drills in the area, including using them as an excuse to attack just this week, this seems less like a deterrent and more like a “triple-dog-dare.”
Now, I am certainly no expert on international diplomacy. But, it doesn’t take an expert to know that daring a demented dictator to “just hit me, one more time, and see what happens!” is not a good policy. Those are the politics of the playground, not of nuclear powers. This approach will be especially bad for the US, who has already pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with South Korea, and is just starting to extricate itself from two quagmires on Asia’s other side.
There has to be a better way.
Photo leftovers from Seoul
18 Oct 2010 2 Comments
in International Travel, photography Tags: Changdeok, Korea, Palace, photos, Seoul
Here are some photos from our trip to Seoul earlier this month that I wasn’t able to use in the other posts.
Changdeok Palace:
Also around Seoul:
Bongeunsa Temple: Seoul Searching
08 Oct 2010 3 Comments
in Buddhism, International Travel, Korea, Korean Culture, photography Tags: Bongeunsan, Buddha, Buddhism, foreign, international English teacher, Korea, other cultures, photos, Seoul, Temple
The Bongeunsan Temple rests in the heart of downtown Seoul.
Looking out the 26th story window at the sprawling city below, I saw a lot of what I expected from Seoul: high rises, traffic jams and plenty of young, trendy people. What I didn’t expect to see was a temple tucked in amongst the metropolis with three-story tall statue of Buddha. After spotting the temple grounds from the hotel we had to go explore.
The walkway to the main temple at Bongeunsan.
The Bongeunsa Temple is home to amazing wood paintings and carvings.
Bongeunsa temple was founded in 794. That’s not a typo. There’s no “1″ missing. 794. It has been at the heart of downtown Seoul longer than there has been a downtown Seoul. It has gone through countless renovations and reconstructions over the centuries, but the location hasn’t changed. What I refer to as the temple is really a series of small temples, fountains and gardens on large, lush green grounds. It belongs to the Jogye order of Buddhism, the largest sect in Korea and is one of its main temples. At first I was surprised to find such a large and historic temple in the middle of Seoul and surrounded by skyscrapers. But after seeing it, it makes sense. Living in a city of 12 million, especially one with such a focus on economic growth, it must be hard to live a life focused on detachment, impermanence and righteous living. Judging by the hundreds of lay followers at the temple, Bongeunsa picked the right market for its product. It was just 1200 years ahead of its time.
The main courtyard of the Bongeunsan Temple.
Buddhists from Seoul filled the buildings of the Bongeunsan Temple to read and chant a sutra. The back wall of this building was filled with golden statues of the Buddha.
Lately, I’ve been studying Buddhism. I’ve tried to stay away from learning about the various sects and orders and stick to what they have in common and what we can best guess are the teachings of the Buddha himself. Walking into the temple I was blown away at the wooden architecture, at the juxtaposition of the Seoul skyline and the temple’s tiled roofs. The colors, patterns and carvings abounded. But, I was also dumbfounded. I have been reading about the dharma and the eightfold path, about detachment and impermanence, and now I’m staring at portraits and carvings of warrior-kings, dragons and demons. Where did all this come from?
One of the four devas, or four heavenly kings who watch over Buddhist lands and the Dharma, greets visitors at the front gate.
Then, a few minutes after we arrived, the chanting began. Hundreds of the Buddha’s lay followers had come from the surrounding city and began to chant. Most sat, but some stood, in and around the small buildings reading a sutra together while some people walked to the shrines and lit candles. Over the next half hour the reading would morph into a hymn-like song and back to reading.
As I moved about in this world, amongst people who actually practice a religion that I am merely studying, I was struck by the spectacle. It was a bit like reading the gospels and then going to Catholic mass.
My experience at the temple was fascinating, but not completely transformative. I will not be renouncing all my worldly possessions just yet. However, getting hit with the differences between Buddhist theology and Buddhist practice and the dedication of these Seoul city-dwellers was demonstrative. It showed me that it would be a positive change if we were all a little less attached — if we could all find a temple amongst our bustling lives.
The 23-meter tall statue of Buddha at Bongeunsan is the tallest in Korea.
Wood paintings cover most of the temple, including the ceiling.
The Buddha offers visitors drinking water.
Seated behind a drum, a man reads the paper during a visit to Bongeunsan Temple.
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and reunification?
06 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Expat Life, International Travel, Korea Tags: border, DMZ, Elvis Costello. invisible line, JSA, North Korea, South Korea
Gogeunsan Trail
28 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Expat Life, Jeju attractions, Jeju Life, Korea, photography Tags: abroad, expat, Gogeunsan, hiking, Island, Jeju, Korea, life, Seogwipo, South Korea, trail
Gogeunsan Oreum Trail
Location: on the North side of the 1136 highway on Jeju-do, near the World Cup Stadium.
Distance: .4-.5 kilometers.
Time: 20 minutes up and 15 minutes down.
Taylor poses near the top of the Gogeunsan Oreum.
Jeju Island is home to the tallest mountain in South Korea, Hallasan. Standing 1950 meters, Hallasan is the focal point around which island life revolves. But, surrounding Hallasan, are hundreds of it’s tiny volcanic offspring, called oreums. These small volcanic hills are usually covered in trees and each has at least one trail leading to its peak. Today, Taylor and I took our puppy out to climb one of the local oreums, Gogeunsan.
The short trail to the top of Gogeunsan is a nice 350 meter forest climb up stairs made of railroad ties. Once at the top, clearings allow for great views on all sides. To the West you can see Sambangsan, perhaps the most famous oreum, and the surrounding coastline. To the North there is a great view of Hallasan and to the Southeast, you can see our small seaside city, Seogwipo.
The Southwestern coastline of Jeju, including Sambangsan.
Our small puppy, Sundance, was able to make it to the top of Gogeunsan and back down under his own power.
Hallasan rises to the North of Gogeunsan.
To the Southeast, the sleepy city of Seogwipo.
The Yeongshil Trail
24 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Expat Life, Jeju attractions, Jeju Life, Korea, Korean Culture, photography Tags: expat, hiking, Island, Jeju, Korea, life, Seogwipo, South Korea, trail, yeongshil
Location: Off the 1139 highway on Jeju-do, on the southwestern face of Mt. Halla.
Distance: 7.4 kilometers round trip from the trail head and second parking lot. 12.4 kilometers from the first parking lot.
Time: 3-4 hours round trip from the trail head. 4-4.5 hours from the first parking lot.
The Yeongshil Trail
Life on Jeju is full of opportunities to get outdoors. Usually for me that means going to the beach, climbing rocks and swimming in waterfalls. But, yesterday for my first time on Jeju, that meant hiking.
The trails on Jeju are seemingly endless. The volcanic island was formed by the tallest mountain in Korea, Mt. Halla (Hallasan, in Korean). If you want to hike the mountain, there are multiple paths of varying distance to the top of Halla and to the surrounding ridges. There are also hundreds of smaller oreums, or volcanic hills, each with a short trail to the top. For those who like to hike but hate to climb, there are also around 17 olle trails which offer long, flat routes along the coast and through the inland forests.
Taylor and I chose to hit the Yeongshil trail, which does not summit Mt. Halla, but climbs one of its ridges and is known for the most rewarding views on the island. It ends on a rolling prairie at around 1700 meters, or about 200 meters shy of the summit height.
It wasn’t until we actually left our house and picked up our friend Katrina, that I realized just how woefully unprepared we were for the hike. It turns out that I had left my hiking shoes in our school over the Chuseok holiday and had no way of retrieving them. Katrina, a new Jeju arrival, had yet to buy a pair of shoes. So, we set off to hike, me in my flat rubber soled boat shoes and Katrina in her flip-flops – a sight that would provide comedy for many Koreans throughout the day.
Our hiking gear.
In my early morning, pre-coffee haze, I had also assumed we would pass a gas station somewhere outside the city en route to the trail head. That turned out to be a huge mistake. By the time we got to the lower parking lot, I had driven over 10 kilometers with the gas light on, up hill, in low gear roaring at high RPMs while cursing the Kia ahead of me. So, when there was a line of cars waiting to drive ahead to the second, closer parking lot, I was forced to park. Little did I know that parking at the lower parking lot would add 2.5 kilometers to our hike each way, just getting to the trail head
Once we got on the actual trail, the long walk to get there was immediately worth it. The first few hundred meters are a flat stroll through the woods. After that, the trail can be divided into two parts, the climb and the saunter. The climb begins when you run into a few stairs in the forest. The stairs, as it turns out, don’t stop until you reach the clouds. The majority of the hike is spent climbing vertically over stones, boulders and railroad ties until, an hour later, you reach the flat grass at the top of the ridge. After only a few of those stairs, though, the forest falls away behind you and you are rewarded with views of a quarter of the islands coastline, from due south to due west. As you climb you can also see stunning rock formations that fall into the ravine from which you came.
Taylor and Katrina beginning the climb.
Still climbing...
And climbing...
From the Yeongshil trail you get a view of a quarter of Jeju's coastline.
As the climb starts to level out, you pass again through a small forest. If you aren’t stuck in a marching line of Koreans, you can stick your hands in your pockets and comfortably stroll the next kilometer to the end of the trail, enjoying the close encounter with Mt. Halla along the way.
You can enjoy the view of Halla as your hike levels out for the last kilometer.
The Yeongshil trail heads toward the summit of Hallasan, but does not reach it.
Climbing down the mountain was, of course, more difficult than getting up it. Our creaking knees and aching feet were of much distress to the impatient Koreans behind us. Upon getting back to the car, there was new, or at least forgotten problems awaiting beyond our beat up bodies. We still had no gas. Fortunately, it was all down hill. I started the car, put it in neutral, coasted the car and roasted the brakes all the way back to town and the nearest gas station.
Yeongshil was an excellent choice for our first hike. It wasn’t an easy trail, but the work was rewarded with the views. If nothing else, it reminded me that life here on Jeju can be more than just a day at the beach.
Life on Jeju is not always a day at the beach, sometimes it's a day on the mountain.
Viva Zapata’s
19 Sep 2010 1 Comment
in Expat Life, Jeju Life, Korean Culture Tags: abroad, burrito, diversity, expat, foreign, Homogeneous, Island, Jeju, Jeju City, life, Seogwipo, South Korea, Zapata's
An amateur wildlife photographer documents the foreigners of Seogwipo.
Yesterday, I ate Mexican food. Now, eating Mexican food may not seem that remarkable, but I assure you it is.
Korea is a very homogeneous culture. It may not shock you to know that the people here are overwhelmingly Korean. Unsurprisingly, the food here is mostly Korean too. Our small city of farmers, teachers and taxi drivers it is even more homogeneous than most. Many people in Seogwipo are stunned to even see a foreigner and don’t hesitate to snap photos of them while walking their dog, swimming at the beach, or eating dinner. Koreans act like they need to document evidence in case their friends don’t believe they actually saw a Westerner. In doing so, foreigners in Korea can feel like a rare species of bird, or even a Martian just walking down the street.
But today, in this tiny corner of Korea, I had a burrito. Zapata’s, the tiny taqueria on the North side of the island, doesn’t do Mexican food especially well. It’s more like the Mexican food cooked by a Midwestern housewife: ground beef, mass produced cold salsa (tasted like a Pace variety) and cheese of a square and individually wrapped nature. But that doesn’t mean the burrito was bad. In fact, I say the burrito is good regardless of its taste. It’s a good burrito because any burrito at all means that on this island and in this homogeneous culture, one of two things are happening. Either, there are enough foreigners living here to support the establishment with their business, or Koreans are embracing the food of other cultures. In either case, I consider it a very positive thing. Either way, the people of Jeju are being opened to new cultures, new people and new food. With those come new ideas and new viewpoints. Whether the new ideas are worthwhile is irrelevant. The point of cultural exchange – and, of travel – is to see outside your paradigm in order to learn, understand and grow. It’s good to see that happening on Jeju.
This week is the celebration of Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving. Eating at Zapata’s made me realize what I am thankful for. I am thankful for growing up in a country and a city that respects and accepts other cultures. I tried to imagine how different a person would have to be for me to point them out on the street, or to take unsolicited photos of them, to treat them like wildlife. Or, how strange a foreign food would have to be for me to refuse to try it. At this point, I am fairly certain that there is not a culture on Earth that would cause me to do either of these. And I have my own culture to thank for that.
America at its best is a place where people from all cultures can be at home. Where you can eat falafel for lunch and Chinese food for dinner. A place where your bank teller may be from Japan and your neighbor from Pakistan. And you too, are from someplace else, if you trace it back far enough. But when people move to America, they all become Americans. An amazing and uniquely American phenomenon. In no other country, do you move there and adopt the nationality. In America, you can simultaneously be Iranian and American, or Portuguese-American, or Indian-American in a way that I will never be American-Korean. For this diversity, I am thankful.
Also, I am thankful for burritos.
Online Resources for Teaching Abroad
10 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in Expat Life, Teaching English, Uncategorized Tags: abroad, EFL, English, ESL, expat, helpful links, international English teacher, Korea, life, links, online resources, resources, South Korea, teacher resources, TEFL, TESOL
Here is a preliminary list of helpful resources online for teaching English in other countries. I will be updating this list as I discover more. If you have a link to add, just leave it in the comments section and it will be added shortly.
Complete Resource Websites.
Dave’s ESL Cafe. Dave’s offers one of the best list of job openings, classroom resources for teachers and one of the best teacher and student forums around. A must visit for anyone thinking about teaching abroad.
Total ESL. Total ESL has job listings, resume postings, classroom resources and a teacher’s forum.
TEFL.com Great job postings and classroom resources. Also has good introductory information for those trying to understand what teaching abroad is all about.
TEFL.net Jobs forum, articles from teachers and classroom resources.
Transitions Abroad has complete job listings and resources. What makes this site stand out is the collection of writing from teachers around the world. If you want to learn what teaching is like in general, or what life is like in a specific place, start looking here.
Job Listings:
Dave’s International Job Board: ESL cafe provides job openings in all countries except Korea and China (see next 2 links).
Dave’s Korean Job Board: ESL cafe site for all job openings in Korea.
Dave’s China Job Board: ESL cafe site for all job openings in China.
Post Your Resume at Dave’s ESL Cafe: Post your resume here to take advantage of all the web traffic at ESL cafe.
Serious Teachers: Sign up for Serious Teachers and receive an email every time a new job opens in the countries you are interested in.
Tesall.com: provides job listings around the world.
ESL Job Feed: Job postings from around the world.
ESL Job Find: Job postings from around the world.
English Job Maze: Lets you select job openings by matching your qualifications to the employer’s needs.
Teach Overseas: A Canadian site with job postings from around the world.
ESL News
Teacher Forums:
ESL Cafe
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/index.php
Teacher Forums
ESL Cafe Teacher Forum: Use ESL cafe’s network of teachers to ask about your country of interest, potential employer or other questions and concerns.
ESL Jargon Glossary
ESL Blacklists: Use these sites to research potential employers before accepting a positions. Remember, always talk with current or former employees as well before accepting a position.
When is it acceptable to comment on other cultures?
27 Sep 2010 2 Comments
by mgrager in Expat Life, International Travel, Jeju Life, Korea, Korean Culture Tags: abroad, comment, criticism, diversity, expat, foreign, judgment, Korea, life, other cultures, South Korea
*****
While living in Istanbul, my friends and I had a saying: In Turkey, we have superpowers. They’re called logic and reason.
Now, it isn’t that we don’t love Turkish culture. In fact, there is so much to love: the long, complicated history, the food, the hospitality and their pride in being simultaneously secular and Islamic to name a few. But, that doesn’t mean that they don’t do some downright stupid things as well. That may sound like a sweeping judgment, but it’s really an honest comment made by the accumulation of experiences in Turkish culture. It is general, but does not, obviously, apply to every individual.
A few anecdotes:
In Istanbul, the majority of buildings have marble spiral staircases. In most cases, they save space and bring a unique architectural element to the city. The astounding thing about the staircases, though, is not the shape or material, but the preferred way of washing them. To clean a staircase, one needs only to carry a bucket of soapy water to the top flight, dump it out, watch it cascade to the bottom and let it air dry. I don’t care if my staircase is particularly clean. But, I do care if I’m standing on a lower landing and get pummeled with soapy water. Or worse, someone may leave their apartment in a hurry, only to slip on the soapy suds of death and plummet to the bottom floor. Not to mention that in the freezing cold of winter, letting an ice rink form on top of white marble, is probably not the most forward thinking idea.
Another of my favorite examples is of a painter assigned to paint the walls around a first floor entry way of a hostel. After splattering the walls in the fashion of modern street art, he found that having failed to put down newspaper, the wood floor looked like a Jackson Pollack painting.
Okay, failing to see that outcome could be a simple lapse in judgment…
When one of the Americans staying at the hostel, saw him trying to clean the floor with a butter knife, he offered to buy him some paint thinner. Well, after returning to the hostel, the American goes upstairs, only to come barreling down them moments later when he sees impending disaster on the close-circuit TV. The painter had spread the paint thinner across the entire floor and began scrubbing inch by inch across it. Then, he tried to light his cigarette….
Then there is the wisdom of the police, who fired tear gas into a hospital because a few protesters were running past it. On the same day, they also shot tear gas into a subway station full of normal people at a peak commuting hour because a few unarmed protesters ran into the station to hide.
Some people may think it’s wrong of me to make these comments about another culture, especially one that was extremely hospitable and friendly toward me. They may also say that I can’t say these things and truly love the culture. Lately, I have been running into a lot of these people.
Many times recently, I have been told by people living here on Jeju that I unfairly judge Korean culture. I think what they mean by this is that I comment on things about Korea and sometimes, in a negative way. I would say that’s true. I call things that are negative about Korea negative. I also point out the positive things about Korea, and the neutral things about Korea.
One small example is that people here can be inconsiderate. With a serious lack of parking in this city, one car sees no problem blocking in six others. They may leave their cell phone number on the car, so that you can call them to move it if need be. But, when there is a typhoon raining down and it takes them 15 minutes to get there, this is very little consolation. Then, they may have the audacity to yell at you, because they had to walk in the rain to move their car.
When I comment that this is a poorly planned social system, I’m told it’s just their culture and I shouldn’t judge it.
When an old drunk man uses my car door for his urinal, I’m told drunk old men are a part of their culture and I shouldn’t judge it.
Really, is commenting on these situations as inherently negative beyond my rights? The idea that these are bad things come simply from these questions: Would the driver want someone else to block them in during a rainstorm and take their sweet time to move their vehicle? Would the drunk old man like me to piss on his car? My guess is that they would not.
I travel because I love to learn about different cultures, religions and ways of life. But, does that mean that I have to like everything about them? No. Does it mean that I should remain silent on their lesser aspects? Not at all. Respecting and understanding a culture is not synonymous with being silent toward it. If anything, withholding comment and criticism keeps you from a better understanding because it prevents you from asking the most important question: Why is it this way? Forming opinions about the culture you live in, or travel in, means you are able to use your senses, your experiences, your knowledge and draw conclusions. That, put simply, is thinking. You are not required to shut off your brain when you cross borders. Though, I’ll admit, occasionally it is best to shut your mouth.
So, when are foreigners allowed to comment on other cultures? According to many of the people I’ve run into lately, never. The truth is though, that every culture whether it’s Turkish, Korean, American or Canadian has its good and bad. The best parts about travel – personal growth, increased knowledge, paradigm shifts and cultural exchange – come from understanding both the positive and the negative and how they both came to be. This attitude I’ve run into of take it or leave it, but definitely don’t dissect it, facilitates none of these things.
Without questioning Korean culture, I never would have learned important aspects of it. For example, it’s easy to see that in this country people tend to accept the wisdom of authority unquestioningly, compared with other cultures. You can see this in the attitude of students toward teachers and in teachers toward principals. However, the best place to see it is at the beach. On Jeju, the weather and water stay warm into early November. Yet, you hardly ever see a Korean on the beach, let alone in the water, after September 1st. Why is this? The weather may have been identical at the end of August, but swimming season arbitrarily, yet officially, ends at the beginning of September. And the culture accepts this wisdom.
If you ask yourself why this is, you may start to see elements of Confucianism still present in Korean culture. Accepting the wisdom of authority resembles the Confucian principle of filial piety, wherein respect for elders and those of higher social class, especially ruling class (people in authority) is specifically stressed. Confucianism also teaches that all people should be treated equally in education and rise according to merit. This helps explain why masses of people believe that those in authority know best, or at least better than themselves and generally accept their wisdom.
Most Koreans probably do not consciously think of Confucian principles in their day-to-day dealings. Yet, if you think critically and observe the culture you can still see remnants of that social order. This is just one thing that you wouldn’t learn if you were ethically bound as a foreigner to withhold comment on Korean culture.
So, when can foreigners comment on another culture? My answer is this: You are allowed to comment on other cultures when you are in line with the following things. First, you should have tried to understand the positive and negative aspects of your own culture and country and where they originated. Second, you need to be able defend your comments about the culture articulately. Third and most importantly, you may comment on other cultures when you are not doing it in a hostile or xenophobic way, but have a genuine interest in understanding the culture.
That is to say, when your heart and brain function properly.