New Blog!

Hey,

Now that I'm no longer in Korea, this blog is over. Please check out my new blog at http://www.jen-smalltalk.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

- Jen

Time Magazine Article on S. Korean Hagwons

I thought this article did a good job of explaining the hagwons in S. Korea.

- Jen

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http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427-1,00.html

Teacher, Leave Those Kids Alone

By Amanda Ripley / Seoul

On a wet Wednesday evening in Seoul, six government employees gather at the office to prepare for a late-night patrol. The mission is as simple as it is counterintuitive: to find children who are studying after 10 p.m. And stop them.

In South Korea, it has come to this. To reduce the country's addiction to private, after-hours tutoring academies (called hagwons), the authorities have begun enforcing a curfew — even paying citizens bounties to turn in violators.

The raid starts in a leisurely way. We have tea, and I am offered a rice cracker. Cha Byoung-chul, a midlevel bureaucrat at Seoul's Gangnam district office of education, is the leader of this patrol. I ask him about his recent busts, and he tells me about the night he found 10 teenage boys and girls on a cram-school roof at about 11 p.m. "There was no place to hide," Cha recalls. In the darkness, he tried to reassure the students. "I told them, 'It's the hagwon that's in violation, not you. You can go home.'"

Cha smokes a cigarette in the parking lot. Like any man trying to undo centuries of tradition, he is in no hurry. "We don't leave at 10 p.m. sharp," he explains. "We want to give them 20 minutes or so. That way, there are no excuses." Finally, we pile into a silver Kia Sorento and head into Daechi-dong, one of Seoul's busiest hagwon districts. The streets are thronged with parents picking up their children. The inspectors walk down the sidewalk, staring up at the floors where hagwons are located — above the Dunkin' Donuts and the Kraze Burgers — looking for telltale slivers of light behind drawn shades.

At about 11 p.m., they turn down a small side street, following a tip-off. They enter a shabby building and climb the stairs, stepping over an empty chip bag. On the second floor, the unit's female member knocks on the door. "Hello? Hello!" she calls loudly. A muted voice calls back from within, "Just a minute!" The inspectors glance at one another. "Just a minute" is not the right answer. Cha sends one of his colleagues downstairs to block the elevator. The raid begins.

South Korea's hagwon crackdown is one part of a larger quest to tame the country's culture of educational masochism. At the national and local levels, politicians are changing school testing and university admissions policies to reduce student stress and reward softer qualities like creativity. "One-size-fits-all, government-led uniform curriculums and an education system that is locked only onto the college-entrance examination are not acceptable," President Lee Myung-bak vowed at his inauguration in 2008.

But cramming is deeply embedded in Asia, where top grades — and often nothing else — have long been prized as essential for professional success. Before toothbrushes or printing presses, there were civil service exams that could make or break you. Chinese families have been hiring test-prep tutors since the 7th century. Modern-day South Korea has taken this competition to new extremes. In 2010, 74% of all students engaged in some kind of private after-school instruction, sometimes called shadow education, at an average cost of $2,600 per student for the year. There are more private instructors in South Korea than there are schoolteachers, and the most popular of them make millions of dollars a year from online and in-person classes. When Singapore's Education Minister was asked last year about his nation's reliance on private tutoring, he found one reason for hope: "We're not as bad as the Koreans."

In Seoul, legions of students who fail to get into top universities spend the entire year after high school attending hagwons to improve their scores on university admissions exams. And they must compete even to do this. At the prestigious Daesung Institute, admission is based (diabolically enough) on students' test scores. Only 14% of applicants are accepted. After a year of 14-hour days, about 70% gain entry to one of the nation's top three universities.

From a distance, South Korea's results look enviable. Its students consistently outperform their counterparts in almost every country in reading and math. In the U.S., Barack Obama and his Education Secretary speak glowingly of the enthusiasm South Korean parents have for educating their children, and they lament how far U.S. students are falling behind. Without its education obsession, South Korea could not have transformed into the economic powerhouse that it is today. (Since 1962 the nation's GDP has gone up about 40,000%, making it the world's 13th largest economy.) But the country's leaders worry that unless its rigid, hierarchical system starts to nurture more innovation, economic growth will stall — and fertility rates will continue to decline as families feel the pressure of paying for all that tutoring. "You Americans see a bright side of the Korean system," Education Minister Lee Ju-ho tells me, "but Koreans are not happy with it."

South Koreans are not alone in their discontent. Across Asia, reformers are pushing to make schools more "American" — even as some U.S. reformers render their own schools more "Asian." In China, universities have begun fashioning new entry tests to target students with talents beyond book learning. And Taiwanese officials recently announced that kids will no longer have to take high-stress exams to get into high school. If South Korea, the apogee of extreme education, gets its reforms right, it could be a model for other societies.

The problem is not that South Korean kids aren't learning enough or working hard enough; it's that they aren't working smart. When I visited some schools, I saw classrooms in which a third of the students slept while the teacher continued lecturing, seemingly unfazed. Gift stores sell special pillows that slip over your forearm to make desktop napping more comfortable. This way, goes the backward logic, you can sleep in class — and stay up late studying. By way of comparison, consider Finland, the only European country to routinely perform as well as South Korea on the test for 15-year-olds conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In Finland, public and private spending combined is less per pupil than in South Korea, and only 13% of Finnish students take remedial after-school lessons.

Koreans have lamented their relative inefficiency for years, and the government has repeatedly tried to humanize the education system — simplifying admissions tests, capping hagwon tuition, even going so far as to ban hagwons altogether during the 1980s, when the country was under a dictatorship. But after each attempt, the hagwons come back stronger. That's because the incentives remain unchanged. South Korean kids gorge themselves on studying for one reason: to get into one of the country's top universities. The slots are too few — and the reward for getting in too great. "Where you attend university haunts you for the rest of your life," says Lee Beom, a former cram-school instructor who now works on reform in the Seoul metropolitan office of education.

But this time, the administration argues, its reforms are targeting not just the symptom of the dysfunction but also the causes. It is working to improve normal public schools by putting teachers and principals through rigorous evaluations — which include opinion surveys by students, parents and peer teachers — and requiring additional training for low-scoring teachers. At the same time, the government hopes to reduce the strain on students. Corporal punishment, an entrenched and formalized ritual in South Korean schools, is now prohibited (although students told me it still happens occasionally). Admissions tests for prestigious, specialized high schools (like foreign-language schools) have been eliminated. Middle schoolers are now judged on the basis of their regular grades and an interview. And 500 admissions officers have been appointed to the country's universities, to judge applicants not only on their test scores and grades but also other abilities.

The Parent Trap
No one defends the status quo in South Korea. "All we do is study, except when we sleep," one high school boy told me, and he was not exaggerating. The typical academic schedule begins at 8 a.m. and ends sometime from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., depending on the ambition of the student. To be sure, some students opt out of this system — those who go to certain vocational high schools, for example. But most cannot transcend the relentless family and peer pressure to study until they drop from fatigue. "It breaks my heart," another teenage boy tells me, "to see my classmates compete against each other instead of helping each other."

Parents remain the real drivers of the education rat race, and they will be the hardest to convert. Han Yoon-hee, an English teacher at Jeong Bal High School in Ilsan, a suburb of Seoul, says parental anxiety is profound. "I suggest to [my students] that they should quit hagwons and focus on school," she says. "But their parents get very nervous when they don't take classes at night. They know other students are taking classes. They have to compete with each other."

Sometimes it's hard to know who is competing with whom — the students or their mothers. In 1964 a school entrance exam contained a question about the ingredients in taffy. But the exam inadvertently included two right answers, only one of which was counted as correct. To protest this unfairness, outraged mothers — not students — began cooking taffy outside government offices using the alternative ingredient. Eventually, the mothers won the resignation of the Vice Education Minister and the superintendent of Seoul, and several dozen students received retroactive admission offers.

Still, the Education Ministry can point to one recent victory in this long fight: spending on private instruction decreased 3.5% in 2010, the first drop since the government began tracking the figure in 2007. Does the decline signal a trend? Well, Koreans still spent 2% of their GDP on tutoring, even with the downtick. Andrew Kim, a very successful instructor at Megastudy, South Korea's largest hagwon, says he earned $4 million last year from online and in-person lectures. He agrees that the system is far from ideal, but so far he has seen no impact from the reforms on his income. "The tougher the measures," he says, "the more resilient hagwons become." In response to the government-imposed curfew, for example, many hagwons have just put more lessons online for students to buy after hours at home.

Other hagwons flout the law, continuing to operate past the curfew — sometimes in disguise. The night of the Daechi-dong raid, the inspectors I am following wait for the door to open. Then they take off their shoes and begin a brisk tour of the place. In a warren of small study rooms with low ceilings and fluorescent lights, about 40 teenagers sit at small, individual carrels. The air is stale. It is a disturbing scene, sort of like a sweatshop for children's brains.

This is technically not a hagwon but an after-hours self-study library — at least in theory. Self-study libraries are allowed to stay open past 10 p.m. But the inspectors suspect this is a camouflaged hagwon. The students are studying from the same work sheets, and there are a handful of adults who appear to be teachers.

One of them denies any wrongdoing. "We are just doing our own work here," she says indignantly. "We don't teach." Cha, the squad leader, shakes his head. "I've allowed your excuses before, but we're getting too many tips about this place," he says. "It's an open secret in this community that you've been operating illegally."

Afterward, the squad makes a few more stops at other self-study libraries. It finds nothing suspicious. At about midnight, Cha lights a cigarette on a corner and chats with his colleagues. Then they head home for the night, having temporarily liberated 40 teenagers out of 4 million.

— with reporting by Stephen Kim / Seoul

Jen in...The US!

I’ve been back in the US for less than a week. It’s actually a little weird.

For one thing, many Americans are scary! I was probably intimidated by these people already but, having been away for almost two years, it’s now worse. Koreans, whether rich or poor, are not a threatening group. They don’t walk around singing show tunes and flying about on unicorns but, they do look well groomed and they wear a neutral expression or a smile. Most Americans are like this too. They look normal and aren’t scary. But, a good 30% of Americans are very angry looking and rather unkempt looking (the two looks tend to go together). I get nervous around them because the obvious anger makes them appear unstable and unpredictable.

Also, I never realized how awesome the grocery store is. Yesterday, I went to Publix (the biggest grocery chain in Florida) to buy a few items to bake with. I ended up wandering around for like an hour. There was all kinds of great stuff. I was able to buy Cuban pastries, these delicious granola bars, English muffins, cheese that wasn’t $9, and tons of other stuff that I have seen in 21 months. Korean grocery stores also have a large amount of products but, as a Westerner, I’m not really interested in a lot of it. My trip to Publix was great. I almost can’t wait until next week’s shopping trip.

In Korea, I used to tell my students about the wonder that is central air. Koreans are just not that into air conditioning. I’m not sure why. I think it has to do with the winter being so long. But, for whatever reason, Koreans don’t really use air conditioning. When it was hot and I was dying, I would tell the kids about central air. In fact, during the summer, it was what I missed most about the US. Well, now that I’m here, I have to say that central air is even better than I remembered! Every room of my apartment is the same cool and de-humidified temperature. It’s wonderful.

Even though I’m not a parent, I miss Korean style parenting. I have seen little kids in Korea throw tantrums but, usually, the kids are fine. Here, a lot of kids are out of control. On Saturday, I went to get a hair cut. As I was going to pay, I encountered a family. This family had four, dirty kids. I know it’s not the kids’ fault that they are dirty but, it just shows you what kind of people these were. Anyway, the kids were going absolutely wild. They were throwing magazines, shampoo bottles and anything else on display all over the lobby. I don’t expect a zen, spa-like experience at Hair Cuttery but, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that your kids not pelt the other customers with giant bottles of Redken. I gave the mom a very angry look and then eyed her kids like crazy so she would get the hint that I thought it was terrible that her kids were tearing up the place. She got the hint but, she didn’t really do anything about it. She just gave a really half-hearted “Stop that?” to the kids. She didn’t even say it as a statement. Of course, the kids did not stop. If this was Korea, those kids might have thrown a screaming tantrum but, they would not have dared to touch a bottle of shampoo, let alone thrown one across the waiting area.

I also miss the fact that Koreans believe in age appropriate clothing. In general, Koreans are very stylish. But, they also believe in dressing for their age. No fifty-five trying to look twenty-five there. By the same token, there’s no fifteen trying to look thirty-five. Here, I have seen more tarted up teenagers than I care to remember. Seriously, do these parents like having teen girls that look like aging Vegas showgirls? Cover your kids up! Also, my eyes were assaulted by what I assume was a senile woman in a restaurant. She was in her seventies (at least) and her shorts were so short, she was exposing herself. I can’t say for sure how old she was but, she was old enough to have a nurse accompanying her. Maybe we need some ajumma fashion police here to make sure everyone is dressing appropriately.

Anyway, this is my impression of the US so far. It’s been mixed but, I am happy to be back.

My (Ajumma) Hero!

My love and respect of ajummas has grown. I recently had my honor defended by an anonymous ajumma. I was very thankful for her help. Plus, it was hilarious.

It all started when I was walking home during my break from work. As I was walking, a strange man approached me. The man started speaking to me in Korean. I have no idea what he was saying but, I could tell that it wasn’t exactly polite.

As the man was verbally accosting me, an elderly Korean woman swooped in. The lady looked me up and down and decided that I didn’t look like that type of girl. She immediately jumped into Hero Mode.

The woman grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her. She then looked over at the man and gave him a very strong, angry tongue lashing. I don’t know what she said but, she really laid into him. The lady then pulled me away and we walked off, arm in arm, in a huff. She actually walked me the remaining half block to my apartment building. I guess she was worried that the man would follow me.

When we got to the building, I tried to thank the woman. One of the few words in Korean that I know is “thank you.” So, at least I was able to convey that. The lady smiled at me and returned my bow. It was all very cute.

So, thank you, Anonymous Ajumma. You are awesome!

The man is lucky that this lady wasn't around.

(She is Keiko Fukuda. She became a tenth degree black belt in Judo at 98 years old.)

My Dirty Little Secret

When I started teaching English, I thought that I would have to learn more about grammar. I thought I would have to learn all of those little rules about participles, commas, and other stuff that native speakers never really think about. Well, I was wrong.

It turns out that I have another confession to make: Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Korea has made me a worse English speaker.

I know that it seems like I would have become better at English. It really does seem that way. But, no, I didn’t. I have actually become worse at speaking, reading and writing English.

There is a logical reason for this though. I spend my days hanging out with children who do not really speak English. Yeah, we can communicate but, not in the normal way. I can’t walk into one of my classes and just start speaking normal, everyday English. They wouldn’t understand me well enough for that.

Some classes can’t even tell what language is being spoken if two native English speakers speak to each other in normal English. Those kids are very low level and need to be spoken to very slowly and very clearly. Plus, they don’t understand things like contractions or even words like “yeah” instead of “yes.”

In addition to the kids being low level, Korean and English have very different grammar structures. This results in the kids not understanding sentences sometimes. It’s just backwards to them. Also, Korean doesn’t really use articles. So, nothing like “the” or “a.” This leads to the kids either not using articles or using them improperly.

You can see how I have to speak differently to the kids. I have to speak very slowly, very clearly, and, sometimes, I have to change the sentences to get the kids to understand me. This leads to conversations like this:

Student: Teacher, I no do homework today.

Me: Why didn’t you do your homework?

Student: Uhhhh....(blank stare)

Me: Why you no do homework?

Student: Oh, I busy. I go to grandmother’s house.

Me: You have fun at grandmother’s house?

Student: Yes, Teacher.

Me: You eat good food at grandmother’s house?

Student: Yes. Grandmother cook many delicious foods.

Me: Good. Please do homework for next class.

See? Yeah, we had a conversation about the homework and his visit to his grandmother’s house but, it was not in any way grammatically correct. Every high school English teacher (cough*Priscilla*cough) is having a mild stroke right now. Having to speak this way for almost two years had made me a worse English speaker.

I have taught kids of various English levels. There was one term at my old school where I taught really fluent students. Several of them had lived in English speaking countries so, they could speak English well. Of course, they had accents (a few actually did not have any accent whatsoever in English) but, they were great. They could read, write, and speak at their grade level. That, however, only lasted for one term. Every other term, my kids have been much lower level.

I taught one class where my students were so low; all I did was teach them vocabulary. Twice a week, I would go over lists of words with them. My job was to get them used to the foreign accent and to help them with pronunciation. They couldn’t speak to me at all. I had one student, Betty who could only say “Hello Teacher!” It was cute. She would randomly yell “HELLO TEACHER!” during the class. Also, this class was so low level, the kids couldn’t even ask me to go to the bathroom. They would just cross their legs, fidget, and look at me all sad until I said “Go!” I had to learn to be on the lookout for this because they would never say a word to me.

As a result of speaking to the kids, I have found myself using incorrect grammar. I will forget to use articles or I will speak in a strange rhythm that only makes sense with small, Korean children. Plus, I have picked up some of the kids’ slang words.

For instance:

Next Next

definition: The ____ after next

example: I will go on vacation next next week.

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Last Last

definition: The ____ before last

example: I went on vacation last last week.

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So-So (This is a real word but, it’s uncommon in the US)

definition: ok

example: My day has been so-so.

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My reading and writing have gotten worse from reading the kids’ essays. I have to read their writing and go after it with my red pen. In order to edit the essays, I have to understand the thoughts behind the writing. So, I have gotten used to not only understanding what the student meant but, I now have a hard time finding the mistakes because I understand it so well. I just mentally rearrange the words and add in anything that is missing so I can understand. This makes it hard to find the actual mistakes on the page. It also makes me write things strangely. I have to edit one blog entry multiple times for it to make sense and there are still mistakes in it.

So, in conclusion, I’m sorry if I see you in the US and I speak to your strangely. It’s not that I think you’re too slow to handle a normal conversation; it’s that I just can’t shake my English teacher voice.

This is the logo and slogan for Isaac Toast, a chain of sandwich shops. Their slogan totally makes sense to me now.

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This also makes sense to me. I had to read it several times to find the mistakes.

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Side Note: I’m going back to the US on Wednesday, August 31. I haven’t yet decided what will happen to the “Jen in Korea” blog.

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Packing Myths

When I was thinking of coming to Korea, I did a ton of research. I read articles, blogs, recommendations, etc. While I was researching what to bring to Korea, I came across a few things that turned out to be untrue.

I read that Korea did not have chocolate. Well, it does. It has a large variety of chocolate. There is Korean chocolate, American chocolate, European chocolate, etc. There are some types of chocolate that you can’t find. For instance, I have never seen a Reese’s peanut buttercup in Korea but, there are many other brands to choose from. You are always able to find chocolate in Korea.

I also read that Korea does not have deodorant. Korea does have deodorant. There are men’s, women’s, roll-on and spray deodorants. Now, there are not American brands of deodorant. That is true. Plus, the deodorant is more expensive here than in the US. But, there is deodorant in Korea. If you don’t bring enough with you, you can buy deodorant here. It’s not unavailable.

Many websites claim that Korea does not have spices. This is simply not true. Koreans cook and Koreans eat. Therefore, Korea has spices. You can easily find salt (many different types), pepper (again, many different types), basil, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, paprika, parsley flakes, bay leaves, mustards, oregano, curry, chilis, garlic, onions, and many other spices.

While you can find a bunch of different spices, you will not be able to find spice blends. This, however, makes sense. I don’t see Koreans using Mrs. Dash or Old Bay seasoning in their cooking. I assume that this is where the “Korea doesn’t have spices” myth came from.

One giant myth I read about was that Korea didn’t have *ahem* ladies’ products. This was really confusing to me. It seemed to me that anywhere that has women would have these products. But, I read this on several different sites so, I thought that there must be some sort of problem if so many people wrote the same thing.

Korea does have ladies’ products – tons of them! Just like in the US, there is a whole store aisle devoted to them. Plus, during peak shopping hours, there are clerks in that aisle, waiting to assist you with choosing the perfect product. The clerks even have these catalogues with samples of various items to show you in case you aren’t sure of what to buy.

Another product that I heard didn’t exist in Korea was syrup. This too is a myth. You can find both real maple syrup and generic, plain pancake syrup. Now, the maple syrup is pretty expensive but, it’s expensive in the US too. So, either place, you pay extra for it.

When I look back at the myths I read, I have to wonder what these people were thinking when they wrote this. All I can think of is that these people were somewhere out in the country and unable to shop at normal stores. Or, possibly, that these people were just being super picky about their brands. Yes, if you will only use a certain brand, you may not find what you wanted. Thus, you may start to think that Korea simply doesn’t have your product. In my 21 months in Korea, I have never been unable to find a general sort of product. Of course, I have been unable to find a certain brand that I prefer but, I have always been able to find a similar variation.

I like this brand of chocolate. Lotte brand products are widely available all over Korea.

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Nivea is one of the most common brands of deodorant here.

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This syrup is like Aunt Jemima or some other cheap grocery store syrup in the US.

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Superstitions

Everyone has superstitions and urban legends. In the US, we have the number 13, black cats and, giant alligators in the sewers. Korea, on the other hand, has the number four, names written in red, and fan death.

Koreans are superstitions about the number four. The reason is that the word for four, 사, (sa) is pronounced the same as the word for death. As a result, many people associate the two. So, some Koreans will refuse apartments and hotel rooms on the fourth floor. This often leads to them being cheaper. Also, some people will not sit in seat #4 in a row at a theater.

Some buildings do not label the fourth floor. In the elevator, the fourth floor will be represented with an “F” on the elevator button. Also, some buildings skip the floor entirely. The numbers will just go from three to five.

Many people here do not like it if you write their name in red ink. The reason for this is that red ink is only used for names of the dead. This is done when recording deaths in a family registry or when printing things for a funeral. It upsets living people because they are getting treated like they are dead.

Names written in red is definitely a superstition that teachers need to be aware of. Once, I was at school and wrote some kids names on the board in red markers. I didn’t know that this would be an issue for them. I just wrote their names in red because they were being loud and I happened to be using a red marker. Well, that was a BIG mistake. The kids went absolutely nuts. One kid looked close to tears. I finally got the kids to calm down by convincing them that it didn’t count because I had just written their English nicknames in red, not their actual Korean names. Thankfully, children are easily swayed.

Now, I only know of one Korean urban legend. It is Fan Death.

Fan Death is when someone dies because they fell asleep close to a fan in a hot room with closed windows and a closed door. There are a ton of theories as to why this is thought to happen: suffocation, dehydration, hypothermia, hyperthermia, etc. The people whose deaths tend to be attributed to this the most are the elderly, young children, and the intoxicated.

Many people will defend this as legitimate science. Personally, I am skeptical. Living in South Florida, with its super hot temperature year round, it seems that if this were true, it would happen a lot in South Florida. Also, it seems like sleeping in a shut up, very hot room could kill someone with or without a fan. Plus, the people who are most susceptible to fan death (the elderly, young children, and the intoxicated) are also the most susceptible people to die in their sleep anyway. I guess it doesn’t matter either way. If it’s true, people are taking the necessary precautions. It it’s not true, it doesn’t matter what you believe.

So, if you come to Korea, don’t take that hotel room on the fourth floor, don’t write anyone’s name in red, and don’t use a fan.

ABABO

In the West, you often hear people say things like “Well, I’m a Gemini so, it’s like I’m two people!” (Which I guess means that they suffer from multiple personalities.) In Korea, zodiac signs aren’t really used. Instead, blood types are used.

The idea is pretty similar to the zodiac. Blood types are supposed to govern your personality. Also, certain blood types combinations do better in a relationship than other combinations.

Take a look for yourself and see if your blood type matches your personality.

Blood Type A
Positive Traits: Conservative, introverted, reserved, patient, punctual and inclined to be perfectionists.
Worst Traits: Obsessive, stubborn, self conscious and uptight.

Referred as ‘farmers’ in some descriptions, Type A’s are said to be considerate of others and loyal to a fault. They can also be secretive and reluctant to share their feelings. Apparently they don’t hold their liquor well, either.

While outwardly calm, they have such high standards (perfectionists) that they tend to be balls of nerves on the inside. Type A’s are the most artistic of the blood groups. They can be shy, are conscientious, trustworthy, and sensitive.

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Blood Type B
Best Traits: Animal-loving, creative, flexible, individualistic, optimistic and passionate.
Worst Traits: Forgetful, irresponsible and self-centered.

Referred to as ‘hunters’, Type B’s have very independent natures and tend not to be concerned about what other people think of them. Although often described as shallow and lazy, they can be quite passionate about the things they hold dear. Patience is not their strong suit either.

Type B men have acquired a very negative reputation in Korea and are not considered by many to be good husband material. Often described as ‘players’, they are perceived as being selfish and mercurial, quick to anger and not terribly reliable. That said, their bad boy image makes them very attractive to women, but not for the long term. (Type B women do not share in this bad rep, for some unexplained reason).

Goal oriented and strong minded, type B’s will start a task and continue it until completed, and completed well. Type B’s are the individualists of the blood group categories and find their own way in life.

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Blood Type AB
Best Traits: Cool, controlled, empathic, introverted and rational.
Worst Traits: Aloof, critical, indecisive and unforgiving.

Referred to as ‘humanists’, Type AB’s are said to be controlled more by their heads, than by their hearts. They are rational, good with money, but unpredictable. Although inclined to be distant, they prefer harmony and as such, work well with mediators. Some consider them two-faced, and therefore untrustworthy.

Type AB’s are the split personalities of the blood groups. They can be both outgoing and shy, confident and timid. While responsible, too much responsibility will cause a problem. They are trustworthy and like to help others.

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Blood Type O
Best Traits: Ambitious, athletic, robust and self-confident.
Worst Traits: Arrogant, insensitive, ruthless and vain.

Referred to as ‘warriors’, Type O’s are viewed as natural leaders and are often, also, natural athletes. They tend to be outgoing, expressive and passionate, but can also bore others to death with their obsessive drive for success coupled with their absolute convictions that they are winners. This certainty that they will always win explains why they aren’t afraid to take risks or gamble. They have a strong physical presence and are unlikely to ever be overlooked.

Type O’s are outgoing, and very social. They are initiators, although they don’t always finish what they start. Creative and popular, they love to be the center of attention and appear very self confident.

(From TheKoreaGuide.com)

So, baby, what’s your blood type?

The Eye of the Beholder

Female beauty in Korea is a topic that is on everyone’s mind. Here, people believe that no one ugly ever did anything good and no one beautiful ever did anything bad. This is reflected in the way women dress, all the time. It’s not unusual to see a mom in heels, full hair and makeup, and a party dress at the grocery store, with the baby, at 11am on a Tuesday. Even if you do see a mom in sweats, those are expensive, coordinated sweats and the hair and the makeup are impeccable. Plus, she’s probably wearing heels.

That said, the Korean standard of female beauty is a little odd by Western standards. Some of it is the same. But, some of it is a little strange to us.

The biggest thing that a Korean woman is judged by is her body. This is right in line with the Western standard of beauty. However, the preferred body structure is a little different. Korean women, ideally, would like to be about 5’3” to 5’6” and very slim. Koreans like a level of slenderness that is nearly impossible for any non Asian woman to achieve. It is a slenderness that is pretty much a combination of both genetics and diet. It’s hard to be that thin and not have the genetic predisposition towards incredibly tiny bones and absolutely no muscle. Basically, the ideal body structure is that of a 14 year old girl or a short runway model. Things like implants are pretty much unheard of in Korea. They do plastic surgery like liposuction and calf muscle shaving for skinnier legs.

The next biggest thing that Korean women are judged by is their skin tone. Koreans like pale skin. In this aspect, Koreans are very different from Americans. In the US, tan skin is worshipped. Americans spend billions on spray tans, tanning beds, bronzers, etc. Koreans find this hilarious! I’ve mentioned American tanning habits to Koreans and their response is always something like “People pay to get tan? But, the sun is free! Why are they spending money on this?” Koreans actually do the opposite. They spend their money on sunscreen, skin whiteners, and parasols.

I like the Korean preference for fair skin. At home, in South Florida, I get a lot of comments about my skin – none of them complimentary. In Korea, people like my skin tone. In fact, the ladies at HomePlus (like a Super Target) go out of their way to help me maintain my pasty pallor. In the spring, when I was shopping for sunscreen, I was at HomePlus trying to read the labels on sunscreen. As I was looking at a bottle of SPF 30, a clerk approached me. She didn’t say a word. She just took that bottle of SPF 30 out of my hand and put it back on the shelf. Next, she took a bottle of SPF 50 from the shelf and put it in my hand. She then gave me a satisfied smile, bowed, and walked away.

The HomePlus ladies also try to sell me whitening creams and lotions. I once even had a student ask me what whitening cream I use. Apparently, the school sent out emails to the parents with a picture of their child’s teacher and a short bio. The little girl’s mom liked my coloring and wanted to know which products I use. (For the record, I just use a parasol and sunscreen. I don’t use the whitening creams.)

The last thing a Korean woman is judged by is her face. The Koreans have sort of a strange facial preference. They like the V Line. A V Line is, basically, a heart shaped face. It’s someone with a wide forehead and a pointy chin. Think of Reese Whitherspoon. Koreans spend a lot of money on plastic surgery to make their jaws and chins fit the V shape. I’ve never heard so many comments on face shape in my life.

This preference also leads to strange pictures. Korean girls love to take pictures either making a kissy face or with their hands on their cheeks. They believe that this makes their chins look pointier.

Another aspect of Korean beauty is the size of the face. Koreans like a small face. It’s actually a little strange to hear things like “Teacher, you have a very small face!” At first, I thought the kid was making fun of me, like when I would tell my brothers that they have big heads. No, it turns out that the kid was giving me a compliment. She likes my small face.

Koreans, like Westerners, prefer big, round eyes. I find this a little odd because, naturally, this isn’t what most Koreans have. I guess people just always want what is rare and different. A huge percentage of Koreans (male and female) get surgery done to their eyes. The most popular is eyelid surgery to get a double eyelid.

A double eyelid is something that pretty much every non East Asian person is born with. Apparently, I’ve had one my whole life and didn’t even know it. Only about 15% to 20% of East Asians have it. Basically, a double eyelid is this extra little crease in our lid area, right about the lashline. It’s only visible at certain angles but, Koreans go crazy for it. They feel that having this little extra crease enhances the eye. Personally, I can’t really tell. I can tell when someone has had their eyes made larger (through a creepy incision at the corner of the eye) but, I can’t spot the double eyelid despite the fact that I have one. To me, it makes no difference. But, it’s a hugely popular plastic surgery here.

Another aspect of the face that Koreans like to reshape is the nose. Koreans like a “high nose.” I’m not exactly sure what this means. I do know that Korean women spend a lot of money on surgeries to get the bridge of the nose made more prominent. In the US, people don’t usually pay to get larger noses so, this preference is a little different than Western ideals.

The overall effect of these surgeries is a little jarring. The women who really go all out end up looking sorta like half Asian Stepford wives. They are pretty but, in a strange way. The larger eyes and bigger nose make them look more Western but, they still kinda look Asian too. It’s confusing.

Now, what does this mean for foreigners? Well, not a whole lot. Basically, if you’re considered attractive in your home country, you’ll probably be considered attractive here too. You’ll just be considered a little fatter here than at home.

Before and After the Double Eyelid Surgery

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A Double Eyelid Kit

It has tape and an applicator to create a temporary double eyelid.

(Edit: People have pointed out that this particular kit is from Japan. I knew that. The writing on the package is Japanese, not Korean. I have seen double eyelid tape in Korea. I just couldn't find a pic online. I feel weird taking pics of double eyelid tape at a store or buying the tape to take pics of at home. )

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Applying the eyelid tape

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A Korean singer and the surgeries she is rumored to have had.

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Miss Korea 2006: Before and After

(Edit: It has been pointed out this is not the same person. I don't know if this is true or not. I stole the graphic from another website. )

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Edit: Many people have complained that the eyelid tape I had was from Japan. Well, here is eyelid tape from Korea. I'm not sure what this really changes but, it has hangul on it.

Confession

I think it’s time for me to make a confession. My mom’s just going to out me when she gets home so, I might as well do it. Here goes:

I, Jen Small, walk around Korea carrying a parasol. I know what you’re thinking. No, I don’t also dress like this:

or this:

I just wear my normal clothes and carry a parasol. It’s really not that odd. Lots of women in Korea use them. Since my parasol folds up to a very small and portable size, it’s actually a very practical item. Sunscreen is expensive here and it’s sticky and sorta medicinal smelling. Also, the population is generally fair skinned. Plus, most Koreans live in big cities where they walk a lot and use public transportation rather than drive. So, with all of these factors, a parasol is a practical way to protect yourself from the sun while walking around the city. I still use sunscreen but, if I’m just walking to work or doing something else quickly, I will use my parasol as sun protection.

I know you may have a few questions so, I will attempt to anticipate and answer them.

• Yes, I will be taking my parasol back to the US with me. So, you will all get a chance to see it. Plus, I plan on continuing to use it in the US.
• Yes, many Korean women do use parasols.
• No, I am the only foreigner that I have seen with a parasol.
• Yes, Korean women do give me approving smiles when they realize that I am a foreigner carrying a parasol.
• Yes, I do win a ton of brownie points with the ajummas for carrying a parasol.
• Yes, parasols are inexpensive and easy to find in Korea.
• Yes, other foreigners do mock me for carrying a parasol. I get called “Scarlett” a lot. (They’re just jealous because I won’t get wrinkles from sun damage.)
• No, umbrellas and parasols are not the same thing. My parasol is made of fabric not umbrella material. It is not water-resistant in any way.

Ok, now that I have that off my chest, I feel totally free to continue my parasol use back in the Western world.

A Korean lady with a parasol.

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A picture of me from the back with my parasol. I'm on the right. I have pointed out two other parasol users in the picture.

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Pics from Jeju

My mom and I took a now infamous trip to Jeju Island this past week. The trip is infamous because, apparently, a bit of a rumor started that we died during Typhoon Meari. I'm here to tell you that we did not die, drown, or get washed away in a flood. We did, however, get rained on several times and we had to walk around with umbrellas in our purses. It was actually a blessing that there was so much rain. The lingering effects of the typhoon kept the weather very overcast thus preventing me from getting seriously sunburned. Also, I think that it helped to keep the warm weather in check.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the geography of South Korea, here is a map. I highlighted Jeju Island.

Here are some pictures from our trip.

Here is my mom in the medical center at Gimhae Airport, Busan's airport. My mom forgot her blood pressure medicine in Daejeon so, she had the nurse check her blood pressure.

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The ocean from really far away. I was standing on a bridge when I took this. The ocean is in the background.

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A river by our hotel

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The resort area we were staying at was on a cliff. The beach was at the bottom of the cliff. So, we had to climb down a series of stairs to get down the cliff to the beach.

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The view from the staircase.

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A tunnel on the staircase to the beach.

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The beach

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Cheonjeyeon Waterfall

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A show at the Africa Museum.

My mom and I kinda wondered if these people were really African or just black English teachers that were recruited to star in the show.

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