Sunday, May 27, 2007

Bobby

One of my new friends that I have been spending time with more is this really grand guy named Bobby. What's unusual about Bobby is that he is African-American, and being black in Korea (no matter what continent) is a totally, TOTALLY different experience. Since Korea, despite how advanced it is, is still devoid of foreigners, being a black man in a homogeneous society is like putting an orange in a basket of apples; he stands out...big time.

And Bobby, well, he's not just a typical black looking dude: he's a big, black dude. With dreads. Imagine being this enormous guy among a group of Asians, who are naturally smaller than the rest of the world (I'm the example of that). In other words, he draws maximum attention. Wherever you go. (Except in Seoul, where Seoul is more of a hub for foreigners)

Me, I'm on the opposite of the spectrum: I draw no attention. I'm small, I'm young looking (store clerks ask me if I am a student myself...sheesh), and I'm Asian. No one expects Asians to ACTUALLY SPEAK ENGLISH. Let alone be an English teacher!

So, when he, James, and I hang out, it is one heck of a funny experience cuz we comprise the foreign rainbow (James is white-American, so he is the politically correct ESL model teacher; Bobby and I are not). Everyone in Korea expects the foreign teachers to be white, but I liked the fact that our recruiting company has started to send more DIFFERENT foreign teachers into the classroom. Going out in public with Bobby is such a culture shock to me because everyone stares at us, and of course, mostly at Bobby. The funniest moments were when these middle school girls walked up to Bobby and asked to touch his hair: they petted it (the dreads), then immediately repulsed in surprise because of the hard surface of the hair. It was like Bobby was an alien from Jupiter, and they were so curious to touch them like he was the first black man to descend on their planet. But the whole time, they ignored me! Since I don't look like the real foreign teacher, they just paid attention to Bobby, and Bobby always teases me about how I get no love from the natives. Then when I start speaking English with the girls, they start giggling because I know English, then I tried speaking Korean with them, and they were shock that I could speak the Mothertongue and were like "whooaaa!" When I even told them I taught at "Yeonsu High School," they were like "WHOOOAA!" (Yeonsu has a good rep)

To sum it up, what I really like about Bobby is his attitude towards his foreigner situation. He is very outgoing, funny, and kind. He lets the little girls play with his hair, or says hi to the little munchkins who walk up to him, or messes with the high school students who try to act hip-hoppish around him for some dumb reason. I remember this old Korean man approaching us, and he started to do this stupid walk (inflating his belly, walking like a giant spider), trying to impersonate a gangster, but we ended up laughing so hard cuz he looked like a moron. But Bobby takes it in stride, which taught me a thing or two because I would probably get more and more paranoid if Koreans kept staring at me all day.

So being foreigner can be odd at times, and even more tougher for an African-American. But Bobby likes to mess with the natives too, like when we enter restaurants he'll yell "ANYONG-HASEYO" with a southern twang, which gets a laugh from everyone. Or he'll mess with the kids by being silly and making stilly faces. In other words, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

"Revenge is Sweet": Soni Scores 2

Last Sunday we had a foreign ministry church Sports' Day. All the foreign ministries were there: Indonesia, our English Ministry, Russia, Vietnam, Phillipines, China, and Mongolia.

We had to team up with Russia so we can make a full team, and we played sports like basketball, soccer, and balloon popping (of course, a Sports' Day is not complete until you have balloon popping).

So, we ended up trouncing China 5-2, me scoring the first goal (but technically, I "stole" the goal because the ball was going in, I just tapped it in). Then, we trounced Team China again in basketball, the scoring being 60-5 (just kidding, but it was a trouncing beyond recognition). For soccer, we had this boy I called the "Russian Rocket," named Sasha, who was skilled and kicked some major tail for us. Then we had this one Kazakh named Raxa who tore it up on defense. So basically, we used Russian imports to steam the Soviet Train to victory.

Then, we had to face Team Vietnam in the finals, and these guys were good, fast, and physical. The Russians on our team were getting really angry with some of the Vietnamese (and its just a church event too!) because of the physicality. The game ended 1-1, going to a dreaded PK shootout.

I volunteered to take the second shot...and I blew it. I shot it straight at the keeper, which I did not mean to do. The Vietnamese crowd were elated. I was not.

We lost the PK shootout 3-1, and the title. It was disheartening even though it was all in due fun. But I had a great time nonetheless.

Fast forward four days later, which is today, Wednesday.

We have our Sports' Day here at Yeonsu High School every year, and one of the favorite events of the day is the Teachers vs. Students Soccer Match, more like Grudge Match 2007. Its an opportunity to watch the students embarass their beloved teachers. I missed the first half of the game, but I got to go into the second half. There was a huge ovation for me coming in the game (because I'm the goofy foreigner who speaks English), and everyone wanted to see how well I do.

5 minutes into the second half...'GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAALLLL!' MARK SONI, dribbles down the middle and slots it past the keeper! Since I never scored a goal in an "organized" game (especially in high school) in my life, I was like, "screw this...I'm celebrating." So I charged down the field with my fists flying in the air, soaking in the moment, and the students were roaring for me. It never felt soooo good.

20 minutes, and almost towards the end of the game, I charged down the field. We're on a counter-attack down the middle, and one of the teachers passes this beautiful pass towards goal, and the keeper is onrushing to get it out. But I manage to poke it past him, while tripping over him. 2nd goal, Mark Soni. We ended up winning 6-3 over the Young Bucks (the students), and I bagged two for memory. The senior students were so enthusiastic that they did the "Togo Dance" with me, the dance that Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo did when Togo scored the first goal against South Korea in the World Cup 2006.

What a day, and Sports' Day 2007 was a success for me. The previous teacher last year did not score a goal. I bagged two. But those goals are for God, because what He has done for me this whole time in Korea.

He was cheering me on too. He also cheers for you when you are trying to play this game called life.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Funny Story Time: "No Foreigners Allowed"

This is probably one of the most funniest moments in my tenure here in Korea:

The Incheon Educational Board invited us to a first come, first served Incheon Free Economic Zone tour in the heart of Incheon City today. So that means I got to leave school early, and I also get a free dinner (who doesn't want free food?)

This time around, unlike Orientation, I got to see and meet a whole rack of new faces, but I also I got to see some familiar ones as well, including my friends Matt (Toronto), Tara (Canada), Dave (Philly), Chrissie (New Zealand) and my friend Bobby (Ohio).

We took a tour of Songdo, an area of Incheon that is being revamped...for billions of dollars. Incheon is growing to become one of the biggest cities in EAST ASIA. This is because of its stategic importance to trade, transportation, industry, and port access. So, Korea is investing billions of dollars in a special zone of Incheon called "IFEZ," or Incheon Free Economic Zone, in a place called Songdo. It is an area designated for investment, commerce, education, and R&D, laced with economic incentives and tax-free commitments. Many foreign and Korean firms alike have committed major investments into the area, and if they live up to their word, everything will become a fancy international city of dynamic proportions.

Unlike the Orientation Tour of Incheon, which was only three spots of Incheon (the stadium, a Joseon Dynasty government village, and MacArthur Memorial), we got to see most of Songdo and the projects being built. Highlights included a boat trip to the Incheon Bridge, scheduled to be finished in 2009, which most of us in the group highly doubt it will be completed on time. (Woodrow Wilson Bridge anyone?)

So, skipping all the boring stuff (which I already laid down on your face anyway, sorry), fast forward to the dinner.

We all eat dinner, relax, meet new people, and prepare to leave. A bunch of us pile into one small elevator, and Bobby (from Ohio) is the last one in. Bobby is African-American, one of the few in South Korea, a fresh new face for foreigner-starved, stereotype-thinking-filled South Korea.

Let me tell ya something, he is hilarious. He says the most funniest things at the most opportune times.

So, here's a bunch of us foreigners packed into one elevator, and we stop at the 6th floor for a pickup. In comes this random white guy, and he smiles at us.

Bobby, being goofy as he is, just calmly, I mean, REALLY calmly, says to the man:

"Sorry, this elevator is for foreigners only."

There was a second pause, because we seriously though that he was serious, but IN UNISON, we erupt in the most raucous laughter ever, and being a closed elevator made it worse.

"BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Basically, Bobby was just acting silly as usual, yet his comment capped week after a long week at work. Ohhh...I couldn't stop laughing for a while. That's my favorite kind of humor, just stupid humor that makes fun of the situation, and Bobby does it again.

God is good, and a gift He gives us is the power of laughter...to keep your spirits up.

I'm also blessed to meet a set of foreign friends who really make it feel like home for you, in a country where humor is as different as two planets on separate ends of the universe. The humor I get at work is as hilarious as a physics lecture given by Al Gore, at 6 in the morning.

Now onto the weekend, and this memory will stay in my brain for a while...

Monday, May 14, 2007

Teacher Appreciation Day/Attack of the Ajumma Part Two!

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day. This is an unique holiday in Korea, well, its not necessarily a holiday, but a special day reserved for teachers of all public schools in South Korea. The students assemble in front of the school, and the head students give flowers to every single teacher, including me! I felt so special because I never have been given that much respect before.

Being a teacher in South Korea is special. It is a position that is held in high esteem. My teachers were asking me today if we had this holiday in America...and I believe we don't. Why don't we give the proper "ups" (respect) to the teachers in our own homeland as they do in East Asia?

Its what we value that counts. In Korea, education is the key to a successful life, and its the same in America too. Yet Koreans just value it more. In a Confucian society like this one, Koreans value a strong, educated mind to produce goods, ideas, and services. An educated person is a fulfilled person, according to their culture. So teachers have the difficult and special task to educate the young minds of Koreans and get them ready for the rest of their lives. However, the role of the teacher in Korea and America I believe is different: Korea is to educate and lecture only, with the relationship between a student and teacher one of servitude and respect. Yet American teachers are special and unique because many are GREAT mentors, and many take the time to get to know their students one on one and help them in their journeys. I think that is a major difference between the philosophy of teacher-student relationships in public schools.

I told my fellow teachers today that since the value system is different, so are the salaries. Korean teachers on average get paid more than their American counterparts. I told one of my English teachers, Mrs. Park Hyun-sook, that a starting teacher in America averages around $22,000 a year. She was surprised when she heard that.

Also, the amount of discipline is different. Korean students, even though no matter how much they goof off in my English-only classes, are serious learners and for the most part, do a good job of learning. They study all day, every day, and misbehavior is frowned upon distinctly. Punishment is physical, even though not harsh, but they do the crime, they pay with pain.

In America, I remember some students in high school cussing at their teachers and walking out the classroom, or kids just doing whatever they wanted like walking out in the middle of the class and go meet their friends, and some just flunk out. Some kids just came to school because they were bored. It was that sad of a situation, and I even went to a suburban high school. Imagine how tough it is to go to and teach at schools in the DC area or other metropolitan zones.

So, today was a great day just because it was special to see how much they value education. Kids will be kids, but in Korea, the respect is there and they know that high school is the time to make it count.

By the way, tomorrow is Teacher-Parent Day, and that means: ATTACK OF THE AJUMMA! Remember my old story of the first "Attack of the Ajumma?" (Check the archives) More are coming tomorrow, so please hope that I do not get approached by these Nagging Villains and Gossip Machines. They are going to do the dreaded conferences tomorrow, a concept that is held in fear worldwide by all teachers.

As for Koreans, ajumma are infamous for scanning a target, analyzing them in their databanks, and preparing some juicy gossip about a teacher. I just kid, but its still fun to conjure up some goofy fears about Korean people.

Even my own students make fun of the Ajumma. My one special kid, Destroyer once said that " an ajumma on a public bus will throw their purses towards an empty seat like a fireball and will make sure they get it." (He even did an impersonation...classic)

If you forgot what an "ajumma" is, let me simplify it for you in American terms:

"Ajumma" = "Soccer Mom"

Requirements to be an ajumma:
1. Korean woman, 35 to 55 years old
2. Poofy, bowl cut hair
3. Huge aviator-like glasses
4. A purse
5. High heels
6. Mother of full-time students
7. More make up to put the Maybelline Research Team to shame
8. Cell phone
9. "Fashionable" outfits
10. Can speak at a rate faster than an AK-47

Enough said.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

A Lesson in Values, Conclusion

Okay, so we ended up just concluding about she had no clue what idea system that I come from, but she learned alot from me, learning that within the system of Christianity, life takes higher value than just material things, including pleasures. But once we make pleasures the forefront of living, life takes no meaning. Just ask Howard Hughes (go wikipedia that one).

I don't know what is going on in Korean society today, but if people accept this notion that porn is okay for the young soul, this kinda stuff easily permeates the mind and destroys reality. I learned today from a fellow teacher that in a survey, 40-50% of Korean men have at least one affair during their marriage. Also, the divorce rate in Korea is getting higher every year.

Why? Well, I'm not saying dirty mags are a direct factor, but the idea of relationships and commitment has become so mis-construed, that you can't help to think about what is happening to our value system in the world, not just America. We always talk about how values are deteriorating in North America, but think about the rest of the world, especially in societies where they tend to better off and more materialistic things exist.

So back to Mrs. Kim, she basically ended up saying that porn is okay, even though she was not endorsing it. "One man's private pleasure is his alone," does not cut it, because its the little things in life that make a big difference. She just did not know any better because she was somehow led to believe that porn is just a man's way of expressing his sexuality. That's what Satan does: he leads people astray through lies, and that is one piece of evidence that he is getting a grip on many people.

This was a shocking cultural experience, what I saw and what we talked about, and it is very important as an ambassador of Christ to help awaken the ideas of the meaning, morality, life, love, and ultimately, truth.

A Lesson in Values

Ha, got your attention. No, don't take the title the wrong way, there is nothing explicit at all in this article. Read first and decide, in what is a lesson about what is happening to values, in other parts of the world:

Two weeks ago was our school's picnic day. Different homerooms went to different destinations. I decided to go along with the 2nd level teacher's trip to the Theater District ("Daehangno") in central Seoul, a long trip indeed. I went with three homeroom teachers: Mrs. Kim Ja-yong (the nice teacher), Mrs. Lee (the Chinese language teacher), and Mrs. Won (a math teacher who always wears a mean look on her face, even though she is nice).

I talked to Mrs. Kim most of the time because she knew the most English, but Mrs. Lee is actually pretty good at the language too. Talking to Mrs. Won was a funny experience because she hardly knows English, so I had to speak my terrible Korean to get to know her. Surprisingly, she's a huge fan of the Spider-Man series, and she told me that Spider-Man 3 was not that good. Shame, and I wanted to see it too (but I might anyway to see what the hype is about).

Long story short, after we went to a play and had lunch, we headed to Namdaemun Market, one of the busiest flea markets in South Korea. We had to transfer trains to get there, and we finally arrived at the market area. Meanwhile, while walking together out of the subway station, I saw a man selling magazines on near the wall. I thought they were just normal magazines like Korean Newsweek or some others for sale. Yet shockingly I saw that these mags were no normal mags, they were dirty mags, and I immediately bounced my eyes away in horror: what shocked me was that this man was selling them in the open public.

So I turned to Mrs. Kim and asked, "Why is he selling dirty magazines at a subway stop of all places, isn't that shocking?"

Mrs. Kim: "What's wrong with that?"
Mark (thinking): (You've got to be kidding me)
Mrs. Kim: "Our students (all boys) have those images on their cell phones."
Mark: "I'm not surprised."
Mrs. Kim: "Don't you look at those things (pictures of naked women) too?"
Mark (shocked): "No. That is very bad stuff, Mrs. Kim, its not good for the mind and soul."
Mrs. Kim: "I see..."
Mark: "Well think about what porn is..."
Mrs. Kim: "What's porn? Corn?"
Mark: "Not corn. You don't know what porn is?"
Mrs. Kim: "No."
Mark: "P-O-R-N."
Mrs. Kim: "So, you don't like to look at those pictures? I thought most boys and young men like to look at them?" (Keep in mind, her tone of voice is very innocent, she has no clue)
Mark: "No, Mrs. Kim, and let me tell you why: lust."
Mrs. Kim: "What's that?"
Mark: "Lust is the opposite of love. It turns a desire of love into a selfish mess, it desires the forbidden. It destroys relationships and marriage"
Mrs. Kim: "Yes."
Mark: "Well think about it, and I hate to ask this question, but what if your husband was looking at those images, would you be upset?"
Mrs. K: "...yes."
Mark: "So, as a believer in Christ, we believe that a relationship between a man and a woman is sacred, and in order to keep it that way the man must preserve a woman's beauty by not looking at evil things like that. What those magazines do is take a woman's beauty and turn it into a piece of meat. There have been men in the church who have fallen out of their marriages because of those kinds of materials." (i.e. Christian singer Clay Crosse, who has since cleaned up his life and uses his experiences to warn other young Christian men to stay away from porn)
Mrs. K: "Yes." (She says 'yes' alot)
Mark: "So I recommend you tell your students to stop looking at that stuff if you catch them..."
Mrs. K: "Yes."
Mark: "So, its important that you raise children who don't feed off that stuff, because it can destroy alot of people's lives..."

Okay, uhhhhhhh crud, a teacher has to use my classroom, so I will finish the conclusion to this really eye-opening experience later today. This funny experience has taught me a few things of what is happening in our world today when it comes to values and morals. And its not just the Western nations, its East Asia too, a bastion of conservatism and order, dealing with the issue of porn.

See you in a bit.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

My Top Ten "Negative" Things About Korea So Far

This is not a diss blog, nor is it to gripe about Korea. Every society has its flaws, especially ours in the United States. With this top ten list, I have the unique perspective of being a foreigner from the outside looking in, and I can analyze things that most Koreans don't see. I am just being honest and clear about what I have seen so far in this great nation of South Korea.

1. Korea's inability to speak English - as a teacher, I'm here to teach conversational English, and I take pride in my job and my ambition. According to my friend James, who got this statistic from the Internet, Korea spends almost 1% of his GDP (Gross Domestic Product, a measure of how much a nation spends and produces on total goods and services) on English education. This includes hagwons. However, for a society that wants to incorporate itself onto the world stage more and more, most students can't speak a lick of English, even though they can write it and read it. Yet, poorer countries like my other homeland like India have citizens who are tri-lingual in Hindi, their regional language, and English, and they probably hardly spend a tenth compared to Koreans when it comes to English education. They bring in the teachers, but it is the environment that counts, and from experience, the only way a society can learn a language is to try to implement it daily, not just in commercials here and there.

2. Attitudes towards foreigners: most Koreans are friendly towards all foreigners, including the Asian ones. I have not had any bad experiences when dealing with Koreans at markets, taxis, or on the streets. Yet, with their limited view of the outside world and with the new influx of foreigners such as guest workers from SE Asia, foreign teachers from the Big Six ESL Group (US, Canada, NZ, Australia, England, and South Africa), some like to just stare and point while out in public. Some Koreans just assume and stereotype.

3. Koreans work too much! Some work six days a week! It leaves a society that is very tired.

4. Korean men tend to be too domineering. Even though the role of women in Korean society has vastly improved over decades, it is quite funny to see at a teacher's function in the gymnasium (two weeks ago) when all the men teachers are playing the sports, and the women watch. It looks like a junior high school dance: the girls are on the wall talking, while the men do their thing. Women usually do not speak up in family meetings or help make important decisions. However, women do rule the roost when it comes to one major area: the home.

5. A drinking society. Sure, every society drinks, but drunkeness can lead to spouse abuse, which sometimes is a cop out for leaving your problems at the office.

6. Korean kids study too much. They're kids! Let them have fun. My high school boys have to go to school every SATURDAY, for half of day. I personally believe it is a waste of a day to start your morning back at school.

7. Korean society is too pressuring. Korea unfortunately has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. In a society of competition, competition is good because it can bring out the best and brightest of people. However, many on the tail of the social end who fail just because they tried is too much for some people, especially young people. Some high school students end their life when they cannot pass the life changing college-entrance exams. The college-entrance exams not only determine what prestigious university you go to, but also who you can marry, where you live, and how much money you make! By the way, no pressure, its cool!

8. Korea is conforming, sometimes in a bad way. Everyone is taught to be like everyone else. Obviously, you see it in their genetic make up: skin, eyes, and hair color. Even when there is fashion, most Koreans look the same, especially Korean young women. Their fashion these days is high heels with jeans, pounds of makeup, and instead of looking hip, they just like pop-culture clones and mannequins. Even though more young generation kids are expressing themselves through dance, art, and poetry, everyone must conform to a system of routine, order, and discipline, even if the system is not that efficient. They just borrow from us, the elements of fashion and cool, but don't really know how to make it their own and think on their own.

9. Korean racism. Thanks to Hines Ward, Korea has finally started to examine themselves when it comes to their idea of "pure race" and their attitudes towards mixed Koreans are supposedly to change. Yet, after being here in Korea for 2 months, just because your skin is darker, and even when you have Korean blood in you, you're still a foreigner. I have to tell shopkeepers that my mother is Korean, but in the back of their minds they are like, "foreigner." I know I am foreigner, but being Korean should have an advantage compared to other foreigners in that I am returning to my Motherland to learn about my heritage and background.

10. North Korea. Personally and politically, I think the South should do more to help the citizens of North Korea who are suffering, then sending food aid which is probably going to prop up a regime that is decadent, spoiled, and evil.

There you have it, I hope the criticisms are fair and are in the bound of fair play.

My Top Ten "Good" Things about Korea So Far

No introduction needed:

Ten Things I Admire About Korea

1. Korean food: healthy, tasty, and energizing. Especially the soups, they have a way to give you a healthy jolt in your system. There is a mixed array of vegetables, meats, and kimchee, kimchee being Korea's food treasure which literally fights diseases and cancer.

2. Korea's work ethic: they work hard. "All work and no play" produces one of the top economies in the world.

3. Great transportation: buses, subways, and taxis are fast, cheap, and efficient. I used to be afraid of buses when I was younger, and even though the bus drivers here in Korea are crazy, they get you to your place on time and on schedule (for less than a $1). Also, walking is a great method of travel and exercise, and its fun to trek from one part of the city to the other with the many historical landmarks and Asian culture that abound. Yet by saying the word "walk," I have slashed Korean tourism's future earnings by 40% because any Americans reading this blog have realized that they have to walk to get somewhere and decided not to come. Ouch.

4. Korean co-workers: they go out on a limb to help you out. For a society that is very hard-working and tense, my work environment is surprisingly quiet and laid-back.

5. Korean discipline and education: there is harsh punishment in store for children who yell back at their parents or disobey the law at school. You're out of line, you pay the time. This is opposed to American youth who sometimes cuss at their own teachers and have no ambition to study hard. Here in Korea, being a public school teacher is an honored profession (unless you teach at a mechanical high school), and its humbling when your students walk by you and bow to you.

6. Korean technology: cell phones, computers, Plasma TV's, Korea is home to one of the biggest electronics markets on the planet. Korean people work hard to produce great technology and innovations daily, for export around the world (LG, Samsung come to mind).

7. Korean healthcare: drugs and health care are surprisingly cheap and even though I have not been to a hospital yet, I heard the technology and care is decent. I have visited a Korean hospital, and it really does not look any different from an American one in many respects. As for the health insurance issue of being cheap here in South Korea, compare that to the States where 40 million people have no health insurance. Heck, even I had no insurance before I came, so literally I have to travel halfway around the world to get some. Plus, Korean traditional drugs and tonics do the trick really well, especially after I caught a nasty cold after a Korean league baseball game two weeks ago.

8. Korean passion: Koreans are nationalistic and very proud of their history, despite its flaws and dark moments. They are proud of their race, their heritage, and their language. They have taken western assistance of the past (Christianity, hospitals, universities, government structure, and city planning) and made it their own. Its cool how they infused modernization and smashed it into their culture of diligence, respect, and authority.

9. Korean culture: the old school elements, dating back from 1300's, still exist today in the forms of music, poetry, literature, and art. Korea has a history that is way longer than America's so the antiquity is a theme that is held so dear here.

10. Korean way of life: going with the idea of Korean discipline, Korean living is a thing of humility and order. Respect your elders, do what your told, and do it with your might. You are given a task, do it well. This produces a society that is hard-working, diligent, and for the most part, honest.


In a few moments, top ten things that I do not like about Korea so far.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Ms. Kimmie is hurt!

Ms. Kimmie, one of my fave co-teachers, got into a bad accident last Friday. On their field trip (every grade and homeroom went on separate field trips) last Friday, Ms. Kimmie went to a park with her students. She was dressed in jeans and high heels, which unfortunately is not good attire for a field trip where alot of walking is required.

In Korea, the fashion among young women these days is wearing tight fit jeans with high heels. I have seen virtually 73% of Korean young women (okay, so I made up the statistic, who gives a doodle?) wear this kind of style of clothes, so these women look like clones. High heels have the huge disadvantage of being unstable on uneven surfaces, so that's why American women are more prudent to stick with sneakers on casual days. I hardly see American women where high heels unless its for formal/work purposes.

Anywho, Ms. Kimmie was walking, and all of a sudden she just takes a monster spill because she stepped on an uneven surface. She landed really hard on the side of her face, where according to one of my senior teachers, Mr. Charles, was bloodied up really bad. Ms. Kimmie told me herself she does not remember the fall because it literally knocked her out! Mr. Charles and her students took her to the hospital immediately, where she received treatment.

Ms. Kimmie came to work today, and her face just shocked me: she work a mask because of the scars. She has bandages under her nose and on the side of her face, which required seven stitches. She decided to take the day off because of recovery.

So pray for Ms. Kimmie as she will require surgery to repair the scars. Tough break. I won't be able to see her smile for a while... :-(

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The Washington Wizards/The Golden State Warriors

Alas, I'm in Korea, I still keep up with all the sports news from home. I need it to make my Korea experience better because sports is a major part of my life.

I'm a huge NBA fan, and the playoffs are in full swing back at home. Unfortunately, my hometown team, the Washington Wizards, met their doom swiftly. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers gave them the broom: the Wizards were swept 4-0 in the playoffs. I was sad, I wanted at least for team captain Antawn Jamison and boys to get one win for pride, especially for the home fans.

Yet on the other end of the United States, one 8th seeded team is making headlines in the basketball world, and they are the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors are a club that were always epitomized for bad chemistry, switching coaches like a clean man changes underwear daily, and poor draft picks. After major line-up bust ups and hiring an old-timer head coach in Don Nelson, who was the last coach to take the Warriors to a post-season in 1994 (I was living in Germany and in elementary school), the Warriors are on the verge of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in basketball history. They are about to defeat (if they can, which I believe they can) the Dallas Mavericks, last year's NBA finalists and who ran out to a record 67-win season this year. If the Mavs lose, then there goes all their accomplishments for one season, to be embarrassed duly by a team who is hungry for success, pent up all this year like carbonated soda about to explode.

The Wizards were just unfortunately struck with injuries, especially to their two biggest players and all-stars no doubt: Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. G.A. is one of my favorite players (Allen Iverson is my favorite player), and it was just tough to read from Korea that your franchise player went down, and when you had so much expectations from a player that is having a career year. Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan made an interesting and inciteful point about how Arenas and Butler are not just your best players, but they bring something special to the basketball court: personality. With the fiery personality that both players have, it definitely rubs off and influences the other players. Team captain Jamison also competes very hard every night, but he cannot hold the line by himself, he needs help. The other young players simply don't have the experience nor fire to make things happen. Tough way to end the 2006-2007 season, and I know changes are in store for General Manager Ernie Grunfeld.

Yet I now have more higher expectations from the Wizards next year, and I hope they win the NBA championship next campaign. But for now, I go on to root for my second-favorite NBA team, the Warriors, who will run the Mavericks to the ground and prove that they got what it takes to make play-off history: the first 8th seeded team to upset a 1st seed since the seven-game format was introduced to the NBA playoffs. They have what it takes: desire, hope, and creativity, and energy. They also have an experienced head coach guiding them to victory.

In life, despite what label or "seed" people give you, i.e. "you're dark-skinned," "you're too small," "you're not that smart," "you can't do it," etc., people try to put labels on you and you're expected to be that way. Heck, Charles Barkley has been making fun of the Warriors because they are winning "fluke wins," but the Golden State team has proved them wrong.

Same here. Let me tell you something, its not easy being a dark-skinned foreigner in Korea. Koreans tend to put this label that I'm probably a "migrant worker," or "I don't look like a typical English-speaker." But just like the Warriors, I'm a Warrior for God, and I'm out to show them the raw material that has been formed by God to be something more (reference: C.S. Lewis). This is my time to shine.

Get It Done...

Get It Done...
2010: The Year of the Soni Tiger