The Haka

Check this video out, it'll pump you up for the day! It is called a "Haka."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PFWccDJa4XY

The Haka is a traditional Maori dance. There are many variations, but the most famous ones are the "war" kinds. This video has the famous New Zealand Rugby team, called the "All Blacks," performing this war dance before every international rugby match.

The other day, I was preparing a lesson for next week's classes, with the theme being Australia and New Zealand. I'm going to do a few lessons on "Foreigners in Korea," to teach kids how to interact and talk to foreigners when they meet them.

So I did some research on New Zealand, and of course, the Maori culture is still prevalent in their society. I typed in All Blacks Rugby on YouTube, and this video pops out. I never been so pumped up!

To some people, these Kiwis seem too crazy just for this sport, but I think, after seeing this for the first time in my life, is one of the coolest traditions in sports. Other sports have their team huddles and they say, "1-2-3 Wizards!" or something like that, or some teams do a dance and jump around, but these Kiwis and Maoris know how to do it!

I liked this little pump up session because it just tries to impose fear and stand up against the opposition. Of course, the Kiwis don't perform this to start an early fight with their rivals. They actually do this for tradition and a "welcome" to their opposing team.

I also personally like this war dance because for me, its very empowering. Stand up to the opposition and show them early you won't be pulled down. Its a fight everyday, especially with the decisions I make. Its either my flesh or the spirit. When I spend time with the Lord, and I obey Him, its like I am doing a Haka against the Devil's lies and the opposition I face everday.

"Ka mate, ka mate, ka ora!"

Back To Japan Moments: The Peace

I was thinking about some cool moments from my trip to Japan the other day. Man, what a vacation! And there were plenty:

The Coffee Shop. I remember my friend O and I were trekking around Kyoto, trying to find some cool spots to hit up. Then the inevitable came: rain. With a huge typhoon outside neighboring Kyushu (August is typhoon season for the Japanese), we were getting some of the leftovers as it was sailing over the East Sea towards Hokkaido, and it hit Kyoto.

So we're scrambling for cover as we're running around the Gion District (home of the Geisha), and we popped into a Starbucks. With the rain pounding the windows, nothing was more peaceful than to chill at a coffee shop, as O and I shared our lives and backgrounds. We even got to share our experiences when it came to the meaning of life, and I had the gracious opportunity given by God to share the Gospel with him and tell him why I found true life in it. All with a cup of "joe." Peace.

Nagai Botanical Gardens. In Osaka, James picked out our next tourist spot on the map, the Nagai Botanical Gardens in South Osaka. I figured, why not? I haven't been to see actual flowers in ages (Incheon is devoid of them for some reason). So we went. And there was hardly anybody there. It was 2PM, everyone is at work, its a weekday, and hardly a soul in sight. Trees. Gorgeous flowers and plants. The hot sun. Flowers in bloom, the stillness of the water bringing a stirring aura of calmness around the area. Carp and turtles dishing about. Not a soul in sight. Peace.

The World Trade Center, Osaka. On a Wednesday night in Osaka, we decided to hit up the World Trade Center in Osakako. We towered to the final floor of the building to behold something great. What a grand site: the whole city on display, lights blaring, and the red ferris wheel shining bright amongst the backdrop. Peace.

The Mysterious Temple on the Hill, Kyoto. One night, I decided to go solo and check out Kyoto for myself. I found this really neat temple on the side, right outside Gion. It had several Japanese-style buildings around it, with the big temple smack dab in the middle. I walked, and pictured myself as a samurai contemplating. Dream come true. Peace.

Videogames in Dotonbori, Osaka. So nerdy of me to write this, but why not? I got to play videogames from the land that made them! I got to play a racing game against O, played some Virtua Fighter 5, and played some shooting games, what fun! You think you can beat me? Peace.

The Cruise around Osaka Bay aboard the Santa Maria. Outside Osaka Bay, we boarded the Santa Maria, a Spanish-replica of the famous mother ship, and cruised around the area. A nice, but not too hot day, we got to see the various sights the bay area had to offer. It was sunny, and it was really great to feel the sea breeze on our faces. I came away more tanner than before (if possible). Peace.

Shinsekai, Osaka. One of the tightest shopping districts in Osaka, it just feels Japanese. I remember asking a woman for directions, and even though I had no clue what she was saying because she thought I was Japanese, but what cracked me up was that her Japanese seemed "off." Then I figured it out: she was speaking in "Osaka-ben," or the Osakan Dialect. We walked around just scoping the place, taking money shots with our Digi Cams and going to work. Peace.

So these moments of peace, how did I get them? Simple. You can get peace from any moment, but the key thing is where it is inspired from. Moments of peace last moments, but for some reason, this vacation seemed God-given. Those moments of peace were more like refreshers and peace. We all strive to seek for it, but few find it. I thank God for His grace...and peace.

Back To School/What I Miss

Its back to school this week. Well, for some of these students, they never left. That's what really sucks diddily-uck about the Korean Education System: these high school kids hardly get a break. But, I'm back again, and classes started this week.



Of course, the kids are normal, hardly any changes. It felt like I saw these kids last week, the way they were behaving and what not. My schedule remains unchanged, and I'm doing a simple lesson of asking them what they did last summer and have them interview partners about their summer vacation. Many went on trips, but most stayed home and studied, or even better, played computer games all night.



Considering my classes are not worth the grade, I just roll with it and will do my best to provide them entertaining and challenging classes. I also gave them a competition to try this semester: the two best students in the entire grade, based on effort and English improvement, will win a free pizza dinner provided by me! Something to get them to make an honest effort in my class.



Mrs. Ha is gone, and in comes the replacement: Mrs. Park Myong-sun, a 27-year old woman English teacher. She's a rookie in every aspect: she just got her teaching license, and she just got married. So she's a double rookie.



And like any rookies, whether it is in the NBA or a first-year worker at any organization, she's out to impress. They have to. I am a rookie too. So she's all coming to my office like, "Oh Mark, we have to do this Lunch Club together." And I'm like: "Girl please, I've been doing this since March, I got it." (Of course, I'm thinking these thoughts) But so far, she seems nice, but she needs some work with the English fluency, and that's what I'm here for.


But life is back to normal: but what's exciting is that my parents will be coming to town next month. Finally, reunification with my family. We'll conquer Korea together, and I can show them what my life is like since leaving homeland America. I can also learn through my mom more about my family history, and gain some more insight about my relatives since she can finally translate for me.

Speaking of America, there are some things I do miss about home, and I wanted to take the time to just write about some things I miss dearly:

1. American Humor - man, I haven't had a major laugh in a while, like my "stomach-hurts" laugh. The only person who really gives me a great chuckle is Bobby, because he is American and he's funny. Other than that, only a few foreigners make me a laugh, and a handful of students at my school give me the giggles.

2. American Food - even though not the most healthy, I miss good ol' homecooked meals like mac and cheese, fried chicken, veggies, eggs, grits, breakfast food, and other good eatin's. I'm going to a Bob Evans when I get back. Of course, don't forget a good, mom-made hamburger. Man, I miss her burgers!

3. American Diversity - I kinda miss seeing different kinds of people, especially of different race, around here. The occasional foreigner here and there is fine, but I miss seeing large groups of different races milling about like in DC or at my old college.

4. The American Way - yes, we can argue to death and all night about how the American Way is decadent and all that, but from a positive and just one-sided POV, I respect the American Way. Work hard, fight to the top, and be yourself. It is a theme I have learned throughout high school and college. Basically, the American Way says, "there is no free lunch, get it yourself." It causes you to work hard and to work your way up, and those who don't put in the effort get no lunch.

5. American Landscape - goodness, I am going to miss the Maryland autumn. Its beautiful in Maryland when the leaves turn brown and red. Driving through those roads at least provided some beautiful architecture. Once I leave Incheon to see the countryside though, I heard Korea is even more gorgeous in the fall.

6. Lazy American Summers - even when I was working full-time for my internship, coming home and relax on a lazy summer night's eve was the best. Quiet, chirping insects, chilling out on the front porch on in the backyard while reading a book, or watching TV with the comfort of AC with the sunset in the background of our big window was a blast. To live in the 'Burbs is the American Dream, and to have that quiet is the best.

7. American TV - I know, you might think I'm superficial. But its nice to watch programs that are the standard for the world, except for American Idol (from England). Its also nice to watch programs in my own language again.

8. American Issues - I believe our nation is the greatest in the world, and what we stand for is valuable: power in diversity, the fight against terrorism, the fight against crime and poverty, and the fight for purpose in life, its all being fought at a major pace in America. If we can win the battle at home, we can export it abroad.

9. American Church - I miss my church family. They were kind, earnest, and strove to help me grow as a Christian. Its still great that I have my friends Becky and Trey to share my fellowship with here in Korea, but I do miss my College and Career Crew at home and the memories and spiritual warfare that we fought together. And we fought alot of battles.

10. American Friends - the power of American Friendship. I miss my brothers and sisters in Christ, we were friends in the faith. We hung out, went to eat out, chill at each other's house, went to the movies, played ball together, and shared experiences with one another. I even worked with some of my best friends. Life is about relationships, starting with yours relating to mighty God, to the best friendships you have here on earth. I hope to continue to build on mine here in Korea, but for now, it is okay to miss my homies from home.

11. The American Family - my father is from New Dehli, India. My mother, Seoul, South Korea. My brother and I are Korean-Indians, or Korindians. But we're Americans. We are proud of that. Our American experience has made us stronger, longer. We have an unique perspective on life because my father and mother worked so hard to make the American Dream come true, and they also set the standard in our lives of what is the Godly life all about. We experienced prejudice and ignorant comments, and those incidences in the past only serve to protect me and empower me more. We are a unit, a team for life. No one can take that away...

But...I like living in Korea.

The Zainichi Korean, Part Two

So, after meeting this girl and talking to her for a little bit, she was pretty adamant about not switching her citizenship. Besides, Koreans in Japan do get a special foreigner status compared to other foreigners, and they have the advantage of at least looking similar to Japanese people (but like I mentioned in my previous blogs about Japan, Japanese do look different than Koreans). Even though they are discriminated against in many areas of society, the Koreans in Japan tend to be a very resilient people who are still proud of their roots and how they have remained successful in the land of their oppressors.

So Ms. Bae acknowledged she has Korean roots, but she says has no connection with them. As my friend James put it: "She's a person without a country." She knows that if she goes back to Korea, and since she cannot speak Korean, she will be looked at as a foreigner, and since she does not think of herself as Korean, and neither Japanese, she's just plain stuck.

There is an Indian saying that describes Indian people who return to their homeland from studying or working abroad: "A local bird with a foreign walk." (Taken from a lecture from Ravi Zacharias)

Today, with voluntary migrations and globalization becoming more and more part of our world, a lot of people are losing their identity from their original countries. Immigrants always face that challenge when they leave for the new world. They become birds with foreign walks.

For example, today there are many Japanese who live in Brazil, descendants of farmers who left Japan earlier in the 20th century to find new work and hope. These Japanese-Brazilians left behind their culture and many, their identity. When a Japanese-Brazilian returns to his or her homeland, many are estranged because now they are just "local birds with foreign walks." They look Japanese, but they are not Japanese. Many speak Portuguese and not enough Japanese, and they too are discriminated against.

So I definitely can identify with Ms. Bae, feeling estranged in a country that is not your own (Korea, not the U.S.). What makes it harder is that sometimes, even in my own country of the United States, people still think you are foreign because of my looks as an Asian-American. Then when I come to Korea, I'm still a foreigner due to my looks. Its a Catch-22 of culture identification.

But, she was the one who taught me that being foreign is okay. Just go out there and do your job, and she taught me that you don't have to suck up to anyone's culture to feel accepted. The only Being that you have a standard to be accepted is the Lord. After all, He was the one who creates His beings with design and purpose. If we did not choose our race before we are born, than that means someone did, and I believe the Lord did, our Creator of Life. That means our race is sacred, no one can alter it or change it. Even if you got plastic surgery or whitened or blackened your skin, you are still who you are regardless! (like the Japanese girls who try to be Caucasian by putting on ridiculous tan cream and dying their hair blonde)

Mr. Bae taught me that its up to you how you want to adapt to this culture, without having to be a suck-up to the status quo or the standards that the society says is "good." People would expect her to speak Korean, but she had this air about her that she does not need to speak her native tongue to be "complete." I thought that when I came to this country this year, I had a "ticket" to be accepted in this culture, especially after Hines Ward's Bi-Racial Crusade in 2005 and how he said: "that we are all Koreans despite our skin color." But the sad truth is that I will never be accepted as a true Korean because of my skin color. I also thought that they only way I can truly learn about Korean culture and life is by speaking the language. Well, it takes years to learn this difficult language, but God has taught me after my trip to Japan to just "slow it down!" Study the language, practice it, but don't feel like I have to learn it in five minutes just to gain acceptance!

So what I conclude with is that just because a society will not accept me totally does not mean I am not Korean. I am bi-racial, but I am Korean...no one can take that away from me. God gave me the privilege to have two distinct ethnicities in my blood, and no one has the right to tell me who I am or not. God makes perfect sense when it comes to racial equality and identity because diversity is a manifestation of His glory and power, and if you have all types of blood in your system, than its yours! He gave it to you!

After coming back from Japan, a mighty and unique culture in itself, and renewed by the lessons I learned from this invigorating trip, I am more determined to learn about my culture, to become fluent in Korean, and as a Christian display Christ's power in my life through my diversity. Diversity is not an accident, its a road to recovery. A road to a world where God is recognized as Lord and Master, and not just an idea of human achievement as many preach and advocate for today.

The Zainichi Korean, Part One

During my trip to Japan, I wanted the opportunity to meet some ordinary Japanese, and if they spoke English, try to get to know them and their experiences living in this East Asian giant.

Thankfully to the Lord, He provided some encounters with some Japanese. My friends and I met an old Japanese man on our trip to Nara, and we had the opportunity to ask him questions about his country while he asked about ours.

But the one person I will not forget after visiting Osaka/Kyoto is a girl simply known as "Bae," because her identity situation is a fascinating one to think about. During my stay in Osaka, Ok'e (my American friend I met in Kyoto) needed a place to sleep for one night during his first day in Osaka (and our last in Japan, since we traveled together on the last leg of our trip). We helped him find hotels around the city, but with August being one of the busiest seasons to visit Japan, he was running out of options. I finally helped him settle on a hotel called the "Toko Hotel," which is located in northern Osaka, and in an area that is more well-off than other parts of the city. So the price for a single room was quite high during this time.

I helped him check in, but fortunately, they had one girl on their staff who spoke English, whose name on her name tag simply read "Bae." So as Ok'e and I were getting him registered, I had to enquire something with her. "Bae" is not a Japanese name, it is Korean. Now in Japan, Koreans make the biggest minority group. There are many Korean families living in Japan for various reasons: from simple migration to being descendants of forced migration due to Japanese imperialism. With Korea and Japan having a contentious relationship at times, I bet it must be difficult for a Korean to live in the land of the former oppressor. (Japan actually ruled Korea from 1910-1945, going so far to even trying to erase their language, culture, and even heritage, a cultural genocide)

So I asked this lady: "Are you Korean?"
And the response I got from her was very interesting and poignant, because Ms. Bae said: "No I am not, but my parents are."

"No I am not, but my parents are." A very interesting answer. So after getting him registered, Ok'e and I went to his room, and I told Ok'e about the conversation I had with this woman and who she was: a Zainichi Korean.

A Zainichi Korean is any Korean who lives and makes a living in Japan. "Zainichi" in Japanese means "to stay in Japan." There about more than a half of million Zainichi Koreans who live in Japan today. I thought it was the most fascinating aspect of Japanese culture, these Koreans who are stuck in the land of another East Asian culture giant.

So the next day, we met up with Ok'e at his hotel while he was checking out, and luckily, Ms. Bae was there again. I wanted to see what was up with that response she told me yesterday.

So I asked her about her background, and we had a quick conversation about how she was born in Japan, but she does not speak Korean. I also let her know that I was half-Korean, and she asked me if I could speak Korean. I told her I said hardly, and she responded, "yeah, most Koreans are pretty uptight when it comes to their children knowing the language."

So I asked her does she feel Korean or Japanese, and her response was even more interesting... "neither."

And I will finish this discussion about cultural identity some other time, because I have to get up early for Day 5 of the English camp that I'm teaching at. Good night.

Japan - Lessons Learned

Just got back from Japan. Man, I miss it! It was such a fun country. It was everything I imagined it to be: fun lights and stores, Japanese language and culture, historical monuments of antiquity, and Samurai culture. The people were really nice and friendly to us foreigners. Japan is a very tourist friendly spot to hit up.

To start wrapping things up, here Mark's things I liked/learned about myself/disliked during my first trip to Japan:

1. Being Foreign is Okay!

Going into Japan, I knew this is not my culture, not my language. When I came to Korea, I knew that being half-Korean and my mother being Korean and growing up with a fair amount of Korean people in my life, I knew that I had some expectations and standards of this place. I sometimes, unfairly, put high standards to reach while here in Korea when it came to Korean speech, culture learning, and adapting to this place. I learned the hardway that I should not do that, because I ended up being hurt. When I went to Japan, the gloves came off, and I was a regular foreigner again.

But the fun part was that anything goes when you are in a country where you have no clue what you are doing: to try the language for the first time, to try to find your way when getting lost in a neighborhood, trying new things and food, and meet the locals when you are lost. I felt really relaxed during my time in Japan this week, simply because I had no real "standards" to adapt for one week. When I got back here in Korea today, I thought to myself: "Self, even though you are Korean (Indian) yourself, you are still American. You have not lived here before, so stop trying to assimilate so fast and just have fun." In other words, I learned on this trip to stop putting standards to fit in here, and just be me while slowly learning about life and culture here in Korea.

2. Being "Dark" is Cool in Japan (I was Japanese for one week!)

One thing that shocked me here in Japan was the amount of "dark people" I saw on the streets and other areas of life here in the Kansai Region (consiting of Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama). I remember one funny incident during the early months in teaching when my students in class 1-13 thought I was Japanese for some odd reason, which was really interesting. I thought I was too dark to be Japanese. Yet when I came to Osaka for the week, I saw many people, especially young people like me, who were really tan and just straight up dark-skinned! Some as dark as me. My friend Daniel told me that this is because the Japanese tan a whole lot quicker when they play outside more (which is natural for an island nation). I saw young men and boys who were really dark, and I even saw a flock of school girls walking on the subway who were chargrilled! I thought it was a cool sight that even though Japan is one of the most homogeneous nations on the planet, they at last have a diversity in "tan lines." It was really cool, I felt "in" in this country...it was really neat to be tan and dark and no one cares. I say this because in Korea, Koreans favor a lighter skin tone as more "beautiful." Here in Japan, the people tend to have a more varied look to them, in skin and fashion. One thing I noticed is that Japanese people tend to be more individualistic in their expression of themselves, and that includes their skin tones. One cool moment on the trip was to see a group of trendy girls on a subway, and one girl who I found very cute was also absolutely tan, and she looked really nice. Here in Korea, tan is not in all the way, but I thought, "God has given you tan and darkness, not for fashion reasons, but you are beautiful in His eyes."

I was even more surprised when a few people came up to me and thought I was Japanese. One funny incident when my friend and I were in Osakako Station in Osaka, after visiting the Kaiyukan Aquarium, while waiting outside the subway station for the train. There was one Japanese family looking to go back as well, but they were confused which train to go on. So guess who they asked? Me! "Demo, doko ni...?" (Ummm...where is this...) To which I immediately replied: "Nihonjin dewa-nai desu!" ("I'm not Japanese") She was like, "Ohh..."

A man in Kyoto walked up to my two friends (James and Ok'e) and I because he was curious about our American backgrounds, especially the fact that James is white, Ok'e is black, and I'm Asian. He immediately looked at me and said, "Ooohhh, there are many Japanese-Americans like you back in the United States." He thought I was Nisei! The funniest moment was when he walked up to James and just straight up said: "Ooooo...you're VERY FAT! YOU COULD BE SUMO WRESTLER!" I had to contain the laughter in me, and James, being stunned, could not help laugh either as he was the victim of Asian curiosity once again! (Asians can be very blunt about your appearance, like when I gained weight last year, my mom let me have it for good!)

So, I joked to my friends that I could easily fit into this place. But for once, it did felt kinda cool to be confused with this nation's citizens, so for one week, I was Japanese (don't tell my mother this!).

More on these lists tomorrow...I am so tired after a week of excitement.

Japan, I'll be back. Pictures will be posted on this sight and on my myspace page in the future, keep in touch.

Japan, Trip Wrap Up

Alas, the dream is over.

I will be returning from the Land of the Rising Sun to the Land of the Morning Calm (Korea) tomorrow afternoon. It has been a blessed week in Japan.

I had the opportunity to explore a small, but major part of the Kansai Region of Japan, which includes the central area island of Honshu. It is a region steeped in rich and imperiled history, with much evidence of the medieval times still evident today, a land of technology and tradition in the mix.

I toured the city of Osaka, which gives the exciting and dream-like Japanese city life image without being intimidating like the size of Tokyo. I saw the former Imperial Capital of Kyoto, where I brushed shoulders with the famous Geisha; worldwide symbols of Japanese culture, saw the famous temples of Kyoto, which are steeped in history and displayed majestic artistry. Finally my friends and I took a day trip to the green, lush hills of Nara, one of the first capitals of early Japan (the Heian Period). In Nara, my friends and I took many photos of the old Buddhist temples and shrines there, and this is an unique area where they let the native deer roam freely, giving you the opportunity to brush and stroke these docile creatures face to face. Sort of like when Adam and Eve had dominion over animals and we could interatct with them.

God has given me much reflection during my time here in Osaka/Kansai, and He has given me rejuvenation. He has allowed me to fulfill my dream to see Japan in the flesh, a feat that many people my age would eagerly desire to accomplish.

As with all great vacations, this one is coming to an end. I spent my last in Japan in Osaka, with a new friend by the name of Ok`e Atatah, a Nigerian-American who also is travelling Japan. He and I shared new experiences travelling Kyoto and Nara, and I also showed him around tonight in his first night here in Osaka. A great guy in the least, he will continue to travel Japan while I head home. I wish the best for him and his life.

It will take me time to reflect on what I think about Japan and its society, but from initial impressions, I am impressed for the most part. Its okay to make initial judgments on the surface for now, especially since I have only been here for one week. Other foreigners who have lived here for months and years can see the fineprint to really make an effort to see the underpinnings of Japanese society.

But yeah, I recommend this trip to Japan in a heartbeat. As Japan continues to beat its economic heart for the world, its worth seeing the foundations it has had in history to lead to what the nation is today.

I return back to my Motherland tomorrow, back to normal life of teaching, learning Korean, and learning about Dynamic Korea.

In the end, Japan and Korea, as neighbors and fierce rivals, could not be more dependent on one another more than ever.

Japan Part 3: Kyoto and Peace

I arrived in Kyoto, and all I can say is one thing: peace.

Kyoto, even though it has shopping centers, is not as big as Osaka. It is the renowned former Imperial Capital of Japan, so it retains many of its essences from the olden Medieval Heian and Edo Periods.

We are staying in the Gion District, which is home to the renowned Geisha Entertainment Quarter. I spotted a few, and even talked to one because I was looking for our hotel.

I also met a fellow traveler by the name of Ok`e, who is an American from Houston. He was the coolest cat because he has a personality similar to one of my dear college friends at home, so it was nostalgia walking around this dude while sharing our experiences of Japan.

The Gion Quarter is very old, wooden, and retains a style of peace to it. Old style tea shops, antiques, and of course, bars and restaurants line the area. Many businessmen flock to the area to be entertained by the famous Geisha.

The Geisha themselves are like what you see on TV: mysterious, quaint, and doll-like creatures that skip around in wooden block shoes and gorgeous assortment of Kimonos, catering to their various stops around town. They are trained conversationalists (meaning they make jokes with their clients, and know how to carry on conversations), musicians, and party starters.

But the highlight of my whole experience so far in Japan was something that I have been looking for the whole time: more peaceful environments.

Ok`e took me to this hilltop in Gion where he found this really awesome temple with lanterns all over the place. It was absolutely stunning. There was a nearby river where the water trickled with ease, and a white duck resting in the tranquil water. The trees softened with the light breeze, while the bugs chirped for the while, and lanterns blazed Asian style. This was true Asia, and my dream came true.

My friend and I were just enjoying the night, conversing and taking lots of photos of this place. It was mostly to ourselves, it felt absolutely great to get out of big cities like Incheon, Osaka, and enter this place of rest. It was quiet.

That is what vacation is all about.