one expat's life in Korea
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Back on my high horse again. Here's a cool online comic, and more about materialism
Remember a few posts ago where I said, in reference to the vicious materialist "gotta have a bigger flat screen TV than my next-door neighbour" cycle:
I just wonder how many never bothered to stop and ask "do I actually LIKE spending so much of my life-energy on the opinions of people who don't love me anyway"?
Here's an online comic that almost perfectly expresses what I was trying to say.
Also, go check out the movie Supersize Me. Seriously. Before you eat another whopper meal or big mac, go watch it.
It seems like I'm experiencing materialism culture shock right now. Here are a few things:
Chindogu is an interesting, slightly subversive kind of invention. It's a useless or cumbersome tool designed to solve a simple everyday problem -- one that solves a problem, but usually creates other problems along the way. I talked about these in class, and found out more about it online. It's a charming channel of creative thinking. The concept was developed by a journalist who got tired of materialist society -- why must we ask "is it useful?" "is it profitable" of every invention? He set out to develop useless inventions, to improve his creativity rather than just to line his pockets. (Ironically, he then made a bundle by writing a book about chindogu.)
Here's the other thing. I want to know what you think.
The thing I hate about materialism is that it's an entire way of thinking, an ideal, that's designed to foster self-hatred. Advertisers know that if I hate something in my life, I'll spend money to fix it, so they present me with TV ads and characters that show people who are richer, more beautiful, more WHATEVER than I am. That's the insidious thing about beauty magazines and TV commercials -- they introduce a measuring stick to my life that I can't possibly measure up to, and thus make me vulnerable to being sold the "solution" to my fabricated "problem".
Here in Korea, one area where this has really been getting at me is in beauty culture. It's so disgusting to me that advertisers have created a beauty ideal (Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz) that is genetically out of most Korean women's reach, and then (implicitly) made lots of perfectly nice, perfectly attractive women feel ashamed for having a single instead of a double eyelid, for having black instead of blue eyes, straight black instead of curly, red, or blonde hair, for having a smaller, less curvy frame than those voluptuous northern-european-blooded women can manage.
There's a harsh stigma against ugly and overweight women in Korea: "Lazy girl isn't willing to do the work needed to take care of herself!" This link is to a synopsis/review/trailer/clip of a recent Korean movie about a fat, ugly girl who gets $60 000 of plastic surgery to become a beauty, and then gets everything she wants -- it's a cute, charming, funny movie (the review's right about that) but the message -- "If you're a woman, you can only have a happy ending if you're beautiful" is the most disgusting subtext I've ever heard, and teen-aged girls are eating it up. Korea is known around Asia as a plastic surgery hotspot -- cheaper than Japan, better quality than China, and it's common for women to get their eyelids done as a high school graduation gift.
The other thing is: by setting up the western beauty as an ideal in Korea, the best Korean women can ever do is attain to a near-facsimile, a "best possible imitation" of the western ideal, because of the aforementioned DNA issues. Instead of saying "This is what we are, and THIS is beautiful," too many people idealize the impossible, and come off making poor imitations of what ISN'T, instead of celebrating what IS.
You can't tell me that this:
Is more beautiful than this:
Anyway, I wish people would celebrate who they are, instead of longing for what they're NOT -- in terms of beauty, talent, success and wealth, and all that stuff.
I just wonder how many never bothered to stop and ask "do I actually LIKE spending so much of my life-energy on the opinions of people who don't love me anyway"?
Here's an online comic that almost perfectly expresses what I was trying to say.
Also, go check out the movie Supersize Me. Seriously. Before you eat another whopper meal or big mac, go watch it.
It seems like I'm experiencing materialism culture shock right now. Here are a few things:
Chindogu is an interesting, slightly subversive kind of invention. It's a useless or cumbersome tool designed to solve a simple everyday problem -- one that solves a problem, but usually creates other problems along the way. I talked about these in class, and found out more about it online. It's a charming channel of creative thinking. The concept was developed by a journalist who got tired of materialist society -- why must we ask "is it useful?" "is it profitable" of every invention? He set out to develop useless inventions, to improve his creativity rather than just to line his pockets. (Ironically, he then made a bundle by writing a book about chindogu.)
Here's the other thing. I want to know what you think.
The thing I hate about materialism is that it's an entire way of thinking, an ideal, that's designed to foster self-hatred. Advertisers know that if I hate something in my life, I'll spend money to fix it, so they present me with TV ads and characters that show people who are richer, more beautiful, more WHATEVER than I am. That's the insidious thing about beauty magazines and TV commercials -- they introduce a measuring stick to my life that I can't possibly measure up to, and thus make me vulnerable to being sold the "solution" to my fabricated "problem".
Here in Korea, one area where this has really been getting at me is in beauty culture. It's so disgusting to me that advertisers have created a beauty ideal (Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz) that is genetically out of most Korean women's reach, and then (implicitly) made lots of perfectly nice, perfectly attractive women feel ashamed for having a single instead of a double eyelid, for having black instead of blue eyes, straight black instead of curly, red, or blonde hair, for having a smaller, less curvy frame than those voluptuous northern-european-blooded women can manage.
There's a harsh stigma against ugly and overweight women in Korea: "Lazy girl isn't willing to do the work needed to take care of herself!" This link is to a synopsis/review/trailer/clip of a recent Korean movie about a fat, ugly girl who gets $60 000 of plastic surgery to become a beauty, and then gets everything she wants -- it's a cute, charming, funny movie (the review's right about that) but the message -- "If you're a woman, you can only have a happy ending if you're beautiful" is the most disgusting subtext I've ever heard, and teen-aged girls are eating it up. Korea is known around Asia as a plastic surgery hotspot -- cheaper than Japan, better quality than China, and it's common for women to get their eyelids done as a high school graduation gift.
The other thing is: by setting up the western beauty as an ideal in Korea, the best Korean women can ever do is attain to a near-facsimile, a "best possible imitation" of the western ideal, because of the aforementioned DNA issues. Instead of saying "This is what we are, and THIS is beautiful," too many people idealize the impossible, and come off making poor imitations of what ISN'T, instead of celebrating what IS.
You can't tell me that this:
Is more beautiful than this:
Anyway, I wish people would celebrate who they are, instead of longing for what they're NOT -- in terms of beauty, talent, success and wealth, and all that stuff.
Friday, September 21, 2007
I know harping on this is a faux pas. Last one.
I like this.
I really want to read this: my friend's been talking about it for a while.
As to what I mentioned in my rant post. . . here's something I saw today.
About thirty steps from these folks (today) was a stage with a performance going on. You see, next week is the biggest holiday in Korea: Chusok, the harvest moon festival. It's a big family holiday, and so the festivities are starting up even now, on Friday. A fantastic drum group, vibrating with energy and charisma, performed an amazing show.
I love drumlines. I really do. I think if I were going to take up an instrument for fun, or for social purposes, it would have to be drums. watching these people just give it their all filled me up with joy.
have a good chusok, everybody.
I really want to read this: my friend's been talking about it for a while.
As to what I mentioned in my rant post. . . here's something I saw today.
About thirty steps from these folks (today) was a stage with a performance going on. You see, next week is the biggest holiday in Korea: Chusok, the harvest moon festival. It's a big family holiday, and so the festivities are starting up even now, on Friday. A fantastic drum group, vibrating with energy and charisma, performed an amazing show.
I love drumlines. I really do. I think if I were going to take up an instrument for fun, or for social purposes, it would have to be drums. watching these people just give it their all filled me up with joy.
have a good chusok, everybody.
Hee haw.
I'm trying not to post too many clips and links, but I had to put this one on. Made me laugh out loud.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Strange advice and comment-pimping.
Yes, I'm out pimping for comments today.
Two things.
1. I'm surprised at how few comments I had on my rant two posts ago. I'd hoped to hear more people weigh in on this topic.
Those who wrote me personal e-mails are exempt.
2. Strange advice.
Ever noticed an old aphorism or proverb that actually seems like terrible advice? The one that just gets me is "curiousity killed the cat" -- after all the developmental experts telling us that an inquisitive mind should be encouraged, that asking a lot of questions is a sure sign of an intelligent child, we get this smarmy, snappy stifling little saying that basically (if you look at it the right way) means "stop asking questions, kid, Daddy's getting annoyed".
Another one: "Live each day as if it was your last" -- how the heck can you actually do that? If I knew today were my last, I'd skip work, eat the nicest food I could, spend like a sailor, run down a calling card talking to all my loved ones far away, and try to finish my day with the people I love the most (or at least the ones nearby) at my side. If I lived two days as if they were my last in a row, I'd lose my job.
What common folk wisdom or aphorisms never made sense to YOU?
Also: if you have an opinion on my rant, I'd be interested to hear and have a dialogue.
Love:
Rob
P.S.:
I can't decide whether, as transport vehicles and motorbikes go, this is getting the best of both worlds, or the best of neither.
Funny to look at, though. I wonder where the shop is that does these kinds of alterations. It's obviously a custom job: does that qualify it as a kind of chopper?
"It's a chopper, baby." (Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction)
Two things.
1. I'm surprised at how few comments I had on my rant two posts ago. I'd hoped to hear more people weigh in on this topic.
Those who wrote me personal e-mails are exempt.
2. Strange advice.
Ever noticed an old aphorism or proverb that actually seems like terrible advice? The one that just gets me is "curiousity killed the cat" -- after all the developmental experts telling us that an inquisitive mind should be encouraged, that asking a lot of questions is a sure sign of an intelligent child, we get this smarmy, snappy stifling little saying that basically (if you look at it the right way) means "stop asking questions, kid, Daddy's getting annoyed".
Another one: "Live each day as if it was your last" -- how the heck can you actually do that? If I knew today were my last, I'd skip work, eat the nicest food I could, spend like a sailor, run down a calling card talking to all my loved ones far away, and try to finish my day with the people I love the most (or at least the ones nearby) at my side. If I lived two days as if they were my last in a row, I'd lose my job.
What common folk wisdom or aphorisms never made sense to YOU?
Also: if you have an opinion on my rant, I'd be interested to hear and have a dialogue.
Love:
Rob
P.S.:
I can't decide whether, as transport vehicles and motorbikes go, this is getting the best of both worlds, or the best of neither.
Funny to look at, though. I wonder where the shop is that does these kinds of alterations. It's obviously a custom job: does that qualify it as a kind of chopper?
"It's a chopper, baby." (Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Photo Essay Tribute to Diversity
Here in the downtown center of Seoul, I get to see some amazing things. One thing that blows my mind is the amazing diversity of activities that young Seoulites enjoy when they hang out together. Here are nineteen different places my friends here in the downtown enjoy, and frequently suggest, when I want to spend a few hours with them.
Really, it's an embarrassment of riches and variety.
All of these places are within about a twenty minute of walk of this first place (which just opened last week: apparently there weren't enough to meet the demand!) I opted not to go past City Hall Station (at least one more) or Gwanghwamun Station (at least two more) and there might be one or five of these which I missed, in building lobbies and such.
The flowers in front signal a new opening, and good luck.
I swear these are each unique, individual places.
The atmosphere is TOTALLY different in this one: they play the Starbucks mix CD volume 3 more often than the other ones!
The one above and the one below this caption are within a hundred steps of each other.
Below is the one nearest to my workplace. It's across the street from a Dunkin Donuts (which may be the subject of another photo essay in the near future.)
The one below is in the prettiest setting of them all.
These next two are two photos of the same place -- it got me to an even twenty photos, and it's the coolest one, because of the roof, which is just like the old style houses, temples, and palaces. I like thinking of it as the Temple to Coffee.
Insadong is a traditional market, so they wouldn't allow the English letters on this one. I once heard it's the only Starbucks in the world where the word Starbucks is written in a different lettering system. That makes it my favourite one -- this is a close as they get to adapting their shop for different cultures. I'm not sure what to think of that.
Nothing says ubiquity like Starbucks Korea!
Again: all those places are within a twenty minute walk of each other.
Starbucks had a shop in the Forbidden Palace in China for a while. . . it might still be there, but I know some Chinese officials were complaining about the corporatization of one of their national monuments. All I can say is, I bet the CEO of Starbucks leaves a message on the answering machines of the MacDonalds and Burger King and Dunkin Donuts CEO's once a week saying "I got one in the Forbidden Palace! Where did YOU get a franchise? Sucker!"
Having a chain franchise in the Forbidden Palace is kind of the chain store equivalent of hooking up with Jessica Alba (or Bridget Bardot, or Darryl Hannah, or Julia Roberts, in their primes, depending on your age) -- you get bragging rights for life, over anyone, ever, except Paul Henderson, (you Canadians know what I'm talking about there,) Tom Brady, and Joe DiMaggio (geez. World Series, MVP, AND married Marilyn Monroe! Throw some cold water on me!)
I learned today that in a lot of English-Korean dictionaries, and maybe even in the Korean language in general, there is no distinction between the word "individualist" and "selfish" (hence the stigma against marching to the beat of your own drum, I suppose.)
(The old debate: does language create culture, or does culture create language? continues. I find this debate as interesting as the old chicken or the egg riddle.)
It is with great dismay that I watch new dunkin donuts, baskin robbins, macdonalds, burger king, ralph lauren, revlon, outback steakhouse, and nike stores opening all around downtown seoul. Because of the collectivist tendency of Korean thinking (the nail that sticks up its head gets hammered down), this city and brand name advertising were a match made in heaven -- if the right star is spotted holding a Louis Vuitton Handbag
this. exact. one.
suddenly every woman in Korea (and Japan) NEEDS to have one. There was a point last summer when, of twelve Korean women working in my office, at least four were coming to work with the exact same handbag (real or fake, I don't know, but there you go.) I've seen about a thousand of those things. Probably more.
anyway, brand names are ridiculous here. just ridiculous. the pressure to fit in is unbelievable, and everybody feels it, and sometimes (maybe this is just my western bias) I just feel so so sad that people become so self-confined by their own worry that a stranger might judge them.
There's strength in unity, sure. When Koreans get behind a project or a cause, the energy and enthusiasm is balls-to-the-wall and amazing to see, but when people feel the need to buy a handbag or car they don't need, just to keep up with the joneses (or the Kims, I suppose), I just wonder how many never bothered to stop and ask "do I actually LIKE spending so much of my life-energy on the opinions of people who don't love me anyway?"
sigh.
Really, it's an embarrassment of riches and variety.
All of these places are within about a twenty minute of walk of this first place (which just opened last week: apparently there weren't enough to meet the demand!) I opted not to go past City Hall Station (at least one more) or Gwanghwamun Station (at least two more) and there might be one or five of these which I missed, in building lobbies and such.
The flowers in front signal a new opening, and good luck.
I swear these are each unique, individual places.
The atmosphere is TOTALLY different in this one: they play the Starbucks mix CD volume 3 more often than the other ones!
The one above and the one below this caption are within a hundred steps of each other.
Below is the one nearest to my workplace. It's across the street from a Dunkin Donuts (which may be the subject of another photo essay in the near future.)
The one below is in the prettiest setting of them all.
These next two are two photos of the same place -- it got me to an even twenty photos, and it's the coolest one, because of the roof, which is just like the old style houses, temples, and palaces. I like thinking of it as the Temple to Coffee.
Insadong is a traditional market, so they wouldn't allow the English letters on this one. I once heard it's the only Starbucks in the world where the word Starbucks is written in a different lettering system. That makes it my favourite one -- this is a close as they get to adapting their shop for different cultures. I'm not sure what to think of that.
Nothing says ubiquity like Starbucks Korea!
Again: all those places are within a twenty minute walk of each other.
Starbucks had a shop in the Forbidden Palace in China for a while. . . it might still be there, but I know some Chinese officials were complaining about the corporatization of one of their national monuments. All I can say is, I bet the CEO of Starbucks leaves a message on the answering machines of the MacDonalds and Burger King and Dunkin Donuts CEO's once a week saying "I got one in the Forbidden Palace! Where did YOU get a franchise? Sucker!"
Having a chain franchise in the Forbidden Palace is kind of the chain store equivalent of hooking up with Jessica Alba (or Bridget Bardot, or Darryl Hannah, or Julia Roberts, in their primes, depending on your age) -- you get bragging rights for life, over anyone, ever, except Paul Henderson, (you Canadians know what I'm talking about there,) Tom Brady, and Joe DiMaggio (geez. World Series, MVP, AND married Marilyn Monroe! Throw some cold water on me!)
I learned today that in a lot of English-Korean dictionaries, and maybe even in the Korean language in general, there is no distinction between the word "individualist" and "selfish" (hence the stigma against marching to the beat of your own drum, I suppose.)
(The old debate: does language create culture, or does culture create language? continues. I find this debate as interesting as the old chicken or the egg riddle.)
It is with great dismay that I watch new dunkin donuts, baskin robbins, macdonalds, burger king, ralph lauren, revlon, outback steakhouse, and nike stores opening all around downtown seoul. Because of the collectivist tendency of Korean thinking (the nail that sticks up its head gets hammered down), this city and brand name advertising were a match made in heaven -- if the right star is spotted holding a Louis Vuitton Handbag
this. exact. one.
suddenly every woman in Korea (and Japan) NEEDS to have one. There was a point last summer when, of twelve Korean women working in my office, at least four were coming to work with the exact same handbag (real or fake, I don't know, but there you go.) I've seen about a thousand of those things. Probably more.
anyway, brand names are ridiculous here. just ridiculous. the pressure to fit in is unbelievable, and everybody feels it, and sometimes (maybe this is just my western bias) I just feel so so sad that people become so self-confined by their own worry that a stranger might judge them.
There's strength in unity, sure. When Koreans get behind a project or a cause, the energy and enthusiasm is balls-to-the-wall and amazing to see, but when people feel the need to buy a handbag or car they don't need, just to keep up with the joneses (or the Kims, I suppose), I just wonder how many never bothered to stop and ask "do I actually LIKE spending so much of my life-energy on the opinions of people who don't love me anyway?"
sigh.
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