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27 Jun 2010, We pack up the house-on-wheels and head to Myrtle Beach with pets and grandparents.

Korea, of course, has supermarkets to cater for the needs of consumers. The average supermarket puts some western ones to shame with the diverse array of products that it will have in stock. Everything from pizza to peondaeggi (silkworm larvae), tampons to Tiger Balm, plus a wide range of furniture, foods, clothes and electronics fill the shelves and the aisles.

However, unlike a trip to a supermarket in the western hemisphere, in Korea it’s considered a family outing. All walks of life are seen there, from the toddler to the ajuma, a woman of a certain age.

Rarely do you find an out-of-town site dedicated to a superstore, you are more likely to come across one tucked in amongst residential and commercial buildings.

Arriving at a store on foot during peak times you could find yourself face to face with the store traffic controller. This supermarket employee stands adjacent to a pedestrian crossing waiting for the lights to change before running into the middle of the road to usher people across. Any cars encroaching onto his territory may be held at bay simply by the power of two luminous sticks brandished at them Even when the streets are clear with no sign of vehicles, failure to comply with the traffic controller’s commands invokes a torrent of stick waving.

Depending on the extent of your shopping, you can choose a trolley (cart) or basket. All these goods carriers are sanitised and, what’s more, sections of stores are dedicated to sanitising them by the emission of ultra violet rays.

Large bags are not usually allowed into the shopping utopia and you are encouraged to place any personal bag into a locker. You may find that you are placing them beneath a dog box – a potentially airless coffin with the amenities of a newspaper; so the dog can check its horoscope for the day and have the convenience of a toilet at the same time (see Aww cute puppy). Naturally, the possibility of your secured bag being marinated in urine adds to the thrill of shopping.

The extent of goods on sale at some of the superstores is so great that it needs two floors to be displayed. Getting from one floor to another is usually made accessible by a magnetised escalator – for the trolleys not someone with a steel-reinforced hiking stick. The set up of the store itself should be familiar to all, but by attempting to cram as many items as possible into the space available it is somewhat more confined than in most western countries.

When you enter into the shopping area, you are welcomed by a bowing Korean wearing a suit. It is then that you become a participant in the rat race. At this point, peripheral vision comes in useful; as people and carts come from all directions. Similar to the driving in Korea, expect to find abandoned trolleys strewn around the aisles complete with babies and random shopping items. Having to push these obstacles aside as you do your shopping perilously lengthens the time spent away from the locker dog’s ever-more weakening bladder.

Your mind is distracted from this concern by loud voices echoing through the store from employees advertising the latest offers of the week. There are also the inviting smells from a mini street stall type restaurant filling the air, enticing customers to sit down and place an order.

You may have heard that it’s not a good idea to shop when you are hungry, drunk or high, because you could end up buying items that you don’t really need. Well, the hungry part of this advice doesn’t quite apply to shopping in South Korea. One of the delights here is shop assistants offering a range of foods to try – everything from tofu to deep fried pork loins and oriental tidbits you may never have heard of before… As you watch hungrily, locals will flock to a sample stand and consume the latest offering in the blink of eye. The speed of consumption being aided by many diners enjoying more than one tasting. . It’s likely at these events that you will be caught in the bustle of the crowd and left frustrated that as if by magic you were transported from the front to the back of the queue. Regardless though, there is a constant stream of free food on offer in bite-size portions.

Apart from food and household items, a large number of stores sell pets. Many sell rabbits, gerbils, hamsters as well as turtles, stag beetles and hedgehogs and some creatures you would normally endeavour to keep out of your home rather than invite in. All are desperately young and in need of a looking after, the ideal time for them to be bought.

From observing Koreans and their families you get the feeling that they feel comfortable in a supermarket. Full massage chairs are usually sold in the stores and you’ll find them being tested by the elder generation. Sandals and shoes are habitually taken off in order for the body to receive the full revivifying effect of the chair. As you shop you’ll see customers push trolleys around with children asleep inside the main compartment. I have been unable to find out if they are their children or if they were on special offer.

A lot of the outlets are home to food courts. Places with an assortment of families, and a popular haven for people of all ages. To order you must first look in glass cabinets at weirdly lifelike plastic food. Upon making your choice you make a mental note of the number and move onwards to the cashier to place your order. You then wait until your number is called from one of the many different restaurants, advising you that your meal is ready. When sitting within the banquet hall don’t be surprised to see children playing amongst one another in a wild, arena-like playground. They are most probably thankfully enjoying what little time they have away from their education.

Eventually you arrive at paying for all the items you’ve chosen. The set up is exactly the same as at home. The Korean checkout girls are equally as efficient – I have yet to see a man working the checkouts – and similarly trying to get one last sale out of you by proffering a carrier bag or two for your goods. Notwithstanding the familiar feel to all this, don’t be fooled into thinking that the shopping experience is finished once you have paid. Whilst you are still bagging your items, the next customer in line is being dealt with and confusion may arise when they start bagging items which look surprisingly like yours.

Leaving with the goods you actually purchased is always a bonus when shopping in Korea.

© John Brownlie 2010

You may have seen it on the news or lived through it in some cases, but if you haven’t heard then I’ll tell you about Typhoon Kompasu! It hit Seoul Thursday morning in the wee hours of the night and knocked down trees and walls, severed power lines, blew out windows and generally caused a [...]

Author's note: a version of this article appears in September 2010's printed edition of the Groove. All photos below are my own, and may differ from the printed article.

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

Tout ce qui brille – Ma drôle de vie  

During all afternoon I have been looking for the french movie “Tout ce qui brille” (everything that sparkles) but no luck in downloading it. The only thing I finally found to satisfy my craving for some nice fresh french comedy was the music video from the movie OST (see link above).

It made me in a nostalgic mood….Ah! That month of July spent in my hometown in Montpellier (south of France) with my best friend. 2 girls taking life one day at a time, having fun as the summer was going to be short and the separation near.

It was like a pilgrimage. How to be close again with a friend I haven’t seen for such a long time and wasn’t going to see for again a long time.

Her name is Kristelle and the first time we met, we were 15 years old, in highschool and living not far from each other. The first real interaction we had was on the way back home, one day, after school.

Same road and suddenly a boy, skating, felt in front of us. We laughed, looked at each other and that was it.

The magic of the clumsiness of a 12 year old skaterboy created a bond between us that until now didn’t break. With the years, we grew old, apart sometimes too, but never to the point of just becoming the other one’s memory.

So, it was the month of July 2010. I was back in my hometown after spending one month in Paris for my university exams. I can’t say I was really happy to leave Paris. I was missing Korea already and the idea to be in Montpellier, that small town I knew by heart having stayed there 20 years, wasn’t rejoicing me.

I was happy to see Kristelle of course (she is like a sister to me) but having lived abroad for so long I got used to not seeing my friends. I was at a point where hearing their voice on the phone or looking at some old pictures was satisfying me. I guess it just hurts less thinking that way.

But as soon as I got out of the train at the Montpellier station, my first reflex was to call Kristelle. And she answered right away. 

Like when meeting an old flame that never died, we went back to our old habits instantly. Afternoon drinks at the Irish pub, ”the Fitzpatrick” followed by a lot of walking around, not buying clothes and wishing we suddenly won at the lottery to buy all the clothes and shoes we wanted, all that while complaining about the recent french politics, the world, the cigarettes price, and about the fact that this old town of Montpellier hasn’t changed a bit when we did changed so much… Well, average french girls desperatly waiting for their lives to finally start. 

We saw each other almost everyday. Several lunch at the kosher pizzeria in one of the town’s synagogue where the people made me promess to send them a postcard (which I still have to do but hell! is it just me or is it difficult to find some holiday postcards in Busan??), and then, evenings at the bar “Del Mon” with the owner (who smells exceptionnally good!) who was offering us glasses of Champagne and delicious tapas (foie gras, tapenade…I am suddenly very hungry!!).

Getting drunk-a little bit; well alcohol is way more expensive in France than in Korea!!-, laughing and talking -a lot; it’s crazy all the people who want to talk when in a bar!!-, eating the only Fish and Chips that can be found in Montpellier at a small stand that was opening for the summer at the main town square every friday evenings (why just on fridays!! If it was a test, G-d, I failed it! haha)… the best holidays I ever spent in Montpellier so far.

We became close again with Kristelle and that’s what made me so happy. Knowing that after more than 10 years and very different lives, well, it was still there. Still being able to share our deepest thoughts, dreams, fears and doubts.

The two of us, relaxing in a small swimming pool, the sun shining, and forgetting everything that took us apart those past years.

Just the sun, some girl’s talk and this time, no skaterboy clumsiness was needed, to make us laugh and walk hand in hand along the road of our funny lives…

 

I am cooking in Korea. Finally. Better than this old sorry mess, eh? Also, check out the giant zucchini. I made Dani some awesome pineapple chicken stirfry noodles with some of that!

Also, with the kitchenware, everything is in order just in time for out of town visitors.

T- 5 days until Mama gets here.
T- 8 days until my first love gets here.
T- 16 days until Seoul (DMZ).
T- 19 days until Jeju.
T- 24 days until I have a complete nervous breakdown (think Mariah Carey a la 2001).

My month is pretty well planned out. Yay!

We got a new principal for the start of the semester. In the USA, people tend to stay at the same school for several decades. In Korea, you can't stay for more than 5 years at one school and you are often forced to teach a different subject/year every year within that school. So much for fine tuning lesson plans over the year and getting comfortable with an age group. Tomorrow night we are having an official welcoming party. It's not like I have better plans but Friday nights are sacred. My priorities are a red meat dinner, chocolate, a beer, and some serious R and R. A couple of the new teachers this semester have struck up conversations with me (yay for my Konglish skills) but generally, staff functions are a bit lonely for me. On the plus side, there is guaranteed to be a plethora of food and booze which does meet two of my Friday night requirements. Does the new principal speak English? Who knows.

Spaz attack:
1. My lovely cut tongue is a bit infected. I can't exactly but Neosporin in my mouth so I bought some mouth wash and am using it a few times a day which seems to be helping.

2. Last night I stubbed/rammed my second smallest toe into the bottom of a bookcase. It's still seriously painful though it doesn't seem broken. I think I just bruised the bone.

Random: I went to the school library today to take out a kid's book to practice my Korean. It's called 고래 똥 향수 or Whale Poo Perfume. It's a little hard for me but I should be able to get through it with a dictionary. They don't seem to have any REALLY beginner books, probably because we don't have a kindergarten program.

Bring on the whale poo!

Catching the subway at six in the morning to see the beautiful morning sky in my lovely neighborhood before a peaceful slumber. Good night.

A few readers have communicated to me that my posts need to be a bit more on point to the merits of whether or not a spot is worth visiting or not. I’ve been looking over my old posts and I figure what I need is a rating system! You know, nothing fancy, just a [...]

The saddest dog I have ever seen is the panda dog at 37 Degrees in KSU.

Today, I met a French guy who crossed half of the world riding a motorbike. It took him 6 months. From France to Vladivostok on his bike, then on a boat to Japan where he stayed one year. Then a boat again to Busan. One moto, few months and that guy probably has stories for the rest of his life.

3 years ago, I met some Finish people who crossed half of the world riding horses. It took them several months but finally arrived in Beijing, China. They rode their horses on Tian An Men. They got arrested for that, and almost got deported but finally, with some help from friends at their consulate managed to stay longer in China. Horses, few months, and those guys probably have stories for the rest of their life.

6 years ago, I took a plane to go to China, stayed a while, then left for France, and took a plane again to, this time, come to Korea. A plane, 10 hours and nothing to talk about….I need to find a funnier way to travel next time! How about swimming back to France for Christmas?

kellyinkorea:

I thought I was getting away from these things by moving to Korea. Guess not.

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) — Typhoon Kompasu strengthened into a Category 3 storm capable of “devastating damage” after crossing Okinawa in Japan and heading toward the Korean peninsula, the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Center said.

Kompasu was 362 kilometers (225 miles) south-southeast of the South Korean island of Jeju at 9 a.m. Seoul time today with sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour, the center said.

The typhoon, the eighth storm of the northwest Pacific season, is forecast to skirt China’s eastern coast near Shanghai today before making landfall near Seoul after 9 a.m. tomorrow, the center said.

Yowza!

I live for the nights where all the girls get together and wear cute outfits. This just isn’t done enough back in the USA.

( Source )

Something about Kong Hyo-jin (공효진) got me all hot and bothered last week. And no, I don’t mean her lingerie photoshoot for Calvin Klein.

Rather, it was her ads for Uniqlo (유니클로), all over Busan at the moment. Surely, I thought, the creative team could have anticipated how their ads would look on the side of buses, and designed something that didn’t look like she was literally squashed into them?

But then I caught a subway train on Line 2, every carriage of which was decked out like this:

And suddenly I realized that her squashed appearance wasn’t an accident:

Still, what’s the big deal?

Well, just try it for yourself. Assuming that you have, and that your neck no longer hurts, then now you too may be wondering why her head was placed so awkwardly. Moreover, why is it overwhelmingly women that have this “head cant” in advertisements too, albeit not usually tilted quite so much?

( Sources: unknown )

Sociologist Erving Goffman believed it made women look subordinate, and hence that the disparity was evidence of sexism. But as I already discussed that back in February, my original aim here was just to pass on further evidence of the sociological pattern.

Yet the more I looked at the ad, the more I liked it despite myself. And I wanted to know why.

One possible reason, I thought, was Kong Hyo-jin’s luxuriant, flowing hair, another recurring theme of advertisements. Combined with her hands on her hips, it reminded of this ad with Kim Ah-joong (김아중) especially:

( Source: unknown )

And in particular, the wind effect:

…makes it look as though whatever she is looking at (presumably a male viewer) is powerful enough to nearly blow her away while she marvels at him and waits for his approach. She doesn’t look like she intends to act, but rather like she hopes to be acted upon–sexual but still submissive.

As discussed in detail here. But of course that wouldn’t apply to all cases of women with windswept hair in advertisements, and so I did a little investigating. And just guess what I found was #1 in “The 13 Most Common Female Courtship Signals and Gestures” in my Korean edition of The Definitive Book of Body Language (p. 290)?

Basically, that says that when women see a man they are interested in, the first thing they tend to do is start touching their hair, as raising their arms allows them to more easily give off pheromones via their armpits. I’m surprised that it doesn’t also mention that it would also serve to thrust their chests out a little too, and that as women tend to have longer hair than men then touching it also shows off that secondary sexual characteristic; but it does note that even women with short hair do it, so that latter may not be all that important really.

The head cant though? It’s more complicated, and for a little while I confused it with number 7 on that list (pp. 293-4):

But which is not actually referring to the head cant, but rather how women will raise their shoulders and look at the object of their affection while he’s preoccupied, suddenly looking away when he looks at them (which in turn makes him secretly look at them afterward, according to the book). Apparently, the round shape of their shoulders is suggestive of breasts also, which is not as ludicrous as it sounds considering breasts themselves evolved (to such a disproportionately large size for primates) through looking similar to buttocks.

Still, I did know that a tilted head showed interest in something or someone though (sexual or otherwise), and sure enough I soon found this (pp. 231-2):

Apologies for lacking the time to properly translate all of the above scans; if anyone would like me to, I’m quite happy to later in the week. In the meantime, it basically says that in addition being an expression of interest, tilting the head also serves to expose the neck, the obvious submissiveness of which is exaggerated by also having the effect of making the person shorter and/or smaller, which is quite the opposite of standing up straight to emphasize our height when we want to compete or fight with others in some sense.

Finally, it notes that it is often seen on women in advertisements, although it doesn’t say why. Upon reading that though, I finally realized what many of you probably knew all along: Kong Hyo-jin is in that pose because it’s sexually appealing to men, as easily confirmed by this, this, and this article on dating advice, and that’s why I was drawn to it I guess.

Hell, even knowing all that, I still like it!

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t problematic. Or rather, that seeing that pose so often on women in advertisements isn’t. After all, there are many many other ways to appeal to heterosexual men, some quite the opposite of looking submissive, so it’s strange that that particular one would be so common (and, related, that you find women taller than accompanying men in ads much less than in real life). Moreover, why is the ad designed for a male gaze too, when presumably the intended consumers of the women’s clothes advertised are women?

But I started this post because Kong Hyo-jin’s pose looked so strange, and just because it did ultimately prove to have a logic is not to say that women in advertisements aren’t still frequently placed in some bizarre, awkward poses nevertheless. Consider the other Uniqlo advertisement in the series on the bus for instance:

( Source )

Next, on the subway:

And finally, the full length version:

Now, despite deconstructing advertisements for over 3 years, just like everyone else in a developed country I too am exposed to 500-1000 advertising messages a day. So some common advertising themes I just simply get used to, a sure sign of which is that I originally thought that this was the more normal and natural-looking of the 2 advertisements, and hence had no intention of writing about it.

But in fact, it’s anything but “natural”. Again, I invite you to adopt Kong Hyo-jin’s pose for yourself just to see how strange it really is.

The crucial thing is her arms: one folded over the other, it reminds me most of a gesture that you’ll frequently see on new students and colleagues and so on on their first days at schools and workplaces. Just like on the woman below on page 103 of The Definitive Book of Body Language:

As I first mentioned here, the logic behind it is that when someone is nervous, then their instinctive reaction is to protect their exposed fronts using whatever comes to hand, be they bags, books, folders…or of course their own arms. Meeting people with folded arms doesn’t exactly create a warm and open first impression though, and so with the other partially open, hanging arm, they try to express that at the same time.

Yes, it is indeed an awkward compromise, but even having read the 1989 edition of Body Language above at the age of 13, and being perfectly aware of what I was doing (and why) thereafter, nevertheless I still couldn’t stop putting my arms like that on my first days at all 6 of my high schools (in 3 years in 3 countries). For those lacking self-confidence, as I did back then, it is an amazingly powerful instinct.

In Kong Hyo-jin’s case however, while I guess the expression of nervousness does accentuate an image of submissiveness, it’s just too much of a compromise to expose one part of the body – the neck – while protecting others with the arms. It also contradicts her “bashful knee bend” too, which I discuss here.

But why? I confess I simply don’t know, being a little mentally subdued after having to reconsider my original opinions about the first ad so much. Now seems as good a time as any then, to throw the floor open to readers, who may see something that I’ve missed and/or have alternative explanations!^^

Filed under: Body Image, Busan, Gender Socialization, Korean Advertisements, Sexual Discrimination Tagged: Erving Goffman, 공효진, Gender Advertisements, 유니클로, Kong Hyo-jin, Uniqlo

If you're one of those people who really want to know where not to travel, you are now in luck. A new 272-page softcover book 'lowlights' the 101 places not to see before you die. The anti-travel book makes sense, considering how the genre / meme has taken off. From the author's website:
There are lists of jazz albums I need to listen to, foods I must taste, paintings I have to see, walks I’m required to take—my own father has a book of 1,001 gardens I can’t die without visiting. How am I supposed to conquer 1,001 movies while simultaneously reading 1,001 books and traveling to 1,001 historic sites—not to mention making it to the 500 places I must see before they disappear? By the time I found a copy of 101 Places To Have Sex Before You Die, I was tempted to swear off travel books, grab a selection of the 1,001 beers I have to drink, and head to one of the 1,001 spots where I’m supposed to escape.

What has piqued the ire of fellow K-bloggers Brian in Jeollanam-do and the Marmot's Hole is the two Korean inclusions: the De-Militarized Zone (AKA the DMZ) and an overnight Buddhist templestay. That NPR featured an excerpt from the templestay story only seemed to add insult to injury.

First, I'm not overly surprised about these two particular destinations making the list. Both have been overhyped to a point where the marketing creates an unreasonable expectation that doesn't match the reality. Are you really going to 'become enlightened' on an overnight trip? Of course not.

Reading excerpts of the book, however, reminds me that attitude plays a trumping role in your travel experience. The very fact that she went out intending to find the worst places tells me these places didn't have a chance. Her story about having her first period on a Chinese train (#7 on the list)? It shares almost nothing about actually traveling on a Chinese train. OK, sure, it's her book, she can write about whatever she wants. Still, there must be something about the trip that would be unappealing to the readers.

One thing that is seen in this book, however, is a certain level of honesty. That's a rare word when it comes to traveling and travel writing. Having had a less-than-perfect experience, a tactful travel writer will either not write about the place (thus not telling their readers anything at all) or frame their words in some sort of spin. Neither option is overly palatable, however. Think about it - if you're trying to figure out whether a place is worth visiting, does either angle help? Are you better served by slugging through sugar coated and non-existent results? Honest reviews of a place / event / destination won't necessarily earn revenue from said places, yet are most likely to assist the real-world traveler.

Here at Chris in South Korea, I give honest ratings about the places I visit. I'm not getting paid by some travel / tourist organization to write about a given place or make ratings higher. While I welcome those compensated opportunities, my approach would be the same - to give an honest view of a place, an event, a festival. I've visited a fair amount of places that received low ratings for one reason or another, yet the point remains the same - to give you the information you need to travel Korea.

One final thought I happen to agree with the author with wholeheartedly: "Travel should be an adventure, not an assignment—and if you spend your vacations armed with too many checklists, you’re missing the point of leaving home."

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

Apparently the donut cheeseburger has made it to Korea.

 The burger, also known as a Luther burger, was once called "the world's unhealthiest snack" by CBS.

Of course, there's been nothing to stop Koreans make the donut burger at home, since all the ingredients are readily available. Hopefully soon lotteria will release a donut shrimp burger, and then everybody will be happy.

Recently I stumbled across a shop selling art in the Gwangbok Underground Shopping Area near Nampodong's Lotte Department Store. There's nothing particularly unusual about this - the underground shopping district is extensive and there are a number of artworks on display, but they are usually the kind of typical Korean fare popular with tourists and apartment living rooms. Colours are often limited to black and white. What made this particular shop stand out were the vibrant reds and greens enticing the visitor inside.


The particular artist concerned has taken to updating traditional Korean black and white flat paintings with red and green coloured clay which also adds a relief and therefore more depth to the work. I doubt it's the case that what the artist is doing is unique, but in all my time trudging through the back-streets of Busan I've never seen anything quite like it. It's easy for art to stagnate and become almost a stereotype of itself, but it's exciting to think that despite the temptation to pump out the old clichés, that someone out there in Busan is prepared to take an old favourite and give it an updated spin. More images are available on the artist's (정창원 - Jung Chang-Won) website.