Sunday, December 14, 2008

American Thanksgiving

I know this is almost a month late, but I thought I'd would put up a blog about Thanksgiving. Korean Thanksgiving (Chuseok) is in September, but I just can't ignore American Thanksgiving. Last year, we had a potluck dinner at Brad and Steph's apartment with the whole EG crew the Saturday after. This year, I decided to do Thanksgiving on the proper day at my apartment. I invited Trash and her whole family over along with Pastor Robert and Jenny. I made the whole spread just like Mom would at home. Mashed potatoes, bread filling, candied sweet potatoes, corn and bread. I also made some gravy. I had to have my mom send gravy mix from home. This was actually the first time Trash and her family had ever heard of, seen or tasted gravy. It just doesn't exist in Korea....They all loved it. The main difference from home, there was no turkey. Just like last year, we bought some rotisserie chickens from a street vendor. It was delicious. We also appeased the Koreans with rice and kimchi ;)

We had a great night. There was good conversation, and Trash's family and my parents met for the first time....via Skype. I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday away from home :)

Preparing the Feast

The Table is Set

Enjoying the Meal
(Trash, her mom, brother, sister, Jenny and Pastor Robert)

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Mr. Stuart's Request

Well, John Stuart asked for some info about how this whole international, cross-cultural marriage things works so I thought I'd say a few words....

Overall, things between Trash and I are good and not nearly as difficult as you may assume. Of course, she is not your average Korean. She was born for Western Culture. For the most part, growing up Korean has just made her more polite than most Westerners. When it comes down to it, we both grew up attending church, hanging out with friends, listening to punk rock and playing in bands. It's not that different. Sometimes there are some conflicts that arise. Trash is just Korean enough that many times she will agree with me when she doesn't want to and keeps her feelings bottled up inside. Korean men generally don't want to know what their respective others are thinking, and the women have learned to deal with that. However, Trash is also Westernized enough that over a period of time, holding everything in will cause her to flip out a little whereas most Korean woman have accepted it as part of life. We're working on that though. I think it's just hard for her to get used to the idea that my mom taught me to care about the feelings and thoughts of the woman I'm with.

The issues with her family are a little bigger. They are also a pretty progressive family. Trash had never seen her mom shakes somebody's hand before we started dating (that's right, they still bow in Korea), but her mom understood that my culture is different, and the first time we met she shook my hand. Me being a foreigner was never an issue either, which is VERY different from most Korean households. Unfortunately, her mom hardly speaks any English at all, and my Korean is very poor. Some may see that as part of the American Dream. I have a mother-in-law who can't talk to me! Haha. In some cases, that would be preferable, but my mother-in-law is pretty cool, and I really wish I could have a normal conversation with her. All of our talking goes through our interpreter, Trash. Her brother and sister speak more English than her mom, but they are still pretty self-conscious about speaking in English to a native speaker so while conversation with them is better, it's still slightly belabored.

The biggest hassle has been with the Government. Trash and I have finally finished filing all of our paperwork, and I am officially a resident of Korea. I have a new Visa (I changed from an E2 working visa to an F2 spousal visa), and with it, comes more freedom and rights. I am no longer an indentured servant to my school and can take/quit any job that I want without notifying anyone. It's great to finally be at that point.

I'm sure we will find more differences in our cultural upbringings in the coming year, but thus far, we have overcome all the differences we have found. I don't see that changing.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Updates

It's been a while since I wrote anything so I thought I'd make a quick post. Things are going well, overall, in Korea. I've been spending a lot of time with Trash and her family which has been nice. I even spent a Friday night at their house making kimchi. Wedding plans are coming together, and February 28th is quickly approaching. I'm very happy that Ric will officially be traveling to Korea to be my best man. Also, we have officially set the date for our reception in Pennsylvania. It will be at my parents church, Morning Star Fellowship, on March 15th. We'll be arriving in PA the day before the wedding and staying for 2 weeks after. I'm really looking forward to that. We've set up a webpage for people to check out and get all the info they need concerning our wedding. That's about it for now.

Jeff and Trash's Wedding Page

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wedding Website

Trash and I officially have a website for our wedding and receptions. Check it out and sign up for the mailing list. That way it will be easy to keep everyone up to date.

www.ewedding.com/sites/mosesyang

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Date is Set

It's official. Trash and I will be getting married February 28, 2009.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

She's a Rocker! She's a Roller Too Baby!

Trash's band, BBLT, hasn't played in about 3 months because their drummer had back surgery. They've been big in Seoul for about 8 years so, being that she's the hot chick from one of the longer-lasting local punk bands and super cool, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, knows Trash. We can't go anywhere without people saying hi. Recently, two other bands, Sweet Guerillaz, and Vicious Glare, each asked her to do guest vocals on a track on their new album (the studio track with Sweet Guerillaz can be heard on their myspace page linked above). After the albums were released, the bands toured around Korea together. Last weekend was the last show of the tour, and they asked Trash to sing the stuff she recorded with them so of course I videoed it. So here they are, videos of my fiancee doing guest vocals with a punk rock band and a hardcore band. Yup, she's a bad ass.

Trash with Sweet Guerillaz:


Trash with Vicious Glare:

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Batman Strikes Apgujeong

A lot of things have happened lately, and I was too lazy to post about them, but I wanted to make sure I got this one up. Tomorrow is our school's Fall Festival. We got our costumes today, and I had one of my best ideas in a while. We decided to get some extra mileage out of the rental costumes. We hung around town for a little while, and then, rode the subway home....in costume. It was pretty fun, especially since I work in what most Koreans consider the Beverly Hills of Korea. We got some pretty fun looks. Check out the pictures at the link below......

Click Me For Pictures

Friday, October 3, 2008

Fame and Fortune

Choi Jin-Sil

From today's edition of The Korea Herald:

"Autopsy Suggests Actress Hanged Self

Police yesterday provisionally concluded Choi Jin-sil, the nation's long-adored iconic actress "impulsively" committed suicide Thursday, based on evidence from a preliminary autopsy finding, her diary, mobile phone records and statements from her family and close associates.

"The National Institute of Scientific Investigation's preliminary autopsy results show that she hanged herself, and all evidence we have gathered so far indicates she killed herself on the spur of the moment," said an official at the Seocho Police Station.

Following the initial autopsy conducted Thursday night, the state coroner said that Choi strangled herself, and that there were no signs of foul play as no external wounds were discovered. It will take about two weeks to verify whether her death resulted from an intake of drugs or other substances, the coroner said.

The 39-year-old actress, whose stellar career spanned the last two decades, was found hanging in the shower stall in her residence in Seoul with a bandage tightened around her neck at around 6:15 a.m. Thursday.

Choi is said to have seriously agonized over what she contended were baseless rumors, which began circulating after the alleged suicide of Ahn Jae-hwan. Ahn, 36, another much-beloved actor, was faltering under snowballing debts from his moribund businesses. Choi was rumored to have lent a considerable amount of money to Ahn and pressured him to repay her.

Choi had frequently expressed suicidal thoughts days before her death, even saying that she preferred to be cremated and spread over a mountain, according to the police.

"Choi told her manager the night before her death that she felt extremely frustrated that she might not be able to attend her children's sports meeting Friday (because of the public perception against her amid the rumors)," an investigator said.

On Tuesday, Choi wept hard the whole night following the telephone conversation with the suspect charged with having spread the rumors on the internet, the police said. The next day, Choi went out for shooting for a pharmaceuticals commercial, but failed to finish it because her face was swollen due to lack of sleep and her crying the previous night.

Choi, then, drank with the head of her entertainment company, and told him that she would retire and wished to die, police said. On the day of her death, Choi briefly talked with a women-magazine reporter over the phone, saying, "This may be the last talk with you, and please carefully watch my kids growing up."

She had a son and a daughter, aged seven and five, respectively, from her ill-fated marriage with former pro baseball player Cho Sung-min.

Investigators are also looking into her diary, where she detailed her daily battles with living as a public figure struggling to maintain her star status in the midst of a series of false accusations.

"I am a loner and social outcast, and I felt choked," she was quoted by the police as saying in her diary.

Police have found no evidence yet regarding the rumors that Choi was a loan shark.

"At this point of time, no evidence has emerged about the allegations that Choi operated a private loan business," said an investigator.

"We also investigated the phone records of Ahn and other related people, and found nothing related to Choi."

The official said that there will not be any further inquiry into the authenticity of the allegation. Currently, police are investigating a securities firm employee who was booked late last month on charges of having spread the rumors.

The death of Choi has added to the recent calls to devise stern measures against cyberspace libel. The government and the ruling Grand National Party have been pushing for such measures, while critics have denounced them, citing the possibility of hampering freedom of expression.

Choi will be cremated this morning in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The burial is set to be held in a cemetery in Yangsuri, Gyeonggi Province.

By Song Sang-ho
(sshluck@heraldm.com)
2008.10.04"

Both of her kids attend my school. Her daughter is in the room next to mine. My friend Chris is her teacher. I talked to her and played with her the day before her mom died. It's such a sad thing that this happened. I can't imagine what is happening in those 5 and 7 year old minds. It also goes to show that money and fame are not all they're cracked up to be. Choi Jin-sil was one of Korea's most beloved actresses and a good mom. Everyone in this country knew her, and she was about as rich as anyone could hope to be. But in the end, those things drove her to the edge and right over it. So sad. Please pray for her children.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Choose Your Battles Korea

This article appeared in the Korea Times today:

"Chinese Sailors Detained for Killing Korean Coast Guard

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Eleven Chinese sailors have been detained for illegally catching fish in Korea's exclusive economic zone in the West Sea and attacking Korean coast guards dispatched to stop them, resulting in the killing of a Korean coast guard, police said Sunday.

Park Gyeong-jo, 48, a sergeant of the Mokpo Coast Guard, was killed Thursday night after being beaten around the head with blunt weapons wielded by the sailors.

An arrest warrant was sought for three sailors confirmed to have been linked to the homicide, investigators said.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, a patrol vessel of the Mokpo Coast Guard detected two unidentified 50-ton Chinese fishing boats on its radar 70 kilometers west of Gageo Island, within the Korean EEZ.

Seventeen coast guards including Park were dispatched to capture the vessels. As they were approaching, the Chinese workers wielded iron pipes, shovels and threw bottles and fishing gear to prevent them from boarding.

Park and two other officers attempted to get onboard but were pushed away. Park fell in the sea and went missing.

He was found dead in a lifejacket at 1:10 p.m. Friday ㅡ 17 hours after he went missing ㅡ about six kilometers south of the missing point.

``An autopsy conformed that beatings to his head caused his death,'' said a Mokpo Coast Guard official.

The life-and-death battles between Korean coast guards and Chinese fishermen have continued through the years as the Korean EEZ in the West Sea, which is close to China's mainland, is considered one of the most fish-rich areas around the Korean Peninsula.

In May 2005, four coast guard officers were severely wounded after being assaulted by Chinese sailors, whose ship was on the verge of being captured for operating within Korean waters without permission.

In August, a member of the Incheon Coast Guard was also beaten while inspecting an unlicensed Chinese shipping boat, resulting in him being hospitalized for five weeks.

According to the Korea Coast Guard, 159 Chinese ships have been seized for operating illegally in Korean waters so far this year. In 2007, 494 illegal operations were reported, an 18 percent drop from the record high of 584 cases in 2005.

Chinese fishermen fiercely resist arrest to avoid tens of millions of won in fines, which exceed their annual income, if caught operating without permission.

``We go on patrol with gas guns, electronic shock devices and clubs. But we do not take such life-threatening weapons as rifles or handguns to avoid possible diplomatic disputes,'' a coast guard official said. ``For this reason, we have felt our lives threatened many times.'' "

My thoughts...this weekend people were still protesting against the South Korean President for allowing American Beef in the country. Of course, Chinese baby formula has recently been recalled for containing various toxins, and a Coast Guard officer was killed by Chinese fishermen....but hey, let's work really hard to keep out that beef from the country that has done more for South Korea than anyone else. Way to pick your battles South Korea.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Dark Side

I had heard of this map before, but my friend John just sent me a link to this article, and I thought I'd share it. I find it truly sad....

"North and South Korea have been separated at the 38th parallel ever since the Korean War (1950-1953), which has never officially ended. In the ensuing ‘ceasefire’, North Korea developed into a communist dictatorship with a centrally planned economy, while South Korea became a capitalist democracy with a free market economy.

Economic hardship in the officially ‘self-reliant’ North has led to mass starvation, while the South has a vibrant economy able to compete with the best of the world. In 1996, the per capita GNP in the North was $920, while it was $11.270 in the South. A 1999 estimate of per capita GNPs put the South’s at 13 times that of the North. More recent figures will probably show an even wider gap.

Due to the different economic results on either side of the Demilitarized Zone, the ethnically quite homogenous Koreans have even begun to diversify physically, with the average North Korean male almost 7 cm shorter than his Southern counterpart (165,6 cm vs. 172,5 cm). North Korean females are on average 4 cm shorter than Southern women (154,9 cm vs. 159,1 cm). By 2025, the height difference is projected to increase to 11 cm for men, 6 cm for women. Unless the North’s economic situation changes drastically, that is.

So the South dwarfs the North, not just numerically (50 vs. 27 million), but also economically and even size-wise. Another stark reminder of the different worlds both Koreas now inhabit, is this map, a picture of the night-time illumination on the Korean peninsula.

The metropolitan area of Seoul, the South’s capital, holds 23 million people and is the second-largest conurbation on the planet (after Tokyo). Its huge lit-up area, close to the border with the North, is clearly visible from space. Other Southern cities, while quite a lot smaller than Seoul, are also clearly distinguishable on this satellite map, for example Gunsan on the western coast, directly below it the inland city of Gwangju, the cities of Masan and Busan on the southern coast, and several other cities, much smaller still.

By contrast (quite literally, even), the only speck of light north of the DMZ is the North’s capital of Pyonyang, a single, neat pinprick of white punched through an otherwise completely black canvas. The minimal lighting belies the fact that Pyongyang is home to an estimated 3 million people. Gunsan, in the South, has under 300.000 inhabitants.

There is only one bright side to this darkness that I can think of: North Korea must be a fantastic place for stargazing..."

(taken from - http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/12/16/218-koreas-dark-half/)

Monday, September 8, 2008

Kindergarten Art Class

Like many little boys, some of my kindergartners really enjoy things that little girls don't. Last week, we were drawing pictures of people on flying carpets. One of the boys colored a really nice picture and then proceeded to scribble red crayon all over it. Now, this kid is one of my favorite students, but every time we draw pictures of animals, his are in the wild eating each other (and yes, that's one of the reasons he's a favorite of mine. haha). The following conversation ensued:

"Moses Teacher, plane flew by and BOOM!" ~Student
"Hey, don't kill them and cover the picture with blood. These are people, not animals." ~Me
"Moses Teacher, it's not blood. They're on fire and not die. They're alive." ~Student
"Well, I guess as long as you didn't kill them...." ~Me

I was dumbstruck but really impressed. haha.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Please Be Nice

With football season quickly approaching, I'd like to take this moment to remind people that I do not watch the games live. My local time is 13 hours ahead of East Coast Time. What that means is that a 1pm Sunday game is actually live at 2am Monday morning for me. While I can't watch the games live, or on local television, I have paid $200 to be able to watch them on the internet for up to 48 hours after the original broadcast. Usually, I will watch them Monday night after my Korean Language night class so that's about 9am Monday morning in East Coast Time. However, there will be times that I need to wait longer because of scheduling conflicts. All this is to say please, please, please don't send me emails or instant messengers about how amazing those last few seconds were or how angry you are that the Eagles lost a game. It already feels kind of different watching the games knowing that they are not live. Please don't ruin the excitement of not knowing what happens. You will not be doing me a favor by telling me to not waste my time watching them lose. So let's play it safe this year folks. Unless you hear from me about the game personally or see some kind of status/away message on AIM, MSN, Skype or Facebook which makes it ABUNDANTLY obviously that I know what happened, don't say anything to me about the game until it's been over for at least 48 hours.

Thank you, and of course, GO BIRDS!!!!

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Scrapbook

I know a lot of people would like to see the scrapbook I gave Trash so we took pictures of it tonight. I was just going to put up a few pages but thought I might as well put them all up (even though there are a lot). It might seem like a little overkill. It's mostly for my mom and sister ;) If you want to see the pages closer, you can click on the picture to enlarge it. Here we go.....