The March 1st Movement.

I have briefly talked about the March 1st Movement before, but seeing as yesterday, March 1st, was a national holiday here in Korea I feel the need to explain both the movement and the reasons for which this movement was important.  March 1st in Korea is celebrated as a sort of independence day.  However, unlike most independence days which are causes for celebration, this day in Korea takes on a far more somber tone.  There are no massive firework displays, there are no drunken BBQs, there are no beach parties.  March 1st is more of a national day of remembrance in the mold of what Memorial Day and Veterans Day are supposed to be.  Here the country pauses for a few minutes to honor and remember all those who died to bring this country the freedom and independence that it craved.



The history of Korean independence, like so many other colonial struggles, started with a small group of dedicated nationalists, and ended with the deaths of thousands of people.  Inspired by Wilson's 14 points and the right to national "self-determination" the people of Korea, and numerous other colonized countries began a process of rebellion against their colonial power.  In the case of Korea, their colonial power was Japan.  Japan having recently emerged from its cloak of secrecy was rapidly catching up to the west due to the Meiji restoration.  Their first attempt at a colonial policy was directed at Korea.  Japan viewed Korea as a dagger pointed directly at the heart of Japan.  They believed that if Korea was colonized by another power it would be a direct threat to Japanese security.  Korea for centuries had been a suzerain state of China.  While nominally an independent nation, Korea routinely paid homage to the Chinese emperor.  Chinese policies heavily influenced the Korean government.

Japan first forced the government of Korea to open itself to Japanese trade and interests with the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1876.  From this point on the countries of Japan and China were in continual conflict to exert more influence and control over the policies and people of Korea.  In 1894 these tensions came to a head with the outbreak of the 1st Sino-Japanese war (August 1894-April 1895).  This war was primarily fought in Korea and led to the expulsion of the Chinese army and Chinese influence.  After the war ended the Korean ruler Empress Myeongseong, advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese interests in Korea.  This led to her assassination on October 8th 1895.  Under orders from the Japanese minster to Korea several swordsman entered the Empress's bed chambers and killed her and two other women who might have been her.  Directly after her murder the conspirators burned her body and spread her ashes in a pine forest.  In 1905 Korea became a protectorate of Japan, and in 1910 it was officially annexed by Japan.

This brief history ignores many of the factors that caused the March 1st movement.  Koreans, like most Asian societies, are an exceptionally proud people.  They are proud of their heritage, their language, their history, their culture, etc.  Japan during its control of Korea attempted a sort of "cultural genocide."  Korean monuments, history, names, and buildings were either changed, removed to Japan, or destroyed altogether.  This does not also include retaliation for villages which hid partisan fighters.  The retaliation often ended in rape, murder, and the village being burnt to the ground.  Needless to say all of the bad things associated with colonialism happened here in Korea.  I also freely admit at this point that I have been influenced by my time spent in Korea.  No matter what your take on the Japanese annexation of Korea, the simple fact was that within 9 years of official annexation, and within 24 years of official involvement in Korea the March 1st Movement happened.

The March 1st Movement began when 33 nationalists met in Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul and signed the Korean Declaration of Independence.  After signing the declaration they informed the local police of their actions and waited calmly until the police arrived and arrested them.  Later that day, a student walked into Tapgol Park in Seoul and read the declaration aloud to several thousand people who had gathered there.  Across the country on that day appointed delegates read the declaration across the country at 2 p.m.  The declaration sparked twelve months of protests in which over 2 million people took part in over 1,500 protests.  During these protests over 7,000 people were killed, 15,000 wounded, and 46,000 people were arrested.  There were several reprisals by the Japanese including the imprisonment, torture and murder of several hundred people in Seodaemun prison, all without trial.

The movement is memorialized in Tapgol Park via a series of bas-reliefs  which depict the worst aspects of the Japanese crack down on the Koreans.  However, even with the massive numbers of people participating in the protests, Japanese rule of Korea would not end until 1945 with the Japanese surrender in World War Two.  The movement, while not achieving its overall goal of independence did cause several changes in Japanese policy towards Korea.  The first was a replacement of the military police with a civilian police force.  They also received slightly better treatment and were granted limited freedom of the press.  However, with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 these small freedoms were rescinded and a harsher rule exerted over Korea.  During this period of harsher rule between 20-50 thousand Korean women were lured, kidnapped, or worked as "comfort women" (or prostitutes) for the Japanese army.  A further discussion of comfort women will take place at another point and time. 

It is with all of this in mind, and much more that Korea pauses every March 1st, and remembers those who suffered, those who sacrificed, and those who died, to fight for the essential right of freedom we take for granted every day. 

The Korean Language, a brief introduction....

I was talking to my friend Ben a few months ago.  We were discussing random things as we normally do.  Had we been in the same room the word dude would have been bandied about in numerous different forms and shapes, and may have been the only word actually used to communicate.  As we were talking he made a comment about the Korean language.  He wondered how many symbols there were in the Korean language.  In Chinese you need to memorize around 3,500 characters to be able to read the language.  In Japanese there are over 100 consonants that you have to memorize to be able to read.  In English there are only 26 letters that you have to memorize, however there are close to 42 different sounds associated with the English language. 

The Korean language is based not on symbols like Japanese or Chinese, it is based on an alphabet like English.  In fact, the Korean Language has 24 characters.  It has 14 consonants and 10 vowels.  Every word is broken up into consonants and every consonant must contain one consonant and one vowel.  You cannot have a consonant by itself, and you cannot have a vowel by itself.  It's the rules for Korean.  The language is actually quite simple to learn how to read.  You can teach yourself to read Korean in only one or two days.  It just takes a few hours of study and then some protracted practice.  Luckily I live in a place where I can practice reading everyday.  Now, I must make this point rather clear.  Just because you can read the Korean language, doesn't mean you understand what it means.  For that, just like in any other language, you have to sit down and study the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and all other parts of speech.



Ok, I know that was a really quick video introduction there.  It was also severely nationalistic and while the Korean who produced this video has an excellent understanding of English, they are still lacking words from time to time.  This is one of the problems I have noticed with the Korean language.  It has been taught to the Koreans that there language is unique, special, and a wonder for the world to behold.  They are intensely proud of their language, and in some ways they have a right to be.  The Korean language is not an evolutionary language like Spanish or English, or almost every major language in use today.  The Korean language was created in 1444 and instituted in 1446 by King Sejong.  He is considered to be their greatest King for this singular achievement.  The letters are representations of the movement of the mouth or the speech organs used to create them.  It was created so that simple peasantry could be literate and could learn the language in a short time.  Because of this South Korea has a literacy rating of 99% which is tied with the literacy rates of the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Japan.  In comparison the literacy rate of China is estimated at 93%. 

However, just because you can read the language, doesn't mean you can understand what is being spoken or written.  That part of the language is actually difficult, and some of the sounds associated with Korean are quite difficult to differentiate.  It is like trying to teach the difference between the short e sound and the short i sound.  In English it makes perfect sense, but considering how close the sounds really are it's quite difficult to tell the difference to someone whose language is not based on the Roman alphabet.  In this sense, the Korean alphabet is just another alphabet.  It is special in the fact that it was created, but other then that, it is no better or worse then many other alphabets in use today.

The language took me one weekend of studying to memorize.  It took about 4 hours of actual study time to remember what every character meant.  While this may be the case, it is the constant practice that has made reading the language an easier task.  For those that have never been in a country where you cannot read the alphabet or the language, it is a tough experience.  You realize how much you take for granted being able to understand the world around you.  Imagine trying to shop based on sight alone.  Imagine not being able to read what a product was and simply relying just on the packaging.  It's tougher then you'd think.

For those of you that are interested here is a video that will teach you the basic pronunciation of the Korean language.  There are lots of videos on youtube and if you'd like to learn how to read the language it does not take long.

A Political Quandry.

Now I tend to keep politics out of my blogs.  It has nothing to do with a general malaise or disinterest in the subject, but primarily because of the political environment today.  For someone who finds himself slightly to the right of center on the political spectrum, I am increasingly targeted and misrepresented by those on both extremes.  To the liberals I am just another misinformed moron who wants a case of Natural Ice and my shotgun.  To those on the far right I am not truly one of them.  I cannot be counted on to provide support at all times.

The curiosity I have is this.  When did it become politically unacceptable to make up your own mind?  When did it become un-American to vote your conscience?  I'm reminded here of Thomas Jefferson:


"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but inform their discretion."


Jefferson believed in an educated citizenry.  Yet, today, those of us who disagree with liberal politics are seen as uneducated, slovenly scum, who don't deserve the right to vote.  We're seen as unfit and therefore the government should make our decisions for us.  Well forgive me for rejecting the paternalistic notion of "you don't know whats good for you."  I have received a world class education through my years.  Even with this it's assumed that I just don't know any better.  Yet, the true nature of Democracy is that even if we do not agree, I am entitled to voice my opinion.  Look at what Jefferson said, "the remedy is not to take it from them, but inform their decision." 


I want to use an example of something that recently occurred between some friends and I.  An article was posted that stated President Obama is still very popular with the "over-educated."  Most people instantly took this to be a Fox News article and attacked it as Right Wing Propaganda (some of these quotes are from my friends, other just random people, but all of these are actual quotes.  I removed their names):

"That's the typical Republican mentality. People who are educated are elitist and dangerous. Look who their absolute darling is right now: Sarah Palin. "

 

"Cain't truss dem feller's what got alla dere teef."

 

"I didn't know one could be OVER-educated. Is this some new catchphrase designed by Sarah Palin-ites to diss intellectuals?"

 

"It baffles me to no end. Just a strange way of creating a most structured class system. I know this is a stab at the "Liberal Elite" but I'm sure there are a lot of over-educated folks on the Right that can't stand Obama."

 

Here is the thing about this whole exchange.  The article was written by a writer who works for the Huffington Post.  This is a Progressive news website which decidedly tilts towards the far left of the political spectrum.  However, nobody spent anytime to investigate the source of this article before instantly proclaiming it to be a right wing smear job.  It took me all of one minute to find out the author and then find out who he writes for.  However, people love to show their ignorance by jumping to conclusions.

This also shows just how vile the current political environment is.  We have a system in place that vilifies the middle.  A majority of America is located in the middle, but both parties are currently being held hostage by the far ends of the spectrum.  I think that President Eisenhower said it best:

 

“People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters. ” 

Another Passing.

Today I am saddened by the news that my Grandfather has passed away.  My mother's father had been in and out of the hospital for the past few months for various problems.  His death is still rather sudden it seems.  He passed away today with his wife of over 50 years by his side.  Apparently he just stopped breathing and went very peacefully.  My mother is headed out to San Diego to help make arrangements for his burial.  We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Great Educational Videos.

These are some of the best educational videos I've found online to help with the teaching of English.  I think it will be an interesting way to help you enter the mind of a ESL teacher in Korea.

Hamsters Alphabet Song:  Teaching the alphabet can be a repetitive task here in Korea.  The official government line is that they are not supposed to actually learn the English alphabet until they are in the 4th grade.  The problem with this fact is that well over half of the students attend Hagwons (private academies).  The problem this presents us with is that half of the class already knows the alphabet, and the other half either have no interest in learning it or have never learned it before.  What this means is that it is like pulling teeth to get the kids to practice.  This video is an essential way to make the kids want to practice.  All that is required is to play the video and the students will start signing along.  I even repeatedly received requests for this video.



School House Rock:  Ohh yes, that.  Believe it or not YouTube has become a veritable bonanza for English teachers.  You can find almost all of the School House Rock series located on the site.  School House Rock still today is an effective tool in teaching language.  I mean, how many of remember the immortal line "conjunction junction, what's your function"?  Well, it turns out that several of these videos have use here in Korea.  Prepositions, Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Pronouns, and even Interjections are something that we teach.



Vocabulary Videos:  Teaching vocabulary is unfortunately an essential part of learning any language.  As such we tend to spend lots of time going over thematic vocabulary units.  These units vary from rooms in a home, to parts of the body.  It is essential to reinforce this vocabulary through targeted practice of essential words.  To this end the internet is a valuable resource.  Take this clip for example, which was at one time aired on Sesame Street.  While it is short, it effectively covers parts of the body, and more importantly engages the students in using vocabulary.



Music Videos:  Something we do to change the rhythm of a course is use music videos which highlight key phrases and thematic units which we are teaching.  Take for example the unit "Will you help me please?"  The curriculum comes with a song for this chapter, however it is pure rubbish.  A better song to use would be the Beatles song "Help!"  This song provides a more colloquial usage of how to ask for help, and more importantly doesn't make me feel like throwing something at the computer.



Change of Pace:  Sometimes you just need to have a change of pace with your students.  Whether it is general malaise or just a need to refresh your and their spirits.  This is best accompanied by a video showing something funny.  Anything funny really will work in this situation.  I have found that the best results come from funny animal videos and clips that would qualify for America's Funniest Home Videos.  Enjoy.



Scary Videos:  I know it's mean to do to the students, but nothing will get their attention faster then starting with a video like this.  What is best is that none of them have seen it before you show it to them.  It's great, and would probably get you fired if you tried something like this in America.



The Noun Song:  I recently just finished a grammar session in the English Camp that I am teaching.  I stumbled upon this song when I realized that I needed something to help reinforce the definition of a Noun.  Little did I know that this little diddy would be so catching that I would be signing it in my head.



Videos are just one of the ways that we as teachers try to utilize technology to enhance our lessons.  Sometimes the videos work wonders, and other times they are just an effective way of wasting 5 minutes.

A longer duration then planned.

I have taken some time off of writing for the past few weeks.  I have two basic reasons for this brief sabbatical from my normal writings.  The first is that I have been on vacation, and have spent most of the time bumming around Seosan.  This means that a majority of my days have been spent wandering around my town or tooling around online.  Some small things have happened during this time, but nothing that was worth noting on my blog. 

The second reason is that I have been mourning the loss of my Grandmother.  She passed on New Year's Eve surrounded by my parents, her husband, and one of her sisters.  It was hard for a while for me to post anything about this.  I love my Grandmother very much, and have been saddened by her passing.  I am however grateful that she is no longer suffering and I know that she is at peace.  It has been a hard time for my family and I am grateful for all the love and support we have received from friends and family.  It has made a world of difference and I know that my parents as well as myself have been much buoyed by it. 

New Years Thought.....

It comes upon us every year, and most of those that I know stop for a minute to reflect upon what happened to them. We pause to make promises that most of us will not keep for more then a week or so. We say "This year I will lose weight. This year I will stop smoking. This year I will go back to school. This year, this year, this year...." All of this is an attempt to justify what we spent the last year doing, and realizing that as we get older, the chances are we will spend the next year doing the same things. I will talk with my friends, I will miss my friends, but when the dawn comes on the next new year, chances are that the world will still be a different place for us.

I find myself here before the dawn of a new decade, and I realize that I will soon lose two or four people who are very close to me. Some will pass sooner then the others, and others will quietly fade into the long goodbye. I guess it with this looming loss ahead of me that I look towards my next decade on this planet. A decade which promises great joy, great achievements, and immense hardship. In light of these future events, I would like to offer a toast, a prayer, or just some old fashioned hope for all of you.

May the dawning of the next decade find you well. May the memories of those we lose outweigh the memories of the way we lose them. May we all find love, be it love renewed, love obtained, or love forgotten that is found again. May we all endeavor to find those who mean, meant, or will mean everything to us and tell them just how important they are. May you have peace, joy, and happiness and may god smile upon us all. No matter by what name we call him. Happy New Year everyone, may its dawn find you well, and may its course enrich us all.