Big Apple Blog

A new river walk project just opened in Seoul. It is a very nice addition to the city and every effort will be made to keep the water and walk way clean. This is the list of things you should not feel free to do. Can you guess which is my favorite?

If asked to use one word to describe my short experience with Korean television, it would be the word silly. Back when I lived in Korea a decade ago, I did not have a TV. This go round in Korea, not only was there a TV everywhere I stayed; there was a TV in my sister-in-law’s car. Technologically, Seoul is leaps and bounds ahead of NYC.

Anyway, the most popular genre of show in Korea seems to be a comedic type game show. The top TV show is called X-Men, but has nothing to do with the comics that might pop into your head. Instead, the show features a mix of idol stars and other young celebrities that compete in what can only be described as wacky competitions that have equally wacky punishments. Some examples . . .

One competition features a row of contestants that have to sing a children’s song that features different verses. If someone stammers or does not keep up on their turn, they lose. The loser is shot with a burst of air and then a fellow teammate hits them in the head with a huge plastic hammer. Hitting people in the head seems to be a very popular thing that completely baffles me. Along with the plastic hammer, sometimes contestants have large metal cooking lids dropped on their head and in one case a person in a rabbit suit came out and slammed fake eggs over the heads of contestants. Another competition involved men who ran up a ramp and tried to kick a ball hanging from the ceiling while the women tried to blow candles out with air from their noses.

While in Korea, I was perplexed with this type of programming. Having never witnessed something like it before, my mind could not grasp how adult shows could be based upon juvenile high jinx. It was not until I landed back in the states and turned on my TV that I realized while Korean TV may be silly, American TV is truly frightening.

It hit me as I flipped around and saw the commercials for shows like Law and Order, CSI, The Shield, and 24. And what is the tie that binds? Violence! Guns, murder, gang violence, knives, child abuse, kidnapping, sexual assault, terrorism etc. And if these “fictional accounts” are not enough, how about all the real news specials (Dateline, etc.) that focus on fraud, abuse, sexual predators, school shootings, etc. The networks cannot seem to spit this stuff out fast enough, and we just seem to gobble it up.

I was not out of the U.S. for very long, but reentry into American television was kind of enlightening. After not seeing a gun or murder on TV for a few weeks, my brain was thrown for a loop. I can imagine what it must be like for some from foreign countries to land here and turn on the TV. I would not be surprised if some people were afraid to walk the streets.

Upon reflection, Korean television may be silly, but it might be better to be silly than sad. I would like to think that one reason I watch TV is to escape reality for a short while. But when news headlines match the plots of most of the shows I watch, I wonder if the media is turning our society into one big sad reality.

The Korean government as well as the private sector seeks to be friendly to those who are sight impaired. Korean paper currency features raised circles that indicate denomination and for those who like beer, the cans have brail! How cool is this?

Also on this topic, I traveled a bit around my old stomping grounds in Pusan and I of course wanted to check out my former place of employment. The Learning Center I worked for is no longer in business . . . guess they could not make it without me. And you’ll never guess what has filled the space where I used to work. None other than a Brew Pub!

It’s safe to say that during my three-week stay in Korea, I spent more time around kids than I have my entire life. I was a youngest child and very few of my immediate family or friends have kids. But in Korea, kids were plentiful every stop I made.

I am not really sure how to act around kids, let alone kids with whom I do not share a language. I spent a lot of time using sign language and what little Korean I do know to get by. I’m no expert, but I must say that young girls seem much more mature than young boys. I spent a lot of time around some real cuties.

This is Hae Young, the daughter of two dear friends.

Hae Young drew pictures for Ariel and I.

This is Hae Young’s 9-month-old sister, Gayun. She loved my hair.

This is Sally, the daughter of one of Ariel’s college friends. She wins the award for most outgoing kid on the planet. Not afraid to say or do just about anything.

My cute as a button niece, Ju Young. I got a kiss on the cheek for New Years!

I guess I can’t leave out some boys. My nephews and technology are inseparable.

And how fun is eating noodles?

Well, I’m stateside again. I actually got back on the 10th and had every intention of getting into a normal blog routine again, but a combination of jet lag, work, and an empty kitchen kept me away from the computer. I have had a lot going on in my brain since getting back and the entries in the near future will recap more of my Korean experiences as well as juxtaposing Korean and American culture.

First a comment on perspective. One of the ways I have learned to deal with stress over the years is to try and stop and put my circumstances in perspective. What better place to put things into perspective than an international airport? My latest memorable encounter with perspective came at the airport in Tokyo.

I had a three hour layover in Tokyo and thus had some time to kill. The flight from Tokyo to NYC was scheduled for just over 12 hours and after researching the movie list for the flight, I knew that a good book would make the trip more tolerable.

Airports and airplanes are among the most common places to witness people lose their cool, their perspective, and/or their wits. I have to admit that hurdling through the stratosphere in a steel tube can be a little unsettling. But put into perspective, my 12-hour transcontinental flight was a breeze.

I gained this perspective from the book I purchased. Being in Japan, if only briefly, inspired me to buy a book somehow related to Japan. When I saw Shogun by James Clavell, I knew that was the book for me. Not only was it based in Japan, it was the same price as most other books and was four times as thick. There was no one I’d finish this one in 12 hours.

Anyway, as I sat in the terminal and began reading the prologue, any thought of complaining about the length or terms of the flight quickly went by the wayside. Why you ask? Because the prologue captures the experience of the first Dutch trading ship sailing through the straights of Magellan and across the Pacific to Japan. The captain has no idea where he is going for the most part and only 10% of the crew that began the journey is alive. When we join the captain there is no food left and the only water remaining is described as “brackish and foul.” The crew is racked with scurvy, fatigue, and the quarters “reek of death.”

Reading this detailed account made me feel like a complete sissy. A journey that centuries ago used to take months in abhorrent conditions was going to be completed by me in half a day while people served me beer and more food than I desired. All thoughts about feeling sorry for myself because I did not get an isle seat suddenly faded away.

Once back in NYC, it did not take long for me to feel right at home. The defining moment I knew I was back NYC – almost stepping in a huge pile of dog crap a block from my apartment.