In all that you wrote, however, I still don’t see any connection between the article and English teachers in Korea, except the ephemeral link that you made in your last post. Why, everything’s connected, isn’t it? Oprah and Ali-G, Howard Stern and Gertrude Stein - one can always make connections, but are they relevant? As you may recall, that was my original point, wasn’t it?

By the way, I have nothing against sleaze - nothing. I like sleaze as much as the next person.

you ask, “why can’t anyone comment on sex, or sexuality, here?” well, gee, gbnhj, that’s what i thought i was doing. i was making a comment on someone’s comment, just applying it in the broader context of gaijin in korea, too, not just japan (since we are in korea, after all).

while you insist that the first two bloggers were merely expressing opinions relevant to the subject, i have no business expressing my thoughts and opinions about theirs.

you see, free speech is a two-way street. just as those two have a right to say what they want (limited by marmot’s acceptance on his blog), so do i have a right to say something about it (within the same limit).

you even have a right to your double standard comment (that they are just talking but that i should not be saying what i am), and i have a right to point out that it’s a double standard simply because you don’t like what i’m saying.

This thread clearly deals with those former topics, but as the report didn’t deal with Korea or teachers, why are you bringing that up? Further, why can’t anyone comment on sex, or sexuality, here? It’s certainly done throughout the blogoshere, and Marmot’s pages link to Korean-language websites, dealing with sex as news or sex as entertainment, too numerous to ignore.

Next time, if you don’t like something, why not criticize it directly? For example, why not criticize the bloggers or reporters who posted the information? Do you criticize patrons at a movie theater or museum simply for having their opinions, or do you disagree by contrasting it with your own opinion? The first two bloggers, whatever you may think of them or their opinions, were expressing opinions relevant to the subject.

why use itaewon as my example? because that’s where it happens. some corners or side streets there are like walking into a giant frat house. main streets, not back alleys. did i insult the ‘male foreigner community’? only the male foreigner community that acts that way. why, then, do i go to itaewon, you may ask? well, a few girlfriends live in the area, a bit too close to the subway station and the gentlemen patrons of gecko’s shouting out at women walking along the street below. the bar situation is such that having a quiet evening out for drinks (quiet evening = no smarmy character trying to pick us up) requires us to go somewhere far away from home.

to set the record straight on where my opinion lies, i’ll state that there are a lot of nice men out there among the non-koreans. lots, loads, heaps, and gobs. but the ‘party in korea’ crowd makes them a little harder to find, though when you find one, he tends to stand out.

np

When you ponder, ‘maybe men don??t end up feeling the brunt of this problem as much as women do. i can??t go to places like itaewon after 9 p.m. anymore without being bombarded by men who think korea is a big f-fest’, you simply go further off topic - not to mention insult the male foreigner community - after all, why use Itaewon for your example, except to castigate all white males further?

My (very irreverant) take on this issue is this: WHO CARES?? As long as it’s consensual, there’s nothing wrong with people getting together. Yeah, some of those dudes may be jerks, and maybe criminals, but most of them are probably just normal guys who want to get some action whether they are in Korea or in America. I’ve always thought there isn’t enough “free sex” in Korea and we Koreans need to loosen up a bit and get laid more. Hooking up with people in Hongdae is at least better than:

1. Going to Cheongryangri and forking over 70,000 won for a quickie, with the ajumma knocking on the door after 20 minutes telling you to get it over with, or
2. Spending 100,000+won cash in Boss or Juliana or whatnot to find a one-night stand via “booking.”

At least people who hook up in Hongdae and the like are:

1. Doing it more “naturally,” and
2. Doing it for free!

We need this sort of culture in Korea. My theory is that people smoke too much, drink too much, and are always glaring at each other and getting pissed at each other because we’re not getting laid enough. And what about all the time and money wasted on miting’s and sogaeting’s just to meet new people? Parties and f**kfests are good!! They should become more widespread such that the general Korean populace, not just foreigners, can all take part in the action. Such culture would also help break the many double standards that exist (e.g. it’s OK for men to have lots of sex but not OK for women). Let us work together to bring about a happier and more harmonious society and build a better future for Korea! Hooray!

while there are lots of hard-working people coming for adventure of a non-sexual variety, or for a chance to pay off student loans, there are also people who come because it’s often perceived as a great place for someone with no talent, no degree, and no drive to find (what they wrongly assume will be) a piece-of-cake job that will pay for cheap beer and easy women. and yes, zecks, japanese porn may be partly to blame (about the women, not the jobs or the beer).

i didn’t mean to disparage korea’s or japan’s teaching profession in general. quite the opposite, i think that it now suffers from an over-supply of unqualified people often willing to work illegally for whatever reason (including a lack of academic qualification), and it is those people to whom i was referring.

maybe men don’t end up feeling the brunt of this problem as much as women do. i can’t go to places like itaewon after 9 p.m. anymore without being bombarded by men who think korea is a big f-fest.

as for where i’ve been hiding, well, the answer is under mounds and mounds of paperwork. project after project befalls those in korea who cant’ say no. i think the last time i posted on a blog or list was a year or two ago.

np