Comments on: Christmas Cheer (?) with the GIs in Itaewon http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/ Korea... in Blog Format Wed, 8 Oct 2008 06:20:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Wedge http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126101 Wedge Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:59:34 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126101 That Bakshi guy has an excellent gig: get sent around the world on WaPo's dime and write crap stories. I commented on his blog about the absurdity of linking the PI prostitute story to "save for a few Korean women scattered about in the corners." If anyone knows Friend (not "Friends," as the clown puts it), they'll know it's not a juicy bar or otherwise engaged in the trade. That Bakshi guy has an excellent gig: get sent around the world on WaPo’s dime and write crap stories.

I commented on his blog about the absurdity of linking the PI prostitute story to “save for a few Korean women scattered about in the corners.” If anyone knows Friend (not “Friends,” as the clown puts it), they’ll know it’s not a juicy bar or otherwise engaged in the trade.

]]> By: dokdoforever http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126081 dokdoforever Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:27:53 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126081 It seems inevitable that any group of recently arrived foreigners is going to gripe about their new surroundings. I remember the institute where I first taught in the early 90s in Seoul - just got tired of listening to the English teachers bitch non-stop about Korea, and tried to avoid it since. It's a better idea to try to make local friends as well, instead of retreating to the safety of the foreign enclave. It seems inevitable that any group of recently arrived foreigners is going to gripe about their new surroundings. I remember the institute where I first taught in the early 90s in Seoul - just got tired of listening to the English teachers bitch non-stop about Korea, and tried to avoid it since. It’s a better idea to try to make local friends as well, instead of retreating to the safety of the foreign enclave.

]]> By: captbbq http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126017 captbbq Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:41:11 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-126017 I served all of my military time here, having been released from active duty nearly 2 years ago now. Breaktrack sums up the feelings I had when I served pretty well, and to this day I am a strong advocate of all troops being pulled out of here. On the other hand, I really wish they would pull themselves out of the bars in Itaewon and go to places everyone else goes, and try not to make asses of themselves. It's not that hard, but the military actually encourages them to stay there so that they can control them. I served all of my military time here, having been released from active duty nearly 2 years ago now.

Breaktrack sums up the feelings I had when I served pretty well, and to this day I am a strong advocate of all troops being pulled out of here.

On the other hand, I really wish they would pull themselves out of the bars in Itaewon and go to places everyone else goes, and try not to make asses of themselves. It’s not that hard, but the military actually encourages them to stay there so that they can control them.

]]> By: iheartblueballs http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125961 iheartblueballs Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:12:51 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125961 Notice the link he uses when referring to "a few Korean women <a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/12/child_philippines_prostitute_olongapo.html" rel="nofollow">scattered about in the corners.</a>" Follow it through and it tells the tale of a Filipina prostitute abandoned by her American GI husband after getting knocked up, and the nasty aftermath for her bastard daughter. Hamhanded point of the link placement being that any Korean women scattered about in the corners of a military bar in Korea must absolutely be A) prostitutes, and B) destined for the same fate. This kind of reporting makes one wish that Mr. Bakshi hadn't made it out of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/11/AR2006011102039.html" rel="nofollow">that Zimbabwean prison.</a> Notice the link he uses when referring to “a few Korean women scattered about in the corners.” Follow it through and it tells the tale of a Filipina prostitute abandoned by her American GI husband after getting knocked up, and the nasty aftermath for her bastard daughter.

Hamhanded point of the link placement being that any Korean women scattered about in the corners of a military bar in Korea must absolutely be A) prostitutes, and B) destined for the same fate.

This kind of reporting makes one wish that Mr. Bakshi hadn’t made it out of that Zimbabwean prison.

]]> By: cm http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125955 cm Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:54:18 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125955 Your right Breaktrack. Korea is a horrible place for these fine young men. They really deserve better places to be in. I say Iraq and Afghanistan is where they should be. Over there, they welcome Americans with open arms and invite them to their houses for drinks at 3 am in the morning, like the Pakistanis do (Pakistan being a very pro-American country and all). Your right Breaktrack. Korea is a horrible place for these fine young men. They really deserve better places to be in. I say Iraq and Afghanistan is where they should be. Over there, they welcome Americans with open arms and invite them to their houses for drinks at 3 am in the morning, like the Pakistanis do (Pakistan being a very pro-American country and all).

]]> By: Breaktrack http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125948 Breaktrack Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:13:07 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125948 Someguy: Most GI's are not here for the US or for Korea. As you know, you get little choice about postings. They are really here because it's their job. The fact is, they know if there is a war, they will have to fight and die for these ungrateful people. No matter how remote a chance, war is still possible because there is still a war going on. Remember, Koreans see the US military as a tripwire. There's no denial of that. Someguy:
Most GI’s are not here for the US or for Korea. As you know, you get little choice about postings. They are really here because it’s their job.

The fact is, they know if there is a war, they will have to fight and die for these ungrateful people. No matter how remote a chance, war is still possible because there is still a war going on.

Remember, Koreans see the US military as a tripwire. There’s no denial of that.

]]> By: SomeguyinKorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125945 SomeguyinKorea Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:57:18 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125945 #5, Yeah, some of the nicest people I've met here were current and former members of the USFK. #5,

Yeah, some of the nicest people I’ve met here were current and former members of the USFK.

]]> By: SomeguyinKorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125942 SomeguyinKorea Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:53:50 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125942 Correction: They are also here for the US. Correction: They are also here for the US.

]]> By: SomeguyinKorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125941 SomeguyinKorea Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:53:14 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125941 "If I was in the US military, I wouldn’t want to come here to possibly die for an ungrateful nation which can now defend itself." They are here for the US. You need to remind that to yourself. Besides, the odds of them being killed by a North Korean soldier are pretty slim. They should worry about crossing the road and being run over by a bus instead. “If I was in the US military, I wouldn’t want to come here to possibly die for an ungrateful nation which can now defend itself.”

They are here for the US. You need to remind that to yourself. Besides, the odds of them being killed by a North Korean soldier are pretty slim. They should worry about crossing the road and being run over by a bus instead.

]]> By: Nomad http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125939 Nomad Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:35:50 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/12/27/christmas-cheer-with-the-gis-in-itaewon/#comment-125939 What, exactly, did the writer expect to find in a bar in Itaewon, of all places, besides a bunch of drunks, crying in their beers? I agree with GI Korea; with just a little effort, he could have painted a better and more realistic picture of what life is like for most U.S. military personnel stationed here (and I say most because some of them north of Seoul still don't have it all that great). What, exactly, did the writer expect to find in a bar in Itaewon, of all places, besides a bunch of drunks, crying in their beers? I agree with GI Korea; with just a little effort, he could have painted a better and more realistic picture of what life is like for most U.S. military personnel stationed here (and I say most because some of them north of Seoul still don’t have it all that great).

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