1. A good friend of Snickers was getting married today, so last night Snickers headed off to Suwon to stay at Boy Wonder’s house. I hate doing these guest solo appearances and wished I had been able to go but I had my language exchange group meeting.
2. The Koreans outnumbered the foreigners today, so that was great. One of the Korean members that showed up has really impressed me. He’s like the Korean version of me when it comes to studying. He did all the homework I posted on the club’s website, showed up early and showed up with extra materials for others in the group. I’m glad to see his eagerness in learning and it’s really encouraging to see because I do have high hopes for this group in addition to having high hopes for this group helping to improve my Korean. Today I had the pleasure of having two Korean members to practice my Korean language skills with. The Monday and Thursday night group still continues to kick our butt in attendance but in terms of those who actually show up to do some serious learning, I think my weekend language group poses tough, tough competition. My members show up early on a weekend morning and they come ready to learn, that’s awesome!
3. Korean isn’t particularly a hard language to learn and instead I find that the hardest thing about it is memorizing the vocabulary but that’s hard with any language. One slight mispronunciation with a word could mean you saying a whole different thing all together. Turns out my mispronunciation with saying “my husband” came out as “ex-husband”… oops.
4. Am addicted to ‘garlic green peas’, which Snickers has labeled as ‘stupid food’. They’re apparently only sold at one store, that I know of, and come in small snack-size packages.
5. Headed over to Cheonan’s traditional outdoor market where I scored a free treat for impressing one of the street vendors with my Korean. While he was cooking, he told me I was beautiful. I giggled and responded with, “Oh cute old man. I think you tell all the girls that!”, and with that I didn’t have to pay.
6. That’s one of the beauties of Korea, the fact that they totally don’t expect us foreigners to be able to speak their language. I think they should expect us to but they don’t. I know most foreigners come to Korea to teach English but do you really think the ajumma selling kimbab at the local Kimbab Nala really cares about English?! Go to any other country in the world and you’re pretty much expected to adapt, fit in and that includes picking up their language. As for Korea, speak a word correctly and you’re rewarded with a smile and an occasional clap or “Wow, you speak Korean well”.
7. Snickers asked me if the same will be true when he goes to Canada and speaks a bit of English. I felt kind of embarrassed to admit that the same won’t be true; it’d be the opposite. I love Toronto and Canada is great because it is such a colleague of nationalities. We’re all for celebrating them with our ‘Taste of the Danforth’ and ‘Caribanna Weekend’ in Toronto but to not be able to speak English, yikes.
8. After our trip to the market Snickers had an errand he had to go off and do, so I was home alone for the evening.
9. Mi Nam jumping in the river is apparently his new beloved hobby but I’m not impressed. I’m no longer embarrassed when I have to scoop down and pick up his wet dirty body from the ankle deep river but I think he enjoys it.
10. Snickers returning to Ggum Guum always means him smothering me with hugs, kisses and smiles. Today he returned home extra excited because his little errand scored him some cash. Leave it to Snickers to slap his money to the refrigerator.
QUESTION OF THE DAY…
You know?
QUOTE OF THE DAY…
Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.
-- Rita Mae Brown
As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).
After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.
Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.
8 comments:
curious--can an ex-con get a visa to even visit canada?
Hi Anonymous,
I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't refer to my husband like that. As for a visa, he's not from North Korea so no, he does not need a visa. Only certain countries need a visa and South Korea is not listed as one of them. Now whether or not they'll let him in once he gets to the border, that's up to the immigration officer. We had no problem with Bali so we've been told that Canada shouldn't be a problem either.
Doesn't this mean you won't be able to emigrate to Canada? I'm pretty sure you need a clean criminal background to apply for immigration papers.
And how would the immigration officer at the airport know he's been in prison? Is there a stamp or something on his paper announcing it?
That's good that you don't need a visa.
What would you like me to call someone who has been convicted of a crime and spent time in jail?
Hi Anonymous... #1 again, or #2?
I think you mean 'Snickers' and not me -- I am from Canada. Because of Snickers history it will be harder for him to emigrate to Canada but it's not impossible. There are extra steps to take, like applying for rehabilitation.
And as for how the immigration officer would know, no it's not stamped on his passport but who knows what they dig up on their computers.
Hello Anonymous...#1, #2, #3?
I think you meant to write "that's good that HE doesn't need a visa".
As for your question, I would like you to CALL HIM MY HUSBAND. Damn. Is it too hard to expect you to practice a little sensitivity?! I guess so. Yes, you are right in that that's what you call someone who's gone to jail and did a crime but do realize that this same person IS a person, and that person IS my husband.
It's Anon #1 (and 3) again...
If you'll note, in my first post I did not specifically refer to your husband, I was merely expressing a curiosity involving a set of people to which your husband belongs ("ex-cons"). It wouldn't have made sense to ask "can husbands get a visa to canada?" as "husbands" are not a group of people generally excluded from enjoying the same rights and freedoms of other people by governments.
and when I say "you" I mean it in the plural (you and your husband). Would you prefer "y'all"?
Hi Anonymous #1,... thanks for the clarification by the way ;)
Ok, ok, so I think we got off to a bad start there. I didn't mean to jump on your head on that comment but please understand that it is a touchy topic, one that too many people harp on and already give him a hard time about. Please accept my appologies for that.
As for "y'all"... hahaha.. I think that's an American thing because I've never said "y'all". Canadians say "about" funny and add "eh" to the end of sentences... lol.
In many countries foreigners are asked to declare if they have criminal history on arrival at the airports.
I think, if he travels alone to Canada as a single man, he might have some difficulty in getting in, but now that he is married to you, my guess is that the Canadian Immigration will likely be more sympathetic towards him.
Perhaps you might want to suggest him not to try to hide his record on arrival at Canada, as he could get caught on cross examination, and that'll make it much harder for the Immigratin to be sympathetic towards him.
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