As you no doubt have realized, this blog is in its downward slope, almost ready for retirement. I'm not going to kill it off; I will probably continue to update the University Working Conditions list (Thanks to those that have sent in updates, I know the info hasn't all been posted yet).
There are a few reasons for my lack of Blogging. First is time. Some of you who know me personally know that I've started a doctoral program. It is not an on-line program, but instead it is part time and requires trips between Korea and England regularly. If you think about how much work you had to do as an undergraduate, double it for a Master's degree (in half the amount of time). For a doctorate, double that again, but then stretch it out again to four years. You can imagine that blogging about a trip to the market is not quite as high on my priority list as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, I still love going to markets, but I jut don't feel like blogging about it anymore.
Second, I'm not really doing as much interesting stuff as I was. The first two years in a foreign land are exciting. Everything is new; everything is an adventure. By the ninth year, life in Korea is just life. Seeing that cool temple is nice, but after a few dozen temples, the 'value' of the next one has certainly 'diminished.' (can you tell I used to teach economics?) I do plan to take a bit of a vacation next week and head out of the city for six days, and I will certainly post pictures on my flickr page, but I really doubt I'll blog about it.
Finally, and this is probably the most important reason for my lack of blogging over the past year or so, is the fact that I've got so many social networks that I'm a part of, I don't feel the need to blog as much. My original purpose of the blog was to give my friends and family back home a regular update on my life. That is how my posts were tailored until about 8 months into it, I realized that nobody back home--particularly my family--ever read the thing. I was upset and didn't post for a while. Then serendipitously, a colleague mentioned that he stumbled across my blog and found it interesting. That gave the blog new life and made me realize that I could have a different focus. And so it went. But now, things have changed. I've got a facebook account that serves the original purpose of my blog. Even my mother is on facebook! Also, a good number of people I've met through KOTESOL friends are now facebook friends. It is serving the need that this blog used to fill.
I'll leave you with a post from 10 magazine that shows the growth of the number of foreigners in Korea. Seeing these numbers actually explains a lot of the differences in life here. Differences in how people respond to seeing someone different (I don't remember the last time I had a kid point to me and say "Ooh, waegook saram: " When was the last time an old man stopped in his tracks to stare at me as I passed? I don't remember. The availability of international foods, whether in restaurants or supermarkets has also grown exponentially. Here, take a look
I got here in 2001. The number has doubled since then, or more than doubled, actually. Here's another interesting image:
I wonder if the US Military is counted in that statistic. There are something like 30,000 US military personnel who live here (Might be 35k, I don't remember off the top of my head). Does anyone know if they are factored in this statistic?
The asterisk next to the Chinese number is to indicate that the number shown does not include the 376,563 Korean Chinese that live here. Interesting stuff.
Finally, I will continue to blog, but it is going to be a very different sort of blog. As I mentioned above, I've got to be reading a lot these days. Not pleasure reading either. I plan to keep a reading diary of the journal articles that I read. When I get that set up, I'll add a link here.
Maybe.
There are a few reasons for my lack of Blogging. First is time. Some of you who know me personally know that I've started a doctoral program. It is not an on-line program, but instead it is part time and requires trips between Korea and England regularly. If you think about how much work you had to do as an undergraduate, double it for a Master's degree (in half the amount of time). For a doctorate, double that again, but then stretch it out again to four years. You can imagine that blogging about a trip to the market is not quite as high on my priority list as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, I still love going to markets, but I jut don't feel like blogging about it anymore.
Second, I'm not really doing as much interesting stuff as I was. The first two years in a foreign land are exciting. Everything is new; everything is an adventure. By the ninth year, life in Korea is just life. Seeing that cool temple is nice, but after a few dozen temples, the 'value' of the next one has certainly 'diminished.' (can you tell I used to teach economics?) I do plan to take a bit of a vacation next week and head out of the city for six days, and I will certainly post pictures on my flickr page, but I really doubt I'll blog about it.
Finally, and this is probably the most important reason for my lack of blogging over the past year or so, is the fact that I've got so many social networks that I'm a part of, I don't feel the need to blog as much. My original purpose of the blog was to give my friends and family back home a regular update on my life. That is how my posts were tailored until about 8 months into it, I realized that nobody back home--particularly my family--ever read the thing. I was upset and didn't post for a while. Then serendipitously, a colleague mentioned that he stumbled across my blog and found it interesting. That gave the blog new life and made me realize that I could have a different focus. And so it went. But now, things have changed. I've got a facebook account that serves the original purpose of my blog. Even my mother is on facebook! Also, a good number of people I've met through KOTESOL friends are now facebook friends. It is serving the need that this blog used to fill.
I'll leave you with a post from 10 magazine that shows the growth of the number of foreigners in Korea. Seeing these numbers actually explains a lot of the differences in life here. Differences in how people respond to seeing someone different (I don't remember the last time I had a kid point to me and say "Ooh, waegook saram: " When was the last time an old man stopped in his tracks to stare at me as I passed? I don't remember. The availability of international foods, whether in restaurants or supermarkets has also grown exponentially. Here, take a look
I got here in 2001. The number has doubled since then, or more than doubled, actually. Here's another interesting image:
I wonder if the US Military is counted in that statistic. There are something like 30,000 US military personnel who live here (Might be 35k, I don't remember off the top of my head). Does anyone know if they are factored in this statistic?
The asterisk next to the Chinese number is to indicate that the number shown does not include the 376,563 Korean Chinese that live here. Interesting stuff.
Finally, I will continue to blog, but it is going to be a very different sort of blog. As I mentioned above, I've got to be reading a lot these days. Not pleasure reading either. I plan to keep a reading diary of the journal articles that I read. When I get that set up, I'll add a link here.
Maybe.
6 comments:
Good luck, study hard, and I'll stay tuned. Your blog is on my feed, so I automatically see any updates you make.
Pax,
Kevin
Good luck Joe with all the reading and sorting through what you have to learn, memorize, and understand...the PhD is a behemoth, but with the right motivation and discipline one that can be taken down, butchered, and eaten--HOOWA!
I'll be posting my new China blog soon, and hope that we might email once and a while...or at least when your eyes can handle looking at any text other than PhD stuff.
Good luck!
J
I like checking in, and will continue to do so.
Good luck with the PhD ... I'm likely to start looking at a Doctorate/PhD sometime, as well. But like you've said, 'time' is always a factor.
-JMac
Thanks Kevin, Jason, and John for the well-wishes. I've started my reading journal blog, and have been joined by fellow classmates, so it may just prove to be the push that I need to keep me going.
John, though it is early, I do recommend Exeter's program. It is part time, not nearly as expensive as US schools (but you're Canadian--I don't know how it compares), and it is structured, but leaves a lot of room for you to find your own path.
Plus, the way Korea follows Japan (sociologically, economically, if not culturally, Korea follows Japan by about 15 years. Japan started rebuilding in the mid to late 40s, Korea in the 50-60s), one can expect to need a doctorate to teach in a university soon. It was only in the past five years where people really started needing an MA to teach in Seoul-area universities. You should do it John!
Durham also has a good part-time program.
UK schools have TESOL in the Education department instead of Applied Linguistics. They also offer part time programs that N. American ones don't.
Sometimes blogs need to head to the retirement home - my EFL Geek blog did, but then like the pheonix I was reborn with a new blog and focus at http://repatriate.me
Best of luck with Ph.D program - I can imagine how busy you will be. Will continue to read your blog no matter how sporadic the posting.
Just stumbled across your blog and I'd have to say, it's very informative!
I'm a lawyer, but I also have a degree in English Studies, and majored in Language. Yes, it has always been my dream to teach, specifically creative writing, in English of course.
Back in college, I taught English to Koreans here in the Philippines. I revisited the idea of teaching Koreans this morning. And I was led to your blog.
Will definitely be a frequent visitor.
Kuddos to you!
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