Joaquin Del Mundo

Shinjuku: Another Scary Place

Shinjuku and Roppongi are two places that Japanese police have told me to avoid.  In Shinjuku you'll find a smattering of Nigerian that try to aggressively get foreigners to go to some small bar, where they charge a cover charge like some extravagant night club, except there place has no people in there.  You'll also find a lot of Japanese and Chinese street hustlers that try to convince you to go to some bar.  Whatever you do, don't go!

The Japanese there in the streets for the least part are nice and helpful, and the Chinese seem rather passive.  However, if you go to their bar, even to just have a look, they right away charge you money like $100 even though you have not had a drink.  I've heard stories from my Japanese friends, that they have been known to beat people up for not paying up.  Just avoid Shinjuku is my advice. 

But undoubtedly, I'm sure you'll go anyways, many guys (and maybe even women) look for attractive Japanese model-like prostitutes that operate in that region.  There'll be pictures on some door where you can order the girl by picture.  That's the only think I know about this thing; I have seen packs of foreigners and Japanese going for that thing.  I am not into this sort of thing, so I cannot offer any advice, but I can say, stay away from the clubs there in general, as they'll scam you, or worse.

Hasuk From Hell, Part II: Outside the Hasuk

Like anyone coming to a new country, I ran into some cultural and societal problems that contributed to stress at certain times.  I think I could have brushed this off, and maintain the steady course, but when these problems are combined with the Hasuk From Hell, it doesn't get pretty.

Alienation

As any human being, you want to belong and connect with others, and being in any new country this can be difficult with the culture and language barriers.  However, in Korea in particular, people group up into clusters, and if you are not in a group, or introduced to someone by a third party, you'll get alienated.  Many foreigners have faced problems and found Yonsei society to be closed and sometimes even xenophobic, with even some college clubs excluding foreigners.

Maturity &  Gossip

Yonsei like many colleges in Asia has something unique about the student body.  Many of the students are sheltered and still live with parents, and so they enter the university with the maturity of grade school to high school student.  The gossip is rampant, and as non-Asian foreigners particularly stand out in a homogeneous society, gossip can be quite damaging, even spreading outside of the university. 

Age Discrmination

In my case, being a much older student, right away they'll gossip and discriminate.  In colleges, older students don't attend universities, it's just uncanny here.  And many are disdainful to have friendships or close relationships with older people.  One Korean guy even commented that he thinks it is very strange to have a friend that is more than 2 years older than him.

Resources & Redress

One the academic side, in dealing with the professors and getting access to resources, this will be the same as any college with some exceptions.  For professors, there is no recourse to address extreme grievances, and being political environment, these courses can be scary.  For access to resources, one has to be resourceful, because staff at the library and elsewhere do not speak English.  Many systems and computers are broken, printers don't work, etc., and Korean students figure out how to workaround them, but for foreigners, we're stuck.

Well I can go on all day about this, but here's a list of external factors that contribute to stress:

• Access to Funds (1 stress point) - Most ATMs do not work with foreign bank cards.  The small number of ATMs that do work with foreign bank cards only give the balance, or error out.  In 6 hours, I was able to find one ATM that functioned.
• Access to College Resources (1 stress point) - Need to print that homework or final project?  Know about the printing charge system with instructions in Korean? 
• Bad Professors (1+ stress point) - Some classes professors made it impossible to pass even for top honors Korean students, and awarded good grades to those he favored, other classes the focus was more about testing and working around trick questions than, assessing the student's knowledge of course material.  Nothing too different than from USA.
• Midterms/Finals (3 stress points) - This is always stressful for everyone any country.
• Alienation (3-5+ stress points) - Everyone needs to belong; never underestimate this.  It is imperative to find peer support to function normally, as students will face discrimination, xenophobia, age discrimination, cultural misunderstandings, etc. from Koreans, and even racism from some foreign born Koreans.
• Nice Campus (-1 stress point) - There are places you can sit, think, meditate, relax and forget about things for a while.
• Convenient Food (-1 stress point) - Food is abundant and affordable, and tastes good, offering a variety of Korean and Japanese style food, with fast food at nearby hospital, and affordable coffee everywhere.
• Library w/ Internet Access (-1 stress point) - Library is really high-tech and modern, has place to park your laptop and connect to the Internet, and also computers available.  In the older part of the library, there's a cafe and 24-hour study areas.

Hasuk From Hell, Part I: The Bathroom

I was trying fathom why I became so stressed out last semester.  I am was going nuts.  A new person moved into the hasuk recently, and he is starting to get really sick, just like I was sick before last semester. 

I started to evaluate the situation to a video game, where various elements give stress points. Once you accumulate 10 stress points, you are officially like stress-crazy. In this state, you can get very sick and become depressed.  

Here's a summary of the stress points I accumulated just living here, when things were going good:

• Filthy Streets of Shinchon (1 stress points) - studies have found that ambient surroundings can significantly elevate stress levels or help relax and reduce stress.  I found before in natural settings, or clean areas with attractive architecture, helped me relax.
• Hasuk Jib Food (.5 stress point) - most hasuk jib food is known to be sub-standard quality.  I do love the kimchee, but many times I found myself having to search the streets for supplementary nutrients to increase fiber and other minerals, or just to have a good meal.  Solution is to alternatively treat oneself to good meals and scout out affordable places to eat (takes organization and preparation), but I took the lazy man's approach: fast food and worsening mineral nutrients.  
• Decrepit Bathroom and Rooms (2 stress points) - the bathroom has old cracked tiles, sawed off exposed pipes, mold stains permanently meshed into the ceiling, mold in the tiles, partially melted plastic cabinet with broken glass, stained walls and door.
• Dysfunctional Water System (1 stress points) - the water sometimes takes up to 15 minutes to heat up, and when you take a shower, it jumps from freezing cold to searing hot at any moment.  Normally, one can deal with this, but holding the shower over your head, you get increased anxiety anticipating whether you'll be burned or get a blast of cold freezing water.  
• Lack of Shower Head (.5 stress points) - you have to hold the shower head with one hand, and soap and wash yourself with the other.   One student uses a bucket, and pours the water from some large scooper over his head like in the ancient medieval days.  
• Lack of Sink (1 stress point) - having no sink makes it hard to manually shave for some people, or to brush ones teeth easily.  I simply didn't brush my teeth and used mouth wash, and sometimes I brushed teeth at a bathroom sink at the college.
• Internet Problems (1 stress point) - Internet is a tool for communication with loved ones abroad, access to news from home countries, college resources, is required for classes (getting homework assignments), access to funds, organization, and entertainment.  At a time with most things seem stressful, a game or some entertainment is good to help relax and detox on stress.  Without Internet, you have to find some environment in the streets to use the Internet, which can have mixed results.
• Unkempt Surroundings (0-3 stress points) - this is up to the individual: Are you a messy slob or a neat freak.

When I tally up the points, I get to 7 - 9 points.  I am a breath away from going looney from stress.  Some of these are residual, in that they are not realized right away, but take time for them to sink in.  I found trips to the coffee shop to get out of the home helps, as well as nature hikes and to nice wealthier districts like Samchon-Dong district, which is sort of like Piedmont or Los Gatos for those familiar with the S.F. Bay Area.

 

 

  

Found a new pad...

My friend Yeong-Jae and I went browsing for a new place to live.  We first encountered a room available towards the West Gate of Yonsei University.  Ironically, it was offered by the business manager that manages the place that I live currently.  Um, this was most awkward, and the manager was none too pleased as I tipped him off that I am looking for a new place to live. 

I later understood why the manager may get concerned.  They pay rent for the whole complex, and then sub-lease it to students, offering services like providing food and cleaning, bundling Internet and electricity for one flat fee.  If he looses tenants, he looses quite a bit of money.  But then, hey, what can I do?  Live next to constant hammering, pounding, drilling, sawing, etc. while my nerves get shot and I suffer physically and mentally due to stress and lack of sleep?

Yeah, I think not.  We shopped some more, and found that many Koreans do not rent to foreigners, while others want perspective tenants to stay at least one whole year.  Without much luck, we traveled to the East Gate of Yonsei and found many other areas.  Some of the places would rent only to female students, which makes sense as they are closer to a women's university E-Hwa.  Other places had rooms that were too small, I couldn't even fit my clothes in there, let alone computer and music equipment.  Then I found one place, in a run-down older building that reminded me of places in poor suburbs of Mexico, which ironically helped me have a good feeling about it (I have fond memories of Mexico). 

I saw the room, it was larger, had a guest bed, refrigerator, sink (Oh my, a freakin' sink), shower with shower head holder, large television, and small portable gas stove.  This is a great bonus, as this means I can cook a little and avoid being malnourished, while saving money from eating out all the time.

Kenchō-ji (建長寺) Zen Buddhist Temple in Kamakura

There was this temple area that is said to be very famous called Kenchou-ji (建長寺), established in 1253 and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan.  I saw the location on a pictorial map, and memorized the approximately to another temple I was visiting.  I decided to head there, and in about 20 minutes of walking,  I found the temple easily. The temples there are just simply gorgeous:

Confucian Philosphy

In USA, we often hear about this term and how it drives East-Asian culture, but most of us never learn about it.  Thus, I thought I would try to attempt to explain what Confucianism is to my friends and family out there in the world.  (Note, before I begin, see my future posting on Neo-Confucianism, which is a religion, while Confucianism is a philosophy)

Confucianism to put it simply is a philosophy about social order, individual behavior, and a form of governance.  People police each other and desire to conform to the will of society.  Everyone in this system should follow their leaders, who in turn through their benevolence will give to their followers.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this belief.  I am fascinated by the philosophy, but I strongly believe in this one quote by Lord Acton: “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”.   History is riddled with kings and leaders that have served their own self interests at the expense of the public.  Thus, the system ultimately fails, as the power given by the people would corrupt the leader.

However, in Japan, the culture follows along the path of Confucian concepts whether they realize it or not.  There’s a strong since of collectivism, that is consideration of others and society over yourself.  I do not see any form of strong policing force; I’m guessing one is not needed as pretty much people police themselves.  If people violate the social norms in Japan (and also in Korea), there will be extreme consequences as violators will be alienated by their peers.  This is the cause for suicide in both countries in earlier and modern times.  The Japanese life here is predictable, orderly, and comfortable.  You always know what to expect from others, as everyone adheres to strict social rules.

Readings at Readings Point Weather

I found this cafe named Point Weather on my walk to and from Tsunashima Station (綱島駅).  It is a cozy little place, just perfect for reading, and the staff is beyond polite and attentive. 

I was reading more of the book 1434 : The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance, and I was quite impressed by the advanced economic and political system of the Venetians around that time.  With powerful open minded elites, advanced economical systems, and a form of government with checks and balances, there seemed to be a society that was rather well geared toward embracing innovations, especially with the emergence of new culture-shifting ideas introduced by the arrival of Ming Chinese with their wealth of knowledge in many areas including technology, science, math, charts and maps of the world including the Americas, etc.

Contrasting this society to the later years of China (from Ming Dynasty to Qing Dynasty) and Korea (Joseon Dynasty), both Korea and China seemed stuck in a quagmire of zealous ideologies around Neo-Confucism that resulted in cannibalizing politics, stemming innovation, and monopolizing intellectual thinking.  Ultimately Korea and China couldn't adapt the culture of elites, government structures, and economical systems that would allow them to adapt and absorb modern systems and science.  The imperial European powers at the time, just steam rolled into Asia, and the rest is history, for better or worse.

Indian Water Tower (インド水塔)

At the waterfront, I came across this little building called Indian Water Tower, which they wrote as インド水塔 (pronounced INDO-SUITOU).  The explanation of it was in Japanese and at night, with the glare off the plaque, couldn't quite make out its purpose. However, it is a rather pretty structure.

Wonder Girls Makes Me Happy

I woke up from a flu yesterday, and I had that song going through my head, "I want nobody, nobody, but you".  It has a nice zing to it, and they play it over and over and over on the streets.  I was watching the video, and I don't know what it is, but they just make me happy.  They're bouncing around to a stylish and silly choreography; it is just weird, but still enthralling at the same time.  Their smile is so perfect and charming, and between their look, style, music, and choreography, both bizarre and intriguing at the same time, I am glued.  I feel like a cat in front of a fish tank.

Aftwards, I was just energetic and happy.  It is weird.  I'm a little concerned that Meari hasn't been responded to me (she's probably sick), and that I did not have much to do, restless after sleeping.  But no matter, the song gives me energy to make it through the day without the need for extra sugar from ice creams or donuts, or caffeine from coffee, which I have become addicted to lately.

Here's some videos of Wonder Girls:

The Tale Of Two ATMs

Well, when I first came to Korea, I needed cash.  So naturally, I used my ATM card.  However, no where in Korea would the ATM card from USA work.  I never had this problem in Japan.  Anytime I would go to an international ATM like Citibank, I can get access to funds.  However, in Korea this is not the case.  I wondered around Shinchon (新村) and Hongdae (홍대) for 6 hours searching for an ATM.  I was going hysterical.  Many of the banks that advertised some International ATMs, would only let you view your balance. 

Eventually, I found a group of ATMs that would work.  However, when I used them, they all gave some error with an error code.  I found a single ATM in that Shinchon station (新村驛; 신촌역) that worked.  And I was able to get some cash...

To say the least, I was not very happy with Korea at that moment in time...