Korea and Education

Below is a link about recent suicides that have happened in South Korea due to grades and examinations. It's bleak. And these kind of stories are too frequent in S.K., which has one of the highest suicide rate among students in the world. Here's a quote from the article:

"South Korea as a whole ranks first among O.E.C.D. nations in suicide and is routinely among the leaders in developed nations. Subway stations in Seoul have barriers to prevent people from jumping in front of arriving trains, and eight bridges in the capital have installed closed-circuit suicide-watch cameras."

Feel free to read the article.

And if your not feeling up for it, at least say a prayer.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/world/asia/23southkorea.html?_r=1

Some Korean Facts...

• The Korean Police do not carry guns. However, the ADT Security Guards do.

• During the 'sign of Peace' at Mass, Koreans bow to one another rather than shake hands.

• As a foreigner in a small city (especially a blond one), you will most likely be stared at, pointed at, and talked about. It's a real confidence-booster, let me tell you.

• After a few months you start to crave Kimchi.

• In motels they don't offer you individualized soaps and shampoos; they place family size bottles and unwrapped, used soap bars for your use.

• Squat toilets are still in use.

• Emergency 911 is 119 here.

• Stopping at a red light is a mere suggestion.

• You pay for your grocery bags.

• Pizza and pasta is served with a side of pickles or radish because Koreans need to balance the softness of the food with something crunchy.

• McDonalds has delivery.

 

A few weekends ago I went to the Jinju Zoo. A very small attraction hotspot but an entertaining one nonetheless.
Being it Korea and all, there were some interesting sights...

First, it's completely legal and socially acceptable to feed the animals processed human food. In fact, the pens were littered with chips and popcorn. Follow the link below to see some monkeys begging for some Korean snacks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IooNv_vlF8

The biggest attraction was the tiger. Not because it was a tiger. But because apparently a while back, the tiger was suffering from a emotional illness called loneliness. The solution? Throw a dog into the same cage to keep the cat company. And now they live in peace and harmony while being oogled by Korean tourists.