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About TK
- T.K. (Ask a Korean!)
- The Korean is a Korean American living in Washington D.C. He lived in Seoul until he was 16, then moved to Los Angeles area. The Korean refers to himself in the third person because he thinks it sounds cool.
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Does it have anything to do with the mindset of Koreans? Yesterday, some of my elementary kids were somewhat more animated than usual, so I asked them why they seemed so happy. Well, they told me that they had just come back from watching some "diving." I thought that was a bit odd as there are no diving facilities around this area. So I asked where they were watching this diving at and they mentioned a nearby apartment building. I had a sinking feeling of where this conversation was heading and then one girl mentioned that a schoolmate of theirs had gone “diving” off her balcony while many of her 12 year-old classmates watched her fall to her death as school has let out for winter vacation.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned that some of my best students could be talking about this tragedy with such nonchalance and then because the term diving hadn’t registered with me, they asked if what they were saying was the correct way to say it in English. It could have also been because I was stunned beyond belief, and now I was about to have to talk about the correct way to phrase this in English.
I quickly told them that it is called jumping in English, but the reality of it is really basically stepping off or walking off a ledge. Well, at least they learned a word they had never used before, ledge, but I was still in a bit of shock as the classroom atmosphere was so upbeat after such a terrible loss of a young life. I know this (suicide) happens everywhere, but there seems to be something that really makes it no big thing in this culture.
It is really sad what is happening.
ReplyDeleteProportionality Korea and japan seems to have higher suicide rates and it doesn't matter if countries economy is stronger unless it can take care of its own people.
I could touch some nerve, but this plastic existence of living in a society to "get ahead" and "be accepted" must stop.
I read somewhere that more than 90% of korean women have eye surgery or facial lift to look better...Now why they do that...they look already beautiful..but their "society" demands something different....the problem is not only in korea or with korea folks..but all over the world...but the so called devloped economy seems to catch it first.
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