shining shoes.

"People subconsciously (sometimes even CONSCIOUSLY) judge you based on not only the type of footwear you sport, but also the general level of care you put into that footwear."

This is one of the first links I hit after I googled "how to shine shoes."

You see, I have accepted a job as an English teacher in South Korea. This is my first 'real job', where I have to actually think, and collect a salary that's more than minimum wage. Every travel guide I borrowed from the library told me to expect a conservative work culture.

"Along with a professional shave, a professional shoe shine is a rite of manhood. When you have a chance to get one done, give it a try. In many larger centers shoe shine stands are quite common, in other cities they may be quite hard to find, or perhaps out of the way."

A little about me, and where I'm from:
I never got the whole male-bonding experience of 'learning how to shave from your Dad.' I learned on my own. As for shining shoes, I worked at a Golf course during my teenage years, and one of my duties was to clean and polish golf shoes. "I want to see my reflection, boy! Do it well and there's a shiny quarter in it for you!"
I kid you not. Of course, I hated the job, and the stuck-up alcoholic clientele. And so, I made sure I did a half-assed job on the shoes.

But this is different. This is my first 'real job', and these are my shoes. And so, I wanted to actually learn to do this thing called 'shining shoes.'

"Dad", I said, "How exactly do you shine shoes?" He chuckled a little bit. "Buy some shoe polish, and put it on, and 'buff' them a little bit."
"Okay", I said, "But this website said that polishes are either wax-based or oil-based, and wax dries out the leather, and how do I tell them apart?"
He didn't know. Maybe this wasn't quite so important as I may have thought. Maybe I could do just fine foregoing another 'rite of manhood.'

Okay... apply shoe polish. Done. Buff to a shine. Hmmm... seems to be going well. Huh. I'm done.

Now, I've heard in many places that 'activism' is all a matter of juvenile rebellion, that it's all a matter of dressing down and waiting to grow up. That to be a college radical is all a matter of sewing a 'fuck cars' patch to your messenger bag and showing up at the right keg parties. But here I am, still as radical and angry as ever, shining shoes and somehow convincing people that I am an adult. I bought the shoes that I am shining for seven dollars at a thrift store. I am actually doing this. (The shoes look great!)

I think back to my old clients, the ruddy used-car salesmen that would close deals over a couple rounds of golf and a scotch. It's incredibly easy to fool these people. I suddenly realize that I could fool a convention, say anything at a conference as long as I have a tie, an official-looking nametage and a pair of shiny shoes. It's been done before. And you 'officials' tell us that activism is frivolous?!

first post past the post...

Greetings.

Um, introductions are in order.
This is a blog about a Canadian teaching English in a city outside Seoul, South Korea.
South Korea is a country of approximately fifty million people, undergoing a drastic transformation after decades of occupation and division.
Yours truly is a native Canadian with a history and context all his own, which will be revealed along the way. These things tend to be invisible until they are exposed to challenge, which is what travelling and integration into an outside culture is all about.

I plan to update at least every three days or so.

A little about me: I identify as both leftist and libertarian. Make of that what you will. I like punk rock. I am white/East European/agnostic/mongrel. I am descended from solid working-class roots, but my immediate family can no longer be considered working class.

I believe these are 'interesting times' to be experiences, in that there is a lot of change in the air.

The rest will be revealed in due time.

Why teach English? Well, I am aware that the supremacy of the English language is a hegemonic construct, created by a certain economic order in the world today. But I also think that English is a language that is heterogenous, and multi-faceted enough to keep things interesting. For example, George Orwell, in 1984, was speaking from a certain cultural context when he talked about 'Newspeak'... English is unique in that the multitude of influences and vagueness create room to expose ironies and contradictions inherent in any system of thought. When Donald Rumsfeld talks about 'collatoral damage' brought about by the 'growth of democracy', these euphemisms are made possible by the malleability of the English language. At the same time, this malleability creates great potential to 'hijack' language and lay bare the contradictions of a nationalist agenda.

Does that make sense? No? Then let me summarize: English is open to interpretation. This is both its weakness, and its potential. The strength is in this choice: it challenges us to think critically about what is being said. We can either choose to be enlightened, or to accept Orwellian euphemisms. No progress is possible without that choice.

So you see, this blog is not merely about me, or my immediate experiences.

I have a couple more objectives while in Korea:

1. I want to visit friends and part of the world.
2. I want to observe how Korean activists and labor unions conduct themselves. Especially after seeing this. Don't get sore; it is my firm conviction that history and political change is directed by those people who are willing and able to stand up for their own interests. I don't see anyone, left-wing or right-wing, who protest when people stand up to military coups. It's important that we understand and be willing to mobilize the power of mass movements.
3. I want to find some righteous Korean punk rock and hardcore music to share with audiences in North America. More on this later!!