Smudger

LATEST ARTICLES ( 123 )

• Offending Adoptees, a Defence, and a Theory Confirmed - Part 2

  In this post I am going to deal more directly with some of the points made on a Korean adoptee's blog (peaceshannon.tumblr.com) and finishes with my final word... Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Offending Adoptees, a Defence, and a Theory Confirmed - Part 1

  

  I'm no monster (really!)Some thought that I would be shocked by how much people disliked my previous post, however, I have been blogging for a while now and eve... Read more

  Posted on 15 March 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Saturday Night Live Korea's Adoption Sketch: No Need for an Apology

  

  Outrage has become the insatiable hunger of our time in the West. People will step over their own mother to find it and show everyone they know what a morally... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Why Does It Happen? Some Korean Cultural Conclusions

  

  It has come to my attention that foreigners in Korea (including me) often use cultural explanations for much of the behaviour that can be seen by Korean people... Read more

  Posted on 01 March 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Cosmic Justice in Sochi?

  

  David W. Carmichael http://davecskatingphoto.com/So it seems Kim Yun Ah may have been cheated out of retaining her Olympic crown in the figure skating. Read more

  Posted on 22 February 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• My Wife is in Australia, So Who is Cooking My Breakfast?

  

  Not exactly what Koreans have in mind when they think of a cooked breakfast.So, I'm alone at the moment in Korea without my wife, and will be for a few months... Read more

  Posted on 15 February 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• In the Absence of My Wife, My Heart Grows Fonder for My In-Laws

  

  Anyone that has been following my blogs for a while (you never know, there might be some), will know that I have not always had the smoothest of relationships... Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• A Complaint About People Complaining About People Who Complain

  

  Me getting prepared to complain about the purpose of modern art, I believe.Shoot me if you like, but the 'forget about our differences and let's all live as... Read more

  Posted on 01 February 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• People Watching - Some Obvious and Superficial Differences Between the UK and...

  

  For the last month, I have been back at home in England. The differences between my home and Korea is something that has always fascinated me, so it has been... Read more

  Posted on 29 January 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Good on You McDonalds, Get Those Ajusshis Outta There!

  

  For the first time in my life I find myself a supporter of McDonalds. I know they are loved by some, but personally, I can't stand McDonalds; I hate their... Read more

  Posted on 19 January 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Defending the Tiger Mother

  

  First let me start with what I am not defending, and that is the whole idea of tiger mothering. Perhaps it breeds success, maybe it gives some children a... Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2014 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Problems of Mass Immigration and Multiculturalism in the UK - How Korea Has...

  In a few days, I will return home for a month long vacation. It is a terrible time of year to visit the UK, January is cold and dark, but at least I will be... Read more

  Posted on 27 December 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• A Culture Bias in Reporting of Korean Culture and Plane Crashes?

  

  I might have some issues with TheKorean's writing, but that does not detract from the fact I read his blog more than most others. Read more

  Posted on 19 December 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• The Asiana Crash - Korean Respect Culture Under the Spotlight and Justifiably So

  

  Even before the Asiana crash, I had been warning of the perils of Korean respect culture. Then immediately after it, the suspicions about the cause of the... Read more

  Posted on 15 December 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• The Land of Distraction - Smart Phone Zombies

  According to CNN's "10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else", over 78% of people in Korea have a smart phone and this rises to an incredible 97.7%... Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• The Necessity of Lying in Korea

  

  Picture by Stepher Uhlmann http://su2.info/gallery/stills/lie (http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en)One of my favourite writers and speakers currently is the... Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Should Race and Culture Be Off-Limits in Comedy?

  

  Image by Gage SkidmoreHaving lived in Korea for nearly 5 years now (and married into a Korean family for over 3 years), the way Korea and Asia as a whole is... Read more

  Posted on 29 November 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Anti-Education and My 50% Success Rate at Answering Korean English Exam Questions

  So, I am an Englishman flown in to South Korea to help educate their young in English. In my school my level of English is obviously unmatched (I am English... Read more

  Posted on 22 November 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• How the Treatment of Dogs in Korea Should Shake Our Conscience on Eating Meat: M...

  

  First an update on Noah the dog (original post here), after my concerns about how my in-laws were taking care of him I was then slightly disappointed to learn... Read more

  Posted on 15 November 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Asia Shows the Way in Its Street Food, the West Shows the Way to a Heart Attack

  

  I am having a bit of a war on Western food (from English speaking countries) at the moment and combined with a recent post of mine over at Asiapundits on... Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2013 CURRENT, SOCIETY