What does Elvis have in common with new South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak? Both want to talk less, do more, and get more satisfaction. The "Bulldozer" took over this week amid a flurry of promises to revive the world's thirteen largest economy. Never mind the ethics charges he already had to dodge. Ignore the icy response of the Pyongyang government. The Korean constitution guarantees Lee one term and he's going to make this country some money!
Not that they don't deserve it, South Koreans work hard. But the world economy, even to a lay observer like myself, does not always seem to be thriving. So, it will be interesting to see which battles President Lee chooses. First of all, his conservative party needs to win a majority of seats in parliament in April for the power balance to shift the right way to implement these reforms. I am no expert on South Korean politics, particularly since I can only consume the English language media, but it also seems to me that he's going to have to make a lot of changes. He himself stated, at his recent inauguration, “Although it is going to be difficult and painful, we must change much more and change much faster!” The 66-year-old conservative politician won a positive response from his audience estimated of an 60,000 people. Talking about change. Everyone here wants the increase in per capita income to $40,000 a year (in USD) that Lee boasts he can ensure. But this is an ancient, protectionist, tradition linked society. Even with all their flashy technology, their spirit of entrepreneurship, and their impressive attempts at bi-lingual education. This is still the land of the morning calm. Let's see how much average citizens and the dominant large corporations enjoy actually changing!
What does all this politics mean to little old me? I've been a meandering dreamer the last week, reading a novel and revising some short stories. I've heard that President Lee is going to "clean up" the English Teachibng industry (we can be a grungy lot, we're traveling :)), but I haven't given it much heed. I've taken some walks. I've gone to the vegetable market for fresh peppers and cooked chicken stew. I've snuggled with my boyfriend. Besides entering a few short story contests with monetary prizes, I haven't done much to improve my own personal economy. Then school started again.
Suddenly, like this country, it looks like I'm colliding with change. It's inescapable. I acquired a new co-teacher. Happily, she seems to have at least good English comprehension and adequate speaking skills! Yay! (Language skills become more apparent over time, and people in any country sometimes just nod and agree, but she does seem to understand.) However, I will have to adapt to her teaching style and team-teach more classes. My odd, uncivilized office-mate, the gym teacher who used to bark Korean orders at me (and bought his wife on-line like a CD from Amazon.com), fled the scene-Thank God! Eight, count them eight, older teachers left and were replaced with fresh blood. New students are registering, and so the school is even finally opening the new wing that they've been building for so long.
We're into the action!
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