Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jay-shi]

To the Americans,

Yes, that's you. Not Joe Plumber, but close, and also important, far enough.

This is your time to celebrate. I don't know if the hype can be truly felt in Korea, but it's definitely the biggest thing media-wise going on around here. I live in Montreal, Canada for the moment, and even here in French Canada, Obamamania is inundating the airwaves in both languages.

I've met many of you Americans over my travels. Most of you Americans I met in America proper, Korea, Europe and vacation spots, were fun and interesting people with a passion for life. Earlier in life I used to spend summer vacations on beaches in Maine, Cap Cod and seaside New Jersey every year. Grateful Dead tours, later on in youth through more states than the average American gets to experience. Those experiences developed a real fascination for citizens of another country, very close to mine, and the ideas the believed in.

I want to wish you happiness and prosperity. These are your days Americans, you did something good and you should feel proud.

A recent youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlwYP0HNdc , reminded me of the brilliance and curiosity of youth (can you tell I miss teaching?). You American teachers, please foster the idea of diversity, hope and pride onto your students.

So yeah .... To the Americans, enjoy, it's your show, it's your party, a lot of people look up to you. Godspeed.

[I'm no Picasso]

Gonna make sure to jet home by 8 tonight so I can catch all the coverage online. It's a really strange feeling, particularly as a young American, to be in the ROK for all of this -- it doesn't feel real. Bush has been in office since I was 15. Hoping watching the inauguration will help it sink in, at least a little.

By the way, Kerouac's simply the best that there is.

[dmbfan]

[IAMAROBOT]

I am cautiously optimistic and I don't want to set my expectations too high, but I'll say it's a relief to have somebody like Obama as president. What the US needed was a sensible president. America already had enough of a Texas cowboy and didn't want any more of the same from a "maverick".

What I see in Obama is a president who will think things through instead of plough through things recklessly like Bush did and like McCain certainly would have.

Anyway, it's good to get Cheney out of the way. That man is pure evil.

[dmbfan]

[I'm no Picasso]

[jay-shi]

Hey y'all

I'm trying to spread some love here.

Which is exactly what is going on in America. Love is being spread, maybe not 100%, but it's a beginning.

80% of Americans were feeling optimistic about the future, came out today, a real survey with 1024 respondents and a margin of error of 3 or something.

I live less than 60 miles from the border. This post is all about telling the Americans that I love them and wish them a happy celebration.

[T-J]

Hey Jay, thanks for the kind words.

Being from upstate New York, where Canadians really are our neighbors in every sense, I'm always amused by the level of animosity that can be reached here overseas. It's nice to get away from that.

I've not really been what you would call an Obama supporter, but I too look forward with cautious optimism at what we can accomplish going forward.

I plan on watching the coverage tonight. Are there any out there that are planning a get together to watch the speech tonight? I believe the actual swearing in and speech occur at 2 am local time. I'm leaning toward just watching at home, but if there is something going on, I might be up for it.

[samcheokguy]

-OK...let's see the last president wanted to go public defending the right to subcontract eastern european countries to torture Non-Lawfull Combat Persons. He approved waterboarding, overthrow of a secular state, and has presided over the collapse of the banking industry (which may not even be his fault but still)
-Yeah I'm optomistic, cause who could be worse?

[I'm no Picasso]

[Ya-ta Boy]

That was a nice post, jay-shi. Thanks.

You are right. This is a time to celebrate. It's taken 400 years to right a wrong and it's a victory for all of us to have finally done so. That's just one reason. A huge majority has felt we have been on the wrong track recently and our democratic system allows us to be 're-born' every 4-8 years, to try again. Crises handled poorly are opportunities wasted.

Here's to crises well-handled. I disagree that Obama hasn't done anything yet. He won the election, for starters. Then he's handled the transition well. Most Americans feel hope and optimism because of him. That's no small thing given the mess we are in.

[The Grumpy Senator]

You got your time change math backwards. The east coast is 14 hours behind us, so 12:00pm Tuesday afternoon is 2:00am Wednesday morning here in Korea.

[Ya-ta Boy]

For those looking for a group to celebrate with...

There's a post around here somewhere saying the Democrats Abroad are having a thing in Itaewon (I think). Wolfhound?

[samcheokguy]

I imagine the mosque is having a party...haha

[T-J]