Korean Job Discussion Forums

mishlert · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun

What are flash mobs?
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59518,00.html
Flash mobs are performance art projects involving large groups of people. Mobilized by e-mail, a mob suddenly materializes in a public place, acts out according to some loose instructions, and then melts away as quickly as it formed.

rawiri · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Location: Lovely day for a fire drill.

isn't "performance art" drawing a long bow? sounds a bit more like turning up some where and being an egg.

peppermint · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:30 am Post subject:

can we do all of them? Korea is the perfect place, especially in a small city where we'd have a built in audience. Smile

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=flash+mob

That website has more ideas.. usually they have between 100-200.. if we organize right.. we could tell all our students, all our friends, everyone we know.. and TAKE PICTURES!! Invite anyone and everyone you know who might be from the PRESS!! Would be amazing publicity!!

The one in SAO PAULO was cool, where they crossed the street and took off one shoe and beat it upon the pavement.. I say we need to do it in a public street and make a big statement and put Seoul on the map!! These other cities only had a 100 or 200.. we could get that together with us and every Korean we know.. walk across JongNo street in SEOUL at the same time and do something.. the water gun could be a part of it.. we could all spray a water gun into the air at the same time will crossing a VERY BUSY street!! and have people taking pictures hopefully with someone connected to get a picture in the newspapers!!

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

How about standing in a large group, waiting for a gaggle of middle schoolers to come by, then shrieking "Annyong! Panga Panga!!" and running away giggling?? Smile

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I've been thinking about it more and more.. and the only way to REALLY do this is to have every foreigner interested in it telling every foreigner they know and tell them ALL to tell their KOREAN FRIENDS!! To make this really work, we need at least 75-80% Koreans involved.. tell all your students, tell all your foreigner friends to tell all their Korean friends/students as well!! Particularly around the Universities.

Also, most importantly, we need some people who know some photojournals to inform them of the event.. it would be a true disappointment not to be 'internationally recognized' on holding the event!!

The best place to have it would be in JongNo.. and I say we'd all meet in front of YMCA.. and in a big mob just start crossing the street.. do what they did in Sao Paulo, and take your shoe off at the yellow line and tap it.. then continue across the street.

Without at least 75-80% Koreans I think it won't work.. and without doing something kind of odd and weird like crossing on one of Seoul's busiest streets and not on intersection is ideal.. otherwise we run the risk of looking like a lost tourist group of foreign idiots

peppermint · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:10 pm Post subject:

I still wanna do it, but looks like the Koreans beat us to it, and already managed to suck the spontaneous fun out of it

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/08/29/200308290062.asp

Sooooo, anyone up for a watergun fight in Gangnam tomorrow?

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

600pm gangnam tomorrow
watch out for hardy and tiny!

RedRob · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Location: Narnia

Flash mob the flash mob? Now thats funny dude! Whoozup for it, a dozen bods or so should be enuff. I'll bring 4.

Walter Mitty · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Location: Tokyo! ^.^

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

http://groups.msn.com/SeoulFlashMobs

we'll have to show them how to do it.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Is the even tonight? (Saturday)? or tomorrow Sunday?

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Would these "Flash Mobs" be good or bad for Western expatriates in Korea? While I as of yet have much opinion nor objection against them, I wonder. Because it seems the general concensus of the users on here is that they are practically obsessed with saying only nicer things about Korea and oppressing themselves (and freedom of real speech on Korea) in order to keep the expatraite/Korean relations clean(?).

To me, this Flash Mob seems like an "acting up" but in a way the participants think of themselves as being "cute." Many users on these forums want to practically eliminate various truths on these forums, but simultaneously don't seem to mind something that would otherwise seem bizarre and looney, especially in the eyes of traditional Asia, out in open public. I also cannot help but remember that most Asians are quite territorial in their respective regions, and what would a mob of Westerners do -- only further discomfort them?

I personally don't know full well on whether to support or be against these expatraite mobs but that's the way the picture appears to me. If some expats are almost so anal about their image in the eyes of Koreans who might be watching why would they do something like this?

And perhaps are these public mobs really just a rather diverted outlet valve that might not be necessary if users were allowed more outlet in their vocal speech?

Anyways, have fun with your mobs!!

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003