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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:10 am Post subject: Koreans Spend More on Cigarettes Than Books |
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Koreans Spend More on Cigarettes Than Books
South Koreans spend less than half of the amount spent on cigarette purchases or about one fifth of the amount on beauty products on books.
By Cho Jin-seo, Korea Times (January 3, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200601/kt2006010317015210220.htm |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| ...yet every time I go to a bookstore, it's jam packed. |
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tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:32 am Post subject: |
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Real Reality, I can understand your call for greater book-learning, but before we infer that Koreans are not interested in learning, let's take a look at this one paragraph:
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| The spending on reading materials, excluding textbooks and study-aid books for students, accounted for only 0.5 percent of the total household spending, which was 2.0 million won a month. |
I wonder what the figures would be if that excluded segment were included. Before I tell you what I am driving at, let me share a few particulars:
�� When I first got here, I wondered why I saw either an English school, a music studio, a karate academy, or an art school on every corner, but very few bookstores.
�� At one school where I worked, the director had a class with two late teen-young adult students. All he did in the class was read straight out of a Korean grammar rule book--no discussion, no conversation practice, no testing, no nothing.
I kept thinking, "I would just buy the grammar book and study at home!"
�� When I was accepted for one job, there was to be a delay of a few weeks after I moved in and before I started the job. The director asked me how I was going to spend the time. I said I was going to study Korean. The director said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know of any local Korean classes being offered."
�� Korean culture copies many other Western customs, but I have never seen an advertisement for a correspondence course. (Someone on this message board said that he has seen such ads on late-night TV.)
�� I don't know from first-hand experience, but reputation has it that high school students attend class until night time, leaving little time for homework. University classes meet about as often as they do back home in Anglophonia, but the students spend less time on homework.
�� I asked a Korean English teacher why Korean English students and teachers do not practice English among themselves, especially considering that they abound by the million. She reacted in a horrified way and said, "We can't do that! It would be dangerous! There would be no native speaker present to correct our mistakes!"
After putting these pieces together, I find that the Koreans hold a superstition that learning always takes place in the classroom, and can only take place in the classroom.
What do you think? |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Tomato...RR does not think he automatically posts any links to any "source" that seems (he often posts stuff that contradicts his earlier posts) to show how bad Korea is.
I suspect he is in fact an automated bot engine who posts on auto-pilot. |
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indiercj
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:33 am Post subject: |
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Well, yesterday, I tried to download a pack of TIME light on the net but in vain.
So I just surffed on and read interesting articles on public housing policies in Europe after a quick visit to my local GS25 for a pack of smokes.
Boo.. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:57 am Post subject: |
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Sure, we all agree the premise is flawed, the conclusions drawn are silly, and it's eye-rollingly typical of RR to clip an article like this. But let's not forget the vernacular source of this 'news item'. It's just more Korea beating itself over the head with the "woe is us!" stick. Must we dissect it? Can't we just enjoy it for the sake of cheap amusement & schoolboy giggles?  |
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n3ptne
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Location: Poh*A*ng City
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:23 am Post subject: |
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| In the US cigarettes vary from $3-7/pack... you really think Americans spend more on books? |
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indiercj
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| n3ptne wrote: |
| In the US cigarettes vary from $3-7/pack... you really think Americans spend more on books? |
Shall I(Korean) just enjoy it for the sake of cheap amusement & schoolboy giggles?
I choose not to. |
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jaderedux
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Lurking outside Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Well I have to agree somewhat with RR about they don't buy books much for recreational reading. My husband was quite surprised when I gave him list of suggested christmas pressies and most were books.
They (our korean friends) as a general rule are not encouraged to read much for fun. Reading is for learning and I think we all know how much fun learning is in this country. Reading is not encouraged as a thing you do to relax or something you can enjoy for the sheer joy of it.
I do see changes in that somewhat since Harry Potter hit here. And now the Narnia series. But most of my student see it as a chore. They are always surprised to see me reading a book on history or biography (my personal faves). They seem to think unless it is fiction like a fantasy novel or Harry Potter it can't be interesting.
I hope that changes for them. One of the reasons I am an expat is that all my life I read books about other places and other people. When I had the "cajones" I decided to go see some of those places.
I try to instill that in my students but it is not easy but I do see it changing.
Jade the bookworm |
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MeanyMichi
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Location: SNOW!!!
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| When I had the "cajones" I decided to go see some of those places. |
Why did you need drawers to go see some of those places?
Or did you mean when you grew a pair of "cojones"?  |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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| tomato wrote: |
Real Reality, I can understand your call for greater book-learning, but before we infer that Koreans are not interested in learning, let's take a look at this one paragraph:
| Quote: |
| The spending on reading materials, excluding textbooks and study-aid books for students, accounted for only 0.5 percent of the total household spending, which was 2.0 million won a month. |
I wonder what the figures would be if that excluded segment were included. Before I tell you what I am driving at, let me share a few particulars:
�� When I first got here, I wondered why I saw either an English school, a music studio, a karate academy, or an art school on every corner, but very few bookstores.
�� At one school where I worked, the director had a class with two late teen-young adult students. All he did in the class was read straight out of a Korean grammar rule book--no discussion, no conversation practice, no testing, no nothing.
I kept thinking, "I would just buy the grammar book and study at home!"
�� When I was accepted for one job, there was to be a delay of a few weeks after I moved in and before I started the job. The director asked me how I was going to spend the time. I said I was going to study Korean. The director said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know of any local Korean classes being offered."
�� Korean culture copies many other Western customs, but I have never seen an advertisement for a correspondence course. (Someone on this message board said that he has seen such ads on late-night TV.)
�� I don't know from first-hand experience, but reputation has it that high school students attend class until night time, leaving little time for homework. University classes meet about as often as they do back home in Anglophonia, but the students spend less time on homework.
�� I asked a Korean English teacher why Korean English students and teachers do not practice English among themselves, especially considering that they abound by the million. She reacted in a horrified way and said, "We can't do that! It would be dangerous! There would be no native speaker present to correct our mistakes!"
After putting these pieces together, I find that the Koreans hold a superstition that learning always takes place in the classroom, and can only take place in the classroom.
What do you think? |
I know a number of Koreans who think learning can take place outside the classroom and buy books, etc., but the there is a certain trend you identify. HS students, btw, don't necessarily spend all evening in class but for students in an academic programme there is mandatory study hall which gets longer with every year. |
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BigBlackEquus
Joined: 05 Jul 2005
Location: Lotte controls Asia with bad chocolate!
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Korea is like much of the North American continent was in the 1970s, as far as smoking is concerned. In the next 10 years or so, you just keep watching. Thousands will start dying of lung cancer, and it will become a huge public health concern, much like it was in the USA. The anti-smoking campaigns will come out.
Wondering when the day is that so many Koreans die from smoking and second-hand smoke that it finally becomes a more serious public health issue. It is really, really bad in Korea. So much smoke. |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Shit |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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Koreans have addictive personalities, lack of a better word.. they are drug addicts!
if you ask me.. Cigeretes are drugs! and 80% of the male population use them! and WE ALL KNOW millions of woman smoke here too!!
they also drink alcohol, coffee, all substances which have addictive substances.. but of course they will never admit to being drug dependant people! just like the rest of the hyprocits in the world, who light up a cig and pour them selves a brandy EVERYNIGHT!!!!
think people who smoke pot are DRUG ADDICTS!!
wake up and smell the coffee!!!
ciggerette smokers are the biggest drug addicts out there!!
yes , Ive turned this into a pot vs ciggerette thread...
just makes me laugh when I see lawyers, or judges who through marijuana smokers in jail and call them drug addicts, while those same people cant wait to get their nicotine fix!! |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| jaderedux wrote: |
| They (our korean friends) as a general rule are not encouraged to read much for fun. Reading is for learning and I think we all know how much fun learning is in this country. Reading is not encouraged as a thing you do to relax or something you can enjoy for the sheer joy of it. |
Koreans at various workplaces who saw me reading a book during lunchtime or carrying one to the office would invariably ask, "What are you studying?" Once they knew it had nothing to do with studying for an exam or some sneaky underhanded attempt to edumacate myself after hours into a better job somewhere else, they regarded me as some quirkly, dreamy-eyed romantic.
| Qinella wrote: |
| ...yet every time I go to a bookstore, it's jam packed. |
Yes, but remove all educational or career-related books, along with Cindy The Perky mags, and what do you have? A few expats in the Books About Korea and Foreign Travel departments, a passel of k-girlies in Cellphone Accessories, and k-mommies buying Cross pens for their sons. |
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