One of the many habits one picks up while they're living/studying abroad is the habitual need to blog about the little differences between *insert your native country* and *insert the other country you've got a boner for because you think the culture/lifestyle/history is fascinating in a really infantilising (is this a word?) manner*

.......hmm, that sounds kind of harsh, sorry. =| .

Granted, I give a lot of people 'the benefit of the doubt'; that magic blanket that turns your intentions of "whatever-whatever-whatever-abroad" invisible to me. I try not to pry into your mindset, your politics, your opinion on Asian women, etc. I'm certainly not one to judge your reasons for being here - I didn't come here to better the English fluency of this country as it continues to grow into the global market. I came out here just to 1. make money 2. get some teaching experience and 3. meet my extended family.

Buuuuuut then, for some reason, your position of power (yes, despite our low and almost non-existent level of authority, being foreign English speaking-Teachers puts us in a position of power), your B.A./M.A./certification in whatever you studied and your penchant for researching every stupid newsworthy thing in Korea convinces you that you have the ability to be a competently funny blogger, poking fun at the little quirks of Korea and adding some good ol' Western insight to the mix.

Honestly, there are a number of things you could deconstruct here in Korea. It's a buffet, a Smörgåsbord of social and cultural "wtf"s to keep you writing forever. But please stop writing about it - this is a plea to you foreign, heterosexual and most likely white male bloggers.

Point Number 1: Those sorts of critiques are meant to come from inside the system. Leave it to the progressives that grew up with a better understanding of Korean society.

When we critique the current gender/sexuality landscape of Korea, for example, we sort of lose the message. Indeed, the Korean taboo's of pre-marital sex are a fascinating topic that can, nay SHOULD be expanded on by analyzing how Korean women's bodies are being defined, who claims ownership of women's bodies in this culture and ultimately how some Korean women are trying to defy those ideas (THEY EXIST! I know, Korean feminists! So shocking...) but when you place the blame on those gosh-darn backward (and dare I say SAVAGE and TRIBAL) Eastern-Confuscian ideals...well, you're not really analyzing much there, are you? Apart from another sociologist that may peruse your, uh, I mean, our blogs, you're telling the rest of the English-speaking blog-stalkers that Korea can't possibly produce 'critical-thinkers', at least, not like the West does! Nothing says you're an open-minded, progressive, critical-thinking sociologist like implying that Korean adults suck because they're not as sexually open (or in your case, I guess, promiscuous?) and independent as you! I mean, us! But that's not their fault, they don't know any better, those poor, ignorant CONFUSCIAN SAVAGES.

Oh and that whole anecdote about you looking for some Asian ass - keep that to yourself. And it's no wonder why I suspect any white man who has taken some East Asian studies course 'for personal interest.'