29 Nov 2011

ST [ereot] ART


Of course Mesopotamia might have been the cradle of civilization, but modern world revolves around American culture, represented by Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and ignorant people who know nothing about the rest of the world; French are eating frogs, and Jamaicans are the most relaxed people on the planet; Indians work hard on tea plantations so that Englishmen could indulge with their 5 o’clock cup of orange pekoe with milk; Brazilians party every day, while Chinese work up a sweat at the rice fields; Egyptians have a big attraction towards geometrical figures, and Germans are all victims of Freudian psychological analysis; Russians drink, Greeks dance, Koreans produce computers, and Bulgarians flood the world with local yoghurt.

Does the picture look familiar? Is it the world you know and live in? Oversimplification of world’s cultures helps us to grasp the essentials of other countries and form our particular attitude towards people living abroad. However the same oversimplification can be the source of misunderstandings, wrong expectations, and even offence in situations when other people pretend to know you by resting their knowledge upon stereotypes.

StereotART is an on-line based project designed for the young generation. Its main objective is to overcome generalizing and stereotyping among nations through works of art and works of creativity performed by the participants. Let the study of another culture be fun and entertaining!
What is the project “StereotART” about?
The project StereotART brings together two teams from two different countries of the North-East Asia region. Through creative activities participants engage into engrossing learning process, communicate to each other, share ideas and world vision, and build firm ties of respect, friendship and understanding among all team members.

WHEN: January 8 2012 – March 4 2012 (8 weeks in total).
WHERE: Anywhere you like! At any place with the Internet connection.
WHO: College students with creative view of the modern world and the will to change the current state of international affairs through direct action and digital diplomatic activities. All those who have the sense of art are highly welcomed! Knowledge of English language is preferable for making the exchange effective, but not mandatory.

HOW to get involved:
this information is classified till December 5. Since then all the requirements will be disclosed!

22 Nov 2011

Stereo-typo: do Koreans still have dogs on the peninsula? O.o

EunYeong laughed a lot when saw the property prepared to make the photo.


> Is it really for the image of a typical Korean?  

>> No, it is a picture of a Korean, how it is imagined by Russian youth. It is not a true image,just a stereotype.

What do Russians still think of Korea?
  • Koreans are wearing eyeglasses and want to look cute on all photos. [and instead of saying 'cute' Russians use 'kawaii']
  • Koreans are eating rice, noodles, and dog meat [do the dogs exist on the peninsula?- asked my friend]
  • Koreans produce nice technical stuff. And Samsung computers are pretty good ones! However I prefer HP [comment by another friend of mine]
  • One young man started to philosophise: I love Korean cars. and when I think tat the cars are good, this type of thinking automatically transfers to the country itself, I like the country as well. I really want to get one of the Hyundai, KIA, or Subaru cars... [NO COMMENTS]
  • "When I think of Korea first that I imagine is a triangular hat" [the one that Chinese and Vietnamese farmers were wearing centuries ago???]


There is nothing wrong with not knowing much about others. But should you agree that when you personally face the ignorance towards your fatherland, a very unpleasant feeling of frustration strikes you, provoking outrage. Don’t blame those being in the dark about your country. Better change the situation by first asking about their origin, provoking their reactive interest in yours. Learn from each other, crash stereotypes, spread the true word. 


10 Nov 2011

Two words play

It is usually a natural thing, when one confuses the words while speaking the second language. However, people tend to remember those blunders if they were made by a Ph.D. holder with decades of teaching practice. Especially when such a statement was so awkward that became a running gag of the school.

Settings:
Sunny afternoon. Graduate school in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by beautiful mountains. Rector's office.
Cast:
Rector
Two his students, both pretty much attractive girls

Scene 1:
Two-people class that was originally supposed to cover the issues of Internet governing, developed into discussion of the professor's favourable philosophical treatises. Professor is sitting in front of the students and prophesying on Weber's ideas (or anyone else's, the detail that is not that relevant.) The class proceeds as usual.

Scene 2:
Looking in deep charming eyes of one of the students, and while talking on topics completely detached from material world, the professors thinks that he says "organism."

Scene 3. Final one:
The student numbed by the only fact that the professor looking straight into her face said "orgasm." Awkward silence...




3 Nov 2011

Perseverance

Another day in the mountain resort (a commonly used name for the Graduate Institute of Peace Studies, KyungHee University, which main advantage is the location - closer to the border with North Korea, nice brisk air, cloudless sky, and bright stars at night.)
November came, no snow at all. So unusual for someone who got used to wade through 1 meter high snow-covered streets to get to the final destination (university, local volunteer organisation, coffee-shop, the door of your own house blocked by a snowbank).
Sitting in a class room, where professor plays Korean old rock during the break time. Isn't it just odd?
Boring class, people are all facebooking, sleeping, faking interest to the topic. Persevering...