English teachers in Korea got to experience recently “Don’t Molest Students” training and they did not like it:
A seminar on Oct. 20 in Icheon Art Hall for foreign teachers in Gyeonggi Province offers “Tips to Successful Life in Korea.” / Courtesy of Joe McPherson
Foreign English teachers across Gyeonggi Province woke up extra early on Saturday, Oct. 20, many before sunrise, to attend a seminar they were told was mandatory. The seminar, held in the remote provincial town Icheon, started at 8:30 a.m., requiring many teachers from the far-flung corners of the province to find their own way there, as they had to leave before public transportation opened.
Joe McPherson, a longtime resident of Korea on an F-5 permanent resident visa, was up at 6 a.m., leaving behind his Korean wife and children in Gimpo and driving his car to what he called the “Dirty Foreigner Seminar.”
“This isn’t about career enrichment,” said McPherson, a restaurateur and owner of a successful tourism company who teaches on the side to make ends meet. “It’s because of the stereotype that we’re all sexual deviants.” (…………………..)
Throughout the talks, attendees were reminded numerous times not to sexually harass students, although little instruction was given on what sexual harassment was and how to avoid it.
“This reinforces the stereotype that foreigners are by nature potential sexual predators and drug fiends,” McPherson said. “Do teachers really need to be told that molesting children is wrong?” [Korea Times]
You can read the rest at the link if you want a good laugh for the day.
A handout offering tips for foreign English teachers tells them “Nobody cares about your own loneliness. / Courtesy of Joe McPherson
All I can add is “…McPherson, a restaurateur and owner of a successful tourism company who teaches on the side to make ends meet…” is a logical contradiction. If the guy has a successful tourism company and a restaurant, why does he need to teach? And when does he have time?
J6Junkie
6 years ago
Don’t molest students. Just date the pretty, age eligible ones!
Mooseknuckle
6 years ago
Having a car is a good way to enjoy yourself in Korea? I’m sorry but driving around Seoul is like being sodomized by a meathook.
Mooseknuckle. my brother-in-law offered to loan me his car when we visit; but there is no parking and there are so many taxis, buses, and trains…
ChickenHead
6 years ago
Don’t molest the students?
How cute. They think I teach for the money.
…but I sure hope this doesn’t affect my classes at the men’s detention center, the assisted living facility, or the nunnery.
johnhenry
6 years ago
In addition to the other commenter’s remarks, I also enjoy the incredibly obvious conflict of interest in this stupid stunt from a government agency. If the government requires the “training”, then the government needs to provide it, not outsource it to a group with a number of members who don’t have a problem breaking Korean law in the first place.
JohnHenry, can you name one gummint that behaves the way you describe?
All I see is gummints foisting off classes from campaign donors…
johnhenry
6 years ago
A successful company is a company that is not bankrupt. That does not mean the company’s employees and owners must rely only on the income from the company to make ends meet. So, no; there is no contradiction.
JohnHenry, you ave a really odd way of redefining words…
If a company doesn’t pay it’s bills, it’s not successful, bankruptcy or no. And the owner’s cost of living is a big part of that.
If the dude owns a restaurant and has time to run a tourism company and teach ESL, that’s not going to be successful, either. Unless “a longtime resident of Korea on an F-5 permanent resident visa” can’t actually own any businesses in Korea and his business partners are using him as a facade. However, the story implies he is the sole owner.
Smells fishy to me. And not in a good way. What restaurant? What tourism company? How many hours does he teach? Basic journalism fail.
Dude is a co-blogger. “His” company arranges tour guides. As do the concierge at all of the bigger hotels. I wish him much success; and also more honest publicity (“restaurateur” means “a person who owns and manages a restaurant.”).
“About ZenKimchi
Joe McPherson founded ZenKimchi in 2004. He has been featured and sourced in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, CNN, KBS, MBC, SBS, Le Figaro, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Harper’s Bazaar Korea, The Chosun Weekly, and other Korean and international media. He has consulted for “Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain,” The Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, the PBS documentary series “Kimchi Chronicles,” and other projects in the UK, Canada, and Australia featuring celebrity chefs such as Gizzi Erskine and Gary Mehigan.
Mr. McPherson has written for multiple Korean and international publications, including SEOUL Magazine, JoongAng Daily, The Korea Herald, Newsweek Korea and wrote the feature article for U.S. National publication Plate magazine’s all-Korean food issue. He has acted as dining editor for 10 Magazine and was on the judging panel for Korea for the Miele Guide.
He spoke at TEDx Seoul on Korean food globalization, at TED Worldwide Talent Search on the rise of Korean cuisine, and in New York City on Korean Buddhist temple cuisine. The company ZenKimchi International organizes food tours for tourists and corporations and acts as a media liaison for foreign and Korean media and local restaurants and producers.”
Well here’s an idea, don’t take BS jobs in Korea and you won’t have to deal with this shizzat. 🙄
Smokes has provided the perfect answer.
All I can add is “…McPherson, a restaurateur and owner of a successful tourism company who teaches on the side to make ends meet…” is a logical contradiction. If the guy has a successful tourism company and a restaurant, why does he need to teach? And when does he have time?
Don’t molest students. Just date the pretty, age eligible ones!
Having a car is a good way to enjoy yourself in Korea? I’m sorry but driving around Seoul is like being sodomized by a meathook.
Mooseknuckle. my brother-in-law offered to loan me his car when we visit; but there is no parking and there are so many taxis, buses, and trains…
Don’t molest the students?
How cute. They think I teach for the money.
…but I sure hope this doesn’t affect my classes at the men’s detention center, the assisted living facility, or the nunnery.
In addition to the other commenter’s remarks, I also enjoy the incredibly obvious conflict of interest in this stupid stunt from a government agency. If the government requires the “training”, then the government needs to provide it, not outsource it to a group with a number of members who don’t have a problem breaking Korean law in the first place.
JohnHenry, can you name one gummint that behaves the way you describe?
All I see is gummints foisting off classes from campaign donors…
A successful company is a company that is not bankrupt. That does not mean the company’s employees and owners must rely only on the income from the company to make ends meet. So, no; there is no contradiction.
JohnHenry, you ave a really odd way of redefining words…
If a company doesn’t pay it’s bills, it’s not successful, bankruptcy or no. And the owner’s cost of living is a big part of that.
If the dude owns a restaurant and has time to run a tourism company and teach ESL, that’s not going to be successful, either. Unless “a longtime resident of Korea on an F-5 permanent resident visa” can’t actually own any businesses in Korea and his business partners are using him as a facade. However, the story implies he is the sole owner.
Smells fishy to me. And not in a good way. What restaurant? What tourism company? How many hours does he teach? Basic journalism fail.
Dude is a co-blogger. “His” company arranges tour guides. As do the concierge at all of the bigger hotels. I wish him much success; and also more honest publicity (“restaurateur” means “a person who owns and manages a restaurant.”).
“About ZenKimchi
Joe McPherson founded ZenKimchi in 2004. He has been featured and sourced in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, CNN, KBS, MBC, SBS, Le Figaro, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Harper’s Bazaar Korea, The Chosun Weekly, and other Korean and international media. He has consulted for “Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain,” The Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, the PBS documentary series “Kimchi Chronicles,” and other projects in the UK, Canada, and Australia featuring celebrity chefs such as Gizzi Erskine and Gary Mehigan.
Mr. McPherson has written for multiple Korean and international publications, including SEOUL Magazine, JoongAng Daily, The Korea Herald, Newsweek Korea and wrote the feature article for U.S. National publication Plate magazine’s all-Korean food issue. He has acted as dining editor for 10 Magazine and was on the judging panel for Korea for the Miele Guide.
He spoke at TEDx Seoul on Korean food globalization, at TED Worldwide Talent Search on the rise of Korean cuisine, and in New York City on Korean Buddhist temple cuisine. The company ZenKimchi International organizes food tours for tourists and corporations and acts as a media liaison for foreign and Korean media and local restaurants and producers.”