Change of Plans... WE'RE MOVING TO SEOUL!!!

SEOUL! YEAHHHH I'll explain the change, but first... a recap cause this week has been BUSY!

Monday, I went on a business trip to promote our school at an exposition. It was fun and my students attended too and were very cute. They were the few students I do not teach because they are in our music program - our school's special focus! I was very pleased to meet other schools though who specialize in education for the deaf or blind or those with disabilities - I didn't know Korea had them!

Tuesday I had student speaking performance tests, but after a long day, I returned to boyfriend and Goose being cute!

Wednesday, KAPS Coordinators had some shocking news that we are still working on figuring out so we can improve conditions for animals in the future...

There was a young male German Shepherd we were working on finding a home. We thought he had a guaranteed 10 days of protection, but he was owner relinquished so KAPS knew the owner didn't want him. He was barking for over 72 hours - constantly and loudly. KAPS rents their building and they are surrounded by residential buildings and homes. They received complaints about the barking and searched desperately for a foster or adopter of this large misunderstood pup. None could be found.

They were not aware we also were looking, and while I had an applicant, they had not yet passed screening for adopting. I checked in Wednesday to see how Apollo was, but I was informed he had been put down. KAPS did not want to risk losing their building and jeopardizing the 80 other dogs housed there. While I understand their fears and stress, I also do not think this was the best answer. Of course the only good answer is finding a true forever home, but we are discussing currently with KAPS ways to improve cases in the future like this should they arise.

Sheltering in Korea is not like the US. There are few places to house the animals, many people do not know about raising animals well... It is a tough battle! KAPS does have many good programs in place - fostering, adopting, volunteering, fundraising and donating, educational programs and flyers with information, protests against dog meat, trap-neuter-return... But in this case, I think our future steps are to have more open communication that we also are searching for a home for the animal, for KAPS to inform us of a desperate case, and maybe to look into using a muzzle. While a muzzle would impede eating and likely increase stress, it would hopefully give the animal a longer chance...Sheltering is never easy, but we must look forward and try to continue to improve. Rest in peace Apollo and know we're still fighting for you <3

Thursday, I was after school for a student speaking contest, here are just some of my students ^^ How cute are they?!

Friday.... WE WENT TO SEOUL! (Goose stayed with Roxy and Roxy's mom ^^)

Why did we go to Seoul you may ask? Well aside from the fact that Seoul is awesome AND we haven't gone since some time in the winter like 6 months ago and we generally wanted to go... We also wanted to check out if it really would be better for us to change our plans to move to Daegu, and just move to Seoul instead.

A lot of things factor into this decision, but we're thinking that this University is one of the top Korean schools, Seoul will have more big dogs and be more accepting of Lucy, we can find more tutors and make more money doing so... So we're making the change and we're 95% Seoul is where we're gonna go! (The other 5% being just signing the contract for an apartment!) Another benefit of Seoul liing is that has more veg and vegan awareness too... And there's more things to do and people to meet. I even saw two Goldens when we were there - two new Lucy friends! While we'll will miss Daegu and KAPS and our friends who feel like family! here, we also think it's time for a change. So, there it is! We're Seoul-bound come mid-August : )

One of our future University's building...

We returned from Seoul very late Saturday night, and Sunday boyfriend and Roxy's mom hung out while I got dinner with my KAPS friend : ) We had dinner at a special restaurant where they make their own tofu and soy bean dishes! Yum ^^

It was a tough and long week, but a very good weekend. I am hopeful about the ways in which Lucy, boyfriend and I will move forward with our personal lives here in Korea as well as the advancements which we hope to make with KAPS and sheltering in Korea, and finally how we hope to help students on a more personal level by working with them individually soon... and we hope learning Korean will help with all of this : )

Ah, and now it's Monday and a national holiday as it's also Buddha's birthday! Yay! So here I am updating but I really need to get some chores done now, so... 'til next time ^^

Lucy Loves Ice

The summer Korean months hit you with heat! And Golden Goose gets fried very easily after walks. She loooveees ice year round, but especially likes it in the summer : )

That's all for today. School is busy busy! Bah! I have an excellent write up for you though coming soon ^-^

Weekend :-D

Friday night we walked Goose and found boyfriend's students kindly petting a stray cat...

Oblivious Goose then noticed the cat ; )

Then boyfriend gave her a flower and she was SO excited!

Then we saw... a Korean pet guardian... picking up her puppy's poop!! No way! First I've seen this :-D Sorry Korean pet guardian friend, I had to document this!!

People usually leave dog pooh and you'll see it any and everywhere in Korea. It's gross!

So this is MAJOR good news ^^

Saturday I had an adoption meeting to attend and one to call into and check up on. A cute Shih Tzu got a new forever home : ) and a formerly defensively aggressive stray was saved and finally given her true chance at being the wonderful girl she is in a forever home - yay!

When I got home from the adoption meeting and boyfriend his Korean class, we went out for dinner and took Miss Goose. She's welcome at our local soup restaurant and we sit on the porch and enjoy : )

Sunday, Roxy's mom came over for lunch, then a KAPS' friend visited us in Gumi. We went to the park and enjoyed the nice, hot weather, then went out for patbingsu - so good!

Then Goose was happy to nap the rest of the day away : )

Goose in Korea Dog Meat Facts

Dog meat statistics from Korean Animal Rights Association (KARA)'s website.

• It is technically illegal to process dogs like livestock and use dog meat as any kind of food product. However, it is not illegal to breed, or raise, or slaughter dogs for dog meat. (Don't worry if you are confused. So is everyone else, and the government conveniently keeps it that way.)
  
  
• Because the Korean Food and Drug Administration does not interpret dog meat as food, it allows dog meat restaurants to operate without complying with the Food Sanitation Law. (!!!! Please know that animals known to be ill are still served !!!!)
  
• Amount Slaughtered
• An average figure is around 2.50 million dogs.
• In 2002 - 2.95 million dogs
• In 2005 - 2.31 million dogs

• Number of Dog Meat Restaurants
  

  • In 1998 there were 6,484 registered.
  • Sources often say around 4,000 to 6,000.
  • However, an estimate of the actual number restaurants is around 20,000 [in Korea]. (They are often underground operations. We'll get into this...*)

• Percentage of Population Eating Dog Meat
• Figures vary widely.
• A small percentage would eat it regularly. This would be people in the older age bracket.
• Some say around 30% of Koreans have tried it, while others say around 60%.
• Another survey found that 42% of respondents ate dog meat.

• Koreans For and Against Dog Meat Eating 
• According to one source, a Ministry of Agriculture survey found that 59% of under 30-year-olds would not eat dog; 62% of under 30-year-olds regarded dogs as pets and not food.
• In Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 65, No. 3, 2009, pp. 615--632, it shows survey results on the attitudes to the uses of dogs.
• Respondents were in favor of using dogs as pets or companions (60% tended to or strongly approved).
• In one survey, around 85% of people surveyed did not think dog eating should be eradicated (this figure is arrived at by added together the 42% dog meat eaters and 43% non-dog meat eaters in the survey that supported dog meat eating). This figure seems dubious.
  
• But the majority were against the use of dogs as food for humans (55% tended to strongly disapprove).

• So, the majority of Koreans are against it but not by a large margin.

As you can see, there's a lot of average figures and estimates. This is because dog meat is not regulated. While there are arguments for regulation there are also arguments for allowing it freely and for complete banning. Korean organizations for animal welfare which were established by and are run by Koreans weigh in on the issue online. Foreigners with Korean backgrounds share their thoughts. People from any background, anyone who has been here or who loves Korea or even hates Korea, or has never been here... people who have actually been there and seen dogs killed for meat and people who cannot bear to go - all have thoughts on it. It is a heated issue where many sides are passionate and even those who agree it should be banned or regulated or allowed tend not agree on how or why. Next post, I will share my thoughts - which is kind of scary since it is such a heated issue as I said ^^ But first...

Further information! An article in HAPS, an online English magazine from Busan Korea, which covers everything from why people eat dog meat (for supposed "virility") to what organizations are fighting against it (including KAPS!)

• 675 - Japan abolishes dog meat
• 1613 - Her Joon authors Korean medical encyclopedia 'Dongeuibogam' touting dog-meat as a health food
• 1988 - Seoul Olympic Games. Government ban dog-meat sales and consumption
• 2000 - Thailand abolishes dog meat
• 2001 - Taiwan abolishes dog meat
• 2001 - Permission granted to build a large scale dog farm in northern Jeju island
• 2002 - South Korea hosts World Cup. FIFA President, Sepp Blatter requests that Korea take, "immediate and decisive measures to put an end to this cruelty"
• 2005 - Dog Meat Sanitation Management Policy unveiled. Intended as a step towards legalization
• 2007 - Korea’s first Animal Protection Law (Amended 2011)
• 2009 - Dr Heiman Wertheim links rabies infections to eating dog meat in Vietnam
• 2011 - 1.4 million pigs buried alive by Korean government for fear of disease transmission
• 2011 - Korean undercover television KBS2 expose various species of dog being tortured, hung and electrocuted for their meat
• 2011 - Metal screws found in Daejon customer's Boshintang [dog soup] (Which some feel this must have been a pet dog who had expensive surgery and was then sold as meat)

There's the final "fact" and debate if dog meat is culture or not. KARA weighs in on this portion of the debate here. Their main statement is that, "It is all very vague. ...it is a Chinese tradition that was copied by Koreans at some stage. Dog meat has been more popular in Korea's Choong-cheong Province than in other areas, and that is where trade with China was most active in the past." They continue with the fact that there's ancient artwork with proof of dogs as pets, though there is also one of a dog as livestock/meat. So again, it's hard to say if it is tradition or not. KARA does however cover part of my opinion, which reveal a bit now... Tradition or not, it does not make cruelty ok! And these dogs are killed cruelly with the intention to "improve the meat," as well as it's cheaper to kill cruelly. And the dogs are not raised well - cramped in small cages and fed improperly... Anyway that's all for now. I just hope this helps people better understand the basics of the dog meat industry in Korea. (Warning! on that site there's a photo at the beginning of cooked dogs, so if you don't want to see the photo: Open in a new tab, close your eyes and click the down button about 12 times. I know it's not easy to see! I have seen horrible animal cruelty photos and they're burned on my brain. I don't think images of pain are the important thing to take away from cruelty, but the knowledge of what you're fighting and this can be gained without seeing it and just reading...)

Common Reactions to Lucy

So I thought it might be funny and interesting to give the readers the most common reactions and thinks people say when they see Lucy. They are in order of most frequent to least frequent ^^

1. 엄마! which literally translates to "Mom!" I find this really funny and often think of it like people saying "Mommy, I'm scared!" *EDIT MAJOR UPDATE!!! And I'm a major dummy :-P Just found out they are not saying 엄마 but rather 어머, which makes way more sense and is like "Ah!" hahahaha oops. They sound SO similar. Boyfriend and I both thought it was 어머 for a long time but he found out it's just "Ah!" haha* Usually it is said when someone is scared or surprised by her. Many people say this when they are texting, they did not see her, and she is walking past their feet. On these occasions, the 엄마 is paired with a leap out of her way and some people then laugh and pet her and others run away.
   
   
   
   Would you run away from this face?
2. 갑자기다! which literally translates to "Suddenly!" It is very similar to number one and is due to the same feeling of surprise by seeing such a big dog (or not seeing her and then she within your texting field of vision ^^)
3. 예쁘다! which means "Pretty!" Obviously this one is our favorite and we go right up to most of these people : )
4. 멍멍이다! which literally translates to "It's a bark bark!" This one cracks me up because I translate it directly in my mind. What is really means is more like number 5... 
5.  개다! "It's a dog!"
6. Whistling, clicking like westerners do for horses (not kisses like we do for dogs! Lucy responds to tongue clicking - not kisses), calling them over verbally or just making ridiculous noises. I usually avoid these people. Why? Usually they are rougher with Lucy petting wise and often they are too aggressive and make her nervous. These calls will also occur when someone drives by in a car slowly past us (dangerous much to call her over then?!) or from across a busy street. It's really (to be frank) annoying. And fortunately, Lucy usually ignores these people as do I : )
   
   From time to time, though if they are close and appear friendly just clueless, then I'll tell Lucy it's ok and we'll approach. I feel I can read people pretty well - no expert! but I read their body language and usually I can tell the nice from not so nice. Some people really surprise you and many of them comment that Lucy is...
7. 순해. "Gentle." Many people comment how kind and gentle Lucy is. They often note this with children.It is usually after they noticed she is there or have said hello to her, so it's less of a greeting and more of a frequent comment. She just sits and lets you pet her. That's her favorite thing - she's spoiled... she likes to be loved on haha

As we know many people reach their hand over her head, and this is something Lucy has become pretty accustomed to. I usually sit by her when people pet her so I am also at her level for comfort and so I am sure I understand how she's feeling and what she's experiencing. It helps to gauge when enough is enough and it's time to get walkin!


If you have a big dog in Korea, you're likely to experience these reactions as well. Actually likely if you just have a DOG in Korea haha but it seems big doggies get more 엄마's than lil ones ; )

I know, I know...

I promised finishing my 'Owning a Cat in Korea' series from forever ago, and I promised to write on dog meat (which was on my mind a lot last week with my extra class!), but things have just been busy!! So to just say we're thinking of you readers, we have two (unrelated) cute photos of Lucy :-P

And please know that I'll be back and better than ever ASAP!

OMG RECAP!

Well our friend came to visit and since then it's been super busy! With open classes and myself doing an additional humane education class, we've been running about! So... what have we been up to since Goose was at Roxy's for the day? Lemme tell ya!

Tuesday night (May 1) was girls' night so we just hung out and watched New Girl. Later that night our friend Joe arrived!! But the boys had a long trip from the airport and were hungry, so they went out for samgyeopsal, came back, and went to bed. Boyfriend broke Joe in a bit into the Korean tradition of drinking any ole weeknight and Joe felt the ill effect on...

Wednesday. Boyfriend and I had half days at school (Joe picked a great time to visit!!) because students had mid-term testing. Yay!

The most FUN part of travel is by far (I think) the food!! So we had him try all new sorts of things - from delicious to disgusting. Like this silk worm larvae...

He said it's not the worst thing he's eaten...

Thursday (May 3), I took Joe to school to show him just how much Korean students will gawk at you in awe. After about... 2 months (and we been here 3 years!), it gets a bit old. But to have a new person experience it is kind of fun again. After meeting students, we played Up Words to pass the time...

 

hehe "poops"

I was then released from school, which should have been a full day, because I had a visitor from the US ^.^

That night we went to Daegu. And the famous traditional medical market there was having a festival. We dropped by...

There was LOTS of FOOOOD and it was actually quite fun!

Friday, I had no school!! YAY!! It was my school's "birthday." (Yeah, I know. They start school in March, so how the school's birthday is in May, I don't know.) Anyway, so Joe and I went on an adventureeeee. First we went to Gumo San (san = mountain.) It is the highest mountain in our town. But they kicked us out because we brought Lucy! I was SO PISSED! It says online you can and I've seen dogs there before! Apparently it's a no though and I pushed, but didn't want anyone to call the cops on us or anything gah! So we said Gumo stinks anyway! and then we went to an AWESOME park (take that Gumo San!)

There's traditional Korean houses there and Gazebos and a bamboo forest. There's a lake with fish and traditional Korean swings. And there's a badminton court and a skating rink. And so we checked it out!

Lucy noticed fish for the first time!

And Joe tried out the swings...

Then we went hiking up Chunsang San (mountain). It's an "easy" (supposedly) hike up a very cool looking flat topped mountain. We apparently did not take the easy way! Goose was cooked after having been out in the sun and heat so long, so she and I rested midway and Joe went to the top. It was still really pretty, cool, and fun though. We parked at a pretty temple at the bottom and enjoyed our hike a lot. (again... Take that Gumo San!)

 

That night, we went to Daegu for a baseball game! Super fun!! Reallyyyy cheap (9 bucks for tickets behind home plate!) and you can bring in any food or beverage you want! Yeah!!

Saturday (May 5) we went to Gumo San sans Goosey : ( but it was very nice all the same...

Joe made a wish at the temple which was decorated for Buddha's birthday at the end of this month...

 

and we hiked to the cave where a monk found nirvana

Then we went out and about and our evening ended with NORAEBANG! (karaoke)

Joe left Sunday morning. And we were sad because it was a nice visit, but it was really fun and we were glad to see him.

Then Monday was school with 6 periods of classes! Tuesday too. Wednesday I had open class so teachers from other schools could observe my class. Thursday (we're on May 10th now) I went to Roxy's house because Roxy's mom had some bad news from home and needed friends there for her. Friday was spent preparing a powerpoint to better explain to my students the issues of animal welfare both in Korea and abroad. My after school class has a writing focus, but we took a break to have discussion instead. I chose to teach my animal welfare class, but for the first time it was met with opposition due to my discussion on dog meat in Korea. While the entire powerpoint covered animal shelters in USA, a final few slides addressed the issues found in Korea, but some students took offense to this - saying I was attacking Korean culture. While the issue of dog meat being Korean culture or not is debatable in and of itself, I was not addressing the culture as being "wrong," but that cruelty is wrong.

At the same time, I was greatly impressed with my students' English skills in discussing this topic with me. So I suggested we delve into it further on Friday and better understand each other as the time in class did not allow for full discussion. On Friday, I found many articles on the issue as well as abuse in the US - all in Korean! - and I compiled the articles to help the students consider, simply, that "it's culture" can not be an excuse for cruelty and abuse. That putting down any animal or race or person is not ok in the name of culture. And that that is my point. I let them know that eating meat - any kind of meat! - is a choice, but please know what your choices lead to. I try to live a life of the least cruelty as possible. I know I am not perfect. And I am not asking my students to do anything but be aware. And after the discussion we both understood each other a lot better. It was an excellent class and I am glad we discussed the topic.

And now, here we are... Saturday!

I slept in, I blogged, I went out to eat, I walked Lucy, and now boyfriend and I are going to watch season 6 of 30 Rock and be sad about how it's canceled, but happy there were 6 awesome years!

Tomorrow... I dunno. But we'll be posting!

Oh. And here's a cute video for you (and how I ended my humane education class on Friday on a happy note) Enjoy!!