Korea Herald 20090605

COMMUNITY 19

FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2009

Expat Living is a section dedicated to the daily living of expatriates. It is printed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To share stories about your life abroad, send stories or story ideas to Matthew Lamers at

Andrea Vandom is shown here teaching a class. Korea Public Interest Lawyers’ Group is filing a case in the country’s Constitutional Court against E-2 teaching visa regulations. Vandom Hanna Drabon is the plaintiff.

[email protected] Submissions may be edited for length or clarity.

Expats rally to help friend in hospital By Paul Kerry

Expats have come together to support a former teacher who is unable to pay for the surgery he needs. Matt Robinson, who has taught English in Korea and was a member of Seoul Players, an expat theater group, needs emergency surgery to save his leg. He became ill and received separate surgery while in Korea looking for a job, but due to complications he now needs further surgery. Like many job-seeking foreigners in Korea, he did not have insurance. He is therefore unable to pay for the treatment he needs. Doctors at the hospital say that the procedure is elective because it requires plastic surgery to close the wound. They say they will not perform the surgery unless payment is made. His friends have set up an appeal on Facebook to help him pay his medical expenses. Lydia Cooper, one of the group’s organizers, said the group still needed to raise around 12 million won, including the surgery required and unpaid medical bills. Cooper said they had received donations from people all over Korea and in America as well. “It’s so amazing how quickly the word has spread, and the foreign community in Korea is so impressive,” said Cooper.

“Because of these excellent people, we have raised a lot of money in a really short amount of time. I guess what really sticks out is how caring and generous the foreign community in Korea is, and how happy I am to be in a place where people are truly good souls.” The Seoul Players plan to perform “Silly Cow,” a comedy by Ben Elton, on June 11 at Phillies Basement in Haebangchon. Tickets are limited to 40 and all proceeds go to Robinson. For more information, e-mail [email protected] Another charity event, “Dance for Matt” is being organized for June 13, but organizers say it might be moved to Sunday depending on the venue and performers. The venue is to be determined; for more information, email [email protected] or go to the Facebook group “Dance for Matt.” Cooper said events had been held at Beer O’Clock in Sinchon, which raised 375,000 won, at Ole Stompers Rock Spot in Itaewon, which raised 600,000 won and another at Berlin in Itaewon which raised 700,000. Donation boxes have been set up around Seoul at these and other venues. Cooper said that if funds were left over they may go into a fund for expats who find themselves similarly in need. ([email protected])

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RE: Small but vibrant: Baha’Is in Korea Thank you for writing such an informative and accurate article on the Baha’Is of Korea. The main points were covered clearly and in a positive light. It is refreshing to read what you wrote. Most of the Baha’Is who live in Korea are Korean and are people of knowledge and vision for the Korean society. When you have an opportunity to write again about the Baha’I Faith, you will find it uplifting to interview them. I know many of them as I lived in Korea for 23 years. —Elaine Losey, Kapolei, Hawaii Thank you so much for the article about the Baha’I Faith. I would like to also thank you on behalf of our Baha’I community in Korea. Your hard work is very much appreciated by all the expatriates. —Parvaneh Lee, Seoul While we certainly deplore the abuse and injustices of Iranian authorities towards Baha’Is in that nation, we consider that readers should be informed that The National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’Is of the United States is acting with a similar attitude and plans towards Orthodox Baha’Is in America. The National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’Is of the United States is attempting to use U.S. courts to force Orthodox Baha’Is to stop practicing their faith, stopping them from identifying themselves as Baha’Is or using the name Baha’I or the symbols of their faith. The National Spiritual Assembly failed in its Court Action to deprive Orthodox Baha’Is of their freedom of religion and now the National Spiritual Assembly filed an appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals of Judge Amy J. St. Eve’s decision in favor of the Orthodox Baha’I Faith. —Ross Campbell, United States

RE: Brothas & sistas of Korea Your article made me remember and ponder all of the feelings that I felt while in Korea. It is beautiful, impressive and wonderful that this group was created and it goes to show the power of our people and what change we can create when we come together. This group is totally needed in Korea — with all cultures because support is so important. This article also reminds me of the power of the word in writing to reach and empower others. I will send this article to my old school in Korea so that they can share it with the many teachers that come each year to teach. Thank you so much. —JohnDre Jennings, United States

Prejudice or ineptitude? Let court decide By Paul Kerry

In March Andrea Vandom was issued an E-2 visa renewal without submitting an HIV test, after she said it violated her human rights. Now two months have passed and the affair is being taken to the Constitutional Court, where the ruling could have wideranging implications for thousands of expats in Korea. “I felt discriminated against and violated that, just because I am a foreigner, that I am considered a risk,” said Vandom, who teaches at a University in Gyeonggi Province. “There really is no evidence that foreigners are more likely to have AIDS or do drugs.” The case has been taken up by the Korea Public Interest Lawyers Group, funded by them and the Beautiful Foundation. They have also taken up a similar case involving a public school teacher who also objected to the testing.

Vandom said that her university had generally been supportive of her, but is occasionally worried by letters from immigration, which come twice a month threatening to revoke her visa and have her deported. “They get the letters and it upsets them because they think they’ll lose a teacher. But I reassure them that I have a lawyer and my visa’s not going to be revoked and they’re pretty calm and supportive — until they get the next one.” The response from other expatriates has been mixed. “Some are supportive and see me as standing up for their rights too, but some are angry, especially the F-2 visas,” she explains. “They think that they will end up having to take all these tests too. It’s work and it’s money (to have the tests done) and they really don’t want that.” She has a similar take on immigration as many expatriates: that decisions made by them are

often arbitrary and based on mood and appearance. “Even the discriminatory rules they have are not applied equally to everybody.” She thinks the AIDS and HIV testing is counter productive. “I also feel that if I got tested for AIDS and was positive, then they would fire and deport me, instead of helping me and letting me use the insurance that I had worked for to get treatment.” Ben Wagner, an American lawyer who teaches International law at Kyung Hee University Law School agrees that this is one of the most damaging aspects of the regulations. “If you have mandatory testing, then immediately you have a strong disincentive for people who have AIDS to get treatment. “The biggest problem is stigma and discrimination.” Wagner said that one of the hopes for the case was that the situation in Korea regarding

AIDS and HIV would improve. “The biggest thing is that the testing rate will rise. The majority of people that have AIDS don’t know it,” he said. He pointed out that these people were the more problematic to society, because they are the ones who tend to spread it. “The way to improve the AIDS situation in Korea is simple: You need to encourage voluntary testing.” The E-2 rules have been under fire from their inception in 2007. Initial press releases and presentations by immigration on the new rules differed from what was actually introduced. Teachers were told that interviews in their home countries would be required and statements by immigration indicated that they would apply to all visas. They were told testing and criminal background checks were to be repeated each year. This did not happen. Last year testing for cannabis related compounds was dropped

from the mandatory testing requirements without clear reason. Other criticisms center on the regulations failure to achieve what they set out to do. “If I was an arch-conservative Korean I would also be fuming at these laws,” said Wagner. He pointed out that the regulations still allowed Americans with criminal records to teach at a hagwon while taking drugs and having AIDS, owing to the number of loopholes in the system. Wagner expects progress on the case to be slow. “It’s supposed to be six months, but (cases like this) tend to be longer,” he said. Vandom’s hopes for the case are simple: “I hope they look at their laws and their goals. Their goals are to protect children, so they should introduce laws that actually do that,” she said. “And they should apply them equally.” ([email protected])

Going abroad (and never returning home) By Rob McGovern

LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom — Kelly is the name she gives me and I’m not sure if it is because I’m not Korean or because she has become so accustomed to not being called by her Korean name. Kelly is 24 years old and was born in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, but left Korea almost 11 years ago to go to an international boarding school before moving to Reading, England to start her new life. “What else, education” is the short but predictable answer to the question of why she left Korea, or more specifically why her parents decided to move her across the globe. “As I was an only child, my parents were re-

luctant to send me overseas. But an opportunity came up and they decided to go for it.” This extreme approach to education can of course be looked at in two lights. The first is that her parents took the proverbial bull by the horns and decided that if young Kelly was to learn English and become successful, then living in an English-speaking country was the only logical choice. The other is that her parents made important decisions on her behalf. When she landed in England she could “get around” in English but this was after years of hagwon study and a lot of private lessons. “It was very frustrating because the vocabulary in everyday conversation is very specific and you just don’t learn that kind of English in Korea.”

PHOTO CHALLENGE WINNER — In Namwon, North Jeolla Province, a path enclosed in a tunnel of trees makes the perfect place to escape Simon Bond the summer heat, and perhaps take a gentle stroll or ride. This was submitted for May’s “Sunshine & Shadow” competition.

And this is aside from the many, many regional varieties of English in the United Kingdom and Kelly would end up living with one of the most distinct and unique: scouse. Being a young girl from the other side of the world can present a multitude of problems, not least of which is the nastiness that seems to be a specialty of teenage girls. “I did experience a bit of racism, but not a lot. All of the people in my year were very nice, there were some in other years but we rarely met. I didn’t really give it much thought and realized that I wasn’t here to make everyone happy.” Being at a boarding school had its redeeming features. “It was easier for me to make friends because we were stuck together 24 hours a day.” When asked what advice she would give to other Koreans going overseas, Kelly is cautious about offering general advice but does say: “You just have to get out there and meet people,” but warns against changing yourself too much to fit in. “You will find people who will like you and people who won’t. It is trial and error but you will make friends eventually.” On the subject of friends Kelly admits that “my real close friends actually end up being of Asian origin but not necessarily Korean. I identify more with Asians than British people.” And it is no real surprise to find that she has few Korean friends, given the relatively small population of Koreans in the United Kingdom.

It is somewhat ironic that one of the things Kelly enjoys most about being in the United Kingdom is the freedom of expression and the freedom to “follow your dreams” regardless of what other people think. “In Korea it seems to be all about saving face, but here you don’t have to worry about how you dress or what other people think about you. In Korea you have to keep up with the latest trends, but here you could walk around in a tutu and nobody would say anything to you!” Kelly seems to enjoy the freedom the United Kingdom offers, or at least the idea that if she wanted to wear a tutu, she could. It is for these reasons that she thinks that many Koreans want to move abroad. “Because they know other countries are more open than Korea.” Even though the United Kingdom seems to offer things that are not freely available in Korea, there are still things that Kelly misses about the land of her birth and things she won’t miss about the United Kingdom. “The weather” is the emphatic answer, as well as its everyday inconveniences. “I don’t think convenience exists in England. Even though it would be easier to change, the English tend to stick with old ways of doing things. In Korea, if something breaks down you are going to get serviced pretty much the same day and there are 24hour convenience stores everywhere. When I go back to

Korea I tell my family they should appreciate it.” She tries to keep up with the news in Korea but admits that it comes and goes. “I don’t really keep up to date with politics because I don’t understand the advanced language and besides, as a medical student, I have a lot of weird Latin words to remember!” Kelly makes the trip back to Korea to see her family at Christmas and during the summer time, but because of the age when she left she doesn’t really have many friends, and therefore spends all her time with her parents. “I am not used to it and so after about four weeks in Korea I start to think maybe it is time to go back to the U.K.” The conflicting cultures have given Kelly something of an identity crisis that surfaces when I ask her which country she calls home. “I have sort of lost my identity. I don’t really belong to Korea because I haven’t been able to follow all the cultural changes and the trends. I will always be a Korean and with my parents living there it will always feel like home. But the U.K. has become like a second home. “When I am older, maybe 60, I will think about returning to Korea, but for now I am happy in the U.K.” To contact the author, e-mial [email protected]. To comment, e-mail [email protected] — Ed.