Colin Kaepernick is not a(n?) historian, he's a football player. For all I know, he may, like me, have had no idea what the second and third verses of the Star Spangled Banner were. Until now. And he may have had no real opinion on what Francis Scott Key meant by them or the history behind them. And if you are a follower of this blog, or have talked sports with me in person, you may know my opinion about the national anthems at sporting events. Other than the Olympics or sporting events in which the players really ARE representing their countries, I think they are unnecessary. Out of place. Almost included for some other subversive purpose. Hmmmmm.....
But like it or not, his sitting down has made a statement and has set some people to debating. In some cases even healthy debating. Good Lord, during a time when "Black Lives Matter," racism, police brutality and general inequalities of black people in the U.S. are all hot issues, I'd venture to say that even without the references to slaves and graves in the Star Spangled Banner, his gesture had some validity to it. But HOLY MOLY! Even Snopes doesn't seem to contest the idea that singing in triumph after killing slaves and hirelings maaaaaaaay not be the kind of lyrical representation the U.S. wants right now. Ever, really.
Yet there are some people, (forehead smack), who seem to jump at every opportunity to say things that piss America off thereby inexplicably GAINING American popularity. It's some strategy, lemme tell you! "It's so crazy, it just might work!"
We in Canada recently went through our own national anthem updating. Changing the word "sons" to "us" because it is more gender neutral was a huge waste of parliamentary time in the mind of a person like me who thinks those anthems are almost useless anyway, but, I agree with the spirit of the update. Our anthem has changed with the times. On one level it seemed a bit, to me, like George Carlin's description of feminist language alteration gone amok. I will not call that thing in the street a "personhole cover." Or call a ladies man a "person's person." A he-man becomes an "it-person." Little kids would talk about the bogeyperson or the person in the moon. "Come back here and fight like a person!" "For he's the jolly-good person." These are jokes you may have heard on Late Night With David Letterperson.
But on the other hand, we're not all sons in Canada despite the preference for them when the anthem was written, so, sure, update it and remove a little bit of the patriarchal shit in our lives. Nothing wrong. It'll never be important enough in my lifetime to be sure, at a hockey game, to use "us," instead of the "sons" I've sung a thousand times, but I have no problem with the younger generation singing it that way. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes it's NOT abandoning our cherished culture. Sometimes it's updating issues that have become more important to our culture over the years. WHY OH WHY can't people see this? Some people anyway.
It's something we practice in so many areas in life. We get new clothes, new cars, update our computers, change from Beta to VCR to DVD, get facelifts, move, change jobs, break up, change seasons, get engaged, get divorced, get fired, get hired, and here, you may have guessed, is where I'm going with this.
It seems, although the Korean culture is one that is more loathe than most to change, particularly things pertaining to culture, they are always changing. They do, however, have a bit of a linear way of doing so. I was talking the other day about how you can mark a single day on the calendar every year when summer fashions almost instantly and right across the board, change to fall. Out with the miniskirts and shorts, and in with the skinny jeans and, well, they STILL wear shorts in the winter. Actually more for some girls. Never figured that out. "Why are you wearing pants?" "Because, um, I'm cold?" "Wonkda!" Wonkda, from my understanding, means something between different person and loser.
And in a lot of schools they turn on the air conditioners or fans on June 1. No matter how hot May is or how cool June is. And it sometimes seems that winter subways, buses and buildings are hot enough to sweat off a few pounds and summer subways, buses and buildings are cold enough to hang a moose.
So I got an email today from a recruiter I contacted about a job here in Korea. I didn't get the job, but, being in China, I got an offer from her for a few jobs available in China. We talked about one and they seemed intent on getting me over there, not telling me the details of the offer. Yesterday I sent out some reminders to prospective employers I'd been in contact with and she was one of the two who answered. The other was also in China. Her answer was basically, well, it was exactly, word for word, "Dear David, Thank you for your letter. But now you are 49 years old now.
I am sorry to tell you that Korea's school can not accept. So could you consider the school in China? I may send you the offer in China. Thank you!"
That's all. This mystery of why I can't find work here hasn't been about blacklisting, corrupted emails, even really the white beard, (which, in a moment of Korean social surrender I shaved yesterday), it has just been about that number. 49. Actually I think it's the big 5-0 really. That's how old I'll be this coming year and that's how old I am in Korean years. So no matter how good I am, how much energy I have, how perfectly I fit into the teacher profile for the position available, and even though I am the perfect Santa Claus for the fast approaching company Christmas parties, I'm 50. I can't teach any more.
So I have a Skype interview tomorrow afternoon for a job in China. As with every one I've been offered, they aren't going to give me a work visa. And, yes, this scares me shitless after the past two years of trying to dig myself out of the hole Indonesia got me into by doing exactly that, but it seems like the thing to do. I have to go over on a business visa and work. From what I've been reading, personal relationships between schools and law enforcement officials in China always supersede the actual laws themselves and there is very little that can't be settled monetarily. So I shouldn't have anything to worry about. The rep from the school told me they are affiliated with a very reputable university over there so they haven't had any trouble. I will be renewing my business visa every two months at the school's expense.
However, the contract itself will include a clause or two that warn against breaking Chinese laws. Before I even start work I will have breached my contract by breaking Chinese visa laws. I've looked it up and it IS illegal to be working on a business visa. There are a few exceptions, but the school in question doesn't qualify. This gives the employer every right to respond in kind and break some agreements and laws of their own like lowering the agreed upon salary, raising hours, class numbers, or if they don't like me, just letting me go and not paying me at all. And I've heard horror stories...
So if I'm offered the job, (which I think I will be), and if I accept it, (which I most likely will), excuse me if I'm a little bit underwhelmed at the prospects of working in China. It's in Beijing too so along with constantly working with the hot breath of Johnny Law down my neck, I'll have this to look forward to:
But in keeping with the national anthems, language, fashion etc., I'm a dinosaur in Korea. Davosaur is my wifi name in fact. I'm old. Time to get rid of me and hire two 25-year-olds.
Anyhoo, I'll let you know the details. As long as I remain in Korea I will hold out hope for something, but it looks like I'll be headed to China soon.
Ho Hwei Yo Ji. (See you next time)
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