South Korea’s first female pilots get their wings

by Karen Walrond on

Lest you think that President-Elect Barack Obama’s political win is the only milestone event celebrated in the world this week, think again: South Korea is celebrating its first two female civil aviation pilots.

Shin Soo-Jin, 39, and Hong Soo-In, 36, recently qualified to fly the B-737 airplane for Korean Air.

Said Shin of this achievement: “I’m glad that I’ve achieved my longtime dream. Just as we did, junior female pilot-hopefuls will have to undergo tough challenges. I believe in their capabilities.”

Congratulations to them both!

Humorous Sexual-theme park of sculptures: Art for the 18 and older crowd

by Jamie Rhein on

“Jeju Loveland is a place where the imagination can run wild!” is one of the descriptors used on the Web site of this unusual tourist attraction on Jeju Island in South Korea.

I’ll say.

Also called Love Land, the sculptures on exhibit here were created by artists who graduated from Hongik University in Seoul in order to break sexual taboos-to give folks in South Korea the okay to have a chuckle. A twitter or two. A guffaw, if you will. Folks in South Korea, according to what I’ve read about Jeju Loveland, are a bit prudish. The park is one area that is changing that.

After an hour of viewing the 140 sculptures –some of them with interactive features –all with a sexual content including depictions of sexual positions, I can’t imagine that someone wouldn’t loosen up a tad.

Recognizing that a gigantic stone phallus, for example, might not be appropriate art for Junior, there is a play area for kids so parents can have fun too. While the kids are occupied elsewhere, parents get some adult time.

As a person who enjoys outdoor sculpture gardens from an artistic standpoint, of any subject, this would be an interesting place to go just for the artistic expression. You know, just to see what the artists have created with their own take on the subject of sex. You know, just for the art. Really.

For a personal account–not mine, another person’s–of going to the sculpture park, click here. You’ll see how pictures do indeed speak a thousand words.







Check out the other sexy mavens of the travel world!


Are positive stereotypes bad?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

That’s the question I found myself considering after reading about a mini-controversy over a new Randy Newman song called “Korean Parents.” The song praises the academic achievements of Korean students, and gives a lot of the credit to their parents– hence the song’s title. After crooning about the problems of underperforming public schools and dangerous neighborhoods, Newman offers a solution:

We got the answer
A product guaranteed to satisfy

Korean parents for sale
You say you need a little discipline
Someone to whip you into shape
They’ll be strict but they’ll be fair

Look at the numbers
That’s all I ask
Who’s at the head of every class?
You really think they’re smarter than you are
They just work their ass off
Their parents make them do it.

Remember the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry declares that he “loves Chinese women”? When Elaine points out that attitude might be “a little racist,” Jerry asks, “If I like their race, how can that be racist?” This song is in a similar vein.

Now, keep in mind that Randy Newman is a satirist and this isn’t meant to be a serious song. But in this video in which Newman defends the song, he seems to imply that its lyrics contains at least a kernel of truth. In a recent Slate write-up of the song, Jeff Chang wrote that the song “skillfully whipsaws between condescension and flattery, packages shortcuts as lifesavers, fears as hopes.” The song works as satire because its narrator is sort of an earnest doofus, which is a character Newman has previously channeled in songs like “Short People” and “Political Science.”

So are positive stereotype bad? Well, it’s obvious that many people are uncomfortable with making any kind of generalization about a large group of people. Given some of the world’s more embarrassing and shameful episodes, this impulse to treat people as people is probably a healthy one. Seeing people as merely representatives of certain ethnic groups is (and should be) automatically suspect. But our hesitancy to make generalizations can also prevent us from asking important, serious questions, like why do, say, Korean and Indian students seem to excel in school when others are left behind? What are their parents doing that others’ are not?

So what say you, Gadling faithful? Are all stereotypes, even positive ones, to be avoided? Or do some stereotypes serve a purpose in helping us think more clearly about the world?

And, hey, back to the all-important Seinfeld question: is declaring your love for Chinese women a little racist?

Photo of the Day (06/09/08)

by Iva Skoch on

LadyExpat has done it again.

This is pure nirvana, even for the non-believers among us. Beautiful shot of Sitting Buddha, Shinhungsa Temple, Mt. Seorakson, Korea.

***To have your photo considered for the Gadling Photo of the Day, go over to the Gadling Flickr Pool and post it. Make sure it is not copyrighted, otherwise we can’t post it here.***

Wan to remember: Korean traveler visits me during his scooter trip around the US

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Wan Lee is not someone you easily forget.

This 26-year-old native of Seoul, Korea, has spent the last nine months circling the United States aboard a Honda Ruckus, a 50 cc scooter with a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour.

Over the course of his trip, Wan has become a Ruckus legend thanks to the website TotalRuckus, a forum for owners of the Honda scooter. When Wan’s camera fell off a bridge into Georgia’s Savannah River, it was TotalRuckus members who pooled some funds to buy Wan a new one. When Wan updates the site with his newest travel plans, it’s TotalRuckus members who volunteer to open their homes to him, offering him a warm bed or couch in place of Wan’s usual resting place, the Great Outdoors.

After initially arriving in North Carolina, where his aunt lives, Wan wanted to purchase a motorcycle to make the trip. But eventually he opted for the Ruckus because (in most states) the 50cc vehicle doesn’t require a license plate. Wan also didn’t need to buy insurance for his $2,000 scooter because– Wan says, and who am I to argue– it’s not required by law.

Because his scooter only goes 40 mph, Wan sticks mostly to side roads rather than interstates, though he’s been known to ride on the shoulder of highways for longer stretches than most of us would consider sane. When asked if he’s had much contact with the police, Wan says, “Every time. I was stopped by a cop in Seattle, Washington, and he asks me, ‘Where are you from?’ I say, ‘North Carolina,’ and he runs to grab his camera to take a picture.”

Wan started his journey from North Carolina by riding to Florida, then all across the South and West until he reached Los Angeles. One gets the impression that the only reason he stopped– like that of Forrest Gump in his epic run across the US– was that there was no more land. So he rode north to Seattle and back across the West, visiting big cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as more small towns than the average American will see in a lifetime.

Wan says this epic trip was inspired by Rolf Potts’ book Vagabonding, which stresses the importance of slow, deliberate world travel. Just a week ago, Wan had the opportunity to visit Rolf at his Kansas home, and they fished, had a few beers, and did some work on Rolf’s farm. Because I write for Rolf’s blog, he pointed Wan in my direction, and a couple days later Wan visited me in St. Louis for a night.

After arriving at my house at 7:00 pm, Wan entertained my family and friends with stories of sleeping under a pool table in a Mobile, Alabama bar while the enormous bar-owner chugged suds, chatting with the police every few days, and drinking more beer than he ever imagined.

Wan was every bit as adventurous and inspirational as you’d think– definitely the wrong person to talk to if you’re trying to settle in to a stationary, “normal” life at home. It’s obvious he’s enjoying his trip, imperfections and all, and it seems the main reason he’s heading back to Korea in July is because his visa is going to expire. He’s not terribly excited with the prospect of entering the “working world” in Korea, and instead he’s focused on finding a way to make a living while he travels.

For those who have never taken extended time off to travel, Wan’s story is the perfect inspiration to cut the knot of your life and make it happen. And for those of us fortunate enough to have traveled for a while, we can see in Wan a little piece of ourselves.

Here’s Part 1 of Wan’s trip. Here’s Part 2. Here’s some photos of Wan and Rolf Potts. Here’s a Youtube compilation of his pics from North Carolina to Texas.