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Wed, August 21, 2019 | 07:16

Part 52: The big C

In March 2012, while working at the Dragon Hill Lodge's Discover Seoul Desk I took a bathroom break. It required much more effort and strain to relieve myself than normal. Having heard that a reduced stream could be caused by a prostate problem, I resolved to see a urologist as quickly as possible.

2019-07-28 12:32

Part 51: Too many bosses spoil the tourism business

If it was difficult working for three companies at once, it was downright confusing and stressful to have three direct bosses every day, often singing from different hymn sheets, and sometimes working at odds with each other. It could have been worse, I suppose. Thankfully Mr. Paek, the boss of Seobu Rental Cars rarely came to Dragon Hill Lodge, and Amanda, the on-site duty m...

2019-07-14 14:25

My life at a Korean law firm (part 50)

Recently, while going through old papers at home, I came across a document that I received at the beginning of my stint at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel. I had not looked at it for at least six years. It was a three-page list in Korean of all the things that I was responsible for at the Discover Seoul Desk. That there were three pages is a reminder that I effectively had three ...

2019-06-24 13:59

Lady Gaga grief

In April 2012 Lady Gaga came to town for one concert only at Seoul Olympic Stadium. We at the Discover Seoul Desk were tasked with selling tickets to any USFK person who wanted to go. My immediate boss, a retired US Army sergeant major I'll call Cortez, was convinced that this would make our firm a lot of money. It also gave my team and myself a whole lot of headaches. In the...

2019-03-24 12:43

My life at a Korean law firm (part 48)

At the Discover Seoul Desk, our main job was marketing and selling tours. The tour company for which I worked was the Korean tour company that happened to win the bid for exclusive rights to run tours for the hotel on the base.

2019-02-19 14:47

My life at a Korean law firm (part 47)

Upon returning from my weeklong trip to North Korea in late August 2010, I set about trying to make a living for myself as a freelancer. I worked in three main areas: writing and editing, training and teaching, and radio and voice recording. The variety of work that I was doing and the people it brought me into contact with made it fun and interesting. I've always liked varie...

2019-02-02 08:58

My life at a Korean law firm (part 46)

Once a month KOCIS produced a glossy magazine that was distributed free to consular offices, cultural centers, libraries, and Korea-well-wishers around the world. When I was there it was simply called “Korea,” and it may still have that name. This publication was not produced in-house, but was outsourced, at that time to the company that produces Korean Airlines' in-flight ma...

2019-01-13 15:49

My life at a Korean law firm (part 45)

Working at Korea.net involved mainly improving government press releases rewritten in English or finessing the texts of my Korean colleagues who wrote original articles on recycled themes about growth in Korea's exports, aspects of its culture, that month's festivals and so on. Of course, the tired trope of Korea's having “four distinct seasons” raised its ugly head more than...

2019-01-05 09:23

My life at a Korean law firm (part 44)

This week a slight diversion from, but one that dovetails with, my life story. I'm going to write about my Canadian friend Michael Spavor, whose situation I am concerned about, because he is an unwilling guest of the Chinese government. Spavor was arrested on his way catch a flight from Dalian Airport on Monday, Dec. 10.

2018-12-30 14:42

China, release our friend

My life at a Korean law firm (part 43)

Ever since the foundation of the Republic of Korea in 1948, there have been variously named government bodies and ministries responsible for promoting Korea's good image abroad. This once exclusively took the form of publications - books, pamphlets, posters and calendars - but in the digital age this work expanded into the internet space, with the Korean government's official...

2018-12-23 13:23

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