JOURNAL: What is this Blog About?

What is this blog about? Well, I don't exactly know yet. I am a person who has always been compelled to write about the world as I see it. One of the reasons I restarted my blog is to create an intellectual outlet for my otherwise dull academic life. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching ESL and tutoring English composition, but it is, let's face it, sometimes a bit repetitive. Just an observation.I am also "underemployed" at the moment (sigh) which means that I do not get many opportunities to interact with "like minds." Due to the abysmal economy, I have not been able to even find an adjunct position at any local community college; hopefully the latest round of applications will produce fruit!

Here are some things I think I will cover:

PROJECT 1: Asian Entertainment

Over the coming weeks, I will be posting and reviewing the good, the bad, and the ugly of Asian entertaiment, especially the art forms that are most popular internationally, such as Korean dramas, Japanese anime, and Japanese manga. I will also be discussing key issues with Asian entertainment in general as it applies to American viewers. Although there are tons of fan websites devoted to the topic, critical reviews are not always posted or "appreciated" by other fans.

I am even toying with doing some academic-style criticism of tropes and value systems (so as not to lose my touch!). Here are some (tentative) ideas:

1. The "hero" cycle in BLEACH (Japanese anime) with references to Joseph Campbell
2. Wicked mothers, with special reference to BOYS BEFORE FLOWERS (K-drama)
3. Vampires and adolescence in VAMPIRE KNIGHT (Japanese manga)

Feel free to comment or suggest ideas!

PROJECT 2: The Journey to Idiopathic Gastroparesis

For the benefit of those who followed my Korea blog, I will take my readers through the final three months of my stay in Korea - the end of my journey, as well as the beginning of a horrific, but strangely compelling disease. There IS humor in my new journey -without my sense of humor, I would probably be dead now - but there is also a cautionary tale for anyone planning to work in Korea.


PROJECT 3: Teaching Journal

I work in the San Francisco Bay area with a special demographic of middle and high school students labeled as "Generation 1.5" students. These are students whose language abilities are too high for ESL, but not quite adequate for academic English. When appropriate, I will be journaling my experiences in tutoring and teaching this group.