Free throws and chicken

  The most awesome thing about living in Korea is that I can unabashedly enjoy chicken and watermelon in public
without the fear of being stereotyped. There is literally a chicken spot on every corner. It is in effect, a black man's heaven. Please don't get me started on Korea's love for watermelon either. Because it rivals the black man's love. It's not because I'm genetically pre determined to love chicken but because I genuinely love a fried flightless bird. Besides, who the fucked decided to pin a food that humanity largely consumes on Black Americans. It would be both pathetic and awesome if food producers breed chicken for the sole purpose of black consumption.
  But you can't elude racial stereotypes all the time. Back in April I was in Seoul looking for a Brooklyn Nets hat. Not because Brooklyn is my favorite team but because I'm a Jay-Z dick rider. Honestly, if Jay made a vile of diamond encrusted baby piss fashionable, I can't say that I wouldn't consider doing it as well. So as I'm walking to the NBA store there is a crowd of people outside shooting free throws for NBA merchandise. My girlfriend, MK Ultra, turns to me and asked if I wanted to shoot.
  There was a part of me that really wanted to shoot the damn free throws. An overwhelming part of me didn't want to shoot because I'm a poor free throw shooter. Internally, I had likened it to eating chicken publicly. Had I been in America, I would have shot the ball without any preconceived ideas about my ethnicity and basketball. Let's venture for a moment into the outcome of both making or missing the free throws that will somehow judge the worth of an entire race.
  Had I made the free throw, then it will have been expected. "Oh, he's black he should have made it. Black people are good at basketball." It would have been dismissed as a normality without taking into account that I'm a poor free throw shooter. If I had missed the free throw then it would have been a shock. Missing the free throw would have been seen as an anomaly. You may be surprised but when I tell Koreans that I can't dunk or dance they look at me with disbelief followed by the phrase "try it".

  So, I didn't shoot the fucking free throws. My decision not to may have something to do with being Black American. To be more specific it may have everything to do with being an ethnic minority in America. In the U.S. I took care on how I was/am racially perceived. And in Korea, I'm still a minority. I have to be aware of how my actions are perceived as a U.S. national as well as a black person. When you are a minority, sometimes something as trivial as shooting free throws can be unnerving.
  Minorities in the U.S. charge the white majority with not being able to fully understand some of the hardships or insensitivity they face. Until one has become the minority can one begin to understand (i.e. religious affiliation, sexual preference and living abroad). While living abroad, I have heard white Americans say aloud "damn, now they are going to think we're all like that" or "I hate when white people do stupid shit in Korea." As a minority living in both America and Korea, I understand their frustration.  I would hope that white americans would take this experience back to the West.
  But there is still another avenue yet to be explored. Perhaps, if I had shot the fucking free throws and missed (as I probably would have) not a single fuck would have been given. Perhaps, nothing would have been concluded about me regarding my ethnicity. Perhaps, I would have been that dude that shot and missed so badly that the ball hit a lady in the eye. Perhaps...

Obama Teacher

In 2008 and 2012, the United States elected then reelected it’s first Black American president. Having lived in Korea before President Obama’s global prominence, black people were ethnically identified by Koreans without regards to the complexity of the African Diaspora, as simply African. After the election, black men were simply, Obama. Hell, even my Mexican American homie has been called Obama on the regular. He definitely doesn’t resemble President Obama.
The problem many westerners have in Korea is not being able to tell the difference between ignorance and outright racism. To be honest the line can be moved, blurred or nonexistent. Being called the most famous black man in the world or being called Flava Flav is a no brainer as to which to take offense to. Brad Pitt or Robert Downey Jr? Well, I guess Robert DowneyJr., isn’t such a fuck up anymore. Pointing at a Korean man and calling him Kim Jung IL is indeed racist. Even if he does look like Mr. Kim, it is an unsavory observation.
I contend that Korea has some serious racial undertones but not on the scale of apartheid South Africa or the U.S. during the Civil Rights era. There are unmistakeable instances of “live and direct” racism. While some may point out that Korea is just highly Xenophobic, this brand of Xenophobia errors on the side of racism. Take for example, what I affectionately call the racial totem pole for foreigners. Foreigners all experience overt or covert forms of racism. In Korea, no one is excluded. The racial hierarchy in Korea has white people first, then all other westerners and rich nations, then at the bottom are people from poor asian countries and poor african countries. Even within the totem pole there is a totem pole.
It is way too easy to have a “damn, that was racist” moment in Korea or anywhere in the world for that matter. Back in 2009 an Indian man, Bonojit Hussain, was verbally assaulted by a Korean bus driver. The driver went on to ask Hussain’s Korean female acquaintance “how does if feel to date a black bastard?” When they decided that they had had enough of his vitriol language they stopped the bus to report him to the authorities. Upon filing the complaint the police told him there is no racial discrimination in Korea. 
Korea isn’t exactly going to the Hang River for a “picnic” and ending the evening with hanging a foreigner from the light post either. I’d liken Koreans to that of any indigenous people that saw white people for the first time. I can imagine that some people probably worshipped them, some were frightened and some just wanted to know  what the fuck are they? On some accounts, the racism in Korea is comical. When I’m greeted with a mechanical “yo, wassup man”, Koreans look as if their brain is malfunctioning when I simply reply, “hello, how are you?” I suppose by me being black American I should indulge them with a caricature of blackness.  
On the basketball courts throughout Samsung country, Korean men innocently make the statement that black men are naturally great players. They have not been exposed to the reality. Black men that are great at any sport are great because they practice every single day. For some it is a way to escape economic hardship. I assure you there is no “basketball gene” that allows black men to leap out of the gym in a single bound. Hell if they are misguided about genetics and physical ability I’d be frightened about their thoughts on genetics and intellects. But my all time favorite is when someone replies, “you’re nothing like what I see on T.V.” Need I say more? Instead of getting angry and bashing old men with one’s rocks, foreigners should take the time to educate by an explanation or through actions when possible.
While adults are usually better equipped to handle the harshness of racism, biracial children are not. Children of biracial families have a difficult time dealing with a hostile environment. In May, a teen who had a Korean father and Russian mother was indicted on 11 counts of arson. The boy’s father was killed in a car accident in Moscow and was abandoned by his mother. The boys paternal grandparents brought he and his brother to Korea. According to the 17 year old, in the eyes of Korean students he was neither Russian nor Korean and was bullied with physical or verbal. The teen stated “when I look at the fires I feel good and my anger goes away.” Sure arson shouldn’t be condoned but couple his daily dose of racism with the recent death of his grandmother, one can see why the teen is retaliating.
The question isn’t whether of not Korea is racist because of it’s perceived ethnic homogeneity. The more accurate question is how will Korea combat racism as it continues to develop socially. In the west overt racism is taken so seriously that anyone accused of racism can lead to a loss of business, the lost of a job and being socially ostracized. Today multi ethnic children are not considered Korean by society. Even though they culturally identify as Korean. Korea must learn from the bloody civil rights era in the U.S. and take the painful necessary steps to incorporate multi ethnic people into society. If not, the social climate will be a fiery one in the coming decades.

 

Shitty kids in context.

 

  A few weeks ago, a student asked me a simple question about my anatomy? "Teacher, you are a man, yes?" When a student has to seek confirmation of my sex, the likelihood of it being a positive interaction isn't promising. So, I reluctantly answered yes. You know, in a way that says: I have no clue to where this conversation might travel. And you are fucking scaring me. With the confidence of a man who had recently had sex and the syntax of the all wise Yoda, he looked at me with a smile and said, "So, dick you have?"

"Do I have a dick?"

"Yes, teacher. Man you are and dick you have?"

    The entire time he had a stupid ass grin on his face. The grin let me know that he had learned it and knew exactly what it meant. On a scale of worse things a student can say/do it ranks pretty high. It wasn't like the empty fuck you's that Korean kids learn from watching Hollywood movies. Those curse words are essentially directed at no on in particular. They come out of their mouths and disappear like a vapor into the noise of the living. I politely asked him to never say that word again in my classroom and he never did. Later he will find ways to use the word dick but I am not going to be an enabler.

    But I have to admit. I let a curse word slide once. Well, in a way I did. One shitty ass student was teasing another student about his sister. The shitty kid is a little bigger than the kid being teased. The teased kid is the kind a student any teacher would love to have. The shitty kid is pretty cool too. He is just, well...shitty for insulting a man's sister. Finally, amongst other things that sounded more weird than insulting, the bully said, I'm gonna eat out your sister. The kid turned around, looked him in his eyed let out slow meaningful "Fuck...you."
  Of course I had reprimand them both but damn, that's awesome context.

Why I don't date black women...

Keshia Knight Pulliam aka Rudy Huxtable

  A few nights ago my girlfriend asked me, "Why don't you date black women?" Seeming how my top three dream girls are Gabrielle Union, Rudy from the Cosby show (no one ever really remembers her real name) and Sanaa Lathan it is a wonder why I am not dating black women that look similar to the three of them. It has been a question that has lingered throughout my adult life. Some going as far as saying, "You look like you would date a white girl." I'm not even sure what that means exactly.
  What I am not is a self hating black man that would lump all black women together under one all encompassing stereotype. You will never ever hear me spew such vitriol phrases like "All black women are domineering." Or, "All black women want is a nigga with money!" Um...hold on. I have two question. Who the fuck are you dating?  Let's not confuse a demand for respect with domineering. I have gotten out of line with my current girlfriend and women of other races and they quickly checked my black ass.
  Secondly, if a black woman is looking for someone in or near her socio-economic level she is somehow a gold digging bitch? Sorry black men but I refuse to leap onto the "why I don't date black women" bandwagon. It is one matter to have a preference but another altogether vicious matter to slander black women because of your experiences. Please, send me the memo when we revert to biblical times when women are seen as property. Which leads me to why I don't date black women.

Gabrielle Union

  According to a study conducted by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation, black women (followed by a close second among black men) are the most spiritual people in America. Researchers say that among black women 74 percent said that, "living a religious life" is very important. In times of despair, 87 percent of black women look to their faith to get them through. If you know me or have read my blogs you know that I'm an atheist and therein lies the problem.
  I have gone on dates with religious black women that refuse to date me any further because I am an atheist. It goes a little something like this. The check up call that all girls get from their friend goes well. During the course of the evening the young lady will ask what church do I attend. When I tell them that I'm atheist they are immediately withdrawn for the duration of the evening. For good measure the young lady might ask, "Did you say you were atheist? Oh, but you're so nice. I assumed you were Christian." Then I reply, "Just because I'm atheist doesn't mean that I can treat people with indecency." By this point they are visibly confused.
 Once a girl I was dating asked me to go to church with her. Of course I said no thanks and gave her my reasoning. She called me a gentlemen before the question and the devil afterwards. No really, she called me the devil. I wasn't offended because, well, I don't believe in the devil. Can't be angry with something I don't believe in.

Sanaa Lathan

  Christian talk about being equally yoked and to be honest it sounds like a really delicious omelet. One's significant other must be similar in someways in order for a relationship to develop into something meaningful. I can't date someone who is religious. Especially if they prescribe to any of the Abrahamic religions. While I can have friends who are religious, dating someone is entirely different. If it leads to marriage and children, I would like for my children to decide whether they want to be religious. They have plenty of other societal norms that they will be indoctrinated into but religion should not be one of them.
  Statistically speaking, Blacks, Latinos and Arabs are not within the favorable percentages of dating possibilities because culturally, they are all highly religious. The most important reason I don't date black women is because I have a wonderful atheist girlfriend that I love dearly. Thus, rendering me ineligible. Shout out to Michelle Kang!

I found a blog where black men gave reasons to why they don't date black women. Some interesting and some were just outright hurtful. Of course the views expressed are not the authors.
 

Pipe em down

  I think his name was Jake, although I'm not sure. I could be coming off a tad bit racist by giving him a supposed white name. I would be a little offended if someone were to call me a stereotypical black name like Tyrone, Jamal or the all encompassing Reggie. Nonetheless, I think that's what he told me to call him. I don't know what I expected him to be. Being perfectly frank, I thought he would be the king of all that sucks ass during Ole 55's Wednesday open mic night.

 "Hey, Jake! You wanna play something?"

"My god," I thought. "Mr. Peppermint's love child with Joaquin Phoenix lives in Busan, South Korea?" Jake turned around with a beer in one hand and a fucking bagpipe in the other. I had had enough of performers playing weird instruments. Earlier in the night, a guy was playing the banjo. I had never seen a real person play the banjo and I was about to witness a man playing the fucking bagpipes. I thought the bagpipes were a thing of lore, prescribed to leprechauns and Scottish blokes. I couldn't leave the bar because this was going to be a night that ended with pure comedy and I wanted in.
  There were a splattering of women in the bar but it was clearly hot, sweaty and cock to cock.  He appeared on stage with his shirt opened exposing a wicked sweet tattoo. He wore some obnoxiously high cut off pants. Although, I saw him a few weeks later at a bar in what looked to be his underwear. He tilted his sand speckled hat right above the only other visible part of his face, his eyes. Then he began to play.
  I really wanted to laugh at Jake who looked like a mixture of Jay and Silent Bob. I silently wanted to see him fail. Silently because as a comedian, I know how hard it is to get up on stage and perform for assholes. I would have loved to live vicariously through a douche bag yelling "Is this taint really playing the bagpipes?" I didn't want to like anything new nor did I want to appreciate a young Gandalf The Grey playing great music via bagpipes. He truly made me eat my shit. Two milky handfuls of my own shit. Contrarily, I appreciated it too.
  What I had not equated to the equation was the amount of chicks he had rocking to his rendition of Scotland the Brave. Dave Chappelle (click the link) had one thing wrong. White people not only go crazy over the guitar but apparently the bagpipes as well. Suddenly the sweet scent of pussy was everywhere! This man had single handedly gotten himself sexed and other guys as well. His tattoo swelled every time he blew a note. His sweat drained off him like a fat man having sex.  Hell, Jake played like a man fucking his instrument. And when he was done, we all reached a musical climax with him.
  The beauty of Jake is the beauty of being a foreigner in Korea. We are the truly eclectic part from the West. We are the weird, the crazed, the derelicts and sometimes the irreligious. At least thats what some may think of us for living in a land unlike our own. But above all else we are the brave. Not because we left whatever city or province we come from but because we are unafraid to share our experiences or our talent with others. Though I have never spoken to him after that night at Ole 55, I want to thank you Jake for reminding me why we are epic.

Embrace that ass

not the ass I'm talking about

  I have a confession to make. I'm in love with big legged women. At present, I'm dating a big legged Asian woman. I'm aware that this may indeed sound like an oxymoron. If I was at liberty to show you pictures you would undoubtedly agree. If you follow my blog as a regular or from a afar you know that I'm black American. In which case my opening monologue will be but a mere stereotype that is probably true.  
  I can not tell you where the black man's lust for big legged women originated. I can only tell you that this lust has evaded both socioeconomic and generational gaps within the black community. In fact, it is the glue that holds the black community together. Well, the last statement may definitely be untrue. 
  I will not try to to come up with a cleaver transition into my declaration. Such carnal statements just need to be said. Korean women SHOW DAT ASS. Just in case the Korean government is reading this, I do not mean this in a literal sense. Unless, of course, my Korean sisters feel that they should. What I mean is these days, I’m beginning to see more Korean women with nice butts. Not in a video vixen, pawg kinda way but in a “I see you girl” kinda way.
  Personally, Korean women with round booties need to embrace them. Korean girls with thick thighs should embrace them as well. It’s becoming a little old seeing women wear baggy clothes or sweaters in the summer. Who the hell are you fooling. As a guy that unabashedly gets through life by looking, (sometimes following that ass for blocks), I appreciate a nice figure. The last sentence sounded a bit stalkerish. My point is that my Korean sisters should be proud of that phat ass.
  Case in point: I have a co worker at my job that wears long shirts and sweaters in the blistering fucking heat. One day she decided to wear a skirt and a short sleeved shirt. I was like “Damn (insert name here) that ass is nice.” Of course I didn’t relay my delight to her but maybe she could see me glancing at it. Which is probably the reason she went immediately back to wearing Eskimo gear. We live on the fucking beach though!

  At any rate, like with any movement it must start from within that particular culture. No matter how fond I am of dat ass, as a man, I’m just that, a man.  Women or any group that faces inequality do not need someone from the dominate group to tell them how they should advance the culture. What the dominate group must do is understand and help when it is wanted. But damn Korean sisters, I sure do wish you would put those sweaters away in the summer.

  

Be kind, get in line

  I've noticed a few things when I leave this place to visit my country or another. That Korea is kinda rude. While being gawked over or pointed at can be a bit disheartening, it doesn't qualify in the rudeness category. I can imagine what indigenous people might have thought upon seeing foreigners. In their respective languages it might sound similar to "What the fuck is that?" Some would argue that as a developed nation, Korea should have some semblance of decency and not be astonished when seeing a non white foreigner. I agree with this annoyance but I chalk it up to Korea being a new player on social awareness on a global scale.

  What I find hard to tolerate is rudeness in daily social interactions. I can not tolerate clearly being next in line to pay for my items and the clerk taking a person's money and items ahead of me. I can not tolerate having the elevator door opening up to a person that will not let me get off first. Oh! The look you get when they walk into you! As if wanting to get off the elevator is a serious infraction on the quality of life. I can not tolerate someone closing my foot up in the elevator because I took a nano second to long getting off. I consider myself lucky that the elevator doors are not made of sharp, metal blades or I would have no feet to put my Air Jordan's into.

  In keeping with the thread of impatience I can not tolerate people not letting other people get off the subway before bursting into the subway car. That's just regotdamndiculous! I can not tolerate someone abruptly stopping to text instead of moving to the side. Again, looking at me as if I deliberately tried to ram my dick into their back. Aside from all that I really hate the grocery store etiquette. I always have to ask myself "did this person move my basket without at least saying excuse me?" Or "did you really just ram your basket into me? I'm tall and black, you can't miss me!" I'm the black spot in a homogeneous society...how can you not see me in a well lit grocery store?

  I've visited a few countries now, and the locals were polite. Even in some of the poorest countries, even the Asian countries that some Korean nationals degrade, got it right in the politeness department. No one did any of the aforementioned complaints. When I return to Korea from traveling, I have to wonder why  I fell in love with this country to begin with. While I can tolerate ignorance regarding ethnicity and nationality, I can not tolerate rudeness. Some might say that it's Korean culture or that culture is relative to where you are in the world. I say there must be a barometer on kindness to people outside of your immediate circle. For starters, instead of looking at me or others as if I sexually assaulted your back because you decided it was the best time to watch Gangnam Style on your cell phone, you should say your apologies.

I genuinely like that Seoul Metro Transit is displaying proper subway etiquette on the subway station monitors. Hopefully it trickles down to other aspect of social life.