Elections: Korean Style

Today marks the blissful close to South Korea's 2006 election period. I don't really know all the details, but apparently the entire country's municipal elections are held at the same time. This has meant that for the past 3 weeks rigorous campaigning has taken place in every nook and cranny of this tiny country. Let me assure you that campaigning Korean-style looks nothing like our tacky lawn-signs and occasional door-to-door hand-shaking. No, here we've had dozens of trucks circling the city, blaring our campaign songs from 7am to 10pm DAILY. There are advocates for each candidate positioned at the major street corners, dressed in matching outfits, singing songs, handing out yogurt drinks and dried squid, whose ceaseless attempts to pester pedestrian and distract drivers grew old after day 1. Some of the larger apartment complexes (read: mine) even have advocates positioned at the driveways leading in and out of our buildings to ensure that we are bowed to each and every time we pass through. If you're really lucky you'll get an impassioned Adjuma (read: older Korean woman) taking up the mike at one of the many soap-boxes which have sprung up in our parking lots, admonishing the transgressors and extolling the virtues of Mr. Mokpo 1-9. All of this is delivered directly into our apartments via the 1000000000mhz sound systems that are installed in each one of these temporary lecterns. Long-story-short: sleep has been hard to come by recently. I am thanking the heavens above that it will be over by nightfall but even that doesn't seem quite soon enough.

I must admit, however, that it has been a crazy spectacle to witness. I don't think I would have believed it had I not endured it myself, and I'm certain I'll never be able to explain it well-enough to capture the full extent of its irritation. Who knows, perhaps I'll even feel nostalgic about the whole affair when I return to the apathetic election climate in Canada. At least there's a real drive here to get people involved. The voting day was even declared a National Holiday to ensure that everyone would have the opportunity to vote.

Tracy's Sour Grapes: Yes, it was declared a National Holiday but did our Academy take the day off? Not a chance. Here's to democracy...