So, there was an election here in Korea this week. I don't pay a whole lot of attention to politics here (sorry about that, every poli sci teacher I ever had!), as I'm not (and never will be) eligible to vote here. According to my students, this election was NOT for president--so maybe some sort of parliamentary election? When I found out we got the day off work, I stopped asking follow up questions.
I assume there were campaign websites and probably tedious speeches, but the most entertaining part of the election process here is definitely the flashmob-style dance-offs. Trucks drive around with people in the back, blasting political rhetoric over loudspeakers. They periodically stop, disgorge all the people who immediately launch into a frantic, choreographed dance (presumably extolling the virtues of their candidate of choice through interpretive dance) for about two minutes and then leap back into the truck to repeat the process two or three blocks later. SO ODD, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if we did this in North America. Wouldn't it be AWESOME to watch Stephen Harper throw down on Parliament Hill? Or Obama and The Republican Candidate To Be Chosen At A Later Date to have a walk/dance-off a la Zoolander?
At the decidedly more local level, I have had the in-person opportunity to watch my students resolve their differences through epic Rock Paper Scissors battles. Students who are in the process of trying to KILL each other can be stopped in an instant with the declaration of "HEY! Rock Paper Scissors! NOW!". They will immediately start throwing their hand-weapon of choice, repeating until a victor is chosen. I can spend HOURS trying to reason with kids to no avail, but they instantly respect the power of the Rock Paper Scissors, and accept the result with an epic sort of fatality. It's brilliant. I'd love to tell my students about this: http://www.worldrps.com/ and maybe suggest participation in the World Rock Paper Scissors Championships, but I'm afraid that it might catch on in Korea and cause a rise in Rock Paper Scissors academies and additional hours of study for the kids...
