Election Mayhem
As anyone from Korea can tell you, we are in the heat of election time here. The brilliance of it is that we actually get a day off (March 31st) to vote... well, I don't think foreigners can vote, so we just get the day off. Sweet!
The campaigns here don't really exude the same "respectability" as they do back home. Wait, did I just call politicians in Canada respectible? I've been away for too long. In Mokpo, the past week has been a blur of candidates 1-8 (that's how they are known) with coloured sashes with their numbers on them, being driven around the city in small floats on flatbed trucks, with miscellaneous "fighting!" songs bellowing in the background. One of the candidates has "Puff the magic dragon" as his song... Buddy, come on! One of the floats was made up to look like an ocean liner and candidate 2(?) was standing on the top barking out whatever to everyone on the block.
Every morning, one of the busy street corners I walk past on my way to school is manned by one of the candidates and an army of supporters - all bowing to the oncomming traffic and waving as their song blares in the background. Not surprisingly today, I watched in amazement as a driver barrelled into the back of another car that was distracted by the mob of waving people. This started a 3 car chain reaction.
Funny part was, the car that barrelled into the first car had enough time to hammer his/her horn! Next time, try the brakes!
The campaigns here don't really exude the same "respectability" as they do back home. Wait, did I just call politicians in Canada respectible? I've been away for too long. In Mokpo, the past week has been a blur of candidates 1-8 (that's how they are known) with coloured sashes with their numbers on them, being driven around the city in small floats on flatbed trucks, with miscellaneous "fighting!" songs bellowing in the background. One of the candidates has "Puff the magic dragon" as his song... Buddy, come on! One of the floats was made up to look like an ocean liner and candidate 2(?) was standing on the top barking out whatever to everyone on the block.
Every morning, one of the busy street corners I walk past on my way to school is manned by one of the candidates and an army of supporters - all bowing to the oncomming traffic and waving as their song blares in the background. Not surprisingly today, I watched in amazement as a driver barrelled into the back of another car that was distracted by the mob of waving people. This started a 3 car chain reaction.
Funny part was, the car that barrelled into the first car had enough time to hammer his/her horn! Next time, try the brakes!
posted by Brent at 9:34 a.m.
2 Comments:
Interesting to have the opportunity to experience an election in Korea.....are they every 4/5 years.
Sounds like a very colourfull noisy sideshow....any women running?
A couple... that I've heard of. But I think you can count them on your hand.
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