Category: Teaching English In Korea - ADAM GREENBERG

Part 7: An Unfortunate Accident

11/20/2015

It's terrible, but this is just the kind of thing I hoped to prepare for with this whole thing.

A few months after I left Korea, my friends told me an inter-city bus was in an accident and actually tipped on its side. (Anyone still in Korea have a link to this story?)

I'm not sure if anyone was seriously injured, but perhaps some accessible emergency window hammers might have made a difference. But I don't know if this was one such bus in which the change was made...

I'm also told there was at least one English-teaching ex-pat on board and because he was not wearing his seat belt (as no one actually does on these buses - another issue, they often don't even exist), the Korean government and insurance companies are not covering any medical expenses...

1 Second Everyday - August 2015

8/30/2015

1 Second Everyday - July 2015

7/31/2015

1 Second Everyday - June 2015

6/29/2015

1 Second Everyday - May 2015

5/30/2015

1 Second Everyday - April 2015

4/30/2015

1 Second Everyday - March 2015

3/31/2015

1 Second Everyday - February 2015

2/28/2015

Part 6: Some Press on the Window Hammers

2/10/2015

Two Successes For Safety in Transportation Emergencies
Gwangju News
February 2015
FEATURED

read the [online] or [print] versions

Two Successes For Safety in Transportation Emergencies - Gwangju News

Part 7: Would have hoped this was the end of it all

1 Second Everyday - January 2015

1/31/2015

Part 5: The City of Gwangju Listens! - an update on Emergency Window Hammers on buses

1/1/2015

Well, I wrote that second letter (an email actually).

And they actually took the screws out. Quickly too.

Thanks for listening Gwangju.

Part 6: Some Press

1 Second (not quite) Everyday - 2014

1/1/2015

Part 4: Time to Write Another Letter

12/22/2014

You put screws through the handle?!

And another! Come on Korea.

PArt 2: THOUGHT WE WENT THROUGH THIS ALREADY!

UPDATE:

Part 5: RESOLVED?

Part 3: Progress: Emergency Window Hammers on Buses in Gwangju, South Korea - An Update

8/7/2014

Did they take my advice?

Who knows.

But I have gone from seeing THIS zero times ... to about thrice a week:

Part 4: BUT WAIT THIS IS KOREA, You're NOT DONE YET

Emergency Window Hammers on Buses in Gwangju, South Korea

Part 2: Emergency Window Hammers on the Buses in Gwangju, South Korea - What I'm Doing About It

7/13/2014

A few weeks ago, I noticed the emergency window hammers on the bus here in Korea look like this. ->

Part 1: ORIGINAL POST

"Well, who thought that would be a good place for all of them?"

Emergency Window Hammers on the buses in Gwangju, South Korea

This bus even had these little stickers outlining where they should be placed ... so somewhere along the production line these hammers are just not being installed correctly.

So I knew I had to do something or it would just bother me all day.

It's a simple fix, right? Just spread 'em around.

Emergency Window Hammers on buses in Gwangju, South Korea

First, I brought it to the attention of the International Center here, thinking they could at least simply help me cross the language barrier, get the number of the city transportation office, maybe.

Nothing.

Mild appreciation of my observation, but without a proposal they won't do anything with it. A formal proposal, they want!

What's to propose other than "spread the hammers around"? I'm showing you the picture. Send it to City Hall. I don't know, I can't speak Korean. How do you translate a photo to Korean?

I didn't say it quite like that.

Still, nothing.

And so that's how it was for a few weeks. Friends said they noticed it now too, but that was it.

I sort of forgot about it. Then I saw it again on another bus: ->

I remembered I could call the free English translation travel help line - 1330. So I called when I got off the bus. The young lady seemed genuinely appreciative and told me she'd pass the word along. 20 minutes later, she sends me a text message to follow up with an email address that I could contact - the right people to get in touch with.

Emergency Window Hammers on buses in Gwangju, South Korea

So I email them. And get this response in less than 4 hours! Wow, that's quick bureaucracy. (And I worked in DC politics, I know how slow that train is):

Mr/Mrs. LOL.

So I respond with the bus number and he sends me this:

And that was that.

Cool. We'll see ...

Part 3: PROGRESS

"Thirsty kids? Not on my watch."

6/2/2014

Today at school, a student in one of my classes was apparently very thirsty.

Those of you who know me well, know I love two things when it comes to food:

Bread.
And water.

I'm a simple man.

I mean, she was really thirsty.

Let's talk about Korea's socks

5/26/2014

Socks in South Korea

They're awesome.

That's about it.

Part 1: So this is "emergency preparedness" in South Korea?

5/11/2014

"Korea, aren't these four emergency window hammers supposed to be placed throughout this packed bus? ... And generally accessible?"

This is what I noticed on my way to school today.

Exactly the sort of safety misstep that leads to tragedy.

Not unlike the recent Sewol Ferry Disaster.

Part 2: WHAT i'M DOING ABOUT IT

Emergency Window Hammers on the buses in Gwangju, South Korea

I also reported this on:

CNN iReport

One student - another short reflection on teaching High School English in South Korea.

4/12/2014

As teachers, we hope to positively impact all of our students. Still, it seems there are at least a few each year with whom we might have had a greater impact than the rest.

Or rather, maybe it’s they who leave their impact with us. (Or okay, we know it goes both ways.)

"That was a great lesson" - a short reflection on teaching High School English in South Korea.

4/9/2014

Last night, I went out for a teacher dinner with one of my new elementary schools, here in Korea. As we crowded in the restaurant's small lobby to gather our shoes after eating, a teacher I didn't yet know said, "Hello" and then told me that her daughter is now a third year student at Munjeong Girls' High School - one of my high schools last year.

"Oh," I asked her, "was your daughter in my 2nd grade classes?"

Efficiency for the win!

2/15/2014

Alright, Korea; you've got efficient trucks.

US, take note.

1 Second Everyday - Some of 2013

1/1/2014

First snow

11/30/2013

Just beautiful.

Korea by ferry

8/7/2013

Snapped this photo of this dude on a bench. Then sat next to him. He was happy to see it, asked me to email it to him so he could show his daughters, and we had a great chat. His name is 이병주 and he's touring Korea on his motorcycle (and ferry).

Picture Day

7/18/2013

Class 302 photo today.