Action Television. Not as 80's as it sounds...

This is something which the people of the UK will be only too familiar with. And it's influence has certainly stretched further than our murky shores...

That's right, Action TV. Starring such likeable characters as Bear Grylls, Bruce Parry, and (my personal hero) Ray Mears, the shows that they present bring us face to face with life and death scenarios. Whether licking poisonous toads, eating raw zebra meat, or constructing an iPod from twigs, leaves and ant poo, with such amazing displays of prowess these men both fascinate and emasculate us at the same time. Half boy scout and half super hero, they demonstrate the most primeval of skills while at the same time sharing with us an immense wealth of knowledge on their particular area of expertise.

For me, the king of Action TV is undoubtedly Ray Mears. With his own brand of humour and disarming nature he demonstrates techniques of arguably the most important skill that we can learn: survival. Whether in the depths of the Amazonian rainforest or stranded on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Ray teaches us how to stay alive by building efficient shelters from the materials around us, sourcing food and water, and creating fires from seemingly nothing. All the while, however, he remains his modest, charming self, never over-dramatising a situation or making something seem harder than it really is. He makes survival simple.

The same could perhaps not be said of another self-styled survival guru, Bear Grylls. Although coming across as a likeable character, Bear has come under criticism for the way his TV show sometimes portrays events or details inaccurately or in a misleading manner. Some doubts have also been raised as to the veracity of his supposed exploits while in the service of 21 Special Air Service, the reserve regiment of the renowned UK Special Forces. What can't be criticised or doubted, however, is the virtuous nature of the man himself. All of his expeditions and stunts have generated money for various charities, including The Princes Trust, The Duke Of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and The JoLt Trust (of which he is vice-president) that takes disadvantaged and abused kids on expeditions all around the world. He is also Chief Scout of The Scout Association, a organisation with almost 400,000 young members worldwide.

A personality who sometimes slips under the radar is adventurer Bruce Parry. Another ex-soldier (he served as a fitness instructor with the Royal Marines) Bruce is best known for his TV series 'Tribe' in which he lived with indigenous peoples from different areas all around the world. What set Bruce apart from other anthropologists was that during his stay with the tribe members he lived exactly as they did. He dressed as they dressed, he hunted as they hunted and he ate as they ate. He interacted with his hosts on every level and accepted every challenge that he met. In one episode this saw him ingesting frog venom as part of a detox ritual with the Matis tribe of the Brazilian Amazon. In another, he takes mind-altering drugs and, in a particularly memorable show, did what he described as being the most uncomfortable thing he'd ever tried- inverted his penis to join a tribal hunt (cue every bloke watching to subconsciously cover their crotch in a protective gesture...)

There are of course other heroes worthy of mention. The late, great Steve Irwin for example: snake catcher, crocodile hunter, and loving father. He was stabbed in the chest by a sting ray barb while filming for his daughter's wildlife program at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Another antipodean, retired Vietnam War veteran Les Hiddins (AKA the Bush Tucker Man), made his name by driving through the Australian bush and showing people what was good to eat and what would kill them. Steve Irwin had his fair share of critics. Many people thought the way he treated the animals in his shows was overly provocative and unnecessarily risky. One highly publicised stunt involved him taking his 1 month old son into a crocodile enclosure with him while he fed the hungry reptile. What a lot of people don't know, however, is that Steve used the money that his fame had earned him to buy up large tracts of land in Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the USA to be designated conservation areas. In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism".

When I started thinking about writing this piece I initially planned to discredit certain presenters whose TV shows may be considered a part of the Action TV genre. Having witnessed some of Ben Fogle's painful attempts at making his shows exciting, I felt I would be just in exposing him as a 'fraud'. His 'Extreme Dreams' series was filled with fabricated scenarios that were painfully transparent and he always seems to be trying too hard to create suspense and drama. Then I looked a little closer. I watched him row 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. I read about how while in Peru he contracted a potentially fatal flesh-eating disease that left him confined to his bed for 3 weeks. I look forward to watching him race across the South Pole in the show 'On Thin Ice' to be aired on the BBC later this year. Not such a fraud after all.

There is no doubt that these characters have brought something new to the world of television. In a mixed up world of endless incarnations of reality TV (the UK has just seen the launch of Big Brother 10...), the programs that these pioneers of nature bring us are often both entertaining and informative. Perhaps even inspirational. May they entertain, inform and inspire for many more years to come.

The Facebook Phenomenon

Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, MySpace. Just a few of the social network tools that attract millions of Internet users on-line every day to share their feelings, photos and funny videos. Whether you log in once a month or once a minute, it seems like few can escape the Facebook trap. So why do we do it?

Valued at approximately $15 billion dollars and with an estimated 50 million users worldwide, Facebook is the undisputed king of social networking websites. Brainchild of a Harvard University student, it's creation 5 years ago heralded a new era in this technological age and it has never looked back. It's popularity perhaps stems from it's simplicity. It's idiot-friendly layout allows even your Granny to set-up a profile, meaning that virtually anyone with Internet access can easily keep in touch with friends from all across the globe. And it offers much more than just a spam-free e-mail service. You can also make your friends insanely jealous with your new holiday photos or terrify your Mum with your latest home-made snowboarding video. Keeping in touch and sharing information has never been easier.

It's not all good news though. There are always haters, not least our faithful employers. It has been estimated that over 200 million work hours are lost each and every month in the UK due to staff becoming distracted by social networking sites. While some organisations have embraced the opportunity by offering timed access to these sites as an incentive to work harder, many companies have chosen to ban them all together. Employers may also be using these sites to perform unofficial background checks on unsuspecting job applicants. Your 400 strong friend list may say volumes about your character, but so does that photograph of you passed out in a puddle of your own vomit.

So back to the original question: Why do we do it? In this writer's opinion it's because it's the easy option and (almost) everyone is doing it. Having a party? Organising a road trip? Create an event on Facebook. Trying to find some mates from primary school? Forgot to get that girl's number, but you can just about remember her name? Look them up on Facebook. Got some friends in Kazakhstan who you met backpacking last summer? Send them a message on Facebook. Want to share your travel photos with your friends and family quickly, easily and for free? Whack them up on Facebook!

Society is evolving and the way in which we socialise is evolving with it. I personally don't view networking websites as a substitute for a decent face-to-face conversation, but I do believe they provide a fantastic way to share a large amount of information with a large amount of people in a small amount of time. Love it or hate it, Facebook, or it's resulting offspring and hybrids, is here to stay.

A Sad Trend

One of the biggest stories in the Korean news recently was that of the young actress Jang Ja Yun taking her own life in March of this year. The entertainment industry had already been rocked by a string of celebrity suicides in 2008, including the very popular actress Choi Jin Shil, and the sad trend looks set to continue this year with yet another suicide, that of young actress Woo Seung Yeon, earlier this week.




Understandably, the public rarely receive a lot of information regarding the nature of the deaths or the reasons behind them. 'Depression' is most commonly offered as the driving force behind the suicides, but as more details are released by the media there does at times seem to be something more sinister behind them.

In the case of Jang Ja Yun, for example, it was uncovered that she had left a personal letter to her old agent, describing how she had been coerced into having sex with VIPs by her then current manager, presumably in order to further her career within the entertainment business. She apparently suggested in this letter that other actresses were involved in similar 'practices' and that the problem was rife throughout the entire industry. She went on to say that she wished she could do something about it herself, but that because she was young and new she was powerless to act and hoped that her old manager (to whom she left the letter) would do the right thing after her death.

The story behind the suicide of Choi Jin Shil was a little less clear-cut. It was linked in the media to yet another celebrity suicide, that of actor Ahn Jae Hwan, after it was uncovered that Choi had lent Ahn a large sum of money and that his suicide may have been a result of her demands for repayment after the failure of his business. Her suicide came soon after.

Choi Jin Shil

Whatever the reasons for these tragic events I find it hard to comprehend the difference in attitude towards the act of suicide between the East and the West. Now I'm the first to admit that after only spending a year so far in Korea I am still largely ignorant of many aspects of Eastern culture, but it just seems like such a drastic action, especially when you consider the family and friends that they have all left behind.

And what about the disproportionally large number of young, emerging actresses taking their own lives? Is there really a secretive seedy underbelly to the South Korean entertainment industry that runs so deep not even the police seem able to do anything about it? Are contracted actresses being treated like nothing more than pieces of meat by managers, agencies and corporate sponsors alike?

But it's not just celebrities who see suicide as their only option. In 2005 South Korea had the highest suicide rate among the OCED member countries and as of 2006 it had the 8th highest rate of suicide in the world. Why?

The World Health Organisation estimates that 90% of all suicides are related to mental illnesses (including depression) and anyone who has worked in Korea can attest to the general apathy (for the most part) towards sufferers.

And the other 10%? Businessmen suffering from recession blues, students feeling the stress of parental pressure, and gay men feeling ostracised in a society that denies their very existence. There are also reports of Internet suicide pacts being prevalent in Korea, although steps have been taken to close down such groups (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3560103.stm).

It could be argued that a lot of the problems above come from Korea's split personality. On one side it's an ultra-modern Asian tiger, with the highest rate of Internet connectivity in the world boasting some of the most successful electronics companies in the market. On the flip side it's an ultra-traditional tortoise, where pride and honour are sometimes more important than right and wrong. They can see where the world is going. They just don't always want to move their feet fast enough to keep up.

Perhaps the most obvious step forward is a more open and accepting attitude towards mental illness and the removal of the stigma attached to the sufferers themselves (it is fair to say that this stigma exists in many Western countries too, although not necessarily to the same extent.) A cultural shift on the other issues such as work ethic, the idea of success, and the existence of homosexuality is maybe a little further down the line, but the high suicide rate is a problem that Korea must address as a nation to protect it's people.

Dazed and Confused

I'm not one of those people who willingly comes out to Korea and then spends all their free time moaning about it. In fact, I'd go as far to say that I LOVE this country. As a short-term soujorn, it ticks my boxes. Could I live here permanently? Hmmm... Next question.

That said, however, there are more than a few things that endlessly confuse me about this place. I wanted to jot a few of these conundrums down. More for my own ends than anyone else's, but if you can empathise with something and/or get a laugh from it, then it's another good reason for me to write it down.

There is no particular order for these. I just write them as they come into my head, so don't read anything into their sequence...


1. Popping in and out of convenience stores for beer, bottles of water, and the odd packet of dried squid, you quickly become aware of the hundred or so differently labelled little glass bottles in the fridge at the back of the shop. Peering closer, you see promises of 'Well-Being', 'Stamina & Vitamin D', and my personal favourite 'Confidence'. Korea is a health-addicted nation with every drinks company making their own little fortune with their own brand of 'health drink'. They are absolutely everywhere and everyone drinks them. What's in them? Who cares. They're obviously good for you, right? And this brings me on to another drink which is also absolutely everywhere and equally enjoyed by everyone (well, apart from young kids. I hope...) Soju. And this is certainly not good for you. Although traditionally made from rice, wheat, potato, or even sweet potato, Soju is now made from labratory grade ethanol mixed with water and flavourings. It's strength varies from 20% to 45%, but this really doesn't matter. The end effect is exactly the same. A hangover that would give George Best nightmares. And yet you will find the green bottles of this rocket-fuel right beside the 'health' drinks in the fridge at the back of the shop. And how much does the pain cost? About 2,000 won. $2. £1. Cheaper by volume than Stamina, Vitamin D or Confidence.


2. At 99%, Korea has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. They have a lot of pride in their education system, and they are at the cutting edge of electronics, stem cell research and car manufacturing. The majority of students study for the majority of the day. These people ain't dumb. And yet, a shocking number of Koreans believe that if they fall asleep in the same room as their electric fan, it will kill them. I shit you not. It's a recognised phenomenon known simply as 'Fan Death'. Type it into answers.com if you think I'm pissing in your pocket. Not only is it supported by a large proportion of the intelligent populace, but the Korean health authorities also regard it as fact. Brilliant. So drinking chemical alcohol won't kill you Mr. Kim, but your fan certainly will. Keep an eye on your TV too. It's making eyes at your wife...


3. Walking round the city, you can't fail to notice the sheer volume of underwear shops. Shops that sell nothing apart from underwear. Now, some of these are catering for the 'Couple-Wear' market (more on that later), but a lot are just offering a selection of sexy lingerie for the ladies. Nothing wrong with that so far. In fact, for a foreigner bloke in his first week living in Korea it leads you to believe that this could be a very enjoyable year. You think that Korean ladies must be a confident bunch, not the types to be afraid of their sexuality. And then you go to the beach. On the hottest day of the year. Finding a chick in a bikini is like finding a teenager with a Kenny G track on their MP3. Nearly impossible.


4. Couple-Wear. What is it all about? Now, I will admit here and now that I have engaged in a bit of this. What can I say, I'm gay for relationships, and it seemed like a bit of harmless fun. But nothing I wore was obvious or instantly visible. Couples walking around town wearing identical t-shirts, hoodies, coats, shoes, bags, glasses, hats, jeans... I've seen it all. Is the fact that you're holding hands and blatantly in a relationship not enough? And what happens if you wear all the gear and your boyfriend rocks up having forgotten everything? Or if you meet each other by accident and you're wearing an item or several items of the aforementioned matching clothing? Is it awkward? Will it cause more arguments than it fixes? Now, I totally understand and to a certain extent respect the idea behind this. You think you're in love and you want the whole of Daegu to know. But sometimes it's just a little too much. And if you break up, you're never going to wear this stuff again. You'll just start from scratch with your new bit of scruff. Now where is the sense in that? Wait, this is Korea. If it made sense you wouldn't be here.


I have a few more of these puzzles in my mind, but if I write too many then I'll give some people the idea that I don't like this country, but I do. And ironically, these are some of the reasons why. Because I don't always understand it and it continually challenges me with new and increasingly confusing scenarios. If you knew what was going to happen every day would you bother getting out of bed in the morning? I wouldn't.

Love it. Korea in a nutshell.