Sleep Around the Clock

"So, what are your hobbies?"

"My hobby is sleeping."

This snippet of conversation comes up a lot when getting to know new ESL freetalking students. Aside from the fact that sleeping isn't actually a hobby, this sort of exchange is rather odd if you happen to be someone who doesn't adore getting some shut eye. There are people who consider being asleep to be their favorite fun thing to do. In other words, they prefer being unconscious to being awake.

Many of us lead busy lives. High school and middle school students feel the pressure of trying to get good grades and this typically leads them to burn the candle at both ends studying. Similarly, individuals with careers sometimes work late and regularly go out with colleagues after work. Our personal lives may also be busy and getting a good night sleep often loses out. Good thing there's the weekend to catch up on all that rest we've been missing out on.

But it's possible that we may sometimes overcompensate by sleeping too much on weekends and holidays. While it can be nice to sleep in on a day off, this habit can lead to more erratic sleep patterns. If your body adjusts to sleeping late on the weekend then it may have trouble going back to getting up early during the week.

Vocabulary:

✓ snippet: a brief extract from a conversation or document

✓ burn the candle at both ends: to keep very late hours studying or working

✓ catch up: to spend time doing something that one didn't have time for before

✓ overcompensate: to do an excessive amount in order to make up for a problem

✓ sleep in: to choose to sleep more than normal (to sleep more by accident is to oversleep)

✓ erratic: irregular; inconsistent; unpredictable

Discussion Questions:

1. How much sleep do you normally get? Is there much of a difference between how much you sleep on weekdays and weekends?
2. Do you think you usually get enough sleep? Why or why not?
3. What do you do if you have trouble getting to sleep at night? Have you ever tried any cures for sleeplessness that didn't work for you?
4. Do you ever get a chance to take a nap? How do they make you feel?
5. How might you go about changing your lifestyle in order to get more sleep?

The Thieves 2: Who Stole This Sequel?

Movie franchises have been around for decades. Going back to at least as far back as Star Wars in 1977 if a film is successful enough, a sequel will be green lit and an entire cinematic universe may be in the pipeline. In addition to the Star Wars Universe, some of the most popular franchises include Jurassic Park/Jurassic World, Harry Potter, Toy Story and the hugely lucrative and influential Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But this practice isn’t quite as common here in Korea. Smash hit movies such as The Host (괴물), The Thieves (도둑들) and Veteran (베테랑) have all been rumored to have sequels in the works but none have resulted and at this point it would likely require a reboot in order to make any of them into a series of films. It seems that failing to produce follow-ups to these very successful pictures were missed opportunities for all involved and there’s no reason to think these proposed sequels wouldn’t have cleaned up at the box office.

The downside of releasing sequels, however, is that they may disappoint fans and critics. A rare example of a Korean box office success getting a sequel is Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (신과함께: 죄와 벌) from 2017. Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (신과함께-인과 연) came out a year later but this time to mixed reviews. Further Along with the Gods movies are being planned but the law of diminishing returns could harm them.

Vocabulary:

✓ sequel: a film or story that directly follows previous one with most of the same characters in the same setting (see also: prequel)

✓ green light: something that is permitted to occur

✓ in the pipeline: a project that is in its planning stages

✓ lucrative: something which is highly profitable; a guaranteed money maker

✓ reboot: a series that is restarted, ignoring previous films

✓ clean up: to make a great deal of money, often very quickly

✓ the law of diminishing returns: a state of being increasingly unsuccessful

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think movie sequels aren't very common in Korea?
2. If they were planning to make sequels to The Host, The Thieves and Veteran, which would you be most interested in seeing? Which do you think might be a bit of a disappointment? Why?
3. Can you think of any other Korean movies that could have had a decent sequel, prequel and/or cinematic universe? Why do you think so?
4. Sequels are often not as good as their predecessors. Why do you think that is? Can you think of an example of a sequel that was better than the original movie?

Living in a Smokefree Zone

Korea has come a long way when it comes to smoking. Long gone are the days when university professors smoked in the middle of lectures, when patrons were able to enjoy a cigarette in a movie theater and when it was even possible to light up on an airplane. Further strides have been made more recently to curb the consumption of tobacco but there may be more that can be done.

Following the lead of many western countries over the previous decade, the Korean government began introducing indoor smoking bans in restaurants, bars and even internet cafes, where the overpowering smell of nicotine and smoggy air were a part of the ambiance. Many skeptics figured these laws would be toothless but they've mostly been followed and now it's difficult to remember a time when it was possible to smoke inside. At around the same time, the price of a pack of cigarettes nearly doubled and graphic warning labels were introduced.

Though the numbers have dropped significantly over the last several years (even well before these measures were implemented) smoking is still very common in this country. It is now strictly an outdoor activity and one doesn't have to go far to find discarded cigarette butts on the ground. Perhaps more can be done to get smokers to kick the habit — and to encourage young people not to take it up.

Vocabulary:

✓ come a long way: people or situations that have improved over time

✓ patrons: customers

✓ strides: progress; improvements

✓ curb: reduce

✓ ambiance: atmosphere and character in a place

✓ skeptics: those who are doubtful of others; people who question accepted ideas

✓ toothless: ineffective; a law or organization that has little to no power

✓ graphic: an image that is very disturbing to look at

✓ discard: something which is thrown away

✓ kick the habit: to quit

✓ take up: to begin a habit or hobby

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your memories of smoking back in the day? Do you remember any other places in which people were permitted to smoke?
2. Do you think that Korea's anti-smoking measures have been effective? Why or why not?
3. What would you suggest be done to further reduce the consumption of cigarettes in this country?
4. Most people know that it's unhealthy but they continue to smoke. Why do you think that is?
5. Are there any other social ills (ie excessive alcohol consumption, dangerous driving, obesity, etc.) that require government action or is smoking a unique case?

Travel: Group or Solo?

Traveling is a popular pursuit for many Koreans. Following years of international travel being almost an impossibility for the average citizen, people have been making up for lost time by flocking to destinations all over the world. This craze has been slowed down of late by the Covid-19 pandemic but the numbers are expected to rebound once life begins getting back to normal.

For many, and particularly older people, package tours are an ideal way of seeing the world. Koreans traditionally take very short holidays and a jam packed tour itinerary is the perfect opportunity to see and do as much as possible in such a limited amount of time. Plus it's easy: tours usually include flights, hotels and meals so travelers don't have to worry about making those sorts of arrangements themselves.

But others seem to prefer independent travel. While getting around may be more difficult than on a tour, it can make for a much more rewarding trip. Rather than being spoon fed a selection of museums, temples and shopping centers, one may have a unique travel experience. In addition, independent travel offers freedom of choice for those of us who are happy to go at our own pace.

Vocabulary:

✓ make up for lost time: to enjoy activities that one wasn’t able to previously

✓ flock: when many people go to a destination or event

✓ rebound: return to normal levels

✓ jam packed: full

✓ itinerary: a schedule of activities, typically for a trip

✓ spoon feed: to be treated as a parent feeds a baby

✓ go at one's own pace: to go at a speed that one feels comfortable with

Discussion Questions:

1. Which do you prefer, taking a package tour or traveling independently? Why?
2. What do you think are some of the advantages and disadvantages of going on a package tour? How about for independent travel? Make lists and compare them.
3. Could it depend on where you're traveling? Would you feel comfortable traveling independently in some foreign countries but not in others? Talk about some different parts of the world and if you would prefer a package tour or traveling alone.
4. Is there any way to compromise by combining going on a tour with traveling independently?