One Month In

I read an analogy once about observing something new-it was compared to visiting an aquarium. It talked about how most people would prefer to go to an aquarium and stand on the other side of the glass to peer at the different fish in their different environment from a calm and safe place. It also said that if you TRULY want to observe and experience something-you have to jump in and swim with the fish in their own environment. This is what I have attempted to do……………….

Koreans really appreciate that I am a “fish” in their culture. They are amazed and grateful of any portion of their language, food, or culture that I try to adopt. The Koreans are proud, but are also very intrigued with Western culture so the fact that I attempt to try something of their culture is truly rewarding to them.

It is hard to believe that exactly four weeks ago today I arrived in Seoul for this new adventure!

Here are just a few things that are different:

¨ I have only used a fork 2 times in 1 month

¨ I do not drive-I walk or take public transportation everywhere

¨ I’m not completely absorbed in my cell phone-now that I’ve been without one for I while I realize how much of my time it had taken up

¨ I do not dry my clothes in a dryer, but have to hang and iron them

¨ I get enough sleep-I haven’t done this in years!! My new schedule, however allows 8 or more hours per night!

¨ I can enjoy meals with out over-indulging as we often do in the States (foods are prepared with less spices, less sauces, less cheese, less oil, etc.)

My life here is difficult to explain. I still wake up in the morning and go to work just as I would have in St. Louis, but everything and everyone around me is new and different. In a typical day, I sleep in ridiculously late (I’ve not yet figured out if this is due to the pollution or due to the fact that I haven’t gotten enough sleep in years), then I get ready in my teeny tiny apartment. When I head to work I don’t hop into a warm car, but rather I walk about 20 minutes to my work. I really enjoy this walk-there are many familiar things to see, but there is always something new and different. At work I have about an hour to do my lesson plans, grading, whatever-and then I teach a few classes. At the end of the day, I either make the cold walk home, or find some kind of trouble to get into.

As far as work goes, I really enjoy teaching. My work here is much different from what I was doing at Herbert Hoover, but it is still rather rewarding. The children here are not kids-not as what I know them to be. The children here go to school 5 or 6 days a week (depending on the week). After school they attend various academies such as: English Academy, Math Academy, Piano, Science, violin, etc. I have one student who attends 8 academies-this means she probably does not arrive home until 9 or 10 each evening and then must do her school homework as well as her academy homework. I sometimes feel very bad for them. I can tell that they have either a) accepted that this is their lifestyle and they try their best or b) they hate every second they spend at the academy and will never put forth any effort.

Whereas my job is to teach English, I’ve also made it a personal goal to make sure that these kids have some type of fun with me while they are learning and I try to give praise often instead of the constant critiquing they go through. They are however, AMAZING kids!! Some of them speak their 2^nd language just as good as their first!! If not, they are very good at memorizing and putting patterns together-just one funny example: We had a student who learned that a Librarian is a person that works in a library. When asked who works in a toy store, the child came up with “Toybrarian”. HA! Even aside from English, many of these kids also play 2 or 3 instruments, speak Chinese or Japanese, do Tae Kwon Do, play soccer, etc…… If you haven’t gotten it already-they work hard and are very dedicated, but they miss out on a lot of childhood’s normal pleasures.

Korean women amaze me as well!! I walk, everywhere all the time-A LOT!! I’m sure that most Koreans do as well. I attempted to wear heels one day and it nearly killed me!! Korean women have on heels everywhere all the time! I am not exaggerating at all, they wear them in the streets, on the subway, when the go hiking, when they go to the gym-I don’t know how they do it! Many have even been spotted with a cast on one leg and a heel on the other foot!! I would love to fit in, but this is something I can not do!!

My biggest observation about Korean men is that almost all men above the age of 25 are never seen in anything other than a suit. The majority of them wear black or grey suits, with a white shirt and a shiny tie. Many large cities have a huge population of professionals, but this seems to be more of a necessity than a coincidence.

I still have a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to doing so over the next 11 months.