This is Melissa and I on her 20th birthday last year.

Today is her birthday and I am very upset to be missing it!

Happy birthday Candy!

Rain and A New Name

It is a rainy night in Sanbon. I went to work with only a pull over and no umbrella because it was sunny when I left home. Well, as Sarah and I were getting ready to leave we noticed the rain with a bit of disappointment. David, the teenage son of one of the directors at school, heard our cries and quickly brought us each an umbrella to use on the walk home. I could have walked home with no umbrella. I have walked greater distances in much heavier rain but I did not want to send any ajummas or ajosshis (grandmas and grandpas) into cardiac arrest at the sight of someone wandering through the rain (kryptonite) unprotected. Even if you opt for a hat as protection from said kryptonite the stares and shock thrown your way can get intense. Alas, we took the umbrellas and made our way home.

Now that I am home I am reveling in the comforting sounds of rain on my window. Sometimes I open my window to hear the cars driving through the rain and wind. Ah, sounds like home.

Well the rain is not why I started to write this particular blog post so let me get to my intended topic; my funny students.

The past week our teaching schedules have been all up in arms due to the fact that middle school levels are in testing. I don't know much about this testing except that as with any "test" it is a life or death sort of thing for the students. Poor grades on said tests will doom you to a bad job, sub-par clothing (Heaven forbid) and an ugly spouse (Oh! the shame). As a result I have been teaching some of my classes more and others none at all.

Today I had two class periods (as opposed to the normal one) with a particularly interesting class. They are some of my favorite students. In the class I have Anna who tries to be teacher and order the other students around; William who delights in perfecting my Korean pronunciation; James who looks like a Korean Pillsbury Dough Boy; Michelle is the new girl who is shy and does not fit in with the other wacky ones. I must also say that everyday before class I find these students spinning in circles in the kindergarden room until they fall to the ground from dizziness.

They drag themselves into my class and are acting as if sitting is an impossible task. They are falling all over the chairs and can't stop laughing. Realizing they are in no mood for a rigorous english class and I am just as unenthusiastic as they are I decided to change my class plan for the day. We played a few english games instead of the writing task I originally prepared. The game was successful and once I had them on teams they were totally into this pictionary sort of game. They are a really bright class and I let them slack off frequently but when I raise and eyebrow and wipe any sort of amusement from my face they shut up and listen; this dedication to my mood is something that I appreciate about them.

Success, one class period down another to go. They spent the rest of this class trying to give me a Korean name. It was a long process guided by Anna who gave me many options and William who advised me against the name options that sounded like "korean grandma" and James who laughed at everything while sitting in the corner. Finally, we decided on Lee-sa-young as an appropriate name and I told them they could call me that from now on. Also, Korea borrows a lot of its language from Chinese so with my new Korean name also came a Chinese meaning. In Chinese Lee-sa-young means gifted with reading comprehension and writing. Well, at least that is what Anna told me.

-Till next time!

*If anyone wants to send me some oatmeal I would be eternally grateful. It is hard to find and very pricy over here and for some reason all I want to eat is oatmeal!!!!

What I See So Far

It has been about 7 weeks since I first met SK. Unassuming at first yet slightly and strangely familiar to me. Obviously the language threw me off completely but I was expecting large obstructive culture gaps and that is just not what I found. I found a city that felt a little off, but basically normal.

Gunpo, where I live, is about 45 min outside of Seoul. We are right on the subway line which is convenient. Gunpo is also at the base of Mt. Suri (yea, I think) and is said to have better air quality than other cities. (I don't buy it. All air in SK is hazy and stale.) Gunpo is to Seoul as North Gate is to Seattle. We have it going on here in Gunpo, but we are still a little removed.

SK likes to assume the position of familiarity while still holding a very distinct culture. It seems to be the little things that add up totaling large and peculiar differences between cultures. Only now, a little over a month in, do I feel that the distinct culture of SK has begun to show its teeth to me.

I don't mind. I like teeth. Mine are crooked and slightly misshapen and they serve me well. The teeth of SK can be seen slightly in my last post (my list of random differences between American and Korean culture). Though, through these things I have seen only the flash of a smile. I know only what I can recall and can piece together through my memory. I may have seen wrong or caught a reflection and not the real thing. I don't know yet. I will have to wait and look a little closer next time.

Observations

Observe the image:
Humm, I see a woman dancing on a platform, loud speaker, another on a megaphone and another on stilts. This was the magical display outside my apartment this afternoon. I think it was some "grand opening" of a store in my building. These sort of displays are all to usual.

Let me share a few more strange but true things about Korea:

1. Grocery shopping is a sport.

2. Women wear high heals everywhere and all the time.

3. Men dress incredibly well and care just as much about appearance as women do (one of my favorite things about Korea).

4. People dress very well.

4. Public Displays of Affection are rampant; when on the subway it sometimes seems like the couples are competing to see who can be the most obvious about their love.

5. Friends are very affectionate no matter the gender; males walk around with their arms around one another shoulders as do females.

6. Rock, scissor, paper can be used to decide ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME.

7. Lingerie is sold in matching male and female sets.

8. If you are a foreign woman and happen to be attractive it is assumed that you are Russian and a prostitute.

9. Korean moms are crazy and usually think their children are God.

10. Soju ( a vodka like drink) is drank like water.

11. Most Korean foods are "Number 1 health food!"

12. There is no tipping in restaurants and to call the waiter you just yell waiter in korean then you say what you want and give me in korean- no need for politeness.

13. Staring at strangers is perfectly acceptable.

14. There are no dryers so clothing is continually crispy and wrinkled.

15. Their version of toothpaste sucks as does the mascara.

16. Heat comes through the floor.

17. The bathroom does not separate the shower, toilet and sink so after showering your whole bathroom is wet. I find this really annoying.

18. Shoes are never to be worn in the house, even your own, and separate shoes are worn in the bathroom.

19. Traffic is always bad no matter the day or time.

20. When shopping you are followed very closely. Not the "we think your stealing" following but the "silly foreigner let me help you to the fat section" kind of following.

21. Koreans do not understand the concept of a yard because homes are apartment buildings and do not have yard space.

22. Cheese and whipping cream is crazy expensive. I am talking 20$ for a medium block of cheddar.

23. Fruit is often given as a gift.

24. Men smoke like chimneys and women smoke in secret.

25. Rain is kryptonite and must be avoided at all costs.

26. Alcohol samples are given at the grocery store.

27. Physical fitness is non existent.

28. Koreans want to know your height, age, weight, nationality and marital status within moments of meeting. My students are always inquiring about these things.

29. Kimchee is eaten with everything. Loving Kimchee is a requirement of all Koreans.

30. Instant coffee is drank as much as kimchee is eaten and loved almost equally.

These are in no particular order. This is not a hate on Korea list. This is an observation of differences list.