The Ups and Downs of Homogeneity

When you were little, what cautions did your parents always leave you with? I'm sure it varies for everyone, but most of you probably had some form of the classics: Look both ways before you cross the street, respect your elders, don't talk to strangers.

Well, that last one seems to not be so important in Korea. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say that Korean kids are encouraged to go up to strangers and pester them for candy. Its a strange existence when xenophobia is not instilled on that level in the young. Everyone is so friendly and in each other's business. Its how I imagined small town America would have been in the 1950s. Maybe today, I don't know. The only reason I've ever gone to small town America was to either do a gig there or to drive through (I guess with the exception of my summer in Arizona).

On a field trip the other day, one of the little girls I was supposed to be looking after strayed over to talk to a middle aged man in a shady corner. It was making me nervous because in America, the situation would be viewed with a certain amount of wariness and the man would know it. He would then work to end the conversation because he would feel uncomfortable or he would know he was making someone else uncomfortable. Not in Korea. In Korea, this situation is viewed with an air of 'isn't that cute? He's taking time to talk to that little girl'. In this situation, I was the one who had to calm the heck down.

This has a lot to do, I think, with the sameness of Korea. I don't think those kids would be so willing to talk to foreigners that way, but since it was a Korean man then they knew to expect certain things from him.

Despite the fact that I strongly believe America's diversity is one of its greatest strengths, there is something to be said for living in a society with no surprises. People here feel a very strong bond with each other to the point where the honor system actually works (this may have more to do with the group-oriented nature of East Asian cultures than Korea's homogeneity but it could be some of both). People in Korea never have to make allowances for different religions, or different cultures or even for different dietary needs. Here everyone has had the same upbringing, everyone likes the same things (mostly), everyone eats the same food.

Not to say that Korea is a boring place, or that it doesn't have things from other cultures, which it does, but that - for the majority - Korean people like to be Korean.

This also leads to unexpected problems for the foreigner. For example, there is no way I'm going to find make-up here to match my skin tone (not really that big a problem, but still).

I have to find a specific pizza place that sells normal pepperoni pizza without putting things on it I would consider to be not compatible with pizza - mustard, potatoes, squid, hard-boiled eggs, and mayonnaise to name just a few.

I can find shoes just fine, but my co-worker, Jonathan, has trouble finding a men's 13 size shoe for obvious reasons. He and William also have a hard time getting their hair cut because they are both black and have hair textured in such a way that it baffles Korean hairstylists.

I, too, have been having trouble getting my hair cut but only because I want to get my side-swoopey bangs again and here everyone has bangs that go straight across their forehead. It looks great on Korean girls but I'm pretty sure I'd look stupid. Korean hairstylists just assume that you want it the way everyone else has it. Not being able to communicate what I want will be a problem.

Finally, the biggest problem I found with the homogeneity of Korean society is that they don't often appreciate thinking outside the box. Things that are different or not to their tastes are dismissed out of hand. A good example would be when I came to work with henna on my hands. The kids went crazy. They thought it was the weirdest thing they'd ever seen which is understandable if you've never seen it before. But the way they carried on you would think I had a disease on my hand.

Though the younger, urban, generations embrace all things new and different, just outside the city people are not so accepting.

A Night Out

I really have the best co-workers in all of Korea. Hands down.

We went out to dinner last night - the Korean staple of fired chicken and beer - and had a blast. Sally is leaving to become an Ajima (Korean for old lady, basically) and we teased her about practicing her ajima elbow (Old ladies in Korea routinely elbow people in sensitive areas to get their way - whether its to get a seat on the subway or samples at Lotte Mart). We met Susan's husband who speaks English better than I do and continuously tried to set up my new co-worker, Matthew, with various Korean ladies of his acquaintance.

If I ever have a question about Korean culture or language, they are more than happy to explain it. Rachel, out of some misguided theory that I actually want such information, has been informing me on the best places to go bungee jumping. Lynn recommends Korean Dramas for me to watch, and Sally always bring in Korean candy for us to try. Debbie explains things in terms that I understand when the other explanations just aren't doing it and William will explain things that it never even occurred to Debbie to explain because they are so common place. Jonathan and Matthew are both born and bred geeks who get my obscure references to Settlers of Cattan or npr, or some other geeky, web based happenings. All in all , its a good mix.

Yesterday, for instance, I learned about something rather peculiar. I saw some signs for the world cup game (being played today! woohooo!) that spelled it 'Corea' instead of with a 'K'. I asked William about that and he said that the name used to be spelled with a 'C' but when Japan invaded, they changed it to 'K' so that Korea would come after Japan in the alphabet. Really petty. I don't know why they didn't change it back, maybe because by then Korea had appeared on the world stage and they didn't want to confuse anyone into forgetting about them. Names have been changed for sillier reasons.

The Incident

Many of you may be aware of my love for dogs. And many of you may know how much of an understatement 'love' is in this instance. Some of you may even have used a word like 'obsession' or 'mania'. So if I told you that there is a pet store with puppies in the window on my way home you may be surprised to hear today was the first day I went in to pet them. I managed to restrain myself a full week and a half. While I was petting these little puppies - who are completely ignored by the owner of the store (I have never seen so much as pat one on the head) - I happen to look up and see, through the window of the shop, another American watching me as she walks by. We shared this moment like, 'what better way to end the day than petting puppies?' And she smiled and shook her head as she walked on.

It seemed to be the day for me and random strangers because on the way home a Korean woman insisted I share her umbrella (it was sleeting) for about a block. This is very unusual because normally Koreans aren't too into people they don't know. In fact, Koreans are supposed to be famous for their coldness towards strangers. But its like when people say that the residence of New York are rude. I happen to know a lot of New Yorkers and not one of them would I call rude, its just a matter of different culture. There are so many people in NYC that without standing up for yourself your voice will never be heard. People ignore you on subways because its really the only way they can give you any privacy due to lack of space. If you are jammed all up in someone's armpit the least they can do it pretend they aren't listening to your phone call (yes, the one you are making from their armpit).

In Korea its kind of the same thing. There are so many people that pretending not to notice someone is a way to give them privacy. Otherwise you would feel as though you were being observed 24/7. But once you are introduced to someone properly you ignore them at your peril. If you don't say hi to someone you are supposed to know they will be offended. I learned this from a fellow teacher, Will, who said that you should treat your employers like parents (because buisnesses are viewed as families in Korea and family is very important) and always greet them when you see them. He also said that this is why Sean and Jonathan, or colleagues, often get the cold shoulder from our bosses, Mr. and Mrs. Kim. They never say hello.

Since then I have made a point to always greet them if the opportunity arose and they pretty much are good to me. Mrs. Kim is always worrying that I'm too cold and today went out of her way to give me some sort of dried fruit at lunch. But I may have shot myself in the foot later today because when I was in a hurry between classes I accidentally cut in front of her to get in the door. Korea is a pretty hierarchical society and jumping in front of you superior is a big no no. The second I did it I knew it was a bad idea. Hopefully, one day she will forgive me.

Also, if you are bored you may want to try this. It's a color name survey. Not only is it intriguing and addicting, it also has anthropological significance and we all know the world needs more of that.

Pictures!

I went around yesterday and took some pictures of my neighborhood. Its nothing spectacular but it gives you a good idea of what my immediate surroundings are.

So, in Korean terms, I live in the ghetto. However, when you see this picture you might question the validity of terms like 'ghetto' when applied to Korea. Crime is very minimal here and people routinely leave things unlocked and out on the sidewalk.


my building is the first building on the right that you can see clearly, right behind the telephone pole.
When I first got there I thought I was going to be in one of these huge apartment buildings that are everywhere. You can see them in the background of this picture, and probably just about every picture I will ever take in Seoul.


I had to take a picture of Lotte Mart because its just so big:


This whole building is one big Wal-Mart-esque store.

On my first day of walking around I found this trail down by the river that is really very nice. The cool breeze from the river swallows all the traffic noise and its like you're in a whole other place. You can see the trail down there on the right.


heres another one of the trail by the river


I live in a town called Suji which is technically part of the Seoul Metropolitan area but is about 45 minutes away from Seoul proper. So here are some pictures of our own little downtown area which consists of one intersection



look what I found!


Just to illustrate how many English teachers there are in the area, here is a building near my house (not the one I work in) which has no less than three English schools in it. Can you spot them?

Min and theTattle Tales

So I'm kind of getting the hang of living in Seoul. Or at least teaching in it.

The kindergardeners are easy, even if they don't understand you. For the most part they give it their best shot. The worst thing that could possibly happen to them is getting a star taken away. There is a little chart on all the boards and if you erase a star next to their name dramatically enough they will start crying. One of my co-teachers, Jonathan, went all Space Odyssey 2001 on some poor kid's star yesterday and I'm pretty sure he's still bawling.

The littlest kids are getting better and learning what they are supposed to do but one of them (Kris) still lives in his own little world where everything is built to suit him. Soon, with any luck, this illusion will disappear completely. Another kid in that class (Min) is my absolute favorite student so far. He is adorable (natch), light years ahead of the others in the English-understanding department and is sweet as taro pie.

To demonstrate this theory, I will give you a example. we were in PE class, which had deteriorated into Running-and-Screaming Time and Kris was kicking kids left and right. Naturally, he got kicked himself and started crying like it was his job. I had zero sympathy for the little munchkin and gave him a look that told him so and walked away. My feeling is you reap what you sow. Also, by this time I was well and truly sick of Kris and his shenanigans. I walk away to another part of the play room and when I look back, there is Min - who, himself, had been kicked by the little drama queen - crouched down next to Kris with this concerned look on his face. It was so cute I had to go back and comfort the little miscreant if only for Min's sake.

The older the kids get, the less afraid they are of loosing stars, although this is a surprisingly effective method for a lot of kids. When the kids get to be about 10 or 11, they realize there is more to life than stars and will sacrifice a star or two for a good joke or a break in studies. This is when you have to get creative. A colleague suggested I make them stand in the lobby of the school pointing at the clock for five minutes which is, let me tell you, the ultimate in cruel and unusual punishment. Not only is it tiring but everyone who passes by asks them why they are there and they have to tell them. I've never done this myself but I did threaten a kid with it today and even hearing it described was enough for her to be good the entire class.

In Korea, if a kid does something he's not supposed to (I use 'he' here because it is, with only one exception, ALWAYS the boys) the other kids will tell on him immediately. In America, theres always this idea that we shouldn't be 'tattle tales' - not in Korea. It seems like every five seconds one of the kids is going 'Teacher!' and telling me about how another kid did something that offends them on a personal level which could be nothing more than sticking out their tongue.

On a unrelated note, 'Min and the Tattle Tales' is a great name for a band.

JEEET LAAAAG

I spent my first full day in Korea really doing nothing. My hotel is in a pretty boring tourist ghetto and the only things in walking distance were restaurants and bars. Nothing really interesting. Although there is this weird and giant net box that could be some sort of driving range. I can see it from my window and even though it looks way too big to be a driving range, I can’t think of anything else it could possibly be. Though I have a nice view of the ocean from my hotel room, it is inexplicably 20 degrees hotter than the rest of the hotel. I've tried adjusting the thermostat but no matter what I press it still has the little 'heat' light glowing. I asked the front desk and they told me to turn it off. No really? turn off the heat? Gee, I never thought of that. Also, no light switches. Obviously, I have not yet developed the necessary telepathy required to properly maintain my room as a habitable environment.

For lunch I had some local cuisine – and by ‘local cuisine’ I mean convenience store microwavable noodles – and it was pretty good. Also, cost less than a dollar. It was very spicy, though nothing I was unprepared for. I seriously don’t believe I have any capsaicin receptors left in my mouth after India. The only way I knew it was hot was that my nose wouldn’t stop running and I had some serious coughing spurts.

I did end up going for several walks because sitting in my hotel room all day didn’t seem as entertaining as it had yesterday. I did learn that sidewalks are not necessarily only for pedestrians. In Korea they are more extensions of the street. I learned this because I was almost run over on what I believed to be somewhere where cars were not welcome. Silly me.

The snack-type food in the convenience store was strange. They had cheese sticks and they had meat sticks. But then they had cheese and meat sticks. The next evolution. The number and variety of meat sticks were a little overwhelming as well. I’m not even sure I know what half of them were made of.

On a related note, Koreans, apparently, have an unnatural interest in Spam. More on this later.

I hear the US Hockey team is in the running for the gold, although they may have won/lost by now. Korea’s perspective on the Olympics is interesting because it’s so different from America’s. In the States it all ‘let’s win the gold! We are the best! USA! USA! USA!’ In Korea it’s ‘we probably won’t win but won’t it be fun to watch everyone compete?' I’m still not sure whether this is more about national sentiment or the fact that winter sports are more popular in America than they are in Korea.

I am going to move into my apartment either tomorrow or the day after, depending on when it is ‘ready’ for me, whatever that means.

My goal tonight: stay up until 10pm

/babbling

I am here! I’m alive!

After a fourteen hour plane ride I landed in Seoul without any problems. Korean Air really is a great airline. I even slept about two hours which is a big deal for me. Normally, I can’t sleep on airplanes. They had toothbrushes and toothpaste in the bathroom, strange outfits for the flight attendants and a number of other small things that made it a good flight. Also, we flew AROUND North Korea which I appreciated. I may have gotten some sort of cold or something, though, because my throat is killing me. Upon landing we were informed that the Korean figure skater, Yu-Na Kim, had just won the gold and a world record at the Olympics.

Getting through customs and immigration was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I figured since I was staying for a year and was going to work in Korea they would have more questions in immigration for me but as it turns out, they don’t care.

When I walked out of the gate, there was a guy from the hotel holding a sign that said ‘Mr. Emily Everhart’. Since there probably wasn’t a guy on my flight who happened to have the same name as me, I figured he was there to meet me. He seemed pretty embarrassed about the sign because when I gestured towards him he immediately hid the sign. I decided it would be rude to ask to keep it.

He showed me to a car that took me to my hotel, about 25 min. from the airport. We crossed a Sunshine Skyway-esque bridge into Seoul proper and I checked into my hotel. I tried to stay awake until something resembling sleeping time in Seoul but at about 7pm I fell asleep while reading and dropped my Kindle. I decided that staying up much longer would be detrimental to my electronics and maybe I should take this in baby steps. I went to sleep and woke up again at 3am. I told myself I was going to at least stay in bed until 6am but that didn’t work either. I ended up reading some and watching some historical dramas on television. There was this one about Robin Hood which I found enthralling in my jet-lagged state.

I finally went down to breakfast which was served buffet style. It was good but WAY too expensive. I’m going to check out the convenience store down the street and see if they have food stuffs so I don’t have to eat here for lunch or dinner. Honestly, the buffet was so good I might pay for it again tomorrow.

Going to Korea, brb.

After many scheduling shenanigans I finally have a definite plan of action once I get to Korea. And I didn't even have to cancel my non-refundable one-way ticket. I'm staying in a hotel for a couple days until my apartment can be made ready for me.

The last two days have been ridiculously stressful for me to the point where I am actually looking forward to a 14 hour plane flight where I have no last minute thing I have to do. I didn't get to say goodbye to a lot of people I meant to, but thats how I roll, apparently.

My next post will be made from Seoul!

Really Annoying

I am off to a rocky start, it appears, in boss-employee relations. This last week started out with my contact at the recruitment agency, Lucy, telling me she had a plane ticket for me. Which was great despite the fact that it was 20+ hours of travel time. I've had worse.

But! She emailed back a couple hours later and said, actually, can you get your own ticket? Which worked just fine for me because the ticket she got me had me arriving on Monday, March 1st, and I would have to start teaching Tuesday. Not an ideal situation, to say the least. So, I found my own ticket for what I thought was a steal that got there the Friday before the 1st and sent her a confirmation saying that I was all set. This way, I figured, I would have time to figure out at least where everything was before I had to start working.

Then! Lucy emailed me and said the principal of the school I was to work for, the person who will ultimately pay for my ticket, said the non-refundable ticket I had purchased was too much money and could I please cancel it and find another?

We are currently battling it out in a kind of bi-continent, passive aggressive, wait-until-the-other-person-is-asleep-and-drop-an-email-bomb, phone-tag event that should really be an Olympic sport. Worst comes to worst I'm responsible for the difference between the two tickets which is just $100 so it not really that big a deal. Just really annoying.

HOBO

My plans for Korea are eternally in limbo but rest assured I will make it there! I went to the Korean consulate Tuesday and managed to have a horrible time of it (do you know how many buildings on Massachusetts Ave. have a Korean flag hanging outside their building? 'Cause I do). But to make a long and demoralizing story short, my visa should be ready on Friday (Feb. 19th).

My visa number started with the letters 'HOBO'. I feel I am being labeled.

On the brighter side, I met a fellow English teacher at the Consulate and she was very enthusiastic about her experiences in Korea.

Also, good news, only PART of Korea has Malaria! This makes my life easier. More on this later.

For the meantime, here is what I worked on while shut in my house during the Snowpocalypse:



also, this: