Some Updates

By this time, I have tried a wide variety of Korean food.  The strangest dish I have tried has been dog meat soup.  Since going to China, I have always wanted to try dog meat.  I think it's funny that common dishes, or relatively common dishes, in one culture are completely odd or disgusting in a different culture.  I think dog meat is one of those dishes that many North Americans would find revolting.  Dog meat soup is most often eaten in the summer.  My co-teacher said there is one holiday where families will line up outside of restaurants just to eat dog meat soup.  The soup was great and a little spicy.  The dog meat was incredibly tender and similar in taste to dark chicken meat.  However, I will say that my digestive system didn't react too kindly to it the following day...

My school's cafeteria serves different items for lunch and dinner almost every day. Some of the other teachers have complemented the fact that I'll try any food at least once.  In fact, I have liked the majority of dishes that I've had in Korea.   

It's funny, there have been several times that fellow male teachers have told me that whatever I happen to be eating at the time will "help my stamina".  Of course, what they mean is that it will "help my stamina in bed".  From how often that phrase has been told to me, I feel like every dish in Korea would help my stamina!

Speaking of food, Koreans very casually comment on each other's weight, and I am definitely not immune from that kind of talk.  I've had many people tell me that I should work out.  I definitely don't take it to heart as I'm sure some others from English-speaking countries would.  Although I will say that I have been more conscious of my figure since I've been here.  Koreans are incredibly lean for the most part.  Even a lot of women who have had children maintain a slim figure.  There are obviously a lot of factors for this.  Their incredibly healthy diet is one factor, as I mentioned previously.  Another is the fact that maintaining health is incredibly important to Koreans.  I've seen people of all ages hiking, riding bikes, or playing sports.  That being said, it's also an effective way of marketing products here similar to how organic products are marketed in the United States.  If you market a product as health food, well, that's all the more reason to buy it!

While Koreans maintain their health through diet and exercise, there is also something to say with how the Koreans view illness.  Unless Koreans are deathly ill, they will come to work or school.  One of my co-teachers had mumps last week, so she stayed home for a few days.  However, teachers could have fevers, flus, etc. and they would still come to work as long as they can function at some level.  Many of my students have been sick but still come to class.  Again, if you can function, then you should come to class or work.  It's just part of their incredible work ethic.  When we stay home from work or school in the States, we view it as not only taking care of yourself, but also as a courtesy to your co-workers or classmates so you won't get them sick.  Two very different views.

Although I mentioned earlier that Koreans have a big focus on health, I think my students clearly lack good health because they don't get a lot of sleep and are often sick.  I feel sorry for my students because many of them are at school 15 hours a day.  All students arrive at school around 7:30 a.m. and many do not leave until 11:00 p.m.  Not only that, but many of them stay up until 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. each night studying.  Clearly, education is paramount in Korean society.  I think it has a lot to do with Confucianism in that it is very important to honor your ancestors, and one very big way to do that is to take education very seriously so that you have the best opportunities available to you.    

Two weeks ago my head co-teacher and another teacher (the one they call "Baby") took me to Independence Shrine.  Independence Shrine is a complex of seven or eight different buildings chronicling the Japanese occupation of Korea.  The buildings chronicled the history of the Japanese occupation with each building having one main focus.  For example, one building focused on the underground groups who fought the Japanese with terrorist-like tactics (bombings and assassinations).  We spent five hours walking through the different buildings, and even skimmed over some parts.  There was a lot of information!

For the most part, my students have been great.  They all say "Hello" or "Hi" to me in the hallways, and they never cease to make me laugh.  After lunch one day, one student asked me, "Did you like lunch today?" to which I replied, "Yes, it was good!".  The student then said with a sense of incredulation, "Really?  I think the menu is shit!"  At first I had to register what she said.  I was thinking, "Could she have meant to say something else, or did she mispronounce something."  But after a minute I just started laughing my ass off.  On one of my first days here, a group of girls were behind me as I walked to class singing "You Are So Beautiful".  Also, one time in class I asked a student, "What do you think?" and the student replied, "I don't think."  During my first couple of weeks, both girls and boys told me, "So handsome!" In Korea, it's not considered as a homosexual comeon to comment on the looks of someone of the same sex like it is in the United States.  In fact, not only are girls very touchy feely with each other, but boys as well.  Boys will lean on each others shoulders, rub each others hands, etc.  They call this "skinship"...I guess kind of like showing their fondness for each other by touching.  It's a little surprising at first, but I think it's a great element to friendships that American boys and men don't have for the most part.  Many of my friends back home are very touchy feely, but not to the extent they are here. Korean girls will also hold each others hands while walking, but that wouldn't happen in the States unless they are prepared for accusations of lesbianism.

Last weekend I went to a baseball game with about 20 different teachers in my program.  Quite the same experience as going to a baseball game in the United States, except here you can bring in all of your own food and drinks.  Hell, you can order pizza and buy beer right outside of the stadium, practically.

On Saturday I went hiking with my one of my co-teachers to a beautiful mountain called Gyeryongsan just outside of Daejeon.  It wasn't too bad of a hike and we took it slow.  A total of five hours.  At one point, my co-teacher pointed to a pair of two gigantic rocks jutting upwards.  He said, "There is a woman who lives between those two rocks...she has psychological problems."  I inquired further..."sometimes she sells mak gul li (a Korean rice liquor) to hikers..."

After hiking we went to a public bathhouse which marks my first experience in one.  I haven't been "culturally shocked" by too much since I have been here, but I must say that I certainly was at the public bathhouse...it was surreal!  More than a hundred Korean men lounging in various showers, jacuzzis, saunas, and baths as naked as they came into this world.  Even the masseuses giving massages were naked.  Disappointingly, the barber giving haircuts was not also naked.  They even had a green tea jacuzzi!  I jokingly asked my co-teacher if I could drink from the jacuzzi but I don't think he got the joke.  After the public bathhouse, my co-teacher took me to his family's apartment and his wife prepared a delicious dinner for us.  Korean pancakes (kind of similar to Western omelets), a beef and seaweed soup with tons of sides (including, of course, KIMCHI!!!).  After a couple hours of rest, we met up with my co-teachers "Mountain Club" to take a bus to the south.  Our destination: Jirisan...the tallest mountain in South Korea.

The entire time we were on the bus I was thinking "What am I getting myself into?" and "This shit is crazy!"  We arrived at 2:30 a.m. and we started the hike at 3:00 a.m.  Now, we were doing a 10 hour hike, but you still might ask what possesses anyone to START a hike at 3:00 a.m.  Well, the trail that our genius guide chose for us was a forbidden trail.  A trail that was only for park rangers apparently.  Apparently, the guide told us not to get seen by park rangers because it could mean the equivalent of a $100 fine...great.  Anyway, we were wore headlamps until sunrise and kept going, and going, and going.  Taking pictures here.  Resting a little here.  It was really difficult in some places, but I knew I couldn't give up (hahaha, so cheesy!).  In some places, we just had to straight up climb over 10-15 feet of rocks.  What made it more difficult is that I was wearing tennis shoes since I don't own a pair of hiking boots...not making that mistake again.  I was slipping everywhere.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to the peak because we ran out of time and we had to take a shortcut back (the "shortcut" being another hour and a half of hiking).  With the rest of the stragglers we eventually took a pickup truck that took us to a bus, that dropped us off to take another bus, that dropped us off at our long distance bus.  We all had dinner together on many stools and tables with mak gul li (the Korean rice liquor I mentioned earlier...it's kind of a milky, semi-carbonated rice liquor...I LOVE IT!).  What an exhausting weekend!

Thanks For Joining The Program!

Last Thursday night I went out with my co-teacher and two other teachers in the English department of my high school.  We were going to have a "teacher meeting."  One of the teachers is short, rotund, and soft spoken.  Apparently, the students call him "Baby".  I'm guessing because he physically resembles one.  The other teacher is fairly tall and has a rather gruff voice.  I think the former is in his 60s and the latter is in his 40s, but you can never really tell in this country.  While we were on our way to the former I described also mentioned how he was out until 2:00 a.m. the last night and had to be at the school at 7:30 a.m. this morning.  This is how the Koreans party!  The drinking culture is very important here.  Not just for socializing, but it's truly seen as a way to make new friends.

At the restaurant my co-teacher ordered 삼겹살 (Romanized as Samgyeopsal).  It is pork belly slices that are cooked right in front of you.  Accompanying the pork are any number of side dishes including sprouts, garlic, chili paste, eggplant, bugs (I ate them, they were good!), pickled radish, kimchi (fermented cabbage covered in chili paste), among many others.  Once the pork is cooked, you're supposed to follow this order of preparation:

1. take a piece of pork and dip it in sesame oil
2. put that on a sesame leaf and/or a cabbage leaf
3. take a slice of garlic and dip it in some chili sauce and put it on the leaf as well
4. choose any number of other sides to add on top
5. roll it up and eat it in one bite

The first time I made one my eyes widened as a result of the all of the flavors that were playing and mixing in my mouth.  What a fantastic dish!

While eating, we went through 6 or 7 20 oz. bottles of soju.  Soju is Korea's national drink of choice and is a rice-based liquor that has a really smooth taste.  While we were drinking, I learned of all the etiquette involved with drinking with people that are senior to me, both in age and in position.  I'm not going to write it all here because the rules are quite tedious, but you can read it under the "Etiquette" section here.  While drinking, my co-teacher wouldn't stop talking about how excited they were to have me as well as some of the expectations they have for me.

After getting a little intoxicated, my co-teacher insisted on taking me home to get some sleep while the other two teachers apparently stayed out until 2:00 a.m. or so doing karaoke (called "norebang" in Korean).  Immediately upon entering my apartment, I received a text message from my co-teacher that read, "Thanks for joining the program tonight."  Thus, my first real dining/drinking experience in Korea came to close. 

I'm started this blog with that episode because it's representative of what life here has been like the last two weeks:  a constant barrage of information about the culture, people, tradition, and language.

All of our teachers for metropolitan cities arrived on the same day at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul a couple of weeks ago.  They organized buses leaving at intervals to take us to Daejeon, which is the city the orientation was in but also the city in which I teach.  Daejeon is just a few hours south of Seoul by bus.  From the windows of the bus, Seoul looked like an amazing city and I look forward to visiting.  Turns out it's an easy weekend trip as the KTX (bullet train) can get us there from Daejeon in 50 minutes.

The orientation was tedious but ultimately informative and helpful.  There were lectures on creating lesson plans, working with co-teachers, Korean culture, and Korean language.  We also went on a field trip to a Buddhist temple, a Pre-Modern history museum, and a showcase of traditional Korean music.

At the orientation, they had us grouped by the city in which we would teach.  There were over 50 people in my group.  Most were from the United States and Canada, but we also had some English and one South African.  Despite that somewhat homogenous nature of our group, there are certainly a variety of personalities in our group!  I won't bother mentioning them here by name as they will inevitably be described in future posts.

Last Tuesday was the big day!  We were scheduled to meet our co-teacher(s).  A co-teacher is the person who not only teaches classes with you, but also is supposed to mentor you and help you adapt to life in Korea.  Unlike most others in my program, my co-teacher is actually the head of the sophomore class at the high school.  I only teach one class with him which is a special kind of class dealing with English speaking activities.  However, he has been unbelievably kind and hospitable.  For example, he came to pick me up yesterday and treated me to lunch.  Then he took me to the Daejeon dam.  Then he took me to a historical village that featured some old thatch-roof houses (the style that they used hundreds of years ago).  Then he took me to the downtown areas.  Finally he took me back to my area and treated me to dinner.  I offered to pay for dinner just as soon as he declined and made a swift getaway from our table straight to the front to pay.

My co-teacher is very talkative and energetic.  He is married and has three boys, one of whom is my age.  He has been teaching at my school for 22 years and I think he is about 50 years old.  He constantly tells me how happy he and everyone else is to have me teaching at his school.  He is clearly very proud of the school because seemingly every other sentence he utters begins with the words, "At my high school..."

I asked my students to come up with a list of things that I should know or learn about Korea and some of their responses were funny, surprising, and of course, informative. 

Probably the most popular response was the "Dok Do" islands.  These islands are disputed territory between Japan and Korea.  They are completely unhabitable, but because of oil reserves beneath the ocean floor, estimated to be worth 7.5 billion dollars.  When I asked why the islands were important for me to know, every student responded, "Because they are OUR islands."

 

The Koreans really do not like the Japanese.  This hatred stems almost entirely from the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-1945.  During this time the Japanese basically tried to destroy Korean identity.  They did not allow the Koreans to speak anything but Japanese and the Koreans were forced to take Japanese names.  Also, many Korean women were used as "comfort women" for the Japanese...basically sex slaves.  A pretty horrific time by all accounts.  However, probably the only good thing that the Japanese did during this time was invest a lot into developing Korea's infrastructure...a fact that no Korean will likely acknowledge. 

 

One of my students went so far as to say "You should learn to hate Japan." 

 

Other hilarious or left of center responses were that I should date a Korean girl, I should eat dog soup, and I should know about double eyelids.

I conducted an informal survey in one class to see how many students had actually tried dog soup.  It was about half.  I asked them if it was good and I got several pained grimaces in return.

 

Surgery to get double eyelids is very popular for girls here.  Almost a rite of passage...even for teenage girls.  As some argue, they want the surgery because it makes them look more "white", which some might say is the product of the hegemonic "white standard" of beauty.  I guess another argument is that they want to look like other East and North Asians who have the double eyelid characteristic.  In any case, it is a common practice here.

 

Like my Chinese students from a few years back, my Korean students are mostly very shy in class and reluctant to speak.  This week I have been conducting an activity in which they have to speak with a partner (with extremely easy vocabulary and key expressions).  Walking around while this activity is happening, most pairs aren't speaking to each other.  If they are, it's in barely audible hushed tones.  Korea is very much based in a sort of Confucian Collectivism.  To be an individual is not seen as being distinct in a positive way, but to stand out like a sore thumb.  For that reason, I think students are very weary of speaking out in class.  They don't want to be singled out.  Needless to say, it is going to be challenging to get them to speak.  I think one way I might be able to do that is by intimidation...if they won't talk to their partner...maybe they would like to say something in front of the entire class?  *cue sinister laugh* mwahahahaha

Coming back to the idea of Collectivism.  It seems to dictate all aspects of life here.  People dress the same, people buy cars that look the same, people listen to the same type of music, etc. 

Last Friday night, the teachers in our program that have already been here for a while through a party for us at a foreigners' bar called Cantina.  Almost everyone from my orientation came as well as an equal if not more number of foreigners already here.  I had a good time seeing everyone from my orientation, but also meeting some of the veteran teachers.  Strangely enough, one of the veteran teachers went to a college with a childhood friend of mine.  Furthermore, I found out that there was a foreigner here last year who had gone to KU.  I actually worked with him at the same call center I worked at before going to Chile.  I remember seeing him around that awful, soul-leeching place.  I firmly think our spiritual, mental, and emotional health is all that much better for leaving that hell on Earth.  Anyway, it's a small world and stuff!

Last night, my co-teacher invited me out for another "teachers' meeting".  This time, it was with the other teachers that I share an office with.  With the exception of my co-teacher, these weren't English teachers.  They are just different sophomore teachers.  Of course, while we were eating (much the same meal as I described at the beginning of this post), we were also downing beer and soju.  I was asked to pour/drink shots with each teacher present (there were eight) in order of descending age.  My co-teacher made it a game as I was to guess everyone's age.  I needed a lot of help in doing that because no one in Korea looks like their age.  99% of them look quite a bit younger than their actual age.  Eventually I got through all of them and afterwards they made sure I was well fed to avoid any extreme inebriation.  I also gave a speech (translated, of course) thanking them for all of their hospitality and promising to do my best at their school.  After dinner, we went to a pub style restaurant where we drank beer and ate snacks.  We called it an early night around 9:30 or so.

OK, I'm seriously done writing.  Seriously.