Seven weeks in South Korea, and it is as fascinating as ever. I guess the intricacies and awkwardness that surround a new culture will continue to grow for however long I stay here. Now, looking at a year in this country seems like nothing—there is no way I can even begin to feel like I'm used to or familiar with this place in that amount of time. I am continually annoyed/ ashamed that I do not know the language here. I didn't think it would affect me this much, but it really is. It's really hard to sit in the teacher's office while everyone is talking (really loudly) and laughing and I can understand all of five words per five minutes. I often think they are talking about me….but that could just be some paranoia/ self involvement coming through (although, when I hear "Mi-Guk," which means American, "Song sang nim Yong-O," which means English teacher, or just straight up "Alex-uh" they must be talking about me, right?!?!) And then, I don't know if what they are saying is good or bad… Oh well, I'm sure whatever they say, about me or not, is harmless. All of the teachers here are very nice individuals; I do wish I could speak with them a little easier though.
On that note, my Korean lessons are going relatively well. I can now say "I'm hungry" "when?" "why?" "Where?" "What?" "I do (not) understand" "I have" "Give me, please" as well as some body parts, like hand, hair, fingers, etc. The literal translations for some of the body parts are really cool. The words for face translate into "Soul Cave," wrist is "hand neck," hair is "head fingers." It's pretty cool. At the moment, I am learning verbs and verb structures, this is both easy and confusing. There are a few different levels of politeness (according to a person's age), but there are only three tenses (past, present, future). Also, sentences are formed with the Subject and the Object at he beginning of the sentence followed by the verb, whereas English goes S V O….ain't too bad. Hopefully it will just click one day or something. My friend and I joke about selling our souls in order to have a computer chip implanted in our brains
… Okay….okay…. I haven't written for what, four weeks? five weeks?? Far too long whatever the time is. A lot has happened in those few weeks…I finally have a phone (if anyone wants to call J , my number is 010-2618-0527 and Korea's country code is 82), internet and cable. I also have a bed (a real bed!! No more sleeping mats for Alex), and a desk…."Wow-uh!", as they say here. So, I have an apartment right now, I'm almost like an actual adult! Weird. Also, another foreigner moved into my building. His name is Louis Orioux (pronounced Oreo) from Canada, and he seems pretty cool. It was refreshing to have him there, especially after three weeks of me being the ONLY person in my building…which was a little creepy.
Hmmmmm, you want some actual activities?? Funny ones? I have a few. One, which I found thoroughly entertaining, may be a little disturbing. When it happened I was hesitant to share the details with people back home, as they are a little intense, but, upon reflection….it is funny, and ridiculous. Remember the huge black man named Rob? Like super huge—a six foot eight almost pro football player? Well, a couple weekends ago I met him, along with some other peeps in Seoul, one of them being this obnoxious scrawny white Wisco kid named Frank. Frank has dreams of being an ultimate fighter some day, he's a little masochistic (he has burned himself with cigars and stuff, just to feel the pain), and he's just pretty flippin intense… not my cup of tea. He actually kind of makes me wanna punch him. Well, Frank had been putting Rob into headlocks and stuff for the last two weekends, and being a regular jackass (but in a "friendly"/"joking" way). And, his actions continued into that weekend. We had been out in Seoul for a while, had some dinner and were at the bars. At the last one we went to, I went to the toilet, and was fetched by my friend who said we were leaving because Frank and Rob were too drunk….just great (I don' t want to go to Seoul with large groups of people anymore). I go outside to see Frank, super bloody faced on the curb and Rob standing there over him….apparently Frank had put Rob in his last headlock and Rob proceeded to head butt him. SIX times. Oh drunken boys, what a joy…
Frank's nose was bleeding profusely and his eye steadily swelled shut, while he sat on the sidewalk crying like the real Ultimate Fighter he is. (Side note—bloody nose is pronounced Co-pee, and coffee is pronounced Cah-pee, I recently made the mistake of asking people in the office if they wanted bloody noses, not coffee, hehe). Frank's crying made Rob cry, so we had two men crying in the streets of Seoul—one, a huge man about three times bigger than the biggest Korean, and another bloody and hideous looking....a wonderful Saturday night to say the least. As the tears started to subside, and the next stage—anger/denial/I was right and you weren't started to set in, the rest of us in the group decided to head to a Norae-Bang (Karaoke bar) to lighten the mood. I had sung the Song " I believe in Angels" by ABBA (a masterpiece of a song....?) about fifteen times earlier that day on a bus full of Korean students, and I thought it would be perfect for this occasion. So, my friend Sarah and I sang it with bloody frank and recovering Rob in the background. The next three minutes went something like this:
Alex and Sarah: I believe in Angeellllsssss! Something good in Every thing IIII Seeeee!
Rob: You're not an ultimate fighter Frank! Just face it!
Alex and Sarah: I have a dreeaaammmm! A Song to siiiinnnngggg!
Rob: You're a pansy! Yeah that's right, a pussy!
Alex and Sarah: I'll cross the stream….I have a dreaaaammmm!
Frank: You knew I wasn't ready for that! Rob: You're not and Ultimate Fighter! And you never will be!
Alex and Sarah: "I have a dream….a song to sing….To help me coooopppeee with anyyythiiinnggg"
Also, there was somebody on the tambourine and another friend with a snare drum. I really, really, REEAAALLLYYY wished I could have video recorded it somehow…. Hahaaaa, this is still funny writing about it three weeks after it happened. Stupid boys. Needless to say, I hope I never hang out with Frank again.
While that story is probably the most intense and possibly the funniest thing that happened to me over the last few weeks, it plays a very small role in the fun and learning that I've had here. Over the National Foundation Holiday weekend (two weekends ago, i think) I met up with my friend Elyse and her boyfriend Zac in a city about three hours away for the Jarasum International Jazz festival. It was so awesome to see live music with old friends!! I miss it so much...the music here is mostly K-pop and electronica. We saw some bands from all over with so many different genres represented. It was great. There was also some interesting Korean music represented. Kingston Rudieska was a Korean Ska band...and there was also a blues rock singer who got everyone dancing. It was kind of wierd to be in a Korean crowd. First of all, it's pretty amazing to look at a huge sea of people, all with jet black hair--totally different than an American crowd. Second, ALL of the people in the crowd come equipped with sitting mats (not just blankets--actual mats that fold or roll up); and they don't stand up at all during the shows unless urged by the band members or for the last song.
Last week I finally had my teacher orientation, it was a shitfest if nothing else. Getting 250 english speaking foreigners together in one hotel was just asking for it. It was so cool to hang out with english speakers from all over the world. My first night I was up waaayyyy too late with a group of guys from Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, Australia, South Africa and Montana. It was flippin great to hear them all harass eachother. It was twat this, twat that, bloody 'ell, you leprachaun...f'ing kiwis....yanks....etc. etc. I was actually surprised that some of them teach English to Koreans. the English language comes in so many different forms, but I guess we can all communicate relatively easily. The Irish guy had to talk in his "American" accent a lot of the time so that anyone could understand him...he sounded kind of like a cartoon. A lot of the folks actually thought I was Irish before they heard me spoke, which was flattering...I didn't know i looked like such an Irish lass :).
In terms of learning at the Orientation, it was pretty useful. I definitely got some new ideas for fun lessons, and some insight into the present Korean curriculum and the struggles we will encounter during our time here. I learned the most from the teachers who had been here for a few years but still had to go the orientation.
Well, it's getting late...but so much more has happened...I need to get on top of this whole writing my experiences down more often. Now that I'm getting into the swing of things hopefully it will be a little easier. Teaching is going great, my kids are pretty awesome overall. My biggest problem is with the ninth graders, who think they are too cool for school. I've also had some problems with students not using their imaginations...they're too used to rote learning, and it's kind of sad. Hopefully that will change soon. I'm doing a short play next week with my conversation class. We have adapted Shel Silverstein's "Ickle me, Pickle me, Tickle me too" one of my childhood favorites. Also, I never did the blog thing. Too many people wanted me to send them the e-mail format, and when I tried to set up a blog on blogspot it was all in Korean...and I haven't had the patience to figure it out yet. Maybe someday, but not quite yet :). I love you all and I miss you sooo much. If anyone wants to come to Korea, I have a lovely floor mat waiting for you :) and plenty of kimchi and soju to keep you warm and spicy.
Peace and mucho love,
xoxo, Alex
p.s. remember that man who thought I was Russian? and liked my thighs? wellll, apparently they call prostitutes russian...ewww, i didn't know i gave off that vibe.
Here are some links to pics I've taken:
This is where I live, Yeoju : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2462293&l=97f0a&id=8600337
Jarasum Jazz Festival:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2460576&l=77893&id=8600337
Seonunsan Provincial Park, where a couple friends and I met up with climbers for a biannual Meet and Greet:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2460569&l=644e3&id=8600337
Our first hiking trip to Chiaksan, Very Danger...http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2460562&l=6851f&id=8600337
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