I'm not sure if this blog is insanely racist, or the complete opposite.
This week, our discussion and group project dealt with multi-racial children. My students and I talked about kids at their schools who were not 100% Korean. A handful of my students had one "non-Korean" at their school. Oddly, most had Korean dads and American moms, which confused me at first, but then some person (totally forgot who it was, but they are most likely much more sensible than I am) pointed out that if it were a Korean mom, then the family would probably live wherever the father was from.
Hopefully discussing discussion topics isn't like revealing any deep Chungdahm pedagogy secrets..
So all of the talk got me thinking about my own place here. Suji is in no way near as diverse as Seoul. There are foreigners here, but only a small handful, and we're all teachers. It is diverse enough that we don't really get the stares. Well, I do, but usually it's because I'm sitting and knitting, and I think Koreans are watching me because I'm doing something strange, not just because I'm white(ish). When I think about it, it's sometimes strange living in such a homogenous culture. A friend of mine and I talked about the "sameness" - he's not a fan of it, coming from one of the most diverse parts of America, but I've gotten to the point that I don't even notice.
I'm trying to figure out the point in which I stopped looking at my students and thinking "Asian" and just thought "hmm...he looks like he might be in fourth grade...got that impish look of a troublemaker". I don't really notice it in adults, either. I can remember a time in which Asian features really jumped out at me, but now, I don't really notice. I think this is a good thing - I've never been one to rely on stereotypes, but I'm a huge fan of any experience that allows me to see who people really are outside of the framework designed by their culture.
I remember when I first took this job I was afraid that I would fail because I wouldn't be able to understand the kids. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I have a really hard time getting used to new speech patterns, and accented English always throws me through a hell of a comprehension loop. I don't even notice it anymore - the "F"s as "P"s, the blending of "G" and "K" (did you know that the "G" and "K" sounds are actually insanely similar?). I was definitely worrying over nothing (hey, that sounds familiar). I don't even notice a difference in my kids' pronunciation, which is good, because now I'm paying more attention to what they're actually saying..
So, back to this whole idea of "sameness". I don't know if I entirely agree. Yes, there is a lot of similarity, but that doesn't mean this culture is lacking in individuality. I remember one of the big statements in the argument over school uniforms is that it will force students to express themselves in ways other than clothing, and I think that is happening here. In America, it's much easier to judge a person at face value (yes, I did say "judge"). American sub-cultures are largely defined by music - in many cases, it influences clothing styles and attitudes, so it's really easy to look at someone and figure out where they belong. Not saying that's the case all the time. In Korea, everyone looking alike forces you to talk to people to figure out who they really are. Yes, there are still things you can see immediately - I still maintain that a person who is an absolute jerk exudes that from their pores.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
친구 - it's been ages =p
Yeah, I never post anymore...
New term has started. Even though I was hired to teach the higher-levels, I have a ton of lower levels again. However, I'm different from many of the teachers - I like the lower-level ones. Prepping is easier, and they are so cute! And usually say things that make me laugh so hard :) My "token child" this term is a self-proclaimed dancer. So far, all of the sentences he has to construct during "Let's Talk About You" have been about dancing. My favorite was the "is different' from": "Teacher's dancing is different from my dancing" (then he stood up and did the hula). I'm also teaching the Level 2 (higher level) IBT prep class, which isn't as painful as I thought (I'm owing all of that to the kids and their insanely awesome personalities - not sure how much actual work we'll get done.....), and 2 Alba Listening classes (higher level). The Alba kids are quiet as ghosts - probably because all of the outgoing ones are in the IBT class. My branch does higher levels on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and why they are offering the Level 2 IBT electives on the SAME days as the regular reading and listening classes is beyond me. I'm hoping that it's just first-day shyness and that they'll open up a bit more in the coming weeks. Didn't help that our Critical Thinking Project totally blew (sorry CDI, but the Track B Lesson 1 CTP STTIINNNKKKSSS - but, don't worry, in true good-teacher fashion, in class I pretended it was the coolest thing on the planet).
Went on another total shopping spree today with my "man-friend" Tim. Spent way too much money; however, I have like 4.5 million won saved so far. Intensives are coming up, and that little egg is going toward The Future. But I digress - let's talk more about the shopping because, face it, it's a lot more fun =p. Went to The Gap (partially because I am frightened that I still don't fit in Korean-store clothes....and partially because I am currently coveting some of their summer line) and I bought replacements for 2 shirts I purchased a month ago that are now too big. God, I love it. Put an asterisk here - I'm coming back to this idea*. I know that I probably could've taken out my shiny new sewing kit (<3 u, Lotte Mart!!) and taken them in, but I think I'm going to cut them up and do a t-shirt deconstruction project. Man I wish I'd brought my copy of Generation T: 108 Things To Do With A T-Shirt; however (don't you love these contrast transitions???), I did find this cute shrug pattern which may prove promising :).
Okay, back to that asterisk I know you _all_ placed. If you're reading this because you followed my blog here from Aclipse and/or found through a search engine because you are coming to Korea soon and are like me and wanted to read about everyone's experiences (INHALE), here's something you need to know: be prepared for your weight to fluctuate. I don't own a scale, but I know I've lost like 2 pants sizes here. Now, that may not prove true for everyone - I was like insanely overweight when I got here, so, really, it didn't take much for all of it to fall of. BUT (circle!!) I will guarantee that _all_ of your clothes will stretch with washing because Korea doesn't have dryers. (You get a drying rack - really makes you appreciate how easy it was to do your laundry back home.) I am probably not really a medium, but I buy most of my clothes from American stores here (yes, like The Gap) in a medium because they stretch out. Hence why I had to buy 2 new shirts (still, looking forward to turning the old ones into shrugs...especially seeing that this country isn't a giant fan of the tank top).
Also, I will buy dinner for the person who comes over to my apartment to tell me *where* I can put more clothing storage.
Related, Jessi, I owe you dinner (this is from like a month ago, but I'm just now confirming). Keep a tally and you can cash in when I come back :)
I realize that this whole entry has been about shopping and clothes. I'm not sure if it's me growing up, or this country, but I have become so vain! Before, washing my face was like a 30 second process - now, I'm running out of room in my bathroom for all of my facial products!!! Not entirely sure it's made my skin clear up, but I *can* see a difference in the clogged pores on my nose. Future expats (if you're still reading), don't worry about bringing a ton of products to Korea. You can't walk down the street without running into 5 or 6. Million. Plus, on weekends, they are constantly trying to lure you into their stores with free stuff - take advantage of the competition and score it all! If I need like 3 things, I will go into three different stores just so I can get the 3 different free gifts :)
Family who are reading this: don't worry, I'm not spending all of my money. I barely scratched the surface of my savings, and it was fun. I promise I only do this like once a month (if that) AND my shopping partner is moving back to America in August.
New term has started. Even though I was hired to teach the higher-levels, I have a ton of lower levels again. However, I'm different from many of the teachers - I like the lower-level ones. Prepping is easier, and they are so cute! And usually say things that make me laugh so hard :) My "token child" this term is a self-proclaimed dancer. So far, all of the sentences he has to construct during "Let's Talk About You" have been about dancing. My favorite was the "is different' from": "Teacher's dancing is different from my dancing" (then he stood up and did the hula). I'm also teaching the Level 2 (higher level) IBT prep class, which isn't as painful as I thought (I'm owing all of that to the kids and their insanely awesome personalities - not sure how much actual work we'll get done.....), and 2 Alba Listening classes (higher level). The Alba kids are quiet as ghosts - probably because all of the outgoing ones are in the IBT class. My branch does higher levels on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and why they are offering the Level 2 IBT electives on the SAME days as the regular reading and listening classes is beyond me. I'm hoping that it's just first-day shyness and that they'll open up a bit more in the coming weeks. Didn't help that our Critical Thinking Project totally blew (sorry CDI, but the Track B Lesson 1 CTP STTIINNNKKKSSS - but, don't worry, in true good-teacher fashion, in class I pretended it was the coolest thing on the planet).
Went on another total shopping spree today with my "man-friend" Tim. Spent way too much money; however, I have like 4.5 million won saved so far. Intensives are coming up, and that little egg is going toward The Future. But I digress - let's talk more about the shopping because, face it, it's a lot more fun =p. Went to The Gap (partially because I am frightened that I still don't fit in Korean-store clothes....and partially because I am currently coveting some of their summer line) and I bought replacements for 2 shirts I purchased a month ago that are now too big. God, I love it. Put an asterisk here - I'm coming back to this idea*. I know that I probably could've taken out my shiny new sewing kit (<3 u, Lotte Mart!!) and taken them in, but I think I'm going to cut them up and do a t-shirt deconstruction project. Man I wish I'd brought my copy of Generation T: 108 Things To Do With A T-Shirt; however (don't you love these contrast transitions???), I did find this cute shrug pattern which may prove promising :).
Okay, back to that asterisk I know you _all_ placed. If you're reading this because you followed my blog here from Aclipse and/or found through a search engine because you are coming to Korea soon and are like me and wanted to read about everyone's experiences (INHALE), here's something you need to know: be prepared for your weight to fluctuate. I don't own a scale, but I know I've lost like 2 pants sizes here. Now, that may not prove true for everyone - I was like insanely overweight when I got here, so, really, it didn't take much for all of it to fall of. BUT (circle!!) I will guarantee that _all_ of your clothes will stretch with washing because Korea doesn't have dryers. (You get a drying rack - really makes you appreciate how easy it was to do your laundry back home.) I am probably not really a medium, but I buy most of my clothes from American stores here (yes, like The Gap) in a medium because they stretch out. Hence why I had to buy 2 new shirts (still, looking forward to turning the old ones into shrugs...especially seeing that this country isn't a giant fan of the tank top).
Also, I will buy dinner for the person who comes over to my apartment to tell me *where* I can put more clothing storage.
Related, Jessi, I owe you dinner (this is from like a month ago, but I'm just now confirming). Keep a tally and you can cash in when I come back :)
I realize that this whole entry has been about shopping and clothes. I'm not sure if it's me growing up, or this country, but I have become so vain! Before, washing my face was like a 30 second process - now, I'm running out of room in my bathroom for all of my facial products!!! Not entirely sure it's made my skin clear up, but I *can* see a difference in the clogged pores on my nose. Future expats (if you're still reading), don't worry about bringing a ton of products to Korea. You can't walk down the street without running into 5 or 6. Million. Plus, on weekends, they are constantly trying to lure you into their stores with free stuff - take advantage of the competition and score it all! If I need like 3 things, I will go into three different stores just so I can get the 3 different free gifts :)
Family who are reading this: don't worry, I'm not spending all of my money. I barely scratched the surface of my savings, and it was fun. I promise I only do this like once a month (if that) AND my shopping partner is moving back to America in August.
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