So first of all, some of the Korean kids are a little rude. NOT ALL. Don’t get me wrong, but I keep on getting odd experiences now and then. For 2 weeks in a row, one of my co-workers’ son comes up to me randomly and sticks out his hands and says, “gum”. I’m thinking to myself, “what in God’s name?” Both times I’m in front of the computer doing researching ideas for my lesson plans for my kids. The first time I’m chewing gum and I don’t even offer it to him. So it was rude for him to just come up to me and say “gum”. It was really funny, because as a native English teacher it is my duty to make them say a sentence. So I say to him, “What about gum? I don’t know what that means just saying gum.” He looks at me befuddled. Now the second time to following week, I’m not even chewing gum, I’m having coffee. So again he approaches me and says “gum.” I look at him and say, “I don’t have gum darling. I’m having coffee. Do you want coffee?” Again, he looks at me befuddled. I’m thinking to myself, “wow this child needs to learn some English manners. I understand that it’s not his fault, but I mean honestly I wasn’t even chewing gum! It didn’t make any sense! In my head I’m thinking, do I look like I have gum to you? I’m having coffee!” I was laughing and annoyed at the same time. HA! Geeze Louise. Well, Louise hasn’t popped out yet, so that’s a good thing. HA! But this behavior is getting really annoying. If it happens again, I don’t know how, but I’m gonna say something to his mom. It’s really rude to assume that someone gives you gum and they don’t even offer. It’s interesting, because these kids are very pampered in a lot of ways. But then again, their much more polite than the spoiled kids that I have met in my experience with spoiled kids. There different kind of mannerisms.

So I ended the week on Friday a wee bit frustrated. My employers have cameras in their office. So they can watch and listen how the kids behave in class and they can see what the teachers are doing. Now I understand that parents want to see how their kids are behaving in class. I understand that perspective. However, I’m feeling like I’m expected to teach perfectly. Good Lord! I mean it’s not realistic to expect that English teachers are perfect and can’t make mistakes. I mean we’re human, are we not? Especially, when they have not been trained. My co-workers told me don’t worry, they treat every new teacher like that. Watching them a lot. Man oh man! I’m still adapting. But it’s really aggravating right now. Friday night just stayed in, needing my alone time after an aggravating day.

Saturday I took the subway to Seoul to see a musical. It was really funny because my Korean friend was trying to help me get the subway ticket and I got on the subway and I got confused and somehow got on the wrong line. So there was a lot of translating!! HA! Oh man! What a day! But I found my way. Just so everyone knows, there is always someone helpful on the train willing to help. So I learned an important lesson, THANK GOD FOR KOREAN FRIENDS! Those of you that are reading this and planning to study or work over in South Korea, make sure you find Korean friends. It makes a difference when your in another country and feeling overwhelmed with the culture and language. No matter what country you’re at, find people that speak the language and your language. Besides the fact that they can translate, they can help you learn the language as well!! =) My Korean friends said they can help me learn the language and they’ll teach me! Woo hoo!

So when I arrived to meet my lovely friend, Youngsun, we went to get a little sandwich in a café, because I felt really faintly on the train. I thought I was gonna pass out! Yeeks! Not good. I was feeling really overwhelmed and dizzy. So I sat down and just took a deep breath (on the train). After the lovely cute café meeting, we explored the area and we met my dear friend Boram to go the Musical. So how did I get the tickets? Ahh, my co-worker got 4 ticket invites to go see the musical Our Town. She didn’t want to go so she offered me the tickets! So, when we got there, the musical was cancelled. I’m thinking, “oh man! This stinks! I got all pretty for nothing!” Sighhh… But! The good news is that we went down to the box office and I saw “Nunsense!” Yay! I was able to see Nunsense! It was quite a hoot to see. I have to admit the first act was dragging, but the second act was better. I felt a little dizzy during the play because it was my first musical experience not in my language. I had been to Cleveland Opera countless times, but there is always English translation above on a screen. So there was not screen telling me what they were saying. My friends kept on telling me the basics of the story. Since I was brought up around nuns, I got the jist of the story line. Nunsense is a pretty popular musical, so I can get the English translation online.
So after the musical, I went on the train with my Korean friend Boramy and I was venting to her about the boy saying gum. When the train came to a stop, an older Korean man points his umbrella as he walking off the train and says “sailor”. I’m thinking to myself “huh?” I asked Boram, “What was he saying?” Apparently he was saying, “be silent” in English, but it sounded like sailor! Ha! I’m looking at him blankly. Maybe my intonational talk offended him or something. Unfortunately, it’s a male dominated society, so he was probably annoyed that my voice rose above a man’s voice I’m guessing. What was weird is that, as he left the subway, he’s still sticking out his arm and the doors closed on his arm! Oh man! Why would someone keep sticking out their arm and not expect the doors to close? Oh well.. My Korean friends told me “he’s crazy, just ignore it”. He didn’t scare me, I was bigger than him anyhow. There were other people around talking, so I don’t understand why he would do such a thing.

So back to a more interesting note, when we got to Boramy’s cousin’s place. We went to a place that was kinda like a relaxing spa place. I can’t remember the name, but I’ll find out. But you walk in and they give you bracelet that has a key and some technological lock thing. So we get 2 lockers, 1 to put shoes in and then another locker to put clothes in. They give you clothes. But this place had snack bar, foot pool massage, and regular massage, sweat room (forgot the name), TV, and bathing pool. Koreans are very open with sharing things. Unfortunately, in the bathing pool it’s not like there are private showers and public. It’s all public, no private. They don’t see it a big deal because we’re all one sex, but I just personally wouldn’t feel comfortable in that situation. There they didn’t have beds they had little cushions. Similar to a pad that you workout on to do sit-ups on, very flat little pillow with the pads. It was really funny, because there was this Korean older lady that kept on looking at me and she told my Korean friends that I was very beautiful and that she liked me. Ha! I was flattered and laughing at the same time. She was telling me in Korean that her little grandson was very good at English and wanted to talk to me in English but was too shy. I saw the little boy, it was so funny. He just stood there frozen looking at me with his mouth open. HA! I said “Hello!” Then he waved and said “Hello!”
We all couldn’t stop laughing.

Korean’s definitely eat A LOT of rice here. I think in every meal. Even in drinks! HA! It was interesting. Heeyoon got me a drink that was a sweet traditional Korean drink that had rice and something else I don’t know. Besides the drink, we had hard-boiled eggs. Very interesting.

Oh! By the way, I thought that all Korean girls have to live at home till they get married. Well, not all. It was funny because Heeyoon lives with her brother and she told me that she had never heard of that. I’m thinking “Realllyy?” But if you work or study in the city where their parents live, it’s common for them to live at home. Now if they work and/or study in a different city, they live in their own place. So I guess not all. It all depends on how they’re raised. My one Korean friend told me that’s tradition, then another tells me not really. So there are some that do and some that don’t I’ve learned here.

So that’s my adventures for the week. Next weekend I’m off to Jinju to see Heeyoon’s hometown with Boramy. Soo exciting! Hopefully we’ll be back in time for the charity volleyball event benefiting the children’s orphanage on Sunday afternoon.

Sorry I don’t have many pictures this week. I need a camera so bad, since my camera broke I’m borrowing friends’ cameras a lot. I’m researching good photographer cameras through photo magazines. But I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.