I am looking out my window and I see a looming mist around rich green mountains and rollercoaster hills. The "marble palace" that I live in is one gigantic building( incredibly eco friendly) and very Palo Soleri in the sense that it is built up and surrounded by some of the most beautiful and enticing nature you have ever seen. There are also many covered verandas around so you can enjoy studying korean as rain pours from above.
Infact, I did just that yesterday night. It is amazing to me that in three days of intensive Korean instruction (four hours a day)my class has gone from a few people knowing the alphabet to reading sentences at a (semi) fluid pace. Thats like 4 years growth in 12 hours, TFA would be so proud. :) During my stay here I have also gotten a sense for Korean culture, nothing that I didn't know already, but more like facts being confirmed before my eyes. Example: male-male or female-female effection is common. Older gentleman can be seen walking hand in hand and girls give each other lots of effection. During one of our drinking outtings (ive only gone twice but people have been hitting the town 40 or so at a time for days straight, we are picking up on this aspect really well) two of our male Korean college student friends were kissing each others heads in a way that would cause most Americans to raise eyebrows.Though it did bring back memories of a certain group of 09 TFA corps memebers who were very bro-mantic with each other, went on movie dates and were not afraid to show some love. (Miss you guys, you would be so loved here) Interestingly enough, Koreans have no gaydar and the gay culture is still only beginning to make so headway when it comes to understanding of the concept.
Respect is the name of the game here, I find myself bowing overnearly every three steps as I walk down the halls, insa is the word for greeting and giving insa will result in me having a six pack. We bow to Professors, our Korean teachers and even the construction workers who pound away at the school at all time of the day (this university seriously has a heartbeat, they are always baning out a steady rhythm and when it stops everyone notices because our bodies arent shaking anymore. ALso- fun fact- construction workers wear really nice collared shirts to work!! so cute.)
I have had the pleasure of experiencing a Korean classroom as a field trip to Changju. First off, they really do hate feet here (so glad someone else shares my intense disgust) and you have to take your shoes off whenever you enter a household or room. There are even lips in our rooms that bring the rest of the room up so we leave the shoes on the bottom ledge as we enter. Anyway, after taking our shoes off the elementary teachers and I went through the school in comfy slippers that I hope to god someone cleaned before I was forced to shove my feet in there. The hallways, floors, and even steps were plastered with english phrases, they focus so much on english language cultivation that they do not waste any room. However, the red riding hood story that pasted on the steps (each time you walk up you read a new line) was a little awkward and thus probably not helpful to their English development.
Also- one more gripe- the korean kids dont raise hands. That is part of the culture, they just shout words out. I plan on instilling a little American teaching practice when it comes to those things. I already know the Korean word for NO so I think I will practice that for the first days before they simmer down and sit in their seats. Truth be told, behavior was much worse that I have seen in many classrooms, mainly because the problems were being completely ignored by the teacher. They were super cute though. Bonus points- one kid wore suspenders and knew everything. I suspect him to be the class captain, being one for my Korean class I get him. I just need to get a pair of suspenders to complete the look.
Ah, I have so much more to say but that mountain is looking too good not to explore it. Korea rocks, I need you all to come and see it for yourself. so :) Anyongkaseyo!
No comments:
Post a Comment