Cute.

The girls at Yeongbok are always up to something, and my coworkers are always kept busy judging pieces of art or their school work (competitiveness is a huge asset in this country). This week the girls put homemade dolls on display! They will go to disadvantaged girls in poverty stricken countries, via UNICEF. Pretty nice of them, huh? Well, that's just how my students are...

I'm beginning to notice a trend here: students work and work, and I always end up reaping the benefits. They clean my coffee cup, empty my garbage basket, erase and wash my blackboards, set up the AV stuff for my computer... and make cute dolls for me to play with on my break. Hmmm.

Retirement Parties in Korea; I didn't get the "formal" memo.

Yesterday was the final day of work for the Principal of Yeongbok Girl's High School. A man who I have said "hello" to once, "nice to meet you" once and, now, I can add "congratulations" to that very short list of personal exchanges.

I was told there would be a dinner, but didn't think much of it. I thought it would be like every other staff party: held at a restaurant with lots of soju, speeches and noraebang, but I wasn't told exactly how important retirements in Korea are (depending on how important you are, of course).

First of all, it was not just the retirement party for our Principal, but also for our head librarian. The two men had worked together at Yeongbok for thirty years, but they had also gone to university together, so are quite close after all this time. The party was a joint party, held at a fancy wedding hall, and their wives were dressed to the nines in their hanbok. I was wearing what I wore to school, my hair was a mess, I wasn't wearing any make up... I basically looked a disaster. This didn't stop the Principal from wanting to be seen with me, though, and I stood, smile frozen on my lips, as the photographers snapped photo after photo.

I stayed for several speeches and then left early as I had prior engagements- again, I didn't think it was such a big deal...

In any case, thirty years of committed work in one school is something worth celebrating, right?

Hazy Summer Days...

I'm so happy it's Friday!

Sometimes I forget how close Suwon is to the ocean. On certain Spring, Summer and Autumn days, when I'm walking down the street or up the hill to get to school, I get the faintest whiff of the ocean on the breeze. I love it.

The city feels inland, and it is, but it isn't more than a 30 minute drive to the ocean and there are few mountains between us and the coast. It's easy to forget things when you live in a bubble, I guess.

It's also that time of year: monsoon season is over, giving way to hot and extremely humid weather. At least it's sunny almost every day! The big kicker is that it's also the time of year that those godforsaken cicadas come out of the ground and start partying in the trees.

I first arrived in Korea two years ago, at the end of July. When I heard these bugs for the first time I was frightened, thinking something was wrong with the power lines. The bugs make a very electrical sound- and it's so loud, so unnatural!

Now I'm used to them and even welcome their singing. When I climb the hill to my school every morning it feels like I'm walking through the jungle (heat and noise wise). It helps that the founder of Yeongbok was a great nature lover and made sure the school was completely surrounded by gardens and trees- we even have squash and lettuce growing in the flower gardens!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend- I'm headed to the beach! No Great Whites, please.

Janine Teacher's New Class

I say all the time how cool my students are, and how much work they have to do every day, right?

Well, right now it's "summer vacation".

During "summer vacation", which lasts from July 22nd to August 20th, the students continue to attend classes. Usually, they have to stay at the school until around 10PM, but during "summer vacation" they get to leave around 9 PM- amazing!

During "summer vacation" the girls take classes with their regular teachers for extra help or to make up for a bad grade. They also take part in special classes, like the one I'm teaching right now about essay writing.

While I feel bad for the girls and their lack of a real summer vacation, I'm really enjoying this class. They picked 30 of the smartest girls to take it, they had to write an application form in order to be admitted and then they split them up into two 15 student classes. I teach them about different kinds of essays and how to appropriately express themselves in English (without using the ubiquitous electronic pocket dictionary).

Yesterday, I split the girls up into five groups of three. I gave them a random newspaper headline and told them to write me a story, as a group, about the headline and then present it to the class. Some of their stories were quite funny, and I don't think they would mind if I shared them with you!

Headline: Mother Goose, a Fixture at London's Public Gardens, Dies of Old Age:

Story:

Once upon a time, there one goose couple in the London. This couple was famous for sincere loving each other. One day, this lovely couple bore a female goose. She was named after "Mother Goose" because she did a great job. What do you think the great job was?

When she (Mother Goose) was two years old, she fell in love with a handsome goose which was known for F4 (Janine's note* F4 is a famous group of handsome Korean men on TV- the girl's are all crazy about them). They were married and, after a year, Mother Goose couple stood on their own feet.

They laid seven eggs on the tree, which was symbol at London. One day, the cute goslings were hatched, Mother Goose couple went out to find food for their babies. Suddenly, a fire broke out near their nest and their seven eggs were in risk. The people, hearing this situation, came out the nest. They tried to put down the fire, but they couldn't. At the moment, Mother Goose couple came out and spout water in their mouths.

The fire put out. The people clapped and applauded them.

(Janine's note* at this point in the class I told them they had one minute to finish- these girls were just getting started! They could have written this story into a novel.)

By the way, the wonderful goose died yesterday. We won't forget her love for babies.

The End


This one was my favourite, but there were four other strong efforts- including a story about a girl named Janine who went to Harvard but, even though Harvard guaranteed their grads jobs once they graduated, she couldn't get a job so she sued Harvard for $70,000.00.

Another was about a famous fish who was a popular TV personality in Britain. He died.

A Sunny Day During Monsoon Season

And a field trip to boot!

Well... more like a camp for "1st Graders" (10th graders if you're a canuck). A few days ago the head of the language department at school asked me to prepare an hour long presentation for the girls about Canada. The only problem is, I have been teaching these girls for over a week now and they already know everything about Canada (what? they're fast learners). So what do I write about?

Well, ever since I started teaching here I have never been more aware of the differences between Canada and Korea. In a hagwon, you are slowly transitioned into Korean culture and mannerisms- it's almost like you don't even notice you're becoming acclimatized. In my new school, many of the students have never met a foreinger before. They're curious about what is normal in Canada- normal fashion, normal passtimes, normal behaviour... and the more I think about it, the more polar opposite the two countries appear! So strange how these things creep up on you.

Anyway, I made up a *very long* slide show describing the differences between Canada and Korea. Like Canada, Korea is automatically compared to the bigger countries surrounding it (Japan, China) by Westerners. Likewise, Canada is often considered the same as the US by Asians. It's been a great learning experience these past few weeks, let me tell you.

Here are a few of the materials I'm using in my presentation:





Korea's capital city- vibrant, crazy, awesome Seoul.



Laid back, chilled out, and, compared to Seoul, very tiny: Ottawa



Considered by many (but not by me) to be a national hero: Wayne Gretsky



Every girl in Korea looks up to figure skating champion Kim Yu Na. She's in a lot of commercials here. Like, all of them.



Korea's not-so-loveable president: Lee Myung Bak



Canada's not-so-loveable Prime Minister: Stevo Harper



Canada's "funny guy": Jim Carrey



Korea's "funny guy": No Hong Cheol (he's on every TV show known to man)



Canada's favourite (?) food: Poutine! Yum!



Korea's national food: Kimchi, obviously! Yum. Yummmmmmmm.



The Rockies in Canada...



And Bekdusan in Korea (note: although every Korean person considers Bekdusan the most beautiful and famous mountain in Korea, it is actually located in North Korea- therefore, the South Koreans cannot climb it. Although they would very much like to. Oh! Also, this is the famed mountain that the trickster himself, Kim Jong Il, told the people of North Korea he was born on. And there was an iceberg in the lake. And the night he was born, a bolt of lightning struck the iceberg and broke it in two. And that's why he's god. And the poor people of North Korea know better, but they have to agree with him. Gah!)



Ugh- we have Avril...



And Korea has Rain (비). Hey Korea... wanna switch? I love Rain.



Finally! Korea's badass national animal!




...And then there's Canada's beaver. *Cough, cough*

High School is Tough in Korea

It's funny how, after two years, I still find myself in new situations regarding Korean culture. I mean, when you get used to the place, you find yourself adapting to the culture here and you don't really notice that it's a different culture at all(except when baring your soul to another foriegner).

That's why I was surprised when, thinking I finally had it all figured out, I took a job at a Korean public high school. Let me tell you, friends, this is nothing like working at a hagwon. Hagwons are so westernized compared to public schools!

At a public school, you are expected to behave much more formally- especially around your boss and your senior teachers. You cannot refuse certain things, such as a shot of soju after having one shot too many or, in my case, agreeing to model the new school uniforms (how embarassing).

The students, too, have a harder time at school than Western students. Well, I knew that. What I didn't know was the extent to which these teenagers are worked. It's overwhelming! They stay at school until 10 PM- after the vast majority of teachers have gone home- to do something they call "self study". They have large amounts of homework every night and their exams are impossibly difficult (yesterday the senior classes had a provincial English exam, and the readings were so vague even I wasn't sure about some answers). The workload is equal or larger than an average university student's in Canada.

On top of all the work they do, the girl's here have to wear uniforms (they don't like their uniforms- they are always asking me what I think of them), which, really, I don't think is such a terrible thing. What I find strange is that, even though they are already wearing uniforms, they also have to have similar haircuts. This means that with the uniforms and haircuts it has been extremely easy for me to mix up names and faces... again; embarassing.

There are certain teachers at the school whose "extra cirricular" activity is to make sure the girl's are following appearance protocol at all times. They need to verbally abuse the girl's if their hair is an inch longer than it should be. The teacher's don't necessary like doing this, but rules are rules- and high school in Korea is nothing if not a rule oriented environment. If the rules were forsaken, education would be thrown out the window!

I shy away from the questions the girls have about high school students in Canada. It's too painful for them to hear about the freedom and "rights" that students enjoy (a little too liberally, if you ask me) in Canada. Instead, I tell them about the drugs many students ruin their lives with and the many students who have no dreams or ambitions in Canadian public schools. That makes the girls feel much better, because despite all the rules, regulations and the heavy workload they must endure during high school, every one of these girls has a dream. Every one of them is ambitious, and every girl in my school will go to university.

I was recently going over some application forms for a special writing class I will teach during summer vacation (indeed, the students don't even get vacation- they still come to school every day). Many girls applied for this class, and as a written submission they all wrote about their hopes and dreams for their future. I'll tell you this: not one girl wrote about hoping to be a houswife someday. There were several girls who wanted to be diplomats, there were several who wanted to be school teachers or university professors, there were several who wanted to be bureaucrats- I'm talking ambition here! Some of their applications brought tears to my eyes, and they are still so eager to learn more!

That's Korea for you. No one in this country can rest until they feel they have done their utmost in any given area. Hair dressers will spend hours on your hair until they have done it right. People working at McDonald's make the neatest burgers I have seen anywhere in the world. And my students work their butts off to acheive their goals.

I think they've got a heads up on Canada with this one. Let's all be a little more strict than necessary with our kids (but maybe leave their hair alone).

Reasons Why I Like Koreans:

Maybe this mostly applies to my new coworkers. Anyone wondering about the different between working for a public school or a private school? A public school is less work, more vacation and... this is a big one... you are the ONLY FOREIGNER working there! This may sound like a bad thing to some, but believe me, it has been nothing short of paradise- no clashing personalities, no stupid complaining about "how much work I have to do allllll the time" (you came here to work, dummy) and the Korean teachers at my new school have been nothing short of wonderful since I first arrived! I just love them.

So maybe that's what inspired me to write this post. I've been feeling the love of the Korean community for the past few weeks and it's got me thinking about exactly what I'm going to miss when I'm back in Canada- because when you're here, you take everything for granted. The grass is always greener, yadda yadda yadda.

Here are the top ten things I like most about the Korean people:

1. They tell you when you're looking good, and they're honest about how you can make yourself look better. This may sound shallow, but to Koreans, you have to talk the talk before you walk the walk. That means my Korean friends will truthfully answer questions like "Is this zit noticable?" or "Should I get contact lenses?" or "Are my legs too fat to get away with this skirt?"

I know, I know, that sounds really shallow. But these are things you're always wondering anyway, and Canadians are too damn polite, even with their closest friends, to tell the complete truth. With Koreans, no guesswork is necessary. You know when you're looking good, and you know when it's time to get magic straight one more time.

2. If older Korean women like you, they are not content until they're sure you are absolutely and completely full of food. They will tsk tsk at your breakfast of yoghurt and granola, they will fill your desk drawers with candy that you will never eat, they will fuss over you like you're their white daughter (and often will call you by that name... maybe not white, but definitely daughter...). And you know what? It's nice to be fussed over when you live in a country extremely far from the ones who would normally fuss over you. With no mommies or aunties around, a caring adjuma is a most welcome part of your life.

3. If older Korean men like you, they will also call you their daughter, but instead of food they will try to make you drink soju until you pass out. Like my vice principal. "Janine teacher, you are so very beautiful. Drink some soju.", and so on. Which leads me to my next point:

4. They tell you you're beautiful at every possible chance they get. They announce your beauty at teacher's meetings, your students want their picture taken with you (as do their mom's), they say "Oh, teacher. Your face is so small and your hair is golden." Seriously, my self esteem has never looked so good.

5. Your high school students have, more often than not, never met a foreigner before. When you walk into the classroom, they applaud you. They cheer. They give you dance recitals in class and say, "Teacher, I have a very important question. Who is the most beautiful girl in the class?" As if I would ever answer that! But these are just some of the common questions that Koreans ask every day. Do you have a boyfriend? Is he Korean? Do you think our uniforms are ugly? Who has the smallest face?

6. Koreans know how to eat. Like kings. And they do it at every possible chance, with as many people as possible. My visa was taking forever, but no worries: first we eat a magnificent lunch and THEN we get the visa. Clearly, I need to get my priorities straight. At staff parties, the soju flows freely, as does the meakju (beer), plum wine and makoli (carbonated rice wine). The food is unending. A feast to end all feasts. I love the way Koreans eat, whether as a family or just with their friends.

7. Koreans love all things luxurious. They shop at big department stores, drive nice cars and enjoy eating steak. They laugh at my frugality. And, more often than not, they are amazingly generous and make sure I want for nothing. Can't afford to go out this weekend? I'll buy the pitchers. And don't worry about taxi fare because I have a fancy car.

8. Koreans turn every sporting event into a high school musical. I hate sports, but I love the dance moves, different songs and cheers and, most of all, the colour coordination. This means I can enjoy baseball and soccer on a new level. Thanks, Korea.

9. I really love that my students are respectful and are hard workers. They don't even know about drugs, they don't drink til they're twenty and they know that if they don't get good grades they will fail at life (at least, that's what Korean adults tell them). My school is an all girls school and I love to see them taking on leadership roles and engaging in school politics. At the end of the day they clean my coffee cup for God sakes! They are go getters and they're going to be super successful. And they think I'm interesting. Aw.

10. When I was travelling through SE Asia, I kept thinking about the manners and ethics the Korean people hold dear. Theft is a nonissue, violent crime is rare, and people don't ever rip you off because you're a foreigner. I've lost my phone several times, my camera twice and my wallet once. On every occasion, someone has gone to great lengths to return my things to me.


These are just a FEW of the things I love about Koreans. Don't ever listen to disgruntled foreigners who say Koreans are bad people. Every country has bad people, but not every country has the amount of honest, hardworking people that Korea has.