Back in late April I was able to join the Jindo Island Sea Parting Festival with the WINK travel group (WINK is short for When in Korea; I highly recommend their trips)! If you are living in Korea, visiting Korea, or are passing through and get the chance to go to this festival don't miss it! It was one of the best/ most interesting things I've done in Korea so far. It happened to coincide with Passover which I was unable to properly celebrate (sorry Mom!), but witnessing a real live sea parting has to count for something right?
One word of warning about WINK trips: unless you have a serious knack for sleeping on buses, don't plan to catch up on sleep. Our all night bus from Seoul took a 4:45 AM pit stop at the Wolchusan Cloud Bridge. Sleep deprived and disoriented, the group trekked two kilometers up the rocky mountainside to catch the sunrise. The first 30 minutes of bumbling up the path in the dark felt like a bad Blair Witch Project reenactment but the payoff was worth it. Thankfully my couple weeks of regularly hitting the gym proved useful, I was proud to be one of the first to make it to the bridge! This is definitely the most I've ever accomplished before 6 AM (given that I hadn't already been up all night).
Warning: Not for those afraid of heights!
Conquered.
By 9 AM we were off again to the next destination. Jindo Island is also famous for Jindo dogs, which I see everywhere in Korea, including Yeoju. Between hiking and the festival we stopped a bizarre but adorable Jindo Dog Show. In addition to being cute, loyal, and intelligent, Jindo dogs apparently can also jump through hoops, raise Korean flags, and retrieve beer cans from refrigerators.
By the time we made it to the festival around 1 pm it already felt like we'd had a full day. We boarded a boat and danced our way to the smaller island where the sea would begin to part. The festival celebrates the one weekend a year when the sea levels drop low enough so you can walk between Jindo Island and a smaller island called Modo.
Unfortunately the sea does not dramatically burst apart as much as it trickles to opposite sides of a sand bar (though it's still cool to watch). So we did what any people waiting a few hours for the sea to part would do... we sat and drank some beer. There were performers playing drums and dancing, but I admit it got a little old after the first hour. We also chatted with the soldiers (all Korean men have mandatory military service) who were stationed near the island and participating in the day's events. They were undoubtedly excited to talk to pretty foreign girls.
For a while I was puzzled by how few people there were on the island. I had heard a lot about the festival and assumed it would be a much bigger affair. Finally I squinted and looked across at the main island, where I realized there were indeed hundreds, if not a few thousand, people waiting for the parade to start so they could walk to the smaller island. It turns out WINK had gotten us some exclusive tickets to be on this side of the event!
Being on the smaller island meant we got to be a part of the official parade with the soldiers. Though perhaps this is what the soldiers wanted...to rope some foreigners into helping them carry twenty-foot bamboo flag poles for three slippery kilometers across the sea. The poles were hollow and not very heavy, but I found it a little hard to balance and I spent most of the parade hoping I wouldn't slip on some seaweed and impale an innocent bystander.
We marched toward the main island with thousands of people walking towards us. The path is about 40 to 60 meters across so there was room for all. Many people waded into the water to dig for clams and/or other sea life. The soldier walking behind me handed me a live starfish which I held for a few minutes before tossing it back into the ocean. He seemed a little sad that I discarded his token of affection. Unfortunately I don't know the Korean for "I prefer flowers."
View from the main island.
Since I was in the parade I didn't get many great photos, these certainly don't do the event justice. Luckily Google has my back, if you're planning to go to the event or are interested in seeing more just image search the event! There are tons of great photos online.
The next day we went to another "Cloud Bridge" in Daedunsan. Luckily this time there was a cable car to take us most of the way up. After going across the bridge you could also hike up this staircase:
What I enjoyed more than the stairs was the warning sign before it: "Please do not pass the weak, elderly, and drunken." I'm just going to hope it's a mistranslation. If you are weak, elderly, or drunken, please maybe don't climb these stairs....
...unless you want to fall a couple hundred feet down onto these rocks...
Here's me at the top! (And the long blonde hair I had for about 5 minutes, RIP). Stay tuned for more adventures. It's been quite hot and rainy in Korea the last few weeks but I've been taking the time to explore Yeoju more and have some very very interesting things to share. TTFN!
When I saw on my school's messaging system that there were going to be fire and other emergency drills I didn't think much of it. Stop. Drop. Roll. zzZZzz.
Well that's not how they do it in Korea. Korean students don't stop, drop, and roll. They get a pile of wood, some gasoline, light it up, and put that fire out themselves (with fire extinguishers and proper supervision of course, note the firetruck).
After that, the firemen sprayed everyone down with a fire hose. Not sure what kind of drill that was supposed to be, tsunami and/or flash flood drill perhaps? (Check out the student in the middle of the second picture who came prepared with an umbrella. Clearly he would have been the only real survivor in the event of a sudden down pour).
They also put smoke bombs outside the Middle School earlier in the day (totally serious), but unfortunately I missed those. Ah well, now I know to prepare for the next real fire, fire drill.
The most common question I've been asked from friends at home over the past few weeks is: What is going on in this music video?!
Before I had internet installed in my apartment last week (*fist pumps*) I wrote my blog posts using the WiFi at a coffee shop, where I first saw this video....and then saw it over and over again. At first I couldn't stand it, but by listen number 1,435,675 I was bobbing my head along to the-how-can-this-possibly-be-so-catchy beat. And by listen 23,453,765 I was at a club dancing to it...very enthusiastically I might add.
Gangnam (pronounced gahng-nahm) is the ritzy, trendy area of Seoul. Saying "Gangnam style" is the equivalent of saying "Beverly Hills style." The song and video, particularly the infamous and eyebrow-raising "horse dance", intend satirize "Gangnam posers", or as Psy, the singer of the song explains in a CNN interview:
"People who are actually from Gangnam never proclaim that they are -- it’s only the posers and wannabes that put on these airs and say that they are "Gangnam Style" -- so this song is actually poking fun at those kinds of people who are trying so hard to be something that they’re not."
You can read the rest of the interview here. To answer what you're thinking, despite his comical appearance, Psy is in fact very famous, and was so even before this song. He also studied at Boston University and the Berklee College of Music (yup, funny and smart, line up ladies), and has had a successful career writing songs for other groups/singers. Rumor has it he might soon be making music with Justin Beiber.
I believe the other men in the video (the guy in the banana yellow suit and Mr. hip-thrusting-in-the-elevator) are famous Korean comedians. While it has all of the trappings of a typical, vapid K-Pop hit, on the contrary, the song is meant to be satirical (and of course, make you dance like you're trying too hard to be Gangnam style). Psy's satire and quirky appearance separate him from other K-Pop acts, and certainly contributed to making him such a success internationally. There is a great Atlantic Monthly article discussing the surprisingly subversive nature of the music video, as it more than pokes fun at the empty, materialistic pursuits of Gangnam trust fund babies. Definitely worth the read!
This video also leads me to a lot of other talking points about K-Pop music. The next being: do you like/listen to it? Well, yes and no. Would I put it on in the privacy of my own apartment while doing the dishes? No, probably not. It's not really something you can sit back and relax to; but do I enjoy it when it's blasting over the loud speakers of my school, and playing at bars and clubs? Of course! Nothing beats writing lesson plans while quietly rocking out to this song by Dal Shabet:
Though I admit it took me a while to figure out that they were actually singing "Mr. Bang Bang" and not some weird pronunciation of the word "baby" over and over, I'm pretty into this song.
Now I'll give all of you out there a moment to press play (and maybe replay), and some more time to reflect on how much you actually do like this song, despite what your inner-indie god/goddess is telling you (it's okay. If you're struggling, I'm sure K-Pop is, or will soon be, super cool in an ironic way...either that or you can always say that you like, totally discovered this song first like three zillion years ago on your rando- friend's blog and all these people listening to it now might as well be Gangnam style posers).
Anyway, point is, if you look closely you might notice some things about K-Pop music that you don't see in Gangnam Style. There are six girls in Dal Shabet, but they are not differentiated Scary, Sporty, Baby, and Posh style (if you don't get that reference...well...maybe there are other, better blogs out there for you)...in fact, they all look quite the same. Listeners in America like to complain about how manufactured music groups are in America, but I'm rather sure that the K-Pop industry is unrivaled in its ability to churn out indistinct pop groups.
Well to be fair.... at least they appear indistinct. These groups spend hours upon hours on Korean variety and talk shows, giving fans (who redefine the terms diehard and zealous I might add) a chance to get to know each member of the group very well. Since I don't understand Korean however, and admittedly have to make my judgments solely on appearance, it's difficult for my fiercely-individualistic-American self to understand how one could genuinely drool over a group in which everyone dresses the same, dances the same, and yes...probably had the same plastic surgery (a friend of mine pointed out their eerily similar facial and nose structures).
For me there's an obvious line between enjoying K-Pop music and being truly ingrained in K-Pop culture. K-Pop naturally reflects the general homogeneity of Korean culture, and an extreme desire to blend in, which I often find hard to understand. Yes people in America want to fit in, and resort to superficial means to do so, but the creed of individuality is still deeply embedded in American society.
From the beginning, most of us in the States have been taught that we are special, and have unique gifts to contribute to society, school, our friend groups, etc. Thus "fitting" in America usually means conceding only some aspects of one's self in order to intertwine one's individual identity with that of a group, while in Korea "fitting in" often means conforming to that group in every conceivable way.
Now I've touched on homogeneity in Korea before, but I feel it bears some elaboration here. Though some of you may agree with my assessment of Korean vs. American "fitting in", I can still hear some readers' internal groaning, "People in America also try to look and dress the same to fit in. It's no different". Well for those who have not experienced what I'm talking about, I'll tell you now: it is different.
Let me give an example (one of my personal favorites): clothes. In America, people will buy certain brands to associate with different trends. If you want to be preppy you'll get a Lacoste polo and some J. Crew salmon-colored pants. If you want to be quasi-alternative, you'll get a cut-out dress from Urban Outfitters or American Apparel. If you want to go goth, you'll get a black t-shirt and spiked collar from Hot Topic. In Korea however, on the whole, these dichotomies hardly exist. Even those who I see dressing outside of mainstream Korean fashion still seem to follow the same prescribed alternative fashions (generally a subdued punk look). While the number of people I see donning these alternative fashions in Seoul seems to be growing, they still feel like the exception, not the rule.
Anyone who knows me well can attest to my normally excessive shopping habits, but in Korea I find shopping less enthralling. When it comes to clothes I tend to gravitate towards pieces that are elaborate, intricate, or loud. In Korea however, no matter where you shop, you'll find almost all clothes come in only a handful of styles and cuts, and are made from the same fabrics. In general patterns are more subdued, and clothing items lack detail or hardware. Many stores do not carry signature styles or looks like they do in the States. In America, we tend to look for small ways to stand out, in Korea, not so much.
2NE1
Wonder Girls....look familiar?
It seems like many factors, including geography, and hundreds of years of less than stellar foreign relations with neighboring aggressors, have made it more necessary for Koreans to protect their overall culture than foster individuality. I dwell on this here because it's been one of the most difficult cultural aspects to relate to; clothes and K-Pop are only two examples of how it enters my everyday life. I don't mean this evaluation of Korea's homogeneity to be negative, but perhaps you can try to imagine how unfamiliar the concept of blending in feels to a loud, outspoken Jersey girl. More importantly, I think the way culture affects the structure of Korean vs. American pop groups (and how we perceive them) is extremely fascinating.
For me the disposition toward homogeneity also explain why these music groups are so large (some groups have as many as nine members)! I could never imagine seeing such large groups in America because each member would need to have defining, or even opposing characteristics, which would be difficult to achieve with so many members. For example, in American male pop groups there's always the bad boy, the boy next door, the heart throb, etc. In Korea it seems like they are all meant to be the heart throb (add dash of bad boy)...though with varying degrees of success.
Of course there will always be favorites who emerge as front men/women in these groups. Netizens and paparazzi are as ruthless as anywhere else. While for me I am taken with what I see as the distinct indistinctness of K-Pop groups, the K-Pop industry itself is certainly a unique culture and genre all its own. Though I've put them under some scrutiny in this post, many artists in these groups are very talented and undoubtedly work as hard as any American artist. If you're interested in learning more, I thought eatyourkimchi.com made a great video on the messy split of the group T-ara. It gives more even more insight on how these groups function (even if you've never listen to them it will still be interesting).
True to my word, I've actually started going for daily runs along the river in Yeoju. To my surprise I've found that you can run there after dark without running into unwanted company! The first time I went down there it was near sunset, so I thought I'd have to check it out and leave before the creepers and druggies showed up...but then I remembered I am in rural Korea. In fact, although I rarely see people doing anything alone here, I was joined by lots of girls who appeared to be getting their late evening work out in....though I'll say that they don't go for runs like I do...they all stare as I huff, puff, and wheeze passed them. It kind of feels like running in a smoggy sauna, but I guess I'll get used to it eventually. Also, people in Korea seem to have a lot of fancy work out gear considering that many of them don't appear to do much working out.
By the river at night. Crappy camera, it isn't actually that dark.
Anyway, the point is that I realized in America I think I would be hard pressed to find a riverside trail where single women felt comfortable running and walking alone at night. The path isn't even lit, there is just enough residual light from the street above to help you see where you're going. I think there are a couple of reasons for this. First, Koreans tend to work late and thus do things like getting in a workout much later than people would in the States. In general, shops, stores, restaurants, and other places of business are open much later here than I think they would be in small town America (*cough* St. Louis *cough*).
See? Lovely pedestrian street all light up at night.
Second, crime rates are much lower here. I'm not saying Korea is perfect, it definitely has its problems, but I think the lack of crime can be attributed to Korean culture and values. As my friend and I like to joke about the Chinese, "upholding the family honor" is just as important in Korea. People consider their actions not just a reflection of themselves, but of their families too. This certainly holds one more accountable for one's actions. Third, drugs are extremely taboo, and not in the American "it's illegal and people do it anyway way", but seriously...not that I would really know, but drug culture here appears to be almost non-existent.
When you don't have to worry about drug abuse and crime, a lot of possibilities open up...running along a river at night, wandering around at night in general, lots of public bathrooms, etc. Now I'm not suggesting that America tries to go drug-free Korea style. The war on drugs is already fruitless and costly, and I think it's already way too ingrained into mainstream culture (the glorification of the 60s and what not). However, although Korean society is much more restrictive in many ways, it's interesting to consider the possibilities, should I even say, the freedoms that arise when you don't have to worry so much about crime. It's not just Yeoju. Given its size, Seoul is considered one of the safest cities in the world, with minimal violent crimes and even low rates of theft and pickpocketing (not to say it doesn't happen, I know people in Yeoju who've had their motor bikes stolen).
Here you can see the arches I was talking about.
Especially with the new healthcare legislation being passed in the United States, I've been thinking a lot about Korean vs. American political and social values. What laws, social norms, and traditions really lead to the kinds of freedoms I've experienced here? I've never felt safe walking around at night in the States the way I do here. People may stare or say things, but it's harmless compared to worrying about being mugged or worse. Of course, there is certainly a trade-off; because of the high pressure put on individuals here to represent the achievements of themselves and their families, mental illnesses are seen as weaknesses rather than medical conditions that need to be dealt with seriously. Suicide is a huge unresolved issue here.
But...to end on a lighter note, here's some other funny things I discovered while wandering the streets of Yeoju at night (my new favorite activity). Plus it makes me feel like I'm working out more...
Squid tank in front of a restaurant....see? You can have your squid and eat it too! Okay I admit I really just wanted to make that joke...
I think it's a bar...clearly a business in the front, party in the back kind of place.
Through a quick search on the internet I
discovered that pretty much everyone whose ever visited South Korea and been to
a Jimjilbbang, that is, a Korean "spa",
has an “oh-em-gee! I went to the spa and everyone was naked!” blog post, but in
the interest of giving a more thorough, and hopefully more culturally
insightful description of this traditional gathering place, I’m going to
recount my own experience.
I apologize. Let me back track. Korean
“spas” are not what you picture when you think of spas in the United States.
Spas in the States are temporary escapes where you slip on a robe, lie down
on a table for about an hour, and awkwardly squirm when you turn over so the
masseuse doesn’t see your butt. Afterward you might get a nice facial or your
nails done, but nothing crazy. It’s a few hours of restful bliss before you
leave and return to the less glamorous outside world. For most, it’s something
you’ll do once a year if you’re lucky, if you ever even go at all. For Koreans
though, the spa isn’t so much a brief escape from life as it is an essential
part of it.
You can still use Jacuzzis and get
massages, facials, etc, at Korean spas, but you can also eat, play, nap, or
even spend the night there, as they are open 24/7. They are huge facilities with many rooms and
gathering halls in addition to the “spa” itself. Last weekend I went to my
first Jimjilbbang, called Garden 5,
because my friends and I wanted to spend the night in Seoul. It was located inside
an absolutely enormous building complex that also housed a wedding hall (for
Koreans there is no such thing as a “destination wedding”, only wedding halls).
We arrived around 11 pm. Once inside I handed the receptionist 8,000 won (less
than $8), took off my shoes, and headed upstairs.
I admit that at first I was a little
shocked by the completely unabashed crowd of naked women and children brushing
their teeth, taking showers, sitting in saunas, and lounging in Jacuzzis (I
should probably note here that although the facilities are family friendly and
for both genders, the actual “spa” portions are separate for men and women). I
tried not to giggle as I peeled off my clothes and stuck them into my locker.
After about ten minutes though I got used to it, in fact, I quite liked getting
to spend a few hours hanging out in my birthday suit. It reminded me that at
least among friends (and strangers who you will never see again) nudity isn’t
the all-embarrassing, terrible thing many Americans make it out to be.
Koreans come to spas with their friends and
their families. It’s common for people to work and study late, so even children
can be found hanging out late into the night with their parents. Lots of men who work late will just spend the night at jimjilbbang instead of going home. I find it hard
to imagine hanging out naked in the spa area with any members of my family, but
for Koreans it’s beside the point. In a culture that values cleanliness, it’s a
great way to relax, bond, and distress. Community is also high valued. People tend to go out in groups; in fact, it's difficult to find restaurants where you can order a dish that doesn't call for multiple diners. I'll do a post on Korean eating later, but I will say that if you're a big germ-a-phobe, or don't like to share, Korea might not be the place for you.
Anyway, back to the spa. It’s not weird, and at least in my case
I didn’t feel like people were staring (though I’ve heard sometimes they do,
might be worse when you’re a foreigner; in general appearance is very important
in Korea), Personally I think it’s much better than any alternative I ever had
for hanging out with my friends in high school! There were four enormous, almost
pool sized Jacuzzis, each with a slightly varied temperature (which was
displayed on a digital screen), so if one was too hot and the other was too
cold, the next would be just right!
What actually blew my mind more than
anything was the 97 degrees Celsius sauna! That was not a typo: 97 degrees
CELSIUS. That is 206 degrees Fahrenheit! I actually saw a woman sitting in
there for about a minute. I have no idea how you can do that without protective
clothing. I stuck my hand through the door out of curiosity, and yes, it was
exactly like sticking my hand in an oven. There were lots of warning signs on
the front of it, but they were all in Korean…and I’m still not sure what to
make of it. Definitely fits the old, “beauty is pain” moniker.
While I was not adventurous enough for the
oven sauna I did opt for a body scrub. I’m not sure how to put it delicately so
I’ll just paint a picture for you. The last time I got a body scrub I was on a
cruise in Europe. The woman was wearing a crisp white uniform and I was lying
down on a nice plushy massage table, covered by a towel. The scrub was a part of
relatively gentle, full body massage. Sounds nice right? Well in Korea, they really don’t like dead skin. This time I
was splayed out naked on a slippery pink table being man handled by a
half-naked Korean masseuse wearing scratchy wet glove. It’s okay if you’re
laughing right now cause I am too.
Instead of rinsing off in the shower
afterward the masseuse just dumped buckets of water on me like I was a wet dog.
It was kind of gross watching brown clumps of my own dead skin running off the
table. This scrub was definitely more for beauty than for pleasure. For the
first five minutes or so I was desperately trying to suppress my laughter. I
guess it’s true what they say about humans being incredibly adaptable, because
after all was said and done, I have to say, I don’t think my skin ever felt
better!
But the experience didn’t end there. Once
we were ready to go to bed we put on what looked like military
issue pajamas. I’m not sure if you absolutely have to wear them, but everyone
does, and it makes it so you don’t have to bring your own. In most jimjilbbangs people sleep on thin
mattress pads on the floor in a big common area. It’s usually pretty loud and noisy, and the lights are almost always on…if you come here you’ll quickly learn that
Koreans don’t value their sleep as much as most people.
However this particular spa had a “movie”
room, that is, a giant room that had a large screen and was filled with lazy
boy chairs! It was the only room with the lights off where virtually everyone
was sleeping. So I separated from my friends and plopped down a chair between
two snoring Korean men. Not the best sleep I ever had, but better than staying
up all night wandering the streets of Seoul (the last bus to Yeoju is around
10pm I think). It was extremely difficult not to laugh when I first
entered...seriously, imagine walking into a huge dark room filled with nothing by
stretched out lazy boys and listening to a harmony of softly snoring Korean men
(there were probably women too but it was hard to see).
Another thing to note here is that not all jimjilbbangs are as nice as the one I
went to; as with anywhere you go, if you decide to ever try out a Korean spa
you should look into its reputation first. I was lucky to be guided by two
friends who have been living here for a while already. Though for some people the experience is too much, too fast, too soon, I found it to be a great introduction to Korean life…now I
feel like I could pretty much do anything and not feel uncomfortable…at least 50 people in Seoul have seen me naked now anyway right? Might as well bring on
the rest of the adventures. I’m sure some of you reading this right now think
I’m totally nuts, but I didn’t travel over 6,000 miles sit squarely in my
comfort zone! When life hands you dinner party material, get to it! So that
begs the question, if you came to visit, would you join me at the jimjilbbang? I’d love to know what you
think.
On another note, I should probably start a
list of restaurants in Seoul/ Gyeonggido (the surrounding province) that you
should go to if you visit! First on the list is Mies Container in Seoul. I think CNN or something did an article on it, saying
it was like “Hooters for women” because they like to hire “masculine men” but
it is way classier and has way better food than Hooters ever would. There’s
always a line out the door (of men and women!) but it moved quickly. In the
interest of not wasting any time however, we drank a small bottle of raspberry
flavored wine with ice while waiting. I don’t know the Korean name for it, but
it’s great! I wouldn’t drink it by itself, but with some crushed ice it tastes
like an alcoholic raspberry slushy.
Once inside, the place had a great
atmosphere and I guess what you’d call an “industrial chic” design. In
most Korean restaurants you sit on the floor or they have an “eat and go” kind
of vibe, but this one was more western in its “sit on a chair-relax and sip
your wine-and hang for a while” vibe. Truth be told I didn’t think the guys
were particularly manly, but we ordered the Salad Pasta (a salad with pasta in
it) and their Garlic and Bacon cheese pan which was to die for! Seriously, it
was a large pan of delicious cheese smothered in garlic and bacon, which you ate
by dipping it into maple syrup; that’s right, no bread, no crackers, all cheese.
Yum. It’s also quite an odd dish to see in Seoul since most Koreans don’t like
or eat cheese.
We did have a funny interaction with the
guy who was taking our order. He was wearing a head, sweat band thing with a
Republican elephant button attached to it. We asked if he knew what that symbol
meant and he said no (he didn’t really speak any English), so my friend finally
managed to explain what it was through hand gestures and yelling “George Bush! not Obama!”, so he promptly took it off and thanked us.
Stayed tune for my next post: Big Girl
Things Part Deuce: Amanda Buys a Motor Bike. That’s right folks, I’m gonna have
50cc's of pure street cred.
--> Those who knew me before the age of 14 can attest to the
fact that I was once a very picky eater.
My diet consisted mostly of frozen chicken nuggets, spaghetti, and Kraft Mac n’
Cheese. Although my tastes have expanded greatly since then, there are still
some foods that I’ve always been hesitant to try, particularly in the seafood
arena. So I don’t know if it was the jet lag, the head spinning amount of new
things to process, or the four shots of Soju (it's the staple Korean liquor, it's about as strong as watered down vodka and tastes like it too), but in the last 24 hours I’ve
eaten, and rather enjoyed, both pig bone soup and intestines…of what animal do
you ask? I don’t know, their innards were about noodle sized and tucked away in
a massive plate of seafood, so perhaps a fish?
Pig bone soup (Gamjatang
in Korean) was actually my first meal in Korea so I was eating it unawares but
I’m glad I did because it is AMAZING. In fact, I think I might be hard pressed
to find something I like more. Pork is pork right? I didn’t enjoy the
intestines as much but it wasn’t because of the taste, because honestly, at
least the ones I had didn’t taste like much without soy sauce. They kind of
look and taste like plain ramen noodles, only a little more squishy...
Gamjatang, just add rice.
So I want to do a series of posts on Culture Shocks since I
know I’ll encountering a lot of that. Though I should note that I think the
term “culture shock” has a bit too much of a negative connotation for me. While
I expect to have uncomfortable, frustrating moments, as I said before, that’s
kind of why I am here…to be shocked and surprised. I certainly shocked my
co-workers in return, who politely mentioned at the dinner table that they
thought westerns were taller. I admit, the change in the height bell curve here
has been nice for me. I’m still short; it’s just less obvious.
So onto actual culture shocks: I already mentioned the shoe
thing, so I think they next thing would be introductory conversations. I
mentioned how some students came in asking me questions that might raise some
eyebrows for teachers in the States: How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend?
But in Korea this helps them determine your social status and how they should
treat you. While I’m still not sure how I feel about the emphasis on status
yet, I think it’s interesting that these seemingly personal questions are
accompanied by a shy disposition. When I answered the students’ questions they
basically giggled and ran away. I asked a teacher in the room if I had
embarrassed the students and she replied that they are just shy.
Though I find the disconnect between such forward questions
and the shy attitudes a bit hard to understand, I am certainly feeling some
shyness in the reverse. Many of the teachers who speak English have been very
friendly in speaking with me and offering to show me around when they have the
time. I am excited to speak with them and want to establish connections with
them, but I admit I find it difficult to ask an older person about their age
and if they are married (granted the latter is pretty much a given), even
though this is a big factor in determining your relationship with that person.
I find it almost painfully embarrassing to ask an older person about their age
and marital status like I’m conducting a census, since I’ve been taught my
whole life that it’s extremely impolite to do so. It’s not that you have to ask people how old they are or ask personal questions,
but it shows an understanding of their cultural emphasis on status and
hierarchy. Even a few years of age can make a big difference in the way people
treat you. I’m trying to rid myself of the fear that I will encounter the one
Korean person who is offended when I ask them about their age.
On my first day I got to attend the school’s 42nd
birthday ceremony. For the most part it was a lot of people making speeches
that I couldn’t understand, but at the end the kids put on a sort of talent
show. It was like a battle of the bands meets dance competition. Between school, work, and more school I
have no idea when students in Korea find the time to be so awesome.
The students put on some fantastic musical performances,
including a great rendition of one of my favorite American songs, Jet’s “Are
You Gonna Be My Girl?” I’m devastated I didn’t have a camera to record the
dance performances. A few groups of boys danced to K-Pop songs, which turned
out to be like a live version of America’s Best Dance Crew. If you don’t get
that reference, then it reminded me of the time I went to a Backstreet Boys
concert in sixth grade. That not ringing a bell either? Then imagine a group of
high school or middle school boys emulating these guys, cause that’s what they
were doing, and the girls were screaming like they were the real thing:
Korean K-pop band U Kiss. Note: the students dancing were dressed like this.
And the girls who danced were trying to move it like these
girls:
The girls were not dressed like this, they wore their school uniforms.
I think this is the group another teacher told me the girls were dancing to. EVERYONE listens to K-pop, young and old. I'd post music videos but the internet connection I'm stealing is too slow. You can Youtube them easily though. During the ceremony, I found it interesting that the boys’ dance moves were
noticeable more energetic than the girls’. They were all talented, but the boys flailed and shimmied while
the girls kept their limbs controlled and close to their bodies, often repeating
the same moves. It seemed like a clear demonstration of the different
behavioral expectations for boys and girls in Korea. Though all students tend
to be shy on some level, the boys seem more forward and confident than the
girls, who’ve probably been taught to be more reserved and demure.
After the ceremony I went to a dinner hosted by the school’s
Chairman for all of the teachers. Teaching is a highly respected profession in
Korea; being a teacher here is akin to being a doctor or lawyer in the States.
My school in particular is one of the best in the area, almost the equivalent
of a private school in the US, so the teachers have a lot of school pride…which
they exhibit in the form of loud toasts and shots of Soju. After giving a toast
(of which there were many), the teacher giving the speech would shout
“Yeogang!” (the name of the school) and everyone would respond by shouting the
Korean word for “for”, to emphasize that the toast is “For Yeogang.” Even just
sipping after each toast, I still managed to drink four shots of Soju. I’ll save
the “drinking-in-Korea” post for another time.
In big girl news, I finally figured out how to turn on my
hot water (to save energy you turn it off and on)…don’t make fun, this would have been an easy task if my control panel
wasn’t in Korean:
What I'm working with...I have no idea what most of those buttons do.
