A friend and fellow teacher Jason, while trying to describe Korea:
Worst case scenario: nothing bad happens. The more I've thought it, the more that statement seems to ring true. Of course the inevitable mishaps of last minute changes, high stress, a semi-functional house, and ongoing cultural frustrations have all become everyday realities, but by no means are these things unfamiliar. I've noticed it's extremely easy to slip into a mindset that just because you're "traveling," everything is supposed to run smoothly. But for anyone who's traveled any length of time, it's clear that problems will occur no matter the state, country, continent, or classroom. Therefore, these universal 'problems' are nothing more than the things you ultimately forget about. What truly matters is how you find enjoyment in the subtleties around you, the new experiences to be had, and the endless learning opportunities that follow.
Two of my shyest students who made it their goal to learn and perform this song at the school festival (a really short clip). It was used in a lesson as an example for different kinds of "pop music," and something that evidently inspired them to have it memorized by the two week deadline.
I recently realized that up until now, I hadn't fully grasped how
much there actually is to learn about Korean culture. I was faced with this awakening when I spent yet another evening of hiking and dinner with 5 of my male (non-English speaking) coworkers; namely the principle, vice principle, Korean teacher, and two science teachers. While I always have a good time hiking a few kilometers on the endless array of trails, following it with beef BBQ and sitting around a table for several hours with beer and soju where I can periodically chime in with a few Korean words and even fewer English words, there are
meticulous rules to this process. Most of these rules involve following the social hierachy in some way or another, and I'm just now starting to understand what exactly is expected of me in these situations. Bowing, returning toasts, verbal responses, eye contact, and almost every form of communication requires a different gesture. I botched the majority of these during that dinner, and came to the conclusion that truly mastering this culture will include a ton of practice, trial and error, and most importantly: humility to end.
Despite the mishaps, a few of things are now becoming second nature. Arriving at school every morning for example, there's a noticeable difference in attitudes towards me depending on how much energy I put into bowing to my principle. I know I nail it when I'm graced with random small talk later that day, a cup of coffee, or even an offer to be on the favored volleyball team. It's a different story when the bow doesn't appear as heartfelt, and I might as well call it a day. It took awhile for me to notice these differences and why they were happening, now I find myself bowing to the majority of the population... a good safety at times, and also a good way to confuse your students when you're the one in charge. With that, there are constant reminders that acceptance into another culture is tedious, and all part of the necessary learning process.
I've spent the majority of this past month completely consumed with teaching. The craziness never subsides, and when I'm not trying to increase students' excitement with any method possible, I'm google-imaging spaceships or subconsciously reducing my vocabulary to whatever the students happen to be learning that week. The time spent at school has also come with the evolving relationships between my coworkers and I, many who I'm getting to know better as a result of my attempts to speak Korean and their simultaneous laughing at my efforts. Remarkably, these exchanges have created relationships with several people that aren't based on any sensible communication, but rather a mutual understanding of our effort to converse.
This process has also completely redefined my concept of communication in general
. Beyond teaching English, language itself has created a bizarre twist in life abroad. I initially thought the language barrier would be one of the biggest challenges. In many cases I wasn't far off, but I've come to the realization that where normal conversation is lacking, basic human emotions also have the makings for a completely legitimate relationship. I constantly think back to places like walking around the UW-L campus through its growing population of international students. The cultural divides are obvious, and coming here has only confirmed my disappointment with that campus scene. People are people regardless of the culture, and good people are universal. Language is just excuse not to put effort into meeting new people when in reality, language and cultural barriers only provide the opportunity to understand others in a more simplistic way.
The adventures continue...
I'm consumed with school, and therefore live for the change in weekend pace. Four weekends ago, Gina and I made the trip to Seoul (now the biggest city I've been in) for a couple full days of exploring, followed by taking over the recliners of her family friends who graciously offered us a place to stay and some good direction for what to see in the city. The friends were some of the nicest people I've met, a pastor and his wife who randomly moved from Minnesota to Korea and started the only English-speaking Lutheran church in the country. In one year they've established a strong and growing community for Koreans and foreigners alike... Something that was really cool to see and experience firsthand that Sunday morning. The next weekend also came with no disappointments: taking full advantage of my mountain town and hitting up the market first thing Saturday morning, hiking on a mountain I hadn't reached the top of yet (success), and spending the following day bumming around the nearby city of Gwangju with the hometown foreigner family of Jangheung... now formally known as the "Jang gang."
Halloween weekend was to follow, consisting of a mass gathering of teachers in the coastal metropolis of Mokpo. The costumes, celebrations, and company all made for an epic night..Korea yet to be lacking in any festivities. I decided it only made sense to be a Korean farmer, my only regret being the bushel of onions tied around my shoulder that later became the party's mysterious culprit of the intense B.O. smell. Note to self. The time is flying, it's back to the classroom Monday morning, and find myself amazed every time I wake up to Friday. The kickoff to the weekends in November became the outcome of mine and Gina's decision to cover 4 cities in 3 days, another success: Jangheung, Gwangju, Mokpo, and Suncheon...A perk of living in a community with other spontaneous travelers, and a perk of living in a country no bigger than West Virginia.
Climbs: Jirisan
This past weekend two others and I woke up before sunrise, boarded a bus and left for Mt. Jiri (Jirisan), the highest point of the South Korean mainland (6,283 ft). It took two hours to reach the town at the base of the trail where we began our ascent, starting in the forest and slowly but surely making our way into snow territory. It turned out to be a perfect fall day, only adding to the already surreal scenery of rivers, boulders, endless mountains, and rocky peaks.
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| Heading into the trail |
We reached the top after about 5 hours of walking, climbing, stopping at the trail shelters, and photo-ops. It was a full day of hiking, concluding with an excellent dinner of Nepalese food in Gwangju, and an even better night's sleep. While I'm beginning to fall into the routine of life here, its the activities like these that keep my days consistently unpredictable and never any less motivating. Next weekend's agenda: a Korean Thanksgiving in the wooden casa, and waking up to climb Wolchulsan...Mountains and more mountains.
As I'm currently sitting in my old, wooden house with a pile of English textbooks to my left and a scattered collection of maps to my right, I can find no complaints. I returned home today from my co-ed school after 4 lively classes, a lunch of rice and kimchi soup, a bus ride home where the three other riders were crowded around the tiny bus TV screaming at a Tae-Kwon-Do tournament, then I stopped at the corner store to take up an offer for coffee with some friendly locals. One of my neighbors likes to serenade the surrounding houses with Korean folk songs around 8:00 pm, and I'll get a brief call around 8:40 from my co-worker (age 60) reminding me it's time for yoga. It's the reality of being here, and I find these things impossible not to appreciate. There are the inevitable stresses of my daily routine, but that's life. I'm here temporarily, which is all the more reason to find the good in potential frustrations instead of letting them lessen the experience.
What keeps my days interesting: The people, who singlehandedly continue to baffle me in every situation. The scenery, never any less surreal. The
students, who are generally the highlight of my days, and the culture, where in a worse case scenario, nothing bad happens.
"
Much of what's memorable in meeting people from faraway lands is how these interactions wind up teaching you about your own culture-fed instincts... If you continually view other people through your own values, you'll lose the opportunity to see the world through their eyes."
-Rolf Potts, Vagabonding
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| Jirisan 11/12 |
Heading to Seoul tomorrow! I'll put some effort into updating this more than once a month, so more soon... Seriously.
