As I sit in a PC Bang, surrounded by adolescent boys, their animated but unintelligable chatter, and the sound of explosions and weapons clashing on nearby Starcraft screens, I can't help but feel immersed in Korean culture. Each of the last few days has quickly and steadily pulled me further into "real life" in South Korea. It's the little things you never anticipate that feel the most profound. Like how I find myself instinctively bowing my head upon meeting new people, or when I suddenly realize my inner dialogue has assumed a Korean accent. Is this me?...Oh right, this is me being in South Korea.
On Friday I went to the Gyeongsangnam-do school board in Chongwan City and was introduced to my Co-Teacher, Mrs. Lee Su-O. She is a friendly, generous woman with a good sense of humor, and has asserted that she will be my "Korean Mom." (Thank God!) We went out to lunch for samketong* at a traditional Korean restaurant where you take off your shoes upon entering and then sit on the floor for the duration of your meal. Su-O says the Koreans have now heard that sitting on the floor is bad for their bodies, and they are slowly trying to implement the use of chairs. We chatted through the meal, and she informed me that my paperwork had said that I was a male, and she was--along with everyone else I met that day--surprised and delighted to find that I was in fact, a young woman. Apparently female teachers are much more exciting for some obscure reason I couldn't quite elucidate. As I shifted positions on the floor to awake my sleeping leg, Su-O also gave me a serious warning. She wanted me to know that my students are the "naughtiest in all of Yangsan. I must not smile at them or look kind, they must know I am stubborn and mean." When I inquired as to why they were so naughty, she pondered and then responded that Yangsan has a lot of industry, so the people are rich but not very educated. A troublesome combination anywhere in the world, I suppose. Looks like my students will provide a steep learning curve for a new teacher.
After lunch we ran errands, opened me a bank account, took me for a medical check at the hospital**, and purchased some ammenities to stock my studio apartment (photos to come). After a tiring and tedious day, Su-O insisted that she treat me to dinner. Though I knew she must have wanted to go home to her family, in Korea it is customary for those in higher positions to take care of subordinates' meals, and to refuse her offer would have been perceived as rude and ungrateful. As we drove through "Old Yangsan"*** looking for a restaurant, we were passed by a large truck, behind which billowed fluffy white clouds that suddenly consumed the car and left us momentarily blind. I gasped, surprised, and turned wide-eyed to Su-O for explanation. She laughed whole-heartedly.****
--"They don't do that in America?" She asked. "It's to kill the bugs."
--Uh oh, I thought. "Is it bad for you?"
--"No, it's not bad for you, " Su-O shook her head, "It stops the infectious disease."
Hmmm, I had marveled at the astonishing absence of bugs in such a humid, sultry climate. I can only hope the clouds weren't DDT, the carcinogenic, ecosystem-destroying pesticide the US banned over 30 years ago. If you know me much, you know I love bugs, but in addition to killing bugs pesticides tend also to decimate bird populations and having not seen many birds yet, I began to sincerely worry, and prepared myself for heartbreak.
You can imagine my relief and gratitude when yesterday I discovered a wetlands preserve right behind my apartment complex! Though now submerged and gated off, the marshy habitat featured a boardwalk around its perimeter that I look forward to using in the future, once the water drops. From the sidewalk I could spot a great blue heron, two white herons, and two baby ducks! I could not be more pleased.
Later in the day, I also discovered that the Yangsan River runs just two blocks away from my apartment, and is bordered on either side by a public path complete with benches and exercise equipment. The path goes all the way to Busan, at least 10 miles. Today I went for a long run along it and saw several herons on the river, and even some crickets jumping across the trail! I've heard that the mountains surrounding Yangsan are full of hiking trails with the same public exercise equipment, as staying fit is very important to Koreans. : D
So far Yangsan is provng a very hospitable place, and I look forward to exploring it further. In addition to solo adventures, I have also met and spent time with a couple other english teacher in the area, which provides a welcome respite from things foreign. I should start teaching this week, but there is a typhoon landing on the coast tomorrow morning and I have been informed that school might be cancelled due to the weather. Ben gets here tomorrow night, and I can't wait for him to catch up!!
More to come.
XOXO
-A
*Sam = Ginseng. Ke = Chicken. Tong = Soup. But believe me, it's a lot more interesting than that ; )
**This happy excursion included hearing and sight tests, a dental examination, a chest x-ray, a urine sample, blood sample, and a stool sample acheived by sticking a q-tip up my butt, supposedly "for my health".
***Apartment buildings 20+ years standing are considered old, and will soon be rebuilt by the gov't.
****Korean people laugh a lot. Even in a serious conversation between two co-workers Koreans will crack jokes and make each other laugh out loud. On the whole they strike me as a very happy, jovial group. For instance, when I pointed to a set of high rise apartments and said that I had thought I would live up high in one of those because they are all around, Su-O laughed out loud. She said that the higher up in the apartment building you live, the nicer the apartment, and the more apartments in the building, the more expensive they all are. I live on the second floor of an apartment complex with four stories.
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