I went to the doctors a few days ago because I needed to get a Korean check-up or whathaveyou. Lydia, a fellow teacher and a Korean, went with me. I brought along a book because you know, the doctors office, yada yada.
So we get to the doctors office and turns out, it's actually a hospital. A hospital complete with people walking around with IV stands. I had to get a dental check-up, a physical check-up, and an X-Ray. Now, I expected all of this to take about three hours or more, you know, standard American lets-keep-you-waiting-as-long-as-possible procedure.
Well I was so wrong. I practically had to run through the hospital to keep up. Here lets take your blood, here let's check your eyes, here lets check your teeth, here lets give you a freaking X-Ray. Bam bam bam. It took 30 minutes.
And I appreciated the swiftness of it all. It did really freak me out however. I mean they don't even care about your name or anything, they just get you in and out of every room, it was like some sort of weird scavenger hunt game. They didn't even ask for my passport.
And believe you me I stick out like a sore thumb. It is so strange to have to get used to people staring at you everywhere you go like you're some sort of alien. People literally stop in the street and stare at me. Children follow me. Old ladies scowl. Sometimes it's a confidence boost. I feel like I'm kind of a big deal. And the guys think I'm hot. They like big noses and small faces here, so I'm pretty set. Barbra Streisand should consider visiting.
We were at the bar last night and these Korean across from us had a bet that Canada was below America. Now, I'm not going to judge, because I can't say I immediately placed Korea on a map as soon as I found out I was coming here. I at least I knew it wasn't high above China.
Point is: bars, supermarkets, school, hospitals, nowhere is safe. I'm not going to fit into a crowd for a whole year. Strange.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
A Deer In Headlights
Oh man, so yesterday was my first day of teaching. I go into the school a few hours early to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Now I had assumed (which should send up a red flag here) that my first few days were training days and that someone would be guiding me along or something. Incorrect. I was thrown to the sharks yesterday. (I almost said literally and then I realized I'm teaching English, I should try and use it properly).
I taught seven classes yesterday, and I had no idea what I was doing in any of them. I tried to play the name game with them, but this proved impossible. Nonetheless, I played it with every class for lack of any better ideas. I hate the feeling of having a class of students looking at you for answers or something and you just look back at them like "uhh well, I guess you all know you're shapes so....ummm, colors? Damn you know you're colors too. Smart kids, I'm screwed."
Today I have six classes to teach, and I'm equally as unprepared despite my attempt to figure out some activities for them. I've decided I'm going to have to learn to do a lot of time-wasting, and procrastination activities with these kids. They seem like they know everything.
Of course I talked this over with one of the Korean teachers. I was telling her the kids were so smart and she was like "wait a week, they you'll be all 'these kids are so dumb'." I doubt it, but hilarious all the same. Although, I can see where she's coming from after correcting some papers last night. In all honesty, grading the papers just made me feel sad for my Spanish teachers throughout school. The things they had to decipher...
Some of the papers were very amusing, and some where just disturbing. The one essay question was "I wished I looked like...because..." Reading these responses just opened my eyes to how superficial this culture is in ways. A lot of the kids (these are 9/10-year-olds) talked about having plastic surgery and bigger eyes and paler skin, yada yada. But I think the fact that the question was asked is telling enough.
The other question was "If you become a mother or father in the future, how would you bring up your kids?" These were my favorite to read. Some of the kids talked about bringing up their kids strictly for revenge. My favorite quotes was "I would do motherly things so they will think "my mother was very laborious, sorry!" Laborious, gotta love it.
Moral of the story, I must work on being less efficient. That's right, less efficient. Any advice?
I taught seven classes yesterday, and I had no idea what I was doing in any of them. I tried to play the name game with them, but this proved impossible. Nonetheless, I played it with every class for lack of any better ideas. I hate the feeling of having a class of students looking at you for answers or something and you just look back at them like "uhh well, I guess you all know you're shapes so....ummm, colors? Damn you know you're colors too. Smart kids, I'm screwed."
Today I have six classes to teach, and I'm equally as unprepared despite my attempt to figure out some activities for them. I've decided I'm going to have to learn to do a lot of time-wasting, and procrastination activities with these kids. They seem like they know everything.
Of course I talked this over with one of the Korean teachers. I was telling her the kids were so smart and she was like "wait a week, they you'll be all 'these kids are so dumb'." I doubt it, but hilarious all the same. Although, I can see where she's coming from after correcting some papers last night. In all honesty, grading the papers just made me feel sad for my Spanish teachers throughout school. The things they had to decipher...
Some of the papers were very amusing, and some where just disturbing. The one essay question was "I wished I looked like...because..." Reading these responses just opened my eyes to how superficial this culture is in ways. A lot of the kids (these are 9/10-year-olds) talked about having plastic surgery and bigger eyes and paler skin, yada yada. But I think the fact that the question was asked is telling enough.
The other question was "If you become a mother or father in the future, how would you bring up your kids?" These were my favorite to read. Some of the kids talked about bringing up their kids strictly for revenge. My favorite quotes was "I would do motherly things so they will think "my mother was very laborious, sorry!" Laborious, gotta love it.
Moral of the story, I must work on being less efficient. That's right, less efficient. Any advice?
Friday, September 16, 2011
Yeosu
Let me start by saying this blog got its title while on a road trip with one Jennifer Stearns. I was telling her that I wanted to start a blog when in South Korea but was having trouble coming up with a name for it. After giving her my ideas such as "this hiker's got Seoul" and things to that effect she suggested I name it "the view from up here." The reason was two-fold. 1) It's ironic because I'm short, however people from East Asia are also notoriously short so the joke is that however short I am, they'll be shorter. Which, on a tangent, is sadly not the case. 2) It's funny because though I'm in South Korea the title can suggest I might be in North Korea. That's definitely a stretch, but I like it. Especially since everyone I told about my move to SoKo was all "don't go hiking, don't get near the border, I'm scared you're going to die Katie, I mean you DID fall into a moat after all." Yeah yeah yeah.
And now onto my arrival. The trip was fine. It was long but I met some nice people on the planes. It wasn't until I had to transfer airports to get to Yeosu that it because amusing for anyone to watch me, because then I was lugging around two 55 pound suitcases and a backpack and purse. Of course, no one has any sympathy for people in these situations. They just watch, laugh, and occasionally someone will ask you if you need a taxi. I hate when people stop me and ask if I need a taxi. Do I look like an idiot? There are signs for taxis everywhere, if I needed a taxi I would find you.
When I got to my apartment my roommates were telling me that the kids were asking about me. They said the first thing they asked (which apparently is expected) was "how tall is she?" Oh these poor kids are going to be so disappointed. According to my roommates, everyone is obsessed with height here. Good thing I packed heels.
Anyway, nothing too exciting to report yet. But I'm sure I'm well on my way to finding trouble to get into.
I'll keep ya posted.
xoxo
And now onto my arrival. The trip was fine. It was long but I met some nice people on the planes. It wasn't until I had to transfer airports to get to Yeosu that it because amusing for anyone to watch me, because then I was lugging around two 55 pound suitcases and a backpack and purse. Of course, no one has any sympathy for people in these situations. They just watch, laugh, and occasionally someone will ask you if you need a taxi. I hate when people stop me and ask if I need a taxi. Do I look like an idiot? There are signs for taxis everywhere, if I needed a taxi I would find you.
When I got to my apartment my roommates were telling me that the kids were asking about me. They said the first thing they asked (which apparently is expected) was "how tall is she?" Oh these poor kids are going to be so disappointed. According to my roommates, everyone is obsessed with height here. Good thing I packed heels.
Anyway, nothing too exciting to report yet. But I'm sure I'm well on my way to finding trouble to get into.
I'll keep ya posted.
xoxo
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