In the Land of Morning COLD

Rumor has it that this is the coldest winter that Korea has had in 55 year. I can believe it, it’s freaking cold. As soon as fall hit a few months ago, and I realized it was pretty comparable to winter in San Francisco (which I used to complain about), the feeling of dread set in. When I heard that it could get down to negative temperatures, I couldn’t fully wrap my head around what that would mean in terms of physical sensations, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

Seoul Weather Forecast

I’d only ever experienced snow when I’d driven for five hours to ride down it on a pair of skis. Now I walk out my front door, and there it is. Everywhere. Pretty, yes, sometimes. But then it gets all gray and slushy, or turns into black ice-blocks of death. Or, I’ll be teaching, and happen to glance out the window, and BOOM, blizzard (not really). “Are we even going to be able to leave? What if we get snowed-in?”

First Snowfall, Yeongtong

I remember the first time, a month or two ago, while walking to catch the bus, when I thought to myself, “so this is what they mean by ‘biting cold.’” It literally bites you, and it hurts. Who knew that air could be so painful? Not I. I’ve found that the best way to deal with it is to go outside as little as possible. I’m hibernating.

Doing anything seems like such an ordeal. First, you have to pile on layer upon layer of insulation until you feel like a snowman. Once outside, I keep my hands jammed deep in my jacket pockets and my eyes towards the ground, to avoid the icy patches, where one can easily slip and break themselves. Once safely inside, sheltered from the elements, the layers must come off again; scarf, jacket, gloves, second pair of socks...Repeat, repeat, repeat. It’s exhausting.

I realize that, coming from California, it’s probably good for me to experience real weather for the first time in my life. I mean, Santa Barbara barely even has seasons, and there is a something nice about watching your surroundings change every few months. But, can we move on to spring already??

The Power of Han

I just started re-reading Etiquette Guide to Korea, which I bought in the US right before my departure and read on the plane. While describing the character and personality of Koreans, the author described an element to their culture known as Han. I don’t remember being very interested in this concept the first time I read this book, but his time it caught my attention. Now that I’ve been here for almost six months, this phenomenon seems to explain some of my observations of Korean culture.

The direct translation of han is “unrequited resentments,” but there is much more to it that that. “Han can be understood to encompass all of the ambitions, emotions, desires, spirit, and intellectual impulses that were prohibited and oppressed from the beginning of the Chosun Dynasty in 1392 until the 1950s. When South Koreans were freed from political oppression, all of these repressed things were released and provided the energy, power, and passion they devoted to creating a modern economy. The power of han has not yet expended itself, and the ferocity, dedication, and diligence with which the people work must be seen to be believed” (De Mente, Etiquette Guide to Korea, p.24-25).

Han is attributed as being the driving force behind South Korea’s incredibly rapid advancement over the past 50 years. It is a powerful part of South Korean culture, resulting from the domination and suppression that they’ve been subjected to throughout their history. Koreans are known for their work ethic, and this work ethic can at least partially be attributed for their economic miracle. Living and working in South Korea, I witness the diligence and the dedication of South Koreans on a daily basis, and it is indeed astounding.

For example, while the native teachers at my school often times stay at work until 7pm, after starting a little after 9am, the Korean teachers almost always stay longer, and come in on Saturdays. My Kindergarteners, who just turned Korean eight, making them six or seven in “international” age, study English for four or five hours a day, five days a week. In addition, some of them have private tutors that come to their house, and many play an instrument or a sport.

While for the children this is, of course, not a voluntary lifestyle, it reflects the work ethic that is expected of them in this culture.  While perhaps not innate, it seems to become ingrained.  This is a work ethic that they must learn to adopt, especially in a collectivist society where your successes and failures are a reflection not only of you, but the people you are interconnected with; your family, friends, and country. A work ethic that could be a result of a sudden freedom, or release, after so many years of suppression, a result of han.

The Other Side of the Rainbow

A couple weeks ago some friends and I discovered a one-of-a-kind hookah-lounge in Gagnam, Seoul called Rainbow (Rainbow Facebook page). It’s a dimly lit room filled with low tables, floor-cushions, a bar, and a DJ booth. If you get there early enough, you can sit in a nest-like loft against the wall. Shoes are removed at the door and placed in a bag, which you bring with you to your table. There are also small, worn lap-blankets available in case you need some extra warmth. Signs on the wall invite you to relax, but warn against getting so deeply relaxed that you fall asleep, which is not allowed.

I would describe the décor as Rasta-theme, but it is also a bit opium-den-like. One of my favorite paintings on the wall (there are many) is an alternative version of the Korean flag; the middle is a peace sign and it’s red, yellow, and green, in true Rasta fashion. There are many marijuana-leaves decorating the walls (and floor), but no marijuana to be smoked, obviously, because we are in Korea. Instead, there are many flavors of hookah, and buckets of alcohol. Well, they are called “buckets,” but they are more like square, glass vases, filled with various cocktail mixtures, and consumed with a straw. There is also a decent selection of wine, and you can get 10% off on Sundays. Needless to say (in true California fashion), this place is awesome!

A glimpse of Rainbow (these pictures are from my camera phone and don’t do it justice):

Madeline, Jacqueline, Rum Bucket

Good Band (forget the name)

Hookah

Towards the end of night on weekends, the music at Rainbow tends to get louder and clubbier, so the vibe becomes less relaxed. However, not to worry, for across the street, only a few steps away, there is another great bar, Woodstock. Woodstock, as the name suggests, is another foreigner-friendly gem in Seoul with good music, a laid-back atmosphere, and reasonably priced drinks. Hooray!

Daddy PTA

I’m behind on blogging, as usual. Time for a recap. Let’s start with Christmas…

My Christmas cheer was dampened by an event that we had at school the week before: Christmas PTA (also known as Daddy PTA). This is basically a Christmas-themed open house for the Kindergarten kids and their dads. Mommy PTA is held over summer. Why is it called PTA? Good question…it isn’t named after the school’s “Parent-Teacher Association,” because there is none…Parent-Teacher Activities? Adventure? Amusement?

We spent weeks leading up to the event teaching the kids Christmas songs and dances to be performed for their daddies. My class did “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and “Feliz Navidad.” There were to be two different nights (Wednesday and Thursday), for different classes.

On the nights of the event, the dads showed up with their kids, decked out in adorable Christmas outfits, around 7pm. In the classroom we made wreaths, shared food, and the kids gave their song and dance performances. There was also dancing and games in the auditorium (led by Gym Teacher), and the kids received presents from Santa (an American friend of one of the Native Teachers).

At these sorts of events, I always feel quite prop-like. We native teachers are told what to where (red or green with Santa hats, and antlers and a Rudolph nose to pose with the kids’ and Santa), where to stand, what to say (“introduce yourself…talk about the program for the evening…then talk about the meaning behind wreath-making” “um…which is…?”), and when to get up on stage and dance (yes, this happened).

Korean dads are for the most part quite shy and don’t speak a lot English. We mainly just tried to make everyone feel comfortable and force as much English out of the kids as possible, to prove to the dads that their money is being put to good use. “Daniel, what are you eating? Is it delicious? Julia, what color glitter would you like? How many beads?”

The event went until 10:30 both nights, and was quite exhausting, but went better than expected. Granted, my co-teacher and I weren’t expecting very good things from Salmon Class, since they tend to be a little crazed, to say the least. But they stayed under control, completed their songs, and spoke some English, so I was pleased.

My favorite part of the night was when Santa asked one of the boys, Eddie, “have you been a good boy this year?” We had practiced responding “Yes, I have been a good boy,” for about thirty minutes in class that morning. However, after thinking it over a bit, her responded “mmm…so-so.” You have to appreciate his honesty, and he still got the top (all the rage in Japan) that he’d been wanting.

Angry Birds

Let me introduce to something that has somehow turned into a prominent part of my workday, Angry Birds. Angry Birds first started out as a game that you could play on your computer or iPhone:

Angry Birds Game

Here in Korea, Angry Birds have been taken to a whole new level. There is Angry Bird EVERYTHING. Angry Bird key-chains, Angry Bird pencils, Angry Bird erasers, Angry Bird socks…

Angry Birds Cake-Pops

I had never heard of Angry Birds before coming to Korea, and the other teachers mentioned them to me when I first got here, “The kids love Angry Birds. “Angry whats?” “You’ll see.” Indeed I did, but I still don’t really get it. Why are they so popular? And, what are these birds so angry about, anyway?

Everyone at school loves Angry Birds, from the three year olds to the thirteen-year-olds. I’m not sure if this is a global trend or just Korea. But they are seriously obsessed, some of them especially. It’s the new Pokémon. Someone somewhere is making a ton of money off of these pissed-off birds.

On the positive side, we teachers can use this obsession to our advantage by using Angry Birds as rewards (usually stickers). But, sometimes it gets annoying. Like, when kids won’t accept stickers that aren’t Angry-Bird stickers. Or, when they find a way to relate every lesson to something about Angry Birds.

Or, when writing a paper on why it is important to respect your teachers (assigned to a certain class that can’t seem to grasp that concept), one of the kids wrote that “Disrespecting the teacher makes teacher a very angry bird.” Um, yes, it’s true, but so does your freakish obsession with Angry Birds!

I’ve learned the Korean word for bomb, sounds like “pook-tan,” because there are bombs in the game, so the kids are always talking about them (there are also pelicans. Seriously, what is with this game??). A couple times, when drawing apples on the board, I heard a chorus of “Pooktan! Pooktan!” “Say BOMB,” I tell them. You can insult my drawings, but at least do it in English. Geez.

            While all of the boys in my Kindergarten class love Angry Birds. One of them, Daniel, is particularly fond of them. It’s all that he talks about, all that he thinks about, and (I’m sure) all he dreams about. His favorite color is red, because that is the color of the main Angry Bird character. We have to make him use other colors when he’s coloring, so that his coloring-pages aren’t giant red blobs.

The best behaved I’ve ever seen Daniel is the week when one of the other teachers told him that if he got three “good-points” he could have her giant Angry Bird pen. He eventually got it, and now he’s always running around showing it to everyone, including the teachers. “That’s nice, Daniel.”

Me, Daniel (in his Angry Bird sweatshirt)

I confiscated one of Daniel’s Angry Bird toys the other day because he took it out during class-time. And, while sitting next to my desk during lunch-play (as he usually is, since he usually doesn’t behave himself enough to be allowed to play), he was whining to me with all of the English he could muster, begging for it back. “Austinnn Teachaaa, me like this Angry Bird doll SOOO much…me is SO SO SOOO like it…this is my FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITTEEEE Angry Bird Doll…” I couldn’t decide if it was funny or just plain disturbing. For the record, he got his toy back at the end of the day. I’m not trying to traumatize the kid.

Angry Birds, at least, seem to be bringing out Daniel’s creative side. He is always getting in trouble for drawing Angry Birds on his worksheets and stealing my board-markers to draw Angry Birds on the board. And, I must admit, the drawings are quite impressive. The other boys even ask him to draw them pictures of Angry Birds.

Last week, we were learning about plant-life, so I asked the kids to draw and label flowers. Daniel, of course, drew Angry Bird flowers (the centers were Angry Bird faces, surrounded by petals). He also brought a pair of homemade, very realistic, paper Angry Birds to class to be displayed as decorations. We now have what looks like an Angry Bird shrine in a corner of the classroom. Alas, if only he were this enthusiastic about studying English.

There was also a huge fiasco when some of the elementary students stole Angry Bird stickers off of the Salmon Class sticker boards. They were telling me about it for weeks (“Me is five Angry Bird stickers MISSING!!! Sonic is TEN Angry Bird stickers MISSING!!!!!”), so I finally hid their boards inside their lockers so it wouldn’t happen again.

My Korean co-teacher, Ellen, is no longer amused with the Angry Bird obsession. “Salmon Class has made me HATE Angry Birds, I want to tell them that they aren’t allowed to talk about them anymore.” But, if we banned Angry Birds, and therefore Angry Bird stickers, how would I ever get the boys to do anything?

I keep waiting for this trend to be over. They have to get over it eventually, right? Can we move on to something else, please?? So far, no such luck. If this fad lasts all year, I’m going to come back to the US a very angry bird indeed.

Eat Your Kimchi

The first word that people usually associate with South Korea is “kimchi,” and with good reason. I don’t know how it started, but Kimchi is a huge part of the culture, and something very unique to Korea. When I first heard that fermented cabbage is a staple in the Korean diet, my initial reaction was “um, why??” I’ve always thought of cabbage as having very little taste or nutritional value, and, why would you feel the need to ferment it?!?

 This is kimchi 

Koreans eat kimchi ALL THE TIME, with practically every meal. For example, when I ask my Kindergarteners what they ate for breakfast (as an English warm-up question in the morning) the answer is usually “rice and kimchi.” This is pretty much the most un-breakfast-like meal I can think of. Kimchi, while it comes in many varieties, is usually quite spicy. And, white rice? Really?

Now that I’ve been here for a while, and have been eating kimchi at least once a day, five days a week (they serve it with lunch at school), I’ve actually grown to like the taste. It’s really spicy, and I like spice. I think it also has something to do with the fact that we don’t get to eat salad very often here, and kimchi slightly resembles salad, emphasis on slightly. Most foreigners seem to hate it, and maybe I’m just going through a weird phase. Sometimes I even crave it on weekends when I haven’t had it for a day or two. It’s really odd, I know.

Some kimchi varieties

In an attempt to understand this strange concoction that has found it’s way into my stomach (and heart), I did some research…ANDDDD….I stumbled across across a fabulous article, saying that kimchi is actually REALLY GOOD FOR YOU! Health.com lists it as one of the world’s healthiest foods! Read on…

“Koreans eat so much of this super-spicy condiment (40 pounds of it per person each year) that natives say “kimchi” instead of “cheese” when getting their pictures taken. The reddish fermented cabbage (and sometimes radish) dish—made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chile peppers, and other spices—is served at every meal, either alone or mixed with rice or noodles. And it’s part of a high-fiber, low-fat diet that has kept obesity at bay in Korea. Kimchi also is used in everything from soups to pancakes, and as a topping on pizza and burgers.

Why to try it: Kimchi (or kimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.”

Jar o' kimchi

So, there you have it, folks. There is some reason to all of this kimchi madness. Note: There is even an entire museum in Seoul dedicated to kimchi, which I will definitely be visiting…Eat your kimchi!

Solitude

Looking around a bar one night, a friend mentioned to me how many of the foreigners here seem to be lonely. Oceans away from your home, your family, it’s hard to imagine that one wouldn’t get lonely sometimes. Committing to living across the globe for a year, in an entirely different culture with an entirely different language, one has to be prepared to feel some degree of isolation.

We don’t easily blend in here, even in areas like Yeongtong, which are known for having a lot of foreigners. Dramatically different in language, culture, and appearance, we are definitely outsiders. Also, the Koreans don’t usually give foreigners much extra attention, like they do in some of the other countries I’ve visited. If anything, many of them seem to want to avoid you so that they don’t have to speak English.

Talking to my friend Moon, I asked her if she thought that most of the foreigners here suffered from some degree if loneliness. She offered that it seemed to be more of feeling of solitude than loneliness. I like this differentiation, and it seems accurate. The sense that I have is indeed of a self-imposed, peaceful solitude. There is time and space for reflection. You can easily get lost in the quiet, and the sea of unfamiliar faces, sights, and smells. The foreignness becomes increasingly familiar over time, but the sense of being an outsider seems to remain.

“There seems to be a lot of creative tension here,” an American who has been here for a couple of years mentioned to me soon after I arrived. I think I know what he means now by creative tension, but it’s hard to describe in words. It is something within the solitude, and you can make of it what you want.

Perhaps this tension is what you find when you sever yourself from everything in your life that is familiar and comfortable and hop on a plane to the other side of the world. While it seems more than a little cliche to find yourself on the other side of the world, you do seem to find something. You also find that in order to hop on that plain you probably had to be just a little bit insane. So there’s that.