.JPG)
As with any experience, foreign or otherwise, you have to be ready for the good times and the bad times. You can’t have one without the other, unless you live in a movie or you are heavily drugged. If I enjoyed this journey too much I would be worried that someone had spiked the kimchi.
When I was eating dinner in the canteen today with a conversation occurring around me about someone called “Jo Teacher” I was pretty certain the kimchi was clean. No one made any attempt to translate what was being said, and since they weren’t talking about my hygiene levels I had no idea what was going on. I should point out that the only Elementary/ Middle School co-teacher who speaks to me is Fely who is originally from the Philippines and married to a Korean. It may explain why schedule changes are so last minute-just hand me a new schedule 10 seconds before it starts and I can’t kick up a fuss. Obviously, my situation would have been made a lot easier if I had learnt Korean before coming out here, but I did naively hope I would have a co-teacher on hand to help me with any problems. Fely does help but no one seems to have cottoned on to the idea of getting her to tell me important things rather than expecting me to instinctively know for instance that tomorrow the classes will start earlier.
Matters weren’t helped by my Korean teacher, Christina, neglecting to mention I would be expected to teach some returning students on a one-to-one basis, which means three extra lessons a day. When I agreed to what I thought would be one extra lesson a day I said that I would be willing to teach the students Monday to Thursday. Today she wanted to know why I couldn’t teach them on Fridays too…..largely because I want to travel and also because I have enough classes already thanks. She had already got me into hot water by talking to Mr Song (my director) about the lessons, which unbeknown to me I was originally going to get paid for privately. I am not allowed to teach private lessons-it wouldn’t go down very well with my alien status or my director. I just don’t like the loss of control over my life and the fact saying yes to one thing seems to result in me doing something completely different.
When I was eating dinner in the canteen today with a conversation occurring around me about someone called “Jo Teacher” I was pretty certain the kimchi was clean. No one made any attempt to translate what was being said, and since they weren’t talking about my hygiene levels I had no idea what was going on. I should point out that the only Elementary/ Middle School co-teacher who speaks to me is Fely who is originally from the Philippines and married to a Korean. It may explain why schedule changes are so last minute-just hand me a new schedule 10 seconds before it starts and I can’t kick up a fuss. Obviously, my situation would have been made a lot easier if I had learnt Korean before coming out here, but I did naively hope I would have a co-teacher on hand to help me with any problems. Fely does help but no one seems to have cottoned on to the idea of getting her to tell me important things rather than expecting me to instinctively know for instance that tomorrow the classes will start earlier.
Matters weren’t helped by my Korean teacher, Christina, neglecting to mention I would be expected to teach some returning students on a one-to-one basis, which means three extra lessons a day. When I agreed to what I thought would be one extra lesson a day I said that I would be willing to teach the students Monday to Thursday. Today she wanted to know why I couldn’t teach them on Fridays too…..largely because I want to travel and also because I have enough classes already thanks. She had already got me into hot water by talking to Mr Song (my director) about the lessons, which unbeknown to me I was originally going to get paid for privately. I am not allowed to teach private lessons-it wouldn’t go down very well with my alien status or my director. I just don’t like the loss of control over my life and the fact saying yes to one thing seems to result in me doing something completely different.
Being “lost in translation” of course has its fun side, and a small task like buying a bus ticket can feel like a huge accomplishment after a couple of minutes of embarrassed smiles and broken phrases. (In my case, never reaching the intended destination and ending up in the middle of nowhere-priceless!) Attempts at conversations with the GS25 (a local shop) manager and the guy who runs the coffee shop in the town centre are sure ways to make me smile inside and out. A couple of Korean teachers from another Hagwon had a chat with me while I sipped my caramel latte the other day and were just really friendly and lovely. Of course having a small child follow you around a shop pointing at you and shouting Miguk saram (American person), not so much. You get the idea though, it’s all about ups and downs and acknowledging that my Korean co-workers do not represent an accurate show case for Koreans in general.
No comments:
Post a Comment