Still lost in translation: Today one of my 5th graders had a shirt on that read, "Do it Naked". I don't know what it means, and fortunately "naked" is not on the list of English words to learn.
Ohh Dynamic Korea. One can not say this enough. Towards the end of school today one of my coteachers comes running around the corner, grabbing onto my arm saying in a REALLY hyper, enthusiastic voice, "Come Christine!! There's Food!". (huh?:)) Anyway, she takes me outside and around the corner on the side of the school there is, in fact, food! All of the teachers were out there having an incredibly awesome, mini barbeque. I walk up, and naturally someone hands me a bottle for me to pour it into their glass and they do the same for me. It looked like lemon flavored juice (which since we were on school property I assumed was juice). Anyway I drink it and to my surprise it was delicious and quite smooth. I then have a second one, and realized, I'm feeling a little funny. I then inquire what this yummy little beverage that is making me dizzy is: They say, "Oohhhh it's special Korean drink. More alcohol than soju---drink up". I didn't think anything could possibly have more alcohol than soju! But, just to prove it has more alcohol than soju, someone just happens to have a stashed bottle of soju, that he takes out and holds next to the lemon goodness---and sure enough way more alcohol by volume. (Nicole: It does just make that HR neuron fire a bit, right??:)
It was a lot of fun, this little get together. It was very short lived---maybe 45 minutes, and in that time I acquired quite the little Korean buzz. I didn't see this coming for my Wednesday afternoon at 430. Just wasn't in the plan. The food was amazing, of course. They have various leaves (kind of like a dark lettuce, but not quite) that you wrap meats, hot sauce, and vegetables in and eat all at once. The meat and one of the vegetables that was actually a root, were both barbecued. Oh yes, to add to the ambiance, several of the students were on the playground, while the teachers were in the corner eating & drinking booze. :) Only in Korea!
The conversations are always kind of fun. I found myself in about a 5 minute conversation trying to understand that someone was trying to mime out "lard" or "grease" and letting me know it was okay to use your hands to eat some things, but not things that had grease on them, in which you would use chop sticks (this is what I took from the conversation). Oh yes, I must mention that one of these men was stuffing food into my face. This goes back to the no personal space and no real boundaries per se! :) So he is showing me how to wrap up the wraps, and apparently the one he was displaying was to be mine. Before I knew it, he pushed it into my lips--I busted up laughing because it was so unexpected! I tried to pull away a bit, but he kept pushing it at my mouth every time I tried to maneuver around it. I just couldn't stop laughing. Finally, I took it out of his hands, because I figured I would end up choking on it, trying to go about it his way.
Every time I find myself in the midst of a mild panic attack about being in Korea, something like this little get together just makes it all worth while. Koreans are very fun people.
There are many odd stores here--at seemingly odd locations from a business perspective. For example last night, I passed 7 (YES SEVEN) towel stores in 2 blocks. Stores that sell towels--that's it. 7, in two blocks? Just seems excessive and at the same time it's interesting & confusing. There was one store that had a little something extra, which was umbrellas. Towels & Umbrellas. I wonder how some of these stores stay in business, since you will see this often throughout the entire city. You'll pass about 5 blocks and you'll see 3 or more stores identical to each other in just a few city blocks. One that comes to mind is Korean traditional dress. On one stretch of my bus route I pass about 5 of these in maybe 6 blocks. Obviously there must be a market for these stores and I am aware that I am probably missing something, but it just makes me wonder.
Ohh Dynamic Korea. One can not say this enough. Towards the end of school today one of my coteachers comes running around the corner, grabbing onto my arm saying in a REALLY hyper, enthusiastic voice, "Come Christine!! There's Food!". (huh?:)) Anyway, she takes me outside and around the corner on the side of the school there is, in fact, food! All of the teachers were out there having an incredibly awesome, mini barbeque. I walk up, and naturally someone hands me a bottle for me to pour it into their glass and they do the same for me. It looked like lemon flavored juice (which since we were on school property I assumed was juice). Anyway I drink it and to my surprise it was delicious and quite smooth. I then have a second one, and realized, I'm feeling a little funny. I then inquire what this yummy little beverage that is making me dizzy is: They say, "Oohhhh it's special Korean drink. More alcohol than soju---drink up". I didn't think anything could possibly have more alcohol than soju! But, just to prove it has more alcohol than soju, someone just happens to have a stashed bottle of soju, that he takes out and holds next to the lemon goodness---and sure enough way more alcohol by volume. (Nicole: It does just make that HR neuron fire a bit, right??:)
It was a lot of fun, this little get together. It was very short lived---maybe 45 minutes, and in that time I acquired quite the little Korean buzz. I didn't see this coming for my Wednesday afternoon at 430. Just wasn't in the plan. The food was amazing, of course. They have various leaves (kind of like a dark lettuce, but not quite) that you wrap meats, hot sauce, and vegetables in and eat all at once. The meat and one of the vegetables that was actually a root, were both barbecued. Oh yes, to add to the ambiance, several of the students were on the playground, while the teachers were in the corner eating & drinking booze. :) Only in Korea!
The conversations are always kind of fun. I found myself in about a 5 minute conversation trying to understand that someone was trying to mime out "lard" or "grease" and letting me know it was okay to use your hands to eat some things, but not things that had grease on them, in which you would use chop sticks (this is what I took from the conversation). Oh yes, I must mention that one of these men was stuffing food into my face. This goes back to the no personal space and no real boundaries per se! :) So he is showing me how to wrap up the wraps, and apparently the one he was displaying was to be mine. Before I knew it, he pushed it into my lips--I busted up laughing because it was so unexpected! I tried to pull away a bit, but he kept pushing it at my mouth every time I tried to maneuver around it. I just couldn't stop laughing. Finally, I took it out of his hands, because I figured I would end up choking on it, trying to go about it his way.
Every time I find myself in the midst of a mild panic attack about being in Korea, something like this little get together just makes it all worth while. Koreans are very fun people.
There are many odd stores here--at seemingly odd locations from a business perspective. For example last night, I passed 7 (YES SEVEN) towel stores in 2 blocks. Stores that sell towels--that's it. 7, in two blocks? Just seems excessive and at the same time it's interesting & confusing. There was one store that had a little something extra, which was umbrellas. Towels & Umbrellas. I wonder how some of these stores stay in business, since you will see this often throughout the entire city. You'll pass about 5 blocks and you'll see 3 or more stores identical to each other in just a few city blocks. One that comes to mind is Korean traditional dress. On one stretch of my bus route I pass about 5 of these in maybe 6 blocks. Obviously there must be a market for these stores and I am aware that I am probably missing something, but it just makes me wonder.
It sounds like you’ve found the accepted coping mechanism amongst the teachers. When things get too bad with the unruly kids you simply say, Hey everybody! Let’s have a barbeque and drink some ‘lemonade’! It all sounds very innocent to everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of a ding dong. Not sure why I didn't use the word "lemonade" in this post, rather than "lemon flavored juice". I really didn't occur to me, until I read your comment! Hmm..for whatever reason English is slipping further and further from my grasp. And they want me to teach this stuff?? aye yay yayyy...
ReplyDeleteOnly in Korea! Glad you had fun at the bar-b-q! I also notice what you said about the stores and there being so many identical stores in a small stretch of blocks. The same with restaurants. In my neighbrhood, there are like 2-3 restaurants per block.
ReplyDeleteThere are TONS of restaurants! There are 2 right in my alley-way areay, and honestly I wonder how they stay in business. The other thing that there are wayyyyyyy too many of are little convenient stores. I sometimes feel this weird tinge of guilt and end up buying something from them. Hmmm.. maybe that is how they stay in business?
ReplyDeletenaked is a brand of surfboard wax. there used to be a lot of shirts similar to that. off hand i only remember surf naked.
ReplyDeleteyou know, I remember seeing those t-shirts that said, "surf naked". not sure i ever really knew what those were for. it makes me feel a little better, knowing that it might have been an advertisement...
ReplyDelete