kittens

Apparently, the Korean word for "kitten" is a bad word!  I can only imagine it has the same connotations as the other word for female dog.  This explains why none of my kids know what a "kitten" is.  They're not teaching it!  My kids know, "cat", "dog" & "puppy", but I have noticed a long time ago that at both schools, they didn't know this word, and I was mildly surprised.  Today in class we were doing a phonics bingo game focusing on "k" (and a few other letters).  When I called out "kitten", the kids struggled with that.  So I then typed it into google translate and had it up on the smart board and suddently a "husssshhhhhhh" fell upon these 5th graders, like I have never known before!  Apparently the way to make Korean children be quiet, is to flash the word, "kitten".  Sadly, a little late in my year, to have just figured this out!  Drats! 

After I figured out that this was a bad word, I felt a little guilty that I inadvertently polluted my kid's minds with terrible words like, "kitten".  I told them, "sorry", while quickly pressing the backspace button over the word, to pretend as though it never happened.  I said something like, "Interesting.  In America, this is not a bad word."  They said, that "Yun-ye teacher (English teacher), slaps their hands when they say kitten".  (I think they're fibbing a bit, because I have never missed a day of class and she has never once hit them. Although, she has intimidated them with her impressive stink-eye though).  One of my kids then said to me in her best grown up voice, "Christine teacher.  This is called culture.  American and Korean culture--different".  Yeahhhhhhhhhhh ...okay--smarty pants-- 5th grader.  I stand corrected.

 

I am very curious as to why it is a bad word though.  I'll get to the bottom of this and loop you in as soon as I'm the wiser.  I can't figure out if it is the, English pronunciation---or if it is the actual word that comes through via translation and there is actually another word they use for "kitten".  My kids did talk about how disgusting little cats are though.  They made some very disturbing faces, while mimicking the grossness of a kitten!  I have to be honest, but I find it a little disturbing that kittens are considered as anything other than stinkin' adorable in any culture.  Who doesn't love kittens???  I am pretty open minded about most culture differences, but this one really boggles my brain.  I did have an incredibly hard time concealing my look that fell somewhere between shock, horror and concern as they made these terrible faces, when talking about them.

 

Another cultural tidbit I picked up, a little late in the game I might add, is that the color red is associated with death and bad luck.   I can't believe I have been here this long and I just now found this out!   I just thought there was a very serious disdain for the color red.  Whenever we have teams--"red team" or "blue team"--the students will fight to the death to get the blue team.  In addition, whenever I hand out white board markers, the students will freak out if the only color choice left is the red marker.  In my head, I have been thinking, "get over it!!! just use the darn marker", obviously, completely oblivious to the reasons for such behavior.  I guess it is also extra bad to have your name written in red (things.. that would have been really helpful to know when I got here).   I have broken this rule so many times.  Now, I feel a little bad.   I had made these little sticker, reward cards for all my students.  For my 3rd graders though, I went a little above and beyond and wrote their names in glitter glue.  I used a variety of colors, but a few of them I had written their name in red.  Those particular students were visibly crushed when I gave them their cards.  This was back in September, and I remember being a little deflated and hurt at how ungrateful they were being, because I put so much work into creating these cards.  Again, would have been really, really good to know a very long time ago.  Oh well. 

 

TidBits

 

Everything here is a "story".  The names of thousands of restaurants & brands are called, "______ story".  For example:  A coffee shop:  "A Coffee Story"  A Cake Shop:  "A cake story"    A candy bar:  "A chocolate story"  A hair salon:  "A Hair Story"  An ice cream brand:   "An Ice cream Story"  I don't know why.  I don't ask questions.