Rules of Korea

All of the Native English Teachers (NET) had to go to a training on crime prevention, drug/alchohol use & abuse, and basic Korean laws.  Obviously (and unfortunately) this meeting was created because some of the NET's had been deported because of bad behavior.  My main happiness for being there, was that my classes were cancelled for the day so I could attend this meeting and as a bonus I was able to catch up with many of the people I went through training with back in March (and haven't seen since).  So that was pretty neat.

The people who were conducting the meeting were bilingual Koreans from both the police force and the office of education.  Occasionally when people who are giving presentations not in their native tongue, a few things can get a little mixed up through translation.  For example the superintendent of the Ulsan Office of Education was being introduced and the person introducing him said, "Now please give him a very warm welcome with your really big hands".  These big hands were made for clapping baby!  I just about lost it when she said that, but fortunately my laughs were drowned out by the loud clapping with all of the large-handed people in the room.  I must say, that I am impressed with anyone who is bilingual.  Particularly bilingual coming from a native Asian language that has a sound system so completely opposite from English that their mouths literally can't make some of the sounds (and vice versa).  So I do poke fun, but I am also humbled at their ability to speak more than one language.  It's just funny how a few simple key words in a sentence, when put in the wrong place can have a completely different meaning.

One of the topics was how to defend yourself against, drunk old men--um, I guess if the need arises??  Clearly there is a reason that this was a topic.  In case you want to know what to do when in Korea, and a drunk old man harasses you:  "You can't punch him.  But you can push him".   End of topic.

They also had a tid bit on driving in Korea.  If you want to get a drivers license in Korea, you first have to go through some sort of training to be able to drive here.  All the complaining I do about the driving here, I can't imagine what the training involves--maybe some sort of deprogramming about all the rules of the road you thought you knew prior to coming to Korea.   I think the training would go something like: 

1.  You ALWAYS have the right-of-way.  In every situation. 

2. If the light is red, and you feel you have stopped for long enough or alternatively, you don't feel like stopping at all, just run it. 

3.  Honk as often as possible, for no apparent reason. 

4. Driving on sidewalks:  Purely optional.  As far as giving pedestrians the right-of way, when you are driving on sidewalks--refer to rule # 1.

5. If you are in a left handed, single lane turn lane, and you happen to be the last car in the line, it's okay to leap frog everyone and make a double left turn with the person in the front of the line--after all you have the right of way (#1). 

6.  If you come to a cross walk and you see old people & children patiently waiting to cross the street in sub-zero temperatures, always remember rule # 1!  Stopping is optional, however if you do stop, you may get honked at by the people behind you--refer to rule #3.

7.  Pull out in traffic first.  Look second.  Rule #1.

TidBits

I was taught how to ask, "Are you really crazy?" in Korean today.  I have heard this sooooo many times that I already knew how to say it.  Those little stinker kids have been asking me this for 10 months now and of course busting up in pure delight at my clueless expression.  Ohhhh how much fun it is to pick on the non-korean speaker!   I love them.  I really do.  But they're stinkers, no doubt about it.