O-tu-kayyyyy

A few months back, I realized that I had taught my 1st graders to associate the phrase, "Rock Star", with getting the answer right.  So one after the other, I would hear little voices asking, "Teach-ahh me?  Rock Star?" while pointing to their correct answer.  Although, I found it to be incredibly funny that they were saying that----I also found it really disturbing to realize--I was saying that!  Not only saying it, but saying it enough that I taught 5 year old Korean students to speak this phrase, with alarming frequency.  After those words were said back to me, numerous times, I stopped using it completely, because although it is very funny, I do have a job to do--and teaching 5 year old Korean students, ridiculous slang, is not one of them.

Apparently, I say a lot of ridiculous phrases.  Yesterday in class one of my students (Eun So-jin) dropped her crayon and says, "UH OH Spaghetti O's".   Hmmm........  wonder where she go that from??       WHO AM I?   Apparently I am channeling the most ridiculous version of myself, while I am teaching small children a second language!    Naturally it struck a funny chord with me, but it also alarms me that I am blabbing out so many phrases that, I only become aware of them once they get parroted back to me.  I will say, "Uh oh spaghetti O's" is better than "Rock Star", but still.........      Fortunately for these kids they only have 3 more classes with me.  Let's see if I can keep my tourettes in check.

When I am with Son Myungai, we rely a great deal on Konglish, gestures, facial expressions and of course Google Translate.  We usually go to the computer as a last resort though, because I think we are both a little determined to communicate with each other without having to depend on a translator.  Not to mention it makes it a lot more personal, interesting and fun.  When she is trying to express something to me, she'll stop occasionally to make sure that I am still following her and ask, "Understand?" and I will say, "Yes, I understand" and then she always gives me the double thumbs up and says, "Very good understand!".  I love it when she says that.

My new favorite phrase to say in Korean is:  "O-tu-kay", however I say it really whiny and love to drag it out the way my kids do it...so it goes a little something like: "Ooooo tuuuuUUUUuu Kayyyayyyyayyyy".   It has two meanings:  How & What.   I parrot this phrase back to Koreans, much the same way my 1st graders parrot back "Uh Oh Spaghetti O's", probably because they're both just fun to say.   I asked Son Myungai about this phrase having two meanings, mostly just double checking my understanding of it.  So I said, "O-tu-kay"--How?   "O-tu-kay" What?  Same-same??     She says, "small same-same" (I love the way she communicates things--"small same-same" and "very good understand").   I guess you just have to be in the conversation to know if the person is asking how or what.     Another fun phrase to say is "wayyYYYyyyyyy" which means why.   I have heard this one soooooo many times from my students!  "Teach-ahhhHHhhhhh WayyyYYYyyyyyyyy??????".           Officially I have 2 and 1/2 weeks left in teaching, and it has taken the FULL year to finally be able to understand and communicate more comfortably in Korean.  In many ways, I feel like I just got to this great point at being able to really communicate and now the time is up.  This year has gone by alarmingly fast!  

TidBits:

Matching couples are very popular here!  You'll find 'matchy matchy' couples dressed EXACTLY alike.  It's the darnedest thing.   They will literally have on the same shirt, hat, pants, shoes---everything.  You'll also see complimentary matching outfits.  So the girl will be wearing a skirt in the same fabric as her boyfriend's pants.  They also sell matching underwear sets here.  Men's & women's underwear are sold in the same store (or section)--So think Victoria Secrets, but for both sexes.  They have tons of displays that have the boy & girl mannequin wearing the same style.  I sincerely believe these couples that wear the same thing on the outside, very likely have the same under clothes on.   It's just one of many 'cutesy' things to Korean society---that once again, I kind of find endearing!  As  a western woman, I would personally find it disturbing if my boyfriend matched my clothes (outter or inner garments) and probably break up with him post-haste!

It is February 1st here.  I only have 24 days left in Korea.