The People
I can’t say anything bad about how I’ve been treated. I’ve heard stories of ignorance from other foreigners but have not experienced any discrimination thus far. A good Taiwanese friend of mine told me before I came over here that I shouldn’t confuse angry demeanours or people being standoffish with people actually being upset. The language itself is harsh and the culture is based on respect for one another. Foreigners are still fairly new here so I try not to confuse the two if someone does not understand what I am trying to say.
Korean’s are blunt about certain things though. The first question isn’t where I’m from, it’s always – how old are you? Age is a huge part of their culture and how people are treated over here. Formally, you never drink or eat at a table before the eldest person has a drink or takes the first bite. It’s very old school, but I can appreciate that.
The other day the kids at school were commenting on how big my eyes were. I said thank you and they giggled (which is the normal response to things I say). I didn’t think much of it because they are pretty big compared to Asians, but when the man at the grocery store randomly said the same thing to me, I have to admit, I did come home to take a closer look at myself in the mirror that night. Some comments can make you feel a little self conscious, but in reality, they're just stating a fact and don’t mean anything by it.
My School
There are about 300 kids in total with 12 Korean teachers, and 6 foreign teachers. The way it works is the Korean teacher goes in and teaches something to a class (mainly vocabulary and sentence structure), and then the foreign teacher goes in and teaches pronunciation and different aspects of conversations. There’s also a lot of miming and drawing to explain what certain words are which is always fun. Every day is different and it’s based mainly on what emotional state each kid is in. I’m learning I have to be in a completely different mindset than other jobs I’ve held. So far it’s been a great learning experience – if only the kids knew how much they are teaching me and how much more I’m sure I will learn from them.
I teach six different classes a day and they last 45 minutes each. The kids I teach range from grade 3 up to grade 6; although every class in the school is based on language level, not age. Because age is so highly looked upon here, I was placed with the mid-range level students. I guess that means I’m middle aged (haha). The kids go to “normal” school during the day then private or “Hagwon” schools at night. That’s right, they go to school for around twelve hours a day. A day in the life, eh! I’ve spoken to other foreigners about the schools that they teach at (or have taught at) and the Hagwon that I work at seems to be a complete gem. They are extremely fair and haven’t had any major problems with anyone who has worked there in the past. So far it seems like I lucked out on my placement which is a sigh of reliefJ
I teach six different classes a day and they last 45 minutes each. The kids I teach range from grade 3 up to grade 6; although every class in the school is based on language level, not age. Because age is so highly looked upon here, I was placed with the mid-range level students. I guess that means I’m middle aged (haha). The kids go to “normal” school during the day then private or “Hagwon” schools at night. That’s right, they go to school for around twelve hours a day. A day in the life, eh! I’ve spoken to other foreigners about the schools that they teach at (or have taught at) and the Hagwon that I work at seems to be a complete gem. They are extremely fair and haven’t had any major problems with anyone who has worked there in the past. So far it seems like I lucked out on my placement which is a sigh of reliefJ
The kids are just as interested in where I am from and what my culture/family is like as I am interested in their lives. It’s a great trade off! I usually start the class off (when I am doing attendance) to take the opportunity to ask them a question about their life. Today I asked what they had for lunch and I got all kinds of interesting responses. Some are familiar, or are foods that I will probably try, others I can’t even imagine eating (dried salted squid was one of them). I also try to write a joke on the board everyday and explain what it means – sometimes I get a laugh, and other times they ask why Canadian people think that joke is funny. Leave it to me, right.
The Food
The weekend before I began my adventure I went out for Korean food at a restaurant in Halifax to show my parents the different kinds of food I would be eating for the next year. The food was great and not that far off from our usual diets. The food here - well, it's a little more unfamiliar to my pallet than expected. My first week I lived off of rice, tuna sandwiches, and japchea (which is sweet potatoe noodles and vegetables) that I found at a supermarket close to my place. I have since found multiple restaurants that I go to and crave lots of different Korean dishes daily. There is also food from all over the world here too; you just need to know where to look. They have popular chain restaurants from Canada/US like the Outback Steak House, Pizza Hut, Duncan Donuts, and McDonalds.
The Streets
From what I can tell, the same rules apply to South Korea as in Canada. We both drive on the right side of the road and have stop lights, yield signs, etc. The biggest difference is if you’re not on a main street (which is four to six lanes wide) you're on a side street, which is only one lane wide. Imagine, being on a street that is just wide enough to comfortably fit one car; then, you through into the mix that random cars are parked on either side of the street. In the distance, you notice a large white van that is coming straight towards you and is picking up speed. Naturally, you move over to the side, but there is hardly enough room - that is, until you’re almost hugging the Tucson that is parked to your left. As if that’s not enough, you notice another car is behind you trying to get through the same avenue. Talk about pedestrian stress! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been this close to being nicked I I. They actually have phone numbers on some cars in case they are parked on the street and cars/trucks can’t get through. Which reminds me, they have trucks that come by daily with loads of farm fresh foods for sale. They announce what they have on intercoms over and over again. It’s a great idea for a local farmer, but a bit of an annoyance if you’re trying to sleep in or nursing a hangover since the buildings are so close to the road.
I should also note that when I first arrived I noticed that there was an unusual smell in the streets. I thought it was just wafts of Korean food, like how there’s random spots in Canada that smell like baking bread or fried chicken. Not to be too descriptive - but I quickly found out after my first BM that I couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not the most pleasant thing in the world, but that’s what you get when there’s raw sewage flowing within a few feet of the open street gutters.
Shopping
The streets are full of shopping and street vendors. Almost every store you go into, you can find almost anything you need (and maybe a few things you don’t need, but you buy anyways). The corner store next to me sells everything from milk to shiny red buttons. Everything is fairly cheap compared to the Canadian market, so it can be easy to get carried away. The other day I was shopping in a giant upscale outdoor market close to one of the Universities and I bought a pair of shoes for 10,000 won... that’s right, they were only $10! Ok, maybe I lied, I bought two pairs – but they were flats and practical and oh so sparkly and cute. If that’s not a good enough reason, I don’t know what is! To be honest, other than getting a few other house hold things to make my apartment a little more cozy, I haven’t been shopping all that much. I’m sure I will be in the coming months though. I do after all need to find a camera at some point so I can capture some of the wonderment that is my life now! Did I just write that? I guess so.
My Apartment
I know you are all probably curious as to what my apartment looks like. I really think I should wait until I can post pictures to describe this one. For now, it’s just going to have to be one of those things that keeps you coming back to hear more!
Transportation
I can’t say enough good things about the transportation here. It cost less than a dollar to ride and the subway goes all over Busan. No need to worry if you happen to miss your train either cause you’ll be sure that another one will come along in the next 6 minutes or so. Everything is high tech and motion detected too. The escalator that bring you upstairs and down doesn’t actually start until someone steps foot on the first stair. How energy efficient! Speaking of energy efficient - I’ve also noticed in the hallways at my school, and in my apartment, that the lights don’t turn on until you step foot in them. Pretty much everything electrical is on timers too so if you don't use them they automatically shut off. Every little bit helps!
I hope this gives you a little insight as to what my first impressions are so far. Like always, stay tuned for my next update!
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