Quirks, powerpoints, and burritos

Today I was accosted by a group of high school girls who wanted to tell me how small my face was.  Yes.  It went a little something like this:

I was returning from grocery shopping – about a five minute walk.  My local grocery store charges about three cents for the shopping bags here, so I naturally stuffed my items into my hefty purse. I had a bag of potatoes that didn't fit into my purse which I tucked under my winter coat, and stiffly pinned to my side with my arm.  It was not at all awkward looking.  A group of gorgeous high school girls (maybe eight) watched me approach, and one of them called out a friendly "Hi."

 

Not my photo

"Hello," I replied smiling.  The hi/hello thing is pretty common here, even on the streets.  I usually smile and return the greeting, and the greeter (always a young person) gets really excited that they got a positive response to one of the odd noises that they'd been learning at school.

Responding to the passerby

I never ignore the hi's or hello's. (Except at my school sometimes because almost every student says it to me, and I simply don't have time.) It only takes me a second to reply, and they rarely pursue a conversation.  Also, I find it instinctively rude to ignore people, even if they are "being rude" by shouting a greeting at me.  I don't really think of them as being rude so much as curious and friendly – and the random greetings are not so pervasive that they become burdensome.  I grew up in the Middle East, and the situation there was much different: reply and end up with unwanted attention (stalkers, vendors, beggars).  Even still, I often returned a quick hello and kept walking. I'm the daughter of a diplomat, and I grew up with the very real knowledge of being a representative of my country.  If I'm rude here (or anywhere that it's obvious I'm American/Western), I'm just not rude, I'm rude on behalf of my entire nation.

And no, not every person deserves a reply, and you can always respond with a nod or smile or even pretend not to hear them.  It won't forever mar the East-West foreign relations.  Still, it doesn't hurt to go out of your way to be friendly to the kids who are thrilled to talk to you.

Back to my story.  One girl said hi, I replied. This emboldened several others to join in.

"Hi!"
"Hello!"
"Hi!"

"Hi," I said.  They all had adorably shy smiles on their faces. One of them, with short dark hair and an adventurous glint in her eyes, stepped forward.

"Small fehce-eh."

"What?" I smiled.

"Small face! Small face!" The others joined in, smiling and staring at my head.

"Ohh." I laughed. They laughed too.

"Very pretty.  Beaut-ee-ful. Nice!" It's hard not to appreciate a group of people stumbling over themselves to tell me how attractive you are.  Even if it's because you have a tiny little head.  Which I don't.  My hat sizes are always above average for girls.  But then, I do have a narrow face.  I've always thought it might be a bit nicer to have a fuller (for lack of a better word) face.  I look like a rodent when my hair is wet.  When I got my wisdom teeth removed and my cheeks swelled up, my friends told me my face finally looked normal.  True story.

OK, but I don't have a tiny, sunken-in, anorexic face.  Really.  It's pretty normal looking. (Unlike the photos from this awesome site. How does Joel Mchale still look good?)  Apparently it fits into the "small" category and that is valued here.  This isn't the first time I've been called out on having one.  Also, they're big on pale skin.  So basically I moved my small, tanless body to the correct country.

Teaching = Powerpoints

Powerpoints are a big part of my lessons here.  We use them for vocabulary, games, new concepts, songs, etc.  They supplement the curriculum provided to us by the school.

Today I made a powerpoint for the new phrases and vocabulary in our upcoming units.  I got the pleasure of figuring out how to illustrate:

-here (arrow pointing at giant HERE)
-there (arrow pointing away to giant THERE)
-luck (four leaf clover)
-I will do taekwondo (clock, person doing taekwondo)
-My watch
-his watch
-cute (go check out the first image that pops up on cute.  So cute.)
-wonderful (this was a fun one.  What picture would you choose?)
-creature (difficult to demonstrate with one picture)
-until (try illustrating that)
-boogie woogie oogie (that's why you don't teach kids English with children book vocabulary.)

Etc.  Some fun concepts I have yet to figure out how to illustrate include "Such a sight" and "Life" (I think I'm going with a kid growing older on that one.)

While we're on the illustration subject: I've discovered it's really hard to draw spaghetti on a whiteboard.  Mine looked like a ball with weird lines through it, or possibly the back of someone's head.  Also, I drew "foggy" on the whiteboard.  It was pretty ingenious – I drew clouds with a person below.  I then drew arrows downward from the clouds and drew the clouds around the person.  Foggy. Duh.

My interpretation of "Foggy"

When I was googling "my watch", one of the suggestions was "My water broke."  How many pregnant women rush to the keyboard when their water breaks? Shouldn't you figure that out, oh during the nine months of pregnancy? 
 
Burritos

I know I stuck burritos in the title of this post, but I don't have much to say on the topic except that I'm pretty excited to be part of a group order from Gringos Burritos. They make burritos here (in Korea) and ship them out. I miss burritos.  And Mexican food. Mmm and Chipotle. I haven't had proper Mexican food since I left California (minus a short summer visit) because it's not a food that flourishes in Scandinavia – or apparently, Korea. 

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Of coffee, men and countries (but mostly TCKs)

This morning I used the excuse of not owning a coffee maker (is that what they're called?) to get out of a date.  I knew not being a coffee person would one day reap rewards. And yes, "I don't have a coffee maker" is a lame excuse to not meet up with someone, especially when I could have pulled the boyfriend card – but really, who invites themselves over to your place for coffee after talking to you for three minutes? Yes, that was a lot of italics.  This just got real.

I have always been a compulsive truth enhancer, because it tends to make life easier.  When I lived in the States, I tended to field the "where are you from" question (a TCK favorite) with my pick of whatever state I happened to not be in, but happened to be generally affiliated with.  The states I am generally affiliated with include the following: Texas, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia.  Florida is a stretch – I still remember the look on my Texan friend Sandi's face when I told an elder at her church that I was from Florida.

"Siobhan, just because your dad went to college there doesn't mean you're from Florida." I believe these were her exact words.


Still, judgers aside (that's you Sandi), being able to pick and choose my fromness has its benefits.  I can gauge a situation and see if the people are Southern, Eastern, or West Coast friendly.  Every state/area has its own stereotypes, and my nomadity allows me to pick my poison. In Korea I usually say California because it's the last place in the States that I lived, it's the state in which I spent the longest time (four years), and I have family and friends there.  This is all fairly legit, until I meet a Californian who wants to know where exactly in California I'm from.  Oh and I'm not chesty, cutesy or tan.  Part of me feels a twinge of guilt at ruining the California girl stereotype for people when I'm not actually from California.

My sister is worse though. She has never lived in California – I believe she's only visited once – but she claims it as her fromness (I'm really enjoying that word).  The problem is, there aren't really any better alternatives for her.

So why lie? Why not tell the ohsoawesomeadventurousexciting story of growing up overseas?  Why not spout out the list of countries we lived in and explain that our time in the States was limited to summer vacations and yes our English is good because we went to international schools and no we didn't live in the pyramids and yes the people really do dress differently and yes we had McDonalds and household help but that wasn't weird because labor was cheap?

Well, that's why.  It's a long story and not really small talk fodder unless you're in a long term small talk situation at a gathering where everyone has paired or grouped up and you're stuck talking to the one person and the conversation topic has been exhausted but you don't have a good excuse to just walk away so your eyes are scanning the room for a group to join because if you start into an actual conversation you'll just get embedded and it's not that you don't want to talk to the person it's that you're worried that they feel stuck with you and you don't want to feel unwanted but aren't sure what the other person is thinking because you've just met...

Another reason TCKs might not be crazy about the "where are you from" question is that it's a total left fielder.  Society and small talk functions on expectations – you smile and make non-controversial statements and laugh and smile in the right places. Everything is familiar – oh yes, the traffic on the loop is awful on Saturdays, aren't babies adorable? – and the topics are meant to be ones that easily connect people. Growing up overseas doesn't fit into the box of expectations.  It's an accidental non sequitur – a conversational land mine.  It's a million word answer to the simplest of questions.  It's kind of like if you ask someone how they are and they start philosophizing on the state of the modern American greeting, and give you an in-depth look at their current existential state.  You wanted and expected a simple, common answer, but you received way more information than the situation merited.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that we don't ever want to talk about our childhoods and experiences overseas. It's just difficult to condense our bizarre backgrounds, and many casual introductions aren't socially facile places to discuss the subject.  Most TCKs are more than happy to talk with their friends about living overseas – in fact, I welcome such conversations.  I just don't relish them when I meet someone for the first time. And there are other reasons:

Why TCKs can be reluctant to discuss their past

1) It's difficult to explain.  It's a different world, and it can be hard to paint a picture.

2) It makes you stand out, but not on your own terms. I'm a stage-loving, emceeing, extroverted, attention whore. I like attention.  But I like to control when and where I'm receiving attention, and that doesn't always include being the oddball who grew up overseas. I'd rather be known for traits that I've chosen for myself.

3) It can get tedious. I love love love meeting new people, but explaining the same thing every single time gets old.  (And we all have something like this – explaining that your child is adopted or your multi-racial background or your tattoo, etc.)  It's hard to treat each new acquaintance like it's opening night – the reality is that you've been on tour repeating the same script for years and years.

4) Sometimes it's nice to blend in. Growing up in countries where I stood out because of my skin and language, it can be relaxing to be one of the herd. 

5) It's personal.  I mean, discussing all of the places I grew up in doesn't have to be too personal, but it does give an immediate look into my childhood.  Not a big deal, but sometimes I don't want to lay everything on the table.

6) Telling someone you're a TCK can be a conversation killer.  The person you're talking to will often say something like "Oh that must have been so interesting" or ask about what part of the country you were in.  But after that, either everything becomes focused on you ("So did you like it? How long were you there? What was the weather like"), which makes things one-sided, or the conversation sort of halts. 

**

All of that said, I don't actually mind talking about my past with new acquaintances who are interested – I just sometimes have to remind myself that they haven't heard my spiel before.

Also, I have definitely used the weirdness of my past to my advantage.  I have often let people believe that some of the weird things I do are the result of my upbringing, when the reality is that I happen to have a few quirks.  Socks, earrings, food, men, nailpolish, hair – I know plenty of TCKs who have perfectly normal relationships with these things. 

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The E2 Health Exam for English Teachers in Korea

The E2 Health Check.

What is it? In order to get your ARC (Alien Residence Card), and complete the legal requirements for the E2 visa (the one year visa given to foreign language instructors), you need to take a health exam upon arrival.  It's a pretty basic physical that took me about 25 minutes to complete.


Before the test:

- Fast. At certain locations, you will be required to fast for eight hours before taking the exam. I went to a hospital in Geumchon and they made me come back because I hadn't fasted.  When I returned and passed the exam, I fasted from food but not liquids.

- Don't take medication beforehand. Whatever you do, DON'T consume anything dodgy the night/week before.  Obviously don't do any drugs, but also DON'T take sleep medication the night before. The previous teacher at my school took sleep medication before her exam and had to pay to retake it.  Be careful.

- Bring your passport for the paperwork you will be required to fill out.


Where to do the Korean Health Exam: Take the Korean health exam at a hospital or designated medical center.  If you are teaching at a public school, your co-worker should accompany you to the hospital and help you with the forms/navigation of the process.

What's in the Korean E2 Health Check?

- A blood test. They stick a needle in your arm and draw blood for a minute or so.

- Measurement of height and weight. They did not measure my hips/chest/or anything but I have read of that happening.

- A urine sample. Which is why you should only fast from food beforehand:)

- An eye exam. Reading an eye chart, English letters.

- Blood pressure. Stick your arm in the squeezy machine. You know the one.

- Chest X-Ray. You change your top (privately) into a flimsy blue hospital one, and go into a room with a doctor, and take the X-Ray while wearing the blue shirt.

How much does the E2 Korean Health Check cost?

I paid 100,000 won (about 87 dollars), but I've heard you can get it for much cheaper. (I've also heard the cheaper prices have gone up significantly).  

Give me an overview of the experience.

On my first day of classes, my co-worker and I went straight from school – we actually left early (had to have the principal, vice principal, and head teacher sign off). You want to get the exam done ASAP because you need it for your ARC (which you need to get within 90 days of arrival, but sooner is better because it's helpful in getting a phone contract/bank account/Costco membership/etc., though you can open bank and phone accounts without it, you can't maintain them long term.) We were turned away because I hadn't fasted – nobody had told me, and it must vary by location because many teachers don't.


We left work early again the next week, and arrived at the hospital. I was new and disoriented, and let my co-worker take care of choosing the hospital (he drove me).  We were the only people at the counter for the health check. We were given some forms to fill out (the usual medical history type stuff), and then we walked around the hospital to each of the various stations (blood test, eye exam, etc.).  It was all very quick and efficient.

I paid 100,000 won and we drove back to the hospital a week later to pick up the results.  The school does not pay or chip in for the 100,000 won. However, if you are a returning NET, your health insurance should cover it.

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Day 23 - Welcoming my new co-teacher

My new co-teacher started working with me this last Monday, the 19th.  If you recall, I wasn't too excited about switching from my previous co-teacher. He was the first person I met in Korea (besides the enthusiastic taxi driver), and we had worked well together. Also, he had ten years of teaching experience and has been at my school for a few years. She is new to the area, to the school, and the teaching profession. As in, very new to the teaching profession. As in, a 22-year-old who graduated in February. Not that I mind – but it's my role to be the confused newbie. I need help navigating the area, the school, and the classroom. Or I thought I did. (OK, literal navigation, yes, I definitely do.)

During the final days before my move, my mom and I went out to fika, the Swedish version of a coffee break (except with quality coffee and tasty treats). Actually, the term "fika" gets thrown around quite a bit, and is often used as a term for any sort of quick meal outing/get together.  Kind of like when you're catching up with an old friend and say "Oh let's do coffee sometime," but you mean "let's get together at a cafe or restaurant and catch up."  Actually, pretty much exactly the same.

Semla (not my picture)

So we fika-ed (possibly not how you're supposed to verb it), and I had a divine semla, a sandwich and a salad. Semlor are out in hordes during lent – they line the store fronts of cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets, and they often look better than they taste. Anyways we sat and chatted, and my mom suppressed her nervous fearoverherdaughtermovingtotheborderofnorthkorea long enough to tell me that she was excited for me to learn more about myself and what I'm capable of. When you're surrounded by people who are taking care of you, you can forget what you're capable of accomplishing on your own.

All of which ties back into my original point: when I arrived here, I landed into the comfy situation of having a co-teacher who took charge and helped me immensely. Now I'm on more equal footing with a fellow rookie (besides the fact that she has an actual education degree:P).  It's a positive thing to be pushed.

So: my new co-worker SH.  She is petite (5'4?), slim like a fairy, and has the adorable Asian cute thing going. She looks down and covers her mouth when she smiles or laughs. She has limited, but decent, English, which makes for quite a few misunderstandings and funny phrases.  She had been working as a substitute in her hometown for 15 days before she took this job. Her hometown is a couple of hours away and contains her family, friends, and boyfriend (who was not thrilled that she left), and she is planning on visiting every weekend.

As we spoke throughout the week, I discovered that she had met her boyfriend at her last school. Which means she has only known him about a month or so, but she seems quite infatuated.  Well, I suppose that's not odd for the one month phase, but I had thought that relationships moved more slowly here. Also, she's extremely soft spoken and shy.

"Wow, that's fast." I said when she told me about their romance.
She laughed shyly. "Yes, it is. But he said he likes me very much."

Later, I teasingly asked her if he was cute. Pretty safe question, because most people don't date people they don't find attractive, and cute is quite a fluid term.

"No," she replied, smiling. Weird. Maybe she didn't understand what I was asking, or took "cute" to be a literal baby look.

"Ah.  OK. But is he handsome?"

"No. But he loves me very much."

"No he doesn't!  He only worked with you a week," I laughed to make this less blunt as per my excellent social skills.

I think she averted her eyes and giggled at this, and I'm not always sure what she means by that reaction. Is it reflex? Non-confrontational? Not sure what I said?  In any case I really enjoy working with her, though I do find the relationship to be a bit strange.  If someone I didn't find attractive started immediately hitting on me and telling me he "really liked me", I would find his motives suspect. (I would even if he was attractive, but I thought that was an odd piece of her puzzle.)

Happy weekend:) I have met about twenty people every weekend I've been here. Hopefully I'll start narrowing it down soon.

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Photos - My first weekend in Seoul

On my first weekend here, I went with a Meetup group on a hike along Namsan Fortress Wall.  I had been in the country for three days and was jet lagged and disoriented (my body decided to wake up for the hike at 4:30 in the morning:P), but I wanted to meet people and be productive, so I went.  On the meetup description, it said the hike would be 3.4 km.  I quickly googled "How many km do you walk in an hour" and discovered that the hike would be about 45 minutes.  No problem.  "Lies!" I believe was shouted out halfway through the decidedly not 3.4 km hike. It was much longer, and mostly uphill. Ah, but it was nice to get some exercise, speak in English and see the city.

Click photo to enlarge.

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