11:56 PM
Sho
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.
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.
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.
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| Semla (not my picture) |
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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3 comments:
omg very interesting relationship going on there. hmmm must be a cultural thing...?
maybe...or maybe it's just her? It's hard for me to know the difference here. And there are definitely people in the states who jump into things, but personally I don't know anyone who labelled the bf/gf thing so quickly (within 2 weeks of meeting someone?!)
:)
Wow, interesting. I love that you told her he doesn't love her, hahaha!!
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