Surprise! We're going hiking!

One of the best bits of advice I received about teaching in Korea was to maintain a flexible attitude and be prepared for abrupt and last minute changes.

In the States, if a friend/boss/lover was constantly changing plans on you at the last minute, it would be taken as a sign of disrespect.  When a person changes the agenda at the last minute, he/she is saying that your time is expendable.  Sure, occasionally legitimate problems create unavoidable cancellations, etc., but if someone is constantly making and breaking plans or relying on you to come through at the last minute, they are treating you like a doormat.  (Even if they don't realize they are doing this; they could be well-intentioned, lazy, or used to getting their way.)

In Korea, at least in the public school system, last minute changes are frequent and unapologetic.  But they are the reality of a system that is simply planned (or not planned) differently than in the States.  This comparatively non-schedule/communication oriented planning seems to be directly related to the Confucian "group mentality" aspect of Korean culture. The administrative thinking appears to be: "We are a team.  We are working as a group, not individuals. Therefore we can make last minute decisions to benefit the team, and the team members will be happy to contribute.  Why create detailed schedules and adhere to them strictly when the teachers will always be happy to work with unexpected changes?"

Or that's my interpretation anyways.

Basically what this all translates to in my life is:

1) Occasionally sitting in class, wondering where the students are, and finding out that they aren't coming because they are a) cleaning the school b) on an outing c) other activities that were surely planned before that exact moment.

2) Watching SH pick up the classroom phone, have a discussion, and hang up telling me that we have to run to the cafeteria or the teacher's lounge because there is a meeting we're supposed to attend.

3) Being told that the next day there will be no classes because the students are on a field trip. 

4) Surprise! We have a teacher's dinner tonight for several hours!

And the latest:

5) Surprise! We're all going hiking tomorrow, so bring some gear!

**

The thing is, with these situations, it isn't miscommunication - there isn't an awkward intern somewhere who forgot to send out the memos.  And it isn't noncommunication - the information eventually does appear.  Ultimately, it's a little something I like to call surprisecommunication.  So many surprises!  How exciting!  :) 

This is the perspective I'm able to take (and I know I sounded sarcastic, but I'm semi-serious), because, if you hadn't noticed: most of the surprises mean less work or getting to know my co-workers (with a free, excellent meal).  Also, adding "surprise" in front of bad things, always makes them better.  The bus that's never on time?  I love riding the surprise bus!

The hiking trip

I had a wonderful time hiking.  I would describe it in great detail, but the result would be extremely boring for anyone who wasn't there (and anyone who was).  Basically: a couple of hours on a mountain in newly Spring weather surrounded by blooming pink flowers and an excellent view.  I had a fun moment in which I realized that the area across the water was North Korea. 

More highlights: the teacher's dinner afterwards when, once again, the majority of the men are tipsy/drunk.  We had a shouter, a redface, a suddenlyabletospeakenglishnowthatmyinhabitionsaregone, and a fellow who sat slumped at his table at the end.  He just...stared.  He had to be guided out when we left.