The First Walk to School

3/2/11 Walk to School (3/1)
My guide to dealing with country shock recommended that I try to unwind during these early days by staying in contact with friends and family and doing something that relaxes me. Though I wouldn’t have said right off that writing relaxes me, I have come to recall that it’s true. I maybe understand some motivation for blogging a little better. It’s sort of nice to unload the details (while keeping a public audience in mind of course ^_^). So on to talking about today, Tuesday.

Mr. Kim told me he would meet me at my apartment between 12 and 1 pm to show me to the school and give me a brief orientation, such as the holiday would allow. I passed the time by writing a little, having a leisurely morning with a somewhat western-style breakfast, and trying to establish some routines. I did turn on my TV and tried to figure out how many channels I got. I’m still not entirely sure, but there is one English channel. The sound comes in fine, but the picture is almost to fuzzy to see anything (I could tell that Dr. Phil was on at least though). I have some HD channels and some regular ones, but what interested me was an assembly/ceremony to commemorate the Korean independence day. I watched a children’s choir sing the national anthem as a number of Korean (and some foreign) dignitaries waved flags, and an aged gentleman spoke about the independence protests that took place on that day many years before.

Then Mr. Kim arrived and walked me around the block for a lunch at McDonald’s before we set out. The only word on the menu I could really read in Korean translated to “Big Mac” but that’s a small start. Mr. Kim recommended the spicy chicken sandwich, and that sounded safer for my stomach than a burger so we both got one plus fries and Coca-Cola. The fries and Coke tasted pretty much the same as in America, and I don’t eat at McD’s enough to know about the chicken sandwich, but it was tasty. While we waited in line, Mr. Kim asked me if I happened to know what the holiday was about, since I had mentioned the TV program. I said, “Yeah, it was the day that Korea held protests against occupying Japan, in… I think 1919?” He was silent a moment, and then said, “That’s it exactly. You know, you are kind of scaring me.” Hah, well I didn’t mention that I had just read about it in a novel about Korea that I had finished the morning I left, but indeed, the details were fresh in my mind right when the actual holiday took place (March 1).

About eye contact… Mr. Kim mentioned as an aside at lunch that he had heard that in America when people don’t make eye contact they’re being evasive or deceptive. I sort of sensed this topic was coming, because at dinner the night before, the lack of eye contact from him was noticeable, as was my direct eye contact too, I’m sure. He explained that lack of eye contact didn’t mean that in Korea, and I shouldn’t think anything of it, since it was cultural. I noted that in some cultures (I was thinking of the Ojibwe culture in Minnesota in particular) direct eye contact was something like a challenge, and he told me that was exactly how it was in Korea. I wondered if the students would avoid eye contact with me at school then as a mark of respect, and he said it was a little bit that, but mostly because they would be VERY shy at first. :) They and me both, but I hope my “authoritative teacher persona” will kick back in after its several month hiatus. So I’ll work on less eye contact with Korean peers and superiors (especially when dining, or especially with men? I don’t want to be branded a hussy! Still trying to figure this cultural aspect out), and as the day went on, he made a little more eye contact.

I am a little disappointed with myself for not being more outgoing/bubbly/enthusiastic due to fatigue and as a general response to the strangeness of all around me. I guess I’m just being genuine about my introvertedness though. Mr. Kim asked if I knew what my blood type was, since Korean people put a lot of weight into blood types as a sort of personality indicator (like a sort of horoscope thing), and it’s a common thing to ask about. I said I wasn’t 100% sure but that I thought it was A+. He smiled and said, Aha," and I asked if that was a good thing or not. He told me all types have good and bad points associated with them. For me, he said type A is what he would have guessed: introverted, reserved, polite, intelligent. That’s his blood type too, he told me, though he has a nephew who has type O—very extroverted and energetic. In other words, I’m not overwhelming anyone with my lively nature or extrovertedness yet, but that’s okay… :P

There really isn’t a written teacher dress code. Just dress neatly, modestly, and in clean clothing. This reminded me to ask about footwear since we had already been over the “no shoes in the house” cultural fact. I knew from Eat Your Kimchi and various other places that I’d need different shoes for school. When I was back at my apartment, I asked if my Chaco Zongs (toe strap Z-sandals with no heel strap) would be acceptable, and Mr. Kim said those would work fine. So a big thank you to my cousin for that gift! They’ll be well-used and much appreciated, since the teachers are the ones who move from classroom to classroom, not the students!

We did some “essentials” shopping for me at a nearby Lotte Mart (a large Korean chain of supermarkets, bigger than a convenience store). This time I got food for a couple of microwave suppers, shower shoes and bath towels (which are the size of largish hand towels), dishsoap and scrubber, laundry soap, and some very basic kitchen containers: frying pan, microwavable bowl and mug. There’s more stuff on the receipt I have to save to reimburse him for eventually, but I can’t read the receipt or recall the items. Too much detail anyway. :) While shopping, we had a “random” encounter with Mr. Kim’s former colleagues who now work at the middle school next door to my school, and they mentioned their new “Native English Speaker” from South Africa who I had actually written to on a website a few days before and hope to meet up with soon! I wasn’t expecting she and I’d be working so close together—small world. :D

Once today, Mr. Kim asked something I didn’t understand, repeated it again and I still didn’t understand, and I just replied, “I don’t really know.” I’m going to get briefly self-critical and say I’m not very happy with myself for doing that—taking the easy way out rather than trying to understand him—it’s not a habit I want to reinforce when listening to students, and it’s not a great policy in general. Understandable now, but still. Okay, rather than sitting here calling myself cowardly or lazy, I’m going to move on and try not to do it as much! There, problem addressed this time.

Wasn’t sure about when to give the co-teacher a gift (as is customarily appropriate and culturally appreciated), but I went ahead and gave it to him as he was leaving since I didn’t know if it was a thing he could store at school. I decided to give him the Russell Stover’s chocolates and hope that the principal will accept the Gentleman Jack Tennessee whiskey. I really don’t know if that’s a thing that can be stored at school…! For Mr. Kim’s part, it was a great choice. In spite of my somewhat awkward presentation of the gift (unwrapped of course, due to customs, and timed as an afterthought before he left for the afternoon), I think it was a good call. He seemed surprised and pleased to receive the locally-made gift from my hometown, and said his children would love to share it! I knew he was married, but I didn’t realize he had children, so that ended up being a good decision. I ventured a guess that a bow and thanks to him for all his efforts would be appropriate, and as he returned the bow with a long one of his own, I’m guessing that was a good move. Eeee, the websites and guidebooks just don’t give a lot of clues about that sort of thing. Matthew-the-previous-teacher told me that would be the most suitable for Mr. Kim and he was right!