A little Seoul story
Truly, there is no way I could write every day, for two reasons. First, I don't have the time; second, I have too much to say. It is a weird feeling, there is so incredibly much to tell, all of it interesting, that I have no idea where to begin. I'm hoping to write perhaps weekly, and to add pictures whenever possible. Right now my internet is so slow (stolen wireless) that I can't put pictures up, but soon I'll have my own net connection and I'll be able to.
In a class today, I had the students (grade six) do a game called "the human knot." Students stand in a tight sircle facing in, and everyone grabs two random hands and holds on, such that all the arms and hands are intertwined and knotted up. The students then have to communicate and work together to get out into a large circle (sometimnes two separate circles), seesntially 'untying' their hands, without anybody letting anyone else's hands go. Kids love this game to no end.
I pitted the girls against the boys. Each group (of about seven) had to knot up, and untie as fast as possible; the winning group was to receive brand new Canadian pennies for each member. I brought several hundred to Korea, and they make great and sought-after rewards for the kids.
Anyway, the girls managed to untie themselves extraordinarily quickly, and quietly, and with intelligent and reasoned teamwork. It took them about 10 seconds. After that same time, the boys hadn't advanced a single step; they were just as knotted up, shouting and shoving, every individual trying his own way and failing miserably. It is a game of teamwork, after all.
But here's the kicker: Immediately before I started the race, the girls were whispering and seemingly organizing how they would escape in advance. In fact they had cheated in a sense; their understanding of the game was so good that they managed to arrange their hand connections in a way that looked knotted but that was very simple to untie.
Brilliant, I say, and a testament to the folly of the 'rugged independence' that so many men seem to take as a creed.
Truth be told, all the girls at my elementary school are quieter, harder working, more attentive, and better team players than the boys.
----
If anybody is interested, my current locale is Nowon-Gu, in northeastern Seoul. It is very heavily populated and busy. The weather is hot and muggy, and I have a new found adoration for simple pleasures such as cool air, and cool showers, and refreshing drinks. All in all, the first week has been tiring and overwhelming; I have to make radical adjustments on every level. The weather is different, as is the area and landmarks, and the commute, and the food, and the people, and the language, and the customs and culture, and everything else one can think of. Even the little things are different; the little walk signal guy looks different, and the straw-hole on juice boxes is in the middle and not the corner of the top, to name two of many examples. Physically and mentally it has been a hard adjustment, especially since I've been thrust into full time work alone in front of many students with no experience to speak of and very minimal training.
Did I mention nobody speaks any english? With a keen sense of physical communication I can do most necessary communications, but there are always exceptions. For example, a friend of mine, Shaun (another teacher) bought what he thought was laundry detergent. He indicated to his clothes to confirm with the cashier, who in turn nodded yes. It turned out to be fabric softener, so he ended up with dirty, albeit soft, clothes.
It is also hard to tell apart brothells from other extablishments, since (a) there are brothells everywhere (I mean literally at least 2 or 3 on any block worth of establishments), and (b) they all have fronts, because prostitution is illegal. So most brothells offer other services, such as PC internet, or coffee, or beer, or commonly haircuts. There are countless little stores that have tinted windows and doors, such that I have no idea what's inside. My curiosity to see is held back by the fear that I'll end up in a brothell and be forced by a bouncer to pay money just to leave, which isn't that uncommon. A good general rule is to avoid illegal places, as they are operated exclusively by people willing to do illegal things, perhaps to you as well.
I'll write again soon enough, hopefully with pictures!
In a class today, I had the students (grade six) do a game called "the human knot." Students stand in a tight sircle facing in, and everyone grabs two random hands and holds on, such that all the arms and hands are intertwined and knotted up. The students then have to communicate and work together to get out into a large circle (sometimnes two separate circles), seesntially 'untying' their hands, without anybody letting anyone else's hands go. Kids love this game to no end.
I pitted the girls against the boys. Each group (of about seven) had to knot up, and untie as fast as possible; the winning group was to receive brand new Canadian pennies for each member. I brought several hundred to Korea, and they make great and sought-after rewards for the kids.
Anyway, the girls managed to untie themselves extraordinarily quickly, and quietly, and with intelligent and reasoned teamwork. It took them about 10 seconds. After that same time, the boys hadn't advanced a single step; they were just as knotted up, shouting and shoving, every individual trying his own way and failing miserably. It is a game of teamwork, after all.
But here's the kicker: Immediately before I started the race, the girls were whispering and seemingly organizing how they would escape in advance. In fact they had cheated in a sense; their understanding of the game was so good that they managed to arrange their hand connections in a way that looked knotted but that was very simple to untie.
Brilliant, I say, and a testament to the folly of the 'rugged independence' that so many men seem to take as a creed.
Truth be told, all the girls at my elementary school are quieter, harder working, more attentive, and better team players than the boys.
----
If anybody is interested, my current locale is Nowon-Gu, in northeastern Seoul. It is very heavily populated and busy. The weather is hot and muggy, and I have a new found adoration for simple pleasures such as cool air, and cool showers, and refreshing drinks. All in all, the first week has been tiring and overwhelming; I have to make radical adjustments on every level. The weather is different, as is the area and landmarks, and the commute, and the food, and the people, and the language, and the customs and culture, and everything else one can think of. Even the little things are different; the little walk signal guy looks different, and the straw-hole on juice boxes is in the middle and not the corner of the top, to name two of many examples. Physically and mentally it has been a hard adjustment, especially since I've been thrust into full time work alone in front of many students with no experience to speak of and very minimal training.
Did I mention nobody speaks any english? With a keen sense of physical communication I can do most necessary communications, but there are always exceptions. For example, a friend of mine, Shaun (another teacher) bought what he thought was laundry detergent. He indicated to his clothes to confirm with the cashier, who in turn nodded yes. It turned out to be fabric softener, so he ended up with dirty, albeit soft, clothes.
It is also hard to tell apart brothells from other extablishments, since (a) there are brothells everywhere (I mean literally at least 2 or 3 on any block worth of establishments), and (b) they all have fronts, because prostitution is illegal. So most brothells offer other services, such as PC internet, or coffee, or beer, or commonly haircuts. There are countless little stores that have tinted windows and doors, such that I have no idea what's inside. My curiosity to see is held back by the fear that I'll end up in a brothell and be forced by a bouncer to pay money just to leave, which isn't that uncommon. A good general rule is to avoid illegal places, as they are operated exclusively by people willing to do illegal things, perhaps to you as well.
I'll write again soon enough, hopefully with pictures!
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