Home sweet Home

As the end of my contract approaches, I have been daydreaming about all of the things I look forward to upon my return to the states. I've been surprised by some of the things I've missed and entertained as I think about them. I thought you might get some enjoyment out of the randomness of my thoughts so I decided to share.

 

Here is my top 10 list of the things I look forward to the most:

10. Barbeque sauce. Koreans have tried to master the art of friend chicken and some foreigners prefer the chicken here to what they are used to getting back home but nothing compares to how the southerners do fried chicken and I can't wait to eat it with a heaping side of barbeque sauce that does not have the word "sour" anywhere on the label. 

9. Warm towels. Hanging clothes to dry is great for saving on your electric bill but I definitely prefer the clean feeling than the few extra dollars saved. I will gladly be washing and entire load of towels just to dry them and wrap myself up in their warmth when I return.

8. Southern hospitality. The entire time I've been in Korea, I've been pushed and shoved out of the way, stared at funny for holding a door open and given dirty looks for smiling as a nice gesture as I walk by. I am so looking forward to the charm and kindness of my fellow southerners.  

7. Shopping!!! Fashion in Korea is super cute but with all the "You big size" comments and tags that say "One size fits all" that should read "Our size fits one American thigh," I cannot wait to walk into a store a know that whatever I try on will actually fit me and look flattering. 

6. Fred Flintstones free bed. Although it may take my body some time to readjust to a bed that is not as flat as the ground we walk on, I am absolutely looking forward to sleeping in a bed with padding. 

5. Ordering food in English. Reading Hangul helps foreigners be able to pronounce what they are ordering correctly but just because you can pronounce it doesn't mean you understand what you are ordering. I am so excited to be able to go to a restaurant and order food knowing I will not be randomly surprised as I stare down at a bowl of pig cheeks or pig skin (Yes, I've accidentally ordered both).

4. Sexual harassment. If you are a foreigner living in Korea, you are only considered beautiful if you are blonde and The Corpse Bride skinny. Don't get me wrong, I know their standards of beauty are extreme and with the utmost humility I can genuinely say "I looks fly" BUT I definitely miss the occasional random pick up lines like "Girl are you a parking ticket cause you got FINE written all over you!" 

3. Taking a bath. I've never been a bath person, something about sitting in your own filth totally grosses me out but after a long stressful day, sometimes I would like the option of lighting a candle and listening to some Enya as I soak my troubles away in a bubble bath. 

2. Quality time. I love the advances we have made in modern technology over the years and I am grateful for FB, e-mail and skype. It has been wonderful to be able to stay in touch with everyone since I've been gone but nothing compares to being face to face with the people you love.

1. My crazy family!! Having Kasey visit me has been such a wonderful treat but it has also reminded me of how good I have it. I miss my family so much, I even miss having Brooke call me 15 times a day to leave messages yelling at me for not answering the phone the other 14 times she called. I can't wait to get hugs from my family and slobbery kisses from my nieces and nephews. 

Stop, drop and roll

Two weeks after arriving in Korea, I was introduced to the very loud, very obnoxious intercom systems I would soon realize would become part of every day life for me here. Over the loud speaker, an announcement was made letting us know someone would soon be visiting our apartment to spray for bugs. Not understanding a word of Korean, when the man came over the intercom and began to explain, I was confused and felt as though I had got caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I knew the announcement was for the entire building but the words he was speaking made me feel like I was in trouble. There is something about the Korean language that will do that to you. 

A few minutes later, I got a knock on my door and a woman began speaking to me in Korean. I had absolutely no idea what she was saying and after a few minutes of her yelling things at me, she handed me a pen and motioned for me to sign her clipboard. When I got to school, my co-teachers explained the lady who came by was asking me to sign stating she had sprayed for bugs. 

The intercom announcements at my apartment usually happen once a month. They were annoying at first but I have gotten used to them. Nothing in Korea surprises me anymore. Once, I was studying the book of Hebrews in an outdoor, public park with some people from church and as we were reading the word, over the loud speakers we had no idea where in the park came another random announcement we could not understand. There are speakers everywhere in this country and I have come to expect the random, inconvenient timing of Korean news bulletins. 

Tonight however, I was not expecting it. As I lied in bed trying to get some rest and prepare for another crazy day of teaching, I was awoken by a sound I assumed was a fire alarm. I immediately rose trying to figure out what the foreign noise was. I didn't hear police sirens or fire trucks, there was no movement in the hallways and I didn't smell smoke so I calmed myself and laid back down. 10 minutes later the noise began again. Trying not to freak out as I wondered what was going on, I realized how scary it is to be in a foreign country, in a land of unknowns. In the entire 7 and a half months I have been here, I have never once heard the actual sound of a smoke detector or fire alarm. I have absolutely no idea what an emergency siren of any kind sounds like. 

It's a scary realization to know that if I actually were in danger, I wouldn't know. It made me reflect on all the times I was annoyed hauling children out of the CPS office during a routine fire drill or standing outside in the Texas heat as a child waiting to be allowed back inside the school. You don't realize the small things you take for granted until the fear of the unknown is staring you in the face. 

How far is too far?

Yesterday, I walked into my last class of the day to find one of my students crying. I asked her what was wrong but she doesn't speak much English and was unable to articulate what happened. Fortunately, the other boy in the class is more fluent and he pulled as many English words and hand gestures he knew to help translate for her. The student told me they had a test in the previous class and the student who was crying only got 2 answers right out of 10.

I asked the student if she was crying because she was sad about her score and she shook her head no and said "Angry my mom." She then used her hand to indicate she would be disciplined once she got home.  

I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated as the clocked revealed the student would soon be going home. When this child was put in my class in March, myself and another foreign teacher told the Korean staff this level was too high for her and she would not be successful. Despite our multiple attempts to get her moved down to an appropriate level, we were ignored. 

In Korea, classroom space and financial compensation from the parents take precedent to the actual needs of the child. We have had children placed in a class 4 levels higher than where they should be because "the other classes are full" (A full class being 6 students) or "His/her mom won't be happy if we move him/her down." 

The flip side of being pushed through too quickly is students that are pushed far to hard. Every Monday, I ask my students if they had a good weekend and what they did over the weekend. And each Monday, I hear several students respond saying "Study, to get 100% correct." 2 weeks ago I got a new student. A precious 6 year old who is in the first grade. At 6 years old, she is already fluent in Korean, English and Japanese and is in a class that is normally filled with Korean students who are 10 and 11 years old. 

 

I hurts my heart so much to know so many of my kids are being robbed of a normal childhood. We vent at work about the behavioral problems of our students but I wholeheartedly believe if they were given the chance to run around and be a child, they wouldn't be running around the school all day. I hate that the Korean children keep getting pushed through the Hagwon's despite their inability to excel at their current grade level. We aren't helping them, we are hurting them. And in Angela's case, the school's lack of concern for the child's well being is causing her to get a beating at home. :(