Giving and Receiving
The hardest thing to do is become accustomed to another culture's traditions. I don't mean holidays or traditional food and dress, but the every day things that are much different from what is ingrained in our heads. You never think about it, until you are trying to change your ways.In Korea it is customary, and polite, to give and receive items with two hands. I notice it with my students who often take and give back their test papers with two hands. At any store a clerk will take the money with two hands, and give back change with two hands. There are also variations on it. Some people go the lazy, or not-so-formal route of motioning as if they were going to give with both hands. This means giving/receiving with one hand while letting the other hand (usually the left) motion toward the other arm, and perhaps touch it around the elbow area. Of course this is all done very quickly. One thing I've tried to pick up is being able to master this in a quick and not-so-strange fashion.
I think I am coming down with something, but hopefully the stash of Emergen-C will cure it. Last night we went out to see some of our friends near Gimpo, which is on the other side of Seoul and out quite a way. We took the subway, then got on the wrong bus, found another subway stop, came back, and got on the right bus (phew!). The ride out to their place on the bus is interesting-- probably the first open space of fields and freeways I've seen in quite a few months. It was refreshing. It had snowed earlier in the day so everything had a light coating of white powder. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures.
We have extra winter session classes right now, as all public school kids are out of school for all of January, and of course that means we offer extra classes. Stephanie is working more than me, as I just have one extra Friday morning class. I had such a great time on Friday - I have a "communication and motivation class", which is literally just a fun class. We talked about Point of View and watched some clips from Finding Nemo. We talked about what different point of views means and played I Spy. They had a group project and talked about a Shel Silverstein poem. It was amazing because I was just given an outline and the handouts and went on a whim and did everything else myself - I felt like I was student teaching again and it felt so good. I'm actually really excited for next Friday's class - even if that means I have to set my alarm clock. My class seems like a great group. They are mostly upper elementary, though I have one 9th grader and one 1st grader. The 1st grader is incredibly cute and is so good with her English. I was her partner for introductions and she said really said, in her cute English, "My partner is Meghan and she don't have a grade". Aw.. I love her.
Last week I had a cute conversation with one of my girls from my normal classes, Betty. It went something like this:
Betty: Teacher, you go to Costco?
Me: Huh? (I couldn't understand her saying "costco")
Betty: Costco. You go Costco?
Me: Oh! Costco. Yes! I do. I love Costco. Did you see me at Costco?
Betty: no, no.
Me: Oh. we have Costcos at my home, in America, so I like Costco. I like Costco pizza. Do you eat Costco pizza?
Betty, nodding: Yes! Very good pizza.
We discovered we both went to the same Costco and stated that we might see each other there sometime.
Me: Betty, do you see a lot of Americans at Costco?
Betty: Yes....
Me: Is that why you asked me?
Betty, laughing: ummmm... no....
posted by Meghan @ 6:58 AM
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