it has occurred to me that two weeks have gone by and i feel as though i've been here for months. i never thought that i would feel at home so soon much less enjoy my mini solo excursions out into the sea of koreans that flood the streets lined with signs in hangul that one can barely read.
my days this week have been spent getting accustomed to my new employment. thus far, it seems to be an entertaining job. i'm treated like a rock-star in both noeun elementary and bakwoon elementary. their warm reception has made it easier for me to wake up early in the morning and feel motivated to teach. the hallways are filled with kids shyly approaching me to say hello but for fear that i would respond or start a conversation they scurry off like little mice, giggling and telling their fellow classmates about me. the kids that are daring enough to talk to me ask me if i could take a picture with them as if i were a celebrity (minus the crotch showing and booze-induced erratic behavior)! and others try to communicate with me in their cute broken english..."teacher diana, you so beautiful! america, i like!" god, all of this attention is such an ego boost! i recommend coming to korea if you're in need of that.
as for the classes, they were at first soooo long, minutes going by in slow-motion, because frankly i didn't know what the hell i was doing. but as each day went by i got into the groove of things and felt less flustered or terrified of making mistakes. it's funny because i still don't know what i'm doing (don't think i ever will..hehe) and pray that i don't screw up. at least i have the support of my fellow co-workers who have been so patient and kind with me.
aside from school, i've noticed an odd thing about korean culture. once i disclose my age (26 in american years and 27 in korean years), people start trying to set me up with their sons. very few koreans have commended me on making the trek to their country to teach children. the major consensus is that i'm at the age that i should be looking for a husband, hence i should have stayed in the united states to embark on that endeavor. what the hell man! so far, i've been approached by two co-workers listing their sons' attributes as if they were pieces of property, "my son is 29, lives in japan, is an engineer, and loves to travel. and my other son is 31, lives in australia, is an agricultral expert, and in visiting this november. i will introduce you to him. you are a beatiful girl." to which i reply, "oh, you must be very proud of him" and completely ignoring the fact that i'm being sold-off to marriage by a complete stranger. another co-worker of mine was more pushy and she just came out and said, "you are beautiful. you come to my home. you meet son. he has music PhD. work in frankfurt orchestra. and 30 years old." ok, to me this sounds more like a classified listing for an apartment...2 bdr, 1 bath, a lot of light, very good location, great amenities, etc. i'll just hide in the janitor's closet next time i run into them.
but in the end, despite all these social idiosyncrasies, i'm elated to see that i'm a now a working girl with her own adorable apartment, in a city that is slowly becoming my city. all i have to do is look down my street to see a mountain or look around and see the hanguk culture that i've lovingly embraced.
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