Tuesday was a little weird. I thought that it would be a normal day, and I had my lesson planned and ready to go.
Then, as usual, Koreans sometimes let you know about a schedule change...literally, last minute. So I walked to my first class, 1-5, and no one was there. "Hmmmm..." weird.
I proceeded to the main office, and one of co-teachers said that the schedule changed...yay.
Then I also got another notice today that one of my computers in our English Zone will be "re-distributed" due to lack of funding, to be given to another department head in our school. All of my music and picture files were on that computer, so again, I had to download them, and upload this music to another computer, which took an hour because computers can be such butt-munches.
Ahhh...that's Korea for ya sometimes, just last minute. You cannot do much about it, you just have to play your cards right and move on.
I'm looking forward to this weekend because my parents are coming to town. Its going to be a really great "reunificiation," (Korean terminology) and my parents get to see what my life is like here in South Korea. I hope they find it to their liking, and they'll be probably shocked on how different it is since...1977. Yup, they're in for a shock. They will be staying three weeks with different relatives, and we'll update our lives and catch-up on the latest and greatest through fellowship.
As for life for me and my friends, some are still struggling, some are doing fine. Its really an experience thing and how they react to the environment around them. Right now, one of my acquaintances who lives in my apartment building is struggling to "quit his job," because he works at an independent English school (Hagwon) where the owner is a crook. The owner has been stealing money that is rightfully his, such as one month's wages, pension, and other guaranteed monies. So we had a long talk last night, and truth be told, he said his perception of Korean people will be a little more pessimistic now because of his dealings with the people at his school, who do not treat him fairly. So for him and some others in this country, there's an extreme side where some foreigners are simply not enjoying life in the Land of the Morning Calm.
Then there are some foreigners who are loving Korea and will do what it takes to adapt and fit in. Their schools are giving them the support they need, and they have friendly staff. These type of foreigners are also very outgoing, but level-headed about how to approach life in a foreign land. I am proud to say I am in this category. The trip to Japan helped me realize what kind of role I should play as a foreigner, while being Korean at the same time, in how I conduct my day-to-day affairs.
For me, my biggest thing is consistency with a little dash of surprises. I believe God has been helping me with the "surprises" bit. I mean the element of surprise where I unexpectedly met strangers here in Korea, Korean or non-Korean, or going to new places I never been. My goal is to expand on that AFTER my parents leave Korea: to travel more around the countryside in Korea and discover some gems that I would not get to see in the cities.
I met some foreigners, however, who are straight up weird. Of course, my definition of "normal" might be "weird" to you, but you know where I'm getting at: there are some goofy characters in this nation. But then again, you need to have a special character to travel in many cases: the ability to be comfortable alone in certain situations, highly independent, a strong character, and open-mindedness. Some foreigners, excluding diplomats, soldiers, and businessmen, lack the last two. The reason, I believe, that many have a really difficult time in adjusting to foreign lands is they do not take the time to adjust or learn what they are getting into, the culture.
Many Westerners, including myself, come from a culture where individualism is emphasized; i.e. "don't tread on me." Yet to come to this highly Confucian country, where authority must be obeyed and the rule of law is based on that authority rather than reason, some people do not gain the natural insight on how to adapt. So the biggest struggle for many foreigners is not necessarily homesickness, even though many, even myself, get homesick from time to time. However, the biggest struggle is they refuse to let go of their own culture and make an effort to get to know this one.
Of course, there are some things in this country that just do not fly with me, and things I won't understand: like the futility of some aspects of the education system here in South Korea (I highly respect the Korean student and the board of education's goals to create upstanding citizens), but I don't believe that rote memorization of material will help produce great human capital. Or the treatment of women here in Korea, which all my friends and I totally agree here is in many ways not right and not fair (women aren't totally put down in this country, but on a superficial level, women are not given the opportunity to try and play fair in many areas of life here, like on the job).
But as a foreigner, the biggest advantage I have is to help freshen minds. Its okay to put your two cents in as a foreigner and share new ideas with Korean peers on how we do things at home, but don't think its the perfect philosophy on how to conduct a society. The Korean society's culture highly dictates the affairs of the government, social interaction, and achievement, and on the opposite end, also causes some unwanted social consequences (the shunning of bi-racial children, suppressment of true individuality, and perhaps a too hard-working society). We as Americans struggle with this same two-ended stick.
For foreigners to enjoy their teaching jobs and to gain a pleasant life outside the classroom, there are some key things they can do to get it done:
1. Learn the language - even if you are just staying a year, it goes a long way to establishing new Korean friends
2. Get involved with friends - and make new ones
3. So what if you're a foreigner? Take advantage of it. Teach people about your country. Most will never leave or never have been outside this country, just like some in our respective countries never have been outside of ours.
4. Pick up a hobby. I did. I play ball or go jogging. I go to Korean classes and meet new expats and other Koreans.
5. Sightsee. Sightseeing the old relics of Korean requiem gets your mind to gain an insight of the foundations that built Korea today, even though its split into two.
So, that's pretty much my life right now. I am trying my best to maintain a strong, spiritual relationship with Jesus right now, as well as maintaining a lifestyle of positive, forward thinking attitude to work hard to enjoy living here in Taehan Minguk.
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