The last time I was a student was three years ago. The last time I was in a classroom was when I guest lectured in an international media class at Columbia College this spring. Needless to say, Mike and my perspectives on going back to school have been a little different.
For me, school was always about getting the best grades and consuming the most knowledge. While I may have succumbed to short cuts my 3rd and 4th years of college (ie, doing only the readings that mattered), I have always considered myself a steadfast student, eager to learn.
Now, for the first time in my life, grades don't hold any sway on my future. They won't determine whether I get into grad school or whether I'll land my dream job. What I hope to take away from this class is a better understanding of Korean language and culture -- and by turn, a better understanding of my husband and his family. I've always said that I want our children to know Korean. I don't know whether we will have the energy to do that once we actually have kids, but I think it's a nice goal to have. At the very least I want to make sure they have a strong sense that there is life outside of the U.S. and that they are a part of that.
With worries of grades gone, I have been free to get to know my classmates without feeling the pressure to study during breaks. They all are interesting in their own way. There's a Senegalese man who speaks two native languages, French, English, and now is learning Korean. And there's a Texan who I just found out was in the U.S. Army and on the frontlines of the invasion in Iraq. There's also an Australian farmer who spent the last 15 years raising cows and sheep and now is living in the 11th largest city in the world.
Class is challenging, but I feel like I'm learning a lot. And hopefully I'll have a few more friends by the time semester's over!
This post is dedicated to Albert, signed Debbie Upper.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
To All The Teachers
I haven't sat in a classroom as a student for more than six years (excluding the one or two times I've had to go to traffic school). The last few memories I have of class are either from college or high school -- and in both cases I would not call myself a stellar student. I've always been kind of a goof-off in class, maybe even a slacker. Pretty much from grade school to college I had a mouth that loved cracking wise and tried its damnedest to get a laugh at the most inopportune moments. In spite of all this I never had a problem pulling off decent grades, but for the most part, I never took school all that seriously.
Now, as an adult, I've become one of those studious kids my teenage self would probably scorn. I come to class ready and eager to participate, and I quietly dismiss the kids who don't have the same M.O. And seriously, some of my classmates are essentially kids. I'd have been able to tell from just looking at their bright, young faces on the first day of school and listening to their conversations about college and majors, but I also got a glance at the class list with all our respective birth dates and was pretty disappointed to find I'd been alive a full decade by the time some of these fetuses were born. Still, I look at the mop-haired, acne-pocked teen from Argentina slouching in his chair, or the girl with the blank look in her eyes who mumbles all her answers, and I think, "Grow up, already. Why are you even here? Don't you want to learn something?"
I also don't think I've ever noticed until now how vast the range of human intelligence is. There are obviously some sharp people in my class, like the sophomore from Princeton, who absorb information on first hearing. Then, there are the average learners, who make up most of the class. Then... well, to put it lightly, then, there are the complete idiots. Or maybe they're not idiots, but they obviously don't give a damn. And their incompetence and irreverence for learning creates a sort of black hole for knowledge that, I think, absorbs and destroys a small portion of the collective intelligence of the class. Yes, what I am saying is that these people are harmful to others around them, like second-hand smoke.
I've seen my teachers give extra attention to these students, prod and plead with them, and sometimes just give up on them and leave them choking on chalk dust. I can only sympathize. It's hard to imagine how you're supposed to manage so many differing needs at one time and still herd the entire flock toward the general direction of "knowledge". I'll admit, I might've strayed from the herd a few times during my school days, and I hate to think about the tug of war (between stupidity and enlightenment) I forced on my old teachers without even knowing it. I plead ignorance and youth. It probably doesn't do much, but I'm trying to make up for it now.
Now, as an adult, I've become one of those studious kids my teenage self would probably scorn. I come to class ready and eager to participate, and I quietly dismiss the kids who don't have the same M.O. And seriously, some of my classmates are essentially kids. I'd have been able to tell from just looking at their bright, young faces on the first day of school and listening to their conversations about college and majors, but I also got a glance at the class list with all our respective birth dates and was pretty disappointed to find I'd been alive a full decade by the time some of these fetuses were born. Still, I look at the mop-haired, acne-pocked teen from Argentina slouching in his chair, or the girl with the blank look in her eyes who mumbles all her answers, and I think, "Grow up, already. Why are you even here? Don't you want to learn something?"
I also don't think I've ever noticed until now how vast the range of human intelligence is. There are obviously some sharp people in my class, like the sophomore from Princeton, who absorb information on first hearing. Then, there are the average learners, who make up most of the class. Then... well, to put it lightly, then, there are the complete idiots. Or maybe they're not idiots, but they obviously don't give a damn. And their incompetence and irreverence for learning creates a sort of black hole for knowledge that, I think, absorbs and destroys a small portion of the collective intelligence of the class. Yes, what I am saying is that these people are harmful to others around them, like second-hand smoke.
I've seen my teachers give extra attention to these students, prod and plead with them, and sometimes just give up on them and leave them choking on chalk dust. I can only sympathize. It's hard to imagine how you're supposed to manage so many differing needs at one time and still herd the entire flock toward the general direction of "knowledge". I'll admit, I might've strayed from the herd a few times during my school days, and I hate to think about the tug of war (between stupidity and enlightenment) I forced on my old teachers without even knowing it. I plead ignorance and youth. It probably doesn't do much, but I'm trying to make up for it now.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Korean Cooking: Kimbap
Last night I made my first foray into Korean cooking: kimbap! When we were staying at their house, Mike's cousin Haegkyung showed me how to make this simple, sushi-like dish. Usually you eat this with ramen, but we were pretty ramen-ed out yesterday, so we just had it with some Hoegaardens. It turned out pretty well, but I'm going to try to use less salt next time.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day and Night
While our apartment is still not organized enough to reveal to the outside world, here are some photos of the view from our gigantic, dirty windows.
Guess we're living in the right country
I saw this insightful chart this morning on The Economist's website:
Unemployment during the downturn: Underworked | The Economist
According to national reports in each country, the U.S. has a 9.4% unemployment rate today, while South Korea has 3.9% unemployment. The U.S. unemployment rate has gained nearly 4 percentage points in the last year, while Korea has gained less than 1 point.
Having lived here nearly 3 weeks now, we have seen evidence of this difference everywhere. There is a gluttony of English-teaching jobs for those who want them. And -- imagine this -- media outlets are actually hiring positions here, instead of cutting!
Who'd have thought our youthful adventure makes so much economic sense!
Addendum: More good news: The World Bank says that South Korea will make the quickest recovery among major economies.
Unemployment during the downturn: Underworked | The Economist
According to national reports in each country, the U.S. has a 9.4% unemployment rate today, while South Korea has 3.9% unemployment. The U.S. unemployment rate has gained nearly 4 percentage points in the last year, while Korea has gained less than 1 point.
Having lived here nearly 3 weeks now, we have seen evidence of this difference everywhere. There is a gluttony of English-teaching jobs for those who want them. And -- imagine this -- media outlets are actually hiring positions here, instead of cutting!
Who'd have thought our youthful adventure makes so much economic sense!
Addendum: More good news: The World Bank says that South Korea will make the quickest recovery among major economies.
Back to School
I took my Korean language placement exam at Yonsei University yesterday. Funnily enough, when I showed up at the building there was a team of lab coated men and women wearing face masks and taking the temperature of all the new students before letting them in. Swine flu, foreigners -- you know. After clearing security, I headed down toward the auditorium. About 300 people, mostly college age, were lined up and down the basement hallway waiting for the doors to be opened. It was the first "first day of school" feeling I'd had in a long while. I was eager to strike up a conversation with someone but slowly realized my classmates were from all over the world -- and the chances we spoke the same language might be slim.
I can't help talking to white people when I run into them here. It's just such a fail-safe way to know you can expect a conversation to take place in English. I was sitting next to a guy at the bank the other day while waiting for a teller, and before introducing myself, I sat there for a good minute, realizing I looked like most everyone else in the room, and thinking, "This guy has no idea I'm American." It feels like having a secret power sometimes. I hate to pick someone out for conversation based solely on their appearance but I don't have much choice these days. Anyway, it turns out the guy was a professor who'd been living and working here for seven years and probably knew more about this country than me. So much for my secret power.
When we got into the auditorium, the head of the language school spoke to us in Korean for about ten minutes. Basically, what she said was, "If you can understand me, you'll be taking a different test than everyone else." Which made me wonder what kind of Korean aptitude test you could take if you couldn't understand this woman. About half the room stood up to leave for the testing rooms and take the separate written and oral exams. A few minutes later, I found myself sitting quietly in a school desk four floors up. A white guy, who looked roughly like Jim from The Office, sat down next to me. My secret powers waited patiently for the right moment... until he busted out some Korean on me. It was something along the lines of, "Where are you from?" but all I could blurt out was, "Sorry?" Again, so much for my secret power.
The test was supposed to take two hours. I was done with both the written and oral portions in about 30 minutes. I think it's pretty sad my knowledge of Korean can be summed up in about half an hour. Jim was still scribbling in Hangul when I left.
I can't help talking to white people when I run into them here. It's just such a fail-safe way to know you can expect a conversation to take place in English. I was sitting next to a guy at the bank the other day while waiting for a teller, and before introducing myself, I sat there for a good minute, realizing I looked like most everyone else in the room, and thinking, "This guy has no idea I'm American." It feels like having a secret power sometimes. I hate to pick someone out for conversation based solely on their appearance but I don't have much choice these days. Anyway, it turns out the guy was a professor who'd been living and working here for seven years and probably knew more about this country than me. So much for my secret power.
When we got into the auditorium, the head of the language school spoke to us in Korean for about ten minutes. Basically, what she said was, "If you can understand me, you'll be taking a different test than everyone else." Which made me wonder what kind of Korean aptitude test you could take if you couldn't understand this woman. About half the room stood up to leave for the testing rooms and take the separate written and oral exams. A few minutes later, I found myself sitting quietly in a school desk four floors up. A white guy, who looked roughly like Jim from The Office, sat down next to me. My secret powers waited patiently for the right moment... until he busted out some Korean on me. It was something along the lines of, "Where are you from?" but all I could blurt out was, "Sorry?" Again, so much for my secret power.
The test was supposed to take two hours. I was done with both the written and oral portions in about 30 minutes. I think it's pretty sad my knowledge of Korean can be summed up in about half an hour. Jim was still scribbling in Hangul when I left.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The almighty won: Part II
Seoul's version of capitalism is complex. While some call it a merchant culture because of the thousands of independent store owners crowded in the subways and markets, a few gargantuan companies seem to dominate the scene. Unlike in the U.S. (think GE). these companies keep their brand names throughout their assets. Lotte (pronounced Low-tay) is one of the biggest. There's Lotte department stores; grocery and household stores; a fast-food burger chain; orange juice, cookie, soda and many other food brands; a baseball team; apartment complexes; and a large amusement park.
Lotte World is one of the largest amusement parks in the world. We haven't been there yet (it's on the southern edge of Seoul), but it looks to be a dead ringer for Disney World. Even the custodians of the park, Lotty and Lorry, dress like Mickey and Minnie Mouse. This is no coincidence. Disney and the Mouse family are extremely popular here. It's impossible to go a day in Seoul without seeing a woman in her 20s sporting a Mickey Mouse shirt.
The prices of items at places owned by Lotte are firm, just as in the U.S. But smaller stores are another story. One of the interesting things to watch here has been the degree of flexibility of prices at these mom and pop style stores.
Saturday we visited Techno Mart to buy a wireless router and an air cleaner. Techno Mart is an intimidating 8-floor mall with over 2,000 electronics shops. Instead of having separate rooms, these retailers mark out their territory with U-shaped shelves. It's not always clear where one shop starts and the other one ends. To me, it looked like Best Buy times 10. As in a lot of these malls where small retailers congregate, the salespeople were very aggressive. It was impossible to glance at anything without being leaped on.
The first merchant we met didn't have the air cleaner we wanted. But he had another which he said was just as good with the tag price of 350,000 won. It was too much for a filter we knew nothing about, and him enough.
"How about 270,000?" he says, dropping 20 percent from the original price.
We talked it over -- it did seem like a steal. Still, the one we saw online was just 220,000 won. So we decided to keep looking. As we walked away, he shouts "How about $250,000?" "We'll think about it," we shout back.
In the end we got a different air filter from a different retailer. He didn't give us much of a discount -- only 5,000 won -- but we felt this salesman was much more trustworthy than the first one. In fact, one of his customers told us as much while we were waiting for the air filter to be brought from the warehouse.
I think this is the lesson to be learned here. There are so many small merchants here that once you find a good one, you should stick to them. I found a housewares merchant a good 30-minute walk from our apartment that I'm planning on visiting again. He gave me a wok, cutting board, two mugs, fifteen plastic hangers, a medium-sized glass Tupperware container, three cleaning rags, a cooking spoon and spatula, and metal tea kettle all for 40,000 won ($32).
Our space-age air cleaner made in Japan.
Lotte World is one of the largest amusement parks in the world. We haven't been there yet (it's on the southern edge of Seoul), but it looks to be a dead ringer for Disney World. Even the custodians of the park, Lotty and Lorry, dress like Mickey and Minnie Mouse. This is no coincidence. Disney and the Mouse family are extremely popular here. It's impossible to go a day in Seoul without seeing a woman in her 20s sporting a Mickey Mouse shirt.
The prices of items at places owned by Lotte are firm, just as in the U.S. But smaller stores are another story. One of the interesting things to watch here has been the degree of flexibility of prices at these mom and pop style stores.
Saturday we visited Techno Mart to buy a wireless router and an air cleaner. Techno Mart is an intimidating 8-floor mall with over 2,000 electronics shops. Instead of having separate rooms, these retailers mark out their territory with U-shaped shelves. It's not always clear where one shop starts and the other one ends. To me, it looked like Best Buy times 10. As in a lot of these malls where small retailers congregate, the salespeople were very aggressive. It was impossible to glance at anything without being leaped on.
The first merchant we met didn't have the air cleaner we wanted. But he had another which he said was just as good with the tag price of 350,000 won. It was too much for a filter we knew nothing about, and him enough.
"How about 270,000?" he says, dropping 20 percent from the original price.
We talked it over -- it did seem like a steal. Still, the one we saw online was just 220,000 won. So we decided to keep looking. As we walked away, he shouts "How about $250,000?" "We'll think about it," we shout back.
In the end we got a different air filter from a different retailer. He didn't give us much of a discount -- only 5,000 won -- but we felt this salesman was much more trustworthy than the first one. In fact, one of his customers told us as much while we were waiting for the air filter to be brought from the warehouse.
I think this is the lesson to be learned here. There are so many small merchants here that once you find a good one, you should stick to them. I found a housewares merchant a good 30-minute walk from our apartment that I'm planning on visiting again. He gave me a wok, cutting board, two mugs, fifteen plastic hangers, a medium-sized glass Tupperware container, three cleaning rags, a cooking spoon and spatula, and metal tea kettle all for 40,000 won ($32).
Our space-age air cleaner made in Japan.
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