Stranger in a Strange Land

I know that title is the same as the worst episode of LOST (at least by my ranking), but it was the perfect way to describe life in a foreign continent where I have no family and few friends. I know that my family and friends who are reading this have probably been dying to hear what's going on, so at long last I'm inaugurating my Korea blog. I realize those family and friends are among the few reading, but I'll try to write mostly in a neutral voice for the benefit of anyone else who happens to stumble across it. That way they won't feel they need to know me to understand what I'm talking about. Just think of it as a diary or something.

Long Day's Journey Into Gwangju

My parents dropped me off at O'Hare on May 29 around 9:30 AM, and after my mother bid me farewell I was on my own. The guy at the airport desk was named Tae Woo Kim, and I was tempted to tell him I liked his song "Echo," but I figured that'd be stupid (probably correctly). I got through security quickly and easily, which gave me about two hours before we started boarding to sit and read my Korean phrasebook.

Most of the people waiting with me were Korean themselves, so I got my first taste of the outsider feeling while I was still in Chicago. I think some of them were Korean-Americans though, since I ended up briefly chatting with a few girls nearby (in English, of course). I'd assumed they were from Korea because they were speaking Korean to each other, but when I told them it was my first time going to Korea, one girl said it was hers too. Perhaps she was raised speaking Korean among her family and English with others, because I've read that that's how many Korean-Americans families are. When I told her I was going there to teach English she said "You're going to make a lot of money." Except perhaps for Hurley, I think most people enjoy hearing those words.

My flight was scheduled to leave Chicago on May 29 at noon, but I think they delayed the takeoff for about half an hour because it was raining. I have to say, Asiana Airlines was magnificent. They knew how to make a 14-hour flight comfortable. They provided headphones, slippers, pillows, blankets, two meals, and even those warm wet towels like the first class passengers got in The Wedding Singer. Because I agreed to take a seat by the wing exit in case of emergency, I had plenty of leg room, as well as space to get up and stretch my legs regularly.

The lights were out for the majority of the flight, since they expected people to sleep. I didn't do much sleeping though, because I found it hard to get relaxed enough. I probably only slept for about 30 minutes total on the plane. I started reading Benvenuto Cellini's autobiography (which I got from my uncle), and it was actually pretty interesting. I'm not very far into it (it's pretty long), but it kept me engaged during the second half of the trip.

For the first meal they offered two options: Western and Korean. I could've gone with the familiar "Western," but I figured hey, I'm going to Korea, so why not get a taste of the food I had to look forward to? I chose the Korean option, which was a meal called Bibimbap, and for foreigners like me they included instructions on how to put the separate ingredients of the main rice-and-vegetable course together. I was confused about how to prepare one of the sides, which was some sort of noodle soup. Fortunately, I saw how the Korean man next to me prepared it, so I was able not to look like too much of an idiot. I ended up loving that meal, certainly a good foot to get off on with Korean cuisine.

There were a projector and screen during the flight that constantly scrolled through stats like where we were, how far we'd traveled, what time it was at our destination and departure points, etc. I'm not sure if all long flights have that feature, but it certainly did provide a sense of perspective. When you're in the air for such a long period, time loses all meaning.

There were two couples with babies sitting in the rows across the aisle from mine, and for some reason I didn't mind the occasional crying. When the mother closest to me picked up her boy and walked around with him it made me think of how my own mother got a little teary as she was saying goodbye to me. Perhaps one day that mother will have a similar moment with her son, and she'll think back to those days when she could carry him around in a pouch.

There was the usual customs stuff to do when I arrived in Korea (by which point it was around 4 PM on May 30), and thankfully the airport had English-speaking helpers floating around to help anyone who had questions. After I picked up my luggage and exchanged my money I noticed there was an internet terminal nearby, where I stopped to give a Facebook update to my family, as I wasn't sure how soon I'd have internet access. It was a little unusual, but I figured it out all right. I felt like a pinball with all the running around I did at the airport, and I finally got to relax when I hopped the bus to Gwangju. It didn't appear that anyone else on the bus spoke English, so I kept to myself the entire time and even got some sleep in.

First Impressions

It was dark out by the time I got to Gwangju. I arrived an hour sooner than they were expecting me, since the bus usually takes longer to get there, I'm told. The terminal I arrived at was attached to a mall, so I walked around until I found a phone to let them know I was there. The school sent a man to pick me up, and he took me to my new apartment.

Right now I'm in the "guest" apartment, which is smaller and has fewer amenities, but it's nice enough. When I got there Mrs. Kim (who runs the school) and one of my fellow foreign teachers were cleaning up the place for me, and Mrs. Kim even went out to get me some food for the first few days. It turns out that a lot of things I thought I wouldn't have here (internet, TV, sheets, towels, a soft bed) were in fact readily available, so that was a big help in settling in. They treat their teachers well here at Raffles.

They assumed I'd be sleeping for my entire first day due to jet lag, but I guess the sporadic naps I took allowed me to remain on a fairly good schedule. I went to sleep around midnight and woke up around 6:45. I watched some TV, and I was excited when I saw a brief clip of Secret performing. Apparently a bunch of K-Pop groups did a special show for the Korean military, and Secret was one of them. My family thinks it's weird that I like a girl group so much, but the troops were clapping and singing along, and even holding up signs for the various girls who performed, so my interest is hardly unusual by Korean standards. Just sayin'.

Since the school is right across the parking lot from the apartment building, it's easy for us teachers to go back and forth between work and home. I went over in the afternoon and got to look around a bit, and it's really nice. Of course, they recently renovated, so you'd expect everything to look fresh and new.

I was surprised to learn that in certain areas we don't wear shoes. In the classrooms and teachers' area we walk around in our socks. I actually kind of like it. The comfort helps relieve some of the stress. There's also lunch served in the cafeteria every school day. It's all Korean food, of course, and some of it's really good. The spicy, bitter stuff is different from what I'm used to, but I guess I'd better develop a taste for it. The fried rice we had a few days ago was a real winner with me.

Ian-Teacher

In Korea it's common to address someone by their name and occupation, and we teachers are addressed as "[name]-teacher," making my name among the children the above subtitle. I haven't taught a class solo yet, but I will be doing so next week. Since I'm replacing another teacher, I went with him to his classes for the past week, and he even let me lead a few. I think between my improv experience and all the time I've spent watching Danny Kaye I have a good grasp of how to handle being up front. I still need some polish, obviously, but I have a fairly good confidence level right now in my abilities.

A lot of the younger kids have a ton of energy, but they're all well-behaved enough that you don't get too much trouble from them. It's clear that some are more interested in learning than others (especially the older they get), so I'm going to have to do everything I can to keep them interested.

The kids here are pretty frank when they give their opinions of you. There were two girls in one class who covered their faces and wouldn't look at me at first, because they thought I was a monster (it's hard being tall). I eventually got them to accept my presence, but they still seem to view me as a novelty. A more complimentary comment I received was that I looked like Korean drama star Hyun Bin. I found a picture, and was I shocked to learn that the guy was practically a Korean Ian. If you know me personally, I'm sure the picture to your right will make you feel like you're looking at me (since people rarely pick up on my jokes, I'm being semi-sarcastic here).

Out and About

I actually haven't gone out that much, since being the introvert I am, I prefer to unwind by spending time alone in my apartment. I have walked down the street for food a couple times though, and grocery shopping is certainly a different experience when the shelves are full of items you're not used to and can't read. In fact, some items don't even have prices displayed. I just bought them and hoped they'd be reasonable (I think they were, though I still have to calibrate my mental price points a little for the Korean Won). The food I ended up getting served me well for one day, but I'll have to go out again this weekend for some more.

The day after I arrived I went to a housewarming party for one of the teachers at Raffles, who I believe just got married. Apparently in Korea, if somebody invites you over for a meal, you're getting a feast. There were more food items than I had room for. They served alcohol there, as is typical of Korean get-togethers, but fortunately there was no awkward forced-to-drink-alcohol moment I was anticipating. They had orange juice available as well for us teetotalers.

I was super tired that night and had to leave earlier than everyone else because of it. I got a cab home and learned than running red lights is the norm in Korea. Apparently everyone does it, and most drivers check to see if anybody's coming even on green lights. Since I already don't like driving in America, I'm definitely not planning to get behind the wheel while I'm in Korea. Let someone else deal with the stress of navigating through this traffic.

One of the teachers took me to the hospital to get my physical on Friday, and it was fortunately a quick process. I also learned that in Korean parking garages the first two levels are reserved for women only. How chivalrous.

Yesterday I spent most of my day with Mrs. Kim. First we went out to lunch and it was nice being able to ask questions about Korea and discuss my interests with someone else. I told her about how I started listening to Korean music, and also mentioned that I'd seen some Korean dramas at my grandmother's house. She asked if I was more into sports or entertainment, because her perception is that men are usually more into sports and women are more into entertainment. I told her that I was probably more into sports, but the entertainment I like, I really like.

She asked if I liked Lady Gaga, because that's what's popular these days. I laughed and told her I thought Lady Gaga was terrible (it's truly a sad day when friggin' Lady Gaga is the face of my country's popular culture) and that I mostly preferred older entertainers. She wasn't familiar with Danny Kaye, but when I told her about all the things he accomplished in life, she seemed impressed.

After we went back to the school and discussed some plans for the classes I'd be teaching, I went with her and another of the Korean teachers to the coffee shop that's attached to the school (the building is quite incredible). She was nice enough to let me talk her ear off about improv and how I'd like to get involved with it in Korea. My suspicions about improv from before I came here were correct: Koreans generally aren't familiar with it. I suggested it might be possible for students who have a higher level of proficiency to use improv for practicing English, and she seemed interested in the idea. We'll see if that turns out to be feasible.

We also discussed some of the vagaries of English that make it so funny and difficult to learn. Once I become fluent in Korean I'm sure I'll be amazed at how much simpler it is. I was honored to be asked my opinions on various language issues, because my friends and family know how much I care about words.

Arts and Entertainment (What is This, Wikipedia?)

Like I said, I haven't exactly been all over town, but when I went out to lunch with Mrs. Kim she showed me that there's a street dedicated to art in Gwangju. If the performing arts are as big a deal as the visual arts, this may be the perfect city for the start of an improv wave that'll sweep the nation. OK, maybe I'm aiming a little high with that sort of talk, but as I told Mrs. Kim yesterday, I love improv, and I'd love for others to experience the same joy I get from it.

Since I familiarized myself with a lot of K-Pop groups before I came here, I can watch the music channels and recognize most of the artists. Secret is even more beautiful (yes, it's possible!) on TV than on YouTube. It seems like the music channels just show reruns of the same programs most of the time (that Lee Hyori photoshoot again??), but that seems to be all MTV did back when I watched that channel, so I suppose it's par for the course.

It is funny to hear Korean songs I first heard in America around town, or even playing outside my apartment window. I've heard Untouchable's "You, You" and Jang Yoon Jeong's "Eomeona" and thought "Hey, I know that song! I guess Koreans really do listen to this music!"

I get the impression that I might've come to Korea with more knowledge of the country than a lot of others do, because people have seemed surprised that I know certain things. Of course, I'm nothing close to an expert on Korea, and I'm sure I'll learn a lot more during my first month here than I ever learned doing research in the U.S.

Soooo....

Those are my thoughts on my first week in Korea. I haven't felt a serious culture shock yet. I don't know whether that's because it takes time to hit you, because I did my homework and knew what to expect, because Korea has many similarities to America or because I just haven't gone out much. Whatever the case, I'm enjoying myself so far, and I'm looking forward to the challenges of this job. I'm at a great school, and I hope my work as a teacher will befit the institution.