7/27/08

Orientation has reached its fourth week and it's safe to say that many ETA's and I are still adjusting to our new environment. However, many of us are doing what we can to immerse ourselves in the culture. Several ETA's have been frequenting meetings held by Key club. Key club is like an English club but a little more intense. All members have forty minute discussions in English about a variety of topics. Discussion topics range from opinions on marriage to womens roles in society. It is interesting to take part in those talks because Americans can get a real sense of Korean society from a college student's perspectives. One of the discussion topics was the growing acceptance of the "Gold Miss" concept in which a growing number of Korean women are choosing to part with tradition and work toward financial independence. Although this particular societal phenomenon is not extremely widespread, the "Gold Miss" effect on marriage in Korean society seems to reflect the types of changes in this country.
It is said that Korea becomes a different country every ten years and there is much evidence to support that statement. The juxtaposition of old and modern buildings shows just how quickly Korea is modernizing. Many of the younger people have also embraced western influences. A lot of students love greeting Americans with handshakes rather than the traditional bow. It's kind of fun because Korean youths don't quite have the hang of it yet. Sometimes handshakes linger to the point of holding hands, but it's nice to see them try.
Getting to know Key club members has been a real treat for us. They are all very welcoming and enthusiastic people who are thrilled to practice English with us. Many have become good friends which leads to an exchange of cultural awareness, language lessons, and drinking games. The drinking culture is very different in that it feels like an event every time. Generally, one is not supposed to pour their own drink, you pretty much give cheers (kom-bay) with every sip, and most importantly... the food. Americans are used to peanuts or popcorn at a bar. In Korea we usually end up eating chicken or pork with an assortment of sides (of course kimchi). Almost everything is done in a communal manner.
One thing to note is the prevalence of the mandatory military service in Korea. One of our good friends at Key club, who likes to be called "Anthony" recently received his summons for his mandatory service. It was pretty sad to hear and it makes me think about how much it can alter someone's life. There is not any real concern about an outbreak of war, but two years of service is required and that is pretty significant for young men in their early twenties. I guess my American perspective can't quite fathom the idea, but it doesn't seem to be that tragic for the guys I've talked to. Most just accept it as their duty to Korea and leave it at that.