Last Week in Chuncheon

As the ETA orientation comes to a close, it has been beginning to hit all of us that we're actually going to have to teach. It has been reiterated to us that we are to teach conversational English, but it's times like this that I am starting to wish that I took my grammar courses a little more seriously.
Last week I met a Korean elementary English teacher and I agreed to record "a few" pages of stories for a listening exercise. First of all, there might have been a cultural misunderstanding as to the meaning of "a few" pages as I found myself reading the equivalent of a novel into a microphone for several hours. I also found myself giving a few English lessons regarding the article system, the three major tenses, and the proper use of conjunctions. Secondly, I would like to point out that it may not always be a good idea to go to random people's houses on ambiguous grounds. My mindset was, "hey, what could possibly go wrong?" Fortunately for me, the teacher (who I will just call "Manny") was a tremendously kind person with a nice family.
My payment for my help was a ton of bugolki (Korean beef and vegetables) and later on, a shirt and a hand fan. I intended to help simply for the experience of working with a Korean teacher so the food was a pleasant surprise. It should be noted that it was one of the most awkward meals I have ever had. I learned that my Korean food etiquette is at the equivalent level of a barbarian. Here are a few heads ups. Don't focus on any single part of the meal. The mother got a little concerned that I ate too much rice and not enough meat. Rotate your intake, especially since there is a larger variety than to what we Americans are generally accustomed. The meal consisted of soup, kimchi, cucumber kimchi, meat, rice, pickled radish, small egg pancakes, eggplant, and salad. I didn't quite know where to start, which brings up another point, be prepared to eat a lot. I think I might have offended the family because I only ate enough for two people. I also couldn't really finish my rice, but the look on the mother's face told me that that rice was going to be eaten, regardless of my stomach's situation. One final point to make is that sharing food is just good manners. I noticed that none of us got our own plates, which meant that we just picked what we wanted with our chop sticks. I was warned about that, but it seems more foreign in practice than in theory. After watching me cautiously fumbling around the table with my chopsticks for a few minutes, my host gave me a separate plate with a "thanks for trying anyway" look.
After I finished my meal and English lesson, I was presented with a shirt that Manny's daughters bought for me while I was working. It was very touching, especially as a stranger with horrible table manners. One thing to note is the gift giving aspect of Korean culture. If someone invites you to their home, buy a gift, if you are meeting someone important (like one's principal), buy a gift, if someone does something nice for you, buy a gift.
It's still too early for me to come up with any major generalizations of Korean culture, but I can tell that preserving a positive kibun (an ambiguous term that includes but is not limited to general feelings, atmosphere, and collective happiness) is always a priority for people. In short, if someone is not happy, it affects everyone. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the community feels a responsibility for the well-being of others. Happiness is a collective good to be maintained rather than an individual pursuit. Yet, such a concept seems to have a crushing effect on individuality. Since non-conformists disrupt a community's kibun, they are often looked down upon. Some of the more colorful personalities I have encountered have usually been the out casted people who are merely tolerated.
Nevertheless, as I leave Chuncheon, I can say that it has been a very memorable experience. The Korean students I have met, as well as other ETA's, have made me think that this is going to be a great year. There are always ups and downs, but I have never met such welcoming and warm people. The Korean students I have met are very down to earth and love learning about the differences between American and Korean culture. I only hope that I can inspire a few students to want to learn more about the US and bridge some of the gap between Americans and Koreans.
On an unrelated note, I saw the new Batman movie. All I can say is that if I had seen the moon landing, I could say with impunity that it was better than seeing the moon landing. I hope everyone is doing well back in the States.