breaking in bandi

I’m getting settled in the routine of “Bandi life,” but have noticed dark circles developing under my eyes. Some days are really painful and I spend more time quieting the children and trying to get their attention than actually teaching. When the class is attentive, it’s like a much needed reprieve and I wish I could magically extend those 15 seconds to the rest of the day.

I think the kids are starting to respect me more, but it’s hard to tell. Every day is a coin toss. I’ve been called a “kid-teacher;” I’ve been asked why I’m so short. And just the other day I was asked if I’m a “man” or “girl” because I was wearing slacks and a suit jacket. When I told Monica that I am a girl, she asked, “Teacher, then why you wear man clothes?”

I’ve even learned some new Korean words. A couple that have been extremely helpful are “morayo” (or “molayo”) which translates to “I can’t speak” in English. I say this whenever someone talks to me in Korean…Which brings up another point. I have gotten many funny looks when people realize I can’t speak Korean. A few times, I’ve been asked if I’m Chinese because it seems incredulous that a Korean person can’t speak Korean. A couple of times, cab drivers laughed and muttered who knows what.

I listen to the Korean streaming all around me, hoping that something will click, that somewhere in the recesses of my memory, the language will spark and I will start speaking flawless Korean. I strain to extract phrases, but it’s very difficult – as it is for any foreigner in a new country, the language sounds like gutteral fireworks with changing intonation, a sort of fluid hieroglyphics.

I have also learned the word “yogi,” which I picked up by listening to the only 2 students in the 5-yr-old class talk to each other. It means “here.” Some others are “chongee” which means paper, “anyo” which means no, and “anjah” which means sit.

Give me 5 or 6 months, and I’ll learn an actual phrase. :)

Some of the kids have really uncommon English/American names. Of course, you have your handful of Johnny, Alex and Alice. But then there are names that I have never even heard of, like:

• Annika – she’s sweet & quiet and barely says a word
• Gelasio – he’s round-faced with a Bruce Lee haircut and likes to tell jokes (no longer goes to Bandi)
• Vico – he’s super cute and always shares his snack
• Odette – she’s cute & sweet, and told me once that another kid thought I was “scary teacher but no smile” (meaning I’m not so scary when I smile), so now I make a special effort to smile
• Leo – he’s often in his own world, but he is a sweet boy
• Solomon – one of the youngest students, likes to pretend he’s “angry tiger”
• Joy – he has a wavy mop-top and is very cute. one of the brightest in his class, but never says a word
• Red – he’s one of the loud ones in class, but very bright

All of the students are preparing for the end-of-the-year concert. The school year closes at the end of February in Korea. So we have been practicing our songs – “Bippidy Boppidy Boo,” “L.O.V.E.” and “Doe a Deer.” And of course, there are cute hand movements added in for entertainment. It wouldn’t be a real show without dancing!! (and me dressing up like a bear for the 5-yr-old’s play of the story “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt“).

a bangkok new year

Happy new year! I have so many little antidotes to share about the kids, but first we must take a detour and discuss Bangkok.

My best friend, Michelle, and I flew to Thailand to celebrate the incoming 2010 in its tourist-filled capital, Bangkok. It was hot. It was balmy. It was tropical heaven and a relief from the teen-degree weather we’ve been having in Korea. I can sum up Bangkok in 2 words – shopper’s paradise. The city bustles with hot pink taxis and men cycling mini taxis (they look like a modernized rickshaw) transporting international tourists to outdoor markets that sandwich the sidewalks – cramped and crowded – men and women sell Rolex watches (very good look-alikes I might add), Viagra, scarves, T-shirts, porn, numb-chucks (sp?), and because prostitution is legal, women line up trying to catch the eye of a male passerby.

I can also understand why people have visited Bangkok and ended up staying there for a few years. It is cheap! To give you an idea of just how cheap Bangkok was, here’s a sampling of items we purchased:

• cab fare from airport to hotel (40 miles) = $6
• lunch for 2 (pad thai, chicken curry, beer, pineapple juice, spring rolls) = $10-12
• cold medicine (10 tablets) = $2
• 1 Singha beer = $1.25
• toiletries at 7-Eleven (toothpaste, lotion, hair conditioner, hair gel, gum, cough drops) = $4
• fresh pineapple and watermelon off the street = $2

We didn’t have a chance to see the Emerald Buddha or Reclining Buddha, but we did go on a dinner cruise on our last night and could see the temples in the distance, all lit up and serene looking.

And for new year’s, we cheered for 2010 on the 59th floor of the Banyan Hotel, having danced our hearts out to the eclectic music the DJ pumped through the stereo. Mind you, Michelle and I were the only ones dancing, but we didn’t care. The view was breathtaking:

Bangkok at night

A very happy new year to everyone! Next…more stories about Korea…:)

christmas in korea

christmas tree in suwon

Christmas is umm…different in Korea. At least to an American so used to overabundance – of Christmas tunes blaring in every grocery, department and convenience store, of Christmas lights decorating house after house, of advertisements to “buy now” – the energy is different here. The stores aren’t packed with last-minute shoppers. The only place where I can tell it is a special holiday is at the train station. It is packed with people with suitcases, on route to visit family members for the weekend.

One of the Korean-American teachers told me that Christmas in Korea isn’t a big deal. It’s a holiday that excites children, with hopes of Santa Clause leaving presents for their good behavior during the year, as well as couples who apparently give each other tokens of love through gift-giving. But the holiday isn’t one about presents; the kids only open 1 or 2 gifts and that’s it (this would make every American kid cry). For everyone else, it’s just another day.

An interesting side note – there are 4 different holidays in Korea dedicated to couples, a type of Valentine’s Day that we celebrate in the states (some begrudgingly). There is even a holiday dedicated to single people, where they eat a certain type of meal, and gather together with a slight anticipation of meeting someone date-worthy.

But, the Koreans do try to scatter the Christmas spirit. Some trees are lit; the department stores and restaurants humbly display Christmas decorations, not at all to the excessive degree that is oh-so-American. And the funny thing is that you can hear Christmas songs – all in American. It makes me wonder if Korea even has their own Christmas songs.

Christmas this year was an usually warm 45 degree day, but it was a good one with even a little surprise at night – fresh snowfall.