There are so many things I observe on a daily basis. Funny things that seem out of the ordinary to me because I am a foreigner here and haven't lived here long enough to understand the doings of the people amongst whom I live. I notice things like Christmas decorations in bar windows, plastic bananas wired to trees and stands of pirated videos (still being seen in theaters in the States) on each street. There are a lot of things that are spelled wrong in English or words that are used in a very unusual way (hot remonade anyone?). Some things, though, have taken me longer than just an initial observation to really notice. One thing, for example, is the consistent use of the adjective. "This is a famous Korean traditional drink." I cannot even count how many times I have heard these adjectives: famous, Korean, and traditional! I think they are highly overused in day to day conversations. Today my soup at lunch was "yummy, cool and delicious" (spoken by a woman in her 50's). I was thanked for "teaching English to the Korean students and the Korean English teachers at the school." Now that one doesn't sound so bad, but "Korean" is also used quite a bit (as if I forgot that my students and co-teachers are Korean). I have found myself saying words like, "delightful," "amazing," "fantastic," and "famous." I guess it just starts to rub off! Another thing that I have noticed and thought a lot about is the fact that each of my co-teachers has a mirror on her desk and how there are very large, door-sized mirrors on each turn of the stairs at school, near the tracks at the subway station and in streets near vendors. On the streets and subway I often see women taking out their compacts and checking to make sure that everything is just right. I was told that the Korean culture highly values appearance. It is true: appearance is very important here. It is important to look one's best and to not lose face in front of others. Losing face is a tricky thing for Westerners. We tend to use more facial expressions, body language and voice patterns to show what we are feeling or thinking than Koreans do. Here it is important to remain composed in all situations and, for women, to present a soft, feminine image. I am still thinking and observing this particular idea about beauty and how the culture reflects it's perception. So, you see, with all these new things around me, I must keep my eyes and ears wide open! How often can you see yummy and delicious plastic bananas in a tree in the middle of a huge city?
There are so many things I observe on a daily basis. Funny things that seem out of the ordinary to me because I am a foreigner here and haven't lived here long enough to understand the doings of the people amongst whom I live. I notice things like Christmas decorations in bar windows, plastic bananas wired to trees and stands of pirated videos (still being seen in theaters in the States) on each street. There are a lot of things that are spelled wrong in English or words that are used in a very unusual way (hot remonade anyone?). Some things, though, have taken me longer than just an initial observation to really notice. One thing, for example, is the consistent use of the adjective. "This is a famous Korean traditional drink." I cannot even count how many times I have heard these adjectives: famous, Korean, and traditional! I think they are highly overused in day to day conversations. Today my soup at lunch was "yummy, cool and delicious" (spoken by a woman in her 50's). I was thanked for "teaching English to the Korean students and the Korean English teachers at the school." Now that one doesn't sound so bad, but "Korean" is also used quite a bit (as if I forgot that my students and co-teachers are Korean). I have found myself saying words like, "delightful," "amazing," "fantastic," and "famous." I guess it just starts to rub off! Another thing that I have noticed and thought a lot about is the fact that each of my co-teachers has a mirror on her desk and how there are very large, door-sized mirrors on each turn of the stairs at school, near the tracks at the subway station and in streets near vendors. On the streets and subway I often see women taking out their compacts and checking to make sure that everything is just right. I was told that the Korean culture highly values appearance. It is true: appearance is very important here. It is important to look one's best and to not lose face in front of others. Losing face is a tricky thing for Westerners. We tend to use more facial expressions, body language and voice patterns to show what we are feeling or thinking than Koreans do. Here it is important to remain composed in all situations and, for women, to present a soft, feminine image. I am still thinking and observing this particular idea about beauty and how the culture reflects it's perception. So, you see, with all these new things around me, I must keep my eyes and ears wide open! How often can you see yummy and delicious plastic bananas in a tree in the middle of a huge city?
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