I can’t change it …
Korean culture is very different than American (and probably, most “Western”) culture, and adjusting to a completely new way of life has left me a bit shocked and daunted at times. Things that make perfect sense to me do not make any sense at all to the Koreans, and vice versa. I have encountered this in all aspects of Korean culture, including the workplace. I just have to accept the differences or go crazy. It’s critical to have a sense of humor much of the time (or at least have some tolerance) to cope with these situations. I am a guest in the country, so it is a waste of time to express what I think is rude or offensive, as that is not how they see it ~ and that’s where it ends. It is probably wise to just ignore what I consider to be rudeness ~ I can’t change it.
Koreans are generally more private (well, less “open”) than Westerners, and they offer very little information or feedback ~ but there are no limits or boundaries to the information that they expect to receive in response to their inquiries! Sometimes, I say “I don’t know,” but that will only result in the same question an hour later, as if I will know if asked again. Sometimes I just have to say “I can’t answer your question” and that seems to settle it down a bit …
The exchange of information may be the most challenging dynamic in Korea. Many of the communication problems stem from the fact that the language is not very precise ~ many things seem to be unsaid, but between the Koreans, they are understood ~ which leaves me wondering what the hell is going on. Western ways of thinking when it comes to conducting business have not quite taken hold here. In general, Koreans do not plan far in advance ~ everything seems to turn on last minute decisions and any changes take effect immediately.
There are challenges at work ~ the schedule, the Cts, the whole education system mess … I’m certain that I will be commenting in a later blog about the South Korean media coverage related to President Obama’s remarks on Korean education (“If they can do that in South Korea, we can do it right here in the United States of America.”). Headlines like “Obama Lauds Korea’s Education of Children” and “Obama Cites Korea for Educational Excellence.” spawned this whole distorted conclusion among people who haven’t read Obama’s full remarks, mistakenly thinking Obama has endorsed the Korean education system. That conclusion is not quite accurate ~ more on that later …
Thankfully, as challenging as the system can be, I do love the boys. Outside of class, they are wonderful, rambunctious, typical teenage boys ~ they like to chitter-chatter, as we are walking to school and when they are roaring around in the halls. In the classroom, however, they are absolute teenage terrorists, enabled by the presence of a Korean co-teacher who generally fails to discipline and also translates everything (because it is just too difficult to understand English). They definitely push the limits …
Sigh … Anyway, I’ve got at least one special boy in each and every class that brightens my day, so it’s worth it. I’ve got the little “Packer man”, the “high five!” dude, the “give me a hug!” kid, the super-serious, super-smart, “I want to live in America” guy, the one who hangs out the window and shouts “Hello, Miss Nancy! Miss Nancy!!” every morning as I arrive to school, the boys that continue to bow in respect as we pass in the hall … I love them all!! How can you not? They are just kiddos …
I’m sitting here with the 2009 calendar on my lap, trying to make a 6-month plan for sanity control ~ if I get to Seoul once a month and venture off to a farther region once a month, I can probably keep my noodles in the bowl. Day-to-day is getting a bit easier ~ I’ve figured out how to cook and clean and get to work. The language barrier will remain, as I have absolutely no intention to learn Korean ~ the alphabet and basic survival phrases are all that I can manage at this point.
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Nancy