I realized it might be helpful to have a little background on the set-up of schools here: The school we work at is called a hogwan. The kids go to regular school during the day, then will come to our hogwan after school a couple days a week, for an hour, to study English. There are also hogwans specializing in other subjects, like math or science. The kids that come to our hogwan range in age from five to twelve or so. Hogwan classes go from 2:00-7:00pm. So Brady and I teach from 2:00-7:00 every day, and we also go to the kindergarten in the morning, from 10:00-12:00. Those kids are in a regular kindergarten class, and we'll come in for 20-30 minutes (depending on their age level) and speak English, sing a few songs, read a story, etc. It's just a brief introduction to English. A lot of the kindergarten students end up attending the hogwan when they graduate kindergarten.
This weekend we went away with all the teachers, about 45 people, for a retreat. On Friday I asked one of the teachers, Tiffany, what the plan was for the weekend. Here is our conversation (Tiffany's English is pretty weak.):
Me: Tiffany! What's the plan for this weekend? What should I pack?
Tiffany: Snack party.
Me: Snack party? I should bring snacks?
Tiffany: No, no, I bring snacks.
Me: Okay, so...what are we going to do this weekend?
Tiffany: Well, we get to hotel, and then the director gives us gimbap. Cucumber. Then there's punch ball.
Me: Punch ball?
Tiffany: No. Throwing.
Me: Oh, dodgeball.
Tiffany: Yes. Then there's purple mints.
Me: Purple mints?
Tiffany: Yes! Dancing?
Me: OH. Performance.
That's basically how every conversation with a Korean goes.
They call it a workshop weekend, but nothing educational or instructive happens. Although there were a lot of speeches being given, so those might have an educational component, but they were all in Korean so we didn't know what was happening. On the bus on the way there the director spoke in Korean for about 35 minutes, then she paused, turned her attention toward us, and said "Welcome...to bus." After that the microphone was passed around, and people were making speeches. They made us give speeches, but we had no idea what was going on, so we said things like "We're happy to be here, and looking forward to a good weekend!"
Then it was norae bang time. Norae bang is Korean karaoke, and they have a machine on the bus. So people did karaoke for a little while.
The place we went was only about three hours away, but after two hours it started snowing really hard, and we hit major traffic. The whole trip ended up taking about seven hours. Traffic was at a standstill at one point, and people were getting out of their cars, so we got out and had a snowball fight on the side of the road. It was really fun, and a good way to bond with people when you don't speak a common language.
We arrived at the resort, and had some time to practice our dance performance. I...I don't even know why this was a part of the weekend. That's just what they do. We danced to that Cha Cha song that tells you what to do ("slide to the left") so it was easy enough. We came in second place. Then we had dinner, the first course of which was a giant plate of raw fish for each person. There was plenty of beer and soju, and we started drinking. Korean women aren't very good at holding their liquor. Things went from zero to drunk very quickly. But it loosened them up, and they were coming over to talk to us, and being very sweet. It was good to get to know them. Then it was norae bang time again, at the hotel. There are just karaoke machines everywhere.
At the hotel, we stayed in suites, shared by 8-10 people. Each one had three bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. The bedrooms were completely empty, no beds, but there were mattress pads that you put on the floor. And no blankets either, but the mattress pads are like thick comforters, so I pulled half of mine over myself. And the floors are heated, so it's not too cold.
Then this morning I was sitting at the table in our suite, drinking coffee. The other girls were getting up, getting ready, and putting out plates and bowls. I didn't know what was happening, I really never do, but then they started bringing in plates and plates of food. Which I guess was being prepared in one of the other suites? Bowls of rice, kimchi, green onion things, soup, lots of meat. I just wanted a bagel. There are so many times that things happen here, and we're totally in the dark because we don't understand Korean.
Also, we were supposed to play dodgeball, but because the trip there took so long it got cut. This morning the director was talking about trying to do it, and she said that they would have to split up the foreigners because of our "excellent skills." I don't know if she was there the last time I played dodgeball, in Mr. Schulte's PE class in fifth grade, but I would guess my skills aren't excellent. But Korean girls aren't the most athletic, so maybe I would have been better. We'll never know.
When we got back Sunday night I went with Ashley, and her other friend Shannon, to the jimjillbang (that's the sauna.) This time I got the scrub-down, which is when you pay about $17 for an old Korean lady in mesh bra and underwear to scrub your entire body with these scrubbing mitts. You're lying down and they douse you in warm water, then scrub, and you can feel skin being exfoliated off. They do the same for your face (but more gently) then shampoo your hair, rinse you off again, then rub this oil all over your body. I felt like a seal when it was over, and almost slipped off the table. It was really nice, and my skin felt so soft after.
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