Gauging the Mood

North Korea and South Korea have been in the news a lot. At the least, they’ve been in the American news a lot. Since I’m American and speak only English, this is the news I follow. I don’t think, however, that North Korea gets as much attention in the Korean news as it gets in the American news.

With all the news coverage, friends and family from home often ask me what the mood is here.  The answer is “business as usual.” That’s the best way I can describe the mood here. I’ve asked a few Korean coworkers about the threat of North Korea and they all chuckle and smile at me like I’m simple.

Several weeks ago, tensions were running high so I asked my boss if I should be preparing for anything. He looked so confused. He asked “Preparing for what?” I explained that I was worried about North Korea and he started laughing. He then said “If I had a dollar for every time North Korea threatened something, I’d be retired instead of standing in my office with you.”

The Korean government does do some preparedness drills. On the 15^th of every month, somewhere in this county is participating in a drill. I saw a drill several years ago. A message played over speakers, soldiers started directing traffic, and a tank rolled down the street. I didn’t know what was happening or which army was marching down my street so this really scared me. Thankfully, it was the friendly army.

In addition to preparedness drills, subway stations and other public places have emergency supplies. It’s often a glass front cabinet with gas masks, bottled water, and nonperishable food. The cabinets look easy to open so the supplies can be accessed quickly during an emergency.

Overall, I find Korean’s nonchalance reassuring. If they’re not worried, why should I be worried? I just hope that we never have a reason to be worried. 

An Emergency Cabinet in a Subway Station

__________

Gas Mask Instructions

__________

Bottled Water and Things I Can't Identify

__________

Gas Mask Packets

__________

All Eyes on Me

Back in March, I started at a new job. On my first day, I shadowed the teacher I was replacing, Hannah. In one class, a kid sneezed and everyone turned to look at me with anticipation in their eyes. I said “Bless you!” and the kids all looked amazed and then turned to Hannah who said “I told you that’s what she’d say!”

I’m the first and only foreigner to work at my language school. For many of my students and coworkers, I’m the only foreigner they have any regular contact with. Naturally, this led to some curiosity about me. Before I started, Hannah got a lot of questions about what I would be like. While she didn’t know me personally, she did know that I’m American and she herself lived in the US for 7 years. So, Hannah decided to share one particular custom that foreigners have that Koreans don’t: saying “Bless you” (or anything really) after someone sneezes.

While I’ve lived in Korea before, I never noticed it but Koreans don’t say anything when someone sneezes. They just ignore it and go about their business. I looked this up and it turns out that the China and Japan also don’t have sneeze related sayings but most other countries do.

It’s been five months and everyone still turns to look at me when someone sneezes. I wish I could stay quiet but it’s so ingrained in me that I always reflexively say “Bless you” and everyone giggles. I kinda wish Hannah had kept this nugget of cultural information to herself. 

This is how I feel when someone sneezes at work

__________

First Birthdays and Fortune Telling

A few months ago, I was invited to a first birthday party. I immediately knew it would be fancy since it was at a nice buffet and not at the child’s home or at something like Chuck E. Cheese’s. I was right.

When I walked into the private room, I knew this wasn’t going to be like the other kids’ birthdays I’d been to. The party room had a stage, two hosts, a dressing room, and a sitting room.  Mom and Dad wore matching red and white hanboks and the Birthday Boy wore a multicolored hanbok. Everyone’s hair and makeup had been professionally done.

The big event at the party was the doljabi (돌잡이). For this, parents present the birthday boy/girl with several items on a tray. He or she picks one and it determines his/her future. At this party, the tray had money (wealth), a big spool of thread (long life), a pen (scholar/intellectual), and a mouse (tech career).  

I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was until the baby didn’t pick anything. His parents presented him with the tray several times and he didn’t pick anything. He just clutched his father and looked confused. Eventually, after having the tray presented 20+ times, the baby picked the money. When he picked the money, the Dad started crying. I guess there was a lot riding on this. Personally, I like to think that the baby didn’t pick anything because he will have a unique path in life that can’t be easily summed up in one object.

Overall, I enjoyed the party. The food was great and it’s nice knowing the Birthday Boy will grow up to be rich. 

The Stage Area

__________

My Party Favor

__________

It's Not What You Think...

One day, during my early days in Korea, I encountered a sign with a swastika on it. I found it really confusing because why would Koreans be anti-Semitic? The average Korean isn’t even remotely familiar with Judaism. To dislike something, you have to know it exists.

After doing a little research, I found out that Korea is not littered with Nazis. It turns out that the swastika has been used for the last 5,000 years or so. It’s used in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Odinism. In Korea, it’s used in Buddhist temples.

I, for one, am glad that Korea is not crawling with Nazis. I’m not sure Indiana Jones is around to deal with it. 

Near my Apartment

__________

Attack of the Killer Hornets

Last week, as I was teaching a class, I heard a funny little plop. I looked at the floor and saw that a spider had fallen. I looked up to see where it had come from and saw a giant, flying insect perched on a light fixture. This was the biggest insect I’ve ever seen. I’m from South Florida and we have big palmetto bugs. This creature looked like it could eat a palmetto bug with no problem.

I guess I stared at the bug a little too long because my 3^rd grade students, Emily and Andrew, followed my gaze up to the ceiling. Well, as soon as they saw the insect, they jumped under the table. I crouched down to ask them if they were ok and Emily tried to pull me under too. The kids don’t speak much English but they did tell me “Bug…kill…people!” I wasn’t sure if this was true or not but that was a really big bug. It looked like a bee, but a bee who worked out and took steroids. I needed an adult.

I grabbed Emily and Andrew, took them into the hallway, and shut the classroom door. I found a Korean coworker and explained the situation to her. She grabbed a broom, marched into the classroom, and immediately came back out. It turns out that the bug is dangerous and there was a nest on the window sill.

My coworker called 119, the Korean emergency number. The next day, someone from the city came to kill the insect and dispose of the nest. Once he was finished, my classroom could be used again.

I later asked what kind of insect that was. My coworker told me it was a wasp but that was no ordinary wasp. She showed me a translation on her phone and the name was the Vespa mandarinia or the Asian Giant Hornet.

I looked up the Asian Giant Hornet and found that Emily and Andrew were right -  it can kill people. For an adult to die, they typically have to be stung dozens of times. For a child or an adult with an allergy, it’s less but seems to vary from person to person. Either way, it’s a scary insect.

I’m really glad that Emily and Andrew knew what to do. Not having grown up in this country, I had no idea that such an insect even existed.