Korea: Just do it.

Six months into working at the school I was instructed that I must go and bow to the Vice Principal in the morning. A gift lesson in humility. I accept it and just do it. I've learned to just do what is asked of me.

More recently, I was told that an 8 year old American girl would be visiting Korea for a month. She was born in Washington D.C., but her parents are Korean. From 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM she lives in our English Center. She is clearly the daughter of somebody important, or friends of somebody important. She bounces from classroom to classroom. If Min is teaching then she is with me, or if I'm teaching she is then with Min. It is difficult to get our lesson planning, and materials preparation completed. She is a nice girl, and fairly precocious for an 8 yr old. This is like the bowing... you just do what's asked.

There is an interesting cultural perspective to this. The Hwasan students look at her like some strange animal. One of the students was poking her like one would an unidentifiable substance. They speak to the Korean-American who looks the part, but doesn't speak Korean. Judy is her name. And Judy doesn't act like a Korean either. She doesn't play like the Koreans... but she looks that part. She is an object of fascination with most the school. The first couple days were nearly too much for Judy to bear... the hordes of kids following her asking questions in Korean.

Coincidentally, Judy confided in me that her Uncle makes her bow to her Grandparents every morning. She didn't say this was displeasing, but her tone seemed to indicate it. I confided in her that I too am forced to bow every morning. These little things are important in Korea.