I had my first experience with live traditional Korean music this past weekend. My friend Hyun-jin, my vice principal’s daughter, invited me to come and listen to her play in a concert. She is a music major and plays the kayageum, a traditional Korean instrument, at her university. As soon as we took our seats and the curtains opened I was mystified by what I saw and heard. In this first piece, the women were wearing traditional Korean clothing, hanbok, and playing their instruments sitting cross-legged on a mat on the ground. The sounds produced by those instruments were so unfamiliar to me. It was wonderful, but I had to really strain my ear to try and hear the melody because it was unlike anything I have ever heard before. The only way I can describe it would be ‘oriental’ sounding as in the oriental music that an American like me might here at a cheesy Asian restaurant back home, but I cannot even compare the two because that would not be doing this music justice. It was very old world and for a brief moment felt myself in a time warp thinking that this was what music must have been like in ancient Korea. Throughout the concert there were many types of instruments and genres of Korean music being played from traditional Korean music to a more modern, watered down version that “blends with western instruments.” All of the women musicians looked like painted dolls with their heavy make-up and perfect ensembles. During one piece a woman came out with a very bizarre looking instrument and began to play. I couldn’t see if very clearly, but it reminded me of a giant seashell with its shape and the way she held it directly in front of her face upwards to play. She looked as though she was playing this blow-horn seashell summoning mermaids from the water or something. I cannot remember the name of the instrument, but it is very rare. I enjoyed myself so much at the concert with my vice principal and her husband. They were very accommodating while trying to explain the ideas behind the music to me in English.
The other day I was walking to the subway station and did not have an umbrella. It was raining lightly and I was stuck at a traffic light willing the light to turn, when a cute younger Korean man came over to me with his umbrella, lifted it over my head, and asked, “may I?” He walked me all the way to the subway station under his umbrella. We did not say another word until I thanked him, but the chivalrous and kind effort was touching.
My students at school are constantly touching one another. They never have their hands to themselves. Girls and boys alike are always hitting, scratching, punching, kicking, and throwing things at each other. This is constant. In the hallways, at lunch, during class, on the street walking to and from school. I know that children in America bother each other and always want to touch one another and be pesty, but it is out of control here in Korea. The other day at school another girl in class was hitting one of my little fourth grade boys. I went over and asked her to stop. He then turned to me and told me “Korean girls are violent, you must know this.” I have also noticed that this seems to be true of the younger generation of people here in general. I’ve seen girlfriends in their 20’s hitting and kicking each other and girls punching their boyfriends walking down the street too many times to count. It seems to be an accepted thing here and other teachers at the school put up with it, but it drives me crazy to see it being done in my class.
I decided to dye my hair dark again. Of course I thought I was being smart by buying a darker shade of brown knowing from past experience that it would inevitably be lighter than the color on the box, but surprise, it wasn’t. So now I have dark hair. Not sure how I feel about it yet, but I’m sure it will grow on me. My co-worker asked me today if I was seeing anyone and then proceeded to tell me that Korean women seem to dye their hair when something significant happens, especially when they break up with someone. Interesting.
Trying to learn Korean is mentally and physically exhausting. My co-teacher and I have been working once or twice a week from a first grade Korean textbook. I have learned the Korean letters and their sounds, but I am not a very good student. I don’t do my homework and consequently, each time we meet I am back at square one trying to remember all the letters again. I was reading some simple words today and she was translating for me, but it was difficult. Trying to read the sounds I felt like I had some major anxiety and felt a pressure to think quickly and correctly. When I got a sound wrong or mispronounced a word I couldn’t help but feel down on myself. It really opened up my eyes to what some of my students here must feel like in English class. No wonder some of these kids are so painfully shy with me, and some are acting out because they have already given up on learning English. I really admire all the people who have learned to speak English because Lord knows; this is not an easy language. I also really admire those people who try their best to speak with my in what little English they know and can remember. After about a half hour session I felt as though I had just finished an intense work out.
My computer keyboard at work has a button that switches the keys from English to Korean letters. My favorite thing is when I accidentally hit the button and type a whole word or sentence (mind you I can’t type correctly so I am always looking at the keys) and then I have to go back and erase the whole thing. This happens at least 20 times a day. I also love having Microsoft programs on my computer entirely in Korean.
Namaste
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