...Hence They are Constantly Laughing

I taught my first English class yesterday, and a subsequent seven more over the course of yesterday and today, 40 minutes each. That's a lot of shouting time…and shouting it must be to keep all attention on myself. My throat is feeling it. But I loved teaching. The kids are beautiful, and adore me. "Teach-uhr" they call me, in their little voices. I enjoy spending time with them, because they laugh at me when I make mistakes (hence they are constantly laughing), so I can correct myself. With the adults I never know if or when a breech of etiquette has occurred, because they just pretend that nothing's wrong. Whenever a little one comes up to talk to me, I point to my nametag, and they stumble through varieties of, "Illeesuhbetuh". I laugh, and then attempt to spell out their names, written in the Korean script. Of course I render their names as outrageous as they render mine, and they take their turns at laughing. But then, without fail, they will say their names back to me with the correct pronunciation. I repeat, and this time they nod and smile, while I feel good about myself. I get a lot of reading and pronunciation practice and correction with upwards of 100 kids here at camp. The language is still a cacophonous labyrinth of sound, but I begin to be able to untangle it, to my great satisfaction. Yesterday I was able to pick out 'mothers' from a string of sound, and the day before that, 'sit down!' ('Uhmunee' and 'ahnjeuseyo' respectively). I can't wait to begin studying Korean in earnest.

One word that is rendered familiar by means of frequent use is the Korean monetary unit, the 'won'. The rate of exchange is just under W1,000 to $1. To walk through the market and hear, "Oh! That costs only ten thousand!" at first made me start. I have since become accustomed to thinking in won rather than dollars, but have yet to reconcile myself to the cost of living, regardless of with what it is financed. It is not uncommon for an item to cost between 4 to 6 times as much here as it does in the States. It's one thing to wince and close your eyes when a watermelon costs W25,000 ($25), but it becomes really painful when a box of granola bars goes for W24,000 ($24), or a pillow for W60,000 ($60). Money certainly seems to disappear quickly.

Though the other Americans seem to find the heat here oppressive, I don't find it so at all. Quite humid, I concede. They say it will grow warmer in August. Maybe then I shall be compelled to push the second button on what I first mistook for a refrigerator. That tall, sparkly, apple red box in the corner of my kitchen, the top of which slides up, and the sides of which grow fins in response to being turned on, converting the box into an air-conditioning unit. Amusing, and definitely more space consuming than necessary, but pompous or not, it does the job.

Regardless of style or event, heels (generally 1 or 2 sizes too small) seem to always be in order. Men have even been occasionally observed wearing shoes with high heels. Perhaps, I first thought, it is because they are so short? I was later compelled to revise this opinion. Some, at least, don't see themselves so; never mind that they're always craning their necks to look us Americans in the eye. The other day we were at SCG and Namsoo asked me how tall I was. I told him. His eyes widened with surprise,
"You are five feet and eight inches tall?! I am five feet and six inches tall! You are taller than a man!!" He tilted his head to one side and considered for a moment. Then, musingly, "I suppose that is possible…"
These Koreans!

A random fact, universally understood among Koreas, but of which I had remained in blissful ignorance heretofore, is that rain causes ones hair to fall out. It is rather hilarious to watch the action effected by this belief. The lightest drizzle causes countless bouquets of umbrellas to blossom out of seemingly nowhere. Such, at any rate, is the usual response. Should, for some obscure reason, umbrellas be unavailable, all dash for the nearest cover. After all, one must take care, at any cost, to preserve a full head of hair!

Anyways, I'm going to leave you for now. This email is much longer than I had first intended it to be. If you've made it this far, I'm amazed.

Have a lovely day
- Illeesuhbetuh