10. accept and eat sweaty candies from children's hands
9. learn how to make a ten minute activity last one hour
8. watch your sentences in english become some kind of korean sentence
7. learn all sorts of swear words you would think only drunk ajusshi's would use
6. speak slowly and enunciate to the point that your family asks you why you sound the way you do
5. watch all idiomatic speech disappear from your vocabulary
4. ... along with all words of 3 or more syllables
3. develop an in-depth knowledge of starcraft terminology ("head shot")
2. experience dong-jib, and then never ever forget it
1. end up staying for 2 or 3 years more than you intended
the world is waiting
Oh man, so many of these can be said about teaching in Japan, too! I swear I forgot half of my vocabulary. I also stayed for 1.5 years longer than I thought I would...
ReplyDeleteHahaha! So true! :)
ReplyDeleteTruth. I think I've experienced every single one of those...
ReplyDeleteKids still do dongjip??? Gotta admit that's one of the most barbaric and shameful things I did to girls when I was in the elementary school. Lol
ReplyDeleteKids are horrible creatures....
Haha, I was horrified by dongjib! And I've certainly been eating a lot of candy/snacks/chocolate from some very sticky hands since I got here. They are just so sweet - I can't say no. :)
ReplyDeletei don't know what dongjip is and i don't want to know
ReplyDeleteDo you think short woman who wants to teach in Korea, will have the same opportunities as the rest? And by short I mean 5'1?
ReplyDeleteHahaha! I love this! So true, especially #6. Sometime my friends catch me and ask, "why do you talk like that? So slow and with broken english??" Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteI was looking for how some friends from other countries get over shock from different Korean culture, and I found your blog! I was really impressed and thankful for your flank opinions and videos. and so hilarious!! :)
ReplyDeleteHaha headshot is actually from sudden attack XD
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it's so sad but I naturally avoid any sort of idiomatic expressions now. I have so many friends who only speak English as their second (or third language) that I avoid anything that doesn't make sense when taken literally.
ReplyDeleteDongjib... quite the experience!!
ReplyDelete