Bathroom Talk

I went to my first Korean lesson this past weekend and am pleased to say that things are beginning to click. I'm starting to actually recognize sentence structure and separate syllables I hear into words. Even better, I'm getting used to the pronunciation. What seemed like mouthfulls of the same awkward sounds are slowly becoming familiar and pronounceable chunks. You really have to train your mouth to create a whole new set of sounds.

The class is very informal and meets Saturday afternoons at an English Cafe where Korean students usually go to learn and practice English. In small groups we basically learn what we want to know. I wanted to know how to say Where is the bathroom? So, I learned it. And I've been repeating it in my head, along with a few other phrases, ever since. And so far they've stuck! I knew my co-teacher would ask me what I learned today since I told her I was going so I wanted to have a few things down pat to impress her with. I would say the most frustrating thing about learning Korean (albeit haphazardly) has been trying to make the words and phrases stick. This goes back to familiarity however. The more my ear becomes accustomed to the sounds and my tongue to the production of the sounds, the more I'm remembering. Bowing for greetings, putting my side-dishes in the correct spots on my lunch tray, and using chopsticks are all also becoming more familiar and I don't even think twice about these things now.

Back to bathrooms, as today was Monday and I was at my secondary school to teach, I was reminded of a topic I meant to address last week but never got to- the bathrooms. Difference between my main school and secondary school- the bathrooms. My main school's first floor bathroom is covered in potted plants and while the smell of decaying plant is anything but pleasant, I would almost prefer an actual jungle to the bathrooms at my Monday/Tuesday school. They are the unavoidable non-western toilets I'd read about in travel books and expatriate blogs. In plain terms, the squatters. There are stalls, but in place of toilets are horizontal urinals on the ground. Yes, I've looked in all the stalls and on every floor. That's all there is. And this is the school with the smart-touch board and 3 mounted flatscreen TVs in it's specialty English Lab (a picture of which I chose to include in place of one of the bathroom). It's a wonder. But, I'm taking it in as part of the experience. If it's the real Korea, then I'm happy to live with it. Just glad I get normal toilets for at least 3 out of the 5 school days.

And the truth is, the students make everything worth it. I found myself cracking up throughout my lessons today. The students are just so silly and jovial, especially at this school, and their laughter is contagious. I left early during cleaning period today to open a second bank account so I can finally get a cell phone (long story). I walked out to pop music blaring in the halls and girls happily sloshing mops down stairs and falling out the windows shouting Bye, Sullivan! at the top of their lungs. I smiled and thought of how hard it will be to leave them. Especially since more and more I'm thinking I will continue to teach back in the US, and I know I will never find a school like this at home.