Confessions of a Dangerous Blogger:

There are two schools of thought on the way Koreans behave. One is to assume that they are lacking in certain areas of logic. The other is to assume that they are lacking in logic completely. I talk of course of the westerner attitude toward what they first encounter. Again and again I hear that Koreans are the most baffling people to understand because what they do often times makes no sense at all. I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t felt this way at least a thousand times since being here.

My opinion on the subject is a little more reflective than above. Certainly there are degrees of stupidity and foolishness in every society. In Australia there are heaps of stupid people about. Why else would you drive a Ford if not for reasons of plain stupidity? In Korea, the issue is a completely different set of criteria for logical analysis. This is the thing which is labeled stupid here and that is why it is such a common statement. But is it really stupid?

After work today our bus didn’t come. The company arranged a taxi to pick us up and we waited for it to arrive. When the driver did arrive, we went to get in, but he pulled away from us and then got out and made a phone call. This was followed by him wandering around, crouching down, and generally wasting time. We had some company workers come out and speak to him about what was going down until he finally agreed to take us. We got inside and the meter had obviously been running since he had received the call to pick us up. As I gather, the price had been arranged for 20,000 won to our destination. We pulled out and as soon as we got onto the main road, the taxi driver took out his phone and proceeded to talk to someone about how much he was getting paid for the journey. He was obviously trying to negotiate a better deal. This continued for the duration of the 20 minute drive to our stop. He was shouting on the phone, blowing all his stinking kim chi breath all over the taxi, to the point that we could hardly even talk to each other. I tried to open the window, but the hot air was almost as unpleasant as the bad breath. Keep in mind, I was in the back seat with Karl, my co-worker, yet the breath still hit me. By the time the taxi got to our stop, the meter read 23,000 won. Now this is where the logic goes wrong. The taxi driver was unhappy that the company was only paying 20,000, but if he had not messed around and wasted time when he picked us up, this wouldn’t have been an issue. Furthermore, he spent 20 minutes talking on the phone, making a number of calls which I can only guess cost him a few thousand won more. What is the point? And how can you be angry for something that is clearly your fault?

Another problem is communication. We are teaching at the camp and oftentimes management need to let us know what we are doing right or wrong. Their way of letting us know is not telling us. Someone else will tell us. Instead of walking 5 metres across the room and saying “hey guys, can you do this differently”, they will call our recruiter and tell them to pass on a message to us that we have to do things different. Messages are sometimes written on a board. This is the closest we come to direct communication.

In my opinion, there are benefits and drawbacks to this approach. It’s unfair to call it stupid, for it’s just a different way of doing things. Westerners with all their directness, often have little or no tact. Often they disrupt order for the sake of minor issues. Often they will say things directly because they can’t be bothered finding a more polite way to put it. Korean society is one which puts a stronger emphasis on politeness and manners. This is important to them and often is the reason for a certain “long windedness” about their communication or actions. As a foreigner, sometimes you just want a straight answer, not a “maybe” or “I think its better” or “it could be difficult”. That’s sometimes just an impossible ask.

I put myself in the category of student of incomprehensible logic. I at once admit that it doesn’t make sense to me, but also that it might make some kind of sense once I saw practical benefits to all cases of incomprehensibility. I don’t like to be insensitive to difference, so I try. Sometimes though, I just get home to my room and feel like I’m just not properly aligned to deal with this society. Luckily it passes quickly and I can reflect and learn.

Camp life is fun. Hyundai is a very rigid, rule abiding company, but for the most part I’m not bothered by this. I really wouldn’t mind this kind of lifestyle for a long time to come. The best part about it is the students. When you’re young you have an enthusiasm that gradually wanes as you get older.

It’s this enthusiasm that really catches on. It’s a great feeling when you’re in the class, teaching them about a language or about life and having them respond to you, to each other, crack jokes, enjoy cross cultural, cross language humour, make a class enjoyable and turn kids who a couple of days ago were writing to their parents saying “I want to go home” into kids who are now saying “I want to stay here longer”. Today is Thursday and tomorrow is the last day for these kids. Just as they’re starting to have fun, they have to go home. It’s a shame, but it’s a good experience for them and for me.

Such an experience could be a rarity too. Many of the kids who went to the previous camp at SK didn’t return for the next one, so I hear. It’s a change for them, something different. Most of them have never spent time with foreigners and so it’s a rare chance for them to experience what different cultures are like. It’s this impression which I can feel myself and the other teachers making. The kids are excited by it and it will surely make a difference to their lives.

That’s the plan anyway.

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