Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Thought of the best comeback a little too late
So yesterday, the other foreign teacher, one of the students, and I were leaving the hagwon at the same time. An ajoshi runs over and presses the button to hold the door open and waits for his friend. No big deal (an ajumma would never think to wait for someone and the ajoshi knows this so he wouldn't press the button if an ajumma were there ... it's just not worth it). So, the other foreign teacher holds the door open for the two ajoshi. Remember that. Remember that it was the other foreign teacher that did this. He's a genuinely nice guy who is just trying to make his way in a place that's far far from his tiny hometown in Canada.
So the other ajoshi makes his way to the elevator and they both get on. As there are only two other adults there (the other teacher and me), one ajoshi looks at the other teacher and says "Thank you" (in English). To Patrick. Which makes sense. Patrick held the door for him.
Patrick, trying to be respectful to these guys and their language, says "Kenchanna". Which is the low form of "it's no big deal." Here's where it gets tricky. You only are supposed to use the low form to people that you are close to or to people that are younger than you. These guys are clearly older.
Patrick doesn't know this. He's been around for a year, but he doesn't know Korean grammar. He doesn't understand the intricacies of when you use what form of the verb. For example ... "kenchanniyo" is more polite, and "kenchan-sumnida" is formal.
So the guy looks at him with a smile and says "kenchan-sumnida", correcting Patrick but not explaining and Patrick doesn't get this. Then he leans over to our student (who is Korean) and, still with a smile, starts talking to her in Korean. I hear the words "foreigers" and "stupid monkeys."
I couldn't believe my ears. The guy, right in front of us, called us stupid monkeys. Our student is so embarrassed she doesn't say anything, as she knows that I speak Korean well enough to understand. Patrick has no idea what's going on, but he sees how embarrassed Marsha (the student) is. She's practically sweating.
The doors opened before it totally sunk in what just happened. Later, the words "neh, ku-ra-na woori yojachin-gu-duli-nun hanguk-saram-i-eh. Shinja yep-paw" drifted through my mind. Which basically means "that might be true, but we both have Korean girlfriends. And they're hot, too" (and it uses the low form, for added disrespect).
That would have started fisticuffs in the elevator. We have both been feeling a good bit of culture shock lately, so it might have been theraputic right up until we got deported.
Anyway, most of you don't know this, but one of my best friends in high school is an American Indian. I'm going to have to look him up and pay him a visit when I get home. I'll never understand exactly how he feels, but living here is giving me a better idea.
So the other ajoshi makes his way to the elevator and they both get on. As there are only two other adults there (the other teacher and me), one ajoshi looks at the other teacher and says "Thank you" (in English). To Patrick. Which makes sense. Patrick held the door for him.
Patrick, trying to be respectful to these guys and their language, says "Kenchanna". Which is the low form of "it's no big deal." Here's where it gets tricky. You only are supposed to use the low form to people that you are close to or to people that are younger than you. These guys are clearly older.
Patrick doesn't know this. He's been around for a year, but he doesn't know Korean grammar. He doesn't understand the intricacies of when you use what form of the verb. For example ... "kenchanniyo" is more polite, and "kenchan-sumnida" is formal.
So the guy looks at him with a smile and says "kenchan-sumnida", correcting Patrick but not explaining and Patrick doesn't get this. Then he leans over to our student (who is Korean) and, still with a smile, starts talking to her in Korean. I hear the words "foreigers" and "stupid monkeys."
I couldn't believe my ears. The guy, right in front of us, called us stupid monkeys. Our student is so embarrassed she doesn't say anything, as she knows that I speak Korean well enough to understand. Patrick has no idea what's going on, but he sees how embarrassed Marsha (the student) is. She's practically sweating.
The doors opened before it totally sunk in what just happened. Later, the words "neh, ku-ra-na woori yojachin-gu-duli-nun hanguk-saram-i-eh. Shinja yep-paw" drifted through my mind. Which basically means "that might be true, but we both have Korean girlfriends. And they're hot, too" (and it uses the low form, for added disrespect).
That would have started fisticuffs in the elevator. We have both been feeling a good bit of culture shock lately, so it might have been theraputic right up until we got deported.
Anyway, most of you don't know this, but one of my best friends in high school is an American Indian. I'm going to have to look him up and pay him a visit when I get home. I'll never understand exactly how he feels, but living here is giving me a better idea.
