Everything that makes my life hard here are things that I can't control. It's the coldest spring in fifty years and the worst yellow dust ever. But other than the weather, which affects everyone, the social dynamics can't be changed. I can't be Korean. I look different; everyone knows it. I won't be treated the same. This is good and bad. Kids acting up in class. I have 700 of them. I can't possibly control them all. Issues out outside of school, hormones, cultural things I don't even know about, all mean that they're not going to be 100% there for me in every class, no matter how hard I try for them.
The culture. I can complain, but I can't change the fact that people push, that they oogle foreigners and yell "Hi!". I can't change bowing, pouring soju, being deferential, beating kids, and so on. I don't have to agree with it, but it's a little fruitless to fight against it.
No comments:
Post a Comment