say hay bok mani pah du sayo

Or, as we say in English, Happy New Year!

Here are two of my students, Annie and Sean, pointing to our new year's messages. Unfortunately, it's hard to read them here. Sean doesn't always look so silly; he was hamming it up for the camera^^

I've wondered recently why I haven't written here in a long time, compared to how often I wrote during my first year in Korea, and I came up with a few reasons.

First of all, there were tech problems--i.e., my computer crashed and I lost all the photos I'd taken and saved. New photos were often the impetus for new blog entries.

And, of course, I got kind of swept up in the semester, though in a much less stressful way than either of the two previous ones.

But I think also it was because fewer things are novel to me now, having been in Korea for nearly 16 months. I'm still struck by the occasional odd scene, but have gotten used to a lot of things that were still very new to me a year ago.

For example, although I'm still aware of being a foreigner when I'm in public, I'm less self-conscious about it.

I've been bowing more often, without really thinking about it, but just automatically when thanking someone.

I pay less attention to behavior that's considered rude in the US (i.e., nobody saying "please" or "I'm sorry" unless they're lower status, like my students or the office assistants.) I still see it as rude, but can brush it off more easily, telling myself they're just "being Korean." I'm less bothered by the way most things seem to happen at the last minute, and then with a sense of urgency because there's no time. Or even, finding out about something that was supposed to be done only after the deadline has passed.

There are some things that still amuse me, but don't surprise me--the cutesy kitschy aesthetic (grown men and women carrying pink Hello Kitty bags), Konglish as fashion statement (nonsensical English phrases on clothing and accessories), wearing slippers at work.

One new irritant (thought I'm not sure why it should bother me as much as it does)--I've noticed that elevators are a place where Koreans consistently look at their reflections and work on their appearances. The elevator in the building where I live actually has reflective surfaces on all sides and when people step in most of them (if they're alone, and sometimes even if they're not), immediately turn to face the wall and start fussing with their hair or make up. The men too (except for the make-up part, which seems to be unique to the "boy bands" of pop music).

Some small steps of progress on my part, in terms of just living here--I can now tell a taxi driver how to get to my building, how to go straight, turn left, and turn right. But that's about it for directions. I can sometimes understand prices and numbers. I get lost less often.

And some bigger steps, like knowing more people and doing more things outside of work. Creating a community for myself here has taken so much more effort than it did in the States, and I'm still in the process of doing so. But I have so many more people in my life now than a year ago. Sometimes it's about being creative, or thinking about options a little differently. For example, I spent New Year's Eve with my friend Michael and his friend, Mike, going to see the new animated movie "Bolt" and then going out for Indian food, followed by drinks, here in Suwon. Not really a traditional New Year's Eve, but it worked.

I'd thought a year ago that I'd have more Korean friends by now, but that hasn't really happened except for one of my former students who lives nearby and has been a huge help to me with all kinds of things, like shopping and dealing with the phone company, etc.

Instead, the new people I know are almost all other expats, either fellow teachers or people somehow connected to the US military, usually as civilian employees on the army base at Yongsan, in Seoul. That in itself has been eye-opening for me. Because the first people I met connected with the base were my great friends Reid and James (who are a gay couple from the US and Canada), I had to revise my image of what an employee of the US military looks like. When Reid told me that he heard a conversation about how Rumsfeld should be tried for war crimes, and this conversation was taking place in the locker room at the gym on base, I was even further surprised, to say the least.

I've also met people connected to the base, both civilian and active duty military, who I'd almost certainly never have crossed paths with in the US. It's like only by coming to Korea would I meet people from the deep south or northern Idaho. These are the folks who seem to fit my image of members of the armed services, and I find myself sticking to what I imagine to be safe topics when talking to them.

FaceBook has helped me connect with people here too. For example, I attended a celebration party for Obama hosted by the Democrats Abroad in Seoul. There, I met another Jewish guy from NY, who brought me along to the Friday night service on base. You haven't really lived until you've seen older Korean men wearing yarmulkes, beards and side curls. Through FB, I also found more info. about the Seoul vegetarian club, and heard about a language club here in Suwon.

I've begun doing some private tutoring with 2 small groups of kids--one group consists of 4 11-year olds, the other is 3 14-year olds. It's been a lot of fun. In September, I'd substituted at a private "institute" and had classes of younger kids where I felt I was a glorified babysitter. Inevitably, I came home with a headache and needed a nap. But working with a small group of kids at their home is a whole different thing. They want to be there, and their mom's in the next room, so they pay attention and are eager, and we have a good time.

Last year I wouldn't have had the energy for this, because my classes at Ajou kept me so busy. But this year I have a much more manageable teaching load there (a result of re-negotiating my contract in August) and so much less stress.

The 14-year old girls showed me how they download novels onto their cell phones. They can choose the type of ending they want when they're online--happy or sad--and then that ending gets sent to their cell phones. I've never heard of this in the US and thought it was pretty cool.