Crutchless and fancy-free!

These are some of my students. They're all so happy to pose for photos, and so enthusiastic about, well, everything! This was taken last Friday, which was physical exam day at school, which meant no class for me! So I just wandered around chatting to the students and then somehow managed to kill the rest of the day. Not entirely sure how...but you know what happens when you get nosying around t'internet: next thing you know, it's two days later!

I've been a bit slack at updating this for the last week. Again, there's no excuse, I've just been lazy. Had lots planned to do on Saturday, but woke up to find that my ankles were bad again, so decided to scrap the plans and just rest. Since then I have ditched my splint and my crutches and so I'm moving freely again, finally! Which is a good thing, as my brother has already warned me that we'll be walking lots in Shanghai. Before I get carried away with that, I've had loads of thoughts on Korea whizzing around my head, so let's see if I can remember them!

I'll start with the physical exam day last week. This was a whole day of fitness tests. Not crazy hardcore tests, just simple push ups and sit ups, sprints, and long jumps (or long spring, as there is no run up). The day started off with a mass, all-school exercise routine, looking a little like t'ai ch'i at times, which just looked incredible. It's the sort of thing schools used to do every morning, and I wish we had done it at school! I know I would have complained at the time, but it looked like fun! After, the classes moved around the various activities, and results were recorded. This photo is of the sit up section. I've never seen people having so much fun while doing a physical exam! I think they were all just happy to have time out of class, and it was such a beautiful day too, that it was a day out in the sun! There seems to be a big emphasis on class identity, which means that there is some friendly rivalry between each class. They all have t-shirts printed up, and they stay in the same classrooms (teachers move around) so they seem to become quite close. I have yet to witness a student who seems a little on the outside, or who seems to be teased. They all get equal cheers and ridicule! It's nice to see, good to know that it is possible.

We've been continuing our Korean culture presentations this week, and I am learning so much every time I walk into the classes! The creativity of the students is amazing, not just in what they come up with but in how they present it. We've had a re-enactment of the founding of Korea, a taekwondo demonstration, and costumes, and props, and all sorts! One particular thing that I find quite interesting is the use of blood type to determine personality, like with horoscopes. During our introductions in the first week, one student asked me what my blood type was, which I thought was a strange question, until I was told about this personality link. Having researched it a little, I've learned that it started in the '30s, in Japan, and gained popularity in the '80s. It's such a big deal that some people won't date blood types that they're not compatible with, and there is even a Korean movie called, "My boyfriend is a type B"! I don't agree with my blood type-determined personality! Firstly, one class told me that being Type B meant I was a psycho! And another presentation tells me that I'm isolated, impolite, and never make a good impression on elders! Some parts seem a little true, but I'm quite offended by the rest of it!

Now this is why I need a little elf with me at all times, recording my every thought. I can't remember most of the Korean quirks that I wanted to talk about! I brought my teachers cakes today to thank them all for being so kind while I was on crutches. Throughout those two weeks, I was either told to go slow, or called slow! So often I had people - other teachers at school or often older men in the street - look at my leg, point and say something, and honestly, I never had a clue what was being said! I either just walked on (when I was in the street) or nodded or smile, or looked for someone to translate when I was in school. I know I need to learn the language, and I am trying, but it's so hard. I'm slowly learning the alphabet (I can read a train timetable now, almost), but the next challenge will be knowing what is I've just read! I also need to learn some key phrases so that I can have conversations with taxi drivers. It was one of my joys back in Aber, taking a taxi and having a chat with the driver, I loved it! Here, they do try chatting with me, but there's very little understanding! I can, however, write my name in Hangul (Korean alphabet) - if you don't have Asian scripts installed on your computer, you won't be able to see it, but here is my attempt: 제니. Pretty nifty if you ask me!

One last comment for today, and I'll try to get a photo soon as an example of this: there is a culture amongst young Korean couples to wear matching accessories and clothes. Sometimes it's a simple as matching bracelets, or matching phone charms, but it goes as far as matching t-shirts (different shapes for male and female) and, although I haven't seen it yet, apparently it goes all the way to complete matching outfits. Eek! How bad does that seem?! The matching t-shirts are really common, I see it all the time, but it just seems a big...sickly sweet to me! Anyway, as I say, I'm on a mission to get a photo of said phenomenon, so as soon as I do, it'll be up.

Off to Daegu this evening, to have dinner with a friend, and hopefully buy a cellpone (finally!), and off to Daegu again tomorrow to have dinner with another friend! See what I can do when I can actually walk! And Saturday, I fly off to Shanghai! Happy days. That is, as long as my visa comes in time...my passport probably won't be back until Friday. But it's ok, we Gordons are known for getting our visas last minute, so all will be grand! I'm leaving for the airport at 2am, should be interesting!

Right then petals, I'm done for today. I'll try and write again before I leave for Shanghai, but if not, next time I should have lots of new adventures to write about! Ta ta!