Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Some Interesting Things We've Found
I know that I've e-mailed some of you with these interesting little tidbits, but wanted to post them so that everyone can see some of the different things we've found out about Korea:
1. We have sen red Nazi swastika hung from many buildings around our neighbourhood. Because we were a little concerned about a possible Neo-Nazi presence in Osan, we asked what the signs were about and found out that they're actually the symbol for Buddhism over here. Huge sigh of relief on that one!
2. The number 4 here means death...for that reason, our building has renamed our fourth floor, Floor F.
3. In Korea, if you write a student's name in red it means you wish they would die (!!). HUGE faux pas the other day when I (Becky) started writing a student's name on the board with my red marker, thinking nothing of it, just wanting to make sure I had the correct spelling. Halfway through I realized what I was doing, grabbed my eraser, and rewrote it in black. Sam just informed me that the other day he wrote ALL of his student's names on the board in red. He realized it right them, but figured the scare might calm them down and make them listen...so mean!!
4. We've noticed that most teenage dating couples here match their clothes to one another. One of the best ones we've seen - both were wearing the same pink and white stripped polo, jean shorts, and matching socks and shoes. Kinda cute, but Sam and I are definitely not going to start doing that!
5. We've been warned that most of the soaps and creams here come with an added bleaching element. We think we know what happened to Michael Jackson...
6. We had to get some pictures taken to hang in the school, and I was slightly stressed by it because I always kinda freeze when I'm getting my picture taken and then I look dazed. Anyways, supposedly every picture that you have taken here is airbrushed before it's returned to you. Saralyn (one of the other teachers at our school) had to get a passport picture taken recently. We all know how bad passport pictures turn out right? She went in with no makeup and messy hair, but when she got the pictures back they were perfect - perfect skin, great makeup, and good hair. Is that legal?
And there you have it...some of the things that have made us laugh!
1. We have sen red Nazi swastika hung from many buildings around our neighbourhood. Because we were a little concerned about a possible Neo-Nazi presence in Osan, we asked what the signs were about and found out that they're actually the symbol for Buddhism over here. Huge sigh of relief on that one!
2. The number 4 here means death...for that reason, our building has renamed our fourth floor, Floor F.
3. In Korea, if you write a student's name in red it means you wish they would die (!!). HUGE faux pas the other day when I (Becky) started writing a student's name on the board with my red marker, thinking nothing of it, just wanting to make sure I had the correct spelling. Halfway through I realized what I was doing, grabbed my eraser, and rewrote it in black. Sam just informed me that the other day he wrote ALL of his student's names on the board in red. He realized it right them, but figured the scare might calm them down and make them listen...so mean!!
4. We've noticed that most teenage dating couples here match their clothes to one another. One of the best ones we've seen - both were wearing the same pink and white stripped polo, jean shorts, and matching socks and shoes. Kinda cute, but Sam and I are definitely not going to start doing that!
5. We've been warned that most of the soaps and creams here come with an added bleaching element. We think we know what happened to Michael Jackson...
6. We had to get some pictures taken to hang in the school, and I was slightly stressed by it because I always kinda freeze when I'm getting my picture taken and then I look dazed. Anyways, supposedly every picture that you have taken here is airbrushed before it's returned to you. Saralyn (one of the other teachers at our school) had to get a passport picture taken recently. We all know how bad passport pictures turn out right? She went in with no makeup and messy hair, but when she got the pictures back they were perfect - perfect skin, great makeup, and good hair. Is that legal?
And there you have it...some of the things that have made us laugh!
# posted by Becky @ 12:28 PM 
