From Crossakiel to Deungchon-dong: life as an English teacher in one of Korea's biggest schools

Integrating into Korean society, as a westerner, is a tentative process. However, I believe it is useful and important to embrace the host country's cultural aspects, enabling a greater understanding of how Korean society functions. Seoul is an exciting and confusing city intermingled with a minority of westerners from around the English-speaking world. I have lived here for eight months and it continues to be a learning process, but such is the journey of life. When I first arrived in Korea, I was relaxed and calm, albeit a little nervous. I had researched a small amount, but you can never really understand or feel the essence of a place without first-hand experience. My background is in art, and I graduated in April 2010 with a masters in visual arts practices, from Dun Laoghaire College of Art, Design and Technology. My art practice and research fed into areas of Asian philosophies and culture, so traveling to Asia was paramount in contextualising my practice. I am also interested in teaching, so applying to teach English was the natural step to take. I felt it would be a great opportunity to gain solid teaching experience and observe and contrast cultural differences between our two countries. After an intense week at orientation provided by EPIK (English Program in Korea), each teacher was assigned to their respective schools. Two teachers from my school met me off the bus and drove me to my new home, comprised of one room and a separate bathroom. The area, or 'dong' where I live, is called Deungchon-dong. It is situated south of the Han River, and is predominantly residential. The inhabitants of this area speak little English; therefore, as an English speaker with no Korean, it was, and is, something of a struggle. I am now at a stage where I can read the language but do not understand it, and I have also learned some essential phrases to help me when I'm out and about. I teach English at Jeong-Mok Elementary School, Seoul. It is the second largest elementary school in Seoul, comprising of 3,000 students. The teachers at my school welcomed me courteously and respectfully when I first started, and continue to do so, an attribute that is intrinsically embedded in their character. Every day, I am greeted by students and teachers in the traditional Korean manner of bowing, which I reciprocate and respond in what means 'hello', pronounced in English as 'an nyoung ha seh yo'. The school is a hub of activity, and children run furiously about the corridors. They sweep and mop every morning, they are busy cleaning the teacher's desks and hoovering the floors every other day. This is definitely not a sight you would see in Ireland. The students study very hard in Korea and strive to be the very best academically. There is a lot of pressure from a very young age to excel, even to the extent of extracting extra activities in favour of after-school academies and study. A phrase, in English pronounced 'bali bali', that means 'quickly quickly', is the essence that embodies the city of Seoul and its inhabitants. Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world, and the Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 24.5 million inhabitants. The streets are bumper to bumper, packed with markets of food, clothes, cafés, galleries and people. Everyone moves hurriedly about their business and I can't help but adopt a fast pace in this city - it feels expected. The Seoul subway is the best way to get around the city. It is modern, reliable, efficient and accessible to use. The subway comprises both English and Korean information so, in my experience, traveling around Seoul is mostly easy. The subways are always clean and quiet which amazes me considering the amount of people that live here. However, the traffic is a bit indisciplined, there doesn't seem to be any laws regulating any sort of traffic order. Also cars and motorbikes drive and park on the footpaths, so one must be vigilant at all times. The food in Korea is spicy, tasty and cheap. It is cheaper to eat out than buy food and cook. A typical dining out experience will set you back, at most, 10,000 won - which is equivalent to €6. There are many different culinary delights to be experienced. My favourites include Galbi (Korean BBQ), which is always accompanied with many side dishes, including kimchi. Koreans eat kimchi with all their meals; it is a fermented dish, mainly made with cabbage or radish. Other popular dishes include bibimpap (a rice and vegetable dish), mandu (stuffed dumplings), japchae (noodles made out of sweet potato with vegetables) and bulgogi, which is typically marinated barbecued beef. My experience of the people in Korea has been generally positive. Korean people go out of their way to help. They are always smiling and everything is a pleasure - except for maybe the ajummas (older Korean woman), they are truly a force to be reckoned with. They will push and shove you out of the way on the subways and not even blink an eye. Elders are respected in Korean society (which I admire), but sometimes it is evident that they take liberties with their position. Ultimately, I feel very lucky to be in Seoul and placed in a school with such wonderful people. The teachers in Jeong-Mok School have gone out of their way to help and include me, especially my co-teacher, Soyoung Lee. She has made my teaching experience pleasurable and memorable. I have learned a lot from her in the classroom and about Korean history and culture. She invited me to eat with her family on Christmas Eve. An array of traditional Korean food was spread on a low table, and in true traditional Korean style, we sat on the floor and enjoyed a beautiful meal prepared by Soyoung's mother. Not alone have a met a great mentor, I have made a great friend. I plan to stay in Seoul for another year after my contract ends in August 2011.