Musing Morsels

Sugar: the insidious, deathly ingredient that finds its way into all our food: every condiment, every drink, every supposedly benign carb... I'm beginning to think Salt is Korea's Sugar. It is in every condiment, laced with every meat (a Big Mac gives you 66% of daily sodium, but Korean meat still tastes saltier...), sprinkled on many carbs ala pretzels, and to top it off, Korean dining tables often have little salt-dipping squares (faster and more generous delivery than a shaker, note).



^The bottom middle dish is more or less pure salt.

Some noted acts of kindness: as I began to commute home, I noted heavy rain. I asked my principle where I could buy an umbrella. He told me to take his own, and pre-emptively refused to take it back. I lent ten cents to a student (not one of my own) to buy a snack; 3 days later he comes to my classroom to personally return the "debt." I hand a student a grade of 0-with-redo-potential on account of plagiarism; when he returns to his table, some friends snicker at him. After class, one of the friends inexplicably approaches my desk and assures me the laughter was not directed at my punishment, only at the slacker's plight (!)  I noticed my favorite drinks and snacks becoming more frequent at the faculty lounge; my mentor later told me that the admin noted my favorites and adjusted their purchases accordingly (!)

After school lunch, Korean students brush their teeth in the bathroom; it's a large social event. A reflection of their organization, sense of responsibility, and the boarding school feel of Hangaram.

Korean students and teachers wear sneakers and loafers on their commute, but when they arrive at school, they all switch to slippers and flip flops, storing their commute shoes in massive closets by the front door. This accords with the practice of taking off shoes before entering a home.

                                            ^ Students, complete with shoes.

When material conditions of a society change faster than appropriate attitudes, there is always some tragedy, major or minor. The parents of my students grew up in the aftermath of devastating wars; it was demanded that they study and professionalize themselves ASAP for the sake of security. Even though that world no longer exists, my students receive the same message, hence their 12 hour school days and absence of "a life," as a U.S. peer would undoubtedly jeer.

But here's the worst part: students are given practically zero time to pursue their own interests, and this goes beyond extracurriculars: I'm talking things we take for granted as inalienable rights, like web surfing one's favorite topics a few minutes a day, basic social media, seeing a movie every couple of weeks... Students study during the summers such that they have no time for internships, camps or travel abroad. This is all to enter a prestigious college. Ironically, the tragedy of all this prep strikes hardest when they enter college: from day one, they must commit to a professional track, and it is extremely difficult and frowned upon to switch from that track for any reason. Now, unless their vocational passion is 1) purely academic and 2) covered by their narrow high school curriculum, I have no idea what experience prepares those students to choose. This all corresponds to the prevalent practice of young people following the career path of their parents (even more security!). But even in undesired jobs, God knows the kids will work hard: 18 years of engrained ethos is enough momentum to last a short lifetime.        

Thanks for reading!