Experiencing Korean Family Life

One of the really unique aspects of my time in Korea is my home stay. Living with a Korean family gives me a greater understanding of Korean culture and my students. Like in America though Korean families are not all alike. This weekend I had a lot of fun getting to know two different Korean families a lot better.

On Friday I had the chance to eat dinner with my co-teacher, Soo Jin's family. Soo Jin has been such a close friend during my time in Hwacheon and I was so eager to meet her family. Soo Jin's oldest daughter is in second grade at our elementary school and I play with her daily but I had never met Soo Jin's husband or younger daughter. Soo Jin decided to take Amy, the other English teacher, and I to a buffet restaurant, which is pretty upscale and ritzy in Korea, unlike in America. The buffet was an interesting blend of Korean and American cuisine. For example, there was pizza but it was sweet potato pizza. The food was delicious though and it was great to be able to see a different Korean family. Soo Jin is much more relaxed with her daughters than my family is with her students. Soo Jin and her husband spoke candidly about how they disliked the intensity of the Korean education system and are afraid for their two daughters. They do not want to have to force their daughters to study like so many parents do. Sadly, I fear that they will have to be just as strict with their daughters if they want their daughters to have the same opportunities as they have. Education is the key to success in Korea to a much greater extent than in America. Therefore, if you do not push your children to the extremes you actually are doing them a disservice. I think this is why the problems with the education system are so hard to fix- they are very systemic and can't really be changed by individuals refusing to participate in the competitive education system. Luckily, the girls are still young enough where this isn't too big a worry yet. It was very fun and refreshing to be around the young girls. They ran around like crazy, ate off everyone's plates and did plenty of silly things to make the four of us laugh. The girls were also very excited to have Amy and I eat with them. Hwan Hi, the younger daughter, even memorized a speech in English thanking Amy and I for coming. We couldn't really understand her speech but it was still precious. I really, really enjoyed my time with Soo Jin and her family and am so excited for my Chuncheon tour with them in December.

Amy and I with Hwan Hi (left) and So Hi. 

My co-teacher, Soo Jin

Amy and I with Soo Jin's family

All of us but So Hi

On Saturday I headed to Seoul to teach English to North Korean Defectors. As always it was extremely fun and rewarding. Afterwards, I had my second extended interaction with a different Korean family. My Korean-American friend has an aunt in Seoul who invited the two of us to stay at her apartment. Rachel's aunt lives with her husband and daughter in Gangnam, which is an extremely wealthy neighborhood in Seoul. Therefore, this family was very different than my home stay family and Soo Jin's family. Rachel's cousin, Min Young, is actually enrolled at SUNY Fredonia, but is currently taking classes at their Korean campus. She will go to America in January and complete the last 3 and 1/2 years of college at SUNY Fredonia. Being able to be enrolled in this program is extremely prestigious and shows the emphasis Min Young's parents put on education but it also reveals the opportunities that are available to students in Seoul. My sister would never be qualified for this program simply because she comes from the countryside. I actually had a milkshake and fries with my sister tonight and talked about how disadvantaged students from the countryside are when applying  to University. Rachel's family was so hospitable though and were so generous to open up their home to me. When we first arrived on Saturday night the mother quickly prepared smoothies for us and we all sat in the living room and talked. Neither of Min Young's parents speak English so Rachel and Min Young both did some translating to help the conversation flow. While speaking with her family I was consistently humored by some of the questions I received. I always forget how little diversity Koreans are exposed to and how even the most educated Koreans can have severe misconceptions due to a lack of exposure to people different than them. For example, the mom and Min Young very seriously asked me if white people's hair turns gray or if it just turns black as they age. They explained that Asian hair goes from black to white as they age so they believe white people's hair does the opposite. Min Young also firmly believes that studying in America will physically cause her face to change and become more Western despite Rachel and I explaining that your location in the world can't cause your bones to suddenly shift. This is not to say that all of their questions were so humorous though. Her family was very accomplished, generous and kind-hearted. They showed me a great time on Sunday by taking me to the 1988 Olympic Park across the street from their apartment complex. The family's apartment complex was actually built to house athletes during the games.

The Olympic Flame

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to interact with such diverse families this weekend. All three families live in very different areas and therefore embody very different aspects of Korean culture and yet there are similarities amongst the families. The biggest similarity probably has to be each family's desire to take care of me (or any guest) and really make them feel comfortable. This is mainly shown through the families feeding my excessively but you can also feel their concern in the questions they ask and their strong desire to show you what they consider the best parts of Korea and Korean culture. The number of Koreans who have opened their hearts, homes and lives to me has been amazing and really helps me feel at home in Korea.