It's been a great week here in Goheung. We've been feeling more and more at home and settled, between the people we know and the places we frequent. This week in particular was extra home-y, as we participated in the community more than we have previously.
First, last Saturday I made a home-cooked Korean meal for our fellow expats. As full-time workers, they've had significantly less time to play with the cuisine and explore the city, and I feel a bit like the resident housewife for all of us. So I introduced everyone to the fortress park up by the temple where we enjoyed 비빔국수 (mixed noodles), persimmons, grapes, and barley water. Barley water is often served in place of plain water here in both restaurants and homes. It is made by boiling barley bags with water and chilling it to room temperature. It is supposed to be more hydrating than water (somehow) and has a bit of a grain-y flavor that appeals those whose diet is mostly based on rice. It was a fun project for me to cook for everyone, and gave me a lot of satisfaction to see everyone enjoying the food. In addition it was a nice way to sit around and get to know the newest member of the community, Neng, who is a recently arrived ESL teacher. Here's a picture, after we'd polished off most of the meal.
Then Wednesday, Jamie's co-workers at Podu middle school (not the school he was teaching at that day) came to pick him up early. They planned an excursion and spent the next three hours on a long, winding, a beautiful hike. Tired and hungry, they then went out to eat downtown Goheung, which was good new for Jamie, as usually he would've had to take the bus home. While the whole adventure tired him, it has become increasingly clear that the work culture in Korea requires a certain friendship between co-workers, built on shared experiences. Days like this help him bond and be seen as one of the team at Podu middle school. This is particularly important as it is his main school, the one that signed his contract, and the one we'll need on our side if we want to stay another year. Below are the pictures Jamie sent me of the trek.
Last but not least (for this week at least) I had the opportunity to accompany a friend of mine to see her son's school recital. He is in the local elementary school and as such, I ran into many other parents and neighbors that I've grown to know well. Many of which were thrilled to show off their kid's part in the performances, which took up about three hours in total. There were dances, songs, the band played, and theater performances. It was fun as well to see the numbers that my friends, other expat teachers, had helped put together for their students. One was entirely in Chinese, thanks to Yu Jou, a Chinese foreigner we often go bowling with. It was a lot of fun to support everyone, the kids, friends, and parents alike and I feel like it helped me present myself as part of the community. Aren't they cute?!
Relationships are incredibly important to social culture here, and these kinds of activities help people see past our poor Korean skills, western faces, and awkward behavior. Instead recognizing us as part of the network of people that make up Goheung. It is extra important in a place like this one, a rural, smaller city, to put effort into these relationships, since we don't have the benefit of getting lost in the crowd. In general, the language and behavior all revolves around preserving the social hierarchy and prioritizing loyalty. These guidelines make it extra exciting when you not only successfully establish yourself in a network, but follow the social expectations well enough to be part of local's perceived community.
We will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week with a party, co-hosted by my two closest friends (Koreans), and myself for the other foreigners in town, Americans and otherwise. We won't have a turkey, but we will certainly enjoy the company. Pictures to come!
-K
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