Brian, that Dave's thread is pure gold. And I can relate to it. As you know, public (or in my case private-public) schools are but a milder version of the same cultural weirdness. Plus we get to witness the corporal discipline that would be considered child abuse in the West; the shouting at maximum volume over loudspeakers in the faculty office; etc. I too have never had the privilege of serving in the ROK Army; but I think I now have a pretty good idea what parts of it are like.
On top of all that, teaching is one of the very few jobs women are allowed to keep after having the obligatory one child. So save for the odd vacation encounter on tropical beaches, schools are pretty much the only place where foreigners can meet 30-something Korean women.
1 comment:
Brian, that Dave's thread is pure gold. And I can relate to it. As you know, public (or in my case private-public) schools are but a milder version of the same cultural weirdness. Plus we get to witness the corporal discipline that would be considered child abuse in the West; the shouting at maximum volume over loudspeakers in the faculty office; etc. I too have never had the privilege of serving in the ROK Army; but I think I now have a pretty good idea what parts of it are like.
On top of all that, teaching is one of the very few jobs women are allowed to keep after having the obligatory one child. So save for the odd vacation encounter on tropical beaches, schools are pretty much the only place where foreigners can meet 30-something Korean women.
Post a Comment