Tribe of Stinson – Living In South Korea

Korea Head Start

This is a program that is run through Pyeongtaek University.  Every Soldier that is stationed here is required to take the 3 day long program.  Spouses and others are allowed to join on a space available basis.  It covers learning the Korean alphabet,  history of the Korean war and culture lessons.  The main reason I wanted to attend was the trip to the Korean Folk Village on the last day. 

The program is free and the Army buses you from the CAC building to the university.  To go, just sign up through your soldiers unit.

We all went to school inside this rather grey looking building.  I have driven by the university many times but had no idea what it was really like.

As I filed off the bus and inside the building I realized how nice it was.  Many places are like that here in Korea.  They are dirty or unappealing on the outside but the interior is pleasant.

I noticed that many of the Soldiers were grumpy about being there.  It was just one more thing they had to do.  I suppose when you are being compelled to do something it is not as much fun.

But when we all went in to the lecture hall they got a better attitude.  It was nice, air-conditioned and the school provided refreshments.  It was not the typical Army experience with 50 year old, broken down buildings.  We did not have to “suck it up and drive on”.  That is a beloved, yet much despised Army saying.  (Despised by me!)

I thought that the lectures were well put together.  The video on the Korean War was fascinating too.  As a little time went on, the dissenters attitude adjusted.  Nobody fell asleep,  and everyone paid attention.  It was very mentally stimulating.  Everybody sat up and asked questions.  It was really well done the entire 3 days.

Every day the Soldier/students were provided a free Korean lunch.  We all walked on over.

The first day they served us bulgogi.  I think that bulgogi is an easy dish to like, but you should have seen the repulsion on the faces of some of these people.  Young,”corn fed”, fresh out of the mid-west, boys had to wrestle with chopsticks for the first time ever.  I am jaded and I felt contempt for their lack of willingness to try new foods.

I gave chopsticks lessons and explained many of the side dishes (banchan) in hopes that they would be flexible.  Some of them started to treat me like a mom.  I guess I am old enough to be a mom to many of the people who were there.  I have mixed emotions about that.

Some guys just snarked up the food and thought it was delicious,  they were my new best friends.

I guess I sound kind of snooty about the food thing.

Sorry.

Most of our time was spent learning the Korean alphabet and basic phrases. 

 It is possible to learn the alphabet in this short period of time.  It is possible to be able to learn to read short words in this short period of time.

 Understanding what your reading?   Not possible. 

I hope that by the time I leave here that I will be able to order food in a restaurant easily, without pointing and grunting at a picture.  Being illiterate and not knowing the language sucks.  It gives me a good understanding of how immigrants to America feel.

Day three, after finishing up our lessons about the Korean war, which was a two part video, we were all shuttled off to a local Lotte mart where everyone could shop.  I was like;  this is no big deal because I shop there all the time.  But I have got to remember that for folks just coming in to the country it is an interesting experience.  The grocery store there is a lesson in Korean culture in itself because it is so different than anything stateside.  Afterwords the Soldiers stood around asking each other what they had bought.  It was fun.  Kind of like being at summer camp and visiting a tourist trap souvenir shop. 

 ”Hey, what did you get?”

Our lunch that day was even better than the first two days.  The place is on the top floor of Lotte Mart.  This Lotte Mart is not the one that is close to post.  It is about 20 minutes on the other side of town.  But it has a great place to eat.

I don’t want to tell too much about it yet because it deserves a post all of it’s own.  But what I thought was funny were the”corn fed” boys passing up all the fabulous Asian food for crummy french fries and inferior spaghetti. Koreans screw up fries and spaghetti, but they don’t often mess up Japanese or Korean food. 

So skip inferior familiar food and go for what looks good.  That is my motto.

More snootiness.

I didn’t have to be “Chopstick Mom”,  My dining companions were a half Japanese/ Hawaiian  Warrant Officer,  a cute Chinese 30 year old who looked 20  (She is actually a Chinese national enlisted in our Army!),  and a Korean university student.  we all loved the food and had no problems with chopsticks whatsoever.

Here is some of the good stuff.  All you can eat sushi,  stir fried octopus, Chinese greens and teokbokki!

 We never did get to go to the Korean Folk Village.  It was raining and the whole Folk Village is outside.  I was terribly disappointed that we did not get to go, as it was the whole reason I had been interested in attending Korea Head Start.  But I do not regret being there.  I got to get away from my normal life of taking care of my house for 3 days.  I got to see what life is like for my husband , who is around soldiers every day he is at work.  I got to think about something other than what to make for dinner, or how much laundry there is to do. 

I really enjoyed being with the Soldiers.  Despite some of their food aversions,   I found them to be bright and smart and funny.  It was really good to be in their world,  learning new things.

I think that maybe after the kids are raised that this is what life might be like.  I don’t think I’ll be happy to see them go, but I do think it will be fun to go back to school and then run my business/farm.  It made me hungry to see what’s around the bend.  As far as being old enough to be some of those “corn fed” boys’ mom?  Yeah that part kind of hurts.  But at least I’m not scared of Korean food!

What better way to get to know a new culture than through language, food and history lessons?  I’m glad I went.

Tags: Korea head start program