Taekwando

Today we enrolled Michaela in a new dojo to learn taekwando. We got the lead from another expat who is in my language class and has two boys, one of whom is Michaela's age and will be in 1st grade with her at YISS. This dojo is amazing. It is huge and super active. Michaela will be in classes 5 days a week with one day a week dedicated to just physical conditioning. She was a little tentative when we first went in because she was afraid the instructors would be barking out commands only in Korean. They speak broken english (a.k.a. kenglish), but all of the kids seemed to be getting the point and following directions. By the end of our time there, she was already beginning to settle in and started playing with her new friends. It was so comforting to see her settle in so nicely and quickly in a martial arts dojo. As she says, "this is my thing."

I am like a new kid addicted to a drug and that drug is reading Korean. I know now enough to be slightly dangerous and was reading subway and random signs around town. My family started throwing Korean flyers at me telling me that I should read them because it would give me practice. I told them in about 4 months they'll be stuck to me like glue because I'll be able to read and write enough Korean to be dangerous and at least get us around the city with cab drivers who don't speak English and figure out all those awesome bus routes posted on the signs that are in Korean only.

As I was trying to figure out a subway station in Korean today, two Korean ladies, about my age, saw me working the hanguel syllables and they started laughing. I turned to them and told them I'm trying to learn to read and speak your language. They kept smiling and laughing. That is the essence of Korea, no matter how hard you try and even if you become fluent in the language, eat the foods, and really care about the future of the country you will always be viewed by most as an outsider. This is a good lesson for me to take moving forward in life. I know I will certainly be more sensitive to legitimate foreigners coming to the US and trying very hard to fit in with the new environment they find themselves in. I do not  blame Koreans for being suspicious and viewing us westerners as outsiders. This is one of the most homogeneous populations on the planet earth and these poor people have been conquered almost constantly for a thousand years. I think I'd be tentative with foreigners too. Anyway, I'm not daunted. I'm like a kindergarten kid who has just learned some basic phonics rules and can now read a bit of my surroundings. I certainly have a keen appreciation for the sense of satisfaction and frustrations Michaela is experiencing as she learns to read.

Peace,
스테파니