waterbird12

PS, you watched Werewolf Boy? For the first time?? How was it???

Aw, thanks :) I agree. I think it should be ok to be yourself, even if your culture’s ideal personality doesn’t overlap so much with yours. In Japanese, they have pretty clear cut ideas of what is a “good personality” and what is a “bad personality” (like, literally, that’s how they talk about it). That kind of shocked me at first, cause who goes around telling people they have a good or bad personality, right? That individualistic part of Western culture, I feel, looks at it more like individual traits are positive or negative, and you can “fix” a “problem” (like selfishness, for example) without obscuring who you are. But then, even if we don’t talk about it like that, I think some Americans still kinda think like that.

Like, Americans are pretty obsessed with confidence. You have to be confident to find a boyfriend, to get hired, to be a good person…not that there’s anything wrong with confidence, but people express it in different ways and I personally think some Americans get hung up on outward displays of it. So in that sense, I think we’re almost as bad.
I didn’t even start questioning this until last year; I’d always felt guilty that I couldn’t be as outgoing as people wanted me to be, never even crossed my mind that it might be a cultural preference instead of a right or wrong. (The ironic thing is, even though it horrified me at first to think of classifying entire personalities as “good” or “bad”, my personality is much closer to the ideal in Japan than in America xD)

What’s your opinion on that? I’m curious if you’ve noticed any personality traits that are glorified, either at home or abroad, and how you think of it.

Yeah, that’s the picture I’ve been getting of SM. The way you (appropriately) describe the situation, it sounds like a microcosm of Western society; unless you’re Amish or rich enough to afford fair trade, you pretty much have the same sort of dilemma just breathing. I don’t know all the members really, but he seems to have a great personality :) I really like people with good personalities. What makes him your ideal?

It’s ok! You don’t have to feel bad :) It is that most-stressful-time of the year, huh?
Well, I’m not a homeroom teacher, and also since I’m foreign//can’t speak Korean I’m not as close to them as some of their teachers. I’ve really tried to build relationships with them, though, because that really helps to bridge some of the language//culture gap, and building cross-cultural personal relationships is kind of the whole point of our program :) I’ve done exchange journals with them every week, and try to talk with them in the hallways between classes. I really love them all~! Even the troublemakers. Next semester I’ll have to start over with a batch of newly minted 2nd years, but I’m excited to apply some of the things I figured out this semester, and if I can renew for my second year at this school, I’ll get to have the same kids all the way through! That would be ideal. There are some rumors going around that our province is cutting the native teacher budget for secondary, so I may have to move T.T

Miyeok guk is my favorite Korean food. I grew up thinking seaweed was weird and gross (I mean, even the name in English just sounds wrong) but Americans are really missing out.
Thanks for the article :)

Gah, I know!!~!!

Yeah, I've had that happen before, but usually it was because I was attracted to something other than just their face, and all it takes to remember why is that.

Yeah! I made an advent calendar and wreath today. Super excited~tomorrow is December!!

Well, to each her own...I have a narrower zone of what I find attractive compared to some of my friends, but I don't think you're blind. In other words, a lot of times I'm not particularly attracted to someone//something, but I can at least acknowledge the person (or interior decor, for that matter)'s general appeal and understand why other people are attracted to them. It's a little weird though when I don't even see that much.

Oh wow! That's intense! That sounds like an allergy to the serum. I hope he feels better very soon.

Thank you! I'm staying very warm with Christmas carols and crafts in class today ^_^

Yeah, he's pretty average to me to. But supposedly he's "cute like a kitten" with a "sexy aura". Idek. Hoya is cuter, but I think I mostly liked his personality in the drama.

Aw, poor puppy :/ Shots are no fun, no matter who you are.

Well, if you were with your grandparents, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Idk, I used to get homesick at my Grandma's when I was a kid.

Is your dog ok, or was it just a routine check up thing?

Ugh, rejection letters are the worst, aren't they? but at least they provide closure. I fb'd you the blog link, btw.

Aw, thanks! I'm hanging in there. I had a particularly lovely weekend with lots of bonding, so that has helped enormously. You know, I was more homesick at the two week summer camp I did in high school and the one semester in college when I didn't come home at all then I ever got in Japan, so go figure. You'd might do fine on an extended trip once the initial adjustment was over. But yeah, thanks for the empathy!

Yoo Jung is the best friend with all the cute headbands.
And wow...I did not realize that guy was in Infinite until just now...he was so sweet! But anyway, the guy who plays YYJ, do you find him attractive? I don't think he's ugly or anything, but kind of average? But most girls here think he's amazingly handsome, and I don't get it.

Yeah, they did >.< They're teenagers, though. Some of them are obsessed with male flesh, some of them are obsessed with fried chicken. It keeps my powerpoints interesting ;)
I just told them I didn't remember, because that was the truth :P I had already told them we dated for 3 years, but they all yelled >.<

Most adults wouldn't ask that, though they might ask pretty personal questions about relationships. And since students spend 14 hours a day at school, their homeroom teachers play a mentor//2nd parent type role, much more intimate than it gets in the US, so that doesn't surprise me.

Ah, that makes sense about the tones, but I definitely know some Chinese girls who barely speak above a whisper.
Aw, that is awesome! Steadfast relationships are something the world could use more of. What were some of the other points about the culture that you felt fit you really well?

Uh, Cassi is the fan name for DBSK though, right? And my host mom hates anything and everything to do with SME. Does JYJ have a different fan club? But yes xD she is the biggest fan, and we just got another poster of Yoochun yesterday.

Yay!! Let me know when you start it//what you think :) And I will definitely keep you updated with recs!

Oh, good analogy with the songs! And yeah, I have too many homes now, I'll never stop being homesick for somewhere T.T

Ahah, I don't know about brave. I've been putting a lot of effort into being outgoing and dynamic in the classroom, and several students have written really cute things in their journals like, it's ok if you're shy and nervous. And a third grader told me last week that she thought all Americans were extroverts and that she was shocked to meet a shy American (me). And one of the ahjummas at church told me I have "the voice of a mosquito". So really, it's more of a fake it til I (don't) make it, but I really love job ^_^ And I'm not nervous anymore (at least til February when I get all new kids again).

My Dad's b-day present *finally* arrived the same time as your package (his b-day was in September ><), and it was the first time I'd talked to him since it got there. And my mom told me after he left for work that when she asked him what he wanted for his birthday, if money was no object, he said a plane ticket to Korea *O.O* And my heart just stopped, because I wish so badly I could bring both of them, but because of his job and also he doesn't like traveling, I didn't feel /quite/ so bad just inviting mom. But now...maybe he can come next year, one more thing to look forward too.

But basically, I know I've talked about the trip A LOT recently, but my mom and I are so excited!! Two weeks, just us :D I haven't gotten to spend a solid two weeks with my mom since...2? 3? years ago. So, huge blessing!
And I started getting homesick this week at the predictable 3 month marker...perfect timing to get wonderful letters from lovely people like you, and to remember I'll be hugging my mom in less than three more months :)

Aww, thanks for the encouragement about the interview :) It is all ok. I almost hate the knowing-I-failed-again-at-something part moreso than the not getting the position part, which is pretty dumb, but then my friend posted this *awesome* blog post about failure last night...I'll message it to you if I remember!...so I felt better.

Yeah :) It'd been almost two weeks since I talked to my family because I was gone all last weekend. My sister was in a ballet, and sang at her voice concert, and is getting ready for a whole bunch of other things coming up.

But that's (who was getting the girl or not) not even the part that had me frustrated! I really, really, wanna know why YYJ was randomly in the hospital in like episode 5 or something. They didn't explain at all, he was just there! Anyway. Did you find Yoo Jung annoying? Or is that just me? And I couldn't stand the loudmouth friend whose name I already forgot, and Jun Hee is the biggest sweet heart ever <3 <3 <3 He was totally my favorite, except for maybe the Mom.

Yeah...if that's ok, it might be better to wait til Sunday. Thanks! Ooh, pre-planning, so efficient, I like it ;) Um, I'm good with Heirs if you don't mind rewatching it. The new Reply is also ay-ok with me! Is either of them on youtube? Maybe not cause they're still airing?

Oh my! 6-8 hours on the contact section? Cause you were writing the html, or what? Wow! Dedication~! ;D

I will add something to it, hopefully this weekend! I still haven't edited my Heartstrings rough draft, so no rush xD How many more MV reviews did you do?

Yes, Yoochun is the main lead. I had no idea who he was until watching it, actually. My host mom is the hugest fan of Yoochun (and JYJ in general). She calls Yoochun her boyfriend xD She’s seen Sungkyunkwan 6 times, and it’s her favorite drama. I got really sick about a month after I got to my placement, so she bought the dvd box set with English subtitles so we could watch it together when all I could do was lay about be pathetic. And it was then, miserably sick and falling asleep on the sofa to the sound of Song Joong Ki’s voice, that I fell in love *^_^* (I’m in love with his voice, btw, not actually him). You should watch it :D It’s pretty awesome. So many shenanigans but not frustrating ones!

Ah, that makes sense. I couldn’t get myself to watch K-dramas til I started studying Korean. I wasn’t as interested for one, plus I felt like I was cheating on Japanese :/ I still feel like that sometimes, but now that’s it’s officially an open relationship, I feel less guilty. Or maybe, it’s the “time heals all wounds thing”, but in either case, it means I get to enjoy all the romcoms I was holding myself back from! ;)

Is Fab Boys a Tdrama? Ugh! I hate that about dramas! Esp kdramas seem guilty of dragging it out, but Tdramas have even /longer/ episodes, right? I don’t think my attention span is cut out for that. But you finished?? xD ?? Time to start Sungkyunkwan! ;D

Aw, thanks! I enjoy hearing all your thoughts about life, too ^_^
Oh, I guess I didn’t tell you! We just had six weeks of orientation, so I’ve been teaching since mid-August. We have finals in 3 weeks!! I can’t believe this semester has gone by so fast! I’m working at a girl’s high school in a “small town” (really, it’s big, they just think it’s small, and it kind of has a small town feel cause the surrounds is pretty rural) in Chungnam province (slightly south of Seoul on the west coast).

Ah, Gyeonggi-do is basically like the suburbs of Seoul. Busan…is kind of the exact opposite, culturally and geographically! But they are both pretty urban. No, I wouldn’t mind at all :) It would be good practice for me, anyway, and I’m gonna have a lot of time the week after next, cause we just have study hall the week before finals.

And yes! Japanese people can get really loud when they are really drunk, but some Koreans don’t need any alcohol, they’re always loud. And of course there are plenty of shy and tactful people, I’m not trying to exaggerate or overgeneralize, it’s just that brutal honesty is completely ok in a lot of situations where I’m not used to it being ok, so I guess it just stands out to me all the more. Like students asking me on the first day of class how many times I’d kissed my boyfriend before, or my host dad telling me at breakfast I had better diet. On the flipside, I get the feeling that people around me are really living to the fullest, expressing themselves, enjoying their happy moments, not covering up their angry or sad feelings. It’s really impressive to be around, and makes me want to be more honest too. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing, just…I don’t know how to respond.

Chinese culture is kinda like that too, right? I mean, depending on the part of China, but people are loud and don’t stand in neat lines, and say what they think, right? From all the Chinese people I know, I know a whole lot of shy and sophisticated ones, but overall, that’s the impression I get.