Korean Ajumas

Ajuma is a Korean word that translates to married woman, but is used to describe older women from age 50 upwards. Despite their sweet looks, ajumas are a force to be reconned with and they absolutely continue to surprise me...not in a positive way! I've been meaning to write about the ajumas for awhile. They are all over the place, and one of the first things you notice when you move here.

The weird thing about the ajumas (from a western point of view of course) is that they all look the same. I don't mean this in an i-can't-tell-asians-apart kind of way, but they literally all look the same. They all seem to be about the same size and shape, they wear glasses, and they all have the exact same hair. I had to ask one of my friends if Korean womens' hair turns curly at 45, but apparently they just all have perms. ALL of them. They are also very weary of the sun, and wear huge rimmed hats and carry umbrellas to block the sun. They have absolutely NO style...matching floral prints with swirly designs and stripes. Quite a site to see!

They travel in packs too, and I've noticed that when they're together they dress even more similarly. Three or four ladies in black pants and different pastel colour floral print button-up shirts for instance.

In general there are just a lot more old people out and about working and doing things here in Korea. One thing that ajumas have taught me is that we in the west have not been properly exploiting a valuable source of labour; middle-age to old women. The stuff you'll see these ladies dragging or carrying on their backs is just ridiculous. They're like ants. We gotta start putting ours to work. It would be a huge boost to the economy.

Apart from their looks, ajumas are absolutely terrifying...a far cry from the sweet grandmother image we have for western older ladies. Ajumas are not shy about giving you the once-over. There is nothing like a disapproving stare from an ajuma on the subway to make you feel uncomfortable. They stare at you like you are an absolute discrace and can hear them whispering amongst each other...you are the obvious topic of conversation. No point in trying to win a staring contest...the ajumas always come out victorious!

The first few times I heard an ajuma clear her throat and spit out the biggest luggie i'd ever seen it was funny...now it's just discusting! They have absolutely no shame!

Also, nobody can push, shove and drop elbows like an ajuma. At first you think that tiny woman who just scuttled past you in the subway couldn't possibly have been the source of the elbow you just took in the ribs. It took me awhile to realize that you've just gotta hold your own with an ajuma. Give them an inch and they'll totally sneak past you in line, grab something you were going to buy, or block you out of a subway train. As soon as the subway doors open, they beeline it to the only empty seat and grin at you, feeling triumphant. It doesn't matter if you've been waiting in line at a store or for an elevator for 30 mintues, ajumas think it's completely ok to make their way right past you in line...obviously pushing and shoving on the way.

After being in Korea I have a completely different opinion of little old ladies. They may look innocent but could quite possibly take over the world! For a bit of fun, my friends and I rented out a bar and had an ajuma party. We all dressed like ajumas and picked fun at their actions...it was a blast!

Working at Duksung Unviersity

I have been so bad about keeping my blog updated lately. I've been super busy moving and adjusting to my new job. The good news is, I absolutely love it! I have been there for a little over a month now and it is so different than working with kids in a private english academy. In my last job I was so stressed, working 50 hour weeks with almost no free time. With my new job, I get the same pay but work only 18 hours a week. This leaves plenty of time for school work, teaching private lessons and seeing Seoul. There are both good and bad things about the new job and i'm sure you are all curious to hear about them.

First for the downside. The campus is about an hour and a half by subway from Bundang, where I used to live and work, so I am only able to see Si and my friends on weekends and maybe one night a week. There is a lot of travel time! Also, we live in the building in which we teach, so sometimes it feels like we are always at work! It is a Language Center that was built only 2 years ago, and the teachers have our own floor. We are not mixed with the students which is a little better, but it's hard to escape! The area is beautiful, with mountains and a nice campus, but there isn't much to do around the school, so you have to travel by bus or subway to find things to do. Also, the rooms aren't wired for cable or telephone so we don't have access to those things, which was a big adjustment!

Now for the positives...and there are way more! Even though living in the building we teach in can seem clingy, it's nice to be able to go up to your room in between teaching classes, or wake up and go straight down to teach. There is also a cafeteria where we can eat meals for very cheap. The teachers are all great. There are 18 foreign teachers total, and only 4 girls. Not quite surprising that the guys like teaching at an all girls university! I am the youngest teacher there, but it hasn't been bad at all. Most of the teachers teach intensive 3 week sessions to freshmen students from 6:30 to 9:30 at night. The students come live in the Language Center for this time and have class each night. The center also offers classes to upper-classmen and community members. I was oh so luckily chosen to teach these classes which start at 7:30 AM every day. If you know me at all, you know that I am NOT a morning person! It took a little time to adjust but I eventually began to love teaching these older students who are truly there to improve their English and want to learn. The students are great. I have students ranging from college seniors to surgeons and teachers. I learn a lot from them as well. The older students also like to go out with teachers after class, and it is encouraged by the center. It's pretty interesting going out to a bar with your students, but fun all the same. Beginning next month my schedule will change and I will have a chance to teach the freshmen night classes to determine which I like more.

Every Wednesday I teach 4 classes of freshment General English on campus which has a completely different feel than classes at the Language Center. There are about 25 students per class as opposed to 5-10 at the center. They also have a more strict schedule of what to teach etc., and have to take the class so not all of them are as ambitious.

The center works on 7 week intervals. We teach for 7 weeks and always have the 8th week off. This is great and will give me a chance to travel and spend more time with friends. My first week off is coming up soon and I haven't decided what to do, but hopefully something fun!

I'm really enjoying the new job and it is sooooo much more enjoyable and relaxing than my last job. I will do better with updating my blog and keeping everyone informed. Hope all is well on that side of the world. Love and miss you all!