This week I attend an Introduction to Korea for GEPIC teachers. Now, looking at my teaching history, one would assume that I need no introduction to Korea nor the classroom. Nonetheless, I went.

Throughout the orientation, I carried the pregidace that these classes weren’t for me. My goal for this orientation was to study some Korean and read my books. I got a fair amount of this accomplished. I cracked my textbooks during lectures. At night, I choose reading in my room over drinking and socializing, But I always felt that I wasn’t doing enough.

On Wednesday, I had to wait 15 min for my teaching partner. We were going to go to the computer lab and work on our powerpoint. Rather than sit in the lab, I choose to wait in the foyer and read my book. I’d also keep my eyes open for my partner. As I waited, some girl disturbed me from my reading time.

She started off by apologizing for interrupting me, but her reasoning was that “She was an extrovert, and liked to speak with introverted people.” What! Since when does reading in the foyer make me an introvert! She, also, had a goal for herself to meet everyone in the orientation and mark their names off the printed out list. In a round about way, I felt insulted. Introverted!

I explained to her that this orientation wasn’t my cup of tea. Most of the people here fit my categorization of the “typical” foreign teacher. I hate the small talk conversations of “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “Why are you in Korea?” Everyone asks the same questions. And realistically, the probablitity of me building a friendship outside this orientation is slim. Most people I spoke with couldn’t find their city if you gave them a map of Korea.

She asked for my name, so she could mark me off her list and I said “No, I’m not giving you that.” She said she’d write me down as “guy in red shirt, confident, and no hair.” I told her she could write me down as she might really be thinking, “black glasses, bald, and arrogant.”

Because she disturbed me from my reading, I decided to hit her with a hard and overall inquisitive question. I asked her, “What does your smock dress have to do with your religion?” I’ll admit. It was a directly rude question, but I had already established myself as arrogant and ignorant. But truthfully, I wanted to know with a straight answer.

Her appearance was one that you’ve probably seen. It’s where the females dress completely conservative with a long unattractive dress. It looked completely smock like with two straps at the top and a front that extends above the chest to her ankles. She wore the same dress the day before, so I knew she was “one of those people”, but honestly, I don’t know what “those people are.” Typically, they have long unfashioned hair as well, but her’s was wrapped under a scarf. What’s the name of your religion and how does the unrevealing skirt have to do with it? To these questions, I have never known the answers, and still didn’t get a straight answer.

She didn’t tell me the name of her religion. She did tell me that the dress doesn’t have to do with her “religion” as much as her “relationship with Jesus”. Her future husband, children, and lifestyle all relate to her relationship. BUT WHAT IS IT AND WHY? To these questions, I couldn’t get a straight answer, and at this time I spotted my partner and choose to make a getaway.

In passing, I saw her a few more times. She said, “Hello, Mr Confident!” Under the guise of being polite, I felt she wasn’t being honest. I responded with, “It’s ok to call me arrogant.”

Did I, perhaps, hit her with a difficult question off the bat? Maybe. But if you’re going to interrupt my reading, tell me YOU’RE an extrovert, and I’M an introvert, you’d better be ready to talk. Because, I don’t want to have the superficial small talk.

Now, that that’s over. Let’s get back to my question. “Who are these people?” and “What does their dress have to do with their ‘relationship with Jesus’?”