I have been in Korea a week today. That makes two days at each of my schools so far.Everyone, teachers and students, reacts with huge gasps when I say I'm from South Africa. I guessed this is because they all have a very stereotyped image in their heads of Africa and Africans, but today my co-teacher laid it out for me in no uncertain terms:"Like me, they thought you were going to be just a black person." Er. Political correctness fail :D
I wouldn't limit that too just Koreans either.......my Saffa friends have said the same thing happened to them when they went to the likes of the U.S and the U.K ???Quote from: theTazz on March 31, 2011, 12:48:18 pmI have been in Korea a week today. That makes two days at each of my schools so far.Everyone, teachers and students, reacts with huge gasps when I say I'm from South Africa. I guessed this is because they all have a very stereotyped image in their heads of Africa and Africans, but today my co-teacher laid it out for me in no uncertain terms:"Like me, they thought you were going to be just a black person." Er. Political correctness fail :D
Coteacher: I saw you have a criminal background check.Me: Yes, I had to get it for my visa.Coteacher: Why, because you have a tattoo?
Just met young male co-teacher at a new school. After telling me a dozen times that I am handsome (nothing new there for Korea, but thank you), he informs me "I draw you." He proceeds to take out a piece of paper and sketches me from across the table as if we were on our first date. Looks like I'm making friends. Nice to meet you too.
Along those lines, I had a co-teacher going for her TESOL and one of her assignments was to write a children's story. Hers was a parable about a bear that tried to get some honey and got stung by a bee. It included 2 memorable passages:"Dad Bear is brutal beating his child, maybe to death, for being so stupid" and the last words, the moral of the story: "That is why you don't touch other person's shit"