18. Lunch

For a while, I tried to integrate with the other teachers during lunch. Although I’m half-Korean (but I don’t really look it), I was never taught Korean by anyone. I do however have the advantage of knowing how things should sound so my studies are slightly accelerated than most. I did try to learn significantly during my first 6 months. I broke some ground and could have basic conversations about various things. This is generally more language acquisition than most foreigners. Socializing, however, is not their strong point. Even if they do know English, they don’t feel comfortable using it in front of the other teachers. It’s amazing to watch their ignorance get the better of them. The same goes for summer camp and winter camp. Technically, you’re supposed to teach the teachers if you don’t have enough students to fill your three weeks of camp. I realized that most here don’t want to talk to you and feel uncomfortable having you sit around them. Therefore, I sat alone for lunch for most of the second semester. It’s quite relaxing really – not having to constantly be worried about the stupid rules of waiting for others to finish eating.

This was my rule of thumb: If lunch began at 12:30, which it usually did, then I waited until 12:38 to go get it. That way I avoided getting bottle-necked by all the teachers making a mad rush for the food at the same time. If you do go earlier, you get the pleasure of trying to squeeze through mobs of students and waiting for slow teachers to grab food. If you get there at 12:40, there is almost no waiting, the food is still there, and you get to sit wherever you feel like without feeling social pressure to sit next to everyone else.

Don’t get into the habit of working during lunch or allowing them to talk to you about work during lunch. Tell them that you don’t work during lunch. They might try to say something about work albeit indirectly, then just remind them that they are still talking about work. They can inform you of anything at any other time in the day if they get off their lazy butts and come to your class or even send one of the students (free labor) to you with a note. You see them constantly, but they will rarely, if ever, mention anything to do with work before, during, or after your class when they are present.

The lunch lady got on my case a few times. They’re anal about their food waste here. If you waste food in front of the lunch ladies she’ll go out of her way to say something to you regardless of who’s there. I don’t think it’s appropriate in any culture to be lectured by the lunch lady as an adult, at least not in front of others. They can’t force you to take less so I wouldn’t worry about it. The teachers and students waste food all the time (that waste bin doesn’t fill itself), the students do the whole spread it on each others’ tray trick as well.