culture

When I started talking about moving into a homestay, everybody said, "Oh, you'll learn so much about the culture!" I thought, yeah, but I really already know a lot. I'm really just doing it to learn the language. While I know I'm gonna learn the language a lot faster, I've sure learned a lot more about the culture than I thought I would. I didn't know I'd be so surprised at so many things.

The kids, who are 10 and 12, don't usually go to bed until 12 or sometimes even later! Last night, I was doing my homework while watching a Korean TV program (now that I live in a place that has a TV, I'm watching Korean TV for the first time). The family came home from visiting a friend's house around 10 and they hadn't even started their homework! The mom asked me to go over their English homework with them, so I did, and then I finished my homework and got ready to go to bed. When I went in my room, the mom made the younger girl come in with me so I could read a few pages in her English book to her and then listen to her read. I went to bed a little after 12 and both of the girls were still awake. I asked the older one what time she went to bed and she said 1! She didn't even have a project, just normal homework. Then, the mom has to perform magic to get the kids up and dressed in the morning so they can eat their spicy stir fried squid and seaweed soup. :)

After school, I knew that all kids whose parents can afford it go to a hagwon (private institute) for every subject they consider important, but it is really pretty crazy to think how much time and money they spend on all that. The girls I live with have a private science teacher, violin teacher, and someone else who I can't remember who come to their house. They also go to two English institutes and a math institute after school. I think I might be forgetting one of the institutes, too. They are busy! I'm jealous of them, though, that they can play musical instruments well and already speak another language.