The Here and Now

I live in a zoo.

My school is something of a weekly camp, children come for one week to practice their English with a bunch of foreigners. They are here, staying in dorms, for just one week.
Monday morning to Friday afternoon.

They are taught English through a variety of subjects ranging from Drama to Cooking.
Robotics to Movie making.

Some of us only teach those kids. We only have our hands in the weekly programs.
But there are other things in the mix on campus. Other teachers.
Other programs.

We also have day guests, people who pay to visit our little piece of the west for the afternoon. They come to see shows in English, visit western style restaurants, and of course, see a handful of waegooks.

I walk through the campus, going to the gym or the store. On my off time, wandering around the village, I am stared at by tiny children and grown adults.

The little ones wave and smile and ask, “How are you?” repeatedly though they don’t know the meaning of my answer.

Today I was stopped by three older women. They just wanted to talk for a few minutes in English. They asked the typical questions.
Like, “What’s your name?”
“Where are you from?”
“What’s your favorite Korean food?”
“Are you married?”

The usual.

They wanted to practice their English and talk to a blonde chick. It was odd, I was on my way to lunch, and then came the impromtu English lesson.
Followed by posing for pictures with each of them.

It was like being a movie star
Or the prize monkey at the county zoo.

Everywhere I look, at nearly all hours of the day I walk the village with eyes on my back, waving at the children, saying “hello” to lines of preschoolers, and attempting to hide from those wielding cameras on bad hair days.