ERIC VAN BAARS
  • welcome
  • About/ Contact
    • director/ choreographer
    • teacher
    • actor
  • EvB in Korea
  • Awards

April 15, 2014

4/16/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Working with the Dongseo University students ha taught me  several lessons.  I am reminded of the R&H lyrics from "Getting to Know You."   When you become a teacher, by your students you are taught. 
  While there are  many similarities in higher education with what is consistent in the states, South Korea does offer some differences. This past weekend, I  was invited to participate in MT, or Membership Training. I was told   it is a weekend retreat  which is   a part of all college programs and that it  ( like almost all activities in Korea)  involves food and drink.    While I was skeptical as to the point of  such a retreat, I was pleasantly surprised by attending.    Yes, there was  alcohol, beer and soju, the  almost  constant beverages here in  Busan but the  focus was on togetherness and team building not drinking.  18 is the legal drinking age in Korea. Many college students are older due to  mandated military service of 2 years for the men.  So, nothing illegal was going on.  Dongseo is a Christian university so  there's a big difference with  religiously founded school's in the USA The administration does not   deny the use of alcohol by students.   
 When I arrived, with another Professor around 6 pm on Saturday night, the  retreat was in full swing.    About 40 students had gathered in a large hotel room efficiency. I was told the area and hotels are popular choices for MT training. The room was large, had a kitchen at one end and three bedrooms off the main room. So it was really a large apartment set up for  40 or 50 people to meet. small  folding tables were set up and  everyone was cooking and eating. We were ushered to the head table. Here's where the " Training" comes in; Freshman students serve and   follow the instructions of upper class men and women ( women, mostly!) and the Junior / senior students serve and wait on the faculty and guests.  The  food was delicious and each table had a portable  butane grill, where a student  grilled meats and veggies.  After dinner, the seniors  managed the freshmen in  cleaning of all dishes, folding and dismantling tables, sweeping floor, etc.. It was an army of freshmen, proving they were Team players and efficient workers. 
 Once the room was cleared, all gathered for games. The game programming was  coordinated by 2 freshmen guys. I was informed it is a great honor to be assigned this  task. The had a selection of games-including a version of charades, in English for my honor, and  some fun  party games I had never  seen.  We picked teams and team captains and  all laughed for about 3 hours of play.  Yes, there was a winning team and ultimately a winning player.  He was told that his grand prize was  a wonderful meal- which he had just eaten! Very cute.   Now  we left around 10 pm and the students stayed through the night, so  there were activities that I did not see.  But all in all a fun experience and a look into the respect for elders factor that influences all things Korean.


0 Comments

    Author

    EvB here! As many of you know, I am currently working in Busan, South Korea.   Here is where  I  chronicle all  adventures. Stay tuned...

    Archives

    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly