Kampvuur, Karaoke en Knoffel. / Bonfires, Jukeboxes and Garlic.

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My volgende avontuur in Suid Korea was weereens na ’n eiland aan die suide van die land. Vir hierdie spesifieke naweek is ek toe saam met ’n stapgroep na die eiland Namhae toe. 

Ek het heelwat naweke saam met die stapgroep deurgebring. Dit was ’n baie gerieflike, en bekostigbare reëling. Vrydae aande het ons 23:00 bymekaar gekom en in die bus geklim. Ons het maar almal op die bus geslaap tot ons by die bestemming aankom, en dan het ons omtrent dadelik begin stap sodat ons voor sonop op die een of ander uitkyk punt kan wees. Sondae aande het ons gewoonlik skuins voor tien weer by die bushalte gestop, net betyds om die laaste moltrein huis toe te vang.

Die tog Namhae toe was geen uitsondering nie. Ons het soos gewoonte donkeroggend daar aangekom, ons padkos gekry en waterbottels gegryp en begin stap. Teen sonop was ons in ’n grot teen die hoogste berg op die eiland, en het ons ’n ongelooflike uitsig oor die eiland en strand gehad. Die res van die dag was vol avonture soos roei op die see, ontspan op die strand en frisbee speel. 

So tussen die speel moes ons ook ’n plekkie in die kampterrein gaan uitsoek om ons tente op te slaan, waar ons die aand sou deurbring. Ek het die perfekte plekkie gekry waar my tent lekker onder ’n boom sou koelte kry, sodat die son my nie sou uitbak nie. Dit was ook nie vêr van die ablusieblok of hoofstrand af nie. Ek wens net ek het die verdekselse ding in die voetpad naby my tent raakgesien!

Die aand het dinge begin interessant raak met ’n groot kampvuur op die strand, ’n bietjie malvalekker-braai en, soos wat mens seker maar kan verwag, heelwat drank wat gereeld aangevul sou word. Ons was nie die enigste groep op die strand wat ’n partytjie gegooi het nie, mens kon elke paar meter nog ’n groep sien wat met identiese aktiwiteite besig was. 

Teen omtrent middernag het die feestelikheid maar vir my bietjie handuitgeruk, en ek het besluit om tent toe te keer. Die kampplek was stil, en al die tente het amper leeg voorgekom. Ek het sommer vinnig ingesluimer, dit sou ’n lekker nagrus wees. Of sou dit? 

Dit was omtrent twee uur die oggend wat ek wakker geskrik het. Iewers het Koreaanse musiek kliphard geblêr, en ’n paar mansstemme kon duidelik gehoor word wat dronkerig saam mompel en op al die refreine kliphard uitjil, voor hul weer terugkeer na ’n onverstaanbare mompelrige geraas. Daar was geen manier dat ek sou slaap met die geraas nie.

Ek het besluit om te gaan ondersoek instel. En dis toé dat ek die verdekselse ding raaksien. Net daar in die voetpaadjie tussen my tent en die ablusieblok was ’n buitelug blêrkas, met net 5 liedjiekeuses, maar massiewe klanktoestel. Die hele ding lyk nie op eerste oogopslag soos ’n blêrkas nie, maar net soos ’n kampterrein ornament, slegs daar vir estetiese waarde. Voor die blêrkas het 4 middeljarige Koreaanse mans hulself bevind. Hul het al 5 die liedjies deurgespeel en saam geblêr, terwyl ek als wat ek kon oor my ore druk om die marteling van hul samesang te verlig. Die manne het darem na die laaste liedjie weer tot ruste gekom.

Ek het eventueel weer aan die slaap geraak en het nou net gehoop dat niemand anders die ware funksie van die ornament ontdek nie. Tevergeefs! Dit was net na sonop, of so het dit gevoel, dat ’n klompie jong kinders ’n speletjie daarvan gemaak het om ’n liedjie te kies en dan weg te hardloop en weg te kruip, totdat die liedjie verby is en hul weer die knoppie kon druk.

Slaaptyd was amptelik verby, met die kombinasie van dié geraas, die son wat uitkom en ander kampeerders wat ook begin rondskarrel, sou ek definitief nie weer aan die slaap raak nie. Ek het maar voor die strandkafeetjie gaan sit en die een koffie na die ander ingeryg terwyl ek vir die lae brandertjies kyk en probeer beter voel oor my min slaap. Ek het ook maar ’n roomys vir ontbyt geëet.

Sondag het ons toerleier besluit om ons na ’n baie spesiale fees te neem. Namhae eiland se ekonomie is hoofsaaklik afhanklik van toerisme en landbou. Waarvoor hul die bekendste is, is inderdaad knoffel, dus hou hul die jaarlikse Namhae Knoffel Fees. Nou as jy dit nog nie kon raai nie, knoffel is ’n groot ding! Dis nie net sommer ’n geurmiddel vir hierdie mense nie. Daar is ’n spesiale knoffel navorsingseenheid opgerig op die eiland, en dit was juis waar die fees gehou is. Daar was allerhande knoffelary beskikbaar; van die gewone gedroogde knoffel, gekerfde knoffel en knoffel poeier, tot uitstallings van knoffel rangskikings en kinderkuns rondom die knoffel tema, tot knoffel tee, knoffel soda, knoffel jellie en knoffel in sjokolade. Bisar! Ek het net gehoop dat iemand nie ’n bondel gedroogde knoffel in ons bus wou terugneem Seoul toe nie.

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Die Grot / The Cave

'n Tempel naby die grot / A temple near the cave

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My next adventure in South Korea was also to an island in the south of the country. This specific weekend I went with a hiking group to Namhae island.

I actually spent plenty of weekends with the hiking group. It was a convenient, and affordable way to travel. We would meet at the pick-up point at 11pm on Friday nights, and board a bus. We would sleep on the bus, and arrive at our destination early the next morning, and almost immediately start hiking up to some kind of vantage point for sunrise. Then on Sundays we would get back to the city just in time to catch the last subway back home.

The trip to Namhae was no exception. As was the tradition we arrived in Namhae before sunrise, got some snacks, grabbed our water bottles, and started our ascent. By sunrise we had arrived at a cave in the highest mountain on the island. It had an amazing view of the island and coast. The rest of the day was spent kayaking, relaxing on the beach and playing ultimate frisbee.

In our free time we also had to find a spot in the campsite to put up our tents for the night. I thought I had found the perfect spot, conveniently located in the shade of a big pine tree, relatively close to the ablution block, and not far from the main beach. I just wish I had taken notice of the darn feature installed in the footpath near my tent.

That evening we had a big bonfire on the beach, and things started to get interesting with all the bottles of beer and cheep wine and spirits making their way to the party, stock never seemed to run out, as people made top-up runs to the convenience store frequently. We weren’t the only group on the beach either, and every few meters a group of people could be found busy with similar activities. Pretty soon all these parties and groups started spilling into each other and it became one big drunken nest.

At about midnight it became an uncomfortable gathering, with open fires, drunk people, egos fueled by alcohol, etc. and I decided to make my way to my tent. The camp site was quiet, and all the tents almost seemed deserted. In bed by a decent-ish hour, I almost immediately dozed off. Surely I would be well rested the next morning, or would I?

It was about 2am when I woke up in shock. Somewhere a Korean song was blaring out loudly, and some men could be heard drunkenly mumbling with to the tune, belching out the choruses, before returning to drunken muttering. There was no way I would be able to sleep in this racket.

I decided to investigate, and that’s when I so the damn thing! Halfway between my tent and the ablution block, the feature surrounded by the four middle-aged Korean men, turned out to be an outdoor Jukebox. It only had a choice of 5 songs, but boy did it have volume. The whole thing didn’t look like a Jukebox at first glance, it simply looked like a campsite decorative feature. The 4 men played all five songs, and sang along as loudly as they could, while I tried my best to block the tormenting sound from my ears and get back to sleep. After the last song finished it got quiet again and I could try to sleep again.

Eventually I managed to fall asleep, and would manage to sleep in a little if no-one else discovered the true purpose of the decorative campsite ornament. But that was perhaps too naïve a hope. It must’ve been right after sunrise when a couple of mischievous children started playing a game of press the button and go hide, just to repeat the game after the song had finished.

It was evident that there was no more sleep to be had, with a combination of the noise from the boombox, the sun brightly shining into my tent, and the other campers starting to scurry about, I would definitely not have been able to fall asleep again. I went and sat on a plastic chair by a plastic table in front of the convenience store next to the beach, drinking the one convenience store instant coffee after the other, looking into the small waves, and trying to cheer myself up despite the lack of sleep. I also ate an ice cream sandwich for breakfast that morning, because I needed all the help I could get to seem alive. Not a happy camper!

On Sunday our trip leader decided to spoil us by taking us to a very special festival. Economically Namhae Island depends on tourism and agriculture. In fact, its most famous produce is none other than - garlic. For that reason they also annually host the Namhae Garlic Festival. Now if you haven’t guessed it yet, garlic is a big deal! There is a special garlic research centre on the island, and that is exactly where the festival was held. One could find the usual garlic fare, like dried garlic, crushed garlic and garlic flakes; the more unusual products like garlic tea, garlic soda, garlic jellies, and chocolate covered garlic; and then there were also the really bizarre garlic bouquets and arrangements, garlic photo benches and children's garlic themed artworks. I just hoped that no one wanted to take a bundle of tried garlic on the bus with us back to Seoul.

Kan jy Amerikaans praat? / Can you speak American?

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Dit was die jaar 2012 en vir die afgelope jaar het ek alreeds voorbereidings getref om in Suid Korea te gaan Engels gee. Ek het ’n TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) sertifikaat aanlyn verwerf en al my dokumentasie vir die Visum-aansoek gereed gehad. Nog net een ding het geskort, en dit was ’n werk in Suid Korea.

Ek het reeds in Augustus 2011 aansoek gedoen gehad by EPIK (English Program In Korea), maar toe die tyd aanbreek vir my Skype onderhoud was my Engelse aksent té Brits vir die onderhoudvoerder en was ek dus onverstaanbaar (vir haar). Dit het my werwer stomgeslaan dat ek nie loshande die pos gekry het nie. Hy verduidelik toe dat Koreane maar sukkel met Engels en slegs Amerikaanse Engelse aksente verstaan. Sy voorstel vir my volgende onderhoud was dus dat ek ’n Amerikaanse aksent moet namaak!

Ek het nog nooit eers gedink aan die verskil tussen Amerikaanse Engels en Britse Engels nie, ek verstaan mos albei ewegoed. Ek meen ons hoor albei op TV, studeer Britse Engels in skool, praat met hoeveel verskillende aksente in Suid-Afrika met mekaar Engels; Engels was vir my Engels, maak nie saak hoe dit verskillend klink nie. Dus moes ek bietjie navorsing doen.

Ek het my dadelik gewend na die ‘beste' platform vir linguistieke navorsing wat ek aan kon dink - YouTube. Ek het die soekfunksie gebruik en ingetik: “American English Accent.” Die resultate was legio, so ek het maar bo begin en op die boonste skakel gekliek. Die video het die verskil tussen die klank van die vokaal “a” in Britse en Amerikaanse Engels beklemtoon. O ja, “dênce" en nie “dance" nie, “cên’t" en nie “can’t" nie! Goed, “ê, ê, ê.”

Die tweede skakel was vir my seker die hulpvaardigste en by verre die vermaaklikste! Dit was ’n skets van Casper de Vries, waar hy verwys na “Americans”. In die video lug hy ’n paar maklike wyses uit om soos ’n Amerikaner te klink, en ek het hulle almal geoefen, dit lui soos volg:

Eerstens, moet nooit sê “Yes” of “Yah” nie, gebruik in stede “Yeah” soos “Jêê-ah!” Dit is ook nie “Awesome” nie, maar wel “Aah-sum”.

Tweedens het hy gesê dit sal ’n mens baat om hardlywig te klink wanneer mens woorde soos “problem” sê, dus “praaah-blem”.

Laastens moet mens nie vergeet om mens se lippe om te krul en die “r” te aksentueer nie, en dus “shurrrre” te sê vir “sure”.

Ek het aantekeninge gemaak en seker gemaak dat ek een van hierdie truuks in elkeen van my onderhoud vrae sou kon gebruik. My volgende onderhoud was reeds vir die volgende middag geskeduleer, en siende dat die internetkonneksie maar stadig is in die platteland waar ek gewoon het, sou die onderhoud oor die telefoon geskied.

Dit is min of meer hoe die gesprek (in kort) afgeloop het:

Koreaan: “Hi Egbert, are you doing well?”

Ek: “Yeah, I’m fine thanks, and yourself?”

Koreaan: “Also good. I want to check if you would be able to start working by March 1st?”

Ek: “Shurrre! I can do that.”

K: “The students at our school are low level students, would you be willing to teach low level students?”

Ek: “Of course, no praaah-blem!”

K: “The apartment we prepared for you was the previous teacher’s, and it is somewhat furnished, is that ok with you?”

Ek: “Yeah, thats aah-sum, thank you so much.”

K: “Thank you for the interview. The starting date is March 1st, and we will let you know soon if you got the job.”

Ek: ”Aaah-sum, thats grreat, I cênt wait to hearr back from you. Thank you for your time.”

Die truuks het gewerk, of hulle was dalk regtig desperaat om iemand betyds te kry, want 5 minute later het ’n e-pos met die kontrak, Visum-uitnodiging en ander besonderhede deurgekom.

Twee weke later was ek in Suid Korea, ek het wel vinnig geleer dat die lang pad van kommunikasie probleme nou aangebreek het. My eerste gesprek met my mede-onderwyser het nie so glad verloop nie. Sy’t byna glad nie verstaan wat ek vra nie. In stede van “ske-jewel” het ek “schedule” gesê, ek moes op die ou-end my sin herhaal en eerder die woord “timetable” gebruik. Na ek “classroom” gebruik het moes ek myself korrigeer met “clêssroom”. Na ek ’n paar keer met “Yah” geantwoord het, wou sy weet of dit dieselfde as “Yeah” beteken. 

Dit was maar net die begin, want die stryd van Amerikaanse spelling gebruik om die kinders in die klas te leer, en om woorde soos, “boot”, “bonnet”, en “coriander” te vervang met “trunk”, “hood”, en “cilantro” het nog vir my voorgelê. Vir 5 jaar het ek dit gedoen, en nou praat ek ’n Engels wat enigiemand sal verwar oor waar ek vandaan kom, maar ek dink amper enigiemand sal kan verstaan.
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The year is 2012 and I had already been preparing to teach English in South Korea. I had already acquired a TEFL (Teach English as Foreign Language) certificate, and prepared all my documentation for the Visa application. The only thing that was still missing was a teaching job in South Korea.

In August 2011 I had applied at EPIK (English Program in Korea), but after having the Skype interview I was informed that my English accent was too British and that the interviewer had a difficult time understanding me. It left my recruiter stunned, as he thought that I was a great candidate. He explained to me that Koreans are used to American pronunciations, and often find it really hard to understand other accents. So, he suggested that I should fake an American accent for my next interview.

I had never even thought about the difference between American and British English, I understand both equally well. Coming from South Africa we are immersed in both, you hear both on TV and radio, we study British English at school, and people speak in such a variety of accents across South Africa that to me it was all just English, didn’t matter how different they sounded I understood it all the same. That meant that I had to do some more research before attempting to fake an American accent.

Don’t be too impressed though. I immediately jumped to the first best platform for linguistic research that came to mind - YouTube. In the search bar I typed in the following: “American English Accent.” There were a plethora of results, so I started at the top and clicked on the first video link. It was quite helpful and focused on the difference of the short vowel sound “a” in American and British English. Oh yes, now I remember, It’s “dance” not “dahnce”, “can’t” and not “cahn’t”. Alright, take note and apply!

The second link was by far the most helpful, and definitely the most entertaining. It was a comedy sketch by a South African comedian named Casper de Vries titled “Americans”. In his video he referred to a couple of easy ways to ensure you sound American; and I practiced and used them all, as follows:

Firstly, never say “Yes” or “Yah”, use “Yeah” (with a thick drawl) in stead. For the word awesome don’t pronounce it as “Ossum” like the Brits do, but say “Aah-sum”.

Secondly, it would be to one’s benefit to sound constipated when pronouncing words like “problem”, eg. “praah-blem” (add thick drawl).

Lastly, don’t forget to push your lips out and apart and accentuate the “r”, as in “shurrre” for “sure”.

I wrote down all the notes and made sure that I would be able to use every little trick in my interview answers to sound American. My next interview had already been scheduled for the next afternoon, and seeing that the internet connection was too slow, it would be a phone interview, which would furthermore count in my favor, because no one would see how ridiculous I looked while trying to sound American.

In short, the interview went something like this:

Interviewer: “Hi Egbert, are you doing well?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m fine thanks, and yourself?”

Interviewer: “Also good. I want to check if you would be able to start working by March 1st?”

Me: “Shurrre! I can do that.”

I: “The students at our school are low level students, would you be willing to teach low level students?”

M: “Of courrse, no praaah-blem!”

I: “The apartment we prepared for you was the previous teacher’s, and it is somewhat furnished, is that ok with you?”

M: “Yeah, thats aah-sum, thank you so much.”

I: “Thank you for the interview. The starting date is March 1st, and we will let you know soon if you got the job.”

M: ”Aaah-sum, thats grreat, I can’t wait to hearr back from you. Thank you for your time.”

My methods must’ve worked - or they were just desperate to fill the position in time. 5 minutes after the interview I received an email with the contract, Visa-invitation and other details attached. I was finally going to South Korea.

Two weeks later I found myself in South Korea and, as I quickly found out, at the start of a long series of communication issues. My first conversation with my co-teacher didn’t go smoothly at all. She almost didn’t understand a single one of my questions. In stead of “ske-jewel” I pronounced it as “Shedual”, and I had to eventually rephrase my question asking for my timetable in stead. After asking about my “classroom” (British) I had to switch over to “classroom” (American) before she could produce an answer. After answering with a short “Yah” a couple of times, she enquired if “Yah” means the same as “Yeah” or “Yes”.

That was only the beginning, because the battle of American spelling in the classroom and substituting words like “boot”, “bonnet” and “coriander” with “trunk”, “hood” and “cilantro” all still lay ahead. I kept on going like this for 5 years, and now I speak a type of English that would confuse anyone as to where I’m from, but I’m rarely misunderstood!