Good day all! We have come to a crossroads after hosting a 15 (recently 16) year old Korean boy for 8 months.
When he cam last August we knew there would be some cultural and social differences, and we would over come them.
Within the first few weeks we began receiving daily emails from teachers about incomplete work or work not handed in. I would speak with the student and pas the messages on to the Agency counselor. This would become the first of an enormous amount of petty, el grande’ and monstrous issues to come.
The lack of self respect of course flows over to the lack of respect for anyone else. So, at best this boy is wicked rude.
If any of you are not familiar with Korea it is a small island country the size of CA and holds 50 million people. Everyone, except the very rich, live in apartments (condos) which are in buildings that range from 15-35 stories and are grouped into neighorhoods of six to eight buildings. Within these six to eight buildings are computer/coffee shops, 24 hour video gaming palaces, the mall, convenience stores, grocers, fast food and outdoor activity centers. Ver much like a dormitory community within a cit of dorm communities. Their cities range from 400k people to2 million on average with larger cities having 5-10 million people.
The culture is very old fashioned… men are frist women second. Younger people do not speak with older people unless invited to. Younger people do not leave a room in which there are older people (adults) without permission, bullying and corporal punishment are acceptable and encouraged. So, our plan was to introduce this boy to the American way and not expect to break him, after all he is Korean. However, we did expect that while here he would follow our house rules.
House rules, ready?
1. Be Polite/Respectful and kind
2. Complete homework before going out to play. We adjusted this for him since he was in the 8th grade and would have plenty of home work. So, the altered rule was after school snack and then 45 minutes of homework before heading out for 1-2 hours for play.
3. No vulgar language
4… Participate in basic household chores
5. go to bed at a reasonable hour
I’m pretty sure most homes use this as a basis and then have a few particular rules based on who/what/where and when, right?
Now, in January I find a blow dryer, in his room, plugged in and between the sheets. I remove and have him ask for it downstairs. We talk about how our house is wood not cement and steel but wood. It will burn down. A few weeks later I find a curling iron in his laundry basket plugged in and hot!Holy S&*T ! We have a stronger safety coversation and I confiscate the curling iron. Early Feb I start finding insulin syringes all over the place, in the bathroom, rash (I never throw out, I bringto city hasll for proper helath disposal)
