Fall Festival

Yesterday working under blue skies and sweltering sun rays out on the world's dustiest (why didn't the principal put more water down) soccer field I made a list of events here that you would not see at a Canadian public school.

1. Children were marched out into lines by military like whistles. They were all then lead through a well rehearsed set of stretches before the days events started.

2. A church official was one of the invited guests and led the kids through a prayer. (Korea is about 50% Christian since the Korean war when to make it rich many though they should follow the American example. I don't think this will happen in Iraq.)

3. Early on in the morning, there was a game for grandparents to play where they took a fishing pole and dipped it into a box where one student hung objects to the pole. For the Grandpas it was bottles of soju while the grandmother's got cookies and crackers.

4. There was open alcohol everywhere. The lunchroom was full of makoli (a Korean rice wine) and soju (the devils drink) and teachers were allowed to have some with the steamed pork and crab.

5. There were barbecues going on all around the school yard. One mom kept yelling at me, "Hey you. Come eat!" Each time I did she forced pork and sausages down my throat. Each time I tried to get away the grandmothers would politely push me back for more.

6. After lunch there was a Taekwondo performance where kids split pieces of wood, a Kumdo performance, a traditional dance, a rock concert and traditional drumming all put on by the elementary kids.

7. The PTA is made up of mostly men.

8. The PTA members were all drunk by 1:30.

9. Mother's played along in many of the games and won a variety of prizes, they included toothpaste, gloves for washing dishes, clingwrap for food, pantyhose (one size fits all) and tuperware.

10. All the principals visited from other Elementary schools in the city and none were female.