Adventures in Hangul

Since making the conscious decision to stay in Korea until my loans are paid off, I decided it would be in my best interest to learn Korean. I'm able to get by in normal situations that a foreigner would find themselves in, such as a restaurant, a taxi, asking directions, or other such things. But I can't carry on even a simple conversation in a social situation with someone about the weather, movies, interests, family, or anything else for that matter. And since my circle of friends is slowly growing to include non-foreigners, I decided that I need to take an actual class that involves tests, homework, quizzes, and tuition. I have taken two "classes" already, but because of the level of informality, they both fell to the wayside.

You would think that Koreans would be rather gung-ho about foreigners learning their language. If you think this, you would be surprised at how difficult it is to find Korean lessons for foreigners. You would also be surprised at how many Koreans have looked at me in wonderment and asked why I wanted to learn Korean, since English is so widely spoken here.

Regardless, I was determined to take lessons. I asked around, searched on the internet, and made inquiries wherever I could. I took a level test at City Hall a few months ago, only to find out that the single beginner's class was offered from 4-6 pm on Wednesday afternoons. Not the most ideal time, seeing as how I teach until 3:30 every day and I can't leave work until 5:30. I suppose that's what comes from offering free classes.

Then I found out in September that the company I work for, YBM, offers 50% discounts to any employees. So of course I jumped on that chance. However, after much fuss and discussion with the office staff, I came to discover that the 50% discount is only valid after you've worked for YBM for three months. So I sat on my hands in anticipation of November 1st, when I could start. At least, I thought so. According to the head honchos, because my contract says I started August 3rd (the first Monday of August this year, and therefore the first working day of the month), I wouldn't have worked a full three months until November 3rd, which was too late. So, I resigned myself to wait another month. While waiting, I somehow managed to excite Chris, one of my co-workers, into wanting to take lessons as well.

The registration deadline is the 20th of the month before classes start, and I had been asking Miss Mia (the now vice-principal), if I had been signed up for the classes at least once a week since the beginning of November. She kept assuring me that she had told Aaron, the office manager, several times so she was sure I had been registered. I wasn't so sure, and on the 20th I went in to talk to him myself, something I'd been avoiding because his English is only slightly better than my Korean. Of course I hadn't been registered, and so we spent the next 20 minutes or so making sure that he signed Chris and I up for the classes that we wanted (MWF 6-7:50). I went back a few days later to check on the first day of classes, since the first of the month fell on a Tuesday I wasn't sure if the first class would be Monday or Wednesday. Aaron called the school, and confirmed that classes did indeed start on Wednesday the 2nd.

So, Wednesday, December 2nd finally arrived. I was incredibly excited. I had gone the day before, like the dutiful student I am, to find the correct building and make sure I knew where I was going so I wouldn't be late for the first class. (And yes, I did that every semester in college as well. Who wants to be late for the first class of the semester?? It does NOT give a good impression, and you never know what you're going to miss.) Chris and I even snuck out about 10 minutes early so we could try and catch a bus. We ended up taking a taxi after I realized that the only bus that went to the place we were going came every 14-19 minutes, and we only had a 30 minute window to get there.

So, wrapped in multiple layers against the winter chill, we arrived at the building and I confidently strode up to the second floor ahead of Chris, eagerly anticipating what I was sure was going to be an informative evening. I approached the desk, where a Korean woman was standing behind it helping another Korean who looked to be signing up for English classes, and stood ready to wait my turn. Once she had finished helping the Korean, she turned to help me, and our conversation went something like this:

"Yes, can I help you?" she said.

"Hi! We're signed up for a Korean class today that starts at 6 o'clock. This is our first time, so we're not sure where to go or what to do. We also haven't paid yet." I paused, indicating her cue to point me in the direction of my classroom, or look to a list and see how much I owed for my class.

"Oh. Uhhm, there's no classes today." Her brows furrowed a bit when she said this.

I was a bit thrown off by this response, but I continued in an upbeat note. "Oh, there must be some mistake. You see, we were told we had to sign up by the 20th in order to take classes. I work for YBM, and the guy from our office signed us up last month. We're taking the Monday Wednesday Friday class that starts at 6."

"No, there no classes today. The schedule changed, only Tuesday Thursday class." At this point she seemed to be a bit annoyed.

"Oh, well....um. I don't understand. We signed up for the Monday Wednesday Friday class. That's why we're here today."

"No, no class. It changed schedule. Class start yesterday. Look, only Tuesday Thursday schedule."

At this point she pulled out a schedule and pointed to the block for 6-7:50 pm that did indeed show Tuesday Thursday classes - right next to the Monday Wednesday Friday class. I attempted to point to the latter but to my dismay she pulled it away and tucked it under the counter as soon as I reached out a finger.

"But, there's a Monday Wednesday Friday class listed on there. I don't understand. I can't take a Tuesday Thursday class. That's why we signed up for Monday Wednesday Friday. Are you saying that there's no longer a class during that time, and the only night classes started yesterday?"

"Yes. Yesterday first class. The teachers ask the students what schedule they prefer, and sometimes they decide to change the schedule. Now only Tuesday Thursday." At this point she was starting to huff a little bit, and was definitely annoyed with us.

"But, this is supposed to be our first class. It's the beginner class. I don't understand how the professor could have asked the students if they wanted to change the schedule if we haven't started the class yet. And if they changed the schedule, why didn't they notify us?"

"No, no, no, no! I don't know! No class today! Only tomorrow." She was really getting annoyed with me now.

"Ok," I said, a smile still on my face, though decidedly less enthusiastically that it had been five minutes prior, "Forget about December, then. What about January? Will there be a Monday Wednesday Friday class in January that we can take?"

"I don't know! Schedule always changes! I don't know!"

At this point, two foreigners who were waiting behind us decided to put their two cents in. The girl waiting by the desk said "I've been waiting four months to take a class. Schedule changes happen all the time."

The guy standing off to the side added "Yeah, they change the schedule all the time, you just get used to it."

I didn't really respond to them, since I wasn't quite sure how to take that information. Especially since the fact that I was asking a receptionist to supply me with information that I thought would be readily available was apparently an offense to her good natured-ness and I had inadvertently insulted her by asking why the class I had signed up for had suddenly disappeared. So instead I turned back to the receptionist for one final attempt.

"Ok, so you're saying that I can't sign up for a class in January, because you don't know if there will be a class in January, and that the class I signed up for that was supposed to hold the first class tonight has been changed by the teacher because he asked the students and they preferred a Tuesday Thursday schedule, even though we haven't started the class yet?"

"No, no! No classes today!"

"Ok, thank you very much. Have a good night." And I left.



I ranted and raved a bit with Chris at dinner, and we both puzzed and puzzled till our puzzlers were sore, but couldn't figure out what had actually happened, or why they hadn't told us that the classes had been changed or canceled. I decided to go ask Aaron the next day.

I hunted Aaron down, and asked him to call the school and find out what had happened, since we hadn't been able to take the class. He called, and didn't seem to understand the problem because the school said there was a Monday Wednesday Friday class. At that point, I decided that Aaron was no longer a helpful avenue, and I needed to find a new route to obtain the information I was looking for.

After a conversation with the math teacher, Sarah K, about what had happened later that afternoon after school, she decided to call them for me. After a rather long conversation, of which I understood hardly any since it was conducted in Korean, I learned the following information:

• There is a MWF class.
• The MWF class had been canceled for December because of low registration - only two people had signed up.
• There is no cancellation notification policy.
• YBM teachers are not considered normal students.
  
• Non-YBM students sign up for classes first, and if there are any spots left, they are then opened to YBM staff.
  
• Therefore, if a class fills up, I can't register because other people come before me.
• Also, if I am the only one to sign up for the class, they will cancel the class, but will not tell me that it's canceled.
• It is up to the teacher to decide if they want to cancel the class based on the number of students registered. There is no minimum number.
  
• I have to wait until the last day possible to register.
• I then have to call a few days before the start of class to see if the class is scheduled to continue, or if it has been canceled.
  

So, I'm going to try again for January, and hope Chris and I aren't the only ones this time. Never give up, never surrender! I will learn Korean...