Lost in Translation

I had the most terrible manic Monday last week.


One of our school's Korean students, who is 62 years old, (yes, they still want to learn English even at that age!), wanted to know his score in the interview test we conducted the week before. So while he was seated on a bench outside the school lobby, I handed him his evaluation results, and went up to some co-teachers who were seated on a nearby bench and talked to them. 


Then he called me, "Hey!" and gestured me to come to him. 


I was a little bit annoyed. I never really warmed up to the idea of someone calling me 'hey', Koran or no Korean. I felt I was his helper being called to do something for him. But I still went near him. He asked me if it was really his score, which was rather low, and asked if the perfect score was 100. I said yes, and went back to talk to my co-teachers. 


A few seconds later, the old man called me, "Hey!" again.


Now I'm sorry, but I was pissed. So I sat beside him, probably with a stern look on my face, and told him, "Please don't call me, "Hey!" It's very rude to call someone, "Hey!" Even if you are old, you shouldn't call someone that." My voice sounded calm, but I knew I looked tense.


Then he started shouting at me. 


"Why, angry? You, teacher. Me, just student. How to call you?" 


"Well, you should've at least said, "Excuse me. But you called me "Hey!" twice. And for me, that is rude," I explained calmly. 


His voice got louder. He repeated that I should have understood that he was just a student and he didn't know. The Korean assistant manager heard him shouting, and tried to calm him down. He shifted in Korean yelling, threw the piece of paper I gave him on the floor, and continued with his verbal diatribe.


That's when I stood up to go inside my classroom, and cried. I was shocked at how easily his temper snapped just like that. In my five years of teaching in that school, no one (and I have taught other old students too) has ever violated my sense of self-respect and dignity. 

http://www.davidhughes.org/lost-in-translation/

The owner's wife, Youngju, comforted me and tried to explain how seniority in Korea is given utmost value, and old people can admonish anyone any time they like. Of course I already knew that. I know that Koreans are ultra polite to older people, or anyone who is older than them in age. I admire that trait in them. But the opposite is true on how they treat those who are younger--the older ones can be tactless and inconsiderate to the younger set. To Koreans, age begets wisdom, and they think that gives them the prerogative to be always right. 


Of course we, Filipinos, are the same. We respect our elders. But we also respect the young ones.


Surprisingly, he apologized the next day. While he was explaining his side, I was just politely smiling, but I think I spaced out. I accepted his apology with just a nod and a smile. I didn't want to talk to him anymore.


I didn't want to get lost in translation again.