Oku School Festival (Part 4: Indoor Festival)

Date: 11/12/2010

It's now 11 am.  It's been a busy day: Getting up early, making it to the bus stop, missing the bus, making a new bus, getting lost on the bus, walking to school, the morning performances, some friendly acidic competitions, and now, we move inside to probably the most ... surreal rooms of the day.

So, we move inside after having our full of some festival food and feeling only slightly sick to the stomach after eating a lemon.  The first room we went into was the Peace/TeddyBear room.  I definitely had a, "Really?  Peace and Teddy Bear Room?" moment, but that's how the place was set up. And it's exactly as it sounds.  You walk in and there are displays about World Peace and as you walk around the room, the displays are replaced by teddy bears.  I didn't get it.

Then we moved into the English room--which I totally didn't recognize.  It had been set up as a bargain clothing store and sex education room.  We'll tackle the clothing store first.

My English room--transformed!

There were a couple boys who decided to buy a totally new outfit--of the opposite gender.  They spent the day cross-dressed.  it was interesting.  All the clothes were like a dollar so it was cheap fun.

It wasn't just one crazy boy--it was definately just a silly thing to do. 

Just to prove that they walked around in these get-ups. 

The money collector had a box called, "Narcissus."   To refresh your memeory: Narcissus is the guy who fell in love with his own reflection, distrusted anyone who loved him, and eventually ended up drowning because he couldn't stop looking at his reflection in a pool of water.  Exactly--that's what your money basket should be named!

 That was the front half of the room.  The back half of the room was devoted to sex education.  I remember there was a display at my city school, but I didn't have a guide my first festival so this was my first introduction to Korean's philosophy on sex education.  If you do not like openly talking about sex, skip to the next section.  I post this not to be crude, inappropriate, or offensive.  I was honestly surprised by the differences in sex education.  This is my anthropological background talking (we're going on a tangent here, so hold on).

So, Korea is a Confucian-based society.  They don't really "practice" confucianism like a Westerner would practice Christianity, it is more of a moral/ethical guideline.  But, that being said, because it is a Confucian based society, they do not have a certain religious text that condemns sex outside of marriage.   Because of this, they do not really have the hang-ups that we Americans might about sex--and, in relationship, sex education.  I am hypothesizing here, that because because Americans are a Christian-based society, we look to the Bible for our beliefs on how to raise smart, sexually conscious teenagers--aka, we raise children to follow abstinence.  (Not everyone, but for the most part, abstinence over safe sex is how most schools in America teach sex ed.)  I am not offering my view point on sex ed--it is not my place.  But I am pointing out an extreme difference in the American version--vs the Korean version of sex ed.  I think the pictures will be telling enough.  I'll get back to my story:

So, in the back of the English room (which I now will never look at the same) is a display.  I couldn't read the banners in the back, but the table had plenty enough to take pictures of.

Let's start out with the fetus development.  It's the most not-embarrassing.

Mrs Meghan--this picture is for you....This is what your jelly bean looks like at 3 months!

 Next, on to understanding how much it sucks to be pregnant.  They had a belly suite.   This was surprising heavy!

Seo-heong almost dropped the baby!

It looks very silly on Asians.  They are so small.  The women who I have seen that are pregnant are VERY pregnant and it is very obvious.  Almost comical.

And just for kicks and giggles...
Mom...do not worry.  I will not returning home in this condition.   

A picture is worth a 1000 words...is going through my mind at this point....

 Next, we are going to move onto the actual act of procreation.  Both sets of reproductive organs were present--and you were able to practice key things about contraception:

That little dixie cup in the top left corner has the condoms.   I love the smiley face on the cup.  Makes everything ok...right?

 This is where I officially started to uncomfortable:  They had information on female organs--which they should.  If you're going to practice male-based contraception, why not practice the fundamentals of good female health?

Right?!  Yes?  Maybe....????

When I got this picture, I just about died laughing. I don't know if this poor boy has any idea what he's holding.  I certain almost hope not. 

Men are wood....women are plastic.  yes...that sums it up nicely.

And then the awkward thing happened: A teacher saw the boys playing around with the *gulp* spectrum, and came over to give a demonstration!  My mind kinda blanked out at this point, and I just went, "Okay....different country!  Not in Kansas ANYMORE!!!!"

 And as a random side note--please notice that the boys were very involved at the sex ed table.  I mean, boys will be boys, and I guess no matter where you are (on either side of the world) men are going to be more interested in sex than middle school girls (at least outwardly)....but dang!  There were quiet a few boys who were freely picking up all the tools that a lady doctor uses.  Just in case, that's not specific enough--let me eluminate you with the following pictures.  The middle school boys were perfectly happy holding the following items (which you probably couldn't make me pick up!):

Okay, awkward sex talk is over.  It was interesting--the whole back wall was the sex ed table (which, to me, wasn't really a pro or con view of sex, just a "here is some information about sex, body parts, and contraception) but then on the wall, they had a poster.  Seo-heong told me that you take a sticky and write what you want as an "ideal mate."

There were many "rich" and "handsomes" on the wall.  I decided to mix it up and put, "Charming. Funny.  Dimple a plus."  The kids loved the concept of a dimple.  There were a couple of the boys who had dimples so I went around the group (which, quiet a few people had gathered in the last 15-20 minutes of sex education talk) and pointed out the dimples.  They all started to blush and poo-pooh me when I pointed to a cute dimple and said, "Yes!  Hand-sa-mhu!" Koreans, for as much as they love to tell a waygook (foreigner) that they are pretty, are very shy and do not take praise or compliments well.  It was great.

This led to a group photo:

So, that was my interesting flight into my old English room.  Next, we head off to lunch--which short, but a sweet little post--so look forward to it!