Just listen for your name and fill in the blanks.....

This week we had belt ceremonies during class.  For those of you who don't know, belt ceremonies are when students who have completed their belt testing receive their new belt in front of their fellow students and parents; a congratulatory aspect of the wonderful sport of Korean Tae Kwon Do.  

Normally on the Monday starting the week of belt ceremonies all the belts are counted and labeled for each student who took and passed their belt test.  This belt order was perfect; we had exactly the right amount of belts, in the right sizes and colors for all the testing students.  The Headmaster and I were very proud of our teamwork on this.  

Some background, the Headmaster owns three studios in various locations in the same town; within 2-3 miles of eachother.  

Anyway, since the belts were all clearly labeled and even separated by class, when the Co-master sent me to a different location for the first two days of belt ceremonies I didn't question it.  I was actually quite at peace since everything was so organized and unmistakably labeled.  

However, on the third day when I returned to my main office location I found what looked like complete chaos. On the table where all the new belts were arranged, some belts remained, tags had been cut off, names were crossed out and re-written.  I was uneasy about what had gone on in the previous days with the Co-master and the Chief instructor running the studio (both of them have the worst English out of all the staff).  

Our meeting was called and the Co-master brought up the belt ceremonies and how hard it was and how messed up it became.  The Headmaster could not believe this since this belt rotation was "perphect" (a favorite English word of his).  The Co-master then brought up a student whose belt was not there and then she had to change all the names and switch everything around because the student's belt was not there and needed to get the belt so they switched names and gave her someone else's belt. 

                            .....the student's belt wasn't there because she didn't take the test.---

Immediately a Korean argument between the Headmaster and the Co-master (his wife), by listening carefully to the few English words said and the Korean words whose meaning I have picked up through observation.  I could hear the Co-master saying my name along with the Korean word for "not there", and the Headmaster refuting by saying (in Korean) what sounded like the 3rd studio needed to be open (this was where I was for the past two days), and that there shouldn't have been any mistakes because we double checked and double checked over and over again.  This conversation lasted for about a good 30 minutes, with me standing there part of the conversation, but separated from it as it was being held in a different language.  But I'm used to it, when they start speaking Korean I just listen for my name and deduce by tone of voice and other English words what is being said.  

This could have been avoided by my being there during the ceremonies which was the Co-master's excuse for what happened.  Either that or that my list was inaccurate. Or both.  But in reality she did not trust the list and her lack of English communication skills caused an embarrassing mistake that is no one else's fault but  hers.  

In a way I feel like this is just desserts for the pride of a Korean woman in an English speaking world, and it should make them realize how valuable my presence and my work behind the desk really is.  But at the same time I am caught up in a sticky situation; a language barrier mistake that they might send their interpreter to explain and fix.  

Such is the dynamic of solving difficult problems at Only One American Staff Member Martial Arts: the Koreans argue in Korean, and I stand/sit there listening for the few English words they will use and play my guessing game of fill in the blanks.  

"Mul La Yo" ("I Don't Know")

The co-master, the head master's wife, barely speaks enough English to survive.  She must only know about 80 English words; but she amazingly stretches these words over all her areas of English conversations, limited to teaching class and speaking to me.  She avoids ALL other English conversational contact when at all possible.
My interactions with her therefor consist of 2-4 word exchanges that are mutually understood methods of communication tools that took us quite a bit of time to set in place.  "Check it out", she will say whether she wants me to check a students contract, to see if the air conditioning is on, or to see if the call forwarding has been done.
"Saa-booh-ree-naah", she calls (Koreans annunciate EVERY syllable, even the ones that aren't there).
"Yes Ma'am", I answer.
"Air conditioning" (this means she wants to know if the air conditioning is on).
"Mul- lah- yoh" ( which means I don't know).
 "Saa-booh-ree-naah, Susy due date" (this means she wants to know when Susy is due to renew her contract),
"Next Week", I answer, even though I'm sure she has this already written down in Korean letters on her calendar in at least 3 places.
 "Call forwarding, check it out" (this means she wants me to make sure the studio phone has been forwarded to the head master's cell phone for closing hours).
"Yes Ma'am" I answer again, even though she should know by know that I NEVER forget to set the call forwarding.  
For troubling issues that involve the best customer service and the utmost of tact, she will thankfully let me handle on my own.  She must know that an angry American only gets angrier when they don't understand what a person is saying to them.
"You", she will simply say, often followed by "How's the feeling?" (this means wants me to completely handle the situation, but she also wants to know what I am going to do to handle it). Fortunately, she usually accepts my one favorite Korean phrase:
 "Mul- Lah- Yo" (which means I don't know).  

Phone Calls, and the Google Calendar

Yesterday I arrive at work and the Master is starring at the Google Calendar (which I love to use and so does he) but it seems that sometimes it causes him more confusion than it helps him.  He likes it because it links to his email which goes directly to his Google cell phone so he can keep track of what he is doing but he doesn't really know how to use it and keeps changing the way he wants it linked which just confuses everybody.
So while he sits at my desk starring at a screen with lots of colorful appointments, I find other things to do to look like I'm busy; dust, clear the area of clutter, and general tidying up.

Suddenly, he is in a panic handing me a phone that has been dialed and answered by a parent on the other end.
   "Hi, this is Sabrina from Only One American Staff Member Martial Arts", I say to a mom who has undoubtedly said "hello" into a quiet phone multiple times.  I know who it is and what I'm supposed to say now as the Master points to a name on the computer screen.  Then as he silently, but urgently points to various other objects on a screen, I confirm a 10-15 minute evaluation meeting with a 5yr old boy who may potentially sign up for our studio.   I'm not sure why suddenly he handed me the phone since he does this type of thing all the time.  Maybe he drew a blank on what to say and thought he'd throw me under the phone conversation bus instead.  But hey, what can I say, that was in my job description; Or, it would be, if I had one.
After silently hanging up the phone and telling him that the appointment was confirmed, he was surprised that an appointment originally created 1 week prior, was confirmed. He said that usually people who make an appointment with him more than one day in advance, cancel when he calls to confirm.

After that fun little exchange, he went back to starring at the Calendar and I went back to shuffling envelopes, and moving things around in my attempt to seem busy.

2pm... I'm just cleaning the mirror........

Today I'm reminded of a time when I arrived early to work and the Master was actually there before me.  This almost never happens; usually when arrival time for work is 2pm, the master will show up usually no earlier than 2:30pm.  But, he is a busy man and he is allowed to show up to his own business whenever he wants.
Well this day I arrive and he is there with two other men (I'm not sure who they were) they were speaking in Korean with each other.  For quite some time they spoke back and forth as I quietly cleaned the mirrors and windows like I'm supposed to.  Suddenly the talking grows quieter and I can see them gesturing toward me with inquisitive looks on their faces.  My master asks if I know what they are saying, to which I responded
"No sir, I'm just cleaning the mirror."
All three gentlemen throw their heads back and start laughing; apparently they had made a comment about a spot that I'd missed before and then went back to right as they mentioned it in Korean.  This made them think that I heard and understood what they said and thus went back to the spot on the mirror that I'd missed, causing them to lower their tones while they spoke about me.
The master's do this often.  They go into the office and close the door like its a private conversation even though I won't understand what they are saying anyway.  I should learn Korean without them knowing so I can surprise them.

Intro/About Me

Hey ya'll!
This is a starting point for me in something I've wanted to do for quite some time now.
My name is Sabrina and I have been working (or have somehow been deeply involved) at a Korean-owned and operated, Martial Arts Studio for a large chunk of my life.  The majority of that time I was the token American who had to sit quietly and try to deduce what was being said based on the few English words that were said during extensive Korean conversations.  Some people may hate this, but I find it an amusing challenge.
So this blog will be about experiences I've had and other humorous situations that occurred while trying to function and communicate in a foreign culture right here in America.

Sabrina