Some answers from questions I posed to the kids:

• They love their uniforms – because they are comfortable, and they don’t have to worry about what fashionable thing to wear.
• They would rather dress casual than wear a suit if they were salary men (though the thought of suits being the same as a uniform escapes them)
• They love money and would rather have money than job happiness
• They would not be against corporal punishment for their own children
• They don’t mind staying at school so late
• black hair color is the most beautiful
• The boys’ most hated school rule is short hair cuts
• The girls’ most hated school rule is long skirts
• The prefer to live in apartments vs. houses
• All of the students said they would be at university five years from now.
• If a boy had a girl for a boss, he said he would kill her
• One boy said women should not make more money than men, and that it will never change because of their confuscian history and because it is in the Korean blood
• Girls felt girls should be in combat because they can be just as strong

When asked to describe one thing unique about themselves, some of the answers were:

• I am unique because I have small eyes (this coming from the most beautiful girl with the largest eyes – odds are she is thinking about eyelid surgery)
• I am unique because I have long black hair (this coming from a girl surrounded by girls with equally long black hair)
• I am unique because I am good at math (they’re almost all good at math)

One girl whom I love said she would paint her room red, and all the other girls gasped…but then she changed her mind…

When I asked what was their dream profession when they were little, I heard…veterinarian, teacher, artist, pianist, policeman, pastor, CEO, and president.

When I asked them what they would major in they said, doctor, lawyer, and teacher.  The loss of dreams doesn’t seem to be a conflict or bother them.

Oh Korea…