Peter Rabbit

I don't remember exactly who introduced me to the stories of Peter Rabbit, though I do have a vague memory that it might have been my great-grandmother. In any case, one of the aspects of the stories that always stayed with me was the cutting off of rabbit tails. I always imagined just a little cotton ball being cut off these talking rabbits.

There's a scene from the Tale of Peter Rabbit that speaks to this:

Then some one [sic] began to sing 'Three blind mice, three blind mice!' It sounded disagreeable to Peter; it made him feel as though his own tail were going to be cut off: his fur stood on end.

---The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Memories of that story are buried my subconscious from when little. Imagine my surprise when I examined the knife used in my school's teacher's office for cutting food:

Office Tools: Roll Paper

In my final post on a short series, I must introduce to you "roll paper." From the picture, it is obvious that this is what is commonly referred to as "toilet paper." In Korea, this paper is used for napkins, facial tissues (*wink Dan), and cleaning rags. The funny thing is that while this paper is used in the bathroom its often impossible to find in any public restrooms.

When I started school, two different "first days," my co-teacher brought me a tube of roll paper and plopped it on my desk when they showed me where to sit. It was as if it was the essential tool for me at school. Later, I had something like the following conversation with one my teachers:

Co-teacher: I heard that in America, they call this toilet paper.
Me: Yeah. We pretty much just use it in the bathroom.
Co-teacher: Why? That's so funny!

It's odd; toilet paper in Korea is used for some many things that Koreans can't understand why westerners use it mainly for the toilet anymore.
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Up next week:
A short series about driving and parking in Korea.

Office Supplies: "Cutta"

In m short series on Korean office supplies, I would be negligent if I didn't mention the Korean "Cutta." This is of course Konglish for the full-term "box cutter." Only the don't use it primarily as a box-cutter. These cuttas have taken the place of scissors, paper cutters, pencil sharpeners and box cutters in most cases.

While scissors can still be found, they are seen mainly as a kitchen utensil--used to cut up huge bunches of kimchi or meat. No, in the office, people use cuttas.

Below, is the time of box cutter that I'm referring to. They are the kind with the long blade that can be broken off when it becomes too dull to use. These are used to cut strips of paper (or textbooks if the student is bored) and sharpen pencils. These tasks could of course be accomplished with a pair of scissors and a pencil sharpener respectively.

In America, I would have taken these away from the students. Not only can they cause accidental injury, but the possibility of them being used for violence is very real. A teacher here told me a story of a bully being sliced up by one of his victims by one of these knives in school.

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Up next: roll paper

Office Supplies: Korean Files

I don't know what took me so long to get around to write this post. Even though generally the Korean office tools are the same as an American office, there are some big differences.

Since the teacher's don't have classroom to call their own (they move from room to room each class), they all have a desk in one big "teacher's office." The vice-principal sits a a desk in the center to overlook everything. Imagine the office setup from "The Office" as opposed to the cubicles in "Office Space."

The first difference between American and Korean office tools is the filing system. In America, I grew used to the hanging file system and just figured it was a world standard. Boy was I wrong. Let me first start by saying that after using the Korean system for 8 months now, I have to say it sucks.

Above is a picture from a Korean "file." These are basically binders with the clear sleeves permanently attached. Then, you slide your papers into sleeves. This is a typical sized binder. I use it to file hard-copies of my lessons or reference papers after I've finished them. The vice-principal has a massive one of these binders that's easily six inches think and must contain thousands of papers. I can't imagine how he finds anything. I have not seen a single filing cabinet in all of Korea.

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Up Next: "cutta"