Korean Children’s Games

Nationality: Korean
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seoul
Performance Date: 2/21/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Korean

Text: Gong-gi is the name of a children’s game played in Korea

Context: One of my friends from Korea talked about a traditional children’s game that has been passed down. It is known as Gong-gi and she talked about how the game is “played with five stones and it’s very common to see stones on the floor” which is why she believes it’s passed down. She also mentioned that “usually in elementary school or before elementary school” is the age most people play this game “but [one] can still play as [they] grow up”. Overall, the game is played through 5 stages that are repeated. Essentially, “every time [people] start with 5 stones and every time [people] would spread out the stones on the floor”. For the first stage, players would grab throw 1 and grab 1 each. The second stage is similar except you grab 2 at the same time twice. In the third stage, 1 stone is thrown and 3 are grabbed at the same time and then 1 stone is thrown again and the last stone is grabbed. For the fourth stage, 1 stone is thrown while the other 4 are placed on the floor and the 1 falling from the sky is grabbed. The 1 that was falling is thrown again but this time the 4 stones on the ground are grabbed and the 1 tossed in the air a second time is caught again. The fifth and final stage has people flip their hands (palm side down) so the stones will rest on the back of the hand and all of the stones are thrown into the air from the back of one’s hand and one tries to catch all of the stones. My friend explained the process and how “each stone is a point…at stage five [one] gets the point”. When I asked if the most points determine the winner she said “usually [people] can just go forever or set a goal score”. She thinks it was her “grandma and [her] aunt that taught [her] this when [she] was young but [she] really got into this in fourth grade…during breaks homeroom teachers wanted students to play this”. She mentioned that originally this game was “thought of as a game for girls but because [they] made it into…[they] became very competitive so the guys started to master their skills too…every break time everyone in the class would be sitting on the floor playing this game…had tournaments every day”. Overall she thought that the game was “really good with brain-hand connection because [one] has to think strategically how [they] are gonna place the stones…how are they gonna spread the stones…[one] has to think quick…moving [one’s] fingers around. When asked why she thought the game was important, she said that “to her, it’s important because it’s a Korean traditional game…keeping the tradition going…also because it can be very competitive…good game to pass time and be competitive with friends”.

Analysis: After some research, it became apparent that this game is not only played in Korea. Other European countries play this game with slightly altered rules and or objects used to play the game. Overall, the simplicity of the game shows a little bit about the culture in Korea. People don’t need fancy new kid’s games to have fun. I think here in America young children today are not easily entertained, even with expensive toys. The many aspects of this game also show that the Korean culture emphasizes more stimulating games for kids as well as competition from a young age. This game focuses on motor skills (physical), strategy (mental), and competition (social). It also shows that tradition is important to Koreans as this game continues to be passed down through generations.

Korean Curse Words

Nationality: Korean
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seoul
Performance Date: 2/21/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Korean

Text: Gæ-sæ-kki is a common curse word in Korea

Context: One of my roommates is from Korea. She shared some insight as to what this curse word is, some background, as well as her personal opinion of the previously mentioned curse word. She started by sharing that “in Korean, [they] say Gæ-sæ-kki to people…it literally means an offspring of a dog”. However, she went on to share that apparently “the word of offspring is not like a kind word of offspring, it’s usually referred to as offspring of animals”. Essentially she was saying that using this meaning of offspring to another person “downgrades them”. This is because she said that culturally “dogs were kind of downgraded…they were for guarding houses…they were not family members…there were also lots of stray dogs”. She mentioned the reason for this may have to do with the fact that “during wars and everything it was even hard for people to live…Korea was squeezed between China and Japan and Russia”. She continued to say that calling someone “an offspring of a dog…it’s downgrading them one step by referring them to a dog, but also downgrading them once again by saying [they] are not even an adult dog…[they] are a baby dog”. After gaining a basic understanding of the curse’s meaning, I asked her to share how she knows this word and her relationship with it. She shared that “[she] doesn’t use it” and came to know about it simply because “it’s one of the most common curse words”. She continued to talk about how “pronunciations-wise [she] loves how it sounds like…it’s so effective…but referring to someone as a dog is…[she] doesn’t know…it is a curse word, but it’s not nice”.

Analysis: It was interesting to see this different viewpoint of dogs in Korean culture compared to American culture. In America, dogs are viewed as family members whereas in Korea they served more purpose like guard dogs. I suppose that is why some in America view calling someone a dog as more of an insult to the dog because we as a society love our furry friends. I think the main disconnect between these cultural views of dogs has to do with the history of each country. As my friend mentioned above, Korea was involved in more wars than the United States, most likely because Korea had more countries surrounding its borders. The U.S. was involved in significantly fewer wars as it only really has other countries on its northern and southern border. As a result, in Korea, since the people were already struggling to live, people might not have had the luxury of viewing dogs as another member of the family. Since dogs were viewed as animals, that is why it is such an insult in Korean culture.

“Where does the Ocean Lay to Sleep?” Joke

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: United States
Performance Date: 2/16/23
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Text

The informant’s demeanor was theatrical, adding to the comedy of the situation. It was overly fanciful, which made it evident that the joke they were planning to tell was something rather simple in structure and recitation.

“Where does the ocean lay to sleep?” they asked, prompting me for a response of some sort.

“Where?” I asked.

They grinned, genuinely a bit proud. “On the seabed.”

Context

RELATIONSHIP –
They stated that they hate the piece, but it happened to be the first joke that came to mind when they searched their brain for jokes that they knew. They wanted to tell another joke, but simply couldn’t think of one.

WHERE THEY HEARD IT –
The informant found the joke out-of-place in a “knock-knock” joke book they owned as a child.

USE OR INTERPRETATION –
They interpret the joke as a play on words. Specifically, they said “My interpretation of the joke is that it’s funny because the ‘seabed’ is obviously the floor of the sea… so where the ocean sleeps– well the ocean doesn’t sleep– which is, you know, it’s interesting and it’s fun to imagine: if it did sleep, where would it sleep? Naturally, on the seabed which is also a play on the English word of where we usually sleep: bed.”

Analysis

The joke is effective due to its play on words specifically in conjunction with the English language. It’s simple and easy to understand for an English speaker as a joke that places emphasis on having a double meaning. The joke personifies an inanimate object– the ocean– to provoke the audience’s imagination without immediately giving away the answer. The resulting punchline is easy to understand and is thus satisfying for the audience. “Seabed” is a rudimentary word in the English language that works in fulfilling the audience’s active imagination as they picture a personified ocean sleeping on the ocean floor.

Proverb: “Curiosity killed the cat, but…”

Nationality: Filipino
Age: 24
Occupation: Unemployed
Residence: Washington State
Performance Date: 2/22/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Tagalog

Text

The informant was eager to present a proverb that immediately came to mind. Before saying the proverb what it was, they claimed that it was a saying they use very frequently.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” they began, elongating the pause for emphasis. “A lot of people know that half of it,” the informant stated, “but what a lot of people don’t know is the second half of it, which I think is the most important part.” They started again, “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

Context

RELATIONSHIP –
The informant stated that they had a close relationship with this proverb. Before knowing the whole phrase, it seemed like a cautionary message, but getting to know the whole saying encouraged them to allow themself to be more curious. Now they’re less afraid of asking questions.

WHERE THEY HEARD IT –
Initially they had only heard the “Curiosity killed the cat”-half of the proverb from somewhere they don’t recall. The informant first saw the full proverb from a Tumblr post detailing the entire saying.

USE OR INTERPRETATION –
They use the second half of the saying often to correct people who only say the first half. They believe that the saying, when incomplete, makes people turn away from their curiosity. But this conflicts with the proverb as a whole. In its entirety, the proverb says that “seeking knowledge isn’t a bad thing. When you pursue it, it does more for you than fear itself.”

Analysis

“Curiosity killed the cat,” is a proverb used more frequently than “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” At that point, I start to wonder if they could be counted as separate proverbs. I feel that there are instances in which both arguments are valid. Saying just the first part of it can act as a proper warning, especially for children who could end up in dangerous situations or exploring inappropriate content. But for people who are afraid to make explorations, I think the second half of the saying can do a lot to help them by encouraging them to pursue any interests.

The “Peace Sign” Gesture

Nationality: Filipino
Age: 24
Occupation: Unemployed
Residence: Washington State
Performance Date: 2/22/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Tagalog

Text

“There’s one gesture I do all the time,” the informant prefaced.

They lifted their hand to a position beside their face. Aside from the index and middle finger straightened out, the hand would’ve been in a fist. Initially, they posed with their palm faced-out and their extended fingers pointed towards their cheek. This sort of pose seemed to lead directly into them popping their hip out. Adjusting the pose slightly, they faced their palm toward themself, pulling in their elbow and having the extending fingers positioned parallel to their cheek. With this pose, they automatically popped out the other hip.

They shrugged. “It’s just something I always do.”

Context

RELATIONSHIP –
The informant has a deep relationship with this gesture. It’s something they say they do instinctually– like waving at someone you know from afar or looking up when you’re in deep thought.

WHERE THEY SAW IT –
This gesture couldn’t be pinpointed to a specific point of origin for them. From what they know, the “peace sign” gesture was brought to them as a culmination of exposure to it from an assortment of friends and family.

USE OR INTERPRETATION –
They interpret it as a friendly, playful gesture that’s easy to do. Generally, it’s used as a pose when taking pictures or as a greeting pose towards friends.

Analysis

While I understand that different cultures have different meanings behind the “peace sign,” this particular use of it is something common in the culture I’m in. It’s a pose that can be adjusted in a variety of ways as was demonstrated to me by the informant. Regardless of the posture, it’s always used as a positive, cutesy gesture. The inclusion of it in a pose is usually rather flashy and attention-grabbing in some way or another.