A typical day at Kim Il Sung University in North Korea.
DRIIIIING DRIIIIIIING!
I open my eyes. It is 6:30 AM and my alarm just rang. I yawn and get myself up. I rub my eyes and stretch my back. I then look at my friend Sarita who, just like me, is also still very sleepy. Having procrastinated for long enough, I finally bring myself to standing and prepare for my new morning routine.
I grab my washbowl, towel, and clothes and take the first dreaded steps towards the communal bathroom. All the girls must shower together. Well… if you can call it a shower. It’s more like a daily ice-bucket challenge. After getting undressed, I fill my washbowl with cold water, raise it above my head, close my eyes, take a deep breath and pour it over myself. I stop breathing for an instant as the cold water touches my skin. I then use my soap and repeat this a few more times. Surprisingly though, after a few days, I actually started to enjoy the cold morning showers (luckily it was August!).
Having gotten ready, I then walked downstairs to the canteen to have breakfast. Today, I am particularly excited since it’s Wednesday which means pancakes for breakfast! Of course, not as tasty as back home — they are a bit too oily — but still, I enjoyed them. I quickly eat my meal and then rush back to my room, grab my stuff and leave for my first day at Kim Il Sung University.
The university’s entrance is not far from the dorms; it’s just across the street and a few meters away. After entering the university, I walk about ten minutes until I reach the building I have classes in. As I’m walking by, I pass a statue of Kim Jong Il. I correctly face the statue, remove my bag from my shoulder and bow to pay my respects, in accordance with the North Korean custom. In North Korea, every time someone walks by a statue of either Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il, they must bow. I also noticed the presence of a man next to the statue, whom I assume was there to make sure everyone follows the bowing rule.
As I’m writing this, I’m reminded of a funny experience I had while in Pyongyang. One day, I was on my way to my first class in the morning and did the customary bow in front of the statue. However, after arriving in class I felt a bit ill and decided to head back to the dorm to rest. On my way back, I paid my respects to the statue a second time. After resting for an hour, I felt better and decided to go back to the university for the second class (we had two classes in the morning and other activities in the afternoon). I thus bowed a third time going there and then a fourth time on my way back. The man standing by the statue must have been very confused and/or amused watching this foreigner going back and forth and bowing repeatedly!
Anyway, back to my first day. After doing the walking and bowing, I finally reached the building I have classes in. I head to the seventh floor and enter the classroom. Above the chalkboard are the two traditional portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. I take a seat at my desk and chat with the other students while waiting for the teacher. After two minutes, the teacher enters the room. We all rise and greet her out of respect and wait for her to give us a sign to sit back down.
Then, attendance. She calls my name, I stand up, announce that I am present and sit back down again. And thus the class begins. Today we’re focusing on Korean speaking practice. It’s interesting to note that each text we studied made either a direct or indirect reference to the Kim Dynasty. For example, we studied a text about Mount Paektu where, according to the legend, the founder of the first kingdom of Korea, Dangun, was born. It is also the place where Kim Il Sung is said to have organized the anti-Japanese guerrilla movement as well as being Kim Jong Il’s place of birth. As such, the text is not just about a mountain but is actually riddled with symbolism.
We have four types of lessons, all of which relate to the Korean Language: oral, writing, grammar, and sociolinguistics. This latter one is about the history and structure of the Korean language. Basically, in that class, the teacher was trying to convince us that the Korean language was unique and the first of its kind.
I remember that during the application process, we had to fill out a form explaining what kind of classes we would like to get in Pyongyang. I asked to have history and international relations classes along with Korean language ones. Maybe I was too naive, but I was really hoping they’d agree! Of course, when I arrived, I realized that I would be learning only Korean.
“DELPINE!” (yes, my name is pronounced like this in Korean as there is no ‘f’ sound). The teacher is calling my name, it startles me. I was daydreaming, I didn’t realize she was talking to me. “Yes?” I say, blushing. I don’t like to be on the spot. “Can you give us the answer to question 3 of the exercise you had to do for today?”. Oh no… I didn’t do it. I had decided to go for karaoke with the Chinese students last night and didn’t do the homework. I apologize to her, very ashamed of myself.
She then tells me: “Well, since you did not do your homework, you will receive a punishment. Stand up.” I obey. “Now sing the song of the University we learned last time”. This song is about the glory of Korea that can be achieved by always studying harder and harder. So yes, my “punishment” was to sing the Kim Il Sung University song in front of all the other students. I felt quite embarrassed as singing is far from being my best talent.
After our last class of the day, it was time to go back to the dormitory to eat lunch. I decided to first drop by the university cafeteria and buy an “injobap”, which is rice inside of a sort of ‘crêpe’ with some chili sauce. I ended up becoming obsessed with this little snack, so every time I had the chance I would buy it. I then walked back to the dorms, not forgetting to bow to the Kim Jong Il statue.
After lunch, it’s nap time for the Korean students. Despite our complaining, we (French students) have to wait for our Korean friends to wake up so we can go visit a site in the afternoon. Today it’s the War Museum of Pyongyang, or the so-called “Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum”. Yes, because North Korea won the Korean War; that is what they explain in the Museum. But that story is for another chapter!
