Last week I introduced the kids to my lip piercing!

After arriving in Korea and being asked to remove my lip ring before meeting the kids – “They will laugh” (or rather the director won’t like it) – I had been wearing an annoying plastic retainer to keep the hole open. Not being able to do up the retainer I had to take it out every time I ate and I had already lost about five – it was inconvenient to say the least.

Some of the kids had already spotted my retainer and knew there was something there but piercings are not common here and the younger kids didn’t really know what it was. But after having sat in the teachers office on numerous occasions wearing my lip ring without a single comment I decided it was time to start wearing a stud into lessons!

The first time the kids see the stud, the younger kids instantly point saying: “What?” To which I have begun to respond: “It’s a sticker!” Some of them just believe me, whilst others are more skeptical and want to touch it to make sure. Many of the older kids don’t mention it. The kindergarten kids, who’d, all already seen my retainer pointed for about three minutes then promptly forgot all about it!

The reactions form individual kids have varied enormously. One asked: “What” then stared open mouthed for the whole lesson. Another, very bright eight year old, said: “Teacher it is interesting.” One kid told me it was “beautiful” before almost passing out when she realised it went all the way through my lip! Whilst a boy of about 14 asked: “piercing” and when I told him, yes his face lit up and he turned to his mate grinning saying: “wow!”

The one thing that has surprised me is how accepting the kids are. Mostly they have been interested in it the first time I have worn it into their lesson then the next time I see them have completely forgotten about it.

* Posted by j150vsc on 11/12/2006.