Ms.Coppola (1)

The speaker, Ms. Coppola, grew up in Seoul, Korea and moved around a lot as a child. She remembers her house in Korea with a wall, a big garden, and guardhouses. She had strict parents who influenced her a lot. Moving was a big challenge for her, especially when she moved from Korea to the United States in sixth grade. Art has always been her passion, and she became an art teacher. She liked math and history in school, but disliked languages. She lived in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the United States before moving to Italy. She studied arts in university and lived in different cities like Miami, San Francisco, and New York. Trieste is now her favorite place to live because of its quality of life. She enjoys traveling but not moving. Hi Ms. Coppola, how are you doing today? Very well, thank you. I'm glad it's Friday. What's your full name? Jennifer Fuller Coppola. Could you describe to me the neighborhood or community you grew up in? I moved around a lot as a kid. I could say that I grew up in Korea, actually. In Seoul, Korea, because that's where I went to elementary school. So a big city. And sort of being a foreigner. Our family was a foreign family in a big city. I went to international school. Oh, like all of this stuff. And do you have some memories about your house and life? So yeah, actually I have a lot of memories of that house that we lived in, in Korea. Similar to houses here in Trieste, you know, it had sort of a wall around it. It had a big garden. It had two, like, guardhouses on it. And I remember, like, even being sort of young, walking from my house, sort of through the neighborhood to a store that was down the street, even though I didn't speak Korean. But I would go and buy, like, I would have pocket money and I would go buy candy. So, like, it was near from the stores in the center. You know, at the time, it felt like it was far. You know, because when you're little, things feel like they're far away. But I think it couldn't have been that far, because I was in elementary school. But it was like a big city. You know, it was like living in... Yeah, it's the capital city. I think it's a really pretty city. I saw some photos. Yeah, it's changed a lot since I left there. And who had the greatest influence on you as a child or as an adult? So, definitely my parents. Your parents. And do you remember, like, some things that they did for you? So, I remember my mom was really, really strict with us when we were kids. It's funny, she's not anymore. And now, as a grandmother, she's not strict. But with me and my sister, she was really strict about behavior and how you treated other people and things like that. You know, she had a really strong sense of how you're supposed to behave and stuff. But now you're, like, a teacher and you're happy, so that's a help. Now I get to be the one doing that, yeah. And do you... So, I heard you have a sibling. Yeah, yeah. You have a sister. And what would you say are the greatest challenges you've faced in your life? So, probably moving. Moving is a huge challenge. And it's actually considered, like, one of the biggest stressful things, generally, in people's lives. So, yeah, I think, you know, probably moving. Like, when I moved from Korea to the United States, that was a huge thing because I went from a completely different culture. You know, I was at international school. I was with kids that had all, like, moved around. And then I moved to, like, a small town in the U.S. How old were you when you moved? I was in sixth grade. Sixth grade, so little. Yeah, all your friends are left behind and you have to start all over again. But not only that, it was I moved into a school where the kids had been a little bit like IST, where a lot of the kids had been together since kindergarten. And you're, like, the odd one out. Yeah. I can understand that. And was art already your passion, or did you have a different passion? So, I always liked art. Yeah? Yeah, I always liked art. That was always my favorite subject. Also, school, you did it, like, really, you wanted to do it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I went to, you know, regular high school, kind of like IST, where we studied, you know, all the subjects. So, art was just, you know, one of my many classes. But I always, yeah, yeah. And, like, when you were little, did you have this idea of becoming an art teacher, or it came when you were older? In fact, I, you know, people always told me, like my mom and, you know, the people always told me, oh, you'd be a good teacher because, like, I'm patient. Yeah, you're really patient. A lot of these things. But I had kind of a bad experience when I was, because when I was in high school, I worked, I did volunteering in, because my high school had, went from, like, kinder all the way up through high school. So, I volunteered in kindergarten class, and the teacher had me doing projects, and everything was great. But one day, I went into class, and the teacher wasn't there for some reason. I don't remember why. Something, obviously, something must have happened, because the kids were all there, but the teacher wasn't there. And the kids were, like, going wild. And me coming in, I was like, oh, my God, there's no way I can, like, control these kids. So, that was kind of my impression of what teaching was like, of, like, having to try and control kids. And I thought I could never, I thought I could never do it. But now, here I am. Now, yeah, a wonderful teacher. I think, like, you're really patient, and I like what you teach. Oh, thank you. Thank you. And what was school like for you? Like, what was your, art was your favorite subject, but other than art, did you like math or science? Yeah, you know, interestingly, I was always pretty good at math, until I got to, like, Algebra II and Calculus. And then I was like, oh, my God, I am definitely not understanding this anymore. I kind of, I liked geometry. Geometry was sort of fun. It was like, it was like puzzle, you know, like learning a puzzle, kind of. So, I always liked math until I got to, like, more high level of math. Yeah, I can imagine. I liked history. But I think that might be because I had a teacher in high school that I really liked, and he was a history teacher. So, I think, I mean, I do like history. Also, like, teaching, I like teaching art history. But I think I liked history because I had, like, a teacher who taught it for me. So, you think that a good teacher is also, like, with a subject you don't like, you can, like, have a big influence on it? I think so. Yes, I think so. And... Yeah, because if you have a subject that you like, but you have a teacher who doesn't teach you well, it can also take the joy out of it. And a subject that you really detested, like, didn't like? Languages. Languages. Ooh, languages. I took Latin my first year of high school. Bad idea. Bad idea. But is it for a teacher, or, like, you didn't like it? I think I'm just, I was never well-adapted. I felt like I wasn't adapted to languages, which is strange, considering that I lived in Korea as a kid. But, yeah, I have a hard time with languages. Even Italian, I still, I'm still learning Italian after 20 years of being here. Other than Korea and America, where did you also, like, live? So, I lived in Hong Kong and Malaysia. Oh, like, in the Asia, in the... Yeah, yeah, we lived all together nine years when I was a kid in Asia. So, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Korea. And then, yeah, the United States, but I moved around a lot in the United States. And then Italy. But, like, do you only English and a bit of Italian, or do you also, like, Korean, Chinese? You know, like, a couple words of Korean. Okay, like, saying hi. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Like, I can count to ten, you know, things like that. But I studied Spanish in high school, but really bad. But you, like, remember, like, how to say hi. Yes, yes, yes, basically. At least the basics. So, if you go in Spain, you know how to do hola. Yeah. But then I studied Italian at university, because I studied arts, and I studied in Florence for a year. But then it wasn't until I moved here that I started, like, really learning. Yeah, because you have also, like, the surroundings to speak all Italian, so then you can also adapt and maybe learn some new things. Even though I work here, and we all speak English here. Well, when you went to university, did you, like, do only arts? Like, how many years did you do? So, I went to what's called a liberal arts school in the United States. It's pretty common. So, you study a little bit of everything, and then I specialized in arts. So, you know, I studied sciences. I had to take some math classes. Languages. Languages, yes. Again, I tried Spanish, because I thought, well, I've studied Spanish. Well, and then Italian. I guess Italian counts, because I took that one. Did you end university in America, or did you do some years also here in Italy? So, it was four years. I did one year, one of the four years in Italy. Oh, so, like, and then, like, at what age did you transfer to Italy? So, well, like, to live here, you mean? It was, huh, 2002. So, I was 40 when I moved here. Yeah, Italy. Do you think Italy is a nice city? Like, a nice place? 30 when I moved here. 30 when I moved here. And do you think, like, Trieste is a nice city? Yes, I do, I do. You enjoy it? Trieste is really, really nice. I think it would be hard to find another place to live that has the quality of life that Trieste does. And of the, like, different places you've lived in, which one's, like, your favorite one? Well, probably Trieste is my favorite, because I, like, I lived in Miami for a few years. Miami. Miami was really nice. Yeah. But to live there for a long time, I don't know how Miami would have been. San Francisco was also nice. I lived in San Francisco for, oh, New York. Maybe New York is actually my favorite. New York, New York, okay. Yeah. But, like, did you, like, when you transferred with your family, did you, like, you, like, like, go around the world, or only for your parents you have to transfer? Sorry, I didn't mean to. Like, when you transferred from a house to another, like, in different countries. Oh, yeah. Did it, was it for, like, your parents' jobs? Yeah, yeah. Mostly. Until, well, I was in school, so until I was, like, in high school. But then, no, then it was because I went away for university. And then I got my first job in New York City. And then I met my husband, and we moved to San Francisco. And then he got a job in Miami, so we moved to Miami. But still, like, you like going around the world? Yeah. Yeah, you like traveling? Yeah, yeah. I do. I do like traveling. Moving, not so much. Traveling, yes. Moving. Yeah, especially, like, I think when you're little, it can be, like, a bit tragic because, like, all your friends are there, and you have to change. Right, right. Yeah, yeah. And if now you had to go to visit a country, what country would it be? I think I'd like to go back to Korea at some point. I think I'd like to go there. I think, like, from my experience, it's a bit difficult to enter now Korea, yes. Yeah, yeah. Not as difficult as some Asian countries. Like, I think China would be very difficult also because the technology that you need, like money, for example, in China. They don't, you can't really pay in cash. What is, ah, no. You can't pay in cash. Oh, my God. It's only, like, with your phone. So you have to have, like, an app on your phone. Yeah, because it's, like, really technologic, and China's, like, forward. Yeah, yeah. So Korea would be... I don't think that's the case in Korea. I think Korea's a little more open to, you know, that you can use other technologies. But still, the language barrier. Yeah, so it's with the language. My daughter's in Australia right now. In Australia. She graduated from IST, right? No, my older daughter. Oh, you have two daughters. Yeah, the one who graduated from IST is studying in the United States near Boston. Oh, okay. Yeah, and the other one finished studying and is now traveling in Australia. Australia's nice. It's, like, distant, but it's really nice. Yeah, yeah. So I wouldn't mind going there. The problem just is traveling to get there because it's really long. I personally, like, am a bit scared of Australia because, like, of all the animals. But I think it's a really nice country. Yeah. You know, it's funny. Before she left, of course, everybody kept talking about, oh, you know, all the dangerous animals. Crocodiles, sharks, jellyfish, snakes, spiders, like, all the kinds of crazy, dangerous animals. She said they haven't seen any of that. They were walking in a park a couple of weeks ago, and for the first time they saw a snake, which was a pretty dangerous snake. Oh, my. But snakes, generally speaking, unless you, like, scare them, unless you step on them, you know, unless you're walking in the woods and you startle them, they won't really attack you. Yeah, but I think it's really, like, scary. I know. So, like, all the parents were saying, oh, my gosh, in Australia, it's so dangerous. She said they got there, and it seems like a pretty safe place. But she still wanted, like, to study there and, like... Traveling. Traveling, only traveling. So, now she has a house there. No, no, no. Only for a bit. Yeah, just for a bit, yeah. Yeah, but it's nice. Yeah. Yeah. And you, as a mother, I think you're, like, really happy for them. Yes, I'm happy for her. I'm sorry it's so far away, but... It's, like, something, like, you, the daughter, you raised it, so it's, like, a nice thing. Yeah, yeah. So... Okay. Thank you very much. You're welcome. You're welcome. Have we reached the amount of time you needed to talk? Yes, it was, like... Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.