Coming to South Korea has been an adventure so far, not in the many places or people that I've met but in the culture. What I expected when coming to Korea was uncertainity, something different than home, something truly foreign with weird customs and ideas. Now I believe that with any abroad experience it's always going to be different than home. I have come to eat foods different than I would have back home, heard people talk with a language different than mine. Through it all I'm still going, still wanting to see and try all that is Korea. I believe I will, at least most of it anyway; curiosity right now is my best friend because it's allowing me to try new things. I may not agree with some of the ideas of the people, but I am keeping an open mind and curious as to how they do things.
Well its been a week and five days since I've left home and I have to admit, I'm homesick but not real bad. Homesick for the foods I use to eat, the language and the people; here I am surrounded by Asians and seems to be nothing else and by a language I don't yet know. I guess in a way it's like foreigners who come to the US, nothing is like home and they have to learn how to cope. I too am learning how to cope, but the good thing about it is the family I am staying with is helping me little by little. Speaking the language without slowing down, feeding me foods but making some exceptions, being kind because I am a foreigner. At one point my friend asked me a question about a program we were watching and what had happened. The program of course was in Korean so I didn't know what was going on, but it was the idea that I've been around her this long and listened to Korean, she thought I had understood most of what was going on. I just looked at her and said, " You got to be kidding right?" Her response was to laugh, " I'm sorry." "You just thought I spoke Korean?" "Yeah I forgot, " was her response. I guess in a way that can be considered a good thing and at the same time a bad thing.
Korean I'm slowly learning, but it's a slow process that will take time like anything.
Annyounghaseyo
Well its been a week and five days since I've left home and I have to admit, I'm homesick but not real bad. Homesick for the foods I use to eat, the language and the people; here I am surrounded by Asians and seems to be nothing else and by a language I don't yet know. I guess in a way it's like foreigners who come to the US, nothing is like home and they have to learn how to cope. I too am learning how to cope, but the good thing about it is the family I am staying with is helping me little by little. Speaking the language without slowing down, feeding me foods but making some exceptions, being kind because I am a foreigner. At one point my friend asked me a question about a program we were watching and what had happened. The program of course was in Korean so I didn't know what was going on, but it was the idea that I've been around her this long and listened to Korean, she thought I had understood most of what was going on. I just looked at her and said, " You got to be kidding right?" Her response was to laugh, " I'm sorry." "You just thought I spoke Korean?" "Yeah I forgot, " was her response. I guess in a way that can be considered a good thing and at the same time a bad thing.
Korean I'm slowly learning, but it's a slow process that will take time like anything.
Annyounghaseyo