is the people who you meet along the way.
I’m getting a little (maybe that’s a bit of an understatement) sentimental these days. The Korea countdown is less than 90 days. At times, it feels as if this has always been my home, but usually it feels like I arrived last week. Where did a year and 9 months go? I’ve been thinking a lot about what has made Korea such an amazing experience for me, and it always comes back to the people whether they be 외국인 (foreigner) or 한국인 (Korean).
Recently, I was asked to describe Korean people. I chose the words hard working, proud, and generous. The teachers at my school work much longer hours than I do and often for less pay. Old women are out in the fields working or selling produce in town even though their backs are bent at an 90 degree angle. Often, I see people with physical handicaps tackling their daily exercises. One woman, in particular, has a severely deformed foot. It doesn’t bend at the ankle, but is permanently pointed toes down, heel up. Envision, wearing a ballet pointe shoe all day every day. She doesn’t use the aid of a cane or wheelchair, but pushes through her trek with sheer determination. I don’t know the distance, destination, or purpose of her journey, but there’s no other way to describe her efforts than admirable. Once, my Korean friends said to me “Lindsey, if I have something and you want it, then it’s yours. This is Korean style.” The preceding question was “Lindsey, do you like 감자탕?” My response was “Yes, its delicious.” I went home with a container of 감자탕. At school, I am always receiving food or other gifts from both teachers and students. In Korean culture, you don’t bring something for just yourself, but rather the whole group.
I’ve often heard complaints about Korean people or Korean culture, and I’m not casting any stones. Often, foreigners are annoyed by the pushing and lack of physical boundaries in Korea. I know, that I was! Koreans are much freer with bodily functions. Often, people will belch or clear their throat and expel the yuckies. (sorry, I don’t like the ph word) However, these are aspects of their culture and are not considered to be rude. Funny thing about living in someone else’s culture, the guest needs to be the one who adapts. To people who can not accept these differences consider this little gem from James Michener, “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.”
Teaching in Korea allows you to be a part of a multicultural community. I love people. Maybe a more factual statement is: I love watching people. Not in a creepy peeping tom way, but in a inquisitive sociological study way. I love looking around an apartment and realizing that there are four or more countries present, or that there are conversations in three different languages simultaneously happening.
I have never been a believer of “where you are from determines who you are.” My Canadian friends, who are reading this, are thinking “only because you are American, eh?” No, not JUST that, but really stereotypes based on people’s birth countries, which they have no control over, isn’t really fair, is it?! People are people. Maya Angelou phrased it a bit more eloquently “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
Someone else needs to use my soap box, so moving on. I have met a lot of amazing people, all from different countries with as many similarities as differences. The difficult aspect of living in a community of expat teachers is that someone is ALWAYS leaving. Their year contract is ended, and they are headed home or on to their next adventure. Saying goodbye is an all too common occurrence. I’ll leave you with one more quote, because apparently I am in competing for the world record of “most quotes in one blog post”. Maybe not as eloquent as Maya, but still way more eloquent than 린지. “Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”
* Special thanks to the online thesauras and all those people who are cool enough to have their quotes published online, because my writing style would have been even more dull writer before the internet.*
** If your thought to the above comment is “I didn’t think that was possible.” You are no longer my friend, but only on Facebook, because I can easily void oㅕr friendship in one single mouse click.**
***감사합니다 for all that you do, internet.***
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