This Saturday, I will have been in Korea for two months. I cannot believe how fast the time has passed; living here has quickly become natural to me. I not only know my way around, but I now feel as if I am now a part of all this: my school, the people, the hustle and bustle that is Seoul. Seeing the lady at the hoddeok stand light up when she sees me walking down the street, or having the waiter at the Indian restaurant know my food order upon my arrival are occurrences that make my new home feel like, well, home.
My favorite thing about living here is soaking up the culture. I have found the Korean way of life to be incredibly fascinating and I find that I am learning something new everyday. I feel that I truly lucked out with my job, as I work with so many other foreign teachers, which has undoubtedly enhanced my living abroad experience. My co-workers hail from countries such as England, South Africa, New Zeland, Scotland, Canada, Australia, and of course, the US of A. I have befriended many of my fellow English teachers and have since learned that though we have much in common, our cultural differences are many, too. Sure, they may not be as extreme as those of Korea, but are different nonetheless. Hearing stories of how people were raised, or how they spent their high school years, or even their political views are just as intriguing.
I also enjoy sharing my own culture, which I am so proud of. This past weekend, I gave my New Yorker friend her first poof to sport during a night out in Hongdae (which looked fabulous on her, might I add). I also attempted to teach a British friend how to speak with a Southern accent. It had me cracking up, to say the least. On Sunday, we made brunch and I cooked buttery grits as a dish. If only I could bring the awesomeness of Waffle House to Seoul…
On a completely random note, this week has been a breath of fresh air compared to the previous one at school. I’ve been teaching ESL classes and one particular team from a Christian school for six class periods. They were amazing, to say the least. The work was far too easy for them, so we had time to spare at the end of class. One of them informed me that he had just won a singing competition. I asked him to sing, expecting him to shy away, but the entire class volunteered to sing for me. This is another reason why I love my job…