Experiencing Korea

I love the fact that when Seth and I are walking down the street minding our own business, children, teenagers, and some adults will wait until we have walked five feet past, say “hi,” and then giggle and run away. No matter how much I adapt to my new surroundings, this is a cute reminder that I am a foreigner.

Last Saturday, we met Mrs. Lee, one of my co-teachers, and her niece, Minhee; we hiked up Waryoung Sun or Mount Waryoung. It was the warmest day we have had in a while. At the top of the small mountain, we were able to look down on all of Daegu and its 2 million inhabitants. We saw high-rise apartment complexes for miles, many blue-roofed factories, and beautiful mountains.

After church on Sunday, Maurice, a Kenyan who is studying theology at Keimyoung University near our house, took us out for Korean barbeque. I believe it is called Samgyeopsal or three layer meat. We sat around a circular table with a grill in the center and cooked our meal while chatting.

After school on Monday, all of the English teachers from Seongju met at the District Education Center. After the meeting, we were able to meet more English teachers from America and other Korean English teachers. It was rejuvenating to connect with people from home and to meet other Koreans whom we can easily communicate with. On Thursday, we are all going to go to a movie together! I was told that the most popular American movies for adults are usually in English with Korean subtitles and that the movies for children are usually dubbed in Korean. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this.

Although Seth and I have become addicted to Paris Baguette and Lost and have gotten out of our exercise routine (Seth has started one), we both have managed to lose weight. Traditional Korean food is very healthy. It is fresh and unprocessed. Koreans eat rice for three meals a day, soup for most meals, and Kimchi for most every meal.

I continue to learn about, appreciate, and enjoy Korea, the people, and the culture. At the same time, I continue to understand and appreciate the United States more. It is amazing how learning about another culture allows you to learn even more about your own.

-Anna-Teacher