DEC 12 2012 

BY JULIA 

Some years ago I packed my bags, boarded a plane with a visa to work in South Korea for a year, and took a leap of faith. I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t know anyone in the town where I was headed. I’d eaten Korean food in Los Angeles on many occasions and liked it. But, really I had no idea what to expect entering a culture so different from my own, and no idea how that journey would change me and change my life.

Haman, South Korea by Julia at XplorMor

I had traveled to foreign countries before my time in Korea, but there had been other Americans around, and people also seemed to speak English when I needed help or was lost.  Korea was different, and unexpectedly so, as I was told I would be living and working with other foreign teachers. This wasn’t the case. I flew into Seoul, and caught another smaller plane to Masan. I arrived with three other foreigners – one Canadian and two Americans. As we were standing outside the school, a car drove up and I was instructed to get in. I really didn’t want to, especially as the other three weren’t. I was told that I would be taken to a branch of the school in another city, and other teachers were already on site. So, I got in the car.

The driver didn’t speak English but pulled my bags out of the trunk so I assumed this was my stop. He rang a door bell, and a man, woman and boy appeared in the doorway. They were all smiles and made me feel at ease… or at least a little at ease. The man picked up my case and said “follow me” in English… and I felt even more at ease. I bowed goodnight to his wife and child, after watching them treat me with the same courtesy. And, up the stairs we went.

Fields of Haman, South Korea by Julia at XplorMor

My apartment was on the top floor.  The man turned on the lights and placed my suitcase on the floor in the first bedroom, and said “your room, and goodnight.”  We bowed to each other and he left.  I was exhausted as the journey had taken about 24 hours between the two plane rides and the two plus hour car ride.  So, I made the bed and went to sleep.

In the morning I woke to roosters crowing and street noise below. I pushed open the rice paper shutters and looked out on a town that seemed frozen in time. The roofs were tiled and curved, the corners pointing upwards. The town looked small as fields and rice patties could be seen all around behind the main road. All sorts of things were drying on the roofs in the sun – many of which I could not identify, but some looked like squid. Maybe I was near the coast?

Old Style Korean Home by Julia at XplorMor

Carts were being pulled in the road below by goats.  Chickens and pigs were herded past, and people with those pointy straw hats, balancing loads hanging from a pole across their shoulders walked every which way.  Kids were running with streamers and laughing.  Scooters honked trying to maneuver through the chaos.  Everything looked so foreign, which may sound funny as I was in a foreign country, but this was like being on a movie set… where was I?!  And, there were no other foreign teachers, in fact at that moment I was the only teacher at a school that had no supplies, no lesson plans, nothing to speak of that actually made it a school.  Did I mention I had never been a teacher before, nor had I studied how?  And, my bedroom was part of the school’s make-shift office so not much privacy.  I proceeded to call home, and told my mom I may have made a mistake, and that I should have listened to everyone who tried to talk me out of venturing to Korea.

Yet I stuck it out, and am pleased I did as the story of my life in Korea is quite a tale! P.S. I used my iPhone to make these images of the actual photos since it was before the digitized world.