Jennipal, over at jennipal.blogspot.com, asked for a bit of an idea about reverse culture shock - the things I miss about Korea, and the things I hate about being home. So, after a month of being home, and the idea of being here for a while has finally sunk in, i thought I'd write something about it. Here's the main three things I miss from Korea, and three things I hate from being back home.
Things I miss from Korea:
My Friends. I made some really good friends in Korea, and I miss them. A whole fucking lot. I miss doing the usual things we would do hanging out, whether it be shopping, eating 갈비, going to 노래방, or even getting naked in 짐찔방 (ㅋㅋㅋ). It sucks that I have to spend a fuckload of money to just be able to see them, and a smaller fuckload of money to call them. The good friends I made in Korea, are ones I'll (hopefully) have for life (whether they like it or not ^^). Students that I saw on a regular basis (I've got 3 that I call my younger brothers), I miss them too.
The Food, and how cheap it was. Almost every weekday before work, I'd go to 김밥나라 in my town, and get some 비빔밥 for 4,000 won. I'd have a small chat with the women there, if they weren't busy. All that cheap Korean food in places like that, i really miss. I miss 갈비 (especially with 성진 in 남포동, and with 강모 with the 갈비집 near his house in 대구). Also, how cheap it was, compared to eating out in Australia.
Real Public Transport. Maybe it's because South Korea is a bit smaller than Australia, but they public transport system is awesome there. Even in the countryside, there are shit loads of buses, and the cost is pretty good too. I'd travel from Jeonnam to Seoul, and it would end up costing me $50 (if I took a bus from Gwangju, or a Mugunghwa train from Jangseong) return. Where I am now, I've got 7 buses that go past during the day (latest one being just after 6pm) a few buses on Saturday, and 2 buses Sunday morning. Compared to the bus that I'd get from my apartment to Jangseong, the bus from my place into my town here - the distance is shorter, but it costs 2.5 times as much.
Things I hate about being home:
Everyone asking me the same questions. Sure, I know people wanna ask how it was, what I got from it, and what I'm doing now that I'm back home, and what I'm going to do. But, when everyone asks the same questions all the time, it does get rather frustrating. They don't do it on purpose, but it has got to the point where I don't meet too many people too often, because it just gets frustrating. It's up there with meeting new Koreans who ask "have you tried Gimchi before?" after you toll them you've been in the countryside for a long time.
Explaining Everything. I haven't really used real English for an extended period of time for a few years. So, sometimes, I make silly mistakes in English, or I just don't remember stuff (like accent stuff, or what "sandwich" or "toast" means when you're at the baker and they ask you if you want it sliced), or people with strong accents. Since a had a lot of Korean friends, I just got used to being surrounded by Koreans, speaking Korean and doing stuff in Korean. Now that I'm home, it feels that I'm learning thing again. So, when I do make a mistake, I get a weird look, and I tell people in my not-so-australian accent (which I like, and hope I can keep it. lol) that I was overseas for ages and didn't really use English.
Shit is the same, but different. The other day, I was driving around trying to find places that I used to go to, but finding out that they had relocated, or closed down. If feels like that I am a few years behind friends, since they've continued their lives here, and I've gone off on a tangent, and come back. Friends say that they wish that they could do something similar to what I did, but I can't help but feel that I'm back at square one.
Friends that were, but aren't anymore. In a way, I will find out who my good friends are in Korea too, because they will make the effort to keep in contact with me here, but not many friends that I had while I was in Australia, kept in regular contact with me, and there were only a few who I would make the effort (or have made the effort) to meet/see/contact, since I've been back. When I go back to Korea for a holiday (as early as late next year, if things work out well here), it will be interesting to see which friends I will see, and which ones who will make the effort to see me when I'm there.
9 years ago
4 comments:
Sweet Andy that was fast. Thanks for posting about this topic. I'm really really nervous to be going back too. Also I'm not sure how well I'll deal with having Sung Hyun there too. He'll have to rely on me a lot, which might be a good thing b/c it will keep me busy and preoccupied.
We are going back to Canada for a visit in January. I'll let you know how things go. It will be for a month, so long enough for Sung Hyun to really see what Canada is like.
I'm going for galbi now. I'll have a peice in honor of you. Take care!!!
Well, Just having a lazy day at home today, so I had a bit of time to think and write about it.
I would imagine that he'll be relying on your for a while, but you're only going to be there for a month. Knowing that you're heading back to Korea will make you think very differently about being home. I know I thought very differently about things, knowing that I had to go back to Korea, when I had a couple of weeks off November last year.
but it's square one on a different plane!
silly andy-teacher, you'll have me (and perhaps marie and gerg) to welcome you back to morning-calm land with open arms and sticker pictures and cheap food galore!
Hey banannas.
That's a different square one.
I guess, I'm square 1-a. It's like square one, but not. ^^
And yeah, looking forward to sticker pictures and delicious, cheap food. ^^
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