For foreigners in Korea

CULTURE SHOCK: When first arriving in a country, one is usually excited and eager for new experiences. (Oooh, WAS I excited!) After a while, the newness wears off, and homesickness begins. Do not judge yourself too severely at this point. It happens to everyone. "I will never understand this place. I want some real food, some real friends, a real apartment. Why do Koreans do X?" (This was sooo me a couple of months ago and maybe sometimes I still feel this way)

There is hope and it is usually just a matter of time.(Yes, there is hope) As you continue to cope with the realities of living here, you begin to take things for granted which used to annoy you. Life becomes pleasant enough that you no longer care about the inconveniences. You suddenly find that you like kimchi. You realize your friends are interesting people to know, that helping them improve their English just adds to that interest; you begin to understand your boss who was such a pain when you came; you make a few good friends who are willing to show you the Korea outside of the foreigner's community, you begin to try and learn some Korean and use it. There are many foreigners in Korea who have come to and remain at this point, - not so much assimilated, but a part of the country in their own niche here, and who want to spend a long time in Korea.

For many others, however, the feeling eventually comes that it is time to leave. With luck you will realize it before it affects your life too deeply. It is time to leave when you begin to be negative about the country and its people. When you no longer want to go to work; when you dislike your students; when you become irritated with everything and everyone and have angry discussions with others of like mind, it is time to go.

FOREIGNERS ARE NOT KOREAN (and will never be): Korean society in general makes a great distinction between one's inner circle of family, friends and business colleagues, and outsiders. One should always treat one's inner circle with complete respect and courtesy, while one treats strangers with indifference. Korea is not an egalitarian society; one is either of a higher or a lower status than other people. How do foreigners fit into this scheme? The simple answer is - they don't. Foreigners are completely off the scope. (Yeah, that's soooo true)

In recent years, less than 10 percent of Koreans traveled abroad, most often on group tours with other Koreans, or on business trips. Even now, with outbound tourism high, most Korean travelers still visit only friends, relatives or Korean neighborhoods, or travel in groups of other Koreans. Thus, Korean society remains very inwardly focused. For most Koreans, foreigners exist only as stereotypes, and are not always liked. Living in Korea as a foreigner requires patience and fortitude. Many foreigners have found Koreans can be quite friendly and warm, but a foreigner will seldom be accepted as part of the inner circle; he will almost always be an outsider looking in.

During my stay in Korea, I began to notice a lot of different things. Some are good and some are not so good. I began to question about so many things I couldn't understand. What people always answer is "Korean munha" or that's korean culture. I usually blame their culture for those bad things that I had experienced. I've been to other countries as well and met many people from different countries but I view Korean people as rather unique, very different from other nationalities. I understand cultural diversity and the likes but for lots of people, we put away some bad or inacceptable norms we usually do and try to bring out the more universal thing that will be easily accepted by the others. I've tried to fit in but I always end up sticking like a sore thumb in a pool of korean people. Bottom line is we never fit in. Sad as it may seem but we never do. I should have read about this article a long time ago and save myself the anguish of thinking and trying to understand everything!