Chance encounters

Here are a couple of stories from my week.

First, I had the luck to be introduced to a fantastic contact, a professor from the U.S. who has been here for 13 years and is a big name on campus. He was incredibly kind to me; when I mentioned that I was dealing with culture shock, he checked his busy schedule and arranged to have lunch with me that very day. As we talked, he gave me a lot of valuable insights and advice about Korean culture. This gave me the courage to go on when I was beginning to feel really negative and frustrated. One encouraging thing he told me is that if I want to be accepted in this culture, learning Korean is probably the number one most valuable thing I can do. So I've been hitting the books with renewed determination and practicing polite greetings whenever possible.

Another encounter happened today while I was having lunch. An older woman on the park bench began talking to me, with really very FEW words of English mixed in with a lot of Korean (as I nod, nod, look puzzled), and then a middle-aged woman on another bench with slightly better English joined in and served as translator. After some comments on my appearance and lunch (brown rice with tofu and broccoli, a long summer dress with a shawl and a braid--she approved of both) the older woman said she was going to run home and get copies of a book she had written for both of us. I didn't want to be rude, so I agreed to wait (even though I can't read Korean very much at all yet). She came back 15 minutes later with copies of her book (a home published volume, apparently in diary style) and signed them to us. Next she told the middle-aged woman that she wanted to see me every day during my free time.

This was where I felt really uncomfortable and ducked out with the least amount of lying possible; I was busy (true), I have no cell phone (true), I will call her later (how can I if I don't speak Korean and she doesn't speak English?) Needless to say, my conscience bothered me, and at the same time I felt angry: Who are you to dictate my use of time? said my North American sensibilities. Don't you think I have better things to do?

After that emotionally draining encounter, I went home and napped. Running back and forth with members of my office to the bank, checking if my pay had been deposited and learning to use the ATM in Korean took up the rest of my afternoon. So much for whatever else I'd planned. Happily, I have vacation for the next 5 days!