My Korea

I used to think I should have been born Spanish or Puerto Rican. I love Spanish men. I love the way they talk. I love how they look. I love Puerto Rican food - like fried beef empanadas and the pork on holidays. And the flan that a very special woman makes. And the shirts men wear with the 4 pockets in the front. And the language.

But I am drawn to the customs of Korea.

Every single piece of information I read about South Korea makes me hungry, no, famished for more.

I'm not there yet, but here are some examples:

1. Everyone is nice. This may seem simple, but for me it's not. I believe myself to be a genuinely nice person. The kind of person that, when first graders say someone is nice and their teacher encourages them to expand their vocabulary and use a different word, the child says, "But, teacher, she is nice." That's me.

2. When at a party and you need to leave, it is not necessary to tell all your friends that you're leaving. You just grab your bag and sneak out while the party continues. That's me. It's what I always want to do, but never can because it's not the US custom to do so.

3. Noreabang. I've never been one for karaoke but don't dare confuse the two. Karaoke is something embarrassing done around a bunch of strangers. Noreabang is something done only among friends in a private room and with a lot to drink to keep the party going and the music flowing. I've never experienced noreabang before, but it's almost like a personalized karaoke so you're not embarrassed and only good times are had by all. No boo-ing allowed. That's me.

4. Korean food. Pork, vegetables, soju, seafood, and everything is so fresh it might even still be moving when it gets to your table. Don't forget BBQ, kimchi, noodles, sushi... I'm not sure about you, but they had me at pork. That's definitely me.

5. Their passion for learning. Sure, there is an opposite side to this argument, but let's leave that other side out for right now. They are so passionate about learning and education that the children go to school for at least twice as long per day than their American counterparts. In the morning, students go to 'regular' school where they learn math, science, Korean, etc., and after that, they go to another school to learn English, or possibly another subject in more depth. Education is valued so much in Korea that the smartest and brightest children are groomed from childhood to become teachers. Learning English is so important and desired by educators and parents alike that the country hires native English speakers to teach their children a second language. And not just 1 or 2 years in high school like in the USA - Korean children start learning English very early and by the time they're 16 they know more English than I'll ever know Spanish. That's me, too.

I could go on to talk about how inexpensive the utilities are (gas, water, electric, cell phone, tv and internet all total less than $100/mo), the shopping (larger than life selections at a fraction of the cost in the USA), and the wonderful, almost living history of the country (the DMZ, the peace treaty signed in 1952, need I say more?), but I won't just yet. My mind is on this weekend and enjoying my last full weekend in the states for a long time, on my Consulate interview in Atlanta on Tuesday and getting my Visa on Wednesday, and flying out at the end of next week. My mind is on saying goodbye to my family (not forever) and a few friends, and leaving everything I know in the West for new beginnings and adventures to be had in the East. To making new lifelong friends. To trying new things. To traveling. To stepping into my Korea.