I didn’t know how to start learning, so while my roommate was in class, I would watch YouTube videos and follow along. It seldom worked; and I didn’t get the hang of it until recently. I would try at every meal but give up after fifteen minutes. Now I can use them for the entire meal.
The biggest adjustment, however, were the societal pressures people experience in this country. While I never really talked about it in any of my pieces for Reach the World, Korean culture practices collectivism; this means that everyone wants to fit in with everyone else. Examples of this are: everyone wears the same brand. And everyone, including men, wear makeup. Everyone eats at the same restaurants. Even haircuts in Korea tend toward being the same! Since I don’t look, dress, and shop like most Koreans do, I stood out so much, at first. This had an effect on how I presented myself. For instance, I started caring more about what clothes I wore when I left my room. I even tried doing my makeup differently. I tried to blend in more with everyone else around me. Eventually, I had to stop because I had started worrying too much about these things. Once I stopped caring, I started enjoying my time here more.
My advice to you when you get yourself overseas is to do the things that scare you. Talk in class more. Eat alone. Show someone your art. If you remain too timid, you will never see how much you can grow; you will stay as a little sapling. It took me longer than it should to learn this fact of living, and if I hadn’t learned it, I wouldn’t be here in Korea. That being said, you can’t get to the end in one step; so take small steps towards overcoming your fears. Getting over your fears is the best feeling in the world.
