The Key to My Success

There are many challenges that I am facing this year in the classroom, in my community and at my home stay. Adjusting to life in a new country simply isn't an easy task even though it is a rewarding, enjoyable and gratifying experience. Therefore I think it is time I thank all of the people who are helping me survive and flourish in South Korea.

This weekend I traveled to Seoul with a few other ETAs and it was the first time many of us were seeing each other since we had moved into our home stays. Seeing many of my close friends again reminded me just how critical a role they play in my life here. My friends have been a source of support throughout my time here and it was so obvious when we all chatted about the different challenges we have been facing, exchanged humorous 'only in Korea' stories  and offered words of encouragement. As nice as it is to talk to friends and family at home about my experiences there is something really rewarding about discussing things with someone else who is going through a similar experience.

One of the traditions we have established in Hwacheon is a Sunday get together. Every Sunday while my family is at church I meet up with Maggie, Rachel and sometimes Amy, who are the other ETAs in the Hwacheon area. We then gossip, complain and generally support each other while eating delicious food. These meetings have been such a great way to recharge for my upcoming week and I am so fortunate to live so close to such wonderful friends. Last weekend, we were sitting in Dunkin' Donuts just catching up and our conversation gradually drifted to our family's drinking habits. Rachel and Maggie both frequently have makoli, soju or beer with their host families but my family does not drink at all because they are very religious. As soon as we all realized that I had not had a beer since coming to Hwacheon despite the frequent need to relax (communication difficulties can be stressful) we decided to buy some American-style fast food and a few beers. We then went to Lotteria and bought chicken nuggets before going to a grocery store to buy a few beers. The three of us then sat on the stage  in the town center enjoying the warm sun, a cold beer and chicken nuggets at 1PM on a Sunday afternoon. It's the small things like this that really make the year special and manageable. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing group of friends.

I am also trying to strengthen the relationships I am forming with my home stay family so that they can be a source of support for me this year. Tonight I made my family tacos, but they were definitely Koreanized due to shopping constraints. The first big difference was that I had to use grape tomatoes and the second devastating difference is that I had to use individually packaged sliced 'cheddar' cheese, which was really American Kraft Singles in a different package. Although, I wish I had all the standard ingredients from home my family still seemed to enjoy the meal. They did invent some interesting tacos though as they took out several sauces, including Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and added it to their tacos. My mom also ate just slices of the cheddar cheese dipped in the sweet chili sauce. I also bought a brownie mix because I knew my host sister liked brownies. I was shocked to find that they microwave the brownies to cook them! It was very interesting. My dad also ate the brownies with lettuce. Koreans have very different taste preferences than Americans. 

My sister and I with our Mexican and brownies.