Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yangban]

Anyone repatriate recently? I've been here three weeks now after 2.5 years abroad. The culture shock isn't that bad, except I still feel like a walking alien, though no one stares at me anymore, thank God. Sometimes I tell people I just came back from Korea and their eyes glaze over, like I've just told them I came back from Mars. Others wince. But interestingly enough, no one says "How interesting! What was it like?" I'm very surprised. Anyone have similar experiences returning home?

[Harin]

A lot of people in the states grew up watching M*A*S*H. This old show was so good(?) that many people still can not seem to forget all the things that they saw on the show. Whether that��s good or bad depends on your point of view, I suppose, but I am frankly tired of people who can't tell the difference between NOK and ROK and also look at me like I am some kind of refugee.

Maybe, this is why no one asks you, "How interesting! What was it like?". Too bad, it is their loss.

[The Bobster]

[SuperFly]

I was surprised that even people who make over 60K a year banging code are still ignorant about Korea.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Demophobe]

[Dr. Buck]

Last time I was back in the States, folks in the farthest reaches of hick towns asked me many questions about Korea. I was suprised. They were familiar with the nuclear threat of the North and they were pissed about the anti-American demostrations that go on while American soldiers protect Korea's ungrateful ass.

[kprrok]

[justagirl]

I was home a year ago (not recent, I know) but I felt the same as you did, yangban. I'll be going home again in December, and don't plan on returning to Korea. 4 years is enough, and the college debts will be paid. WOO-HOO! Anyway, in reply to the questions:

The only people who were really interested: my family. In fact, very few of my friends even asked me questions about Korea. I guess they don't really care about Korea, and honestly, why would they? It's not like people in the US go around saying, "So, how will Korea affect my life today?" You can insert lots of countries in the place of Korea's name, too. People tend to be concerned about what affects them in their immediate vicinity.

I would have really liked to have shared some experiences with friends, but it gets on sounding like, "Like, this one time, we were all in Seoul, and you know, Seoul is big, and blah blah blah blah, you've never been there or outside the US so this is so boring and irrelevant to you."

I think people who have never traveled don't understand me at all anymore. But those people who have, don't mind looking at pictures of hundreds of Asian children and listening and APPRECIATING the funny, sad, challenging, life-changing stories we all have by living in Korea.

I mean, when was the last time you had a friend at home stop and look at a picture and really look into the eyes of the little kid you taught in Korea for a year? I guess I'm the kind of person who wonders what that kid thinks and how will he grow up and will he remember his funny wae-gook teacher? And I'd do the same if a friend shared pictures with me from Peru, Zambia or Vietnam.

The other problem I have, is I never know how to sum up Korea in a short conversation. There is so much to tell, and I'm not always sure how I feel about Korea. There are some cultural differences that just bug me! I don't want to accept them as normal; I want to separate myself from them as much as possible. Then there are the awesome people I've met and no matter how much I tried, I could never convey the particular feeling I have when I'm with them, or how much I wish I could see them again, even though the odds are so slim (esp. with the children).

I keep thinking I need to come up with a catch-phrase so when people ask about Korea, I have a pat answer. So how was Korea? "It was ________"

Can anyone help me out?

justagirl