The People
By this, I do not mean to say that the people I have met in Korea are better than the people I know in Sydney. I simply mean that Koreans, with their unique culture and customs, overall behave and interact with people in a manner which I find refreshing and enjoy very much.
Having grown up in Sydney for most of my life, I am accustomed to the ways in which people interact within Sydney, and so have been somewhat ignorant to other cultures. I never thought I was very ignorant, but travelling abroad has opened my eyes to how little I know about the world. Of course, it is no secret that there are many Koreans in Sydney, but they obviously cannot practice their culture there in the same ways in which they could in Seoul.
And so, I had heard things from my Korean-Australian friends, but only now have I been able to see it all take place before my eyes. I will attempt to summarise what I mean below.
 |
| Korean and Exchange Students together in friendship! <3 |
The first thing I have noticed about most Koreans here, is that they are very friendly to foreigners (especially the ajimas). I often receive friendly smiles from randoms, exchange small but enthusiastic talk with taxi drivers, get praised by strangers for my "good Korean" (lies) and my ego has inflated more than I care to admit because of how kind and full-of-compliments Korean people are. It often starts with "where are you from?" "이쁘다! (Pretty)" or just a simple "HELLO!" (Always enthusiastic because they are happy that they know how to greet you in English). It is super cute and I always either blush or get super excited when someone new talks to me.
Korean people can really be quite benevolent and it is pleasant to be in the company of them! I have noticed, when I talk to my fellow Korean friends on KakaoTalk, that they use a lot of exclamation marks (if you are a Korean friend of mine reading this, I love it, don't stop please), and so I am always reading their messages in my head in a REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC SHOUTING VOICE!!! The enthusiasm peaks face to face as well, because they are also incredibly forward. They often will not hold back from giving compliments, saying things that we normally wouldn't say out loud or just openly staring at you, no matter how awkward it may be for us foreigners.
I crave it.
On the downside of this, their forwardness and honesty unfortunately also mean that they do not hesitate to point out when you do not look your best. The following are comments I have received from various Koreans during my stay here:
"You look tired. You should sleep." (I wasn't tired)
"Are you sick?" (Again, I wasn't)
"You have a small head." (Said out of nowhere)
"Your profile is too erotic." (????)
And, my favourite,
"You look like a camel."
I imagine that my dear Korean friends meant well when they said these things, but when you are on the receiving end of such comments, you are sort of left in an awkward state of, "... what do I say to that??" I often laugh, and then I feel bad, because the look of confusion on their faces is real.
One aspect of their niceness which is annoying to us foreigners, is that Koreans (especially the women) are too humble! And so they often retaliate to compliments with:
Me: "You look so pretty!"
Korean: "NO, you are more pretty!"
Me: "You are smart!"
Korean: "NO, I am not smart!"
Me: "I like your hair colour!"
Korean: "NO, don't look at it!"
^ Three genuine responses I have received. Of course, they always say so with a smile and are very thankful. Koreans are so cute, because they can be so shy! (The generalisations are real here. Of course there are Koreans who are not as shy as others, but in my experience, a lot of them have been, and they actually claim it's because they are nervous in front of foreigners).
I love my Korean friends because they are so caring, honest and they will go out of their way to help me so much! On my first and second day here, one of my dearest Korean friends travelled around the city of Seoul with me, trying to run just ONE annoying errand of mine, and he did not complain once (thanks HJ!), another friend was there on the phone to translate for me when I was at a hair salon in which no one spoke English (thanks Mary!), another left his study to call up his Uncle who worked at a hair salon in order to ensure we got best service (thanks KJ!) and another stayed back after class to show me how to use CyberCampus (thanks, random Korean girl whose name I don't know!). Their hearts are large and their motives are pure, and for that I am highly grateful!! ^^
At this point, I have to take a moment to mention H.U.G (Hands Up for Gathering), a society on campus which is made up of English-speaking Korean students. Their sole purpose is to help make our time as Exchange Students 100 times easier and super rewarding! They are always there to answer our questions, to guide us around Seoul and without them, we would be a lot less educated on the ins and outs of Seoul! They have even organised field trips and tutoring specifically for us (not an easy job - there are 230 of us) and with no profit for themselves. They just want to make friends with us, and we are so grateful :D
 |
| Some of the exchange students at a field trip to Gyeongbok Palace - organised by H.U.G. |
Indeed, I love these guys. I have made friendships here that are sure to last a lifetime.
In general, I have appreciated the forwardness of Koreans. In one of my previous blog posts, I mentioned that once, a group of Koreans approached my friend and I and offered to buy us a round of beers. We ended up bonding and having an awesome night together! Also, once, my roommate and I were at a McDonald's in Sinchon, and we noticed a group of three boys staring at us. We did not think much of it, and after they left, we stayed there for a while longer. Eventually, we left, and as we began walking down the street, one of the boys ran up to us out of nowhere and said, "I want to be your international friend!" It made us feel so special! Indeed, we have heard this line many times since then, as well as the following line, which is music to my ears every time:
"You are my first international friend!"
I love hearing this, because Korea has given me so much, and I am so thankful to be able to give something back to the people, even if only the opportunity to practice their English. I am often in awe at how excited Korean people (especially people of my age) get at the opportunity to be friends with us. They listen to us talk with wide eyes and crave our "worldly knowledge" (lol plz). Sometimes I can't believe that there are 21yr-olds here who have never met an international person before! But I love it. And I love that we can appreciate each other for everything we are: with our individual cultures, values, customs and views on life. I love that we can learn from each other and share our experiences with one another and create life-long memories together!!
So thank you to all my beautiful Korean friends I have made here. It hurts my heart to think of the day I will leave you, but I love you all and I can't wait to be friends with you for life! ^^
<3 <3 <3
Signed in Seoul,
Kristin
Kristin is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Korea Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
