...that are constant even over a language and culture barrier. Things such as a head nod for "this is a good night" to a person sitting on a park bench. Or a gracious smile for a meal well cooked. Its amazing the power that nonverbal communication holds. With no words it is still possible to convey a variety of emotions.
A few posts ago I was talking about being a little homesick and culture shocked. The problem with that mentality is that I was only thinking about what Korea ISN'T. There are so many things that Korea IS.
First and foremost, right now, Korea is my home. Now that I've started to embrace that, things have been easier. I've made friends here. I've become a regular at Bob Kim, a local restaurant where I'm greeted with a friendly face and a familiar wave. At home everyone has their familiar hang outs. Be it the Mews for pint night or just the Mini Stop for a drink. Home has a certain comfort. The familiarity of one's surroundings. The security to walk alone at night. Both of which I've found in Yeosu. Kimchi is becoming a taste that I can differentiate. Fresh vs. aged. I can now tell my co-teachers that this kimchi was probably made yesterday, or this kimchi must be a few days old. They love it.
Home has familiar faces. I go to LSG and I don't have to feel like the new guy anymore. Granted there are people that I haven't been introduced to, I can move about the bar and talk to an assortment of people, without being attached to someone's side. Today I got my cell phone. No more waiting with my facebook chat window open for someone to tell me what the plans are. Calls and texts are so much more convenient, and now I won't miss out on something because nobody is not near their computer to invite me. On a not so profound sidenote, Korean cell phones are pretty cool. They all have Korean-English dictionaries. My phone even lets me real time video message people. Internationally too!
This weekend did wonders for my homesickness. Its not so much that I want to be back home with my friends as it is I want my friends to be here with me to experience all my adventures. Friday night I happened to run into a group of my Korean co-teachers. They invited me out to grab a drink. Not wanting to sound rude by declining, I said yes. Plus I knew that Korean custom dictated that "he who invites, pays" so...free drink. It was cool to learn the intricate custom of offering the glass to everyone in decending order of age/status. Being the youngest and lowest status, I had to fill the glasses (holding the bottle with 2 hands to show respect) to every one of my co-teachers. My glass was then filled by the teacher with the highest status, as I held it with both hands (once again, respect). When it came time to make a toast, I surprised and impressed them by saying "Konbae!" which means "Cheers!". This won me a lot of brownie points.
What happened next is true for both Friday and Saturday nights, with one exception...Friday night started at the Mini Stop, while on Saturday we went Bowling. Stop #2 on both nights was LSG. Its definitely bad news when you order a drink and the bartender starts pouring the liquor and says "say when". At about 3am we headed out for some late night kimbap (think a sushi roll but instead of fish, a few vegetables, some egg, and some ham), then went to noraebang. After singing our lungs out at noraebang we took a cab home. Its more economical to stay out till 5am than to go home at 2. Cabs are considerably more expensive during late night hours. If you wait till 5am, you are simply making the "early morning commute" and thus your fare is back down to normal.
With all of this, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't compare Yeosu to Narragansett, because the two are considerably different. I just have to accept Yeosu for being my home for the next year (maybe longer) and everything that comes with it. Great (sometimes disgusting) food, awesome people, late nights, early mornings, and the adventure of a lifetime.
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