Potato In Seoul - Weeks 1-3

It's been quite some time since I've written anything. Over 8 months actually. But I'm back again on another adventure! This time a much longer one. Just under 6 months this time. I'm currently seated at the desk in my dorm room, enjoying the indoors while the city's nightlife begins. Dozens of students are making their way to the different establishments surrounding the school campus. It is the end of my third week in Seoul, South Korea.

View from my dorm window

For those who may not know, here's a brief background: I am here at Chung-Ang University/중앙대학교 as an exchange student from Cleveland State. This has been a trip I never really imagined would happen, nor did I expect it to happen before the age of 21. However, it did, and here I am, eating an apple and drinking chocolate milk like the "adult" I am.

Let me just tell you now. It has not been all sunshine and roses, these first few weeks. While studying in another country is an amazing and exciting opportunity, it is not as easy as the brochures make it look, nor is it as easy as most people who've done it will tell you. People don't really like to talk about the negative experiences they have. Maybe they're afraid it will discourage someone from doing an exchange/study abroad program themselves. Who knows. But I do think it's only fair for people to know the good and the bad experiences. I believe it gives a better perspective of what it's really like to live in another country for longer than a tourist-y visit.



There are a few reasons why it's been a thrilling roller coaster ride, the main being; I am a Korean person in Korea . It doesn't sound like a big deal. Sounds pretty cool actually. Woo-hoo! A trip back to the motherland! But...it's not as happy as all that. Just like at home, people expect me to be able to speak Korean. It's not their fault they assume that a Korean person would speak Korean. However, I've taken exactly five Korean lessons throughout my entire life. Doesn't exactly exemplify fluency, does it? Not that it's anything to be ashamed of. Being bilingual in the USA is something that we're not very pushy about. It's almost more of a "wow" factor than a normal thing. Here in South Korea, most students take a second language starting in middle school, possibly even earlier. They've definitely got the heads up on us in the U.S.

But, language barrier aside, it's been great. I've made some great friends [most of whom are either Southeast Asian or French (yay for being the only non-bilingual person in the room)] and had some really great experiences. Since I've arrived, I've eaten raw beef (very chewy), eel (tastes ... fishy), along with a random assortment of other Korean foods. I attended a Korean wedding (very flashy), I've been to a cat cafe where I got to pet a dozen cats all at once (it's a hard but very satisfying feat), and I've walked the streets I'd previously only seen in pictures.

I'm starting to get a hang of the subway and bus system. I still use my phone apps that tell me which subway lines to take, but I'm getting there. At least I'm going in the right direction now. Most of the time. Yes, I did have a day where I went the wrong way almost every time. When people tell you Seoul is hill-y, you better believe them. I've never walked uphill for so long in my entire life. Think of mountain climbing, but on a paved road. All the time. It's the biggest relief when you finally get to go downhill, and it's even better when there's stairs involved. Half-running/half-walking downhill for about, oh, a long time, is not the most fun thing in the world. Who knew stairs would become a friend.

Mountains surround most of Seoul and are visible from just about any high point

It's been very interesting having the opportunity to immerse in a culture that's so different from that of my home. The differences are rather striking, and yet they are dealing with a lot of the same issues we are back home so sometimes it doesn't feel that different from home.

But, that's all for now. I'll share much more as time goes on and I actually get out and do more exploring!

Thanks for supporting me, to those of you who have. It means the world. :)

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