Love/hate relationships in Korea

Adjusting to a new country and a new culture is always a long process full of ups and downs. Throughout this process I have gone through many phases of adoration and disgust when it comes to different parts of Korean culture or my new city of Seoul. For this reason there are many aspects about Korea that I have a love/ hate relationship with. Many things I once loved, I have ended up disliking and many things I did not enjoy at first, have turned out to be unimaginably amazing.

When I first got to Seoul I really enjoyed not knowing anything about the city. Around every corner was a new adventure or a new place to discover. With the city of Seoul being so huge there was opportunity everywhere I looked, and the fact I would never know everything there is to know about this city was intriguing. Eleven months later, this aspect of living abroad is not something I enjoy very much. Now-a-days I just wish I knew exactly where things were and how to get to them, so I could get more done and be satisfied with my choices. Everything is such a task and sometimes that gets old.

On the other hand when I first got to Korea I hated kimchi. Having it at my table all the time was so gross at first and I could not understand why people adored it SO MUCH here. But after months of having it at my table I have become accustomed to the flavor and now crave it with each meal. I want it as a side with everything I eat and can't get enough of it. It is a nonnegotiable that I will have to find it back in the States. I have to continue eating this newly found treasure.

I have a love hate relationship with the language also. I hate that I can't speak it and don't understand so many things that people say to me. I can't read any store signs and I can't ask for advice. This fact is quite debilitating when living in abroad even though English is used around certain parts of Seoul. Even so, there are numerous things I have had to choose to forgo because of the language barrier. But I also love that they speak Korean everywhere I go because this makes it easy to read a book and relax. I am never eavesdropping or chiming into someone elses conversation. Music is beautifully sung in Korean in the cafes that I frequent and everyone speaks to their friends in a language I can't understand. For this reason I can totally tune it all out and be productive while drinking my coffee, or just read and relax. You can't be distracted when you don't understand what's going on!

I also have a love hate relationship with the food here. I absolutely love it but I hate I cannot replicate it. I want to make these fabulous dishes at home but becoming a Korean chef is something I am totally unable to do. I cannot make my own kimchi, my own dukgalbi, or my own kimbap no matter how hard I try. I hate that I will have to say goodbye to this amazing cuisine as I return home, as it is a rare find in my home town. 

Some other things about Korea that resemble this relationship is that I love the children, but hate that special needs services are not in play here. I love the paycheck but hate that I cant take time off  when I am sick. I love being so close to so many countries that I want to visit but hate being so far away from my family. I love living in a culture that is so different from my own but I hate not having some simple necessities from my own culture available for me to use.

Lastly I hate that I have to leave the cuisine, amazing friends, and the children that I teach, but I love that I am done with my year here in Korea in less than a month. Goodbye Korean Ms.Nikki..... hello American Nicolette.