My journey to South Korea came into being whenever I started being dissatisfied in the office.

I became being employed as a hard news journalist for the paper book. I’d finished to be a broadcast journalist but jobs for the reason that industry had been difficult to find. I’d to stay for composing – that we did not enjoy after all.

I made the decision to show English in a international country, perhaps not because it absolutely was a far better fit but because We necessary to regroup and just what better method to achieve that than by travelling.

I needed to rediscover my interests and I also thought that the way that is only accomplish that will be by visiting the furthest nation at home as you possibly can.

Southern Korea appeared like a good option because a buddy of mine had recently been right right here for nearly a 12 months. She ended up being English that is teaching in for the neighborhood schools and encouraged us to give it a try for myself.

I’d for ages been fascinated with the nation, especially that this kind of little nation had been in a position to quickly turnaround its financial place on the planet. But we realise now exactly just how small we knew about any of it.

But I think also if I experienced done more digging, i believe nothing ever actually makes one to are now living in a different country. And you will find things you shall only really confront if you are here in individual. As an example the atmosphere in Southern Korea is greatly polluted. We hardly ever really considered the degree from it despite having done a bit of research.

‘How do individuals inhale right here!?’ had been the thing that is first came in your thoughts once I first landed. The atmosphere ended up being that badly polluted.

The intense culture shock was like a slap in the face on the first day of my arrival in the country. When compared with Southern Africa, South Korea is this kind of homogenous nation – whenever I arrived it appeared like every thing seemed and felt the exact same.

The initial couple of weeks had been confusing. Absolutely absolutely Nothing made sense at all. Every thing had been written in Korean and also at enough time i possibly couldn’t see the language.

It has been per year now and I also could have supportive individuals within my part but i’m nevertheless struggling to order things on line, or even to purchase meals at restaurants because well, no body actually talks English here – it isn’t that We anticipate them to – nonetheless it does make things tricky. Getting for a bus to your workplace had been such as an extreme sport.

My support that is awesome system consists of one other international instructors, my college and my recruiter but there has been times we have actually longed for house specially in the start. That will be normal, i guess. Fortunately following the very first thirty days we came back to Southern Africa for just two months given that it ended up being getaway in the office.

Returning home made me realise simply how much I’d changed such a quick period of time that once I came back to Southern Korea all of the complaining concerning the meals, the style plus the individuals stopped.

We realised that We cannot be prepared to find Southern Africa in Southern Korea – i am talking about actually We left Southern Africa for the explanation.

Changing my mindset towards Southern Korea made me personally appreciate to discover the locals in a light that is different. I came across that the individuals, tradition, and also the social scene is quite intriguing and quite often funny.

You find out about the stereotypes individuals hold about you. We came across an older South Korean guy whoever face had a few feelings from confusion to disbelief, him i was South African after I told. He could not exactly grasp the basic indisputable fact that we speak English in South Africa.

Generally speaking, I pointed out that South Koreans are ready to accept foreigners but a very important factor We cannot conquer is the way the older generation stares you are black at you when.

My weirdest experiences in Southern Korea have already been with a few Chinese individuals (there is certainly a community that is sizeable). I’ve had moments where i have noticed them attempting to slip images of me personally due to the color of my epidermis and my locks. It will make me personally exceedingly uncomfortable like i am in a zoo or something like that.

However the learning never ever prevents and being in Southern Korea has had me personally away from my safe place. We won’t lie, in the beginning I becamen’t delighted nevertheless now i’m enjoying myself.

My experiences have actually prompted me personally to start a Youtube channel because i’d like share the life span classes I learnt in Southern Korea. Travelling has undoubtedly humbled me personally and revealed me just exactly exactly how little I really have always been in the field.

I am hoping my channel will motivate visitors to travel also to look beyond their instant job and do one thing they never ever thought they would ever do.

My Youtube channel can also be method in my situation to deal with my anxiety. Surviving in a nation where psychological dilemmas aren’t taken really, I’d to get approaches to cope and I was thinking Youtube will be the most readily useful medium for me personally since i will be an innovative at heart it absolutely was a perfect fit.

We realized that in South Korea think about psychological issues become issues at all. They appear to think psychological disease is a reason become sluggish when pay a visit to the pharmacy or even to a doctor to inquire of for medicine they usually have absolutely absolutely nothing for you since it is not a thing they appear to treat freely right here.

There is certainly a big indifference to health that is mental.

The best concept We have discovered is you when you are in their country that you shouldn’t expect people to adjust to. This is certainly like jumping in a pool of water with complete knowledge which you cannot swim.

View: SNEAK PEAK – Ebony Girl in Southern Korea – my awesome and never therefore awesome activities.

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