Korean Lesson #6

It’s good to be kind and patient to foreigners.

I still remember the first time that someone called me a foreigner. To me it seemed like a dirty word. "I prefer guest," I thought. But the description was accurate. Everything around me was strange and foreign. I was the minority. I was the foreigner.

As a foreigner, I was often out of place and was at the mercy of the people I met. On many occasions, normal tasks like going to the pharmacy or buying wallpaper seemed insurmountable. I didn't know where to go, how to find out where to go, or how to make my purchase once I got there. Time and time again, a Korean (often Na Sang-hoon) would find the place and go with me. His kindness made life's normal chores possible.

When he (or others like him) was not around, I mostly had to rely on the patience of those with whom I interacted. My Korean speaking skills never developed beyond a rudimentary level. Therefore, I engaged in many a bilingual discussion with unsuspecting store workers. I would speak in English and they would speak in Korean. Neither of us would understand the other so we would attempt to use non-verbal communication while utilizing our useless words. This exercise required quite a bit of patience. And if the person didn't have it in them to labor with me, I didn't get what I needed.