| Korea is for many who live here a unique experience | | | | and grow more and more bitter and even get on a |
| and differs for each individual. There are however, | | | | plane, or accept this new place and take it for what it |
| some similarities for many who live in Korea a year or | | | | is. |
| more. Some will take to it like a duck to water, while | | | | This third stage is how most who stay a year or |
| others will be totally unable to accept this strange new | | | | longer, several years, adapt to living in Korea and |
| place and get on the next plane back home. Most do | | | | accept their new surroundings and environment. This |
| experience 3 similar stages within the first few months. | | | | can become a placid and positive way of life, of travel, |
| Upon first arriving one can feel a fresh new and | | | | meeting interesting people, a fairly laid back ESL job |
| exciting experience of a new country and culture. It is | | | | and free rent, lots of great food, relaxing in a |
| extremely interesting and fresh. Like coming from a | | | | café and night life. Hiking some of the |
| daily routine and the very familiar back home to this | | | | numerous mountains and visiting a tranquil temple and |
| new and somewhat opposite way of life. A new | | | | getting to see the spiritual side of Korea helps one |
| language, food, morals and values as well as new job | | | | enjoy Korea. Koreans can be very open and friendly, |
| await the first time teacher of English as a second | | | | curious to meet the foreigner. Some get married to a |
| language in Korea. There maybe a 1000 small things | | | | local Korean, upon local parent's acceptance. Some of |
| done differently, and in this case we see a person | | | | these people live and even raise children in Korea and |
| usually moving into the second stage of being in Korea; | | | | return home later with a new family, and others marry |
| the oh no, what am I doing here, I don't know if this is | | | | back home. |
| for me. | | | | Assimilation into Korean culture does happen but is |
| The honey moon phase being over and the second, | | | | more or less rare, as most keep their culture and |
| more eye opening experience begins, as you realize | | | | perhaps a partial assimilation. Like little Korean town in |
| you may have to do some real work, and that living in | | | | the west. Some learn the local language. Even many |
| a new and different culture and society and country | | | | who marry Korean do not become proficient in the |
| may not be as easy as you thought. Things will be | | | | language. If you decide to live in Korea a year or even |
| done differently, not necessarily bad, just different. | | | | just a short visit, relax and enjoy it all as it comes. |
| Some may complain and become nasty and negative, | | | | Enjoy the food, folk villages, local people, art and |
| always comparing back home. Perhaps you may | | | | museums and accept the differences without trying to |
| forget the reasons why you came to Korea, | | | | change them. Most likely we cannot change much at |
| adventure, save money, see the world or to meet the | | | | all, except ourselves from within. This perhaps the real |
| love of your life, or all of these. One can continue on | | | | struggle in life, from within. |