We’ve been in South Korea for almost 11 weeks now, and I’ve learned several interesting things about this place I will call home for the next 2 years.
First, South Korea is a small country with a LARGE population! Someone described it to me like this: Imagine the population of California PLUS 10 MILLION people crammed into the state of Kentucky….That is South Korea, except instead of being able to spread out, the cities here must be built up because of the mountainous topography. Our new city of Daegu is roughly the same size as Dallas proper but with twice as many people, and it is only the fourth most populous city in the nation. (7300 people per square mile!)
Second, the people of South Korea love hearing Americans try to speak the language. In fact, just saying “Annyeong Haseyo” * (Hello) brings delight and rapid-fire conversation which usually ends with the deer-in-the-headlights look from me and the continual repetition of ‘annyeong haseyo’ or ‘kamsahamnida’ (Thank you). It has been fun to try to learn a few phrases, and the kids and I started our basic Korean language class on Tuesday. When the instructor asked if we had specific questions, I said, “YES!! Please tell me how to say, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t speak Korean!” He obliged, and we have all been practicing:
Joei song hamnida. Jeonun hankuk mal mot hae yo.
On the subway the other day, a nice older gentleman gestured to ask if I wanted to take the open seat. I shook my head and said, “No, kamsahamnida.” When he realized, I had spoken something in Korean, he began to start a whole conversation. I shook my head no and said, “English only.” With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, “Katchi Kapshida.” I actually did recognize that and repeated the phrase back to him, “Katchi Kapshida.” It means “We Go Together,” and it is the motto for the U.S./South Korean Alliance. We both smiled and bowed to one another. I think this man and I shared something special that day, brought together from different generations, different languages, different cultures for peace.
Third, surprisingly, we really do enjoy the food. When we found out we were headed to South Korea, one of the first things Scott mentioned was dreading the food. I had only tried bulgogi made by a friend in Alaska, and I liked it but was not so sure if there would be anything else of interest. Thankfully, the food and our attitudes have been great! We have tried a number of Korean dishes and even have a favorite food vendor just across the block. He serves tteokbokki (pronounced tah-po-key), a dish with thick rice cake noodles, fish cake, and sweet and spicy red chile sauce, napjak mandu, a flat Korean dumpling, and kimbap, a seaweed and rice roll resembling a Japanese sushi roll or California roll. He also has a little side dish called danmuji, which is a pickled, Chinese radish…DELISH!
Next, the people we have encountered are very divided on their feelings toward Libby. We have had some people cross to the other side of the street when they see us coming. Some have used their walking partners as human shields. Others are mildly curious, and still others are very excited to see a big dog. We learned how to assure people that she is gentle (cha kae yo). Repeating these words seems to put people at ease. Well…except the guy in the elevator who would not let Joseph get on the elevator while Libby was with him. He just kept shoo-ing Joseph away no matter how calm and quiet Libby was. On the other hand, most of the kids are very curious and seem to really like her.
Fourth…the driving…I do not have enough space or time to fully describe the driving. I am convinced, however, that Korean drivers do not actually take a driver’s education class. Though they may take some type of written test, I am quite certain that they either do not understand the rules of the road or simply choose not to follow them. Yes, people honk ALL the time, usually to announce their unlawful behavior. Yes, people park on the sidewalks. Yes, people drive on the sidewalks. Yes, people run red lights regularly, especially at crosswalks if they do not see someone actually in the street. Yes, people will drive around you at an intersection in order to run these same red lights. And no, they do not fully acquire a new lane when moving from the old lane, creating 4-lane roads from 3 lanes. I have yet to drive anywhere off post…the subway, bus system, walking, and Scott’s chauffeuring will be fine with me.
Finally, many of the South Koreans serve the same Lord that I serve. They sing; they praise; they worship. I have loved listening to and watching our choir at chapel. They do not get every syllable correct; our languages are just too different, but our hearts are not. They sing with the same joy on their faces and the same love in their hearts for the Savior, the Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world…the whole world, and I am very grateful for the time God has provided for us to get to know these people, their country, and their culture. After all, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
changing of the stole at chapel
* Many of the Korean to English words have a variety of English spellings. I have done my best to type what I have been told or found through a translation app. In some cases, I did the best I could using phonetics.
Choosing Life 
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