July’s phrase is 작은 것들, or “small things.”
Life in any place is full of small experiences and moments that, if viewed cumulatively instead of individually, bring a deep happiness. This idea is something that I’ve begun to see more clearly in recent weeks as I work toward enjoying my last several months in Korea. Although there are still about nine of those left, after four years in this country it’s easy to let the things that frustrate me color my experiences, and I want to enjoy the rest of my time here rather than count it down.
Some days it takes a certain strength of mind to do the former, but it’s so worth it. This past week my parents were here visiting and we were lucky enough to have a couple of the awesome small moments that make Korea special. The one that stands out most to me happened when we were up on Geumjeong Fortress; we had ridden the cable car up and were enjoying the view from a lookout when an elderly Korean couple joined us. We helped them out to the rocks with us, and they then invited us to have some plums and cherry tomatoes in the shade with them. They both spoke English and we ended up talking to them for a long time, discussing the differences between our cultures and what has made Korea how it is. I think that that situation, just as much as taking my parents to school with me and showing them places I love here, helped them understand why I’ve made this country my home for over four years. It reminded me why as well.
Most foreigners here can describe having “I hate Korea” and “I love Korea” moments or days, and it’s pretty self-explanatory how each can affect our moods. There’s a choice, though, in which we let affect us. Allow too many of the “I hate” ones an open door and daily life becomes something to just get through. Look for as many as we can of the “I love” ones and daily life becomes an opportunity to find a lot of smiles.
So we enjoy the small things. We enjoy the tiny pieces of life here that make it so worth it, that, if we let them, more than make up for the things that aren’t so great. Being pushed on the subway annoys the crap out of anyone raised with the concept of personal space; true. But it makes the times that someone actually says “Excuse me” or “I’m sorry” to us stand out a lot more. There are some things here that will always bother us, but not wanting to let those dictate our attitudes make us focus better on the things that do the opposite. My personal list from recent weeks: 70-year-old Koreans interested in honest conversation, watching the waves crash on the rocks at Igidae, tiny kids with animal backpacks, OJ and my parents finally meeting in person, joking around with my Korean co-teachers, volleyball on the beach with Gwangali Bridge for a backdrop, the late afternoon sunlight on Busan’s mountains, wandering with Mandu through the twisting alleys near our apartment, and a Friday night baseball game followed by a lazy Saturday morning.
Happy middle-of-the-summer everyone--here’s to counting memories instead of counting down. I love and miss you all, and will post photos from the "Nyce Korean Adventure" soon.
Love,
Heather
