If asked what is the most challenging aspect of living in Korea, I'm not sure if I could pin point one thing. There are multiple challenges, each with a different degree of difficulty. Perhaps, high on my list of challenges would be the language barrier.
I want to chat with the cashier at the 7-Eleven or the waitress at the mandu shop, or even a clerk at the grocery store but usually, I must defer to my skill in charades and the dictionary/word translator on my cell phone. Usually, it all works out. Well, sorta. Most of all it leads to laughter and "I'm sorry. No Korean." And the reply, "Sorry, no Englishee."
A few months ago I started a notebook with everyday words/phrases I might need to use. A couple of weeks ago I asked one of the Korean teachers at the school to help me with some directional terms--right, left, there, here, straight. In my taxi ride to school last week I got to try out my new terms. It felt pretty good. I felt smart and powerful. I felt as if I had mastered something huge, even though in reality it's quite small.
What do I know? Only simple words. I can't speak in full sentences. I'm hopeful though. Perhaps in the not so far distant future I will be able to pop into my friend, Young Sim's, restaurant, enjoy a of coffee and share a meaningful conversation with her. For now, we smile, shake hands and laugh as we attempt to speak in broken English and Korean.
Laughing is always good and it makes that huge language barrier, seem not so big after all.
1 comment:
oh there is SO much victory in being able to give the taxis directions. In chinese right and left sound REALLY similar (and i'd always second guess which was which as i was saying them). needless to say my taxi drivers generally hated if i had to give them directions.
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