JeanneinDoha Explores | Expatriate Life in Korea: Part 1 - On Understanding

As many of you know, I divide my time living between Doha, Qatar and Seoul, South Korea. I have spent the better part of the past seven months working in Seoul and have been struck by a few things during my time here. In this post, I will share some of my musings, as I try to learn more about my home away from home. This is a post that I have drafted, redrafted and picked apart on several occasions, as I found it hard to convey the breadth and nuance of my experience. 

My first few weeks in Seoul were a whirlwind between settling into a new job, getting accustomed to long periods away from my spouse and acclimatizing myself to my environs. Seoul is one of the world’s most densely-populated cities. Very little ever pauses and I found its hustle, bustle, sights and smells just that little bit daunting. As a foreigner, I stood out in an otherwise broadly homogeneous population. Having previously lived in very multicultural cities, the feeling of being an obvious 'other' was initially difficult to internalize. 

Concurrently, however, I was also struck by the shy warmth of those around me: colleagues who, without question, helped me with the simplest of everyday tasks that had become enormously difficult due to my rudimentary Korean language skills; strangers on the street who offered help simply on seeing my befuddled face as I tried to navigate the city - the list goes on. My first six weeks in Korea were challenging but ultimately exhilarating.

Looking back, a few things have helped me on my journey so far. I'm trying to learn Korean. Whilst street and subway signs in Seoul are usually displayed in both English and Korean, you'll need to pick up some of the language if you would like to effortlessly trawl through supermarkets and understand food labeling, read many menus, book appointments and so on. My progress is tediously slow but I see every coffee ordered in Korean, every 'thank you' and every compliment or bemused look I receive as I stutter through the simplest of sentences as a small victory. 

Moreover, as one learns the language, one comes to better appreciate cultural subtleties. I try to pay attention to local etiquette and everyday rituals, like remembering to hand my credit card over with both hands rather than one. I try my best to gently explore the culinary landscape. I try to make friends beyond the expat bubble and through them learn about cultural inflections that I would not otherwise have been aware of. And whilst I don't always succeed in doing so, I try to focus on the positive learnings from my experiences. 

Inset picture of Seoul, South Korea (Reabirdna/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)