Samantha Wong

I have felt some of my highest highs and lowest lows since arriving in Korea. I have felt like an adult and a child learning to walk at the same time. I have eaten more barbecued meat and made more friends than I ever expected to. I have discovered a country rich with cultural nuance and centuries of history, all while bursting at the seams with modernity. Overwhelming as it is exhilarating, intense as it is peaceful. I had no expectations coming into a job like this, other than thinking the kids will probably be pretty cute (I was right!). What I didn't expect was that the kids would constantly surprise me. Whether it's through their creativity, their quirky personalities, or their awareness of Quokkas, their capacity to learn and willingness to try new things is so amazing to me.

They're also just so funny. Comedic geniuses. One time I asked them what they wanted to be when they're older, and a fair few of them responded: "I want to be a stone." I don't know where or how they acquired so much wisdom, but they somehow understood life at the tender age of eleven.

During one lesson, I taught my sixth graders a song. They were learning about emotions so I decided to write and sing a song that included all the emotions they were learning about (happy, sad, angry, etc.) The lyrics went like this...





I get sad when you're away
Happy when you choose to stay
Scared of how you make me feel
Wondering if this is something real
Surprised by how sweet you can be
Even when you make me angry
Feeling the way I do
Makes me think that I might love you



They learnt the song incredibly quickly and sung it beautifully by the end of the lesson. From then on they'd always sing or hum it in class and ask me to sing it to them. It was so sweet. I've never felt prouder at work in my whole life! Just like the kids, my life in Korea constantly surprises me. I am constantly in awe of how generous the locals have been and how we find we have more in common than not. More than that, I'm always surprised by how many good things can happen if you're simply open to doing anything and meeting anyone.
Though I am still new to many things and learning how to navigate this new country, I've discovered a few things:





- There's no rush! Life will come to you if you are patient and open-minded. Just because you haven't hit the ground running it doesn't mean you won't eventually.
- The best things happen when you're flexible to change. If you never stray from the path you might not find that cute little cafe or that beautiful mountain just by your house.
- Slow down if you're feeling burnt-out. Try to cast that 'fear of missing out' from your mind and listen to your body.
- Don't come in with unrealistic expectations. Life here is not a K-drama. But it is what you make of it.