I have learned...

A smile is universal. I can't tell you how many times I have been in situations where it has been impossible to communicate with another Korean because either they know zero English, or I know so little Korean that a conversation is nearly impossible to have. But, if I smile at them or laugh it instantly softens them up and they automatically smile back. Whether I pass a Korean on the street, or even in a market, or anytime I am in a store and I realize that they don't know any English it is as though we are still communicating. It's the kind of thing where we both have an understanding that there is a huge language barrier, but with a simple smile it shows that if we could communicate, then we would, but it's a way to say "hello" and at least acknowledge their presence even if you can't use words. I always knew that no matter where you go in the entire world, that smiling, laughing, and emotions are universal, but it never really sunk in or became as valuable until I experienced it so many times through a language barrier. As emo as it sounds, a simple smile can be like saying a thousand words...at least that's what I've come to learn from it while being here. Once again it's the simple things I'm really beginning to appreciate that I overlooked before.