So this semester I was nervous because my 4 main Korean teacher friends who I eat lunch with every day had homerooms so they wouldn't be able to eat lunch with me everyday anymore and they are like the only ones who speak pretty good English! They are also all around the same age as me. So the start of the semester rolls around and the first day of lunch one of my English co-teachers eats with me but all the others stare on and smile hanging onto every single English word uttered. I almost felt like he felt obligated to eat with me cause my old crew now had to eat with their homerooms so I thought "this is going to be a long semester!"
Well about 1 week into the semester, a new Korean teacher comes into school and I think "oh she looks young! But I bet she doesn't speak English."
Later that day, my co-teacher brings her over to my desk and she said this is going to be one of the new English teachers, and still I think I bet she has broken English when all of the sudden she shakes my hand and says "Hi, I'm Amy!"
I was literally shocked. So surprised that her name wasn't an extremely complicated Korean name that I couldn't pronounce and that she shook my hand instead of bowing. I was confused.
Well 3 weeks later, she is one of my new best friends at school, and of course my new lunch buddy.
Turns out she is 26 years old and has been working in NYC the past 2 years at a financial firm but had to come back to Korea to take care of her mother because she is sick. She is like my life savior at school because she pretty much speaks fluent English and I have not had that happen at school since I arrived last August! She can relate to everything that is different for me here and knows everything about NYC, so we have so much in common.
Oddly enough she worked with a few people who went to Syracuse University, so even knows where Syracuse is. I never in a million years thought I'd come to Korea and have a good Korean friend who knows where Syracuse is and has been to Boston. Most Koreans haven't even heard of it!
Another great thing is she is also studying for the GRE's to go back to Grad school at Columbia next fall. And I told her I was also planning to go back to grad school so I am helping her with the English part of the GRE's (as much as I can!)
One funny thing about Koreans is they get jealous very easily. And one of my old "lunch buddies," who I used to sit next to every day at school, but who now has a homeroom began to notice how often me and Amy hang out so she asked me to go for a walk one day. She kept asking so many questions about Amy like her age, if I thought she was pretty, how good her English was, and then said "I am sad! She is your new best friend." Haha, too funny, I felt like I was in junior high all over again.
I literally felt like Amy was sent here to save me this semester! I couldn't be happier she is teaching with me at school. It's funny to think we were both living in NYC at the same time last year and then we meet here in Daegu, Korea a year later. Life is funny how it works out....
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Another coincidence in Korea.
Well about 1 week into the semester, a new Korean teacher comes into school and I think "oh she looks young! But I bet she doesn't speak English."
Later that day, my co-teacher brings her over to my desk and she said this is going to be one of the new English teachers, and still I think I bet she has broken English when all of the sudden she shakes my hand and says "Hi, I'm Amy!"
I was literally shocked. So surprised that her name wasn't an extremely complicated Korean name that I couldn't pronounce and that she shook my hand instead of bowing. I was confused.
Well 3 weeks later, she is one of my new best friends at school, and of course my new lunch buddy.
Turns out she is 26 years old and has been working in NYC the past 2 years at a financial firm but had to come back to Korea to take care of her mother because she is sick. She is like my life savior at school because she pretty much speaks fluent English and I have not had that happen at school since I arrived last August! She can relate to everything that is different for me here and knows everything about NYC, so we have so much in common.
Oddly enough she worked with a few people who went to Syracuse University, so even knows where Syracuse is. I never in a million years thought I'd come to Korea and have a good Korean friend who knows where Syracuse is and has been to Boston. Most Koreans haven't even heard of it!
Another great thing is she is also studying for the GRE's to go back to Grad school at Columbia next fall. And I told her I was also planning to go back to grad school so I am helping her with the English part of the GRE's (as much as I can!)
One funny thing about Koreans is they get jealous very easily. And one of my old "lunch buddies," who I used to sit next to every day at school, but who now has a homeroom began to notice how often me and Amy hang out so she asked me to go for a walk one day. She kept asking so many questions about Amy like her age, if I thought she was pretty, how good her English was, and then said "I am sad! She is your new best friend." Haha, too funny, I felt like I was in junior high all over again.
I literally felt like Amy was sent here to save me this semester! I couldn't be happier she is teaching with me at school. It's funny to think we were both living in NYC at the same time last year and then we meet here in Daegu, Korea a year later. Life is funny how it works out....
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Another coincidence in Korea.
I was on the bus heading to my friend Alex's house to go volunteer at the orphanage one Saturday when a Korean sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, I like your sunglasses." he said.
Taken by surprise that he spoke English I turned around to a smiling young Korean guy. He went onto ask me the typical "where are you from? what is your name etc." He then felt the need to tell me that he slept at his friends house last night so his hair has not been washed yet and he apologizes. Haha, I died. They are so funny how concerned they are about their looks. He asked me where I was going and made sure to escort me to my exact bus stop to make sure I got there okay and walked me all the way to my friend's house. I seriously think Koreans are the kindest people on earth. I think it's in their blood to be so concerned and caring cause no matter who I meet this seems to always be the case. Well Oddly enough as the conversation continued, I found out that he knew 3 of my friends here in Korea. He told me he knew some "waygooks" or foreigners and told me their names and they are my good friends! Too funny they had met before and I had no idea. Out of 2.5 million people in Daegu, it's so odd to me that the Korean sitting behind me knew 3 of my friends. Small world.
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