The phenomenons of living as an expat in Korea

Today I will be describing a few of the mysteries inherent in Korean expat life.  (No, I won't be discussing fan death.)

The Truman Show Effect

stalker shot

It happens all the time -- when talking to a local shop owner, bus driver, or waiter, struggling to use my rudimentary (read: practically non-existent) language skills, the Korean I'm talking to will suddenly break into some very decent English.  Apparently they enjoy watching me flounder, but can only take so much. (In Sweden, most expats complained about the opposite problem - Swedes hearing your non-native Swedish and immediately switching to English, not allowing you to practice. Ever.) 

Or, more commonly, when engaged in a letmemakethenoiseoftheanimaliwanttoeat difficult conversation, it won't be the shop owner/bus driver who flips an English switch -- sometimes a complete stranger will swoop in with flawless English.  This phenomenon is what my friends and I have dubbed "The Truman Show Effect" -- when we are lost or confused or engaged in one of the aforementioned conversations, and suddenly a stranger from the background (an extra), pops in and helps us out.  This only happens in dire circumstances though: our everday/mundane failings are generally ignored.

Case in point: I live in a small rural town.  The communication currency I exchange consists of stares, smiles, and head nods.  Nobody talks to me.  When Typhoon Bolaven  hit, the creators of my show decided that my gruesome death would not make excellent television, and two different Koreans came out of the silent woodwork to tell me something in perfect English.

Extra #1: (construction worker, fixing wind damage). "You'll have to go around that way."

Extra #2: (random pedestrian lady, sees my umbrella snap in half in the wind). "You need to get a new umbrella."  (I bet she was fired). 

**

Time Space Fabric Issues

This one is pretty simple.  Time here is weird.  You simultaneously feel like you've been away forever and are brand new. 

The time space fabric stretchy weirdness directly correlates with the Spastic Expat Response effect wherin an expat is completely comfortable with many odd situations, but one random thing will make him/her snap.

It is best described with the following scenario: A teacher wakes up and goes to her bus, ignoring the spit in the elevator and the crazy bus madness they call driving.  Look how adapted she is!  She has fully accepted her limited cheese access and soaking bathroom floor.  She's so native!

And then, when she walks down the street towards her school, she senses a couple of people turning all the way around to watch her pass - a common enough occurence - and for some reason she snaps.  Why does everyone stare here? What is the problem? etc. 

It's not that the teacher doesn't like this country or hasn't adapted.  It's that she's been here a long time and feels settled - almost at home - until something reminds her that she still doesn't belong here. 

**

There are worse things than not truly belonging.

 

Posted in: My Personal Experience, Quirky Korea, The Truman Show Effect