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After finishing my degree and being in a strange place in my life I thought it best to leave the country, my then-boyfriend (now husband), family and all things familiar to head to a place where pretty much everything was new to me. I arrived in Jochiwon (the little rural - not like South Africa rural at all) town in the land-locked province of Chungnam-do in South Korea on a Friday in early April 2011.
After a weekend of major regret and despair at not knowing anyone, having very little money or idea where I was, what to eat, how to interact with people (rural areas don't have very many English speaking natives), I started school.
My first period was spent with a kindergarten class (reception), aged between 5 and 6. They spoke no English and for many if not all of them this was their first time seeing and interacting with someone who was not Korean (looking, acting, sounding, smelling, being) like them.
To put the rest of my story into context, I have very curly below-the-shoulder length hair and its pretty humid that time of year. I'm a wash and go kinda girl (like most people with curly hair and a little time). I walked into class with a big smile on my face and once little girl locked eyes with me and burst into hysterical tears.
I was mortified. Had I done something to offend the delicate culture and habits of the Korean people? Of course she spoke no English and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. A Korean teacher from the classroom next door popped her head in to see what the hysteria was about. She spoke very gently and calmly to the little girl about what had upset her so much. There was a lot of pointing at me. I was sure I would be deported soon.
The Korean teacher, who spoke some broken English (Engrish - as she put it) giggled and said so as not to offend me, "She scared. You have yellow eyes and big hair. You look like lion."
The class giggled, so did I. Relieved. I invited her to touch my hair to calm her nerves and that was that. Needless to say I had my hair straightened for the rest of my stay in Korea.
Before (Not my own hair but close enough)
(Half way through my year long stay)
