Ajay Bangale ETA :: 2007-2008 Yeongsanpo Middle School
W
hen I made the decision to relinquish my Blackberry rights and embark on a year filled with kimchi, bibimbap and a wide assortment of exotic Korean treats, I obviously had more than food in mind. Rather, the ability to test my limits and expose myself beyond my usual comfort zone was a powerful driver in making my decision. Furthermore, the opportunity to pursue studies and teach in an area of the world I had only read about seemed quite attractive. I had no idea that the way I think, react, listen, and teach would be completely transformed during my one-year fellowship abroad. The first seven weeks in South Korea were by far the most challenging; they involved learning the Korean language from scratch. After an intensive language training program, I had elevated my language skills to the level of a Korean kindergarten students. I could successfully tell a taxi driver where to take me as well as navigate a Korean food menu without having to resort to a translator. I relished in my small, adaptive successes that I would never have even blinked about back in New York. The opportunity to live with a host family also helped speed up my adaptation to a new culture and gave me the proper foundation to understand Korean family customs and traditions. Five generations of family members occupied three relatively modest rooms. From my five-year-old host brother all the way up to the eighty-six-year-old host great-grandmother, I was able to witness the various ‘stages’ of Korean life. The proper ways to bow, the
70
| Fulbright ETA Program 20 years in Korea
