Charles_Cultural_Immersion

When I met my ITA Wangsuk I could tell that we would have a lot in common. After meeting a bunch of times I can say that we are now friends and that Wangsuk is a very kind and friendly person. Wangsuk told me that he usually goes to the Tallahassee Korean Baptist Church every Sunday so I asked if I could go with him. I am not the best in awkward situations and I feel as if I start to become uncomfortable a lot quicker than others. I knew that this was going to be an interesting situation but it helped to know that I could go with someone that I was comfortable with. Unfortunately, Ramin’s advice to be as uncomfortable as possible became a reality as Wangsuk told me that he could not make it this weekend but that I could go with his friend. He said that she would pick me up in the morning for the second service. This was a little unsettling as I would know no one there, however, I told myself that it would be a good experience either way. 

I did not want to have any expectations before going, I just wanted to have an open mind. I got picked up at 10:40 by Elisa and it was one of the most silent car rides I have ever been in. She was listening to South Korean music in the car which was pretty good. When we got there, the first thing I noticed was that not even the street sign was in English. I asked as we got out of the car if there are any special instructions or anything I should expect. She laughed and said not to worry and that I may have to stand but that would be it. We walked into the lobby area and everyone was greeting each other. I shook hands with a few people and went with Elisa to sit down. I was given a pamphlet that was in all Korean which I was told by Elisa just outlines the service. The church looked very nice and clean. I didn’t notice anything too different in the room from what I have seen before at churches in Florida.

The service started with everyone standing and singing. The lyrics were projected on the screen behind the service but they were in Korean so I just kindly listened. There was a piano in the corner being played during the singing.  After this, one man spoke for around 10 minutes followed by 6 people who stood at the front of the church. One with a guitar and another on the drums in the back. They played some very good songs for about 10 minutes. I did not mind that I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics. It was nice to be able to just enjoy the music and pay attention to my surroundings.  After this, another man spoke for some time. We stood sometimes to pray, and other times to sing. After, a different group of people went to the front of the room and began to sing. I was trying to follow along on the board but it was incredibly difficult. Korean is a very hard language. 

After they sung, the same man from before came up to speak. He called out a name and they stood up while everyone clapped. Then called out my name and introduced me. I stood up while everyone clapped, then I sat back down. I thought to myself “that wasn’t so difficult.” The gentleman finished speaking and everyone got up. I thought that the service was over but then I was led into another room with food. This was a complete surprise to me as I was not expecting to eat there. We all sat together and Elisa introduced me to a few nice people. I grabbed a plate and got some food which was really good. They were serving a Korean miso soup which I really enjoyed along with white rice. They were also serving a potato, onion, and sausage dish that was really good with the rice. 

I spoke with a few of Elisa’s friends while we were eating. The previous day, South Korea beat Great Britain in mens olympic soccer. They were excited about the game but they knew that they had to play Brazil next so they were a bit worried too. Elisa kept telling people to speak English but I insisted that it was okay. Elisa’s friend (whose name escapes me at the moment) asked where I was from. I told her Tampa and she said that she has a lot of Korean friends there. I told her that I had a few too and that I once went with them to the Korean market. She said that the market in Tampa is very nice and she has been before. I asked her where she was from and she told me that she is from Tallahassee but she went to UF for school. After everyone was done eating, I played rock paper scissors with one of the guys for who would take the plates up. I lost of course but they still helped me with the plates. It hit me that I had never met any of these people before and I had only known them for 10 minutes but they were incredibly nice and accommodating. I really wish Wangsuk could have come but if he did I may not have conversed and met as many people as I did. 

After we finished eating everyone headed towards the lobby and this is where everyone said goodbye. I said goodbye to Elisa’s friends and told them that it was very nice meeting them. Everyone seems to know everyone there, I got a real feeling of community during the service and the lunch. Elisa and I headed out to the parking lot and got into her car. We hadn’t talked much before that but we had a lot to talk about on the way home. She asked if I was bored because I couldn’t understand any of the service but I told her that it was okay and that I enjoyed listening. She asked me about the TEFL certificate and I explained it to her. Elisa said that I should really consider teaching somewhere in Asia because a lot of jobs in Asia pay very well and take care of everything for the teacher. I want to look into teaching in Seoul now because everyone that I have met from South Korea is incredibly nice and friendly. I think I would have a good time teaching there. We returned to my house and Elisa said goodbye. I thanked her for the experience. Overall, it was a very good experience. I got to see another culture in its rare form. Everyone was comfortable with each other and behaving as I imagine they would if I wasn’t there. I thought it would be a lot more awkward but I was surprised. I am glad I went and I think it worked out better that my ITA didn’t go because I may have only talked to him.