So once you decide to drastically change your life there's a feeling of peace. It's like the eye of a hurricane actually. I look around at my life and I decide I'm really bored with the way things are going. I don't really know what I want to do but I'm getting more clear on what I do not want to do. I have two degrees and I could continue on to get my PhD if I really wanted to (maybe someday). But I don't...at least not right now. I'm done with academia for a while. I've been working in non-profit for so long now I forgot there's more out there. There is so much more to see and do and I've been stagnant. I like Portland but it's time for me to leave. Will I return? I have to, a lot of my stuff is here (Thanks Monica). So what do I do? I receive my Masters and then get a job in something completely unrelated. I'm leaving to "Teach" English in South Korea in the Middle of October. I just sent all the required documents to the place that hired me and now I wait. I have to admit, I'm nervous as hell. I'm really nervous. But I'm also really really excited and happy about my decision.
This is going to be a great adventure. I think what makes it even better is that my lovely partner is also moving to Korea to teach English. We are not teaching at the same school and we won't even be in the same city, but knowing that she is going to be around helps with my nervousness. We have grown so much together over the past two years and I consider it a blessing that she's going to be in Korea also. Not only do I get to develop more as an individual while I'm bouncing around the Republic but I get to hang out with my best friend and see how much she has grown too. It's hard for me to say when I'm happy because I have this fear of something or someone taking it all away, but I really am happy about where I'm at right now. Hopefully I'll find out soon that they received my paperwork and I can get on over to Seattle to get my Visa. Anyways, I thought it might be a good idea to start a blog (I know, I'm so original) about my experiences with this portion of my life. I'm hoping it will be therapeutic for me to do so.
It's funny, people find out that I'm moving to South Korea and they say one of two things. "Are you scared?" My answer is "yes" but not for the reason they think. I'm not afraid of getting bombed or attacked while I'm there. I'm afraid of not living up to my own potential. I'm afraid that I won't grow or that I'll fail (at what, I'm not sure yet). I'm afraid that Danielle will find some Korean prince and leave me (I'm joking...well 98.9% of me is). The second thing people usually say to me is "Korea? Dont' they hate black people in Korea?" Now this response is interesting to me because I really don't know if the majority of Koreans hate black people. I think the majority of Koreans don't have any contact with black people and their main exposure to Black culture might be from television and the movies. If that's the case then I might be facing some pretty big barriers to knock down (not that I'm not used to that mind you). So, unless they've been watching the Cosby Show over there, their image of blacks in America might not be that great. You see, that's the wonderful thing about being black in America. As an individual you end up representing your entire race. That can be very stressful at times. It can be even more stressful when the images our media pumps out about black men is repulsive. I just gotta take it one person at a time. That's what I've been doing all my life. So my answer to people wanting to know if all Koreans hate black people is simple. I say "it can't be any worse then the way I get treated in the USA.
I mean just take a look back at the week. Bill O' Reily gets on his radio talk show and tells about his disbelief when he went to eat at a black owned business with the Rev. Al Sharpton and the people eating (who were mostly black) were "dressed appropriately" and ordered their food and drinks without swearing. I mean come on? This man has his own show on Fox and this is how he thinks(google it for more information). Or on a more serious note you can look at the events in Jena Louisiana. The main media only now caught on to it but it's pretty messed up. I don't even have the energy to write about it write now but google Jena Louisiana and the story will pop up. It involves black and white students fighting, the police, a tree, a noose, and a over zealous prosecutor.
So no, I'm not worried that people won't like me because I'm black. If I lived my life like that I would never have left my house this morning. I'm excited to have the opportunity to live in another culture and learn from people whose experiences are so different than my own. I think this country has had enough of people reacting from their own fears when it comes to people who are different.
