}

Essay

2025-06-21

GA NA DA RA and Me

  • CherriPark 2025-06-21
  • 57
    1
Ga na da ra, I found myself learning again like a preschooler at 28. Imagine being 28 and having to start your life again, like hitting the reset button.  I didn't see it coming until we had to live here permanently. It's hard, really hard. There are no subtitles, just me, my confused face, and a lot of "ottoke?" moments.

How can I survive? I can greet you with "anyeonghaseyo," but what's next? They told me "jal jineseyo," and my response was "ne." My go-to answer quickly became "ne." Just saying "ne" worked in almost every situation. Do I understand? Ne. Do I need a plastic bag? Ne! (Aah, I don't need it.) Did I accidentally sign myself up for a phone plan? Maybe... ne.

Thank you, Google Translate; applause for Google Lens; and hey, my best friend is Papago, dumb and funny, but I survived my time in Korea with these. I was able to eat at cafes and restaurants, even ride buses and subways, and go to faraway places by myself. Now I'm an English teacher for three years; still, I don't know how I survived, just guts, skills, and a lot of nodding.

Everyday life still feels like preschool, just like with my students. But hey, it's okay. I'm still learning the ga na da ra of life, one "ne" at a time.
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  • 이전글То, что ты отдаёшь, в итоге возвращается2025.06.21
  • 다음글पराए देश में अपना सा एहसास ("A Sense of Belonging in a Foreign Land") ~VANSHIKA KATARIA2025.06.21

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    김형곤 　오래 전

    저도 CherriPark님처럼 구글의 도움을 많이 받았습니다.
    현재 이 커뮤니티도 구글의 도움으로 우리들이 연대하고, 공감할 수 있지요.
    제가 논문을 쓸 때도, 해외 여행을 갈 때도 구글은 큰 도움이 됩니다.^^

    2025-06-22 17:10