A Hoosier in Korea. Never in my life did I ever expect to be living in Seoul, Korea. In my younger days I dreamed of living in the big city, enjoying the night life of Indianapolis. That's right! Indianapolis seemed so alive to me. I grew up in Greenwood, IN and went to Center Grove High School. Those were good times, but by the time I had graduated from Indiana University I really wanted to leave the state. Don't get me wrong. I love Indiana. I was just ready to see what else life had to offer. After a stint in Columbus, Ohio and an even longer stint in New Haven, Connecticut, I find myself in Seoul, Korea starting my own research lab.
Day 2 - So far so good. I wonder how long I can remain illiterate in this country. I'm pretty sure I could get by without learning Korean, but that seems like a wasted opportunity. Of course, I have started reading a few intro to Korean books which suggest that attempting to learn the language may be a bigger waste of time. We will see. Right now, the two or three phrases I try bring huge smiles from the people I work with. I'm not sure if they are happy I'm trying or if what I am saying sounds ridiculous. Regardless, people are smiling so it is worth pursuing.
Being fresh off the boat, I am struck at how much English that is used here. Over half the ads use an English word or phrase. This offers great hints as to what you are buying...most of the time. Sometimes, however, the English doesn't really help. For instance, my toothpaste reads "anti-calculus". I'm not sure if that is good or bad. The worst example comes from an imported Japanese drink called "Sweat". I think it is an electrolyte drink to recover after exercising. But as much as I want to say I have tried Sweat, I just can't bring myself to drink it.
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