Confessions

1. I frequent the Starbucks in my neighborhood.

All I can say is judge not lest ye be judged. Before I lived in Korea I often and loudly judged my fellow countrymen who left the United States only to seek out American companies abroad.
Well now that I’m an expatriate, things look a little different. I mean, sure Starbucks is the devil, but sometimes the devil is the only thing around that feels like home. And sometimes the devil is the only place you can get a decent soy latte.


2. I have broken the Korean trash laws.

I will say this much in my defense: garbage is complicated.
When I first got here I was informed that everyone is required to sort waste into trash, recycling and composting. Which is great. But when you don’t understand the language, the process can be confusing, if not daunting.
For the first three weeks I lived here, I put my garbage (illegally mixed together) in black plastic bags and dropped them in outdoor garbage receptacles. And it wasn’t easy! There is a startlingly low number of public trash cans in Seoul. Seriously, I had to scout them out. And then there was the moral angst of knowing I was breaking the law and hurting the planet in one fell swoop. It was exhausting.
You’ll be glad to know I now sort my trash like a good citizen. But for a while there, I felt like I was a walking metaphor. Carrying my garbage around, trying to unload it, terrified I would get caught. I’ve also been struck by how much is disposable in our world today and how easy it was for me to feel disconnected from my own trash at home.

3. I make my students give me Korean lessons.

Well, I never said I wasn’t an opportunist. And anyway, they love it.

4. I ate squid.

It doesn’t taste very good. I have eaten the occasional bite or two of fish in the last month. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything non-vegetarian. I’m looking to broaden my experience a little.

5. I teach my students slang.

My favorite so far has been “Why ya gotta be hatin’?” I also tell them to “simmer down” when they are being too rowdy and exclaim “Oy Vey!” when one of my students forgets his homework. They say all of them now and what’s more, use them appropriately. It’s delightful and hilarious.

6. I drink beer.

If I have failed to shock you with my confessions thus far, I’m guessing this one just did it. In fact, I’d expect more than a few stories of falling out of chairs and choking on coffee.
I know. Those of you who know me know I never drink beer. That I hate it. Well, now I don’t. Neither do I love it. But I’m tired of there being a list of things “Sarah doesn’t do.” I’m tired of limiting my experience by things I believe define me. So I’m throwing them out. A few at a time.
And I’m beginning with beer and squid.