Finally tidied up my feeling
and
finally writing the last post
to mark a full stop to my journal on SEP @ Korea
* * *
Flew back from Korea on 2350 Korea time
Luggage got fined ~900 ringgit (Bravo AirAsia)
Transited at KL, ate Nasi Lemak (Aww that taste T.T )
And finally reached JB ~9am M'sia time
Got home ~10am
Sitting at living room, i stoned~
To use Chinese: 懵
To use Malay: Bingung
To use Korean: 멍~
(there's a reason why i write in 4 languages...hmm...)
Well
that's the real "reaction" I had when first got home
after 4 long months
Later went Sutera Mall, walked around
reaction?
"HOW COME EVERYTHING STILL SEEM SO FAMILIAR?"
"HAD I EVER LEFT JB BEFORE?"
"WAS THE 4 MONTHS TRIP JUST A DREAM?"
Everything simply seemed unreal
I'm not referring to the things surrounding me at the moment
but those memories that I had had on my SEP
all those stuffs that happened in Korea
The feeling was really...frightening...
...frightened that all those memories were simply just a dream...
...real scared...
* * *
The first few days
even after a few weeks back to Sg
I still "refused" to accept the truth that I'd left Korea
I started being sensitive to my surroundings
started to compare things with what I'd had/seen/experienced in Korea
I saw the trees and flowers along the roadside; I complained the absence for sakura in Sg
I took public bus to find friends; I complained the absence of announcer on Sg buses
I tried some "local-made" Kimchi; I secretly sniffed, and disapproved of its inauthencity
* * *
Then
I started going for IRO's SEP-related events
I went to Pre-departure Briefing Session, shared my stories with students going Korea next sem
I had phone interview with Reader's Digest, tried to be a NUS ambassador talking good of Korea
I went to Re-entry Talk, learnt something that changed my mentality...
i learnt that...
all this while, after i was back in Msia/Sg
I was actually having "Reverse Culture Shock" (Oh well, they have a NAME for it haa)
which has the following "stages":
1. can't adapt back to the life at home
2. find things being imperfect at home, incompatible to that in Korea
3. find it frustrating to see things being so imperfect, wished i can be back to Korea
4. manage to find a balance and see things from new perspective
* * *
Now,
I find our Hibiscus really beautiful, prettier than Korean's Hibiscus syriacus
I find Sg public transport much more comfortable and cleaner than that in Korea
I find Chicken Rice and Bubble Tea the BEST!!
* * *
Thanks god I manage to pass through the "Reverse Culture Shock"
and mange through all the frustration, especially:
"No-one-wants-to-listen"
Well...SEP returnees are usually super emo upon return
and we simply wish someone can listen to our stories,
be it an interesting experience, or just a complain.
But, not everyone wants to hear those stories...
Your family, and even your close friends, might not be THAT interested to listen
You being so enthu to share the stories, yet people just "Oh...Okay...Hmm..."Interesting"
The story-teller would feel REAL bad and hurt
I was hurt
and hence, sooner, i learnt not to share to people
not unless they ask and "look" enthu enough to want to listen
and i dont share everything at once
I was just so hurt, and scared that they will get bored and start being "perfunctorily"
So, how to overcome that?
You go for SEP-related briefing or talk or sharing session
Students who want to go SEP are the best listeners!!
And,
I become a Peer Advisor, buddy to foreign students who are having SEP in NUS now
:)
* * *
Yes, I adapt well :)
Instead of saying "Goodbye Korea"
I would rather say:
"Thank you Korea"
* * *
Read more on Reverse Culture Shock here: <click>
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