I admit

that for a split second, it was a little strange for me; the first time I was in a room full of Korean Americans. That was when I volunteered to be a camp counselor for the Korean American Adoptees Heritage camp last summer, in preparation for my first trip to Korea. In general, it was quite rare for me to be in the company of other Korean Americans, besides my brother. It never bothered me. I was just not something I was used to; not used to seeing Asian faces and hearing American, unaccented, native English speaking kind of voices like everyone elses. Perhaps, it was a little taste of the small surprise maybe some people feel when they meet me?

I admit it was a little strange, again, to show up in Korea, ready to teach English, and find myself in the company of 30 Korean Americans! To my surprise, most of the summer teachers at this Hogwan are Korean Americans, and so is my boss. At first, I was confused, because I thought I was lucky to work in Korea last year. Sometimes companies do not want Korean Americans to teach at their schools. I'm not sure exactly why. Korea is weird. Last year, there was such a big emphasis on taking pictures; taking pictures with the cute little kids, and having pictures taken with their white English teachers--it was a dream marketing strategy...

So I wonder why so many Korean Americans came here to work. I know my company wasn't selective about hiring only Korean Americans, I mean, there are a some non-Korean Americans too. But it makes me wonder if this shows that Korean Americans are the ones who are most interested in traveling and working in Korea. Maybe, it is because it's easy for people with Korean Heritage to get a work visa (we get a 2 year open entry visa with nearly all of the same priviledges that Korean citizens get).

It is interesting to live in Korea and work with a bunch of Korean Americans. If you saw us walking to lunch on the street, you'd think we OWNED Korea. But, in reality, no one seems to have a full grasp. It's a collective bunch: Some have never been here before, some have. Some are fluent in Korean, others cannot count to twenty (me). Some have grown up eating Korean food, while others haven't tried it all yet. I am one of those who do not know whether to use one hand or two when being poured a cup of water, or what the buttons on my washing machiene says. Though, I have been to most of the famous landmarks and hotspots, I am still learning much from my fellow teachers. My new roommate (oh yeah, I moved!) is an excellent cook and she promises to teach me how to make bulgogi. My other roommate is getting attention for her white skin from time to time, being asked for a handshake or to be in a photograph. It's fun to see how this experience is different for everyone, because everyone brings something different to the table. It is fun to share the things I learned last year...I do remember a lot...and it's mostly fun to build on the knowledge I've already gained, so each new experience adds more and more to the overall picture of Korea.