This post is a continuation of my last post on 12 February 2025: Some Stumbles with My Korean Students
As I have mentioned before, here I continue the idea to post fragments of my essay about my experience teaching overseas (till 2008).
Note that the essay was prepared to participate in an international conference in 2009. Due to obvious reasons of unemployment, it was not possible to attend.
And here the continuation of my essay:
Here’s the translation of your text to English:
Getting Used to Differences in Korea
(image generated with IA)
For foreigners, it is likely to be difficult to get accustomed to the immense range of differences they face. Apparently, Latin foreigners tend to adjust more easily to Korean food. In my case, it took a few weeks, perhaps a couple of months, for me to get used to the taste of Korean food, which is generally spicy. This characteristic made me share the spicy flavor of Mexican food. Kimchi soon became part of my daily meals, made from ground chili that is left to ferment with cabbage. The same happened with rice, which is as basic in the Asian diet as beans and tortillas are in Mexico. As I accustomed my palate to the taste of Eastern food, I realized that the land shapes stomachs, and stomachs shape culture. Guided by the palate, stomachs rejoice and nourish themselves according to the region of the earth from which we gather the fruits. Thus, a palate that is foreign to a land will feel so strange that at first, it does not taste any of the local seasoning. During my first days, the difference in the taste of food made me think that in that part of the continent, the land had run out of salts, which is why the food lacked the flavors I was used to savoring in Mexico. I must admit that Korean food is one of the healthiest you can imagine.
The greeting, with the respective bow, is perhaps one of the first things that sticks. Although sometimes one is left with their hands in the air, accustomed to greeting by shaking hands.
And perhaps what weighs most in daily life as a foreigner is that one does not go unnoticed by anyone. However, it is only the looks that explore you; the most sincere in expressing their surprise are the children.
That's all for now!
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your following!
SPANISH VERSION:
Habituarse a las diferencias
Para el extranjero es probable que resulte difícil habituarse a la inmensa gama de diferencias a que se enfrenta. Al parecer, el extranjero latino suele acostumbrarse más fácil a la comida coreana. En mi caso, tomó unas semanas, quizás un par de meses, habituarme al sabor de la comida coreana, generalmente picante. Esa característica hacía compartir el sabor picante de la comida mexicana. El kimchi pronto se volvió parte de mi comida diaria, elaborado a base de chile molido que se deja fermentar con repollo. Lo mismo ocurrió con el arroz, tan básico en la dieta asiática como los frijoles y las tortillas en México. Al ir acostumbrando mi paladar al sabor de la comida oriental, me di cuenta que la tierra hace estómagos, y los estómagos hacen cultura. Asistidos por el paladar, los estómagos se regocijan y se alimentan según el punto de la tierra en que nos toque recoger los frutos. Así, un paladar ajeno a una tierra se sentirá tan extraño que las primeras veces no toma sabor alguno al sazón local. Durante mis primeros días, la diferencia de sabor de los alimentos me hacía pensar que en ese punto del continente la tierra se había quedado sin sales y por eso los alimentos resultaban sin el sabor acostumbrado a paladear en México. Debo reconocer que la comida coreana es una de las más saludables que uno se puede imaginar.
El saludo con la respectiva reverencia es quizás una de las cosas que se impregna primero. Aunque a veces uno se queda con las manos en el aire, acostumbrado a saludar estrechando la mano.
Y quizás lo que más pesa en la vida diaria como extranjero es que uno no pasa desapercibido ante nadie. Sin embargo, sólo las miradas lo exploran a uno, los más sinceros en expresar su sorpresa son los niños.
Es todo por ahora!
Gracias por tu apoyo!
Gracias por tu seguimiento!
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