roseadminI travel for food and people. Traveling to Seoul was a liberating experience because for the first time I had full control of my itinerary. I landed in Seoul with no real plan aside from accommodations; I figured out the rest as I went along. I met many people along the way, but the story of a few stuck with me.
The Chief Shipping Engineer
The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was “intimate” to say the least. I rushed onto the bus with my duffle bag only to score half a seat and a man’s leg. It’s impossible to be so close to a stranger and not strike up a conversation. The man was a Chief Shipping Engineer from India. He was en-route to Mumbai from a rural shipping point in China after six months at sea. He had two young, beautiful daughters. He spoke of his childhood growing up in, in what he described, as the slums. His options were limited. Stay in Mumbai and struggle for money, engage in illegal activity, or travel abroad to provide for his family.
Living on the ship, to him, was like being home. Much of his crew were fellow Indians, some came from Russia. All the men enjoyed Indian food, casual beer drinking, and card games. The job was brutal and had taken its toll on the Chief Engineer. His hands appeared callused. He complained of arthritis in his shoulder and knees. When asked if he was close to retirement, he simply replied, “I’ll rest when my daughters are well educated and afforded all the opportunities I could never have”.
The Girl from Dalian
Once we arrived at the hotel, it was a mad rush to the front desk to claim a room. I quickly reached out my hand to give my passport to the airline representative when I was intercepted by another women. Little did I know, passengers traveling alone would be expected to share rooms and this woman would soon be my roommate for the night.
The girl was from Dalian. Her English was choppy, but she quickly explained it was her first time traveling to Korea by herself and she was extremely nervous. She asked if I was Korean, to which I responded “no why would you think that?” She explained that I just seemed very friendly like Koreans and I looked mixed. When I told her I was from America, her eyes got wide. She had never been to America, but always dreamed of traveling to New York City and Los Angeles. She was not like some Chinese I met who could not believe that a person of color was actually born and raised in America; she appeared very open-minded. What she could not understand is why an American would leave America. Her family came from humble beginnings. She was the first to complete a high school education at a traditional Chinese school, but her college entrance exam was not high enough to attend college. As a result, she decided to work as a local tour guide. Bringing joy to others made her happy, but she knew she was capable of so much more. I wondered why she never considered going abroad, to which she explained it requires money and power, which her family does not have.
The Leprosy Clinic Volunteers
Some travel from home for the experience, some to fill a void, others simply to help. This couple traveled from Seattle, Washington to a rural city in China to lead support groups in leprosy clinics. Despite China’s disposition towards religion, the couple was granted permission to base their support groups on Christian values as long as they did not attempt to spread their ideology to Chinese citizens outside of the Leprosy community.
For many of the lepers the Leprosy community was their second chance at a normal life. The couple explained that individuals who develop leprosy in China are typically shunned by their families and communities and “sent away”. Lepers often find their way to the communities; however, they typically experience poor conditions, prejudice, and a decline in mental health. The couple believed through the positive affirmations and religion they brought to the community , the members would experience improvements in their condition. While prejudice continues against the leper communities they work in, communities have experienced a decreased death toll in the last year. They’ve been working in these communities for almost 8 years now.
The Nigerian
It seems where ever you go in the world you can find a Nigerian. This Nigerian man, Bright, happened to bump into me in Itaewon as I was hopelessly searching for an Ethiopian restaurant I read about on trip advisor. He quickly apologized and I took the opportunity to ask for directions. The restaurant was closed, but there was an African restaurant only steps away. He offered to walk me to the restaurant and asked if he could accompany me for dinner. I was hesitant, but obliged.
The African restaurant was simple. The food was good. The conversation was even better. He talked about his life in Nigeria, the struggles he had, and the final straw that led him to leave his country and live in Korea. He came to Korea based on a promise from a family friend for a job in a local factory. He would pay nothing for living expenses, which would allow him to save the majority of his salary to send home to his family. This sounded too good to be true. He explained there was a catch. He lived in a small apartment with six other Nigerian men, one of which was his cousin. The owner of the property was also the owner of the factory. Everyone referred to him as “Uncle”. Bright described Uncle as a very gracious man; however, he complained that Uncle was very overprotective, often checking in every two hours to confirm his “sons” were safe and out of trouble. I assume the look on my face was worrisome because at this point Bright reassured me that he was in Korea voluntarily and really appreciated the opportunity “Uncle” afforded him. After dinner we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
Interested in what I did and where I went? Click here!