Traveling to a new country without knowing the language is extremely difficult. I've managed to make it through these past two weeks with the basic "Annyeonghaseyo" and "Kamsamhapnida" (Hello and thank you). However, I wish I was able to better converse in Korean and express my gratitude for all the instructors and student support staff. A notable interaction I've had here is when I attempted to bargain with a shop owner in Dongdaemun. I wanted to buy a shirt for my boyfriend but it was a bit over my budget. When the owner showed me the price by using a calculator, I shook my head in disapproval. A few "Aniyo"s (No's) later I was able to haggle my price down by about $17! I felt immense pride as I walked away knowing that despite the language barrier, I was still able to bargain in a foreign country! I've also never been more adventurous with ordering food. When restaurant menus have no pictures or english words, we just end up picking a random menu item and hope for the best! The picture is an example of that situation. It turned out to be a delicious braised chicken and potatoes with glass noodle dish called Jjimdak!
