As I sat down reminiscing about the early days of my life abroad, I smiled to myself and feeling grateful and proud of how far we have come. Later I will tell you why I used we and not I.
I remember back in the days, a fresh young Legon (UG) graduate after leaving school some few months decided to seek greener pastures and further education elsewhere apart from UG mainly because of the worry of burdening my parents and also trying to avoid certain lecturers who have grown to be monarchs in some of our departments.
I went through all my options and finally settled with what I will term “The Asia adventure”. I had two reasons for my choice, one was because the fees were very reasonable (almost same fees as Legon) and the latter being that instead of me waiting for my “burger” parents to file documents and wait in line for embassies to scrutinize, investigate and torture me mentally for years to get the so called heaven ticket (visa), I had an option of starting a new life elsewhere (out of sight…).
I went through all the process of getting my visa and set off on this adventure to a place I literally had no idea of. Most of my family and friends typically of Ghanaians started saying so many things—its hell, terrible food, over populated, useless and needless journey.
I remember I was told to be ready to eat vultures, mouse….very funny if I think about it today. I think I wouldn’t blame Ghanaians for such thoughts, its just that most of us have less contact with the Asian continent as a whole.It is really important for people to really learn about other cultures.
The first time I arrived in South Korea, unfortunately for me it was winter, by then the only country I had been to was South Africa (even there it was summer). I hilariously remember running back into the airport as the cold was something I had never witnessed before. I told my friends later on that; I talked and saw smoke coming from my mouth—natural cigarette. You shouldn’t blame me, it was minus 15 degrees that day.
For a freshman coming all the way from Africa (Ojakrom) you could understand my frustration. Apart from the cold, I was like dumbfounded. Everything looked practically beautiful and weird. I didn’t see English anywhere it was all a foreign language like ‘drawing’.
The airport was super big and I was so confused as to what to do. I tried to talk to the workers at the airport for assistance but nobody could understand my scholastic Ghanaian english. That was the first time I felt like I was really in someone else’s country (obi mayin so).
I was so lucky to find another African who has been living here to help me find my way out. My first 3 days was like Alice in wonderland. In my city and university to be precise we were only 3 Africans (black people). I can recall people will stop and watch you sometimes very uncomfortable on the street.I remember during my first week I went to the bank, then this old Korean man walked to me, touched my face, skin and hair and asked whether it was real?