Fish in a foreign country

Fighting the urge to cover my nose, I politely bend forward with my hands clutched together, trying to sound out Kah-ham-sam-ni-da without inhaling. With the absence of a response, I make a mental note that my practiced - “thank you” needs some improvement. It took four pieces of fish wrapped in kimchi (fermented cabbage) for me to realize that I did in fact exchange the South-African sunlit skies for the Korean country life.

I’m stuck.

Stuck with a culture I can’t comprehend. Stuck with a language I don’t understand and stuck in a country where I could keep my food as pets; hungry – I assume starved – Koreans don’t mind if their food move around, but I find it slightly awkward. Above all, I’m stuck on an ice fishing lake (and I don’t even like fish).

With a flopping fish clinging to my amateur rod, I realized, this is undeniably the most remarkable place to be stuck in. Pegging my too-small-for-a-foreigner-stool into the frozen lake, I absorbed the absurdness of catching my own lunch. My squatting neighbors gestured in poor English to me to partake in their midday lunch ritual. I nervously forced a smile and presented my freshly caught fin-friend. Stand up, bow forward, down the soju, greet your fish. AGAIN. Stand, bow, soju, fish.

Two days ago I boarded a plane and scribbled Guest English Teacher in the occupation block on the folded white card. Doors flung open, Koreans rushed passed and with my uncomfortable luggage I hurried in the same direction. I did not understand the Korean sign the smiling man was holding up, but he smiled; that was enough to convince me. Three hours, sixteen minutes and twenty-one bus stops later, I realize; this is in fact NOT my new school, but Korea’s annual Hwacheon Ice Fishing Festival.

Spotting frantic fish beneath the thin layer of ice, I ask myself the question: “How did I end up here?” (by misreading a Korean sign and answering yes to every single question). I am on a frozen lake, enjoying cabbage-wrapped-fish with a Korean.

I am not stuck in Korea, I am absolutely stuck on Korea.