There was a Homestay programme where international students can stay at a Korean family residence for a weekend for free. All you need to do was to register yourself to the district office by email. Very convenient, indeed.
Everything started at the Friday. I was fetched by the father of the family who speak VERY limited English. He brought me to the local traditional market to buy the ingredients for dinner. HAHA! Just imagine, I spoke a VERY limited Korean, he spoke a VERY limited English. So, what's the best for our communication? Body-language. =) At the market, he asked me in Korean what stuff do I like to eat. I told him this and that and he just spontaneously bought the stuff at the market. HAHA. Feel so bad, actually. >.<
After the market stuff, I was brought to their residence. A flat. Quite spacious and "messy". Well, I have to say that my house is WAY more tidier with all respect. XD And, I was given a guest room. Very comfy and homey feeling indeed. Having this once in a while after all those dormitory life is very amazing.
During the dinner time, I met the mother of the family who is the contact-person as she is the one who proposed to her husband to apply for this programme. HAHA! She wanted to improve her English, not by the books and theories and grammars (Yes, who need grammars =P JOKE!) Well, we communicated and exchanged our culture. I showed them how does food served in Indonesia (esp. Malay food, thanks Wikipedia, you made my day). The day ends by a sound sleep at my room alone. AWESOME!
The next day, I went to have a full-course meal with the mother's friends. Her friends, well, were almost as the same age as her. HAHA! So, that means, for a day, I was accompanied by Korean aunties capable of finding topic in the matter of nanoseconds. They were SO TALKATIVE. I have never met anything (or anyone) as talkative as them. XD (It was a compliment)
A funny thing happened the evening at this day. Somebody knocked on my door around 10 PM. When I opened the door, it was the eldest son of the family who is currently at the home, taking a break from his military service. He was a very manly man, I have to say (and bad-tempered, that's why I tried to keep my distance from him). HAHA! Well, (again) despite our language barriers, he managed to tell me that he would like to invite me for a dvd at the living room. We watched "How to Train Your Dragon". Luckily, I haven't watched this. XD We did not talk at all during the movie. He read the subtitle and I listened from the dialogue. HAHA. It was an awkward times, I had to say. XD Well, but I find it quite fun and have an impression that he was very friendly indeed by offering me orange juices during the movie.
The third day was quite normal. We did not do anything special and I just went back to my dorm (to the REALITY). I felt so DIFFERENT when I stepped into my dorm. It's like I have been having vacation for a while. XD
Well, I have experienced how a Korean family 'works' XD So interesting and unique. The sons are VERY respectful towards elders. Bowing are a very common practice to show respect. =)
peace
vixklen
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