Bye bye independence



One week ago, I took a plane and flew all the way back to kindergarten. As a kindergarten boy, I am in permanent need of assistance for every single stuff. I need to ask my guardian to pick what I’m gonna eat, to show me where toilet are, to translate the very few things I want to say and to answers millions of stupid question I have to ask (What is the meaning of these fence shape ? Are all the manhole design the same ? What percentage of Korea country used to be the sea and was filled with a mix of bamboo and earth over the past decade ? Why can’t we drink tap water and why don’t they fix it ? Are all Korean flat the same shape ?). I also get occasionally scolded when I seriously misbehave (ignoring/forgetting some politeness rules).

I can’t even stay at home by myself. I’m attacked by delivery guys (three of them the past two days) who seem even more embarrassed than me when they try to communicate and I barely repeat “I don’t know”. It takes several careful attempt to call a number from our home phone, and I have no idea how to cook whatever I find in the fridge.

I’ve been quite independent rather early in my life, for various reasons beyond my control. Or I could at least make my own choices based on information I gathered by myself. Being back to kindergarten is tough. But I knew what to expect and getting my independence back will be the most difficult thing to do here. Starting with learning the language.

Until then, good luck to my guardian.

6 thoughts on “Bye bye independence

  1. Luna

    But you’ve bought the water and eggs by yourself!
    And you’ve got internet when I’m not home and whatever happened you’ve received all our parcels.

    So don’t worry. I also often say ‘I don’t know’ to avoid all the annoying stuff :P You’ll know actually it’s sometimes quite convenient being a foreigner. It’s from my experience! ;)

  2. Manon

    Si je comprends bien tu en es au point de réecrire ton nom sur un tablier, ton cartable, ton crochet etc… Heureusement maintenant tu peux prendre des notes, ce que je te conseille vivement. Un petit calepin choses à faire, à ne pas faire et à ne plus faire!!! Enfin, comme l’a écrit Luna, ça peut avoir ses avantages d’être étranger et de pouvoir dire “I don’t know”, me réjouis pour toi que tu puisses passer dans cette phase-là. Becs. Manon

  3. Manon

    Ton “proverbe” est très juste, tout comme “un océan de paroles pour un désert d’idées” mais il est évident que lorsque le vocabulaire nous manque il peut être plus difficile d’avoir une discussion “profonde”. Souvent au Costa Rica ou avec mes cousins uruguayens, j’ai l’impression d’être perçue comme une bobette simplement parce que je ne maîtrise pas la langue.
    Je reste persuadée qu’avec la prof que tu as tu feras vite des progrès et que d’ici quelques mois tu pourras acheter tout le magasin et être sûr de ce que tu dis afin de passer pour le cerveau que tu es!
    biz à vous deux.
    PS: et pour Luna comment ça se passe?

  4. Mioumiou

    Having tightly been reading Bye bye Independence which recalls my Swiss settelment-hood in the beginning, I got a burst of laghter when reaching to ‘I can’t even stay at home by myself. I’M ATTACKED BY DELIVERY GUYS….’. lololololololol I find this is very Korean.^^

    Does Sangeune like home/internet shopping? Suddenly miss this Korean 택배 system…
    You probably know now how it is speedy and convenient in cheap price.
    I gotto go to the post soon for a recommandé….if I could just give a call for a pick up service to my place with moderate price, apart from kinda DHL….

    I guess you’ve recovered a lot your independence since this was posted more than a year, what do you reckon?

    Hope you enjoying your stay there with lots of fun!

    MJ
    ——————————————————————————————————————————-
    나의 초기 스위스 정착 시절을 상기시키는 Bye bye Independence 흥미있게 읽다가 ‘I can’t even stay at home by myself. II’M ATTACKED BZ DELIVERY GUYS….’부분에서 “빵” 터졌어…. 푸하하 아주 한국스럽게 느껴졌거든. ^^

    상은이가 홈/인터넷 쇼핑을 좋아하나 봐? 문득 한국 택배시스템이 그리워지는군…
    그 시스템이 얼마나 신속, 편리하고 싸기까지 한 지 알잖아.
    recommandé 있어서 우체국 가야하는데, 전화 한통으로 집으로 픽업하러 와주면 얼마나 좋을까…DHL 같은 거 말고 저렴한 가격으로 말야.

    포스팅 날짜가 일년이 넘었으니, 지금은 훨씬 독립성이 생겼으리라 생각하는데… 어때?

    있는 동안 재밌게 잘 지내길!

    명주

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