JB Life Summer Vol. 3

LOCAL VOICES
Finding “Home”
Love at First Sight
By SWARNALEE DUTTA
By FELIPE GOMES
ome is where the heart is,”, as they say. Where is
“Hyour heart right now?
I usually say that my Korean story started back in 2011,
when I had the chance to meet many Korean people in Vancouver,
Canada. Not only had I met great people, but I had
taken a glimpse at a culture so exquisite and interesting to
me that it prompted me to come the very next year, for the
first time. To organize that first trip, I remember relying on
pure instinct to tell me where I should or shouldn’t go, and
I was lucky, or blessed enough, for finding the first signs of
the next step of the journey exactly in the places I chose to
travel to. As it may have happened to many people who are
reading these lines, I fell in love with the country.
As much as people, culture, and cuisine were always welcoming
(God! What a surprise with food, for someone who
only knew about Japanese food in Asia by then), the challenges
were ever-present as well. Not everyone sees difficulty
to communicate as an opportunity to create something
new, but I knew I needed time to prepare the terrain properly
if I wanted this place to hold any of my future.
Even though we may think a house needs walls and a
ceiling to be actually called a house, I had nothing until I
reached a proper foundation. There is an abyss of doubts
between being a tourist and deciding to live in any country in
which you were not born. A leap of faith would be pointless
without a proper root to hold me after it. It was necessary to
reach out to people for help and guidance. The classic “kindness
from strangers” was not only expected from me -- it
was sought for and highly regarded when it came.
Every new person, new place, or new thing that comes to
your life tends to be just a sign of previous things which you
overcame (or didn’t). I believe that if you face your challenges
eye-to-eye, new challenges will come, keeping it all fresh.
I knew I was facing a lot of fresh obstacles, while following
my own pace, but it might have been easy for some people
to look at my life and think that I wasn’t really reaching
anything, that I was just grasping for something superficial.
But I had spent time and patience until I finally found that
root. A reason. I had found it. I had found them. People to
call friends, neighbors to call family, a place to call my own.
Despite the fact that sometimes it felt very dark and all I had
to light up my next steps was my optimism.
The size of the house I have managed to build in my visits
to Korea is as elastic as my concepts of trust, faith, and joy.
They all grew exponentially because of my experience in
Jeonju. I may be a tourist in other countries (even in mine
now) and also in other cities in Korea, but here I where I
have my home.
My heart now lies in Jeonju, where it built a house with
reflections of the knowledge that came before it, but, most
importantly, with all the experience and wisdom achieved
right here, in this spot.
Where is your heart right now? I hope you have found a
place for it, and if you haven’t, I wish that you have started
to build your own. Whatever your concept of home is, wherever
you feel like it.
Jeonbuk to me is a place I fell in love with at first sight. It
is that special place where I entered the most adventurous
phase of my life. My son was born here.
As a researcher in the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences,
Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Wanju, I will
be completing two years in Jeonju very soon. The up-to-date
infrastructure in RDA, the cutting edge ongoing research and
the comfortable working environment make me a competitive,
happy researcher. But Jeonbuk has given much more than that.
Growing up with children is an awesome experience anywhere.
But we, as parents, are fortunate to have lovely neighbours
and friends who make this journey more beautiful with
their presence and care. There is a lovely Korean family, our
next-door neighbours, whom we absolutely adore. My son loves
them and they dote on him. Any help we need and they are a
phone call away.
The experience I have with other moms when out with my
baby is awesome. We do not speak words, but can understand
each other anyway. Sign language helps, but overall it
is mother’s instinct that works. Some people I met for just a
moment and will never meet again, but those memories are so
heart-warming.
An expat encounters various difficulties in a foreign land with
an unfamiliar language. But I love the way people try to help
you out. Hospitality shown by locals toward the expats is commendable,
be it the doctors and staff during my baby’s birth,
colleagues, neighbours and friends, or even some random acts
of kindness by strangers. “Service” is a common term in shops,
but I find “acts of service” is more common among the people.
A cherry on the cake is the expat community here, so strongly
bonded that they never disappoint when you reach out to them.
The inclusive nature irrespective of nationality or ethnicity is
charming, and every time I meet a fellow expat, I gain a friend.
The many ways expats contribute toward the betterment of the
society other than their regular jobs is praiseworthy. People are
engaged in social services, they generate funds when needed
to help meet crisis, encourage hobbies like crafts, yoga, learning
foreign language or reading and writing. Expats run groups
meet regularly and offer an opportunity to pursue your interest.
They are truly making the town a better place to live.
The co-existence of traditional Jeonju with its rich heritage of
culture along with the newly developed modern city makes it
a unique place to live. The various festivals famous in this area
are very interesting and we try our best not to miss them. We
are looking forward to having some fabulous time this year, too,
especially with our son. I think it is a very wonderful place for
our son to grow up because of the prevalent hybrid culture. Tradition
and modernism have a very fine way of mingling here.
Both keeping to their boundaries, yet complementing each other
to complete the beauty of the city.
A developing city, Jeonju has preserved the countryside by
building parks and sites popular for outdoor recreation. The
old-world charm and vintage surroundings are so refreshing.
The calm and peaceful environment together with its picturesque
beauty provides a delightful haven if you wish to go for
a soul search. A visit to the surrounding mountains, getaway to
the not-so-far beaches, temple stay tour, or just a simple walk
by the river can make your spirits soar high. No wonder this city
was once considered the spiritual capital.
A lover of nature, I am enchanted by the beauty this city dons
with each changing season. The delightful cherry blossoms
along with the wild flowers of spring, the pleasant lush green
leaves of summer, the rainbow of yellows and scarlets during
fall, and the serene pearly white winter. If anything, witnessing
these awesome transitions has worked like a rejuvenating
elixir for me and my family. Every moment of our life here is
engraved in our hearts as gift to treasure forever. Thank you
Jeonju!
32
Jeonbuk Life 33