Chapter 7: The Problem Process

When a problem or conflict erupts in Korea, the process to resolving the situation is done in a much more structured way than I am used to. We are taught in America to go through a chain of command, to take our complaints to the appropriate party and allow them to contact their appropriate party until the problem reaches the right channels. This practice is taken to new levels in Korea and it is a method that at first tried my patience.

I never realized how impatient I can be about certain issues until having to take an extended amount of time dealing with them. One of the most eye opening lessons here so far is that while problems are unavoidable, the process to fix them takes time. Sometimes days and in the case of large problems, weeks.

While this was a major thorn in my side at first, the time it took to deal with the issues actually helped me to appreciate the situation from a new perspective. It gave me time to think about how I looked at my problems and how I looked at the process I used to deal with different issues.

Being patient and going slow was more beneficial than I initially thought. By the time the issue had come to resolve itself, the outcome was well thought of and was something all parties could have agreed on in the end.

One of the biggest changes in Korea is being patient during times of need and times of stress. Getting mad over many issues in Korea seems like a logical and natural choice in times of stress, but when looked at from another view I came to this conclusion.

I am a visitor in their country. Whatever preconceived or familiar notions I had in the way tasks were completed would have to take a backseat to the way tasks were actually completed. This is Korea. This was their country. I am a visitor and in many ways, a guest being entrusted with the education of their children and their future. I need to think differently. I need to play by new rules.

Some people learn Korean while spending their year in Korea. Some experience new foods, travel to new places or meet new people. We fall in love and we fall out of love with places, people and things. We leave with a slew of photographs and memories of a year in a new country.

The people will not be here forever. The pictures can become lost overtime. Even our memories can become distorted and clouded as the years go on. The lessons learned here, the ones that change your perspective and change your views on living your life will always remain. They become a part of you, ingrained in your being. These are matter the most, and will follow you everywhere.

I am lucky to take these lessons and add to them everyday. I live in a country and with a job that requires one to learn from their mistakes and realize the importance of becoming a wiser person.

Even during times of stress and worry. When I am angry and not willing to do a task due to exhaustion or apathy, I stop and think about why I am here, how lucky I am to be in such a giving and dynamic country and wanting to not waste a moment on negativity.

In the end, you tend to remember good times and the lessons that came with them. The bad times tend to fade much easier and become much harder to remember.

So I don’t waste my time on them, I go and live. Learning something new everyday, becoming a little wiser and a little more like the person I aspire to become.