"Why?"

Cultural differences are a beautiful thing.

I was pretty prepared for Korean culture before I came here. There have been relatively few things that surprised me--even though there have been some and I'm sure more will come up in the future. But still, in my month and a half here, I haven't really felt any large form of culture shock. Mostly, I've felt very happy to be around a culture I really have an interest in, and I've felt comfortable and happy to be learning.

But I've experienced cultures that I wasn't entirely prepared for, and I'm sure anyone else who has visited another country or even a different area of your own country can understand that there's inevitably things you don't expect, things that are different from what you're used to.

But...why do you take your shoes off in the house? Why do you bow? Why do you use both hands when handing something to someone? Why do cats say "yowng" instead of "meow"?

It's a natural response to ask why. It's normal to be curious about why something is done the way it is. But the attitude with which you ask why matters. Be curious. Be open. Laugh and say, okay, that's funny/cool/different. But don't compare in a negative way.

Different isn't bad or good. It's not better or worse. You're absolutely allowed personal preference, but please keep in mind that stating something you prefer as better by fact is different than holding a personal opinion. And sometimes, you just won't understand why something is done the way it is. But that's okay, you don't have to. Part of accepting another culture are the things you shrug at and say, "I don't know, you just do."

I mean, how often do we really stop and analyze why we do the things we do in our own culture? Do we wake up every day and wonder, "Why do we consider cereal, pancakes, and eggs common breakfast foods? Why is water usually served cold or with ice at restaurants?" You may wonder why someone from another country does something differently than you're used to, but they are wondering the same thing about you.

Again, being curious is great. Please wonder why. Please be willing to learn. Just remember, different is just different. We are all different.

But how beautiful that is. 

<3 강다은 Da Eun