Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time someone who has been reading my blog. Courtney came to Korea for the day on her way home from a trip to Viet Nam. She lives in California and works for a company that frequently sends her to Southeast Asia. She went out of her way to come to Seoul from Incheon Airport so we could have lunch today! I was very honored. She wanted to meet my family too, but unfortunately they couldn’t make it. Courtney said she’s been reading World Adventurers off and on for quite some time and wanted to meet me in person. She is a very nice person, and we had a splendid time. It turns out that she is a good friend of one of my colleagues working in Viet Nam. It’s a small world for globetrotters like us.
At noon yesterday, she came to my workplace, and we went out to eat to a local bulgogi restaurant. She asked me whether I think Korea is really like what I write about in World Adventurers. Yes, and no, I answered. I try to be as honest as I can without intentionally offending, and sometimes I tone down my own opinions. Korea has its share of frustrations, but it has also been a wonderful place to live. Blogging to me is a bit like writing an autobiography. It’s a chronicle of my life that occasionally glosses over reality. Then again, very rarely will you find a completely honest autobiography. The author always wants to look good and avoid controversy. I asked her if there were any topics she thought I should write about, and she mentioned she would enjoy reading about cross-cultural marriages because my wife is from China. I told her I usually avoid talking too much about my relationship with my wife out of respect for her, but I do think I can give tips on making international marriages work. Many people marry spouses from other cultures. Most don’t realize when they marry just how much more difficult a cross-cultural relationship can be. It takes a lot of effort to make it work.
In case you’re wondering, she gave me permission to talk about our get together. If you’re ever in Seoul and want to meet up while I’m here, let me know. I’m not shy.
