I am apparently the last one to learn that one of my Korean friends will marry an American acquaintance. Apparently it was a whirlwind romance. The slipper fit, and she found her Prince. This is just a week or so after another Korean friend departed for the United States to marry an American man whom she met while he was here on a short-term visit. None of the Koreans I’ve met here in Korea have dated or married foreigners, until now. Two announcements in recent months is noteworthy. Is there a third on the horizon? I don’t know. I’m not plugged into the rumor mill, so I don’t know.
I have many Korean acquaintances. Some of them are not presently dating anyone, but they have hinted that they would be open to dating and marrying foreigners. For some, dating a foreigner is reminiscent of the Cinderella story, especially when the one who meets and marries the foreigner finds their culture far different from their own. It is even more intriguing when the foreigner is a traveling expatriate, moving from culture to culture, allowing the person to experience places and things they never would if they remained in their own culture.
I assume that dramatic news occurs in trios. For example, famous persons often die in threes. Now, two of my acquaintances have recently announced their intentions to marry. Is a third on the way? I don’t know. I’m very happy for the ones who found true love. Perhaps my belief that it will happen a third time stems from the hope that it will happen to yet another Korean I know. I hope so.
