adventures of an afropolitan abroad

"the domain of the stranger is always an elusive elsewhere." / saidiya hartman, lose your mother from the mixed-up files of a Black Fulbright ETA in south korea '16-'18

[afropolitan-abroad]

this wrap-up post is several weeks late, but i’m a true believer of the maxim: better late than never!

it’s been almost a month or so since i returned to the u.s. and in that time, i’ve been making some moves. literal moves. i’m moving the last of my things into my studio today and tomorrow. during this brief downtime, i thought i’d share some last thoughts on my 2 years as a Fulbright Korea ETA now that this time has come to its end.

i’ve said it here before: the last 2 years have brought about some of the most transformative and amazing experiences of my life. through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, i never once regretted making the decision to accept the challenge and move across the world, break out of my comfort zone, and try something new. though i often found myself in situations beyond my control, and though i was often at a loss for words, longing for the familiar comforts and support systems i had left behind, i can honestly say that i loved my time in Korea. in fact, i have every intention of returning someday as a better, better-prepared version of myself.

not only did i cross off all the items on the bucket list i wrote so long ago--which can be read under “to-do list” on this blog--but i also added new items to my list of life goals, including becoming a better teacher and a more fluent speaker and translator of Korean. for that reason, i’m excited that a) i’ll be starting a fully-funded MFA program in English/creative writing where i’ll also b) work as an adjunct professor of composition, teaching writing to university students, and c) serving as an editor/pinch-hitter translator for a really cool online journal of contemporary Korean literature. i hope i learn a lot from the next 2 years that i can bring back to Korea with me.

the photos above are only a small fraction of the memories from my last days in Korea, when victor came to visit again! i got to say my goodbyes to Seoul and to Korea overall. those final days were an amazing note to leave off on. victor and i are planning more travels in the future in between struggling to stay alive in our respective grad programs. for more updates on those travels, catch us on our travel Instagram @ pictor_perfect.

for now, i’m saying farewell to this blog. but i know this isn’t the end. it’s just the first of many, many adventures to come. <3

[afropolitan-abroad]

[afropolitan-abroad]

My last week and a half in Korea has been seriously unforgettable. More pictures and details on the amazing adventures of Paige and Victor to come, but first: a surreal thing I never thought would happen.

Over the last year living in the rural countryside and teaching from a textbook at a university, my mind has often drifted back to the city and school I left a year ago: Changwon and Masan Girls’ High School. I kept in touch with the Fulbrighter who ended up there over the year, and recently we connected about planning a possible visit to the school before I left Korea.

I never thought I’d get this chance to say goodbye (again), so of course, I jumped at it. I took a KTX train down to Masan on a rainy Monday morning to visit the school where this whole adventure began. I was full of nerves going to visit because even though the ETA who taught there this year assured me the students remembered me fondly, I worried I had failed to make a lasting impact or leave any real impression on them or anyone else before I left (somewhat unceremoniously) at the end of last year.

The ETA there coordinated a speed dating style lesson for that day and told the class there would be a special guest for the activity. She assured them it was someone exciting and asked who they thought it might be. Some suggestions came up and, from my waiting spot outside the door, I heard one timid voice say, “Paige Teacher?” and then other voices seemed to rule this one an impossibility. Then came my cue to reveal myself, and the students burst out with reactions, welcoming me with tears, screams, applause, and so much love.

I got to talk to one of my favorite groups of students again. They told me how much they missed me and how they were so happy to see me. Hugs were exchanged, candy bars given, excited questions and answers traded. I had missed them so dearly and couldn’t believe the feeling was indeed mutual. We posed for silly group photos, then the current ETA and I went around the school, and tons of my former students shrieked and ran to greet me when they saw me in the halls. I even got to say hi to one of the friendly secretaries I had befriended from the main office. It was all so surreal for everyone. I kept imagining I would wake up from a dream in the middle of each quick catch-up conversation.

This visit was truly the best kind of closure to bring my time in Korea to an end for now. I’ll remember Masan for the highs and lows, but especially for that wonderful day and all the love those students and I carry for each other, now and always.

[afropolitan-abroad]

[afropolitan-abroad]

[afropolitan-abroad]

[afropolitan-abroad]

the view of an open field on campus with endless rows of mountains as a backdrop that set the scene for the lunchtime picnics I've enjoyed with my friends this spring. I'm excited to return to the city life soon, but this is the kind of view I'm sure I'll miss when I'm gone.

[afropolitan-abroad]

making the most of empty classrooms when all your students are participating in the school's Sports Day event. also hello, it's been a while and somehow June is around the corner. it's been a busy time as I near the end of the semester, the grant year, and my time as a Fulbrighter. big plans are in the works. hopefully more to come soon.

[afropolitan-abroad]

made a surprise return to jeonju for the jeonju international film festival this past weekend at an invitation from a really cool person i admire in our Fulbright cohort and had an awesome time, despite the struggles of traveling from the farmlands and the incessant rain that fell over the city the whole time i was there. i got to see two excellent films. the first was a production out of palestine with support from mexico, germany, and the netherlands called "the reports on sarah and saleem," about the consequences of an affair between a middle-class israeli woman and a working-class palestinian man. earlier today, i watched "the return," a gorgeous hybrid documentary and fictional narrative about korean-danish adoptees returning to korea in search of their birth families. another friend and person I hugely admire in the cohort had a speaking role in this movie and participated in the q&a with the director and cast after the film (the group photo above is her with other cast and crew members, taken by a friend), so that was yet another opportunity for me to fangirl and remain grateful for the amazing people I have the honor of knowing and the cool things that come across my path because of them. there were so many more films I wanted to see, and I plan to check them out in due time, but I definitely recommend the two that I did get to witness in their korean premieres this past weekend. I hope this is just one of many more good memories I'll be closing out this chapter of my time in korea with. ♡

[afropolitan-abroad]

exhausted selfies taken as i near the end of the post-Fulbright conference sickness and enter the tunnel of midterms at Jungwon. on the bus back from Seoul, with both an awakening and an aching in my bones. side note: if you change your hair in anticipation for spring, maybe spring will finally come? we'll see. ♡

[afropolitan-abroad]

and i’ll leave these memories in place with one of my favorite songs by korean indie singer-songwriter MoonMoon, whose concert we went to jeonju this past weekend to see. hearing and watching him and his band perform live was incredible. i still have goosebumps. it’s hard to find translations of most of his songs on the internet, as he’s still an up-and-coming artist. so i think i’m going to work on translating some of my other favorites from him for myself so i can start to get more deeply engaged in his wonderful, wonderful music. in the meantime, “paint” does have translations, and i think it’s a beautiful song. other favorites from him that people can check out if they like what they hear: “marriage,” “tree,” “grandmother,” “museum,” “roach,” and one of his songs that landed on the korean charts recently after celebrities recommended it: “contrail.” <3

[afropolitan-abroad]

robyn, tien and i went on an excellent adventure to jeonju this past weekend and even though i have no energy to tell you all about it, i did at least remember to take photos, part 3.

[afropolitan-abroad]

robyn, tien and i went on an excellent adventure to jeonju this past weekend and even though i have no energy to tell you all about it, i did at least remember to take photos, part 2.

[afropolitan-abroad]

robyn, tien and i went on an excellent adventure to jeonju this past weekend and even though i have no energy to tell you all about it, i did at least remember to take photos, part 1.

[afropolitan-abroad]

there's a new cherry blossom latte at my favorite franchise coffee shop and i don't care that it snowed two days ago or that the air still has a sharp bite to it, this officially means it's spring.

[afropolitan-abroad]

snapshots from recent adventures, from the farmlands to the city, from the coffee shop to the karaoke spot. getting those last moments of leisure in before the semester is back in full swing.

[afropolitan-abroad]

when you live in relative isolation in the korean countryside, you can at least count on your squad to be your valentine. had a cute "galentine's day" gathering with the jungwomen. chocolate-dipped korean strawberries, ice cream, and good talks about life, love, and all the uncertain things in between. ♡