The one about dignity

People in my profession, teaching English to speakers of other languages, we sometimes find the right place and settle in, sometimes we just drift from country to country.  Maybe it depends on one's age, I don't know, personal disposition maybe, but I have been in Korea now for over 12 years.  That isn't to say I don't fantasize about the liberty of youth who think little of hopscotching around the globe teaching in whatever countries they want or can.  I do.  Anyone in this profession who isn't married to a Korean more than likely dreams of wandering to other lands every so often. We aren't paid as well as Korean English teachers, of course, and we're not respected for what we do, but it's a peaceful country with generally nice people who pretty much leave us alone to pursue our various pastimes.  It grows on you.  The initial shock of their lifestyle fades after a few weeks.  The garish town life and piles of trash become the accepted norm.  

The constant noise (of all kinds) was hard to handle at first, and health suffers from the tension it creates.  However, you can learn how to deal with it, to accept it, to let it run in the background without affecting you mentally or physically, if you want to.  A lot of people come here to teach, but don't figure out how to handle the filth, the noise, the tasteless neon, the dirty air, and the lack of space.  They usually end up leaving before their time, and I don't blame anyone who does that.  Few people help foreigners adjust to the unusual world of Korea, and when the foreigner cannot handle the craziness on his own, he has no choice but to leave in order to salvage his health and well-being.  I understand that.  I have almost left a couple times myself just to get my mind back from the brink. On the outside, it seems like a dishonest thing to do, to leave before your time, but from a human point of view, it's sometimes the right thing to do.  The Koreans often bring this on themselves, so I have little sympathy for their plaints against those who choose to leave.  We are not going to "become Korean" just because we are in their country.  They are not going to get run-of-the-mill people to come here.  People who go to live and work in other countries are not a common breed.  There is something a little unconventional about us from the start.  We are braver than many. We value our freedom.  We are curious.  We are willing to learn.  But, we will not sacrifice our dignity indefinitely.