From USA to Korea to Amsterdam to the USA: The Nomad Cooks



Published 2013-11-04 10:36:25

The Nomad Cooks Hey There!  I’m ‘The Nomad’.  I began my blog in my childhood bedroom a few days before moving to Daegu, South Korea to begin my life as an Expat.  Since my two-year stint in Korea, I’ve lived in Amsterdam, India and Bulgaria and am currently back in my bedroom re-integrating in American society.

1. Why did you move abroad?  
As a freshman in University, I started dreaming of going aboard.  Unable to choose one location, I decided to study abroad on Semester at Sea.   I was able to visit 10 countries in one semester and get a scholarship to help fund my travels (and courses)!  It was an easy decision.

After returning home, I obsessed over moving back to Asia to get a proper, long-term feel for the continent.  Thus began the research phase of going aboard.  I stared by finding a job.  I settled on ESL Teaching (all you need is a Bachelors degree) then began narrowing down the abroad options. As an American University student, I had some pesky student loans to pay back so teaching in Korea through the National E.P.I.K. program became my first option.  I made around $2,000 a month, had a free apartment, paid about $200 in bills monthly including $40 a month for comprehensive healthcare so continues to pay off all my student debt would be very easy.  It was the perfect choice for me.

(In my two years, I paid off $12,000 in loans, lived very comfortably, traveled at every opportunity throughout Asia and Korea and managed to save a lot of money for the future.)

2. How do you make a living?

I’ve recently gone through some major life changes but I’ve managed, thus far, to make a living teaching English as a second language and taking care of children.   

Personally, unless you have an unlimited amount of patients, I do not think ESL teaching should be a long-term career.  First off, you teach very basic and mostly conversational English.  My days consisted of “Hello, How are you?  How’s the weather today?” on repeat from 8:30-4:30 five days a week.  I was never intellectually stimulated by my job.  While in Korea and Bulgaria, I didn’t mind the monotony simply because I engaging in my cultural and attempting to absorb my surroundings at all times.  Everything was different down to how and when to use the bathroom.  I loved the cultural difference I encountered every day but after two years it was time for something different.   

Following my stint in Korea, I moved with my English Boyfriend, who I met in Korea, for a year.  Things didn’t go as planned but I spent my time in Amsterdam as a babysitter.  It was difficult and, honestly, I wouldn’t recommend moving to Northern Europe to anyone unless you’re a millionaire.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
With Skype and Facebook, I spoke with my family quite often.  We are not a super close family so phone calls were seldom.  As with every move and time change, the real challenge is communicating at the same time.  After a few trials and errors we always got the hang of it.  Just be prepared for an awkward first month of missed connections.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Amsterdam?

There weren’t a lot of things I liked about living in Amsterdam but I enjoyed the ability to bike anywhere and all the lush scenery.  I went on more nature walks in my 10 months in the Netherlands than at any other time in my life.  I just loved that.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Amsterdam?
The Weather!  It was always dizzily, grey and cold.  I was born and raised in Southern California and did not know how to handle dreary grey days.  In all honesty, the weather affected my time in Amsterdam more than any factor.  I spent so much time being cold and trying to stay warm.

Another huge factor was money.  My partner was in Grad school and I was in legal limbo.  I made enough money to cover rent and we had a hefty amount of saving.  Unfortunately, the cost of living in Amsterdam is outrageous and, excluding public outdoor parks, nothing is free (including water and bathrooms!).  Every single thing had to be budgeted.  For reference: A trip downtown cost about 3 Euros totaling in 6 Euros round trip; a beer at a pub cost anywhere from 3 to 5 Euros.  

6. What do you miss most?
When I was aboard I missed food the most.  I’m highly lactose intolerant and a pesca-tarian.  Ordering food, especially in Korea, was a common day-to-day struggle.  Even when I learned the proper Hangul (Korean) terminology to special order food, the food preparer was hesitant to do it since veganism wasn’t a concept in Korea.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
The best way to meet people and integrate into a new culture is to get out and be super social.  Go to everything!  Being abroad is completely different to living in the U.S.  When I go out in the U.S. and start talking to people they get awkward and weird like I’m invading their personal space.  Abroad, people welcome the intrusion.  As an expat, I think people are more open to new experiences and welcome strangers more readily.  I love it!  

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
Everything felt strange is Korea.  It’s totally different than Western culture.  What I found very mentally challenging were conversations I had with Koreans in English.  There is no translation for culture.  My Korean co-teachers spoke to me as if I grew up in Korea and that was incredibly hard to understand for a very long time.  Bluntness was my biggest shock.

My co-teachers, who I spoke with every day, would commonly ask me questions like, “Are you tired? Is that why you have a pimple on your face?”  “You look good today.  Did you lose the fats?”  “Are you sick?  You look bad.”   Often I would be asked these questions when I felt I didn’t have a pimple or I didn’t lose weight. Eventually I realized, these questions were asked to evolve a conversation or to replace “How are you?”  It took me awhile to not be offended or upset when I was approached with blunt questions.    

In Amsterdam, I found the culture extremely standoffish.  I learned from speaking with classmates of my partner that Dutch citizens grown up in close groups of friends that they keep forever.  It isn’t common to bring new people into their life therefore my friendly advances, for example inviting people over for a dinner party, were often answered with a lackluster response.  It was extremely difficult making Dutch friends.  All but one person I became close with, in the 10 months I lived in Amsterdam, were international friends.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
Drugs!  Amsterdam is a drug haven but mainly for tourists who are seeking drugs.  I’d say weed was as common in Amsterdam as it is in California.  Hard drugs were just as difficult (or easy) to come by.  They aren’t sprinkled around the streets for you to find.  If you want it, you can get it but you have to put in the work.  The same mentality applies for prostitution.  If you want it, go to the Red Light District, knock on a window and barter, otherwise you’ll really have to look.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
Much higher!  Amsterdam is a very expensive city.  Be prepared to spend a lot of money.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Be as outgoing and open minded as you possible can.  I’m more of an introvert so I was challenged to go out all time but it was worth the anxiety because my greatest friendships are from my time in Korea.  I believe there is an inherent emotion connection with expats in your same situation.

Also, don’t challenge new ‘common’ things, like showering differently, or using new cooking oils.  If you get hung up on how things were at home you will never be happy living abroad.  

12. When and why did you start your blog? The Nomad Cooks 2
I started my blog in Korea for my Mom and Grandma.  I started blogging again in Amsterdam to connect to expats more.  I’ve made a few close friends through blogging and I was involved in a few blogger meet-ups that helped make my Amsterdam experience much better.  Blogging through the lows of my expat life in Amsterdam made a huge difference on my outlook.

Blog Linkblog, The Nomad Cooks

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