In the beginning of the program, it was sometimes a bit awkward to have conversations with the staff members. They were very nice, but I wasn't sure if it's just because they have to be or not. However, over the next week we became close as they began inviting us out to eat and drink with them and we began inviting them as well. They introduced us to some of their friends as well, those of who I enjoy spending time with too.
I also have another friend who I had been talking to through a language exchange website and I met with him when I was in Seoul. His English is not as good as the staff members because he doesn't usually have someone to practice with in person. I knew he would need me to speak slowly and clearly, but the first day we met I was nervous and couldn't stop talking too fast. It didn't help that we were either walking or in noisy places while we were trying to talk. He kept asking me to slow down, but my nerves kept me from doing so. I felt really bad about it, but the next day we went to the Han River and had a quiet dinner where we could talk and show each other pictures on our phones if we needed to explain a misunderstanding. It really helped to be able to spend one-on-one time to talk.
I now feel that we are comfortable around each other and I look forward to seeing everyone again in the future. I'm happy to be able to call them friends.
Sometimes it can be difficult to have really deep and personal conversations with someone when there is a language barrier. I'm glad that you were able to slow down and take the time needed to truly understand someone else, even if you had to use more than words. I'm sure it was a great experience :D I really hope we can keep the friends we made in South Korea.
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