SoKoDiaries: Reverse Culture Shock (Vol.3)

By Nailah Harvey

Nailah’s first two books are a compilation of journals from her three-month journey in South Korea: the good, the bad and the ugly. As the third volume in the SoKoDiaries Book Series, “Reverse Culture Shock” speaks about Nailah’s life after diving back into the routine of her native country (United States) after being immersed in “the Asian culture” for a season. She found herself bowing to her elders and greeting people with the Korean greeting “Annyeong-Haseyo” instead of “Hello.” Every embarrassing situation, thought, and prayer was recorded in her infamous diary. If you’re in the mood for a smooth-sailing story, you may be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a daily and transparent chronicle from a twenty-something American woman, Nailah hopes this book finds a place in your heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nailah Harvey
• Release date: Nov 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310090301

Nailah Harvey

Nailah Harvey lives in Los Angeles, California as an indie author and copywriter. When not writing her next book, Nailah teaches authors and bloggers how to #LookBetterInWriting with grammar & writing resources on her educational website (www.nharv.com). Nailah's greatest adventure was living & teaching overseas in South Korea--where she began her "SoKoDiaries Book Series."

Book preview

SoKoDiaries: Reverse Culture Shock

Nailah Harvey

Copyright 2013

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge my natural family, my spiritual family and all of my friends. There would be no SoKoDiaries Book Series success without your love, support, patience and prayers.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to all of my grandparents: the late Leoneed Daniels (Granny), the late Ferdinand Clarence Clark Sr. (Granddaddy Clark), the late Dorothy Harvey (Granny Harvey), the late Roger Harvey Sr. (Granddaddy Harvey), the late Evester Daniels (Papa), and Mary King (Mama King).

Introduction

"…do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say." –Matthew 10:19 GNT

This passage of scripture sums up the theme and writing style of this book. Unlike the first two volumes of SoKoDiaries, this is actually a journal…a diary…a collection of my thoughts and daily activities when I returned to Los Angeles, California from Jeomchon, South Korea. I didn’t know what I was going to write when I opened my laptop and recapped my day. I just wrote. No premeditated stories or clever anecdotes. No play on words or marvelous metaphors. SoKoDiaries: Reverse Culture Shock is simply a summary of my life as a teacher in my home country, America, and how it differed from my life as a teacher in the land of the morning calm, South Korea.

It’s my time to just speak.

Table of Contents

Introduction

November

Going, going…back, back…to Cali, Cali

December

Reverse Culture Shock

I Got a Testimony

Lions, Tigers & Changes! Oh My!

Christmas

Goodbye 2012

January

Beginnings & Endings

New Year’s Resolutions

A Black Substitute Teacher, Finally!

Don’t Give Up!

Open for Change? Or Closed for Business?

February

Maybe Life Isn’t Unfair

Don’t Talk Yourself Out Of It!

Headaches. Heartaches. Cry-erys.

Happy Birthday Granny!

New Season

November

Going, going…back, back…to Cali, Cali

It felt weird leaving Korea. It was bittersweet. The short time that I spent there, it had become my home. My overall return to the States was the weirdest thing of all. Of course the flight was long—including an intense security checkpoint at the Beijing Capital International Airport in China—but my uneasiness came from my disorientation while back in my home country. America sort of felt…foreign. Upon my arrival at the LAX airport, I was thrown off by the fluency of the English language that was spoken as I went through the U.S. Citizens line and other airport security lines. Full sentences and verb-noun agreements just flowed out of people’s mouths. I had gotten so used to tuning out voices in Korea (because I didn’t understand the native language) that when one of the airport security officers spoke to me at baggage claim, I looked at him with a confused look and asked him to repeat himself.

I came home on a Sunday night; November 25, 2012 to be exact. After the most dramatic hello hug from my mom at the airport, I got my emotions under control and strongly encouraged my parents to take me to Wingstop, a restaurant that