could you wake up as a different person?

Could you wake up as a different person?

by: Sally Kim

Wednesday, May 15, 13

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/if-you-can-wake-up-in-a-different-place-if-you/406741.html




about the author

Sally Kim, born on 1997 August 26th, came to China on June 2001. She attended 6 months of Chinese local school and then transferred to the International School of Qingdao (ISQ) as a Eirst grader. She went to ISQ until the end of 7th grade, then her whole family moved to Shanghai China and started 8th grade in Shanghai American School

1


2007, June, my friend and I walk out of Incheon International Airport with our parents. With a big smile on our faces, and in a high tone voice, we exchange our cell phone numbers and promise to go shopping together.

2007년6월나랑박지영이랑인청공항에엄마아빠랑웃으면서서로번호를알려준다.같이명동가서여고괴담5보기로약속한다.

2


명동,한국에서제일쇼핑하기좋은곳중에하나다.

3

Myeongdong, one of the best places in Seoul to go shopping, is full of people enjoying their summer.


However we are the only ‘students’ here because all other Korean students are still in school. People look at us as if we are bad students who are skipping school and going shopping. I want to tell them we are from China and our school is already over.

6월초오전명동에잇는학생은우리밖에없다사람들이학교땡깐줄아는거같다.아닌데?우리학교방학했는데이미

4


We walk in to a small shop full with colorful and pretty shoes and clothes. I see a beautiful T-‐shirt that I really like. I take it to the counter, and ask them the price. As soon as I ask them the price, they look at me and answer in English.

명동에이랜드에들어간다신상으로보이는티셔츠가잇다값을물어봣는데영어로대답해준다

5


I think to myself, “ but I’m Korean, I speak Korean.” I tell them that I am Korean and I can speak Korean very well. They apologize, they thought that I was a Korean-‐American who doesn’t speak Korean. I am confused.

뭐지난한국사람인데.그사람한테나한국사람이고한국말할줄안다고웃으면서알려준다.미안하다고하면서코리안어메리칸인줄알앗다고한다.헷

갈린다

6


We come out of that shop and go in to Baskin Robbins; we sit down and start to chat about things. We talk about school, how we are excited to go to middle school, what we are going to do during summer.

베스킨라빈스에앉아서수다떨고있다

7


Then, a woman who looks as old as my mother comes to us. She asks us if we live in America. She tells us that our, especially my pronunciation of Korean seems like a foreigner speaking Korean. I am confused.

우리엄마보다더나이먹은거같으신아줌마가와서혹시미국사냐고물어본다.아니라고했더니우리,특히내발음이정말이상하다고외국사람이한국말하는건줄알앗다고한다.헷갈린

다

8


We decide to watch a movie; we buy the tickets and line up to get some snacks. While I am getting my wallet out, the woman at the cashier asks me. “Are you American? “ I tell her I’m Korean, but she seems like she is not listening to me. I am confused.

여고괴담5;동반자살, 이거볼려고박지영이랑만난거니까. 티켓을사러간다 또물어본다혹시미국사람이냐고한국사람이라고해도안믿는눈치다뭐지헷갈린다

9


I talk in English as usual, Emily answers in English as usual. Everyone stares at us as if we are monkeys in a zoo.

그냥학교에서하는것처럼영어로떠들면서걷는데사람들이쳐다본다무슨원숭이구경하는것처럼

10


I think to myself:

Oh maybe from now on I shouldn’t speak English in Korea.

한국에서는영어를쓰면안되겟다

11


I start to speak Korean, and people don’t stare at me anymore

한국말로떠들자아무도쳐다보지않는다

12


Four years later, now I realize that I don’t have to speak Korean in Korea. I shouldn’t care too much about other people’s opinions and expectations.

4년이지난지금이제야알겟다그때굳이한국말로바꿀필요없엇는데남들이무슨생각하든내맘대로하면된다고생각한다

13


After this experience, I could relate this to a quote I saw:

“If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up

as a different person?”I am not going to try to change myself because of other

people’s expectations from now on.

나는이경험을통해서내가옛날에본” 다른곳에서일어난다고다른사람이되나?” 라는명언이 생각났다. 나는이제부터 사람들의기대치때문에나를바꾸지않을꺼다

14










THE END


could you wake up as a different person?

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korean students

im korean

pronunciation of korean

middle school

different person

different time

different place

months of chinese local