The question may have arisen from my previous post about the meaning of “kamsa-hamnida” and why I chose to name my posts that. It’s quite simple: it is the phonetic spelling of “thank you,” and the only word in Korean that I learned during my trip. I’m sure it was a bit ridiculous to see an American just pointing at things and responding to every question or statement with “thank you.” Oh well. If I return to Korea, I will have something to work on.
I decided to share the experiences that stood out to me the most during my trip instead of recounting everything I did. There is just too much to write about that wouldn’t involve these posts as a five part series. We traveled in to Seoul many times, visited some eclectic markets, went halfway up the Seoul Tower, explored the nightlife in Itaewon, amongst many other activities. There was a lot going on and I really did enjoy my time there.
Now let me introduce you to this guy right here:
This was one of the most enjoyable and unexpected parts of my trip. My friend started taking boxing classes from this gentleman above when he moved to Korea. This picture was from when he was younger; I’d say he was about 40 when I met him. Now I haven’t taken any boxing classes before, but he had to be one the best instructors out there. He didn’t speak any English, but still managed to teach me the basics of boxing. On the second day, we started to spar.
This guy destroyed me.
I consider myself quite in shape, but I got the workout of a lifetime. As I was keeled over, gasping for breath, he would just chuckle, slap his gloves together and yell “hey!” Talk about motivation. I joke now that if I ever wanted to become a professional boxer, I would want him as my coach.
What was most intriguing to me was how we were able to communicate despite the obvious language barrier. You always hear about how communication is 70% non-verbal (or a number close to that), but this was a specific experience that proved that. Essentially, I learned how to box without uttering a single word of English.
If you are ever looking for a great workout in Dongtan, South Korea, I highly recommend taking a class with him.
Experiences // Ideas 