The very first memory I associate with Americans has to do with a song. It goes like, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?” Though all I can recall from this song is the first line, I still remember myself reciting it in front of my class in the early spring of 1994.
I was 6 years old when my dad came to the United States for a nine-month discipleship training course at a local church in California. When I finished reciting the song, I was greeted with loud applause from my classmates and their parents. I guess it was not typical for people from California to see a Korean child sing, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?”
Certainly, this experience initiated my interest in learning the language and has led me to attend schools in the U.S. However, it was not until August 2007 that I came to America again for college after I had graduated from Bangkok International Academic School in Thailand.
Two years at Bob Jones University taught me about punctuality. Before Bob Jones, I thought being late by five or 10 minutes was acceptable. And my doing so did not cause any problem in my life until I came to a school that appreciates punctuality and definitely supports it with some measure of enforcement. Though learning punctuality and getting into the habit of being on time was a challenge, now that it has become my habit I appreciate people who are punctual.
I have also learned to appreciate rules and the importance of abiding by them. I think Americans, by nature, like to have certain rules and live in accordance with them. Still, many say rules are there to be broken. I have witnessed, however, a great number of people who actually not only follow the rules but also appreciate the order as a result of everybody’s keeping the rules.
This is a refreshing jolt for me since I was used to the idea of taking advantage of the rules by slightly bending them or following them only for obvious occasions, thinking I was very flexible. But in the end, I have come to respect those who choose to follow the rules and still manage to do an outstanding job.
I would be very mistaken if I did not share with you the generosity and hospitality of the Americans I have met in my life. It is true that I have generally been around places where Christians are the majority, and Christians tend to be very generous and kind to people. But I also want you to know that for two years I have lived and worked very closely with hundreds of U.S. soldiers and officers who are not Christians but are still hospitable and benevolent.
One Christmas break back in 2008, I could not find a place to stay for the three weeks of winter break. It was the last day before the semester was over, and my roommate asked me where I would stay for the break. I told him I was still looking, and suddenly he called his parents and asked them if I could stay with him for the entire break. His parents said yes, and my roommate said, “Problem solved, buddy.” Because of my roommate’s willingness to help and his parents’ generosity, I was able to have a wonderful Christmas break for the entire month at his house in upstate New York.
Unlike many stories that eventually come to an end, my story does not have a conclusion because it is still under way. My learning continues with my sixth semester in college in the state of Arkansas. It is my desire that this learning would ultimately result in a mutual relationship in which not only I benefit from interacting with people here, but also others will benefit from interacting with me.
