Connecting the Pack

Abdullah Najjar 0:00
All right, you are listening to WKNC. This is your host Abdullah Najjar. And this is Connecting the Pack. I am joined by Helena Rico. Helena is a Spanish student here at North Carolina State University. She likes to travel. She likes learning more about other cultures. And she spent some time in South Korea, and now she is in the US. I very excited. I'm very excited to be talking to Helena today. And without further ado, Helena, welcome to the studio.

Helena Rico 0:42
Hello. Thank you, Abdullah.

Abdullah Najjar 0:43
So you you have a very interesting background Helena. You've, you've studied in Spain, obviously, but you also spent some time in South Korea. So I'm very interested in in learning about what prompted you to spend some time in South Korea study there, and how it how the process started. Why Asia?

Helena Rico 1:16
Well, I think everything started when I had to choose a major cause when you finish school in Spain, and you are going to university. It's not like here in the US. I don't know if people are from the US with this. But you need to actually choose something from the first moment. And you cannot really change what your major is. So I had to make a very tough decision at 18, which is tough, as I said. And what I wanted to do was international studies, I was very focused on that I really wanted to, but they were no options in my hometown. And I couldn't really move to another place back in the day. So the closest thing that I found in my hometown to international studies, was Asian studies. So I wasn't really familiarized with Asia that much. I didn't really know much about it. I was just, you know, this anime manga fan. I really like Japanese culture. So I wanted to do like Japanese Studies. Yeah, but there was another problem that you might see there were no Japanese Studies, only Korean Studies. If I wanted to do Japanese studies, I had to move to another city. So my thought was okay, let's just do Korean studies for a couple of years. And then I'll like transfer credits and move to the other city when I can and finish Japanese Studies. And I started my Korean Studies major, knowing nothing about Korea, I had no idea what Korean was where Seoul was on a map. I hadn't literally no idea.

Abdullah Najjar 2:45
Wow.

Helena Rico 2:45
And I started and I loved it. I really loved it. And I decided not to pursue Japanese studies. And rather say with Korea in, I got the chance to do my senior year in Seoul. So it was kind of, you know, the path that the university marked for us. Asian Studies majors. It's kind of the thing that you have to do move to Korea, at least well, Korea or whatever the country that you're studying, at least one year, so I went originally for one semester. And when I was there, I liked it very, very much. And I extended my stay for another semester. So I ended up leaving my house for a year when I went for three months.

Abdullah Najjar 3:27
Wow, this is fascinating. So what was what was it like for you? As a, you know, you're coming from Spain, a European country, and you're moving to Asia? And obviously, it's just an entirely different part of the world. Right? Very, very, um, I reckon a different culture. So what was it like for you? And I guess, in the early days of your journey in South Korea, what was something that was like I guess, culturally shocking, or culturally significant?

Helena Rico 4:04
I feel like me and my other classmates that went together to Korea had this thing that other people that I got to meet later on, didn't have that that was cultural background. We had four years or three years at the time of learning about Korean culture. We knew some things. We had a feeling of how it could be, but still, it was so shocking to get there, especially you know, we went in COVID time. So the measures were, it was crazy. Get into the airport. We got there. There were people in like full suits. There was a four hour line. I was in airport for like four hours. They had to call every single people's, like quarantine facilities manager to confirm that you actually were going to that place. You couldn't touch anything. You had to go in like a special taxi. You had to go on like special ambulance to do the PCR and I feel like that That was the first cultural shock that was like, this will never happen in Spain. You know, every country dealt with the pandemic as they could, but we could have never dealt with it like that was just the amount of how can I say this just the way that they organize things in the smoothness of how it works. That could have never happened in Spain that really shocked me, like, just in the first hour that I was there.

Abdullah Najjar 5:28
This is crazy. So you actually traveled during the first COVID? Year 2020?

Helena Rico 5:36
It was? Yeah, I was there no, sorry, I was there in 2021. But still, the measures were pretty strict in Korea, for most of my, my time there. Yes.

Abdullah Najjar 5:49
This is insane. So. So that means you probably there were many things you weren't perhaps allowed to experience because of these measures and these strict rules and regulations. Right. So what was given that what was your daily routine like? I mean, there must have been some very strict limitations in terms of you know, where you get to go, what you get to do and all of that. So what can you tell me about this sort of, I guess, special experience in South Korea.

Helena Rico 6:25
I feel like, and I was a little bit sad about this. At first, when people would tell me, people that have been living there for a long time, like how cool being in Korea was before and how like, limited we were at that moment. But I honestly felt like I could do most things I just had to be careful, like, be you know, sanitize your hands, wear masks try not to be in very big amounts of people. But I will say the worst thing about the pandemic, there was not been able to go to university, we had online classes for first semester, and like half of the second semester too, because even though the cases were less, you know, worrying in other countries in Spain, they were back to normal classes. But they were still some universities, mine included, went to too long university, that they did not go back to normal classes until like, maybe, April, I think, wow. So that was kind of bad. And also sometimes it was, you know, depending on the week, some weeks, they the the cases were worse. So we couldn't really hang out in, you know, restaurants in tables of more than four people. Some weeks, it was better. So you had to kind of be on top of what was going on.

Abdullah Najjar 7:43
Wow. And you said you actually extended the period of your stay in South Korea, even though, you know, at that point in time, there were so many guess precautionary measures, so you didn't get the experience the full experience. With that said, how, what was I guess? What, what was what was it exactly that you really enjoyed about South Korea that pushed you to want to extend your stay? I'd be interested to know more about that.

Helena Rico 8:14
I feel like when you're doing, know if other people doing the same thing, agree with me. But I think when you're doing area studies, sometimes after a long time studying it in the classroom, you end up learning more being there than being in the classroom because I felt like three years in, I had learned most of the theoretical knowledge that they could give me about South Korea. This is you know, a reach. I'm obviously never going to learn everything about South Korea. But I feel like being there for I think I was there for 10 months was so enriching. And I learned so much about the culture, even about the history just being in the places that I've been learning for three years, you spinning like parlors, or the hungry for talking to Korean people, like actually being in Korea was such a crazy learning experience that I feel like if you do area studies in you don't go to the place that you're studying about. You're missing out.

Abdullah Najjar 9:16
Wow.

Helena Rico 9:18
Impossible to learn that.

Abdullah Najjar 9:19
Right. Right. Yeah, you need that sort of knowledge on the ground, you need that sort of interaction with the people you're studying or the country that you're studying. That is so you said you spent 10 months there?

Helena Rico 9:33
I think so. Yeah.

Abdullah Najjar 9:34
Okay.

Helena Rico 9:35
What like September to no, sorry, August till July,

Abdullah Najjar 9:39
August till July Wow. So, in terms of I guess, cultural, how do I phrase it? cultural adaptation, how long did it take you to fully or to a certain extent understand, you know, the different I guess the different nuances of the Korean culture and to adapt to it, how long was that process?

Helena Rico 10:11
I feel like you never really ended up adapting completely to anything. It's just everyday you learn something new. And I feel like us. I mean, as the people who had been studying Korea, in Korean people and Korean culture for years, were more prepared to those nuances and like cultural interactions that were going to happen, but still weren't. We weren't really prepared to be in there and actually experiencing them. But I feel like many people that have no idea about Korea before had a very idealized idea of the country and like the culture, especially from what Korea has been selling for years, the whole juice, just a projection of the this idealized Korea that is selling that's the soft power that Korea holds. And it's a great thing, but you cannot go to Korea expecting to find that. And I feel like many people that and they came there, and they were shocked in a very bad way.

Abdullah Najjar 11:12
Wow.

Helena Rico 11:12
Many people were going to stay longer. And they came home earlier is Korea is a great place. I loved being in Korea. I think visiting Korea is awesome. I think studying in Korea is great. I think I will not live in Korea for longer than a year now that I've been there for a year.

Abdullah Najjar 11:33
Yeah. Wow. It's it's so share with me and the audience a, I guess a funny story about I guess, about your cultural immersion, or something that that you would, you know, look, look back. Something that you know, you probably didn't think it was funny at the time. And now when you look back at it, you're like, Oh, that was That was hilarious encounter.

Helena Rico 12:02
I feel like many times, it was very silly. How would you like go to? I don't know, a restaurant especially like a shop if there was like an old person there. And you started speaking in Korean to them? I mean, my Korean not perfect. But I would say you could understand me. Yeah. And then you start speaking in Korean. And they were like, look at you. They were listening to you. But they will look at you. And there was replying broken English reading. You were like responding in Korean. And they were trying to speak to you in English. So it was like this impossible conversation because you cannot understand their English. They don't really speak English, that well, if they're like an old person, and you're trying to speak Korean, and they don't really, I don't know. It's very, very strange. And I feel like that is a way of showing how like Korea kind of has relationally interacted with foreigners. And I feel like as a foreigner, it was very fun and very enriching. But it was also had this kind of darker side in the way that this sort of like internalized homophobia that the country has not even it's not even racism, because basically, I'm a white person. It's not going to be racism against me. But I felt like this kind of like, this is us. And this is them. Oh, the foreigners, it's kind of like, I don't know patronizing. Sometimes, though, not really wanting to do anything with foreigners. It was in the end, kind of what made me not want to be in Korea anymore. When I was going home in like late June or I was ready to go home, I think.

Abdullah Najjar 13:48
Yeah, you felt like you've had the full experience. And it was, I guess, enriching and fulfilling. Yeah. So now, from South Korea, or I guess, from Spain, to South Korea, to the United States. What was what was the transition like, you know, coming from South Korea, and then moving back, I guess you move back to Spain, your home country? And then you move to the US What was that, like this transition?

Helena Rico 14:23
Um, well, I feel like my last month in Korea were went by very fast because I was also working and studying so everything just went down very, very quickly. And when I found myself back home again, I feel a little bit lost. I feel like the process of going back home after being alone, like outside for so long. It's a little bit challenging. But I managed to do some things I got certified as a Spanish teacher and I went through this kind of like gap year. It was also hard because I had been in university for so long that I didn't have now Oh, anything to do? It was kind of like a shock. So I was kind of trying to keep myself busy working during that certification trying to spend the most time I could when my family my friends went to have to move again. It felt like, I don't know it's feels more, less. How can I say this? Less life changing? Then the first move. I don't know why even though this is so much more life changing, because I'm doing here like a master's. And I'm, this is so much more important for my life and my career. But having done the for the first month before, I feel like that milestone is already surpassed, and this is just another thing. I didn't feel like I was leaving home with the sadness that I had the first time that I left.

Abdullah Najjar 15:49
Yeah, it's as if you've developed a sort of, it's as if you've become accustomed to it, the fact that you, you know, you leave your home country in pursuit of something, I guess, a value outside of your home country. I think I would say the same thing about myself, you know, because because I've spent some time in Lebanon, I'm from Libya. And then when I was 17. I moved out of Libya, I spent some time in Lebanon. And obviously, the first the first transition outside of your home country at an early age is definitely it leaves a very, very strong impact on you, you know, but obviously, when it since I've, you know, I've moved to Lebanon for a while, and then during that time, I had a chance to do an exchange semester in the US. That sort of transition didn't feel that as as as impactful, you know. So I totally understand we mean. So, the I would love to know, more about, I guess, adapting to to American Culture. I'm not sure if you've been before, since they know before the start of your grad school journey. But I'd be interested to know, what was it like to adapt to the American culture? And how different is it truly, compared to the Spanish culture?

Helena Rico 17:19
Yeah, you was here before in that gap year that I had, I came here for like a couple of months to visit my boyfriend. And just to, you know, check if I actually liked it enough to be here for two years, doing my masters, right, since I had the chance, because I had been saving money and everything, I took it. And I think I don't regret doing that. Because I got, like, used to some things that were different, especially not just moving around the rally area, like the place where I was going to go to school and everything. Getting to know that was good for me. And then when I came out now I'm kind of more known. I know, I live in more where I'm at and everything. But talking about the American culture. I feel like I still don't get and I will never be able to get how they socially interact with each other. I mean, Spanish people we are very, like, we are very touchy. We like, hug people, we greet strangers with two kisses. We, I don't know, we spend hours on, you know, eating in restaurants and talking, shouting, and we just, I don't know, I feel like the American culture is more individualistic. Yeah, it's less based on family. I cannot understand how American people can like, not talk to their parents that live like, I don't know, states away every single day like my mom calls her sisters that live an hour away three times a day, every single day. Wow. It's not It's too crazy. Like, I know, most people do that. And the bonds, I feel between people are very strong. In cultures as the Spanish one. This is very family based very people based the, you know, the, the nucleus of your family of your friend group of the people that are around you is very, very important. And I feel like American culture, maybe I'm wrong. I don't haven't been here enough to say this for sure. But I feel like people are just spreading it around tending to be more and more individuals rather than, you know, the family grew up or friend group.

Abdullah Najjar 19:31
Yeah, yeah. No, I think I would. I would agree to a certain extent. Yeah. I coming from, I guess, a country with somewhat of a similar culture. You know, we're also pretty much collectivist right

Helena Rico 19:43
It's Aranin right

Abdullah Najjar 19:44
Yeah. So you know, the Arab world. Since I come from Libya, and I've lived in Lebanon, there is that sense of that sort of collective a sense, you know, we're very much family oriented. We very much appreciate these bonds. between us and our family and our extended family. So I totally understand what you mean, it's definitely a very different a very different culture. And funny enough, when you mentioned that sort of, I guess, physical proximity, or I guess the, I guess, the physical contact in Lebanon, like when you greet someone that, you know, it's always, you know, it comes with like a, like a, like an air kiss of some sort, you know? So, I understand what you mean. And that's, you know, obviously, you wouldn't be able to do that here.

Helena Rico 20:36
Yeah, no, absolutely not. Like I when they we had like the International Students Orientation. I overheard some guy speaking in a Spanish accent like Spain, Spanish, Spanish with an accent from Spain. And I was like, Oh, my God, I need to talk to him right now. So I like, turn and I was like, Are you from Spain? He was like, yes. And we like started talking. He was like, Oh, I'm wherever I don't remember his name. Like, he greeted me with two kisses. And there were like, people around probably everybody was like, What? What is this? Who are these people?

Abdullah Najjar 21:11
Yeah, it's definitely weird when I share when I share this with, you know, some of my American friends, you know, they'd be so surprised to hear that, you know, in different. In, in, in Lebanon, for example, you greet a person that you know, within Erica's, you know. But yeah, it's definitely it was definitely tough for me when I first showed up from Lebanon to the US to kind of adjust to that, you know, like when you're building a bond with a friend of yours. Back in Lebanon, obviously, we greet them with an air kiss. But but but here, yeah, can't that. Say I was I was treading carefully. So now, now that you're in the US, and you've been here for since the beginning of August, I would probably or,-

Helena Rico 22:02
Yeah like a month and, well two months, maybe.

Abdullah Najjar 22:04
Oh, okay.

Okay. What What? What do you think? Are some of the lessons you've learned so far? About your experience? And? Yeah, like something that you something culturally significant, perhaps, that you've learned about here in the US?

Helena Rico 22:23
I think, just probably, I have to give a shout out to American people. Because we have such a horrible image all over the world, I think, oh, no, I myself, I wasn't really, you know, this image of the American being, you know, just self center and kind of thinking that America is the only thing that exists in the world and everything. That's what I felt before. But Americans have proved me wrong. I think I I've come here to find the nicest people I've ever met in my life. The people who are always willing to help you, greet you with a smile everywhere. The service in restaurants is something I've never experienced in my life before. It's like, I don't know, going to a family gathering. Their so nice. How like, hard working American people are, especially American young people. It's, I've seen everybody holding their careers. With their part time jobs, maybe two part time jobs, three part time jobs with their school, even like master's degrees is like two jobs or like full time jobs. And I feel like, we have maybe a lot to learn from that and get rid of this bias that we have. Maybe they've earned it sometimes. But I feel like there's much more of the American people that we know, outside of America. And it's very sad, because I really have never met such nice and hardworking, in good people.

Abdullah Najjar 23:54
Yeah, yeah, I would I definitely agree with that. I see a lot of hardworking Americans that truly, that you know, that they make you very much that would push you to really admire them. You know, I admire a good work ethic. And I see that there's definitely a lot to learn, like you said, from their, I guess, perseverance, and their ability to balance a lot of different moving pieces at once. So I also pretty much appreciate that. Yeah. In terms of kindness, I I noticed that a lot in restaurants.

Helena Rico 24:36
I mean, we are nice in Spain, but it's not comparable, like the nicest person that would serve you in a restaurant in Spain is like low tier to a server here. It's crazy.

Abdullah Najjar 24:49
Yeah, it's funny when I go to I guess a cafe and I like I'm getting coffee when I'm about to like Uh, when I'm approaching the cashier, you know, sometimes your mind this this old lady who would greet you with, hey there sugar. Good morning honey

Helena Rico 25:09
Like, hello, baby, how are you? And like, I love you.

Abdullah Najjar 25:13
Yeah, it's really it's really funny. I even I remember contacting, you know, my siblings about this, you know, telling them Did you know that whenever I've, you know, approaching the cashier, there's like an old lady. That's how she would greet you. They were they were really surprised by that. But I like it, you know, they truly value their customers. Yeah, customer comes first. And that's something that I, I mean, obviously, yes, you get you do get treated well in Lebanon, in terms of, you know, in Lebanese restaurants or cafes, and obviously, in Libya, too. But I guess in the US, it's very, very different. So is there anything you would like to add Helena before we wrap things up?

Helena Rico 26:04
I don't know. I think I just have to say that everything that I've done, I would have never expected it. I used since I was young. I had many dreams many crazy dreams, many other not that crazy dreams. I wanted to be like an archaeologist because I was obsessed with the Indiana Jones when I was then I wanted to be a translator in the UN. I guess I'm closer to that. Now that to the being an archaeologist, right. But I feel like if you keep working hard and just follow the path that sometimes happens to you and be brave and take chances you end up in the place that you're supposed to be and you didn't even know about it. And I want to I think I want to emphasize that for people that maybe are afraid of taking the chance, I would say take it because it's worth it.

Abdullah Najjar 26:49
It's very wonderful. Well, I want to thank you so much for this wonderful conversation, Helena. It was an honor having you here.

Helena Rico 26:55
Oh no, thank you so much for inviting me.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai