why – Dina Daily

Hey!

So as I mentioned in my previous post, I have started a blog challenge, Blogging Abroad. The first step of this challenge is ‘Why’. So I will give you guys ‘My story: Why’!

Now, let’s rewind all the way back to 2012! I was in my 2nd year of my Journalism degree, in a class with my favourite lecturer. I remember it so clearly! My Journalism course was kind of small so we were combined with other degrees for our core subjects. Advertising, creative writing and sports journalism. Towards the end of the lecture, she told us about a trip that the university was arranging. A trip to South Korea. She encouraged us to put up our hands if we wanted to go and instantly I put mine up. I had never been to Asia before and I always had a love for travelling.

A few months down the line, I was on my way to the airport and when I landed, I instantly fell in love with Korea. I was only here for one month and it was the fastest month in my life. It honestly felt like just a few days.

I promised myself that I would come back to Korea as soon as possible.

A year later, I have finished university. Everybody thought that my love for Korea would have faded, but instead it got bigger and bigger. I met Korean people in London, I started picking up Korean, I worked for a Korean culture website, I started to make my Grandma watch Korean dramas and movies with me! The list is endless.

However, I wasn’t able to leave London for Korea yet. I finished university in April, got my degree in July, but I my graduation ceremony was in November. There are other reasons to why my journey was delayed too. (You will find out in a future post)

Let’s jump to February 2014.

I am on my way to Korea with my best friend. My plan is to teach English for a year and then possibly go back in university in Korea or become a journalist here. I have accomplished one of those things. Actually, I have surpassed that plan. Teaching English. Although I have not reached my dreams yet, I am not going to give up. I will become a journalist here one day (or some kind of entertainer).

While I am tired of teaching in Korea, my dreams of living here are not fading.

There you have it! Why I am in Korea.

I hope you guys enjoyed this! It was so exciting to actually write this. It made me remember how I felt before today. The excitement, sadness, fun times, struggles, everything! Maybe my writers block is slowly disappearing!

I work for a company on weekends. Most of the time I work from home as our lovely company has provided us with laptops so it is possible. However, every now and then we are asked to go into the office for training and meetings. One weekend we were told to go in to our lovely office which is located in Monument right next to London Bridge.

I know, what the hell has this got to do with Lee Byung Hun?

Well, on this day, there was a movie being filmed outside our office. I had no idea that the movie being filmed was, Red 2. The scene that was being filmed was an Asian man being shot.

This Asian man was Lee Byung Hun. I was 10 foot steps away from him!!! It only clicked in my mind this week when I finished watching the Korean drama Iris, in which Lee Byung Hun was the main character.

This weekend I was also in the office and it hurt so bad to know that I was in walking distance of such an amazing (and damn sexy) actor!! Lee Byung Hun is an inspiration for Koreans and people interested in Korean culture as he has had roles in a number of Hollywood movies, such as G.I. Joe, Red and Red 2.

Anyway, I suppose it wasn’t meant to be. I wasn’t meant to meet Lee Byung Hun that weekend. =[ I hope they have to re-film a scene when I am in the office again! Haha! It’s wishful thinking but you never know!