"SoKoDiaries: Culture Shock (Vol.2)" reveals the cultural difference of Nailah Harvey--a Black-American female living and teaching in South Korea.
Can you imagine eating kimchi—a spicy cabbage—for breakfast, lunch and dinner? In South Korea (SoKo), it is quite common to eat this particular dish with rice at any time of day. Nailah learned this and many other things while on her seasonal journey in Eastern Asia. From receiving a roll of toilet tissue at the grand opening of a cell phone store, to attending Korean church, Nailah experienced a great deal of culture shock in SoKo. She learned the beauty in cultural differences, but quite shockingly, Nailah learned a lot more about herself. Her cultural and spiritual journey went hand in hand. Don’t take anything Nailah says for gospel, but enjoy the ride as she takes you on an “ethnically homogeneous” roller coaster through “The Land of the Morning Calm.”
Professional Reviews
Whistlers Mom
I didn't expect to like this book, but the author's humor and charm won me over. First of all, you may need to skip the first two chapters, unless you're interested in linguistics (which I am) or unless you plan to teach English overseas. Once you get past that, she starts to tell about her experiences living and working in a small Korean city and it's a very entertaining read.
I was particularly interested in her story because Korea is traditionally a bastion of "racial purity" and has not been welcoming to African-Americans. I had read that most Korean schools which advertise for American teachers require a picture and many applicants feel that it's to weed out African-Americans. One American teacher in Korea wrote that the few African-American teachers experienced definite prejudice. This author makes it plain that she was something of an oddity to the Koreans, but doesn't indicate that they were unfriendly toward her. Maybe they were won over by her delightful personality.
She certainly must have stood out. Even women who are very slim by American standards feel like hippos when surrounded by Asian women. Add in the fact that Korean girls are expected to be married WELL before the age of 27 and the heavy drinking that is common in all social situations (Nailah is a non-drinker) and you have the makings of serious culture shock on both sides.
My only complaint is that the book could be better organized, but her observations about Koreans and Korean life are so acute and witty that it's worth the price of admission. Her chapter "Jesus, Take the Wheel" is hysterical and confirms everything I have ever read about Korean drivers. I am really looking forward to reading her other books.
Ericka Cattenhead
I personally have never been to Korea, but after having the pleasure of reading "SokoDiaries: Culture Shock," I feel like I went through the journey myself. Thanks to the Author, Ms. Harvey for being transparent with her experiences overseas, the ups as well as the downs. It was quite refreshing and interesting learning about the cultural differences overseas; the author's witty and clever sense of humor made it even more entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to all.
Expands beyond the safety of pages bound by predictability to explore and often confirm exciting creative possibilities. A shimmering collage of memoir, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and dizzying flights into poetic observation, this is t
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