2024 McCall MacBain International Fellow, Martín, writes from South Korea:
Leaving Seoul feels different than I thought it would. When I first arrived, it was all about adjusting, learning, and meeting people who would shape my experience in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. Now, as I packed up my room and boarded the train to Busan, I was closing a chapter that had felt impossibly full.
The past few months had been defined by my work term, an entirely different pace of life from the Korean language program. Unlike the structured lesson plans and vocabulary lists, my working days were unpredictable. At first, finding a job was incredibly difficult. I faced rejection after rejection from internships, bakeries, ski resorts, acting roles, and even a jazz bar. It made sense, given my elementary Korean and the fact that I was applying to work… in Korea. Still, the rejections stung.
Then, I received a job offer from Teullkeun, a company owned by a Korean couple opening a hostel and restaurant in the tourist district of Myeongdong. For some reason, they hired me as their first and only employee. Maybe it was because their son was studying in Canada, or perhaps they wanted me as their chef since their first menu draft was entirely poutine.
What began with a constant fear of being let go due to my basic Korean and the effort it took for my Korean-only-speaking bosses to train me quickly evolved into something much more. We spent countless hours together, learning most things for the first time. The nightly dinners with my bosses were a highlight, where I found myself learning more about Korean culture and also regularly taste-testing Michelin-level food as they trialed chefs and crafted the menu for their upcoming restaurant. As my Korean improved and I demonstrated greater capacity in the workplace, I was given more and more responsibilities. The stakes were higher than whether the Tteokbokki was too spicy for a foreigner. Before long, I was entrusted with growing the team from 3 to 10 people, leading the Grand Opening Somek party, managing OTAs and customer relations, setting up and implementing a strategic marketing plan, and handling the quirky challenges solo travelers often bring.
Outside of work, I found myself holding on to every moment in Seoul more tightly. The language exchange events I’d become a regular at, the final basketball practice where I was presented a team jersey, the last time falling victim to the scent of manjoo filling the metro station on my way home, forcing me to buy some. Each moment carried a weight it hadn’t before. There’s a certain sadness in knowing a moment is the last of its kind, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
It’s strange to leave a place that, for a time, felt so permanent. At least I’m leaving with memories that, for a long time, will remain permanent.
The McCall MacBain International Fellowships are open to undergraduate students of McGill University, University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, and McMaster University, along with recipients of the McCall Huron County and MacBain Niagara Falls Scholarships studying at any Canadian institution. The Fellowships accept applications between October to January each year.