Love That Makes You Feel at Ease
By Nahida Islam
It has been two months since I came to South Korea. In Gwangju, I am a PhD student at the Environmental Fusion Energy Technology Laboratory in the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering at Chonnam National University.
This is my first time out of my country. I am from an overpopulated and small but loving and caring country called Bangladesh. Since I had never been to another country, at first, all I felt was anxiety about this place and its people and culture. Could I be a part of the society or culture? That is the question I asked myself all the time.
One day, I landed in an uncertain world with a trembling walk. I started my journey from Incheon airport with a missing heart I left at home. We have a very different lifestyle and culture back in my country. We are completely different, from the way we look to our food habits. Here, they use chopsticks, and we use our hands. Fun fact: I once even embarrassed myself holding chopsticks.
The adjustment to the new surroundings, meeting new people, settling down at a new home, and cooking were all a hassle. Also, the advanced technology they have here is among the best on the planet. Maybe, I was just drowning in darkness and wanted to touch the light and feel warmth in the cold weather at that time.
One day, I was randomly walking around the streets of Gwangju without any destination, which is a habit of mine from back in my country. A destination always pressures you to go forward and gives you a deadline to reach, so without one you can look around, feel the street, and see the life around.
On that particular occasion, a family was walking in front of me. I saw parents with two kids, possibly going to a restaurant, park, or shopping mall. What I saw from them was the universal language of love. The care, warmth, guidance, gossip, happiness, and smiles – all these forms of love are known to me. This was the first time I felt included. My heart was shouting, “Ah, me and my family! We are also like them.” Maybe we are not that different.
As I was walking through the street, I could feel the life of Gwangju. A group of school kids were playing games, some people were relaxing at a coffee shop, a few boys were heading towards a basketball court, and two ladies were talking about where to eat. A mother was making sure her daughter wore a seatbelt properly, and a few grandmothers were gossiping at a park. I could see, smell, and feel the love and warmth around me.
Love is a universal language. Now, I can feel love in my lab also, like when my lab mates help me with different kinds of stuff, when they smile, and when they gossip – even if it is in Korean, it does not matter. I felt it even when my professor told me to “Take your time, I know the struggle of a foreigner.” I feel the warmth, all I ever wanted to feel was such warmth.
Love, the four-letter word, made me feel at ease. The uncertain is not that bad; we just need to perceive our surroundings for elements that make us feel at home, like the sky that belongs to everyone. We see the same sky, moon, and sun regardless our country, ethnicity, and class.
The walk through Gwangju changed my gloomy heart with a ray of sunshine. Only love can change the course of life. Love of mankind is all it takes to make a better world. And it already makes my life better.
The Author
Nahida Islam is a PhD student at Chonnam National University, Gwangju. She is an introvert who always dreams of a world full of love and care. She does not think about achievement and cherishes the way to the destination. A country girl from Bangladesh, she should not be here, but she is.