If I had a Korean friend who is my age, omo, the kind of things I would want us to talk about ehn, it would very plenty, I think the first thing I would definitely be curious about is the food, yes, food, because if there is one thing that connects people easily, it is infact food, I would probably say, Guy, abeg you will show me how to make this your kimchi or ramen that I always see in korean dramas . Then in exchange, I would make him taste our own Nigerian Jollof rice with peppered chicken, Egusi, amala and ewedu, vegetables, etc. see I can imagine his face when the pepper hits because Nigerians do not play with pepper at all especially those from the west.
Another area we would surely dive into is language, I would definitely want to learn some Korean words from him , maybe things like greetings, or how to say thank you and hello properly, I have been learning bits from k dramas, I would also want him to learn pidgin English from me, you imagine me teaching him something like, How far na? or Wetin dey sup? , you know something in that line and I am sure it would be so funny hearing him say it in his Korean accent, that alone would make the friendship lively.
After food and language, the next gist would be lifestyle, I would want to know how his daily life is, how he grew up, and what school life is like in Korea, because I know from dramas that Korean students really take their studies seriously, and there is a lot of competition, I would be curious to ask if that is really true or just something we see in K-dramas only, then he could also ask me how things are here in Nigeria, and I would tell him about our struggles with light (Nepa wahala), water, and even the traffic in Lagos.
Of course, we would also talk about entertainment, since I like watching K dramas, we would definitely have long conversations about them, maybe I would ask him if he has watched Mr. Queen or Boys Over Flowers , which I know he would have seen, and if he thinks they reflect real Korean life, then he might want to know about Nollywood movies or Nigerian music, and I would definitely gladly introduce him to Afrobeats , tell him to listen to Omahlay, Fireboy Burna Boy, Davido, or Wizkid.
One thing that I would also like to share is our cultural values, like how family is very important here in Nigeria, and how most of us don’t just grow up alone, we grow up with our cousins, aunties, uncles all in the picture, I also would want to hear if it is the same in Korea or if they do things differently.
Honestly, I think having a Korean friend would be really interesting because both cultures have plenty differences but also some similarities too. And at the end of the day, it is those conversations, laughter, food, and shared experiences that would make the friendship meaningful in the end, see who knows, maybe I will even get to travel one day to Korea to see things for myself, and he could also come here to Nigeria and enjoy the full Jollof experience.
This is how I picture it , simple, fun, and full of learning from each other.
This is my entry to the K contest for the 16th week themed Friendship Without Border
Image is Generated With Meta AI
