I was so nervous that I was not going to be able to eat any of the food in Korea, or even be able to order it.
For starters, I am a very picky eater and dislike anything spicy. I have never been a fan of any kind of pepper or hot sauce, so I was worried when I learned that Korean food is extremely hot. And on the other hand, I do not know any Korean. I took five years of Spanish, and I still would not consider myself fluent. Moreover, I ate at this one Korean restaurant and loved the food and atmosphere! It reminded me of what the Olympics are all about.
It was called Hansot Dosirak, and the workers there were incredibility hospitable. Even though there was a language barrier, I was able to point and explain what I wanted through hand motions. During my time at the restaurant the workers made sure I was enjoying the food, had plenty to eat, and even added extra rice to my left over box because I couldn’t finish all of the pork. This restaurant experience is just a small piece of a huge picture of how people come together for the Games and respect one another. My experience there is one that I will remember for the rest of my life because of the way I was welcomed with open arms.
The Olympics consist of a variety of culture backgrounds traveling to the host city, communicating and experiencing new things in a different environment. I will be forever grateful for the new friends I make along the way of this journey, and I’m excited to continue trying Korean food!