Korea in Vanuatu

Disclaimer: I haven't actually met any Koreans in Vanuatu; these are all just random things that I have observed here.

I have a growing list of countries that I have an interest in and feel connected to. I like to follow the news of these countries (although that has been a lot harder since being in Vanuatu), meet people from those countries, and chat with people who have been to the same places that I have. When in Korea I was surprised and glad to see a plaque reading "Gamorjoba" (hello in Georgian) on the sidewalk in a foreigner populated area of Seoul. After spending two years in Korea, I am obviously interested in things related to Korea, so here are a few random things related to Korea that I've found in Vanuatu.

-KOICA in Epau
In one of the training villages, there is a garden near the school which has a sign that says it was a joint effort with KOICA. KOICA is a Korean governmental aid agency that is in many countries around the world

-Clothes donated in Sunai
In another training village, I was surprised to see a box with Korean writing on a woman's porch. I asked where the box came from, and she said that a Korean women's group had donated clothes to be sold cheaply as a fundraiser.

-Subtitles on the TV in the motel
During a stay in Port Vila, the hotel room had a TV with a USB stick filled with movies. My roommate and I chose a movie, and as it started playing, Korean subtitles came on the screen. I was pleasantly surprised that I could still read them!

-Ramen
I had never really eaten ramen before I went to Korea, but it is pretty much impossible to live there without eating it at least occasionally. I was happy to see my favorite Korean ramen being sold in the big grocery store in Port Vila. I bought a few packages to bring to Ambae, feeling weird but satisfied as I ate Korean ramen while looking out onto the Vanuatu landscape.

-Korean Embassy
I saw this weird sign in Port Vila. The Kia Motors dealership is the honorary Korean Embassy? I don't really understand it, but it makes me chuckle.

-Boy who died
To end on a more sobering note, during my first week on Ambae a teenage boy died while working on a Korean fishing boat.