You’re living overseas and enjoying life in a new country but then something happens in that country that changes everything. Not talking about war, but maybe a public debate, a new politician on the scene, a recession, or an election. Something that flipped how you see your new home. For better or worse.
For me, living in Malaysia all was going smoothly. An amazing country. But when COVID hit, non-Malaysians really became a target. You had vaccines prioritised for Malaysians and the government using the pandemic as an excuse to round up illegal migrants to deport them. Instilling more fear at a time of fear.
Same thing happened to foreigners in Korea. But it didn’t change anything for me. Ironically, the pandemic quarantine years were the best years of my life. I would 100% go back to 2020 if I had the chance. The world suffered, but I truly had a great time.
On the flip side, being harassed to the point of needing to relocate was what did it for me. I now have strong prejudice towards people who look like my attackers. I will most likely need therapy to get over it. And I would feel awkward talking to any Korean therapists about it because I know I’ll come across as racist if I share my true feelings. It sucks. I love Korea, but my harassment experience tainted everything, and it made me realize I’ll never be welcome here.