My Sojourn from Mogadishu to Seoul

I came to Korea in May 2021, though I started my classes while home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Spring semester, I took a course on International Relations and Economic Globalization in the 21st Century, and I become interested in Korea when professor Byoung-Joo Kim thought us about Korea's rapid development and how international relation works. It really gave me a massive insight into Korea and I actually interested in Korea.

This Semester KDI School of Public Policy and Management brought us to Korea to complete our two remaining semesters. I don't have much experience in Korea's life but learning about Korean culture is the most important thing to do before getting the experience of Korea. My journey began with friends and family saying goodbye to me in Mogadishu and wishing me good luck, although it can be difficult to leave your city, friends, and family, but the only hope I had was achieving my educational goals and having a better future and experience in my life. It's interesting how life takes us to different places, throughout our journey, we meet people from many walks of life and building lasting connections. In this day and age, while it's easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and acquittances through social media, nothing is more rewarding than reconnecting with an old friend Osman Mohamed Haji  in an unexpected way, whose paths crossed a year before attending KDI School. Osman was my classmate at SIMAD UNIVERSITY and we didn't meet since 2018.

When it comes to COVID-19, everyone will have a story to tell, such stories as the grief of losing close friends or family, of enduring the unpredicted situation, of patience with the "New Normal" and many more. Little did I know that today I would also have a story to share. I landed in Korea on May 5th around 04:15 KST at Incheon International Airport, after we cleared, the officials at the airport took us to the "Government Facility" - it's where they often keep the travelers from UK, Brazil, India, and Africa. The regulation is that they are testing passengers and everyone whose PCR test becomes negative, will bring them back to the airport. The story is not close as you assume, rather it will be starting the most difficult times, they will take you in 14 days of quarantine in a designated place. 

The most hardships during quarantine time are the food, No one had a choice of eating what he/she wants to eat at all, luckily they already sent us a link to have choices back home, and I applied "Halal Food" at that time, but it was not Halal food familiar to us. Now someone is driving into the basement and backing the food outside of your room, and you only need to check and take it inside. The first week I suffered how to swallow fewer test meals, and I also feel some stomach pain, but luckily, a friend of mine who's in Korea bring me snacks and coffee which I survived during the last 10 days of Ramadan in Quarantine.

It's boring life of being "sleep, eat and sleep" until the quarantine ends, with the feeling of being trapped in a dark, haunted basement, my room, and its four walls became my only world and thus began my new normal. When the sun rose, I could see some beautiful creatures passing by my window, and sometimes they would let me listen to their soothing chirping. In that split seconds, I would always find serenity, which wiped out all my anxiety. As the sun and the moon continued to take turns in their roles, the days kept on adding like this, and soon came the sound of soft drizzles indicating that my last PCR test is negative and so, the quarantine period had ended. 

A few days after, we could finally start classes with all safety precautions and now it's the time of long hours of reading in the library, preparation of presentations and assignments, deciding the thesis project, and keeping alive by refueling coffee to keep me from falling asleep. This is my new hustling journey so wish me a piece of good luck.