View source for Good for the Seoul

==Article Transcript==
Editor’s Note: ISCA member Yonie Woo, owner of Gallery Woo Caricature Cafe and Fun Caricature
company, has invited many caricature artists from all over the world to come and work for a few
months. Some like it so much, they decide to stay — indefinitely. One such person is current ISCA Vice
President, Lorin Bernsen. Turn the page for more photos and a glimpse into his new life in Seoul, Korea.

I first came to Korea two years ago. My initial idea was
simply to attend the Korean Mini-Con
in June of 2010
(which was a GREAT deal of fun), and then spend
the rest of the summer drawing caricatures with Yonie
Woo’s Fun Caricature company in Seoul. What I didn’t
expect was how much I would fall in love with this
place, and the close friendships I would gain from being
here only a short five months. So after traveling to
Las Vegas for that year’s ISCA Convention, I became
determined to come back here and stay here as long
as I could. It took another year for me to make preparations,
but with the help of Yonie and Won Young, the
company’s manager, I obtained a new work visa and
moved to Korea in December, 2011.

Please be aware that I’m certainly no expert on the
history and culture of this country, nor am I fluent in
speaking its language (yet). I am still very new to
Korea, and these are simply the observations of one
foreigner, based on my first 11 months living here.

There are many challenges that come with living in
another country. Simple, everyday tasks like shopping
for groceries or going to the post office present
their own little obstacles which must be overcome.
Being an outsider here means that I’m going to
make LOTS of mistakes on a regular basis. It’s
inevitable, but it’s how I learn. Sometimes I bounce
right back and try it again, and other times I get so
embarrassed that I feel like burying my head in the
sand. CONFIDENCE is a key factor. Some days I
have a lot of confidence; other days ... not so much.
But most of the time, I’m willing to try new things. I
will often walk into a restaurant by myself and order a meal ... even if I don’t always know
what it is I’m ordering!

There’s actually a large dose of the English
language here in Seoul, both in written
form and in the multi-lingual
abilities of
many people here ... something I DID
NOT expect to find. This is especially evident
in all of the subway stations, where
the signs are written in at least three
languages, and where complete strangers
will routinely ask, “May I help you?” if I look
a bit lost. The friendly demeanor of people
here, coupled with a lot of imported stores,
restaurants, and other products, easily
make Seoul a very foreigner-friendly
city.

It IS possible to simply “get by” here, as a
lot of foreigners do, without really learning
ANY Korean, but that just doesn’t sit right
with me. I’m attempting to learn to speak,
read, and write in the native language of
my host country. Still, I’ve found that people
here are almost always EXTREMELY
generous and patient with me if I stumble
over a certain pronunciation, or if I simply
don’t understand something. When they
see that I’m making a genuine effort to
communicate, they will often help me “fill
in the gaps.

Of course, communicating with customers
is the key to being successful when drawing
live caricatures, no matter WHERE
you are. You still have to let them know
how much it costs, how long it takes, and
so on. Knowing and memorizing a few
simple phrases will usually get the point
across. I’ve been practicing saying numbers
and amounts of money, but when
that fails, I can always just point to the
sign. Many times I find myself speaking
“Konglish,” which is basically English with
a few Korean words sprinkled into the mix.
But, since Seoul is a very international city,
not everyone I encounter speaks Korean.
So when I get a bit tongue-tied,
I can rely
on good ol’ body language to express
whatever it is I’m trying to say. That may
sound silly, but it actually works pretty well!

Fortunately for me, I am able to DRAW
CARICATURES here in Seoul (THANKS,
Yonie!!). Retail caricature brings with it a
whole slew of on-the-job
scenarios, but
most of them are VERY familiar to me,
because of the 18 years I’ve spent doing
the exact same job at different places in
the United States. People will ask certain
questions (“Can you write my name on
the drawing?” “Do you take credit cards?”
“Can we pick our drawings up later?”),
and even if I don’t completely 100%
understand the WORDS they are using,
I’m usually able to recognize the situation
and respond correctly. Fidgety little kids,
unsatisfied customers, giving directions to
the bathroom ... these are all things which
I suspect are universal in nature, and
are relatively easy for me to overcome,
despite any language or cultural barrier.

It’s difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what
it is about Korea that appeals to me so
much, or why I feel so comfortable here.
Maybe it’s the healthy lifestyles of its
people (they do a lot of hiking, and they
eat healthy foods ... although, oddly, there
ARE a lot of smokers here as well, which
is disheartening to me). Maybe it’s the
culture, which seems to have a strong
emphasis on peace, love, and friendship
(there’s a lot of holding hands, whether
it’s between romantic couples, or between
same-sex
friends). Maybe it’s the insight
I gain from being able to dispel myths
that a lot of people in the U.S. and other
countries may have about this place
(only a handful of Koreans are short in
stature; many are as tall as I am, or close
to my height). But mostly, it’s the lack of
familiarity with my surroundings. For me,
this is a chance to learn and grow, both
personally and artistically. This is my 40th
year of life, and in many ways, coming
here is a chance to begin anew. Like I’m
fresh out of college, and I am once again
experiencing “the real world” for the first
time ... but with the benefit of hindsight
and experience!

''Lorin Bernsen has been drawing live caricatures since 1994. A native Texan, he got his start at Six Flags in Dallas. Although he’sworked many gigs over the years as well, the bulk of his experience has been in retail caricature, drawing mostly in the United States. at such venues as Universal Studios, Sea World, and the State Fair of Texas. He credits ISCA and its conventions with not only keeping him interested in the art of caricature, but with introducing him to other artists from around the world, and providing career opportunities such as drawing in Seoul.''

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