A Lifestyle Trip to Korea with Esiri Trowsse

Beauty and Lifestyle are on high demand now. Esiri is a lifestyle content creator, with a great social media presence on Instagram and more. We’ve got together with Esiri to ask her some questions about her life and work.

Her Instagram page reads the following: “Esiri Trowsse, Fashion & Lifestyle content creator, Nigerian Girl living in South Korea.”

We think she’s absolutely more than that, we’ve always been amazed at her Instagram page, offering various styles and insights into Korea.

So lets jump right in.

My name is Emuesiri Amajatoja Trowsse. I am 26 years old, I’m from Nigeria but currently based in South Korea. I moved to Korea on 24^th February 2018, to join my husband who works here as an English language teacher.

Before moving to Korea, I did my research on the culture, and especially on being a black woman living in Korea, but no research I did prepare me for the culture shock I experienced when I first got here.

However, I must say adapting to Korean culture has been easier than I expected. I do think that is because of some of the similarities between both cultures, like for example, the ‘Age Hierarchy system’.

In Korean society, age is more important than in other societies. The establishment of hierarchy according to age is derivative of Confucian thought, where a younger person owes their senior respect and an older person owes their junior concern. While this of course exists in many other cultures, it is not so entrenched in the language, mannerisms and every day interactions as it is in Korea.
 
This is why Korean people are so quick to ask you your age – not because they are nosy but because it is important in deciding how one regards and addresses another person. A young female student, for example will refer to another girl only one year her senior as oni /언니 (big sister) and speak to her using an honorific form of speech. The older person (big sister) does not have to call a younger person, ‘little sister’ and the older person does not need to use a higher level of speech

How do you count Korean age?
Getting your head around Korean age can be a bit strange at first:
u  When you are born, you are one rather than zero.
u  With every subsequent lunar new year (at Seollal – usually around late January or February) you gain another year.
 
Your Korean age will therefore always be either one or two years older than your actual age.

Source: The Work and play

Esiri’s favourite thing about Korea is definitely the food, the vast culture and just how there’s so much history in the country. Exploring monumental sites and place is also a favourite thing Esiri does in Korea. Esiri told The Circular she visited “Gyeongbokgung Palace” which was home to the rulers during the Joseon Dynasty.

Esiri also visited Hanok Villages, which are old Korean traditional neighbourhoods.

When I moved to Korea, I decided to become a lifestyle content creator, because I wanted to document my time here in Korea. And also show people what living in Korea is like, because nowadays a lot of foreigners are coming to Korea to teach English, and more and more people are interested in visiting Korea.

I would 100% advise people to visit the country, there’s much to see, and lots to do. She identified that the best time to visit Korea is during the spring or fall because the summer is very hot and the winter is very cold.

Follow her on: Instagram: Esiri_trowsse and Youtube: Esiri’s Corner

The Circular should take you all on a trip to Korea, don’t you think. *wink* Lets book a ticket shall we….

Click on the highlights to discover more about Korea.