By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
November 25, 2014
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Sasha Goodlett played basketball for Georgia Tech before joining the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. During the Sky’s off season, the 6-foot-5-inch center plays for South Korea’s Woori Bank Hansae. Currently based out of Seoul, Goodlett says, “Adjusting to the culture and the language barrier was challenging. It’s hard trying to understand someone when they don’t know English and you don’t know Korean. But I am learning Korean! So, hopefully by the end of the year I will be relatively fluent in it.” Fans may follow her on Twitter.
Q. If someone were going to Korea for the first time, what would you suggest they see?
A. If they were coming to see me, I would take them to see some of the historical buildings around Korea. Korean history is very interesting and they have some awesome historical sites. The only problem is that most of them are outside and it’s wintertime right now. I would also take them to experience some of the food. Korean barbecue is one of my favorites. It’s nothing like the BBQ back in the States, but it is amazing! Also, I would take them shopping because Korean malls are pretty good and who doesn’t want to go shopping? And go to a basketball game! Women’s basketball here is very popular. Pretty much all of the games are televised on the Korean version of ESPN. The fan base and support for our team is amazing!
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. The first trip I took as a child was a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, which was only six hours away. Going to the mall and swimming at the hotel pool is really all that I remember from the trip. Overall, I was happy because I was with my family.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. To make sure that you pack snacks for the trip and make sure you have an international electrical outlet so you can charge your electronics anywhere you go.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. Some weekends I like to camp out at the movies and just spend the entire day watching movies at the movie theaters. Also, I spend several weekends reading because I just love to read!
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. There are plenty of places that I have never been that I want to go to, but my top three are to go to Egypt to see the pyramids. I heard they were amazing! And I want to visit Germany and Poland to see the Holocaust museums.
Q. Are you an adventurous eater?
A. There are a lot of things that I do not try, because the food here (in Korea) is spicy and I don’t care for spicy foods. When I travel abroad, I usually bring snacks, but Korean food is good, so unlike (in some) other countries, the food is not a challenge for me here. Bulgogi, which is a Korean beef dish, is really good. Actually, all Korean beef is good as long as it’s not spicy. Also, they have Outback Steakhouse, TGIFridays and several other American restaurants here.
Q. What’s your favorite souvenir that you’ve purchased on the road?
A. Last year, I bought some beautiful, handmade fans in Korea. My family loved them!
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. The only must-have items for me are clothes, my phone and my laptop.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. Going to Hawaii and staying on the island with Punalu’u Beach, which is also called Black Sand Beach.
Q. Do you enjoy traveling by yourself?
A. I do. But after this season, I’m looking forward to going straight home. I miss my family and I miss my dog like crazy. I can’t wait to get back to them.
© 2014 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY
