I love you. I truly do. I enjoy my life here in so many ways. But sometimes, Korea, you drive me absolutely crazy. Here are some pros and cons of life in Korea (from my admittedly limited viewpoint).
PRO: You have an excellent public transportation system. Because your country is small, things are relatively close together and easily walkable.
CON: I cannot understand how no one has figured out how to walk in a straight line. Walking diagonally across a crowded sidewalk: not okay. Stopping in the middle of a staircase: not okay. Not looking up from your cell phone while walking backwards: not okay. How much more efficient would your daily commute be if everyone just walked on the right hand side (or left, if your country chooses)? Come on Korea, get it together
PRO: No one judges you for giving yourself a quick once-over in any reflective surface. In fact, it is quite normal. Sometimes I just need to check that my hair has not been whipped into a frenzy by the wind or that my mouth is free of any gochujang.
CON: In such an image driven society, no one hesitates to comment on your appearance. "Oh, don't you like the way you look with make up? Don't you want to look that way everyday? Its better, no?" I know its not said from a place of ill intent, but I really don't want to hear about how you like my hair one specific way, implying that all other hairstyles are bad.
PRO: Korean's are obsessed with giant, cozy sweater dresses and fleece lined tights. They are the greatest. I love looking put together but feeling like I'm in my pajamas.
CON: I have never in my life seen shorter skirts. Apparently legs are not considered "sexual" in Korean culture, so there is no taboo regarding how short skirts/dresses/shorts are. But honestly, if your hip length puffy coat is covering the bottom of your plaid schoolgirl skirt, then it might be too short. How do you walk up stairs?? And the biggest transgressors of this crime are middle-high school aged girls, which just disturbs me so much.
PRO: Respect and hospitality are deeply rooted in Korean culture. People use the most formal form of a word (such as thank you) in everyday transactions to convey the up most respect to those around them.
CON: For some reason, this respect doesn't translate into an "excuse me". You will be jostled and shoved and pushed aside quite often on public transportation. If you're lucky, you might get a chamshi manyo as a heads up that someone needs to get by.
PRO: Cheap and easily accessible health care. I can swing by the doctor in the building next door, explain my issue (in English nonetheless) and head to the pharmacy downstairs to get my prescription filled, all for less than $5 and in under 20 minutes.
CON: A government that highly regulates many aspects of life leads to a lot of daily frustrations. Superstores are forced to close twice a month to give mom and pop stores less competition (which, in my case, happens to fall on the one day a week that is most convenient for me to shop). Hagwon's (or private academies) have a maximum amount they can charge per minute a child is in a facility.
PRO: The coffee shops. No where in the world have I ever seen so many cafes. My block at work alone boasts a conservative number of 5 shops. There are giant chains (Starbucks, Cafe Bene, Holly's) and independent, self-roasting shops.
CON: For some ridiculous reason, most coffee shops don't open until 10:30 or later. Sometimes, I need that latte at 9 AM, not 3 PM. Coffee coffee everywhere and not a drop to drink.
But the biggest PRO of all: you let me live and work here, having an amazing time, learning so much, and saving a ton of money.
So what have I been up to in my almost month-long absence from blogging?
1. I've celebrated no less than 7 birthdays, with a few more to come. I wouldn't dare share some of those stories via the internet (where nothing can truly be kept secret), but its safe to say they included some delicious food, drinks, and late nights.
2. I enjoyed a Korean cultural weekend during Seolal (Lunar New Year), doing all sorts of Korean-y things. I visited Nami Island, a winter wonderland that has declared itself a micronation and its own republic, where I promptly got bitten by an ostrich. I walked around Insadong and went to an adorable, traditional Korean tea house.
3. I've gotten my life together a bit more. I finally got some things for my apartment that were not needed but make it much more homey (a bedside table is a great thing- I no longer have a "storage side" of my bed). I'm into a good routine with work, extracurriculars, and friends.
4. I'm planning fun trips to places in Korea and HAWAII WITH MY FAMILY!! So excited for that, mostly because of all the American shopping I will do. But also because I love my family.
Traditional Tea House in Insadong
Playing some kind of Korean see-saw game on Nami Island. I was terrified.
Yup, he is chomping down on my thumb while I was blissfully unaware. If only we had a picture of my reaction...
Ahh Maui. 3 months and I will be laying on your beaches. Its still freezing here so any thought of warm places provide some much needed hope that things will not always be this cold.
xo Julie
