Korea: First Impressions

It is amazing to me that one can travel for a few hours and end up in almost a whole new world. I mean, in the US, there are places one can go and seem to escape American culture, linguistically and commercially. Take Little Havana (aka Miami), parts of LA, Chinatown in the major metro cities, Little Italy, and San Francisico's Little Seoul. But this trip is much more intense than any of those.

No one knows what I am saying, who I am, where I come from, or what to say to me. This is okay for now. I will be learning Korean over the next year. Yet, despite the Confucian-influenced culture, the homogeneous communities, and the language barriers, there is so much of America here. There is Wal-Mart, Costco, Kinko's, Asics Shoes, TGI Friday's, Burger King, McDonald's, Sbarro's Pizza, Outback, and more. (For the record, I won't be partaking in many meals at these fine establishments. I am sticking to the rice and vegetables... the food at McDonald's isn't exactly appealing to my eyes. Fried tofu instead of French fries?? C'mon!)

But around these American things is a strong sense of patriotism shared by the Koreans. They are proud of their country, and work very hard to maintain their communities and their traditions. So far, people have been very helpful and inquisitive. They have asked me a thousand questions (for which I had no answer since I didn't understand the question.) Many people insist that if they keep speaking Korean to you, then you will suddenly understand them. Case in point, on the plane, I listened to someone for three hours. I can tell you four things he said in the whole conversation. But, he kept on talking.

Today, in the Coex Mall, a large underground mall near to the campus, there were many people strolling along shopping. I tried to fit in, but clearly stood out like a sore thumb. People were grabbing my hand and pulling me into places to show me stuff (like maps of where they are from, pictures of people-that maybe i should know-, where to find books to learn Korean.) My hair, which is braided now, is also a major source of interest. They want to touch it, pull it, etc. I was surprised since the hair came from over here!! (HAHA). My hips and butt are also very much on the radar here. Random people (all have been women to this point) have come and touched my butt or my hips softly, saying something in Korean to whomever they were with. It may or may not be positive. It didn't seem to matter what I thought anyway.

Now, I think it is nap time. I have been up since early this morning and I want to get rested and settled before work tomorrow. I have to be there at 10am, which is apparently early here. After this week, I will be teaching in the evenings, from 4pm to 10pm, which is supposedly the normal schedule for secondary schools here. Go figure.

Anyway, I will be using the blog as a sort of journal while I am here. I will add pictures and miscellaneous videos as I can. Keep checking back.