What i saw in Korea

When thinking about a summer vacation your most likely thinking of backpacking across Europe or a nationwide road trip but how about South Korea? South Korea is probably the last place on your mind but maybe it should be at your top. This country is American’s number one fan. It’s hard now of days to be American and feel welcomed while traveling abroad, but in South Korea Americans are idolized. There isn’t an American chain restaurant you can’t find in the busy city of Seoul. Seoul is the capital of South Korea where I chose to spend my summer vacation. I didn’t know what to think before going over seas but I had an eye opening experience when I landed.
I conveniently have a girlfriend that is teaching English there so I had a place to stay and a native English speaker to take me around the city. Even though the plan ride was long, I met some interesting people and made some new friends before I reached my destination. It’s all part of the experience so I made the best of the long, uncomfortable plan ride by talking to strangers who were also seeking adventures in Asia. Upon arriving I was so tired from the 24-hour plan ride that I couldn’t wait to sleep but first I needed to eat. My first South Korean exposure to food was of course McDonalds where their medium size is equivalent to our small size but tasted just as good.
After adjusting to the other side of the world’s time change I was ready to explore the large city where I would spend my summer. There was so much to do; I was overwhelmed by which order I should do them in. I could go to one of the three royal palaces, multiple museums, galleries, parks, restaurants, traditional villages, baseball games, Seoul Tower, you name it, and it could be done in this city. Seoul is home to about 8 million people and has a superb transportation system that connects all the city has to offer in a quick and effective way. The transportation system in itself was a site to see. I was able to go from place to place with no trouble and luckily the locals were very willing to help. If you looked lost or confused just for a moment there was someone dying to practice their English and give you directions, I even had a woman pay for my ticket and walk with me to the street that I was looking for even though she spoke no English. It is quite amazing how good my charades has gotten because of the language barrier.
One of my favorite places I visited in Seoul was Namsan Tower. The city’s Tower stands 479 meters above the city, offering visitors a complete panoramic view of the city and its mountainous terrain. It was breathtaking to see how large the city actually was. Another favorite was the Secret Garden Palace located in the center of Seoul. Just when you think you are being consumed by the hustle and bustle of people and cars among towering skyscrapers you find a calming haven within the palaces walls. It almost felt like I was in the city’s ancient kept secret, where gardens flourished and ponds lined the landscape where Emperor’s once lived. It was enchanting to walk across paths that Kings once walked, it’s a feeling most Americans will never understand having never been ruled by Emperors. South Korea has such a long history even before American was discovered. In the capital, you can explore their history by taking tours through ancient Korean villages also nestled between skyscrapers, or visiting their museums. And at night, the city became a horse of another color. During the day, it whistled with businessmen and college students, but at night it lit up and filled with fashion trendy teens and street vendors that smelled of spicy red pepper paste.
The nightlife of Seoul is never ending. Its etiquette for businessmen to drink with their clients and coworkers. I often saw businessmen drinking after work on the subway on their way to a bar where they would spend their entire evening drinking with their bosses. It may sound strange, but South Koreans believe a man is trustworthy if he can hold his liquor. While businessmen go out after work, so do the teens. The nightlife for young adults is full of options. My typical night out consisted of dinner with a group of friends where we would eat traditional Korean food, such as daggalby. Daggalby is a spicy dish made with sweet potatoes, chicken, rice, mozzarella cheese, cabbage, and red pepper paste that is cooked at your table and shared by everyone. You can add other ingredients to specialize it to your liking but anyway it’s prepared it was delicious. It’s eaten with chop sticks on either a short table accompanied with floor cushions or at your American style table and almost every Korean meal came with Kimchi (spicy cabbage), pickled radish and a broth soup. And it wouldn’t be a night out with out your alcoholic beverage, Korean Soju (rice grain alcohol) and/or beer. After dinner we would then go to a sit down club where we let our food settle, listened to music, play cards, drink soju mixed with fanta shots and talk about the evening’s plans. From there we headed to another part of town by bus, taxi or subway to an actual nightclub. Here we could dance to all the best American music and drink till 6am. But the night doesn’t end there, we often went to a karaoke bar where we could bring our own liquor and have our own private karaoke room. It came with unlimited songs to choose from, huge wrap around couches, some even had dancing tables and beds and of course tambourines. It was a great, safe place to end the night, or morning when at 8am we arrived at our apartment complex with the rest of our neighbors ready to hit the sac. During the evenings we had so many options, it could never end at 2am. And the next day the city was up and running just as it did the day before.
South Korea was such an adventure; I can’t wait to get back. The people are welcoming and friendly. Most of them are health nuts where you can find them jogging in the late evenings around marathon sized parks or studying English in 24-7 libraries. They are serious about education, business and their family life. I find it fascinating how dedicated they are to their families. I would go for walks around the city and see proud parents (always together) walking with their kids, or going for bike rides. It was a comforting feeling seeing families together, not just immediate family members but grandparents and cousins too. It was odd to hear the children teaching their English lessons to their parents. And awkward for the children to stare and question me why my eyes aren’t brown like theirs. It was the inquiring minds of children that were amazed to see someone foreign in real life, outside of the movies. It was mixture of feelings I felt knowing I was the minority for the first time in my life. It was a feeling I enjoyed and shocked all at once. It was amazing knowing I had lived so long and never felt like that before and now I have experienced it.
South Korea is always looking for English teachers to come work at their English schools. The pay is good and housing is provided. It is a great place to consider for vacation or for an in between graduation and finding a career option. I would definitely suggest a visit but be sure to give yourself at least 3 weeks to see all that South Korea has to offer. And if the city isn’t where you want to spend your vacation, Korean also has beautiful ski and golf resort to the west and Jeju Island to the south. The country has many beautiful sights to enjoy its surprising how seldom American’s chose South Korea as a travel destination. Consider it an adventure not many have chosen before waiting to take you in and show you all that this country has to offer.