Arrival and Umbrellas
I love riding the bus. I know, not something that would usually be in ones top ten list but its solidly up there for me. I love the bus because you have no control over when it arrives and departs, you can't yell at the driver to hurry up or slow down, you simply get to sit. You have no responsibility over how or when you will get to where you are going. It is a moment of peace where you have no control and simply must be. And that's why I love the bus. Why am I writing about this? Well I have found a new love, the plane. The 10 hour plane ride was hands down my favorite part of the day. It went by too quickly even though there was a dog(?) and a crying baby. I got to eat three meals, sleep, watch movies, listen to music, and read. Sounds like a day well spent to me. It was the calm before the storm and the time it took me to realize what a ridiculous thing I had done.
I was seated next to a couple from Dallas Texas flying out to visit family. When they asked me why I was going to Korea I gave my standard answer of "I wanted to learn a language, and I could read the Korean alphabet in an hour, so I chose Korean", which is true, but to be honest it really is something about the way spoken Korean sounds. I've said this reason to people before, but they don't seem to understand what I mean. I don't really know how to fully explain it. At first I was struck by how different Korean culture was from my own, and I was drawn to it because of the traditions and family ties that seemed so set in Korean society. But in the end it was the language that I fell in love with, and that's why I'm here. HOWEVER, I became aware of the craziness of my trip from the reaction of these two Dallas twenty somethings who were shocked that 1) I have never traveled outside of North America 2) I am traveling alone 3) I rented a room in an apartment where I don't know any of my roommates(still have yet to meet them btw, stay tuned) and lastly 4) I don't speak the language. That's right folks, read that again because this trip I planned is apparently insanity and no one told me until I was on the freaking plane.
Nevertheless, I have arrived in Seoul, and as promised, I've arrived very sweaty and very confused. And it all started with the fact that although I planned this entire trip by myself, I hadn't financially planned well enough. Aka my check deposit hadn't come through and I had to spend all of my money on my rent and deposit, and was very close to living on 22 dollars for the rest of the week. Also apparently credit cards require a pin?? Honestly the whole ordeal made me realize how I don't know anything about finances and bills, which really just boils down to the public school system failing me. Or.. I fail myself, you know what whatever lets move on.
So here I am officially in Korea stepping out to take my first sniff of Korean air. I was curious to what Korea would smell like, I was anticipating that salty humidity smell like in the South but found it was more... how do I say.. like wet rain on hot pavement, kimchi, and heat. Yeah, that's about right. All the while I was lugging my big ass bag around the subways stations, sweating like a pig, and looking like a good old American crust. (Inserting here that if I did not have my friend Gregory with me I would probably still be in the airport rocking in a corner). Finally we made it above ground and this is where I get to the next part of the post title. Umbrellas.
UMBRELLAS, UMBRELLAS EVERYWHERE. I thought it was some sort of down pour seeing all those umbrellas bouncing down the street. Now wasn't I pleasantly surprised when I stepped out from the underground to find a fine drizzle, one I would not even had worn a hood for in the north west. I had to keep myself from laughing. Coming from the land of Seattle where you're an automatic tourist for using an umbrella, I was caught off guard. Now I was the tourist with my black rain coat and white shoes(I know, I know, but they have little cacti on them ok? They're cute get over it. ). Let's just say umbrellas were my first culture shock. I felt like a rat in a maze, trying to dodge umbrellas with my own(it wasn't mine ok it was my landlords..long story) like how do Koreans not get into umbrella accidents all the time?? They have all their eyes and no visible umbrella scaring, maybe its a Korean thing to be a professional umbrella navigator. Anyways, lets get to the next thing I noticed. Couples.
COUPLES, COUPLES EVERYWHERE!! If you are an introvert in Korea, well sucks for you(fyi I'm an introvert). There are couples, I kid you not, EVERYWHERE. Korea is a couple country. I have already been warned that I cannot go into restaurants alone, I need another person or they won't serve me(they don't serve a single person idk its weird). And in a country where it is cheaper to go out than to buy groceries this means that every time you're hungry you need someone else to be hungry with you ALL THE TIME! But I don't know anyone!! So I will starve!! Ok a little overdramatic I know. I am currently munching on something I bought from the convenience store under my building, not sure what it is though. Oh did I mention that I live above a chicken restaurant? No? Well I do. And above this chicken restaurant I found that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, nor extra towels, oh and my closet is made only for hangers.. and I don't have hangers. Thank goodness I have a pillow and a blanket, although top sheets are so expensive I might forgo one as sad as that sounds. So my next adventure you ask? To Daiso.
DAISO: or in Korean 다이소. It's some sort of everything you need type store. So I walk over to Daiso, careful to remember where I live and how to get back of course, and start shopping. The only toilet paper I could find was a box of tissues(I stood looking at pantyliners thinking they were some sort of toilet tissue before I realized they literally said "panty" in korean, so you know, a real pro at this korean thing already). And I walked up to the register, ready to pay with my newly deposited card, and my mind went blank. That's right folks, I don't know that much Korean, but the Korean I do know flew right out the window as the cashier asked me a question. I had no idea, I just looked at him and smiled, keeping that incompetent American image alive am I right?
Now here I sit in my little closet room, hiding from my roommates and the foreign country that may very well swallow me whole.
I was seated next to a couple from Dallas Texas flying out to visit family. When they asked me why I was going to Korea I gave my standard answer of "I wanted to learn a language, and I could read the Korean alphabet in an hour, so I chose Korean", which is true, but to be honest it really is something about the way spoken Korean sounds. I've said this reason to people before, but they don't seem to understand what I mean. I don't really know how to fully explain it. At first I was struck by how different Korean culture was from my own, and I was drawn to it because of the traditions and family ties that seemed so set in Korean society. But in the end it was the language that I fell in love with, and that's why I'm here. HOWEVER, I became aware of the craziness of my trip from the reaction of these two Dallas twenty somethings who were shocked that 1) I have never traveled outside of North America 2) I am traveling alone 3) I rented a room in an apartment where I don't know any of my roommates(still have yet to meet them btw, stay tuned) and lastly 4) I don't speak the language. That's right folks, read that again because this trip I planned is apparently insanity and no one told me until I was on the freaking plane.
Nevertheless, I have arrived in Seoul, and as promised, I've arrived very sweaty and very confused. And it all started with the fact that although I planned this entire trip by myself, I hadn't financially planned well enough. Aka my check deposit hadn't come through and I had to spend all of my money on my rent and deposit, and was very close to living on 22 dollars for the rest of the week. Also apparently credit cards require a pin?? Honestly the whole ordeal made me realize how I don't know anything about finances and bills, which really just boils down to the public school system failing me. Or.. I fail myself, you know what whatever lets move on.
So here I am officially in Korea stepping out to take my first sniff of Korean air. I was curious to what Korea would smell like, I was anticipating that salty humidity smell like in the South but found it was more... how do I say.. like wet rain on hot pavement, kimchi, and heat. Yeah, that's about right. All the while I was lugging my big ass bag around the subways stations, sweating like a pig, and looking like a good old American crust. (Inserting here that if I did not have my friend Gregory with me I would probably still be in the airport rocking in a corner). Finally we made it above ground and this is where I get to the next part of the post title. Umbrellas.
UMBRELLAS, UMBRELLAS EVERYWHERE. I thought it was some sort of down pour seeing all those umbrellas bouncing down the street. Now wasn't I pleasantly surprised when I stepped out from the underground to find a fine drizzle, one I would not even had worn a hood for in the north west. I had to keep myself from laughing. Coming from the land of Seattle where you're an automatic tourist for using an umbrella, I was caught off guard. Now I was the tourist with my black rain coat and white shoes(I know, I know, but they have little cacti on them ok? They're cute get over it. ). Let's just say umbrellas were my first culture shock. I felt like a rat in a maze, trying to dodge umbrellas with my own(it wasn't mine ok it was my landlords..long story) like how do Koreans not get into umbrella accidents all the time?? They have all their eyes and no visible umbrella scaring, maybe its a Korean thing to be a professional umbrella navigator. Anyways, lets get to the next thing I noticed. Couples.
COUPLES, COUPLES EVERYWHERE!! If you are an introvert in Korea, well sucks for you(fyi I'm an introvert). There are couples, I kid you not, EVERYWHERE. Korea is a couple country. I have already been warned that I cannot go into restaurants alone, I need another person or they won't serve me(they don't serve a single person idk its weird). And in a country where it is cheaper to go out than to buy groceries this means that every time you're hungry you need someone else to be hungry with you ALL THE TIME! But I don't know anyone!! So I will starve!! Ok a little overdramatic I know. I am currently munching on something I bought from the convenience store under my building, not sure what it is though. Oh did I mention that I live above a chicken restaurant? No? Well I do. And above this chicken restaurant I found that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, nor extra towels, oh and my closet is made only for hangers.. and I don't have hangers. Thank goodness I have a pillow and a blanket, although top sheets are so expensive I might forgo one as sad as that sounds. So my next adventure you ask? To Daiso.
DAISO: or in Korean 다이소. It's some sort of everything you need type store. So I walk over to Daiso, careful to remember where I live and how to get back of course, and start shopping. The only toilet paper I could find was a box of tissues(I stood looking at pantyliners thinking they were some sort of toilet tissue before I realized they literally said "panty" in korean, so you know, a real pro at this korean thing already). And I walked up to the register, ready to pay with my newly deposited card, and my mind went blank. That's right folks, I don't know that much Korean, but the Korean I do know flew right out the window as the cashier asked me a question. I had no idea, I just looked at him and smiled, keeping that incompetent American image alive am I right?
Now here I sit in my little closet room, hiding from my roommates and the foreign country that may very well swallow me whole.
Love, love, love the blog!! It's so interesting to hear about how you are maneuvering your way through a foreign culture. I'd say you've done very well for your first day. Would love to see pictures accompany your blogs instead of animated pics. My ADD kicks in and have to cover the pics to concentrate on your story.. Just a suggestion from and old fart here. Love you Elle!
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