Things That Make You Go, Hmm!

Wow! I can't believe I have only been in S. Korea for three weeks. It feels like I have been here longer because I have experienced so much already. I have become a celebrity in my own right with people staring at me and taking pictures. It's pretty funny! Since being here, there's a lot of little things that I have picked up on that I find interesting. 

First, looks and appearance play a huge role in Korean society. How you look is very important! Men's fashion here surprises me a little more than women's fashion. Women's fashion seems pretty expected, being that Asian women are known for their high heels and short length dresses/skirts. Men's fashion consists of a very tailored look and would be comparable to that of the "metro" style in the States. Oh and ladies, the popped collar is still very popular here. I'm still not sure how that was ever an acceptable fashion statement, but I'll try to look over it :)

Another thing that has caught my eye is seeing that the men carry their girlfriend's purses. At first I laughed, but the more I think about it, I wish I had someone to carry my over-sized bag so I didn't have to break my shoulder. It almost seems like the men are rocking out the purses more than the women. They enjoy showing off their Gucci, Prada and Coach purses. To add to this so called oddness, it's very common to see couples in matching outfits. I'm not sure what this symbolizes, but it could possibly be that because public displays of affection remain a taboo here. Matching outfits are a kind of a substitute.

Korean's are also very affectionate.  It's not unusual to see a man putting an arm around a male friend, or seeing two friends walking down the street holding hands. Koreans are more generally touchier than Americans in a same-sex friendship situation. I haven't quite adapted to this yet.

  

One great thing about not having a car is being forced to walk everywhere. Having worked in the transportation industry, I was really excited to ditch my car and put public transit to work. The subway system here is extremely nice. There's really no comparison between Seoul Metro and NYCT when it comes to cleanliness. 

Transportation is also really cheap here. A taxi ride that would normally cost me $35-$40 in the States, is only about $15 here. Also, I travel by bus a lot since the subway is a bit away. Here in Korea, I can transfer from a bus to the subway all by using the same fare. So depending on the distance I am going, if I board the bus and make another transfer within 30 minutes I may not have to pay an extra fare.

I will forewarn anyone that is coming here that Korean's are CRAZY drivers!!! The buses have the right away so usually they will cut in front of a big line of cars just to get to the front of the stoplight. Also, it's not out of the ordinary to have both cars and buses run red lights. So crossing the street can be a bit dangerous, haha. 

Speaking of running red lights, you're probably thinking "well, where are the police?". Well, they aren't really around. Unlike in the States where you see cops patrolling the streets and writing tickets left and right, the cops are almost non-existent. What is also surprising is that the cops do not carry guns with them. There really is no crime here so they don't have a need for them.

Another thing I have learned is that Koreans loves them some coffee. On every street corner you can guarantee to find if not one then two coffee shops here. It's a little absurd but I guess we all need that caffeine fix. Also, I stated in an earlier post about me being able to get my carb fix. Well all the breads here are really sweet. I haven't quite been able to figure out what the strange taste is they put in it yet. For example, if you were to go and buy garlic bread, they put sugar on top of it. It's a little weird, but good!

These are just a few things I wanted to point out that I found pretty interesting while being in S. Korea so far. I'm really enjoying my time here, but I miss everyone a lot. I have a lot of fun things planned for the next few weeks. Can't wait to get out and enjoy more Korea!