Tag: Seoul

By riakkim

Something that's been on my mind a lot nowadays is definitely the fact that I appear Korean, can speak a bit of Korean, and fit right in both looks-wise and first-impression wise. After some time speaking of course locals realize my Korean isn't perfect and will often ask where I'm from and if I'm a 4-year or exchange student, but it's strange not really being able to fit in entirely but definitely being treated on the streets as a local, in small interactions as one, and just in general occupying this space of limbo. I luckily have met other Korean-Americans who identify the same way and sharing that experience with others in really indulging into our heritage and the realities of being a Korean-American in Korea, and the prejudices and struggles that only we face.

The most obvious, and huge, advantage that I've had here is the ability to comprehend quite a bit of Korean and to speak it- from simple things like ordering delivery over the phone (everywhere delivers here, including McDonald's) to buying street food, haggling down the prices of clothes, organizing group gatherings, and most especially during classes. Despite the reassurances of the upperclassmen who said everybody speaks English here, coming in without being able to read the language (at the very least, it only takes about two hours to learn) I think is both foolish and culturally insensitive. While a large population of Korea can understand English and speak very basic English (especially compared to countries such as Japan), it still can be difficult to do some basic interactions, such as checking out the convenience store.

And while most of these things come with relative ease to me, the biggest struggle I've had has been one of my classes, Electromagnetic Fields and Waves, where the professor speaks about 80% in Korean despite it being a course taught in English (English courses are still filled with majority Korean students, since seats are limited and course registration is quite hectic). Despite the fact that I understand about 70% of the Korean, I'm constantly looking up technical words and added to the fact that I'm not very familiar with the subject and the many variables used, I find it quite stressful and cannot even imagine how much work it would be for my peers who don't understand Korean whatsoever. Korea has really been a place where the rules are flexible and nothing is set in stone; quite different in comparison to America.

...continue reading "Camouflaged"

By riakkim

Something that I continue to find astonishing is how small South Korea is- in comparison to the US, it would fit between San Francisco and LA, about the size of Indiana. Yet there's so much history and culture to be found wherever I go; in this case, Daegu, the second largest city in the Kyungsangdo region in Southeast Korea.

As soon as we arrived, we could tell the feel of the city was more relaxed, people weren't as in a rush and preoccupied, and there was a sort of friendliness that isn't as commonly found in Seoul. People would help you if something dropped from your pockets, and if you bumped into someone, both parties usually apologized, unlike the subtle glares I feel I commonly received in Seoul. The sky was wider, roads bigger, and Daegu was a sort of peace from the overwhelming and slightly lonelier nature of Seoul.

This was the first place i experienced outside of Seoul, and needless to say, it helped me understand Korean culture a little bit more. I think that one of the most charming aspects of Daegu was their 사투리, "satoori", or accent. The have a very distinct accent, and they speak slower and emphasize the vowels more- but sometimes it can be a little difficult to understand. It's something I really never hear much of back home, since growing up most of us learn the standard Seoul Korean (which is also why sometimes I have trouble understanding my grandparents).

...continue reading "Daegu"

By riakkim

School has started, and suddenly the hills of Anam are filled with students, conversation, laughter, and food- a stark contrast to the quieter days of late February. The start of school after three months of quiet living, traveling, and relaxation is strange and slightly surreal, especially as I occupy said strange place as a passing Korean yet exchange student.

Classes are hectic with add-and-drop, and there's a strange situation of English taught classes- where lectures are supposed to be in English but filled with Korean students, leading to the reality of lectures and questions in a mix of English and Korean. I luckily understand most of the Korean, yet my peers who don't speak the language are often confused and it can be difficult and tiring to translate everything going on, despite my best efforts. Classes are also quite different, as teaching style here is less interactive and more lecture-based, unlike many of the courses I take back home at GW.

I had the golden opportunity to travel to Busan this past weekend, as part of a sponsored trip for international students by one of Korean's largest conglomerates, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction. As my first time in Busan, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the area- Busan is one of Korea's major ports and I was shocked to see the ocean is so blue, skies so clear, and weather so mild with the ocean breeze. I fell in love at first sight, and wished my stay could be longer than 2 days 1 night. Since the trip was sponsored by Doosan, we had the opportunity to meet several managers and tour some of their facilities, my favorite being the RO plant, a reverse osmosis plant that purifies sea water into drinking water. The process is something that is usually known to be expensive and not very efficient, yet they had engineered a plant that purifies water at a similar cost to river water purification, technology that the Middle East particularly has a large need for (Saudi Arabia's government is a particularly large customer of Doosan).

...continue reading "Cultural Differences"

By riakkim

 

I've been fortunate enough to have spent the last three and a half days in Tokyo, where I flew into before I head to Seoul tomorrow morning. Given that I had such a large winter break (Korea's semester begins March 1), learning to adapt while traveling and maintaining an open mind has been crucial for my learning experience.

Tokyo is a huge city. I've found that it can be easy to lose yourself in the business and bustle, or feel just as overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things to do. Although I may be a tourist now, if I'm not learning from my travels, I think they're honestly pointless, because I believe the purpose of travel is to learn more about the human experience, both yours and of the people of that place.

Subtle things, like different cultural mannerisms, ways of speaking, and habits are important to notice and learn from- for example, something I constantly forgot was that the Japanese drive on the left side of the road (the opposite of the US), and those habits translate to walking on streets, waiting on escalators, and moving to the side for incoming people. The Japanese also have mannerisms that are generally quite respectful- always greeting a customer while entering and exiting, the whole staff in an area thanking a customer when they leave or enter a restaurant, handing things with two hands, and bowing heads during an exchange- they're all quite familiar to me, who grew up a Korean-American with many similar habits, but could be strange and perhaps annoying to someone who doesn't understand a social hierarchy held up by motions of respect.

...continue reading "First Days"