Rainy Days and Sundays

In honor of Korea’s Independence Day (Friday) I thought I would spend some time reflecting on my experiences in Korea thus far and compare and contrast with my experiences in China. Perhaps I should make a Venn diagram. Just kidding, I hate Venn diagrams. Almost as much as I hate the Dutch. Ahhaha, I kid…but I really do hate Venn diagrams.

Keep in mind I’ve only been here in Korea for a short amount of time and only spent 4 weeks in China-land so these are merely first impressions and by no means represents all there is to know about either culture…here goes:
➢ Reaction to foreigners: In Korea, the presence of foreigners is nothing…foreign (haha); there are a ridiculous number of American military bases throughout the country and a surprising amount of foreign English teachers (due to their enthusiasm to learn English), engineers, businessmen, etc, not to mention a large influx of Western culture now permanently fused with their own. Seeing foreigners in China was something very rare and unusual for their citizens (pre-Olympics). Western culture is intriguing and mysterious because it’s for the most part nonexistent in China…except for the McDonald’s, KFC’s and Pizza Huts. In both countries a long stare is expected but the attitudes behind the stares I feel are much different. Perhaps because the Chinese have not yet been overwhelmed by Western culture, people are genuinely fascinated by foreigners, even wanting pictures to be taken with their children. Korean’s however will stare then ignore you completely, showing no interest and perhaps a hint of contempt. I haven’t exactly figured it out yet.
➢ Bicycle transportation: I’m convinced Beijing has the most bicycle riders in the world. There are bike lanes the size of car lanes that are always full making biking probably as equally dangerous as driving a car would be. In Ulsan there is notta a bike lane to be seen. Bikes are rarely seen and the bikes you do see (which are mostly scooters) have to ride on the sidewalks that (beware) double as parking spaces. I’d be curious to see what Seoul or Busan are like in regards to bike transportation this could be due to Ulsan’s smaller population and hilly terrain.
➢ Fashion: As far as fashion is concerned in both countries just about anything goes, everyone has their own style it seems and I love that. Korean women love their heels. When I was waiting in the Seoul airport I noticed sisters probably age 3 and 5 running around in a pair of short heels…preparation for their lifelong high heel walking career I guess. Another difference I’ve noticed is hair. In China we saw all kinds of strange hair trends, permed, blue, pink, orange, wavy, straight, bangs, etc but in Korea there are 2 basic haircuts. Long, straight hair with bangs and short, straight hair with bangs. Nothing outrageous.
➢ Food: Chinese food is oily, fried, and many dishes are full of vinegar (boo vinegar). Korean food is much healthier with much of it being fresh, grilled, boiled, or steamed. And everything is very spicy…basically both cuisines takes a body some gettin’ used to.
➢ Safety: For no reason in particular I would have felt nervous walking around after dark by myself in China. Here in Ulsan I feel safe walking home from school every night. I don’t think there is any such thing as a “bad” part of town in this city but if there is I definitely do not live in a “bad” area. Although one night there was a sudden burst of screaming coming from the Japanese restaurant that I live above. A small crowd gathered on the sidewalk to watch the commotion. Since I had no idea what was actually going on I made up this scenario in my head: the wife had just caught her husband out to eat with another woman. It was clear he was a cheater and she was obviously furious calling him every name in the book while the he tried to justify his actions (what a pig) claiming his dinner date was really a business meeting of sorts.

Independence Day in Korea is sort of a let down, no fireworks, no debauchery. It appeared to be celebrated by most businesses (all open) merely pulling out their Korean flags to fly for the afternoon. This was officially confirmed today when that’s exactly what one of the Korean teachers told me. I spent the holiday cleaning, doing laundry, re-arranging, and giving my apartment a little Kelly flavor. I found some matches so I was finally able to put my incense and incense boat to use, christening my apartment. Now all I need is a nice houseplant to pull everything together.

Saturday was rainy so no beach plans were carried out. Instead Kristen took me to a district of town called Shin-nae. Shin-nae had a long, covered shopping strip that kept us nice and dry as we browsed the shops. We then took a bus to a Home Plus store. Home Plus would be equivalent to a Wal-mart…it is huge, has everything you need, and pretty much blew my mind. I’m talking samples at almost every aisle people. It doesn’t get much better.

Sunday brought a fun-filled day full of church, new friends, Korean Chinese food, laughter and successfully using my stove to yield a tasty late night treat of hot tea and oatmeal.

Also, I’ve just finished the book Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne (author of Irresistible Revolution) and Chris Haw. A must read in these days leading up to the November election. Plus I’d love to discuss it with someone. So go on, read it, and tell me what you think.