South Korea

Okay, so I went to South Korea and back. What did I think of it? I will have to say I think I like Japan better. Crazy to hear that from me, eh, after all the Japan bashing. But, don't get me wrong, it's not that Korea is horrible or anything, it's just that I personally didn't have a good time there over all.

I couldn't stand the public spitting. It was SOOOooooo gross. At one point my arm was the final destination of some guys lousy aim. Eeeewwwww!!!!! The subway trains smelt of kimchi and an alcohol they call sochu. For some reason it was really suffocating and I was always dying to get off the train so that I could take a clean breath. People were really pushy and forward there. I could take forwardness because, hey, I'm from America and that's what we're known for. Yet, I could NOT take the pushiness. The women especially would literally send me across the train in their efforts to get off the train. There was one instance when I got so tired from being pushed all day that I held my ground and the woman pushing looked at me with incredulity. As if she wanted to say, "how dare you not move aside." In my mind I could only think "how dare YOU think that I'M the one committing a rudeness here." But, as I write this, I'm forced to consider the pushing as cultural differences. But if you ask me, that's one cultural norm I'm not fond of.

Oh and what really did my trip in was the purchase of what I thought was an amazing skirt. I saw it and was at once in love. In Korea, retail is cheap compared to Japan and on top of that you can bargain even more for lower prices. In fact, you're expected to bargain and if you buy at the first price you're given you're considered a fool. Anywho, so I find this skirt and we bargain, but before I take it I noticed that there was a bit of a tare in the thread in the front. I show it to the shop lady and she makes a big show of showing me another undamaged skirt. Satisfied, I pay her what we agreed on and went on with my last day in Korea. Unfortunately, I get to my hotel later on that night and guess what I find when I open up the shopping bag... the damaged skirt!!!! I was so shocked! I couldn't believe someone would do that. I felt so violated. To say the least, I was not happy. What was worst was that I couldn't go back that night bc it was late and I was leaving early the next morning as well so I was stuck with the damaged skirt.

That was my last impression of Korea. But there were some good points. I met up with a friend whom I hadn't seen for five years and then I met some really cool Africans from Senegal.