Happy August Everyone!
I hope you are all enjoying your summer break with your families! I am so happy to be back home in Pennsylvania. After three consecutive semesters which consisted of attending classes for ten straight months I'm grateful for a break :)One thing that gave me the motivation to endure to the end of all my homework and assignments was my trip to Korea! Earlier this year one of my friends from BYU-Hawaii, Saeyeon, invited me to stay at her house this summer and somehow the flight prices and timing worked out so I bought a ticket! I was there for two weeks and it was so much fun! I met up with friends, visited beautiful sights, and ate spicy food (we'll get more into that in a later post!)
Saeyeon invited my friend Kristen to visit Korea at the same time as me. She is also from the US so while we were there we started to make a list of the differences we noticed. She kept them in her phone and I thought it would be fun to share some of them here with you :)
Cars are (for the most part) monochromatic
This is something that we noticed early on. The majority of the cars were either gray, white, or black. Even some of the taxies were gray! Sometimes after a tiring day of walking almost 8 miles we would take one home.
Putting the car in park
Buses can be stick shift
I had never seen this before! I noticed it in Busan. We were on the bus and we got seats near the front so I saw the drier shifting gears. The buses in Korea also have their own lanes. This helps them to stay on time. I have to admit the buses were much more punctual than the ones in Hawaii :)
Travel cards
Buses can be stick shift
I had never seen this before! I noticed it in Busan. We were on the bus and we got seats near the front so I saw the drier shifting gears. The buses in Korea also have their own lanes. This helps them to stay on time. I have to admit the buses were much more punctual than the ones in Hawaii :)
Travel cards
Not only are they cute, but the travel cards are so convenient! We were able to use them to pay for the bus, subway, and taxi. Traveling from place to place was so fun! We learned that people in Korea usually don't get their licenses until they are older because not everyone needs a car, especially when they live in the city.
Firm beds
This is a picture of the room we stayed in while we were in Busan. ( I had to get it off the internet because I forgot to take one while we were there) When we first got there we were tired so Kristen and I jumped on the bed, but it was a mistake because we forgot how hard the mattresses are! Let's just say you could definitely bounce a quarter off these beds haha.
No shower curtains
Not only are they cute, but the travel cards are so convenient! We were able to use them to pay for the bus, subway, and taxi. Traveling from place to place was so fun! We learned that people in Korea usually don't get their licenses until they are older because not everyone needs a car, especially when they live in the city.
Firm beds
This is a picture of the room we stayed in while we were in Busan. ( I had to get it off the internet because I forgot to take one while we were there) When we first got there we were tired so Kristen and I jumped on the bed, but it was a mistake because we forgot how hard the mattresses are! Let's just say you could definitely bounce a quarter off these beds haha.
No shower curtains
This is a picture from the hotel as well. As you can see there is some glass, but the shower is open behind that. If any of you read Sydney Arvanitas' letters when she was on her mission in Daejeon, you will know all about this. In Korea, there are no curtains to separate the shower from the rest of the bathroom. This means water goes everywhere!
Flip flops are not common
The whole time I was there I didn't see anyone wearing flip flops! (besides Kristen ;) There were however stores selling shoes everywhere we went. In Seoul there was one street that was all shoe vendors. Saeyeon's mom was kind enough to buy Saeyeon and I matching sandals to wear. They were so comfortable!
Lemon Ade
The whole time I was there I didn't see anyone wearing flip flops! (besides Kristen ;) There were however stores selling shoes everywhere we went. In Seoul there was one street that was all shoe vendors. Saeyeon's mom was kind enough to buy Saeyeon and I matching sandals to wear. They were so comfortable!
Lemon Ade
Most of the fruit drinks in Korea had "ade" at the end as a separate word such as "mango ade" or "lemon ade". Often times it meant that the drink was sparkling. The BEST lemonade I had was at the salon where I got my haircut. It was bubbly and delicious!
Where are the trash cans?
In the US it is common to see trash cans outside different establishments, but in Korea I couldn't find them anywhere! That's not to say it was dirty, the streets where really clean. I hardly saw any litter. However after I bought a drink or a snack I would have to carry the empty container for several blocks. In the picture on the left I was carrying a corn dog stick for about 15 minutes until I could throw it away! It became a joke because I started to get so excited whenever I did see a trashcan! I guess that's one way to appreciate the little things :)
Socks are really popular
As we walked around the city, one of the most popular things that I saw sold was socks! Any design you wanted, you were sure to find it!
Malls
The malls in Korea are huge! The difference between those found in the US is that all the stores are close to each other. The best way to describe it is to think of them as one giant store with different departments. You know how you walk into Macy's and theres the Men's section and the Women's section? They are separated but it's still in one store. That's how the clothing departments were in the mall for different brands. At other malls, they were sorted by floors. For example 1st floor Women, 2nd floor Men, 3rd floor Children, 4th floor Electronics. My favorite thing to do at the clothing store was to read the English printed on shirts Most of the time it made no sense so Kristen and I got a kick out of that :)
Socks are really popular
As we walked around the city, one of the most popular things that I saw sold was socks! Any design you wanted, you were sure to find it!
Malls
The malls in Korea are huge! The difference between those found in the US is that all the stores are close to each other. The best way to describe it is to think of them as one giant store with different departments. You know how you walk into Macy's and theres the Men's section and the Women's section? They are separated but it's still in one store. That's how the clothing departments were in the mall for different brands. At other malls, they were sorted by floors. For example 1st floor Women, 2nd floor Men, 3rd floor Children, 4th floor Electronics. My favorite thing to do at the clothing store was to read the English printed on shirts Most of the time it made no sense so Kristen and I got a kick out of that :)
Couple outfits
Speaking of clothes, this was my favorite fashion trend in Korea. Everywhere we went there were so so many couples, especially at Han River. And several of them were wearing what are called "couple outfits". This is when two people either wear the same outfit or an outfit that compliments the other person. Often time couples even wear matching shoes. It is absolutely adorable. Talk about #couplegoals
Take-out
The night we got back from Busan, we were tired so we decided to order takeout. Instead of the food coming in styrofoam or disposable containers, the restaurant gave us nice plastic dishes. When we finished eating, Saeyeon put the dish outside her door and she said the delivery men would come back the next day and pick them up. How cool is that? Also in Korea McDonalds delivers! We never tried it but we would see them driving on their scooters :)
Couple outfits
Speaking of clothes, this was my favorite fashion trend in Korea. Everywhere we went there were so so many couples, especially at Han River. And several of them were wearing what are called "couple outfits". This is when two people either wear the same outfit or an outfit that compliments the other person. Often time couples even wear matching shoes. It is absolutely adorable. Talk about #couplegoals
Take-out
The night we got back from Busan, we were tired so we decided to order takeout. Instead of the food coming in styrofoam or disposable containers, the restaurant gave us nice plastic dishes. When we finished eating, Saeyeon put the dish outside her door and she said the delivery men would come back the next day and pick them up. How cool is that? Also in Korea McDonalds delivers! We never tried it but we would see them driving on their scooters :)
Commercials are really short
When we came back to Saeyeon's house after a day of touring, we would usually turn on the tv and watch some music programs. When there was a commercial break I was expecting it to be like here in the US, but they were over as quick as they started. It was like that on YouTube too. The app knew I was in Korea so the ads were only 5-10 seconds. It was so nice! I could't find a picture of us watching tv so I'm using one of my favorite kdrama haha!
When we came back to Saeyeon's house after a day of touring, we would usually turn on the tv and watch some music programs. When there was a commercial break I was expecting it to be like here in the US, but they were over as quick as they started. It was like that on YouTube too. The app knew I was in Korea so the ads were only 5-10 seconds. It was so nice! I could't find a picture of us watching tv so I'm using one of my favorite kdrama haha!
Breakfast is the biggest meal
Every morning we were there Saeyeon's sweet mom woke up and made breakfast for us. They don't have ovens in Korean apartments so everything is made on the stove. Breakfast foods are my favorite, but in Korea they do not consist of waffles and omelets ;) On different days we had rice, kimchi, zucchini, dried young sardines, bulgogi, seaweed, and fried eggs. It was different, but all so good!
Every morning we were there Saeyeon's sweet mom woke up and made breakfast for us. They don't have ovens in Korean apartments so everything is made on the stove. Breakfast foods are my favorite, but in Korea they do not consist of waffles and omelets ;) On different days we had rice, kimchi, zucchini, dried young sardines, bulgogi, seaweed, and fried eggs. It was different, but all so good!
Bag paper cups
It was common to see water coolers when we went out. They had them in banks and the history museum that we went to. Instead of having cups, they had little bags to put the water in!
Rest stops
When Saeyeon's parents took us to the burial ground of King Sejong, we ate lunch at a rest stop on the way home. The food ranged from udon to gimbap to hamburgers. They also had what they call "walnut cakes". They look like walnuts and they are filled with red bean paste. I wasn't a fan of the filling, but they smelled delicious!
Shaved Ice cream
This is now one of my favorite treats! I first had it in Hawaii thanks to my friends Camilla and her husband Evan who served his mission in Taiwan. In Korea it is called "bingsu". The best way to explain it is ice cream with the consistency of shave ice. It is really smooth and it melts in your mouth. There are so many flavors you can try. You can top it with fruit, nuts, chocolate, or red beans. If you ever get the chance, this is a must-try!
CDs are much more popular
Bag paper cups
It was common to see water coolers when we went out. They had them in banks and the history museum that we went to. Instead of having cups, they had little bags to put the water in!
Rest stops
When Saeyeon's parents took us to the burial ground of King Sejong, we ate lunch at a rest stop on the way home. The food ranged from udon to gimbap to hamburgers. They also had what they call "walnut cakes". They look like walnuts and they are filled with red bean paste. I wasn't a fan of the filling, but they smelled delicious!
Shaved Ice cream
This is now one of my favorite treats! I first had it in Hawaii thanks to my friends Camilla and her husband Evan who served his mission in Taiwan. In Korea it is called "bingsu". The best way to explain it is ice cream with the consistency of shave ice. It is really smooth and it melts in your mouth. There are so many flavors you can try. You can top it with fruit, nuts, chocolate, or red beans. If you ever get the chance, this is a must-try!
CDs are much more popular
With iTunes and Spotify, I feel like it is not as common for Americans to buy CDs of their favorite artists. In Korea it is another story, and for good reason! The CDs in Korea don't only come with music but they come with photo books of the artists, photo cards, written lyrics, and even sometimes posters. The marketing is amazing! And the music is so good. If you want some new music to listen to look up BTS, Winner, BigBang, Twice, BlackPink, or Psy (yes he more songs than Gangnam Style ;)
Chicken by the river
In Seoul one of the most popular places that people go with their friends is Han River. It runs right through the city and it is so pretty. However people don't just sit and watch, they also eat. When you get to the riverside tons of older women come up to you and give you flyers for chicken. As you can see from our picture, we got quite a few! After you choose what meal you want, you call a number to place your order, and then they deliver it to you! You just tell them where you are and they find you! I'm so glad we did it. The food was good and so was the view :)
These are just a few things that I noticed while I was in Korea. I will have more posts on the different activities that we did while we were there, hopefully soon!
Thanks for reading!
♥ TTFN, KARISSA
With iTunes and Spotify, I feel like it is not as common for Americans to buy CDs of their favorite artists. In Korea it is another story, and for good reason! The CDs in Korea don't only come with music but they come with photo books of the artists, photo cards, written lyrics, and even sometimes posters. The marketing is amazing! And the music is so good. If you want some new music to listen to look up BTS, Winner, BigBang, Twice, BlackPink, or Psy (yes he more songs than Gangnam Style ;)
Chicken by the river
In Seoul one of the most popular places that people go with their friends is Han River. It runs right through the city and it is so pretty. However people don't just sit and watch, they also eat. When you get to the riverside tons of older women come up to you and give you flyers for chicken. As you can see from our picture, we got quite a few! After you choose what meal you want, you call a number to place your order, and then they deliver it to you! You just tell them where you are and they find you! I'm so glad we did it. The food was good and so was the view :)
These are just a few things that I noticed while I was in Korea. I will have more posts on the different activities that we did while we were there, hopefully soon!
Thanks for reading!
♥ TTFN, KARISSA
Another A+ :D Great photos too!
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