Those who follow this little journal regularly (I admire those that do!)
will notice that I haven't written anything in quite some time. Well,
the fact is that I have been away from Seoul for quite some time!
Near the end of October, Samsung flew me away back to my home country
for a three-week business trip to Northern California. After only 2.5
months in Korea (with excursions to
China and
Japan mixed in this fall) I
wasn't really craving to go back to the US so quickly, but I did look
forward to sneaking in some time with friends in San Francisco in
between busy work days.
I actually found myself a little anxious as I packed for my first trip
east across the Pacific. What sorts of reverse culture shock would I
experience? How has Korea changed me thus far, if at all? What would I
miss most about the US, and would the familiarity of home terrain make
me long to stay?
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| Reverse culture shock -- seeing a whole row of deodorant at CVS! |
Traveling "back in time" to reach San Francisco on a Sunday (due to
crossing the date line) I was happy to have an extended weekend. Jet lag
didn't hit me too badly on the first day, and I had some time to settle
into San Jose and observe for things that felt a little unnatural. Like
American football on TV. Or lots of obese people. A whole row of deodorant
on sale at CVS (which, strangely is difficult to find in Korea). Being able to communicate freely in my own language
again. Americans mispronouncing the name of the song "Gangnam Style".
And the ethnic/cultural mosaic that is much more diverse in California than
in Seoul – seeing Hispanics, South Asians, and black people again was
actually somewhat refreshing. But not all that much felt unusual. I
guess I haven't been in Korea for very long.
There were definitely things I missed about not being in the US.
Chipotle burritos are still delicious. Streaming Pandora is a musical
genius (available in Korea with a VPN connection, but that's just too
complicated). Being able to buy cold medicine without needing to explain
my condition to a pharmacist. Inexpensive cheese and wine. Blondes, brunettes, redheads,
curly-haired's – basically anything besides straight black hair!
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| Best part of going back to America, without question: seeing old friends |
But living out of dull San Jose, with its boring strip malls and sterile
technology office parks, left me yearning for life in Seoul. I didn't
expect to be longing for Korea on my trip, but by the end of my time in
the US I couldn't wait to board the plane to go back to my new city. As a
foreigner, Seoul will be a difficult place to ever call "home", but
being away made me realize that we actually have pretty good lives
there. I missed being able to walk everywhere (or utilize the ubiquitous
taxis and public transit). I missed super-fast Internet and mobile
phone networks (T-Mobile is awful in the Bay Area, BTW). I love Korean
BBQ and drinking cheap beer with friends. I can't wait to go hiking
again and explore Korea's abundant natural beauty.
Going to
China and
Japan this fall also reinforced some of the better
characteristics of Korea. I was overwhelmed in China by the pollution
and the masses of people pushing to get everywhere. China also made
clear how well-put-together the citizens of Seoul are – Chinese fashion
sense could be much improved, and the average Beijinger doesn't take
nearly as good care of her appearance as in Korea. I liked Tokyo a lot,
but missed the group spirit there that is so central to Korean culture. One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Before moving to Asia, I would not have been tell you many things which distinguish the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures, but now I have a much clearer perspective.
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| My first time back since the "Gangnam Style" craze |
Of course, the one thing I will always be missing from America are all
the great friends I have from there. Not that we're out of touch. One of
my American friends, who has lived extensively abroad, tells me that in
the age of email and Skype she actually felt she stayed in better touch
with some people far away during her last stint in Asia. Another friend
of mine hypothesizes that Facebook has made it much easier to maintain
"loose" connections. I think both my wise friends are right. Being far
away has reinforced the importance of checking in with people in
America. Communication has never been cheaper and easier. But all this
electronic media cannot fully substitute for face-to-face contact. I
already skipped a wedding of a close friend this fall, and I can no
longer hop on a plane for a quick weekend trip to see someone in a
different American city. This I do miss greatly.
That said, it's good to be back in Korea, though the weather is much chillier now than when I left (California weather was nice). I don't know how long I will
stay here in Seoul, but a small part of me already feels natural eating kimchi
every day with chopsticks and amusing shopkeepers with my broken bits of
Korean language. "Home" may still not be Korea, but perhaps now this
hard-to-define place exists for me a couple hundred miles west of the
California coast.
