Little Things I love about Korea

This August it’ll be two years living in Korea.  I think two years enough time to figure out what you like and what you don’t like about a country.  I believe that no matter where you live, you’ll find things to like and whether or not you stay depends on if those “likes” outweigh  the “dislikes.” For some, living in another country is too much, they have to make too many sacrifices to their way of living and because of that, they are unhappy.  There are definitely things I don’t like about living in Korea, things that frustrate me and things I can’t stand, but those things will be there no matter where you live (that blog post will come at a later date). Korea isn’t a country I could ever see myself living in the long-term, I plan to do one more year after this contract and that will be it.  Not including my job, the friends I made, or my apartment here is a list of little things I’ve come to love about Korea.  Things that if you were visiting you might not pick up on. To other’s they might seem stupid, but for me, they make me happy.

• Spring. After a long cold, dead and bare winter springtime is a welcoming sight.  It seems like in Korea from November until March there’s nothing but brown in the countryside. But, when spring comes flowers and cherry blossoms are everywhere! Cherry blossoms line the roads and are usually the first to bloom.  Their white is so strongly contrasted against the brown and dead landscape, it’s an amazing sight to see.  Once they turn green, dead-looking plants suddenly spring flowers and everywhere you look it’s red, white or purple. It seems like every bush and every plant sprouts flowers. Also, it’s when the rice gets planted, so instead of muddy earth, little pond-like areas appear with green(the rice plant) in them.
• Fall. Just like spring, fall in Korea is gorgeous.  It doesn’t get enough attention as fall in Japan, but I imagine it’s equally as beautiful. The whole countryside changes and that fall feeling gets in the air.  In Spain, I didn’t have fall, maybe one of the reasons I enjoy it so much here. One thing, in particular, is my drive to school includes a tree-lined road of metasequoia’s that turn an incredibly golden-orange color. It’s beautiful, especially with the early morning sunlight shining through casting shadows across the two-lane road.
• They love trees. When building through a natural area, Koreans try hard to maintain and not destroy the wildlife that was already there. They will build roads around them and benches around them, or gazebos next to them. This isn’t done with every tree, and I’m not sure what makes them decide if a tree is worthy, but the ones that are are magnificent. I’ve also noticed, when putting in sidewalks they’ll keep what’s that as to not disturb what already was.
• When you get gas. They always make it ends on a whole number, like 46,000 ($46) instead of 45,674 ($45.67). I don’t know what they do, but when the pump stops they push something on the machine and then give more gas so it evens out.  I also don’t remember if this is even something done in the U.S as it’s been too long.
• They love plants.  There’s something in Korean tradition or culture where giving plants means something. If a new teacher comes to the school they will get a ton of new plants, if a new store opens they’ll have plants outside.  They have plants everywhere and it’s great, it makes the interior greener and there’s something about instinctual being around plants.
• The restaurants. Service is incredibly fast, they come at the push of a button. The silverware is always on the table in a box or in a drawer that comes out, and they always have water.
• Medicine. It’s extremely cheap when compared to the U.S, less than $2 for a 10 pack of allergy pills and around the same for any basic cold medication.  I just went to the doctor for pain I’ve been having in my shoulder and the total cost of 30 days worth of medicine prescribed was $20.  I remember being blown away by the prices of some medication in the U.S.
• Safety. You can leave your stuff anywhere and not worry about it getting stolen. If you lose something, you expect either to get it back or for it to be there when you go back to get it.  Now I don’t even consider locking up my bike, but I’m in a small rural town, in Seoul, it’d be a bit different.
• The mountains. Korea is 70% mountainous, no matter where you go you are surrounded by them.  I love driving around the country because it’s so beautiful, especially when it’s raining and there are different layers and levels of clouds surrounding the mountains.
• Tofu. I love eating tofu and I love the fresh brick-like tofu from the tofu lady in the morning for less than $2 or $3.  It is so good.
• Quick Delivery. When you order most things online it will come in 1 or 2 days with no added delivery fee.