When being in a new country alone, after the honeymoon phase of study abroad you begin to miss aspects of home; even mundane aspects of home like going grocery shopping. At Korea University, the quarters are 14 weeks long, so I am currently on week 10. Back home at DU, the fall quarter is done and winter break has begun.
Firstly I am lethargic from school because I would be done with school right now, enjoying the break. So a major change from US college life to Korean college life is not having days off to relax. Besides Chuseok, which is celebrated at the end of September, there are very few days off from school. After living through the newness of Korea and experiencing all of the items on my Korea bucket list I have begun to miss things back home. For example, I miss American chips. While this may sound strange, I miss American Cheetos, Doritos, and Lays because a majority of the chips in Korea are sweet; even garlic bread in Korea is sweet.
To combat homesickness there are numerous ways and it depends on what sort of homesickness you are experiencing, so I will just share what I have been doing. One way I am combating homesickness is by constantly going out and finding new experiences to enjoy. This helps because my mindset is to experience anything and everything because one day my study abroad will conclude and who knows when I will come back to Korea. So by continuously staying busy, I find myself not feeling as homesick.
Another way I combat homesickness is by regularly staying in contact with my friends and family. While this is difficult due to the time difference, we still talk about whatever. Denver is 16 hours behind Seoul so when it is morning for me, it is nighttime in Denver and vice versa. I will update friends or family about my day or anything on my mind.
I’m fortunate enough to be in a country that I have family in, so in that sense, I don’t feel lonely or don’t feel like I don’t have anyone to turn to. Another thing that I am thankful to have is the ability to speak, read, and write Korean. My friends who are new to the Korean language are having a more difficult time adjusting to society because they do not know Korean. Seoul is more foreigner-friendly and is fairly easy to navigate if you do not know Korean. Many restaurants and stores in Seoul will be accustomed to interacting in English. If you decide to travel outside of Seoul, the need to understand Korean is greater because those cities are less likely to accommodate English speakers. For example, my friends are I traveled to the seaside of Korea and my friends relied on me to speak to taxi drivers or order food.
If you decide to study in Korea, it is important to understand what you are signing up for and what culture you are walking into. Korea, while travel-friendly, is still a highly conservative and homogenous society.
While in Korea, I have noticed that many are surprised by the real Korea. Like any other major city; it smells like sewers and there is trash on the streets. From my fellow abroad students, I have learned that they came to Korea with certain expectations. Now that they are here, they feel disappointed and frustrated. For the months that they have prepared, they come here realizing that they are not prepared. I have also noticed that some abroad students live here a little recklessly.
For this blog post, I have decided to write a mini guide on how to keep your expectations realistic while in Korea. That way culture shock is lessened and you will be better prepared to travel to Korea.
Language
While it is not an expectation to speak perfect Korean. It is helpful to know basic phrases. The capital, Seoul, is pretty accommodating to foreigners, especially in neighborhoods like Myeongdong, Gangnam, and Itaewon. Do not get frustrated if you go to a store or restaurant and the employees can’t speak English. There should be no expectation that Korean people speak English. Utilizing apps such as Papago and Google Translate can help in more complex speaking situations. Do not rely on translation apps because they are not always the most accurate. Depending on what you say in English, it could translate into something rude in Korean.
Even learning the basic alphabet can be very helpful, especially in situations where you have to read menus or street signs. There are many books, websites, and even YouTube videos that teach you how to read Korean. Quite literally, you can learn to read Korean in an hour. Compared to other languages, Korean is simple and easy to understand.
No Food Accommodations
Unlike the United States, Korea does not do food accommodations. While it does not hurt to ask, it will be rare for restaurants or cafes to do substitutions or remove items from an order. While I have many examples of me trying to get items removed due to dietary restrictions, one example is when I went to a brunch cafe with some friends. At the cafe, I was ordering for my friends and me. My friend is lactose intolerant and has IBS. So I asked if they could remove the cheese from a sandwich. The cashier said they were unable to remove the cheese because it was premade with cheese.
It is just restaurant culture in Korea to accept the food as it comes. The general consensus is that if you don’t like how it is, order something else or go somewhere else. If you decide to go to Korea, and you have strict dietary restrictions, you have to be very careful of what you choose to eat. If you decide to eat a certain dish, please do your own research on how that dish is prepared. This is because Korean people have a different idea of what diet restrictions are. For example, if you decide to order a soup and ask “Does this have beef?” The employee may say “There is no beef.” So you decide to order it. When you receive your order you realize it is a beef broth. This is a true story from my Aunt who used to be vegan.
It is common for travelers to decide to buy clothes in Korea. This is understandable because fashion is very prominent in Korea. The Korean fashion wave continues to grow in popularity. An issue many foreigners run into, especially with street clothing stores, is that there is only 1 size for the entire store. To put into perspective what the 1 size is, it is about the equivalent of a woman’s small and men’s M. For both women’s and men’s clothing, the bust (circumference) of the shirts or pants is slim/narrow.
For many of my fellow abroad students, especially the women students, is that they feel a little body dysmorphia. In their home country, they are a size small, but here they are a size extra large.
The reason for this large size difference is due to Korean people, generally, being skinnier and shorter. The other reason is due to Korean extreme beauty standards, which support the notion of skinny = pretty. “If you aren’t skinny, then you aren’t pretty enough to wear these clothes.
If you decide to buy clothes in Korea, please remember that there is nothing wrong with you, it is the fault of Korean Society. Don’t be discouraged from participating in Korean fashion culture! While it is small and scarce, there are various size-inclusive stores in Korea. You just have to do research on where to find them.
Compared to the United States, Korea is a generally safe country. This does not mean Korea is a 100% safe country. Crime is still prevalent and people are still at risk of being harmed. The dangers I will discuss are strangers, clubs, and cars. While there are many other crimes to be knowledgeable of, I feel that these 3 topics are the biggest ones foreigners don’t realize are quite dangerous.
Remember as a kid when adults would tell you to avoid strangers? Well, it still applies in Korea. Cults and kidnappings are serious issues prevalent in Korea. Cults and criminals are more inclined to approach foreigners. If strangers approach you and ask “Where are you going?” “Are you alone?” DON’T let them know that you are alone. I encourage you to lie and tell them you have friends waiting for you. Cults and criminals will look for alone and vulnerable people. So if you are traveling alone, walk to your destination with purpose, and DO NOT talk to strangers.
TRIGGER WARNING (Mention of rape and sexual harassment, please skip to next paragraph if triggering)
Clubs are clubs. They are not the safest place, especially in Korea. Firstly, it is common in Korea to find Korean-only bars. While this is discrimination, it is allowed in Korea. If you decide to go to a foreigner-friendly club or bar, please go with friends and please beware of your surroundings. It is common for women to get drugged and raped. It is more common for women to be touched inappropriately, which is sexual harassment. For clubs, the general consensus is that if you go to a club, you go with the expectation that people will touch you. I personally do not encourage going to clubs or bars because of the potential dangers. There are many other fun things to do in Korea, BUT if you do decide to go, be careful, be vigilant, and go with friends.
Cars in Korea will just drive. Speeding is very common, and getting hit by cars is very common. While Korea is working towards fixing this issue, it is not working. It is the job of the pedestrian to look out for cars. If you are not looking left and right twice, then you will get hurt. Cars are not afraid to get close to pedestrians. This goes for taxis, personal cars, trucks, buses, and everything else that has wheels. So my tips are, look left and right three times and cross the street fast. I have had countless experiences of seeing people almost get hit by cars. Getting hit by a car IS NOT on your Korean bucket list.
DU Abroad 