I realized that there are noticeable differences in the organization and mannerisms of concerts in Korea. I recently went to my second concert in Korea; my first being in 2019, seeing BTS. On October 21st I saw Stray Kids for their 5 Star Dome Tour.
I would compare the ticket-buying process similar to the US’s Ticketmaster. For the Stray Kids concert, I purchased my tickets through Yes24 Global, which is a popular ticket website. The trouble I had with Yes24 was the actual purchasing stage of getting the tickets. While I did get a seat, I had trouble with my card because I was using a foreign card. So if you do decide to purchase concert tickets in Korea, please be aware that this is a possible issue that could occur. My friend had to try 4 different cards to purchase her tickets.
On the day of the concert, my friend and I decided to arrive around 12pm because while the show started at 6pm, we thought it would have been best for us to arrive early to pick up our tickets, get merch, and then grab lunch. This plan did not really work out because when we arrived at 12 we realized that the venue was already full of people who arrived much earlier. Some people arrived around 8am. The line to pick up our tickets was fairly short, we waited about 10 minutes in line. Then we waited in the merch line which took 5 hours and 30 minutes to get through to the front. Because the wait was so long, my friend held our place in line while I went and got some chicken. It was lucky for us to get in line at the time we did because the merch booth closed at 5:30 and we were able to get some merch, but a majority of it was sold out. So if you decide to buy merch at a K-pop concert, you must get there incredibly early in order to purchase what you’d like.
A difference I greatly enjoyed was that the audience sat for the concert. In the US all concerts I have been to need standing, even if there are seats.
Another big difference I noticed was that when the artist performs, the audience only sings when they are supposed to. In K-pop, there is an audience participation thing called “fan chants”. I will link a video because it is extremely hard to explain.
It’s not that I’m a super materialistic person, but there are some things I truly miss from home. Like a drying machine that actually dries my clothes or actual AC and heating in my room. It’s “little” things in the U.S. that I take for granted and find myself missing. My laundry had been hanging over shelves and a drying rack for 3 days and still not fully dry. And since it’s getting colder now, I try to keep the window closed so it isn’t humid feeling in the room but they take longer to dry and leave a wet smell in the room. It’s truly painful. I visited my roommate’s hometown, Skarszewy, Poland, and in her home, I was amazed at how their washing room looked. There were lines that you could pull down and string back up to maximize hanging space. But still, I would rather have a drying machine from Samsung that sings to me when the load is finished.
I will say though, I live for the way some people decorate their homes here and some common features in some houses. I become wide-eyed astonished looking at some stuff because I’m jealous I’ve never seen it or it’s not as common in the U.S. as should be.
The front yard garden of one of my friend’s moms. Most of the yards in her neighborhood had one as well. Some neighbors trade produce with each other depending on the variety of plants within their gardens.
my list of things from homes in the EU:
-drying line contraption -heated flooring in bathrooms and tiled rooms -front yard gardens -steel grating entrance doormat -fridges hidden in cabinets -In-unit trash chute -the way windows open -electric bikes/car adapters
*bonus* hand dryers at the sides of the sink faucet
I think most people can agree that the United States needs to invest in better public transport. Denver is definitely one of the better cities for transport, but it still doesn’t truly live up to the train, tram, and bus system that’s set up in European countries. El Paso’s public transport is practically non-existent, really only with city buses that not many people take, and the city is too large to make your way around on foot. Brno itself is walkable, but the buses & trams and the way they are scheduled make everything feel organized and like a short journey. I don’t miss the RTD as much as I will miss the tram here. I do feel though that I will go back to using public transport more in Denver like when I first moved there until it becomes inconvenient. I say inconvenient because half the time I would ride the RTD before it usually makes me late even if I left earlier or just be uncomfortable due to other riders. Also, most people know how to behave on public transport here, they aren’t intoxicated beyond belief or indecently exposing themselves. I have witnessed an older gentleman get pickpocketed on a bus, which was super sad, but I think it just made me feel like I needed to watch my belongings more than making me feel uneasy.
Walking to a tram and bus stop close to the city center. The walk from Vinarska Dorms to the Center is about 30 minutes, while the tram is less than 10 minutes.
Interior of the 1 Tram heading from my Internship near the border of Brno towards the Dorms, around a 4o minute trip. Various political cartoons were graffitied under a bridge.
My love for the consistency in public transportation here has probably had more of an effect on my sense of urgency than I realize. I’m sure that my internship and school schedule feel more laid-back than what I am used to in the U.S. also does that. It’s not that I’m not busy, but with the approach, everyone has around professional-personal life balance- the personal gets more time. I feel like usually I’m a rushed person, between my many things to do, travel times between places and always trying to keep my word on plans I’ve made with others. I grew up always feeling immense guilt when I’m running late and still can’t manage to make it on time sometimes due to traffic, parking, or Uber wait times. Here, I still feel my internal guilt and rushing but not as heavy. My schedule feels full but there are times for many breaks and the transportation around the city lessens travel time between classes, home, work, and fun.
Grocery shopping has become a part of my semi-daily schedule, stopping by one of the many grocery stores on the way home from school, hanging out with friends, or after eating out. Produce here tastes so much better, but goes bad much faster so I’ve stuck to only grabbing a couple items at a time that will last a day or two. I’m starting to recognize brands way better and the Czech words for some products, but the first couple of weeks I would be standing in the aisles for a while longer than others who were able to just grab and go. I still take my time, in case I find something new but usually don’t want to look “too American” carrying out too many things. The snack sections are smaller, less spicy, and less sugary, but still with plenty to try. When I think about the snacks here, I truly just wish they had chips that were actually hot. The hottest flavor of potato chips I’ve found has been paprika and it feels like a weak BBQ chip.
Grocery shopping in Poland with my roommate, Oliwia. Most grocery trips with around 5-10 items take less than 10 USD from my wallet.
There are things from the United States I miss, like the drying machine that I take for granted and hot chips, that if I had here would make leaving next month harder. But there are so many things here I wish I could just pack up and take with me. The remaining time I have in Brno I will spend appreciating the little things that I’ll be missing when I’m back home. Obviously, public transportation isn’t a little thing, but I’ll soon be missing the ease of how it functions here heavily. I’ll also miss the ease of how “Czech” time functions as well and how that makes me calmer while still productive. I just won’t miss the amount of time it takes my clothes to dry.
