Hello all! I’m writing this as it is my first day back in Korea after a weekend trip solo traveling to China. I visited the coastal city of Qingdao, which is known for its beaches and seafood. I had an absolutely wonderful time and can’t wait to visit China again after my internship concludes.
It’s hard to know where to begin. I landed late on Friday night, and went directly to sleep when I got to the hostel. The next morning I woke up early (7 AM) and took the train around 30 minutes to a morning market I found on Rednote. The market was not touristy at all, and everything was so cheap! I bought and tried a lot of different foods I had never had before. Although I really like Korean food, it is unfortunately sweet a lot of the time. I bought a bowl of cold spicy noodles and after tasting it not being sweet at all I was genuinely so happy. I’m not sure if I’ve had a meal completely free of sugar since I left the US. At the morning market I also tried jianbing, which is something similar to a savory crepe with filling inside (sausage, egg, etc) and roujiamo, which has been dubbed a ‘Chinese burger’.
Later on in the day I walked around a park my friend recommended to me, then went to the seaside. There were some very pretty reddish rocks in the sea people were taking photos on, but it was very crowded so I didn’t stay there for very long.
The second day I went to a dim sum restaurant and ate breakfast then decided to climb a nearby mountain called Laoshan. It was a full day activity and I walked up at least 15,000 stairs. The views were absolutely beautiful and well worth the hike. I was very, very lucky with the weather – the forecast predicted it to rain the entire weekend, but I just got humidity and sunny weather. There were many gates along the mountain and the Chinese character for ‘fortune’ was even carved along one of the peaks.
All the seafood I ate was fresh, delicious, and very affordable. After hiking, I went to a nicer restaurant that was known for its fried rice with fish intestines. Although it sounds strange, it was very good! The texture was very chewy. I also ordered spicy clams and mackerel dumplings. In total I paid around $20. It was so cheap. I also had the opportunity to try seafood guotie, which is a larger style of pan fried dumpling. I thought it was good as well.
The last day I was there I decided to take it slow and walk along the beach. I went to a mall and shopped a bit, bought some clothes and souvenirs for my friends and family. Drank an iced coffee and drew the shoreline. It was the perfect end to the trip.
Although my Chinese is nowhere near fluent (I speak enough to get around and communicate in essential situations but struggle beyond a basic conversation) I had a very positive experience with every Chinese person I talked to. Although I saw some other foreigners Qingdao is primarily touristy with domestic Chinese visitors and Koreans, so my presence drew lots of stares. It wasn’t negative, just simple curiosity. Everyone who struck up a conversation with me was warm and incredibly kind. I couldn’t ask for a better experience.
Anyways, with my internship I would say the part of Korean culture I’ve found the most difficult to adapt to is the ability to read the room, ie unspoken social norms. Since my coworkers almost exclusively communicate in Korean unless it is to speak with me I have had a particularly difficult time with this. I often find myself wondering “is this thing ok to say in Korea?” or “He said this, but what did he really mean?”
Although I sometimes become stressed out with these differences, I inevitably must remind myself that I am given significantly more social grace in these circumstances. Additionally, I choose to reframe these challenges as a learning opportunity rather than a mistake. I make sure to ask plenty of clarifying questions and demonstrate a willingness to understand and learn.
I think social awareness has been difficult to me primarily due to Korean culture’s tendency toward indirect communication. I am someone who values straightforwardness while Korean culture often places harmony above other things. I find myself being nervous I don’t understand the underlying meaning or if I was unintentionally very rude.
Another challenge I’ve faced in assimilating is feeling like I don’t fit in physically with everyone else. Koreans all put a massive amount of effort into their physical appearance and clothes and I often find myself comparing myself to them. Although there are a lot of foreign tourists in Seoul I can’t help but feel incredibly out of place when commuting to work, for instance. I feel taller and bigger than almost every woman there and I’m still not used to it, even after having been here for a month.
Although I’m experiencing these challenges I am still greatly enjoying my internship and my experiences in South Korea. I can’t believe I’m already on week five.
As I was on the plane returning to Seoul, I couldn’t help but think of how lucky I am to have the opportunity to travel the world like this. I’m so grateful to everyone in my life who’s supported me thus far and I’m looking forward to what the next few weeks bring.
Until next time,
Sydney