Last weekend, I took a solo trip to Fukuoka, Japan. As much as I’ve loved spending time with the other interns and exploring Seoul together, I was looking forward to having a weekend completely to myself. It was nice knowing I could move at my own pace without worrying about anyone else’s schedule. Getting there was surprisingly easy. After work on Friday, I took a cab from Seoul and was at Incheon super quick (my driver was booking it). I landed in Fukuoka that evening, and the first thing I did was refill my Suica card. I studied abroad in Japan during high school and spent part of my summer taking Japanese language courses in Tokyo, so having this opportunity to practice my language skills was really nice. And much needed for my visit to Osaka after my internship ends. After dropping my bags off at my hotel, I headed out to find a bowl of ramen. Fukuoka is famous for its tonkotsu ramen, which originated there, so it felt like the only appropriate first meal.
That night, I walked around a nearby temple, with a cute kitty guarding it, before heading back to my stay. One of the reasons I enjoy traveling alone is that I never feel rushed. If I want to spend twenty minutes sitting somewhere or take a random turn down a side street, I can.
The next morning, I was up at 6:00 am to visit a natural hot spring onsen before spending the rest of the day exploring more temples and doing a little vintage shopping around the city. I ended the evening at the beach, where I watched the sunset while eating yakitori and of course some ice cream.
It was a really fun weekend and a nice change of pace. I’m grateful I had the chance to visit another part of Japan while living so close in South Korea, and it reminded me how much I enjoy exploring new places on my own.
One of the biggest cultural differences I’ve noticed in South Korea is the lack of small talk. In the United States, it’s normal to make conversation while waiting for an elevator, standing in line, or sitting next to someone. Here, those situations are usually much quieter. People tend to keep to themselves, and that’s completely normal. It felt a little strange at first because I was so used to filling those quiet moments with conversation, even though I’m not a fan of it.
I’ve also realized that people don’t usually smile or nod at strangers if you make eye contact while walking down the street. Back home, I do that all the time without even thinking about it. Head bop and dad-smile. During my first few days in Seoul, I caught myself smiling at people out of habit before realizing it wasn’t something most people do here.
Another small thing I noticed was that nobody says “bless you” when someone sneezes. It’s such a minor difference, but it caught me off guard the first few times it happened. In the US, it feels almost automatic for someone nearby to say something since it’s a cultural norm more than a religious one. Here, everyone just carries on with what they’re doing.
I’ve noticed similar differences in the workplace. Conversations are usually focused on work during work, and there isn’t as much casual chatting during the day besides lunchtime. At first, I wasn’t sure if that meant people were less friendly, but I’ve learned that’s just the workplace culture. My coworkers have actually been incredibly kind and helpful. They answer my questions, check in to make sure I understand my tasks, and have made me feel welcome since my first day. They just show it in different ways than I’m used to.
Overall, these differences haven’t been difficult in a negative way. They’ve just made me more aware of how many social habits I took for granted back home.Every culture has its own norms, and part of studying abroad is recognizing and adapting to them.
