It’s easy not to notice the cultural differences in places when you have been living away from home for over a year. When you live in a culture different from your own, you tend to forget the cultural differences that exist from place to place. When I arrived in South Korea last year, I certainly noticed those differences, but after a slightly uneasy transition into the South Korean lifestyle, I guess I really just forgot that any differences existed. That is, until I returned home and started trying to resume the life I had left behind. So in honor of my return to The States, I would like to create a top-five list of the biggest cultural differences to present themselves to me since my return home.
1. Fat People: Koreans may be some of the healthiest people I have ever seen, and finding an overweight person in that country is a lot like trying to find Waldo in those books we loved so much as children. During my entire time there, I saw very few overweight people, and the ones I did see were typically Westerners. That’s not to say that the country is overly health conscious. It is not, and fried chicken seems to be more popular in Korea than in certain places in the American South. Koreans also smoke and drink as much as any English rock star out of the 1970’s. Despite these factors, Koreans never seem to rock the fat like a majority of the people in the good ole U.S of A. do. It never really occurred to me how fat the people in my country were until I reached the L.A airport for my flight connection. As I walked through the terminal, I couldn’t help but notice that almost everybody I passed seemed to be overweight, and all the airport bars and restaurants seemed to be clustered with people ripping into burgers and beers as if these things contained the secrets to life. I am not saying that indulging in tasty food and alcohol is a bad thing. I certainly don’t believe that. Everyone indulges, but Koreans just seem to be able to do it without getting fat.
2. Driving/Transportation: Transportation for me was quite a big shock. In Texas, where I am from, everything is spread out, so you have to drive almost everywhere you go. In Korea, mass transit is essential to the foreigner, considering that he/she couldn’t go anywhere if it did not exist. The subways, buses, and cabs in Korea can transport you to anywhere in the country you want to go. Not using a car was a little strange at first, considering my morning drive time in Texas was my opportunity to reflect, drink coffee and listen to music. In Korea the subway was somewhat like driving, you could do all of those things, but it was also congested with people, so the alone time wasn’t really alone. As with the food, you do tend to adapt to the ways of the country and slowly over time learn to appreciate what the subways have to offer. Driving for the first time, after returning home was very odd. I almost felt like I was taking a driver’s ed class, holding the steering wheel at two and ten and taking especially long glances back and forth before pulling out into intersections. Driving after a long lapse in time, however, proved exciting, and I almost felt like I was flying low to the ground. This was definitely a much more adrenaline-fueled experience than it had been in the past.
3. Food Size: I guess I hadn’t really thought much about the amount of food I ate on a daily basis, until I returned home. Food portions between the two countries are considerably different. This difference didn’t really process until I ordered a grande-sized coffee at Starbucks my first morning home. The size was massive, and this cup of coffee was only a medium. The same was true for all kinds of fast food, pizza, Mexican food, etc. Needless to say, we super patriots consume a lot of shit. In Korea I managed to lose 42 pounds fairly quickly and wasn’t quite sure how. After being at home and eating out for a week, my question was easily answered. Just watching people hovering over and shoving food into their mouths like prehistoric cave men encouraged a longing for a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, it also made me feel like some ancient Christian fundamentalist, coming back home to convert the confused and misled. After three days of sitting in judgment, and then another two more of feeling guilty about it, I decided to join my fellow Americans rather than pointing the finger. With this decision, I ended up gaining back five pounds and wasting two more days glued to “Saved by the Bell” reruns. Seeing myself return to old habits sort of sent me into a mild spiral of depression, but also helped me realize that being a hedonist can be somewhat fun if not taken to extremes. This is probably way too much information when all I really wanted to say was that the difference between food sizes was kind of shocking.
4. People’s Dress: I was shocked to see how much effort people in Korea put into their appearances, and it wasn’t until I reached the Los Angeles airport that I realized how little Americans put into theirs. In Korea you will have no problem finding a mirror because they have been strategically placed in most buildings, subways, and elevators. I was amazed to see people constantly checking their hair, clothes, and makeup with not even a remote attempt to conceal what they were doing. You could also often see many people taking pictures of themselves and then checking the picture when no mirrors were available. People in Korea seemed to dress up for even the smallest of activities even going to do laundry or buying groceries. Most everyone you see looks as if he/she were going to a photo shoot. Even when hiking in the mountains, most Koreans garnish the best in backpacks, boots, and hiking poles. The “I don’t give a shit” attitude is more prominent within American culture, and the Korean way can only be found in certain elite circles of American society. Coming home, I noticed the lack of upkeep that seemed to manifest itself in contemporary America and how steadfastly many seemed to glorify it, with their unshaved faces, stained shirts and pants, dirty work boots, and all types of tattoos and piercings imaginable. It’s a confusing difference to me, and I couldn’t tell you which side I think is wrong or right on the issue. I must say that living for a year in a culture that takes pride in appearance provides a certain comfort and professionalism that creates confidence and safety in its community. Although there is something refreshing and liberating about giving the middle finger to “The Man” and saying that I am going to do what I want to do.
5. Alcohol Consumption: I don’t think I have ever seen people who drink quite like Koreans drink. The Irish drink a lot and manage to hold their alcohol with extreme ease, and many other western people also indulge in alcohol consumption as if were some kind of archaic art form. Koreans do it a little differently. They drink in mass quantities like many others but don’t ever seem to get better at it. Unlike the Irish, Koreans cannot hold their alcohol very well, reminding me of an Olympic athlete who is constantly training but never improves. On any night of the week, you can find Koreans stumbling down alleys and side streets in drunken stupor or passed out in doorways as if relaxing in the world’s most comfortable bed. The lack of drinking laws in Korea was one of the better things that the country had to offer. You could drink a beer almost anywhere and no one would say much to you at all. It almost seemed as if society encouraged it. There is something totally comforting about being able to drink beer on the street, on the subways, in the buses, and in the taxi cabs. It was almost as if the term “public intoxication” was nonexistent in this wonderfully crazy land. Not to say that I support alcoholism, but an outsider can certainly benefit from living within a community that does.
Living in Korea was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life and, like anything in this world, had its good and bad factors. To me, cultural differences are refreshing; they sort of test us about different ideas of life to see how well they work or don’t work. They also tend to shake our own world up a bit, forcing us to question all the social norms we were born into or forced to obey. Korea has its own ways, just like America, England, or any other place in the world. In the end, I never managed to feel anything all good or all bad about any of it, only accept it and then try to find my own middle ground.
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