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Seoul: A World Apart From Shanghai

So different!

09.30.2007 - 10.08.2007
View South Korea- Land of the Morning Calm on Erik-Amara's travel map.

Erik and I noticed many comical differences between Seoul and Shanghai. For one, the people of Seoul are much more fashion conscience. No plaid pants with striped shirts here! Also, the Koreans in Seoul seemed much more polite. When getting on the subway, they would line up and wait for people to get off the train before they actually tried to enter. Line up, single file! This has never been seen in Shanghai. Also, we never witnessed a fight to the death for a seat on the subway, the seats that were reserved for the handicap and elderly actually stayed empty because people remained standing. People even lined up (single file again!) for the escalator. They stood on one side of the stairs leaving the other side free for people who wanted to walk up the escalator. Erik and I were baffled by this. So different then what we're used to.

While Korean people want to learn English, they don't seem interested in American culture. In Shanghai, people often ask what kind of American movies and music we like and what it's like to live in the U.S. In Korea however, we mostly heard questions like what Korea movies and music we liked and what kind of Korean food we enjoyed. Also, walking around town, people never gave a second glance. In Shanghai, we are constantly being stared at. So that was an intersting change.

I enjoyed our time in Seoul. It was good to gain some understanding and experience in a different culture. I'm looking forward to our future travels. Asia has proved to be a facinating place to travel.

Posted by Erik-Amara 10.12.2007 09:15 Archived in South Korea

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Comments

Try getting people in what we call "civilized" America to line up for the escalator.. Pfffft... Wow. Amazing.

10.12.2007 by xfile102

Erik, When I was in Hawai'i I first noticed a distinct difference in behavior Koreans, Japanese and Chinese. I continue to observe Koreans as really sincerely friendly, Japanese as formally polite, and Chinese as self-centered as are most Americans. These are generalizations and stereotypes, of course. But I surmise social harmony of Japanese and Koreans comes from conformity and less diverse demographics. Chinese behaviors differ regionally. People in Shanghai seem rude in the big-city sort of way where ever man has to look out for himself. People in Beijing are formal and polite, but not as artistically polite as Japanese. But Koreans are really sincerely friendly people. I have always felt that way. I don't know why that is, but I also find Koreans more spiritual whether they are Buddhists, anamists or Christians. What do you observe?

In fashion, I think Koreans and Japanese have had a longer time than mainland Chinese to be accustomed to materialism. People in Taiwan and Hong Kong are pretty stylish. But Japanese are trend setters, I think, because they have the most developed sense of aesthetic, which extends from zen gardens and flower arranging to designing cars, graphic layouts and computer animation - so of course the art of wearing fashion is more developed in Japan and somewhat similarly so in Korea. Also, over history there has been more experimentation of cultural manipulation around class in China - not just the cultural revolution where everyone had to wear the same thing, but prescribed pigtails, and other kinds of class identifiers that marked elites and peasants. So there is some left over angst in Chinese expression in clothes - hence plaid pants and striped shirts together. You know I can picture that!

10.12.2007 by Terry Liu

Thanks for sharing your pictures and memories of Seoul! Enjoyed the Korean Michael Jasckson clip.

Mom

10.13.2007 by Quarnstrom

Wow. Sounds like you guys really had a lot of fun! Am so happy for you to have this opportunity and that you are so responsible to make it all happen. Am proud of you!
Love, Dad

10.13.2007 by VanPeursem

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