SoKo: My Top Ten

My South Korean adventure is coming to an end. To celebrate some of the goodness in the culture-enriching, mind-broadening country that has been my home for two years, here are the ten things I will miss the most about life here.

#10. Kimchi poses:
One would be hard-pressed to find a photograph of me on any of the social networking sites where I am not making some sort of 'kimchi' pose. It has become an instinctual reaction; as the photographer counts to three, my hand naturally pops up next to my head to make a peace sign. Instead of hearing, "Say cheese," you hear, "Kimchi!" Korean girls are particularly prone to the pose phenomenon. Sometimes, they hide so much of their faces, you can't see what they look like.

#9. The respect system:
At present, elderly people generally enjoy a lot of respect in South Korea, which stems from the values of Confucianism which stresses respect for age and seniority among other things. Because of these ingrained social values, Korea remains one of the few countries where the elderly still attract respect. It is so refreshing to see the elderly very much at the centre of society.
Sadly, many of the traditional values appear to be eroding; more and more one sees youngsters sitting in spaces reserved for the elderly on the trains and buses or speaking or behaving really rudely to teachers and parents, for example.

#8. Bukbu Beach:
At first glance, Bukbu Beach is a rather dull-looking piece of coastline with the 'beautiful' Posco steel factory to one side of the bay. But to us local Pohangers, it is a place of wonder and summertime bliss. I will miss the long, lazy afternoons there, cold Cafri beer in hand. I will miss the fireworks and watching groups of middle-aged women doing open-air aerobics classes. I will miss the volleyball tournaments and beach parties and Ultimate Frisbee practices. I will miss the hours of greatness spent with friends.

#7. Teachers' dinners:
Business or work dinners, in my mind, make me think of awkward moments, being on one's best behaviour and polite chatter. The teachers' dinners I have experienced in Korea seem more like a celebration of life; the alcohol flows (if that is what you like) and food is a-plenty, the conversation seems more relaxed than during school hours and often, the evening often ends in a singing room, which brings me to #6.

#6. Noraebang:
Many people will testify to my love-hate relationship with '노래방' (Korean singing rooms/karaoke). But I think I am going to seriously miss ruining some of the great musical hits. More than that, I will miss the random evenings with co-workers and forty bottles of soju or the late-night visits with good friends and Billy Joel's 'Pianoman'. I do not recommend a sober visit to 노래방 if you have any sort of ear or musical background as it can be a painful experience. Usually the people who enjoy singing rooms the most are the people who can't really sing at all.

#5. Konglish:
'Konglish' is the name given to the words in Korean colloquial conversation originally derived from the English language. Often the words are shortened ('apart' for apartment block), words are fabricated ('handphone' for cellular phone) or meanings are entirely changed. A favourite example of the latter is the word, "fighting", which is a term of encouragement in Korea. When someone is having a bad day, about to write an exam or about to play a spot of tennis, you'll hear this expression.
Along with my close friends here, we have developed a whole Konglish language of our own. I am certain Korean people would be weary of our butchering of their language. But I am not looking forward to have to use the word 'yes' again instead of '네', or 'nothing', 'gone', 'finished' instead of '없어요', etc. I am devastated, in fact.

#4. 24 hour restaurants:
There is something to be said for the 24 hour restaurant where one can get good, wholesome food in the middle of the night. My favourite Korean dish just happens to be 해장국 (haejangguk), a spicy, hearty soup made from beef or pork bone broth, soybean paste and various vegetables. It is also known as the 'early morning' or 'hangover' soup because it is often eaten after a heavy night of drinking. I love it any time of the day or night and it is the one dish I am going to miss dreadfully.

#3. Being told I am beautiful:
I will seriously miss being told I am attractive several times a day. Even on my worst day ever, students and strangers will comment on my 'beauty'. By not being Korean, one has a distinct beauty 'advantage' here, apparently. I am not looking forward to a return to plain Jane status in my own country.

#2. Transportation excellence:
The South Korean public transport system has to be one of the best in the world. There are intercity buses to  just about everywhere in the country and they always depart and arrive on time. The inner city buses are also incredibly reliable (although not much can be said for the actual stop-and-start, jerking, speeding bus driving. If one is standing, one has to really hold on in case of a sudden halt throwing one across the vehicle). Taxi trips are ridiculously affordable, which makes early morning or late night travel simple and effective. In the bigger cities, subways abound and the KTX speed train allows one to travel across the country in record time. Sadly, Pohang does not benefit from either of the above-mentioned options.

#1. The unbelievable people I have met:
I have, without doubt, made friends for life in this country. And this is the main reason it is difficult to leave. It has been so easy being a member of the Pohang community especially; the tennis players and Greenball Club kept my love of the sport alive, my co-workers at all four schools, Ultimate Frisbee friends and fun, making theatre happen with the Pohang Players, staff members at Tilt and Porto's and the 'Korean Street' bars, the 107 bus drivers, the cashiers at Home Plus who (embarrassingly) know me by name, and my students for which reason I am actually here and make every day horrendous or magical.

It has been an unforgettable two years, South Korea, unforgettable...