Friendly Korea

Today, I decided to take a trip to Cheonan just to wander around. I haven't traveled too much on my own since coming here, so it was nice to explore markets, several streets, and different shops on my own. For those of you who may be worried about my safety traveling alone when I know very little of the language, there is no reason to worry. Korea has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. I think this is because Korean culture is the production of almost two thousand years of Confucian influence. Korea applied Confucious teaching to every aspect of society. As a result, commiting a crime is the greatest dishonor not only to you, but to your family. Causing your family pain is the greatest disgrace in Korean society. That is one thing that I really appreciate about Korean culture: people are very concious about how their decisions will affect their family and community. Granted, there are times where individuality takes precedence, but I really respect the sensitivity Korean people have about the ramifications of their decisions.

I took the subway to Cheonan, where I walked a few of the main streets, browsing a few of the shops. I also went to Yawoori, which is the mall in Cheonan. Malls in Korea are a bit different from the USA. They are usually at least five or six stories, one in Seoul is over ten stories tall! They are not as wide as American malls, but they make up for that in height. In the mall, there are only small stores. Each floor is open with no walls to divide each store. It feels like a fancy open air market. I don't really like Yawoori because the stores are really expensive and mostly sell Western brands.

After visiting Yawoori, I bought some lunch at a restaurant down the street. While I was eating, this adorable four year old Korean boy walked over with his mom. He bowed (another Confucian influence!) and introduced himself in pretty good English. I was very impressed. His mom told me that he has been learning English and wanted to meet me when he saw me eating a few tables away. I was also able to talk with them in the little Korean I have learned.

I also went to an open air market, which has a lot more personality than Yawoori. The first time I went to one of these markets, I was hit with some culture shock! There are shops that sell chicken feet, small beetles, and an assortment of live seafood for you to choose from. The yells of the vendors, the smell of the piles of fish, and the taste of Korean street food was one of the first times I knew I wasn't in Missouri anymore! Now walking through these markets is a kind of comfort for me. They have so much character and really represent everyday life for Koreans. I met this lovely lady who owned the store I was browsing. She asked me a few questions about where I was from. Though we couldn't understand each other very well because of the language barrier, we were able to laugh and try the best we could! I really think Korea should make "Friendly Korea" their motto. At different points today, there were countless people who came up to talk to me. Even though I went around Cheonan alone, I felt like all of the people from Cheonan were my travel buddies.

Tomorrow, I'm going to watch a movie with Hong, Yun Yue, and a few other friends. We haven't had a lot of time to hang out, so it will be great to catch up. I also have to study for a Korean speaking test on Monday.