I'm aware that this isn't exactly a groundbreaking revelation. My point is that life in Korea isn't really all that different from life in any other "civilized" area. The biggest differences for me actually have nothing to do with being in a foreign country on the opposite side of the planet, but are instead due to the fact that I moved from a suburb to a city. I walk a few miles a day now, which isn't much, but is far more then I or most Americans are accustomed to. Public transportation is ubiquitous and cheap. The Seoul subway system is a bit of a snafu, but it works.
Many of the things people traditionally think of as exotic or foreign or weird turn out to not be. Example: Those restaurants where you sit on the floor. Yes, there are a lot of them here. They are quite commonplace. As it turns out, where you park your ass while you eat doesn't really have a whole lot of cultural significance. Same thing with chopsticks. People here use little utensils to shove food in their mouths, just like we do. These are the kinds of things that seem special when you do them once, but quickly become unremarkable. The point I'm getting at here is pretty simple. People are people. They sleep, they eat, they work, they have families. Even if you look at some tribal culture that has been untouched by civilization for 5000 years, you will see all the same things. I haven't experienced any culture shock yet, and I don't expect to.
So, on to the random details. I'm not sure of the population of Suji, but it seems to be at least 300,000 and growing very quickly. The area I live in is pretty densely populated. There's a grid of at least 6x6 blocks that is full of buildings like these. Notice the Subway nestled right on the front corner: (NOTE - These pictures, as well as any future pictures you see on this blog, can be clicked for larger versions)
Most are between 5-10 stories, which are full of restaurants, bars, PC rooms, English schools, and some other assorted offices. This is the building I work in:
There are at least 3 seperate English schools in this building alone.
There seems to be more apartment buildings than anything else. I live in a complex of about 50 4-story buildings. The buildings in the background of the following picture are 20 story apartment buildings, and these are all over the place. There's several dozen within a 5 minute walk from my place, and there are many more a few miles away.
So, that's it for now. For future updates: I do intend to post on a regular schedule, but I haven't yet decided when I'm going to have the time. It will likely be once a week. I also intend to get some pictures of more interesting things than buildings. For those of you that have asked me questions not answered here, rest assured, there will be plenty of time. My next two posts will probably consist mainly of details and pictures of my apartment and the school/kids.
There seems to be more apartment buildings than anything else. I live in a complex of about 50 4-story buildings. The buildings in the background of the following picture are 20 story apartment buildings, and these are all over the place. There's several dozen within a 5 minute walk from my place, and there are many more a few miles away.
So, that's it for now. For future updates: I do intend to post on a regular schedule, but I haven't yet decided when I'm going to have the time. It will likely be once a week. I also intend to get some pictures of more interesting things than buildings. For those of you that have asked me questions not answered here, rest assured, there will be plenty of time. My next two posts will probably consist mainly of details and pictures of my apartment and the school/kids.
