Coming Back

I'm writing at my family's dining room table now, which feels wonderful. This week has been a bit uncomfortable thanks to an unintended farewell gift from Isaac, a head cold. Coupled with jet lag, it's made the past days a bit blurry, but I tried not to let it slow me down too much.

Life continues as normal here as my family waits patiently for the baby, but the journey to get here felt like an adventure by itself.

Heading home began Saturday morning, leaving for the airport a little after 6:00am. Isaac's father had joined us the night before and using his car, we three drove together towards Incheon. That's where South Korea's largest largest airport is, Incheon International Airport. It is on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, where mountains seem to fall into the ocean. Flying into and out of this city is pretty if you are lucky enough to have a window seat, you can see speckles of islands and clean teal water. Getting to Incheon by car means your view might just be a lot of fog.

There is one bridge you must cross that feels like the dividing line between the rest of the world and Korea. It is just a simple bridge, but seems to stretch on forever into a white haze. There is water on both sides, and oftentimes fog and/or microdust obscure your view of seeing anything other than the road ahead.

This time I saw a boat and tried snapping a picture. It didn't turn out well, but it helps show the idea that even on a sunny day (like Saturday) you're lucky to be able to distinguish sky from sea.

After arriving at the airport, Isaac waited in line with me to check in my luggage and get my boarding pass. We managed to change my seating assignment to a very comfortable choice, and then the airline worker noticed something strange. "Oh, your flight is tomorrow!" We showed up at the airport a day early.

It turns out, Isaac's sister scheduled a trip to visit South Korea, and her arrival date happened to be Saturday, the day before my departure date. Somewhere along the way, we got the dates mixed up in our head. In the end, this confusion meant driving to and from the airport three times in one weekend - once for nothing, twice to pick up my sister-in-law, thrice to fly out.

That extra day was nice though - to spend time with some of Isaac's family and readjust my packing after our little test drive. Sunday morning, check-in went fine, and I had time to grab a fruit smoothie and look around the myriad shops in Incheon Airport. Duty free shopping at the airport is such a big deal here, many people flying around Asia intentionally give themselves a layover in Korea just to enjoy the shopping. Items are often tax free, offered at discount prices or in special bundles, perfect for gift shopping.

Walking around the airport, I came across a royal procession. It was a display put on by the airport's  Korean culture center, and it cracked me up to see people dressed up in traditional costumes walking alongside distracted travelers. In the orange and blue dress is the queen, and the king is on her left, out of view. It seems like there are always special events and performances going on at Incheon airport. Last time, there were musical performances with a piano and violin. And for special occasions, they give out gifts to travellers, like vouchers for shopping.

Arriving at my gate already gave me an exciting feeling. Waiting for the same plane to Atlanta, I could already see more non-Asians than I have seen anywhere else in South Korea.

After boarding the plane, we were told there would be a delay in order to double check some technical issue. An hour and a half later, after taxiing to the runway, the pilot decided to have the issue triple checked. Then it was determined we would have to switch aircraft. I'm thankful the pilot was so careful.

All in all, it was a 3.5 hour delay, and we were given free lunch vouchers. While waiting around the gate, I happened to find myself in the middle of an interesting group of Americans - all Vietnam Veterans. They were on their way home from Vietnam, after spending a few weeks providing aid to and receiving love from the people there. It seemed like such a magical opportunity to return to the place of so many bad memories and create some fresh, positive ones. Each veteran I talked with seemed to light up while talking about his experiences in the past weeks. And it turns out that the organization that runs this program is located in South Carolina. Now I just have to try to remember its name, or find it some other way. 

My plane was an Air Bus A380. It's a two story plane with plenty of places to walk around when you're halfway through the 14 hour flight and feeling antsy. There's even a little shop at the tail end where you can browse products available for sale during the flight, mostly beauty products and alcohol. It reminded me of the Titanic because the "upper class" like business and first are located on the top floor and have their own separate walkway to board the plane.

And then the fourteen hour flight. Time seems to bend when you're flying, the first few hours flowing quickly, and then seeming to only trickle by in 20 minute intervals. Sitting to my right was a kind Korean man who it turns out, only lives 4 subway stops away from Isaac and me. We passed the time by speaking Korean together, sometimes resorting to a napkin to write especially hard words. It was exciting to recognize how much more I can say and understand in the foreign-to-me language, compared to the last time I attempted to talk with the Korean stranger sitting next to me on a plane 14 months ago.

That is one reason I don't mind travelling alone, and actually I enjoy it quite a lot. You can meet anyone, and hear such unexpected stories. One time I sat next to someone who worked in Antarctica and smoked his own salmon back home in Alaska. On another plane, I met a Korean teenager who was attending the same high school that I did.

Now I am back home and enjoying the familiar sites with a fresh lens. It seems like a little time away can truly help you to appreciate what you had all along. Walking around Columbia, I was taking pictures like a tourist. Everything looked so beautiful. When I left Korea, the only signs that spring was on its way were birds flitting around. Arriving back home, I found it already in full bloom.

The one day I spent with my sister-in-law between her arriving and me departing Korea, she commented on the sky several times. It is so often dusty and foggy, and she kept being surprised by the grey air that clouds your vision there. Since returning to America, I find myself doing the same. I still am not used to the brilliant blue skies. It's something I took for granted before. Not every place has such wide, clear skies.

So I'm just soaking it all in now, snapping pictures and sending messages to keep Isaac up to date as well. Maybe it's because of the very wet winter South Carolina had, or just because I've been away, but spring is looking especially beautiful.

Warm Fuzzy Feeling

I’m a light sleeper and a vivid dreamer. But the handful of times I woke up last night, because my limbs got tangled up or perhaps Isaac had shifted, the same vision played in my head. Instead of the usual disconnected dreams or epic sleeping saga, there was one steady projection. Like the lazily shifting screensaver on a desktop computer. Instead of background music or words, there was just a pervasive feeling. Blank space with black ink scribbles tracing figures, shapes and buildings - city scenes of South Korea. The feeling was warm and fuzzy, like coming home, like being balled up beneath a blanket. I felt welcome and loved by the subjects of those dreamy doodles - this place and these people.

Rereading everything I've written, my thoughts today seem more rambling than what I normally write. So consider this fair warning.

It sounds cheesy, but if you’ll stick with me, I’d like to share a few thoughts - about interpersonal relations as I've experienced them since living in South Korea. It's like hundreds of tiny interactions blurred together in my dram to produce that warm feeling I couldn’t shake off.

Basically, I just think the people of South Korea make this place wonderful - to live or to visit for holiday. I'm used to good ol' southern hospitality back home, yet I was still surprised by what I encountered here. Despite living in a big city, where it's easy to get used to ignoring the countless strangers you see everyday, people here still are amazingly welcoming, especially to foreigners like me.

Of course Korean is the official language, but English language and western culture have a heavy influence here. Sometimes locals even feel embarrassed for not speaking English. There is an English language program with an ad campaign now that features foreigners approaching Koreans and asking for help in English. When they ask the question, the Korean person freezes with embarrassment, the company's jingle plays and they tell you to try out their English learning program so this situation doesn't happen to you. I can't even guess how many times people I've met who have apologized to me for not speaking English.

Just imagine that. Travelling to a foreign country, and the locals apologize to you for not speaking your language. It seems backwards, doesn't it? Someone apologized to me just last night for not having a wide range of figurative expressions in English.

In addition to learning the language of many foreigners, most Koreans are also amazingly forgiving and welcoming towards these strangers like me. In my experience, the few who aren't usually soften up if you spark a conversation and try speaking Korean. If a non-Korean utters any of the native language, you receive praise like a baby uttering its first words.

This welcoming spirit towards foreigners is such a common thing, that there is even a segment on the morning news devoted to it. A foreigner with hidden cameras goes into businesses and asks for strange favors. Like it's his birthday and he's lonely and wants a special treat from the restaurant owner; or he wants the server to play a card game with him. The Korean workers always indulge the foreigner, being extra kind to this stranger from far away.

For me, it's the lady at the supermarket who takes extra care to help me with things like measuring produce or using coupons. Or the bus driver that let me ride for free after my tried to use the wrong card to pay for bus fare. The chicken lady that piles extra pieces of fried chicken on top just for me until the container is overflowing. I can think of so many instances of strangers here showing me kindness for no reason

Another aspect of Korean culture gives me that humbled, thankful feeling too is the seniority system.

There is a lot of importance associated with age here. As often as someone asks what your name is, they will ask how old you are. Depending on one's age related to other family members and friends, there are different words and names to call each other and different roles associated with it. 

Older siblings are responsible to take care of younger siblings, who often tease and worry their seniors. This sounds normal I think, but all I can say is that there is more weight given here, especially as far as respecting and obeying your elders is concerned. Like in the end, if your big brother tells you to do something, you have to do it, the end. This seniority system applies to friends and coworkers as well.

Friends who are your senior can exercise their right as the elder if they so choose. My Korean friend here is older than me, and so as an older sister figure I can call her "eonni" meaning big sister, the same name I would call my own sister. My neighbor eonni often exercises her elder authority to do kind things - like treating me to meals. Even though we both have calm temperaments, when it comes to paying the bill, we can both get aggressive. Yet if we are at the register and she does not relent, I feel the need to yield to my eonni's wishes. I make a silent vow to quickly shove money at the cashier next time and try to pay.

This week Isaac and I went out to dinner and just happened to sit down beside two of his co-workers. We extended greetings, they briefly talked about one of their favorite subjects (fountain pens) and then Isaac and I enjoyed our dinner date. As we sat digesting afterwards, we talked a little more with his co-workers and then they bid us farewell and left the restaurant. When we got up to pay a little while later, the waiter told us that our check had already been paid for. Without saying a word, they had paid and slipped away, like some sneaky Santa Claus. And because this happens so often, Isaac's response of frustration seemed normal to me. When your elders treat you like this, it is only natural that you want to reciprocate. But it seems like usually elders will do their best to not let you.

My limited experience in this system has all been positive, but you can probably imagine it can be troublesome as well. Like at a job, if you are the supervisor of a coworker who is older than you. Even if your job title means that your coworker should respect and obey you, a lifetime's experience can make your coworker think that you should obey him.

I think it is not totally foreign to our culture, just more magnified and distinct here. Even as I try to describe it, I wonder if it doesn't still sound similar to my own family. Perhaps it is just something easier felt than described. Imagine how you have felt being treated by your parents or grandparents, so much generosity that you can never hope to repay. It's a morsel of that feeling. Done by people with no familial connection (or obligation) to be kind to you.

So these rambling thoughts are me trying to explain my thoughts as an outsider here trying to fit in. I feel like a warmly welcomed guest. I have found that Korean people are so generous with strangers, as well as with acquaintances and friends. Such undeserved kindness and generosity leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling. It's a mixture of humility and gratitude that pulls a smile out every time. I hope I can remember this spirit, and maybe carry it back with me to America.

Speaking of America and big sisters, I'm leaving tomorrow to join family as we welcome the arrival of a much-anticipated new member. I wonder if my sister will let me share some photos of my new nephew. I guess we'll see soon enough.

What's on TV

Isaac came home one night earlier this week and asked excitedly, "Did you hear about the go tournament?" Go is a Chinese strategy board game, as prevalent as checkers or chess back home. This week it has made headlines because of an exciting and unusual tournament taking place. Artificial intelligence company Google DeepMind developed a program for playing this game called AlphaGo. Right now Lee Sedol, an internationally ranked Go player from Korea, is playing a 5 game tournament against the AlphaGo program.

This "man vs. robot" challenge has been broadcast and covered on all of the news stations here, given air time similar to the Olympic Games with commentators and recaps of pivotal moves.

So far AlphaGo has won the first two games, its capabilities impressing experts of the game as well as those in technology. This event is spreading awareness about artificial intelligence - an advancement that is moving along quicker than a lot of us realized, and it's definitely worth looking up to learn more about if you haven't already.

I checked American media sites to see if they were covering the event, but all I saw were presidential candidates and a story about a woman who accidentally killed a swan in order to get a cool selfie picture.

That got me thinking about the differences between media here versus back home. So I turned on my television and decided to create a sampler of South Korean media. This is just grazing the surface, but it is kind of an overview of what you would encounter if you turned on the television here. We receive only those channels that are provided free through a cable port in our living room, so just basic broadcast television.

The news is incredibly saturated with the Go tournament this week, but another topic that makes regular appearances is North Korea.

Anyone would want to keep updated on a volatile and dangerous neighbor. Especially lately with its missile tests and so forth, the news here often reports about North Korea, many times including snippets of that country's state-run news reports and bulletins.

An important part of the weather forecast is the microdust forecast. This time it warned about light yellow microdust. Behind the lady you can see a shot of the city, veiled in dust.



When I first heard about this phenomenon, I thought it was a bit overplayed. It just seemed like the morning was foggy, or it was a cloudy day. Although it seems benign, I've learned that the lazy haze is trouble.

Korean sources define microdust as tiny dust particles from China that travel on the wind across the Yellow Sea to the Korean peninsula. The dust can be light grey or yellow - sometimes the result of industrial pollution, other times it's super fine sand from deserts in northern China and Mongolia.

Whichever color it happens to be, it is not healthy for anyone to be breathing in. On days when the microdust forecast is bad, they advise children and elderly folks to remain indoors, and anyone who goes outside should wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth. It can be rather bad here some days, but it's an even bigger problem in China, recently causing schools and businesses to close for multiple days.

I mentioned before that since most apartments don't have central air systems, ventilation can be a problem. We bought a small air filter, but it's not cut out to handle our whole apartment. Microdust manifests itself in our home as tiny grey particles, although now that spring is coming, I hear that they might become yellow. When I sweep the floors, it reminds me of what happens if you are at the beach and have sand on your bare feet when you walk back inside. I end up sweeping up a substantial pile of tiny grey specks that seem to sparkle. When I try to gather them up and dump them in the trash, about half of them just disperse into the air and disappear.

As I sat on our couch taking way too many pictures of our TV, I noticed a common style among the weather girls - feminine cutesy. Do you see the similarity?

Besides the news, there are other informative channels, including one dedicated to studying. Anytime I flip past it, there is a teacher standing in front of a chalkboard, tutoring about all sorts of subjects like math, grammar and science.

There are also many programs dedicated specifically to learning English, for both children and adults. As an American and English speaker living here, it is a little intimidating to learn how much pressure is put on many Koreans today to learn English. It is daunting because I grew up, like many Americans, never feeling any pressure to learn a second language. Yet here, most students dedicate lots of time in and out of school to learning foreign languages (especially English); and there are countless resources like these television programs to help. I guess it kind of makes me feel like a slacker.

There are also several home shopping channels. It seems odd at first that these come as standard free channels. But if you consider that most people here live in big cities where delivery service is quite normal, it makes more sense. The traditional family is a prevalent idea here too, so there must be a large audience of housewives and mothers.

When I think of prime time television back home, it's all about crime mysteries with some dramas and sitcoms sprinkled in too. Here the two big genres for evening broadcasts seem to be dramas and variety shows. Korean dramas are famous throughout Asia, and there are all sorts from modern day romances to old-timey Joseon era scandals like the show below.

Variety shows have a set cast, usually of comedians and celebrities like singers, actors and athletes. They basically just get paid to have fun, and the programs are heavily edited to add humor and suspense. Sometimes it's field day games (like catching a ball in a cup strapped to your head) or large scale capture the flag. Food is often involved too.

Some channels play American programs, two in particular. Old CSI reruns and WWF pro wrestling. Interesting choices, huh?

The highest channel, 99, flashes between a few security cameras fixed on the four playgrounds shared by our community of apartment buildings. The quality isn't great, but I guess this could come in handy. It was a little creepy when we first noticed, for our old apartment did not have such a channel.

Another neat thing about network television here is that usually there are not commercial during shows. Between each show there is one long break with anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes of ads.

Well, that's a peek at our television. Thanks for channel surfing with me. 

Little Innovations

While walking home a few days ago, Isaac and I talked about power cords and dishwashing machines. Two things which essentially have not changed much in the past decade. Yet the decisions of some companies to make small tweaks to the design have made a huge difference.

Our conversation revolved around the idea that in many ways, we are now living in the age of good design. The technology and function of many products is well-established, and now what many of us care about more is the design of the product. Whether you are buying a microwave or new pair of shoes, many times design is just as important (or more) as function. When something is well-designed, it becomes more appealing to look at and to use.

We've encountered a few things since moving to Korea that give me this type of feeling. Sometimes it is not a specific product or brand, but it's situations that evoke marvel, surprise and a comment like "what a neat idea." The pictures I'm sharing, and their subjects, are not glamorous, but I hope they will help you to enjoy these concepts like we did, applauding the extra bit of thought and time someone put in. Also I don't know if these are just Korean innovations, but it's the first time I've encountered them.

Tree huggers

When the weather dipped below freezing back home, I remember we would cover plants with plastic bags to keep them from harm. Especially young, vulnerable plants in springtime like my veggie and herb garden.

People pour a lot of effort into the landscaping along streets and storefronts here, so of course they will take care to prevent winter's bite from ruining their hard work. Almost every plant gets some special treatment, not just the most vulnerable or valuable like I've done in the past. Straw mats are wrapped around stalks and trunks, or are used to construct tiny tents which cover the entire plant.

The oddest ones to me are these little straw collars that get put around big trees. I still don't quite understand what they specifically do. I read that perhaps it keeps the bark from splitting - if the winter sun appears and disappears quickly, perhaps the bark temperature will change too quickly and crack, causing ugly scarring.

Whoever covered this plant was very committed and meticulous.

Food packaging

This is another area where small changes make such a huge difference. Probably any of us can think of products we like or dislike just because of the packaging. The perfectly satisfying click of a pen or the annoyingly short cap on a water bottle. For my examples below, I'll try to keep my descriptions down a bit and not get too carried away.

Here's my favorite sweet potato and banana Special K cereal. It looks just like a normal cereal box, but then I noticed directions showing how to transform it into a more airtight container similar to a milk carton. Each side of the box already has the perforations, and there's a flap on the back panel to insert the folded tab into. Ah, it's the small things.

Fruit is cherished here, from conception to finish. Driving through the countryside once, we saw what looked like a tree covered in coffee filters. Turns out they were fruit trees, each small blossom given a paper collar in order to protect the fruit as it grows. When the produce reaches the grocery stores, it is still being coddled. Apples and oranges are given foam coozies to prevent bruising, each placed in its own seat in a molded paper box like an over-sized egg carton. Strawberries are carefully stacked too - 5 to a row, three rows, a thin layer of cushioning in between the two layers. Even the direction each strawberry faces is strategic, all but one column facing the same way on each layer, to maximize space.

I ate this carton of strawberries in one day, so perhaps there's something to such care and attention to detail. Also, from what I've heard, Koreans are very proud of their strawberries. And from what I've tasted, they have good reason to be.

How frustrating is it to be handed a bag in the drive thru, and later discover that the workers played basketball with your dinner and the paper bag it came in? It really looks like someone just tossed all of the food into the bag. The fries are upside down and all over the place, the napkins are squished. McDonald's seems like one of the worst for such carelessness. Since coming to Korea, my low opinion of the golden arches has been turned upside down though. They have home delivery 24 hours a day and much better service. And so I proudly share with you McDonald's delivery as a small, thoughtful innovation.

It looks about the same at this point, right? I will say that giving each drink its individual bag is very handy. Even if one were to spill, it would stay within the bag and not make a mess.

Open it up and inside there is a smaller paper bag, with holes punched out of it. Inside of this bag are the french fries, cuddled together, steam escaping through the bag's holes so that they don't get mushy.

Below that fry bag, there are the straws, not bent from being shoved upright, and some napkins. Below, our two sandwiches and some ketchup. I got a delicious lemon shrimp burger, which is an Asian Mcdonald's specialty, and boy is it tasty.

Lest you fear that our burgers were smushed at the bottom of that bag, each sandwich is wrapped within a cardboard collar. I think some deluxe sandwiches come with this in America, but it seems like they all should. I hope American Mcdonald's learns from their cousins over here and learns to more carefully pack their orders.

Parking garages

I saved my favorite for last. I laughed as I typed that, because I have an especially strong affinity for parking garages. Back in college I had a hobby of hanging out in them at night - longboarding, or just sitting on the top floor watching the stars, airplanes and satellites. The first summer I knew Isaac, his love confession to me was on top of a parking garage in Columbia. All that to say, I have a huge appreciation for how well parking garages are utilized and run here.

In Korea, parking garages are a well-oiled machine. Remember that places like malls, department stores and walmart equivalents all have their own parking garages here. And there is a team of workers dedicated to the task of ushering everyone's car into and out of the perfect spot. There are greeters, who stand near the entrance and bow to every car that enters, speaking greetings into a microphone headset. Stationed throughout the parking garage are other workers, who use their arms and sometimes glowing sticks to wave you towards the correct direction, like an airplane taxiing towards the terminal after landing.

In addition to the staff, the garage itself is outfitted with sensors and signs that make parking easier. No aimlessly winding up and down aisles, thinking you see a place only to pull closer and realize that some tiny compact car is plopped down in the middle.

Each parking place has a small sensor in the middle of it, like this one.

These sensors register whether or not the space is occupied. A light hangs above each parking space, and glows green if the space is empty, red if it is occupied. This same information is also displayed on screens throughout the parking lot, telling drivers how many parking spaces are available in a particular section, or on a certain aisle or on the total floor. Often when you first enter a garage, there are signs indicating the status of each floor, full or empty, sometimes giving the specific number of vacancies.

Below you see two different shots from the same garage. Above us walking, the displays show a car with a red "X" through it and a "0". Above each car, next to the line of bright lights, almost too washed out to see, are individual bulbs all glowing red showing that the spaces are occupied. There's also a worker in a bright vest at the end of the F aisle, but he might be too hard to see. This store is kind of like a Sam's Club or Costco, so the workers simply wear neon reflective vests. If the parking garage is for a department store or a new mall, usually they wear more dressy outfits like hotel workers or flight attendants.

Here is the same garage on a less busy weekday. If you look to the right of the blue handicapped sign, you can more clearly see the individual parking spot lights glowing red and green. I appreciate too that the overhead signs have the handicapped symbol. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gotten excited about finding the perfect spot only to be let down by the realization that it has the wheelchair symbol painted on the ground.

Most everyone backs into their parking spaces too, which makes it easier. The mantra resounds in my head from the men in my life - husband, father, brother - backing into parking spots is safer. I guess word spread here too.

So these were just a few of my favorite little innovations I've seen here. If you find this kind of thing interesting too, I'd be more than happy to seek out a few more, and maybe even get more artsy and bold with my photographs. I got quite a few strange looks photographing the parking garages, and had to keep retaking shots because of the harsh lighting.

P.S. I got a bit off track recently, but I'll do my best to post each Friday from now on. It's a helpful deadline for me, and will make it easier for you if you know when to check back.