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A Trip to South Korea

One of the greatest experiences I have ever had in my life is my tour to Korea. I purposely went there to get exposure and learn more about the culture and aspects of the cultural traditions of these people. My journey was to take only one week. By the time I was coming back, I had learnt the Korean language. It was so interesting because I liked their accent.

As a teenager, my trip to South Korea was a very illuminative and good experience that left other travelers yearning for more. For one travel to South Korea from China, nothing much is actually involved after checking the relevant aspects of the weather and taking any necessary precautions. In this regard, several airlines are available from China, which operates direct flights to South Korea. I used Cathay Pacific in this trip considering that the airline offered relatively proper passenger treatment than the other airlines of the city. It is one of the airlines that I used and had a pleasant experience. Seoul is one of the cities that have a bustling metropolis that is effectively inundated with a very rich heritage that truly impresses travelers. Typical of most Korean cities, culture plays a significant role in the history and affairs of this financial center. Since the trip started on 1st May 2012, one week in Seoul offered me sufficient time to explore the city and learn about its history and culture apart from enjoying its beautiful sceneries.

Landing in Korea was both exciting and overwhelming. The first thing I noticed stepping out of the airport was the weather, it was hot and humid, something that I have never quite experienced. Several taxicabs were available at the airport that charged modest fares to the various guestrooms around the city. Being one of the largest cities in Korea, accommodation in Seoul is generally much expensive, unlike most cities in China. Apart from taxis, the city has a number of public transport facilities that can effectively serve the travelers on their operations in the city. These include trolleybuses and the rapidly expanding metro system that covers most parts of the city. From the airport to the hotel I was staying wet and sticky all over with sweat. I was not certain whether it was from the heat or the excitement. That did not matter at that point; I was in Korea one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

My perception of Korea was based on Korean drama. There were similarities with the architecture and the food that was found there, and the crowds were something that I found fascinating too. Apart from the language barrier that did not bother me much I found out that the city was not that different from drama. Some of the things I found fascinating include reading the children bed time stories; in fact, western story has something for the child to learn. The Korean people also love their country and their culture and do strive to make the country better for them and their children. Most of the things they did were almost similar to what we did back at home. The time to eat, the number of meals in a day, and the time they go to work and how the run their day-to-day life was not different.

Most of the Korean cities offer varieties of accommodation services that can effectively suite any traveler to the cities. Some of the hotels operate as chains of other international hotels in other cities across the world. In this regard, the travelers will have the possibility to enjoy the comfort of the city while experiencing the best opportunities. In terms of food in the Korean cites the travelers will have the opportunities to experience the true taste of Korean cuisine, which certainly offers a lot of variety. Fish, crab, and dog are some of the foods that are in abundance, in the city of Seoul. People might really face a lot of challenges enjoying some of these foods. However, the huge variety of foods in the city will certainly make anybody feel at home. In this regard, foods such as oysters and seaweed offer a lot of delicacies.

Some of the things that were not similar were their eating habits, for example, they do not allow people to smoke while eating. I found this different because even in public places, they prohibit people from smoking. They place the dish on a central place at the table and people serve the amount they want into their plates. Families are carried as sacred; no one can abuse or misuse another person’s family. Therefore, they traditionally live together as one large family, taking care of each other. In China larger family lives together because of the high price of the house that young people cannot afford. Respect has been emphasized in Korea, the young respect the old, and the women respect their husbands. Even the way they salute each other differs from the old to the young.

In downtown, they do not judge people by their wealth or poverty, strength or weaknesses. They believe that God was the one who provided for them, and they should be thankful of what they have and share with those who are less fortunate. They also hold their ancestors close to their hearts and believe that they protect them from wherever they are. I admired tourist attraction sites where my breath was taken away by the walls of the Forbidden City, and I can never forget walking at the top of the Great Wall.

Korean people are known for showing off especially in their hometown. Showing off what one has achieved is part of their tradition. They also love glorification and to be better than the rest. A given example of an ancient tradition is someone returning to their hometown or even their own house wearing “golden clothes”. Korean people detach from the rest once they think they have enough to sustain them. They do not like sharing information that might make other people superior to them. I found this quite the opposite. The people I met in Korea were down to earth and did not seem to be looking for praises. In fact, they were humble and assisted wherever they could. This trip was so successful because I came to learn more about this beautiful calm nation.