The Korean Experience-- Russell Johnson

When I first decided to study in Korea for the summer, I thought I had made an enormous mistake. I had no knowledge of the culture, the language, or how long a fifteen hour plane ride really was. Luckily this was just first time jitters. The Korean Summer Program was my first trip out of the United States and I was naturally nervous. Once arriving and settling in, this trip became one of the best experiences of my life.
The entire trip was a refreshing culture shock. Being from a moderate size city, Seoul was an amazing site to see when you realize that a majority of South Korea’s population is centered there. With this much activity centered in one area, one is able to experience all of South Korea’s culture without ever getting to far away from the city. During the month I spent in Seoul, I took in as much as possible while still taking classes.
There are many experiences that made the trip such as the food, the city, the people, and even the classes. My personal favorite experience was the food. I was worried that the food would be so completely different that I would lose weight because I would not eat it. I was happily surprised by the food though. There were definitely some differences. Food seemed to be much fresher and the service was great. Lacking any communication skills, eating was always an adventure. From pointing to pictures or just pointing at a Korean word hoping for the best, eating was always fun. The surprises would be an omelet, spicy chicken feet, or many times a tasty noodle dish. The key I have found to food is to always keep an open mind. It might not be the best thing you have ever eaten, but you do not know till you have tried it. I personally had the best dumplings and spring rolls of my entire life. Also just to be a good American tourist, go to McDonalds and try the Big Bulgogi.(Korean Big Mac) You might be surprised.
We not only were able to run around Seoul for a month, but were able to get outside the city for a look at other cities. From what I saw, South Korea is an amazing country. The country is mainly mountainous and the country has to work with the land that it has. One city we visited was the beach community of Sokcho. Sokcho was not as appealing as one would want a beach town to be, especially since it was raining, but it did have a national park on the edge of town that made the trip worthwhile. The national park was massive. The rain hindered our view of the valley and surrounding areas, but knowing how high you are and the rain made the top of the mountain worth the soaked walk to the top. The fifty foot statue of Buddha was also rather impressive. The other city that I visited slips my mind. I ended up there after riding the bullet train half way down the country. The city was nothing like Seoul, but made one realize that daily life in small towns is the same around the world.
Living in Seoul was definitely worth the trip. Seoul is more than one can experience in a month. Inside the city one can find palaces, temples, museums, mountain climbing, and every modern convenience anyone could need. The city amazed me by it use of space and preservation of its culture. The only allowance for unused space was in their temples and palaces. These huge monuments of the past show the lifestyles of the royal family. The elaborate and intricate design of the buildings and their decorations exemplifies the importance Koreans take in every detail. The Koreans seem to continue this tradition today as they reshape their country.
Overall, the Korean Summer Program was an amazing experience and adventure. The classes were more prevalent being in an economy that is constantly growing on the international market. The experience of trying to find one’s way around a strange country without any clue of how to speak the language only enhances how I perceived the culture. The people were always kind and helpful, even if they could not understand you. Mostly, I wish I could have those spring rolls again.