Oh gosh, I cannot believe I am in Korea! Like Japan, this destination has been a dream but one that I never expected to be real. Probably even more so than Japan. I have arrived and had a few days to adjust and explore. Here are my first impressions of Busan South Korea.
Fast Driving
My brain immediately wants to compare Korea with Japan, I don’t know why. The first thing I notice here, which was heavily influenced by the taxi ride from the airport was the speed at which they drive, especially on an open freeway.
Its like an Indy500! I was super nervous in the car and fell back to my tried-and-true method of dealing with these situations, which is don’t look out the front window. 😂 Stick to the scenery whizzing by, no matter how blurry.
Deeking in and out of traffic, honking at fellow drivers, speeding in any little space of open road. I was surprised.
The Men
Specifically, the older men. My gosh, I haven’t been this dismissed since my time in Plovdiv Bulgaria. 😣 It began with that taxi driver. When it was time to get in the vehicle, he flashed his hand in front of my face, waving me around the other side of the car.
Next, as I walk down the crowded little streets, the men will absolutely bash you left and right and not in a friendly ‘oh I didn’t see you there’ kind of way. There is no sidestepping here to let you, a fellow human pass by without contact. Personal space here is a zero. I like my little bubble, at least give me an inch.
With the exception of a few old women who have poked and prodded for me to get out of their way in the market, the ladies give a little courtesy. Not the men.
The Garbage
Again, my brain is comparing this to Japan for some reason. Japan is impeccably clean for the most part. I did see piles of garbage there but it is fairly rare. Here is see it everywhere. I’m so surprised by this.
There is litter up and down the streets and the refuse is all over. Many empty and vacant, or shops in transition. Perhaps it’s the area I am living in, but I have walked a bit now, and this is a common sight.
Greenery
There is quite a bit of greenery in the streets. I am pleasantly surprised by the huge shade trees that line some of the roads. I can see that the municipality and businesses put effort into creating green spaces, no matter how small.
The Cars
They aren’t small. There are many big cars here, large sedans, SUV’s and such. Unlike Japan for example, where the vehicles were so small, compact and cute, here they are the same size as I would see in Canada. I can look out my window now, down to the street below and if you took these cars driving by, and placed them on a street in Canada, they would not look out of place.
I am excited to explore more of this city. So far, I am surprised and interested by what I see. I feel lost, not being able to rely on google maps. I have tried the recommended app called KakaoMap but even though I’m using it in English, it doesn’t really work, not user friendly. Not to worry, getting lost is sometimes half the fun.
