It is well over a month since I returned from South Korea and I have to admit it was difficult adjusting to South African life again. It took about a whole week before I could accept that I live in SA and have to accept the way things are. This is what I miss most about South Korea:
1) Kimbab
I have made known from the onset that I had fallen in love with Kimbab and although I came to Joburg and frantically searched for a Korean restaurant that sold Kimbab it was not the same as I tasted in Korea as they only make vegetarian ones. So, I will miss the meat filled Kimbab that I found in Busan.
2) Public Transport
Well, South Africa doesn’t have a public transport system that works and if one is without a car in Joburg then one is doomed. So is it a wonder that I miss being able to go anywhere at any part of the day or night using public transport?
3) Clean and organised cities
I have mentioned before that people in Asia just clean and clean. I will certainly miss this in South Africa where people litter at whim even though there are trash-cans/bins provided. People are under the impression that if they throw litter on the ground they are creating jobs for people. Quite sickening! I will also miss the way pedestrians are trained to walk, if going north keep left and if going south keep right. Quite fascinating!
) Great people and great service.
Obviously many people don’t speak English so communication is a problem but the people that I encountered were so warm and friendly and went out of their way to assist me.
a) The sweet ladies at the bank changed my currency although they couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t speak Korean yet they were friendly and helpful.
b) When I went to a store to purchase a jacket and boots, the lady in the shoe aisle stopped everything to assist me with finding the correct pair of shoes and the ladies in the jacket section brought out all the sizes of the jackets on promotion without ever being irate with me. Then after purchasing the jacket an old lady ran upto us just as we were leaving the store because she remembered that there was a pin on the inside of the jacket and came to remove it as she didn’t want me to get hurt. Initially I thought it was hilarious when this woman ran after us as we left the store but I have never come across customer service like that.
c) The generosity and kindness of people were staggering. In all the restaurants we didn’t pay for starters or salads. They were free every single time. Even when I visited the market I was told I didn’t have to pay for a souvenir as it was a gift or I got a discount on stuff I purchased. This was the norm throughout Busan, no wonder there were no beggars on the streets because these people are too kind to let that happen.
5) Great food and amazing restaurants
I think I miss the food the most as there were a plethora of restaurants to choose from and a variety of cuisines. I am struggling to find burritos in Joburg. Oh! I so miss the food in Korea and being spoilt with choice. I will let the pictures do the talking for this one.
