Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Seoul

The amount of camaraderie you can build with people within a little over two weeks is surprisingly great, especially when considering that your group was initially divided by cultural barriers and backgrounds. My two weeks at Keio University were a special time, as demonstrated by the farewells that flowed between the Japanese students and the “foreign” students on the evening of our last official day together. The goodbyes might have been difficult, but at the same time, we were able to celebrate the times we enjoyed together with one last group dinner.

The semester at Yonsei University in Seoul will be an entirely different experience than the one I had in Tokyo. The transition is one from spending whole days with a small group of people to joining a pool of several hundred people with nationalities from all over the world. On any given elevator ride up to my dorm room, I can expect to hear students talking in a language other than English.

One of the things I miss the most in the transition between Japan and Korea are the small details embedded into Japanese society. My time in Tokyo made me realize that the Japanese appreciate small creature comforts and put thought and effort into integrating small but enjoyable details into their lives. Such Japanese creature comforts include baskets provided at restaurants to put your belongings into so they don’t have to get dirty on the floor or occupy an extra chair, as well as coat hangers on the walls of restaurants (which can even be found in the humblest of vending machine eateries). These two examples are what came to mind tonight as I dined out with friends in Itaewon, Seoul.

While this isn’t my first time in Seoul, coming into this city straight from Tokyo has lent a new twist to my perspective on it. My first impression of Tokyo was that it reminded me of Seoul but now that I’m in Seoul, I’m seeing that the two cities are vastly different, despite their influences on each other. During my four months in Korea, I’ll be able to get a better feel for Korean culture and the language but I’m also looking forward traveling around the peninsula during my free time.

Just yesterday, I was out in Myeoung-dong, a popular destination within Seoul among tourists, where my friends and I happened to take typical touristy pictures in front of the Myeoung-dong cathedral with a young Korean couple. It’s been an eventful start.