Welcome to Korea -- First Impressions

Greetings & Salutations! I have sooooooo much to say!!! But I am still kind of new to this blog game, so I will try to convey what I am trying to say in the best way possible. As time progresses, hopefully my blog will improve too. Stereotypes vs. Reality As you know I just arrived here in Seoul, South Korea and I am having a wonderful time settling in & preparing for the next few months here. Before my adventure began, I did lots of research from a personal & professional point of view. In that, I heard all kinds of things about the country and its people, in which I was about to reside. Many of these things that I tried to "mentally prepare" myself for, I found to be mere exaggerations. Now pleaase understand that I have only been in the country for a day & a half and I am far from an expert on Korean culture, but in my very first day I have been pleasantly surprised by the charm of the city & the courtesy of its inhabitants. What kind of stereotypes? Stereotype #1: "The moment you get off the plane, you will get hit with the most horrific smell you have ever encountered." Reality: I have often been told that I am part hound dog due to my uncanning ability to sniff out the most minute pungent aromas. However, I must admit that it does smell a little different from home, but nothing major. Perhaps the stinky smells are in hiding for the winter (stay tuned). Stereotype #2: "Since Koreans are not used to seeing black people in this part of the world, they are going to stare and point at you." Reality: While walking around COEX mall for approximately 3 1/2 hours, I felt extremely comfortable. I was not starred at inappropriately, neither was I ignored by the people working & shopping in the mall. A few times I did notice that the children were rather taken by my presence. One particular little girl stopped in her tracks and just looked at me, I then smiled and winked at her and she gave me one of those toothless grins only a 5 year old can. Now who could be offended by such honest curiosity? The Western World During my first "official" day here in Korea, I decided to venture around my delightful apartment building. Upon which I promptly found many restaurants & the gym (God knows I can stand to lose a pound or two while I am here!). As I continued to walk around I found somewhat of a vast metropolis connected to my building...I had found the MALL. For those of you that know me well, you know that this is one place that I feel most comfortable...shopping is just in my blood! Going to the mall was a great way to view Korean culture. Many families were there spending time at the movie theatre, shopping, or the aquarium. For a while I kind of walked around in a daze. There was sooooo much to take in, after all I am in SEOUL,....right? Well, I know I am about 7,000 miles away from home, but I doesnt seem very far at all. Why? What I witnessed at the mall was kind of shocking...the mall was just like the mall at home!!!!I'm not sure what I expected to see..., perhaps some traditional Korean clothing for sale, or maybe a vendor selling Kimchi (fermented Korean cabbage eaten at most traditional Korean meals). What I did not expect was the apparent fascination with the western world. Perhaps it is not a fasination but the INFLUENCE is definitely obvious. This influence can be viewed by the large number of clothing items & stores that play up American brands (i.e. Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Parasuco, etc). Even while walking through the stores, I was a lil surprised to hear Beyonce but didnt much about it since she is a mega-superstar. However, you could have bowed me over with a feather when I heard my new most favorite ghetto anthem, "Flo-Rida's LOW' blaring from the speakers. WHAT????? The mall (& this can be witness throughout the city too) is also filled with restaurants that I am familiar (i.e. TGIFridays, UNO Pizzeria's, Outback Steakhouse, etc.) For some reason before I left I thought I was gonna be forced to lose some weight while here...I dunno....just pray I dont gain any weight!!!! In short, Korean is a thriving cosmopolitan city with a unique blended culture of old and new that I look forward to finding more about in the near future. So for all of you that thought I was going to Timbuktu....I'm a long way from there! From my Window Below you will find a couple photos taken from the window of my apartment. Sometimes as Americans we tend to get stuck in our own world, and pretend as if we are the only civilized nation in the world and other countries pale in comparison. I havent been here but a day and a half however, I must share that Seoul, Korea appears to be a city on steriods...it is MAJOR!