Korea Report Card

 

I’ve had a few weeks to be able to get some distance and think clearly about my time in Korea. I moved to Seoul August 2019 so that only gave me a short time to experience what Korea was like without Covid. However, I do think that I got the gist of it and think I’m qualified to write a report card about how I viewed different aspects of life in Korea. I’ve written report cards about Thailand, Poland, Shanghai, and NZ.

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2021/03/shanghai-report-card.html

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2016/07/poland-report-card.html

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2013/10/idid-report-card-for-thailand.html

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2013/10/idid-report-card-for-thailand.html

Food: A-

Korean BBQ is what’s up.

Bibimbap is also great. I had my sashimi guy in a charming little market near my house. School lunches were solid. Kimchi grew on me; I like it spicy. Lots of fruit, seafood and convenience stores. I also feel like there was a bunch of food in Korea that I didn’t love and breakfast was basically zero. More all you can drink brunches and then we can talk about moving this up to an A.

Price: A-

I feel like living in Seoul was reasonable. My school paid for my apartment but even apartments in cooler parts of the city wouldn’t bankrupt you. Taxis aren't too crazy, metro is cheap, I have no idea what a phone plan costs because I went two years without data and a number but it has to be cheaper than in Canada. Drinking is expensive anywhere but trains and flights weren’t too bad and I found it easy to go a few days here and there without spending cash. No friends, girlfriends or travel is a real great way to keep costs low.

Location:

I guess that depends. If you want to explore Asia, it’s an A. If you are from somewhere far away and want to come home occasionally, it would be a C. Being close to North Korea is definitely not a plus but being close to Japan is (sort of). Let’s just give it a B.

Weather: B

Weather in Seoul isn’t that different from Ottawa weather. An Ottawa winter can be a tad more brutal and snowy but overall, the difference isn’t that great. It’s nice that Seoul has 4 seasons and 99% of the time it doesn't have snow. But there are lots of places for snowboarding towards the middle of the country.

 

People:

The fact that I have been giving a grade to people seems horrifying to me. How is someone supposed to grade an entire culture of people? This category has not aged well. I feel like Korean people:

1-Hate Japan

2-Love baseball

3-Have been greatly influence by the presence of America throughout their country

4-Love drinking

5-Are playful

6-Educated

7-Stressed out

8-High rate of suicide

9-Love to go to a coffee shop after a meal

10-Lots of plastic surgery

 

Safety: A+

You probably aren’t going to find too many safer countries than Korea. Great job.

 

Activities: B+

Snowboarding, biking, hiking, kayaking, surfing, fishing, losing a passport in a bamboo forest, dead tombs, palaces, markets, museums, cherry blossoms, jjimjilbang, K-pop, and other activities gives Korea a solid B+ for activities.

 

Transportation: A

Getting around Korea is not an issue. Trains actually run on time compared to Amtrak in America. Flights aren’t crazy expensive and Seoul metro has one of the most advanced metro systems in the world. It’s incredible that Korea can do so well at public transportation and Ottawa can do such a terrible job.

 

Beauty: B+

Lots of mountains and beaches. My one complaint would be that a lot of Korea looks pretty similar. Jeju is an exception but going from one place to another, the changes aren’t that drastic. Furthermore, almost all of the neighborhoods look almost exactly the same. 

Nightlife: A-

Korea is a party. No doubt about that.

Environment: B+

Korea recycles but it’s a system that I still don’t fully understand. There are lots of garbage bins around and there isn’t trash everywhere so let’s say B+.

 

Overall quality of life: B+

I know that some Koreans dislike or even hate living in Korea. There’s a term that basically means Korean hell. Apparently, 75% of Koreans aged 19-34 want to leave Korea.

https://asiatimes.com/2019/12/75-of-young-want-to-escape-south-korean-hell/

Soaring housing prices, high competition in school and for jobs, as well as a growing animosity that young men feel towards women are some of the reasons why younger Koreans would like to move away.

If you want a more in-depth dive into this, watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s4CpxN4Otg&ab_channel=AsianBoss

Also, if you are interested in what life in Asia is like, just watch Asian Boss on YouTube. No need to move there for multiple years like someone we know.

Overall grade: B

(I'm aware that the real score should be B+ but you aren't in charge, ok?)

Korea is fine. It’s just like any place. I liked it for the biking, hiking, safety, and fast internet that enabled me to game far, far more than I should have. I was also a big fan of the heated floors and keypad to lock your front door instead of bringing a key every time you left the house. I didn’t love how far it is from home, the fact that Korean ladies ignored me for two years, the fact that Covid ruined a lot of regular life that made it tougher living there and the total stress that students have because of school. I’m glad I got the chance to live in Korea and I’m almost positive I think Korea is a better spot than Japan.

The crayfish sides with the crab.

August 2021 Update

AHOY!

Greetings from Canada! I feel like many things have happened since I last posted something but I suppose in the grand scheme of things, not that much has actually happened. I will try to summarize the last few weeks in a semi interesting fashion.

 I left Korea. The reasons for my early departure are not super relevant or interesting but I feel like since I have left, my life has been very different. I landed in Portland, Oregon Wednesday July 14th. I booked a hotel in Chinatown--which is apparently where the majority of the people who are homeless live. Homelessness was one of the major themes from my three weeks in America. I get that it’s not just an American problem and there are many people who are homeless in Canada but it seems like a serious issue that can really ruin the vibe of a city.

After Portland I visited my friends in Olympia, Washington where we went on lots of hikes, had a few fires, ate good food and just had time to catch up.

I also spent a few days in Seattle where the homelessness problem is also an issue. I went to see a Seattle Mariners baseball game with a friend from Shanghai and wandered around doing miscellaneous tourist things.

I visited Viento State Park, met my bubble mentor, drank a lot of lemonade, got vaccinated, continued my no data/no phone lifestyle, got a van semi stuck in an underground parking lot, saw some shooting stars, spent my first night sleeping in a hammock, spend a lot of money on Covid rapid tests, drank some craft Portland and Seattle beer, had a Seattle Dog, rode a Peloton for the first time, barely read anything, gained 4 pounds and spend a lot of time waiting for delayed Amtrak trains.

Other big takeaways:

-        Masks are everywhere in Korea; masks are not really a thing in America. I know which one I prefer.

-        No tipping in Korea; tipping everywhere in America. I know which one I prefer

-        Everyone in America speaks English which makes communicating much easier for me.

-        Security guards in America don’t get paid enough.

-        My friends took me to my first dispensary.

-        Getting shaved near my house in Seoul was about $10. Getting shaved in Canada is about $50. I am not pleased.

-        Does anything else feel like life is just waiting to get them? I feel like there is almost always one extra little step or problem. Want tickets? Book online. Booking online? Already sold out. Want your favourite Just Right cereal? Discontinued. Want to go to that bakery? Closed at 5. I don’t think I understand hours of operation. Some places open all of the time. Some close at 10. Some close at 3. Some aren’t open on Tuesdays. I don’t get it. Is it just me?

-        I met a sunflower that was way taller than me. Have you ever stood next to a sunflower? They are massive.

-        Grocery stores have far too many items. People must spend hours there. There are too many things. Agree or disagree?

-        I am getting my first phone with data and a number next week. Do you think there will be a small to medium problem for me to solve to get it to work?

-        It rained for about 10 minutes while I was in America for three weeks; that’s probably not a great thing for planet Earth.

-        Shouldn’t the fact that we are destroying the Earth and climate change might destroy all of us be on the front page of every newspaper every day?

-        Sour Patch Kids make their own ice cream now. That seems unnecessary.

-        Why do TVs have so many remotes?  Now we have Hulu, Roku, Netflix, Disney+. I feel 80 years old.

-        I had won $12 off a scratch off ticket from 2 years ago. One of the first things I did when I landed in Canada was to get that money. Of course, it expired in April.

-        Did you know kids under 12 ride the TTC for free? I found that out after buying my 6-year-old niece two tickets.

-        I never noticed Seoul doing any maintenance on their subway system. Trains are always on time. That is not the case with the subway in Toronto. I don’t think I understand why it’s so different. Maybe Seoul wasn’t so bad…

-        Trader Joe’s Mac + Cheese is great.

-        I feel like there are lots of ladies just wearing workout clothes everywhere now and I am not totally certain they were or are about to workout. Athleisure is in. Bras are out. I don’t understand life.

This tone might seem negative but they are more just observations and my overall confusion about being a human on this planet. Not working has been ideal. Seeing my friends was just what the doctor ordered. Being back in Toronto with my brother, his wife and kids is also just what I needed. Moving back to Ottawa August 16th. It’s summertime! I hope your summer is treating you well. I will provide a more thoughtful and entertaining update at a later day.

Assassins among us

My Favourite Posts

 

 

I’ve been re-reading some of my old blog posts lately and some of them are almost unreadable. Terrible font choice, font size and font colour. There seems to be zero editing done on my end and a lot of the “jokes” are not funny. I apologize for putting you through this the last few years. The quality somewhat improves towards the end of my time in Thailand but I don’t recommend anyone goes through and tries to catch up. However, I did find a few gems. If you have never read any of my posts, this is a good place to start. Here are some of the posts (in no particular order) that stand out from the last ten years.

Bert User Guide

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2019/05/bert-user-guide.html

I think this is a clever way of telling people more about me in an honest and creative format. Want to know what I’m like? Just read this guide and it will give you some insight on what type of person I am. It would be great if everyone came with a user guide but that might take some of the fun out of getting to know someone.

$31, 500 in Debt

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2018/12/31500-in-debt.html

Getting out of debt was the hardest thing I ever did. Part of me doubted I would ever get out of the hole I dug for myself. But I got lucky with a job teaching in China that gave me the opportunity to save around $3,000 a month and I made getting my financial life in order a priority.

A Report Card on Your Life

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-report-card-on-your-life.html

Sticking with the theme of self-improvement and writing about all of my faults, I like this post because it can help people realize where they are succeeding and what areas to focus on to improve. The numbers have improved a little bit since 2019 but I still have a lot of work left to do.

Self-Sabotage

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2018/07/self-sabotage.html

I’m seeing a trend here. This post was written because I frequently make the same mistakes over and over again. Why have I done this? Apparently, it’s called self-sabotage. I think this post gives a good overview of what it is and how to avoid it in the future.





2018 Best Year of My Life?

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-best-year-of-my-life.html

Let’s get a bit more positive. 2018 was a great year and I outline why it was probably the best year of my life.

32 Things Bert Knows at 32

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2018/05/32-things-bert-knows-at-32.html

Even more positivity! Here is a list of things that I know to be true.

Favorite Thai Foods

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2013/05/favorite-thai-foods.html

Couldn’t write a post about my favourite blog posts without mentioning Thailand. Thai food is distinctive and heavenly. I hope you get the chance to experience authentic Thai food in Thailand one day.

Underrated Ukraine

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2016/05/underrated-ukraine.html

I love discovering something I believe to be underrated. Ukraine is undoubtedly underrated. Have you been? Of course not; it’s too underrated to even be on your radar.

Thoughts on My First Trip to Japan

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2019/11/thoughts-on-my-first-trip-to-japan.html

Japan was supposed to be the place where I settled down and started a new chapter. It wasn’t long until I started rethinking my dream.

I Don’t Love Japan

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-dont-love-japan.html

It took a few more visits but my initial impression was correct.

Is Life Worth Living? Part 1

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2020/02/is-life-worth-living-part-1.html

This one was a little dark. There was no part two because I don’t think people wanted to read about how I wouldn’t want to live a random life. I think other people should live their lives but I wouldn’t be signing up for another trip to Earth.

One of a Kind Interview

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2020/11/one-of-kind-interview.html

This might be me at the height of my powers. Just an A+ effort and flawless execution. If you’re only going to read one of these, make it this one.

One Year Sober

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2021/05/one-year-sober.html

Giving up drinking was not as hard as I thought it would be. This past year sober has improved my health and has changed the way I view and consume alcohol.

Getting Rejected

https://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2020/12/getting-rejected.html

I can’t just write about things that make me look good. It’s important for people to know the truth. I hope my misfortune entertains you.



The plan is to be in Canada at the beginning of August. I have two questions for you.

1-Should I keep writing when I come home or should we end on a high note?

2-What post have you enjoyed the most from the last 10 years?






“The way we get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney