한국 Summary

Well, so much for the regular updates!

It is my second last night here in Seoul, so it is fitting to write an entry on how it went.

I was happy to have kept my luggage to a (relative) minimum throughout the trip.  It was good evidence to myself that I can live with less.  I will definitely do another round of clothes giving when I get back to Singapore.

I made some progress in my Korean learning, but am only at (barely) survival level.  At least I passed my test!  My writing and reading is ok for my skill level, but my listening skills really need some work.  I just cannot quite catch what people are saying to me.  After the 3rd repeat it kind of makes sense, but it is frustrating.  The risk is that I go home and I regress because I am not learning anymore.  I have to make a conscious effort to continue to work on the language, through constant review, HelloTalk, listening to radio doing some proper study.  Perhaps more targeted learning with a tutor will also help.

Friends were initially tough to come by and there were definitely periods of loneliness throughout the three months.  I found that new friends were initially enthusiastic but then subsequently were not that keen to meet.  As we get older it is harder to make time for new friends.  I was lucky to have a few friends that developed into stronger relationships through this time.  I think with time I can establish a good network here.  Definitely reducing the language barrier would make a big difference.  I learnt a bit about myself and improved on my willingness to talk to people so I am happy with that growth.

As a city, it is easy to live here.  Infrastructure comparable to Singapore, although the traffic can sometimes be quite bad.  Trains are usually a better option, but changing train lines can significantly increase travel time.  Didn't really utilise the bus system.  Because of its size, there are many places to explore.  With the numerous hills around Seoul it is a picturesque place.  Autumn is a wonderful time to visit.  Food is mostly Korean but there are international places.  The Korean food itself I am quite good with, although some of the blood sausage and offal stuff is not that pleasant!  I saw a strong arts and cultural element, but did not explore that too much.  

Party scene is fun, but I need more party friends!  Definitely a place where age segregation is more clear than in Singapore clubs and bars.  I noticed there are not that many places for people in their late 20s and 30s to party. I am thinking that we should do a Rewind here.  So many clubs that are not that full on weekends!

It was interesting to get more perspective on the North Korean story.  Definitely would like to do some more to help their situation.  There seems to be many different approaches and the surprising thing is that there are some things going on from Singapore.  Will start my exploration from there.  I think there will be business opportunities but probably a bit too wild west at the moment for my risk appetite.  I would go in from a charity angle.

As for businesses in South Korea, I think I need more perspective on what would work.  Which means that I would have to live there for a longer time.  I would strongly consider it, but will see how things turn out with some opportunities in Singapore in 2016 before I make that decision.  Again, businesses here probably have to do with more human connections, so I made a good start and will need to nurture it.   I would not work for a Korean company though, the company cultures I hear about sound brutal.

Some other random fun stuff:  doing the Buddhist temple stay, climbing Mount Halla, boxing class, jimjilbang, all the SeoulMate tours, hair style changes, solo travel and solo eating things I don't really understand.

So definitely no regrets with doing this.  It has expanded my view of the world and expanded myself.  And in the end that's probably all anyone can ask for.