If you’re finding out overseas, you anticipate sure issues to be completely different, just like the kinds of meals out there, vogue model, and even the kinds of hobbies out there. Usually, social media and Google search assist modify to a tradition. Listed below are three issues that Google and social media didn’t put together me for:
The Yellow Mud
Whereas springtime in South Korea could be recognized for cherry blossom season and exquisite flowers, what I didn’t notice was how intense the mud can be. Within the spring, sturdy seasonal winds carry mud from the Gobi Desert in the direction of Seoul, typically inflicting air high quality to succeed in unhealthy or very unhealthy ranges. Within the photos under, you’ll discover the visibility goes down rapidly, and the mountains and buildings turn out to be hazy.
If you’re delicate to air high quality or have any respiration or lung points, this may actually affect your well being. Throughout days when the air high quality is especially unhealthy, it’s vital to remain indoors or, when you’re exterior, to put on masks. I’ve even gotten into the behavior of checking the climate and air high quality day by day as a result of it may be so unpredictable.
No paper towels or a weak hand dryer within the rest room
I’ve discovered that in Seoul, public loos will be hit and miss relating to hand dryers or paper towels. I’ve needed to wipe my fingers on my pants far more typically than I did again within the U.S. To keep away from this, I picked up a couple of small hand towels to maintain in my luggage or backpack for when I’m on the go. That approach, I by no means have damp fingers after utilizing the lavatory (a tip that I realized from my quick keep in Japan).
Not masking your cough or sneeze
This is without doubt one of the final issues I by no means would have anticipated, particularly in a society that wears masks so typically. Many individuals right here don’t cough into their elbows or cowl their sneezes. I used to be actually shocked after I seen this, particularly throughout a busy rush hour, and it notably made me uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I’ve additionally seen that if somebody is genuinely in poor health, they do put on a masks, and that naturally covers their cough or sneeze. It appears to be the occasional cough and sneeze that folks don’t cowl. Regardless, that is one behavior I can’t be bringing again with me to the U.S.
The web can solely achieve this a lot to organize you to regulate to a brand new tradition, and it by no means substitutes for the actual factor. Though I wasn’t prepared for a few of these experiences right here, there are additionally many optimistic issues I didn’t anticipate about South Korea, which I’ll talk about in one other weblog.
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