What's it like living in Seoul? A USN Expat's Mobile Life
by Joseph Spradley '06
The first question most everyone asks when I say I’ve been living in Korea is, “What’s it like?” Sometimes I get “Really?!… are you in North or South Korea?” More often than not, both groups know little about either side of the small peninsula I’ve called home for past three years. To be honest, I didn’t know much about this Land of Morning Calm before hopping on a plane. I’ve learned a decent amount about what’s gone on here since before the country was split during President Truman’s administration but I’d like to share some of my personal experience so you can know what it is like to work, eat and be unable to escape Gangnam Style.
The first question most everyone asks when I say I’ve been living in Korea is, “What’s it like?” Sometimes I get “Really?!… are you in North or South Korea?” More often than not, both groups know little about either side of the small peninsula I’ve called home for past three years. To be honest, I didn’t know much about this Land of Morning Calm before hopping on a plane. I’ve learned a decent amount about what’s gone on here since before the country was split during President Truman’s administration but I’d like to share some of my personal experience so you can know what it is like to work, eat and be unable to escape Gangnam Style.
I wish I could say I’ve learned to market myself well enough to earn a fraction of the billions of views K-pop music videos get, yet my biggest claim to fame is the smartphone game “Tower Defense” I made my first year that was almost as popular as Angry Birds for a few weeks. After I battled through bureaucracy of a Korea company and made my way up a few rungs, it became pretty obvious I’d always be ‘the foreigner’ until I fully assimilated--which requires voluntary overtime, staying until the boss left every night, becoming fluent in Korean, and going out with co-workers regularly for bouts of heavy drinking. Com2us and I parted ways a year ago, but I have continued to adapt to the culture (just without the corporate part).
Since leaving the job I came to Korea to do, I often ask myself the question my parents often get asked: “What am I doing here still?” Depending on who’s asking I have a number of answers - and I’m sure my mom does too - but I still don’t have a single one that roots me here for good. I have a girlfriend yet she’s American; Korean food is great but you just can’t find a good burrito anywhere; Seoul’s cost of living is stupendously cheap for its size; however, work life is difficult. I am lucky enough to make it back stateside at least once a year, and Korea is a great location for traveling the rest of Asia. My passport is almost full, but there are still so many places I haven’t visited and many I’d like to go back to again. Maybe the better question is “What do I still have to do?” I have quite a long list and the pull to come home is starting to weigh on me.
It’s a lot of pressure to be an expat in this day and age of Skype and social media. My grandfather always loves hearing from me but is still anxious that the call costs a fortune (in truth I’m amazed it’s free too). I think many people expect my life is amazing living in a foreign country. I do have a number of amazing stories but I equally feel that I have missed important events back home. So I have started to reign in ‘have to dos’ and put in a lot of thought to what is important. I’ve always said I’d learn Korean before I left, but it’s a goal that’s been surprisingly hard. Oddly even in Korea, it’s not easy to pick up Korean, and not for a lack of trying. I have a stack of books up past my knees and will be attending my second university level immersion semester in the spring. Yet no one expects me to speak the native language and many see me as an opportunity to practice their English. Koreans in my generation had English ingrained in them by their parents and a culture permeated with it.
I always joke that I live in the future because I’m on the other side of the international date line. Often it does feel like I truly do. American culture could learn some things from Korea. Their education, public infrastructure, and health care system are top rate. There are different shades of green on both sides of the fence though. Nearly everyone has some kind of smartphone, which is great for my industry, but it creates a disconnect from that person standing next to you on the amazing clean subway. Regardless, I love living here. I invite anyone to come visit and especially encourage spending some time as an expat wherever you can. I’ll be back in America for good eventually. Maybe it will be this year I pack it all up, say “see you soon” to those I’ve met, and take all the great stories back home. But who can tell, I’ve said that for three years straight. We all know everything changes so fast in the future.
