My last day in Seoul was June 1st, which I typically would not think much about except for the fact that the streets were littered with rainbow flags, hundreds of police and the Seoul Pride Parade. For just as many that were celebrating, there were those who were protesting, however I think there were more protestors than what Pride Parades in the US have faced. I also observed most of the parade participants to be young people (college aged and young adults) and did not see a lot of older people. It seems that LGBT acceptance in Korea is very minimal, and members of the LGBT community who are older do not celebrate Pride because their generation does not support being different. While there is some of this mentality in the US, it seems to be a lot stronger in Korea. I was also surprised with the amount of police that I saw. It was more police than I had seen in the entirety of the trip! One of the offiers said it was to protect those celebrating, although he did not expect anything to get out of hand. One other interesting note—the rainbow pride flag could be seen hanging on the US embassy!

One of the things I enjoyed the most about Japan was how orderly things seemed to be. Coming back and being thrown into the US, I was cruelly reminded of how people don’t glare at you here if you stand on the “wrong” side of the escalator, and how this is a very dog eat dog world. Japan has the collective idea that many parts working together unanimously complete a whole, which is very obvious in dress as well as behavior and the idea and importance of maintain order and not being different. I loved the rules and order of Japan and it has been quite a culture shock to arrive back to the US.

 

Japan is not a good place to have body image issues. As recently published in the Japan Times, 79% of survey respondents who were from western countries expressed that their confidence in how they looked “had worsened since coming to Japan”. This is difficult to grapple with for women who have been raised in countries and in households that emphasize not self-confidence and ignoring how others may think about you—especially because in Japan, it can have harmful affects when managers suggest dieting tips, and people on the subway offer criticism. According to the BMI calculator, a figure of 18.5-25 is accepted as being a healthy range. However, most women in Japan begin dieting when their body mass index is that of 22.5. This is enforced by what children learn at school. Body image and self esteem is not often talked about in the classroom, but most adolescent girls find that they will still criticize their own bodies when with their friends because “it isn’t cool to be satisfied with how you look”. While traveling throughout Asia it is clear that this is reflected through products that are sold and marketed to young girls. They also sell products to make your skin whiter, which include dangerous chemicals that essentially bleach your face. All of this is done in the name of beauty and fashion.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/09/21/issues/body-image-foreign-female-japan-survey-shows-frustration-one-size-fits-thinking/#.XQZ_4ohKg2y

 

At the start of the trip if you had told me I would come to enjoy octopus, I would have thought you were lying. While my first experience with the sea creature was not positive, as I learned more about different ways to prepare it, I came to enjoy it more. One of my favorite things that we ate was on our last day in Busan—we took a cooking class and at the end we cut up an octopus and ate it with sea salt and sesame oil. You could still feel it moving in your mouth! However, I liked this preparation much more than the octopus we had in the market in Japan. One of the biggest things I learned on this study abroad is the importance of trying things more than once. If I had sworn off octopus because of my previous encounter, I never would have enjoyed later dishes that included the ingredient.

One of the things I observed while in asia that has become abundantly clear now that I am back in the states is how different the size is in food portions. Every traditional Asian restaurant that we went to presented us with tiny glasses of water and small entrees to match. The only time we experienced real “American sizes” was when we went to TGI Friday’s outside of Tokyo Disney, and they were really playing up the whole kitschy American cuisine theme. I like the smaller portion sizes though, and I think that this is a good trend I would love to see make it to the United States.

Now that I have been back in America a few days, I feel that I have become more observant about how Americans view meal times. In Japan and Korea, people do not eat while walking or doing other tasks—instead, time eating is spent with family and friends and viewed with reverence. This is very different from the hustle and bustle of American life, where most families do not sit down and share meals with each other due to various family members and their busy schedules. Even at school, I am guilty of grabbing a protein bar and running out the door to class, instead of taking time to have a full breakfast. I believe that a part of this has to do with how Americans and those from Asian countries view and prioritize their time. The Asian cultures we were around view food with a sacred perspective because they think with intention about how it is food and nutrition for their bodies, giving them the fuel necessary to continue working. I have tried to bring this mindset back to the states and to be more intentional about the food that I am eating.

One of my favorite things about this study abroad program was that I was able to observe and analyze the unique cultures and their differences from my own. A plus to this was that I was also able to identify the similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean culture. As we seen the traditional architectural of Japanese shrines and temples in Japan, it came to quite a surprise for me to observe some of the same precedents in South Korea. After doing some research, I discovered that many of these crosses in culture is due to the colonization of Korea by Japan. Along with architectural similarities, it seems that Japan’s pop culture has also gotten highly popular. As I visited many local eateries and stores, I noticed store owners owned some sort of “One Piece” merchandise. One Piece is a popular Japanese anime and it seems that its popularity has been brought to Korea.

The popular Korean side dish, Kimchi has made its way into a special place in my heart. Until traveling to South Korea, I hadn’t tasted, let alone heard of Kimchi. Kimchi fermented vegetable dish that consists of salted napa cabbage, radish, garlic, and onions (I even had the cucumber variation of it). Kimchi is has been known for a great source in vitamin K & C and since the vegetables are fermented, it has probiotic qualities that’s good for digestive issues. Though simple, Kimchi was a top culinary dish I got to experience and enjoy abroad. An experience I enjoyed so much that I plan to recreate the dish here at home… hahaha this should be fun.

If I did anything wrong this trip, I’d say my snack selection was by far the poorest I’ve ever done. Though both Japan and South Korea had 7 Eleven stores, you’d quickly notice that your selection of snacks were far different than what is available in America. Just as it is here, in the front are already heated food items like a variation of fried chicken and other fried produce food items. You’ll notice the difference in the selection of candy and chips you have are that most of these tasty treats are from native companies in Asia. I usually only came across Doritos which doesn’t come across as too much of a surprise. Cheetos were a choice I was very much surprised to see, especially in a new flavor that I’ve never seen and honestly due to its bland taste, could’ve went without seeing. My only good snack from the trip were the honorable Haribo Gold-Bears…. and they did live up to their reputation still.

May 26, 2019, not only was I in South Korea enjoying an experience of a life time being in Seoul but I was also invited to Michigan State University The School of Hospitality Business Alumni Annual Reception & Dinner at Gangnam Family Hotel. This was such an beautiful and inspiring event. The event was casual, much like a networking event that you’d attend on campus however each attendee is an alumni of your college. This made networking all the better because each person you spoke with has been in your shoes and is now in some sort of profession that either related or shares similar skill as your college. This was a very special night because the Director of the school, Dr. Borchgrevink was in attendance which was a first in Seoul. Awaiting us was a buffet of different treats and small appetizers which was followed by a main course of steak and kimchi. What made this night even special were the heartfelt stories told by each alumni of how Dr. B helped them with the adversity they faced while they were students at MSU. I was able to leave this dinner with not only additional connections but also reassurance of the education I was receiving and where it could lead me if utilized correctly.