Purpose is not decided
It is discovered
From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
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From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
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After studying abroad in South Korea, my girlfriend and I decided to embark on a journey of our own around Japan. First stop was Tokyo where I found myself completely blown away! Seeing Shibuya Crossing in person was simply indescribable.
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When I was planning my study abroad in South Korea, I was heavily concerned with how I would use the public transportation system. I expected everything to be in Korean and I had no idea how I was going to figure out the situation. The Korean language uses symbols instead of letters, which made my task even harder.
That's when I decided to give google translator a try to enable me to communicate with locals, as I used the public transportation system. I wanted to travel all over Korea and I had no choice but to use the bus or the subway. My first trip around Korea was exploring the downtown area in Seoul. I felt slightly relieved after discovering how cheap it was to travel around Seoul. You can travel around the city and back for only $2.50 U.S.D. Also, you can purchase a transportation card that gives you access to the subway, the bus, and even a taxi. This gave me both confidence and goose bumps as I felt the freedom of exploring a whole new world. However, my real task still lied ahead. After buying my card, I walked to the subway which wasn’t too far away from my dorm. The humidity in Korea is nothing to joke about as I was forced to stop and grab a few bottles of water and a towel just so I can wipe off my sweat. I finally arrived at the train station where I was prepared to face my challenge. I had my itinerary figured out but I still needed to try and understand a little Korean. I approached a map for more directions but couldn’t read a word. I stood there for at least 10 minutes trying to figure out where I was going when an elderly woman noticed that I was a lost and helpless foreigner in Korea. She spoke a little English which definitely came in handy as she gave me very precise directions. I must say that Korean people are very willing to help lost foreigners. Every time I became confused there was always someone there willing to help. After making a few transfers from subway to subway to get downtown, I noticed some of the signs were in English. I kind of felt bad that the transportation systems in America are written only in English. I couldn’t imagine someone from another country trying to use our public transportation; which is still confusing to me even though there are clear English signs everywhere. I feel like with a little help, anyone can use the public transportation system in Korea. Honestly, I feel like Korea has a better transportation system than we do in America! Ultimately I was successful facing one of my biggest challenge in South Korea. |
AuthorJustin Black
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