Blog: July 2022

The Metro Experience with a Jingle

2022-07-05 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

The Metro Experience with a Jingle This is part of a three or four part blog series. These posts will be interactive on my website (https://lifeofpablo.com) . I am in the process of rebuilding my website so stayed tuned.

My name is Pablo Morales. I used to teach within Omaha Public Schools but now I teach in Sacramento, CA. I still teach French & Spanish to middle schoolers.

I have always been a fan of public transportation! Within the United States, commuting to work seems painfully dreadful. We are a nation dominated by cars and bad policies. Our public transportation infrastructure is not good for a very ā€œdevelopedā€ country. Our roads are suffering, and everything else in-between isnā€™t pleasant either. This isn't the case in South Korea. I'm only a week or so in since arriving in South Korea. I am absolutely M-I-N-D blown on what I am seeing and hearing.. My brain can't handle this!

Commuting in Seoul, Korea is not about trying to catch your bus or train, you are there for the experience of being in a station. You're probably wondering, "Pablo, Isn't the topic over public transportationā€¦.you know boring?" I say, "Absolutely Not!" I've been to multiple cities who don't even come close to the Korean experience of public transportation. My favorite part about using the Seoul Metro System is that you get to hear all the cute and relaxing rings and jingles offered at all metro stations and some bus stations.

Commuting is hard on the body when traveling far. It's hot and humid out, or you're just simply tired. Those little jingles give you a glimmer of hope that you are getting closer to your final destination. You stay motivated instead of only hearing the usual "This train is departing." or departing. It brightens the mood. My two favorite jingles or sounds are: The Trumpet Link A steelpan Link Do you see what I mean? It definitely made me smile. Everyone seems so happy. I knew traveling within Seoul was going to be fun but who knew these little jingles are what make the experience of the metro in Seoul.

Here is a handpicked few of my favorite jingles. Not all are in circulation at the moment.

Link

Link

Being a minority in the US and still being a minority in South Korea.

Someone who speaks 3 different languages. Learning the Korean language is easy in some aspects and difficult in others. I teach French & Spanish. The one common thing between these two languages is the alphabet - romanized letters. The Korean Language is written in Hangul.

I was an ELL student. Even. I now understand what it is like to be in my studentā€™s mind.

The Many Hats of the Korean Convenience Stores

2022-07-05 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

This is part of a three or four part blog series. These posts will be interactive on my website (https://lifeofpablo.com) . I am in the process of rebuilding my website so stay tuned.

Here I am in South Korea getting a snack at a convenience store. Everytime I go to one, I reflect on convenience stores back in the United States. Convenience stores in the United States are usually gas stations at the same time. Living in California you see convenience stores as standalone locations more often. Convenience stores back home get a bad wrap because they sell not so healthy food or are simply over priced. It's not so much in Korea. Yes, there are things that are overpriced but not as bad as you would see in the United States. Korean Convenience Stores are a whole different experience..

ā™„ļøKOREA IS LIVING IN THE FUTUREā™„ļø

Common convenience stores are GS25, Nice to CU and 7/11. They are all over the place. It's hard not to walk from one corner of a block to another corner of the same block without passing a convenience store. This is pretty consistent in most of Korea. The cities of Seoul and Chuncheon are good examples. Two or three years since the pandemic, many did stay open pretty late or open 24 hours. They are just there whenever you need something. You can buy a snack, a beer (or many), toiletries and more! I've even found socks after my shoes got soaked in the rain. Prices are not overly expensive taking in consideration that the exchange rate between USD and WON are in the favor of the American consumer such as myself.

The experience at every convenience store is different. You never know what you'll find. I'm not sure how it is decided on what is carried in each store. I do love the element of surprise.

Korean Convenience Stores will fill the void in many aspects of life. They are considered important in Korean Culture and Socialization. You'll often find tables inside and outside of the store. I find it hard to find a normal bar establishment. Even if I did find a bar, it could be expensive or hard to get into. Convenience Stores are a meeting point to socialize especially if there is seating available at the location you visit. I really enjoy getting a beer or a few with friends and just talk about our day, our hopes & desires, and just having tipy conversations. I've had some really deep moments here with others. One of my favorite moments was finding a convenience store in a large park and making my ramen right then and there!

What really shocked me was the Seoul WorldCup Stadium when I went to a soccer match. There I found a GS25 with prices similar to one you find on a random street.

Overall, I'm happy with convenience stores here! I sure will miss them!

I will share this information in a lesson in the near future with others.

Here are my favorite items I get from the convenience store:

  • Small pack of coffee
  • A cup of ice - use it for any drink you need to make cold (or colder.)
  • Gimbap
  • Beer
  • Ram
  • Snacks such as fried

Ramen

What is nice about convenience stores is being able to cook instant ramen in-store seconds right after you buy it.

Snacks

There are so many options. Here are a few!