Korea
Overall, Seoul is an extremely safe city. Before i left for my trip, i asked a girl i know who had been on exchange in Seoul for a year what she thought about the culture and what it was like. She said that you could leave your laptop on a cafe table outside, leave it for the whole day, come back and it would still be there. I didn't really believe her but was amazed if the city could come close to being this safe, in comparison to Bristol or London. And it turns out she was right, you honestly could and no one would take it, no one would try to follow you home, no one will pick a fight with you on a night out and everyone will try and help you as much as possible. The only problem is when you go to the international (Itaewon) area where taxis rip you off and tourists steal from one another. It was amazing to live in a city where people are trusted and trustworthy, i didn't really think it was possible to be this much this way.
They also have a way of ageing gracefully. Obviously people develop different debilitating conditions that affect their way of life, but Koreans that i saw around were full of life and took their age as just a number. Often on hikes you will see a pack of grannies with all their hiking gear, ready to share gossip and food over a 5/6 hour hike. Be warned- you will definitely be passed by a few on the way up. One of the darker sides of being of the elderly population in Korea is the way they are being left behind by the younger generation. Those who built the economy that the country is thriving on are being left behind. The traditional view is that one is supposed to care for and house their elders, but this has changed as the younger generation move further and further away from tradition. Those who aren’t looked after have no welfare system set up for them to fall back on and are left continuing to work in jobs beyond their 70s that vary from hospitality and cooking, to cleaning the streets, to the few who are ‘bacchus women’ (women who pose to sell bacchus energy drink in areas where the elderly socialise, to actually prostitute themselves). I found it really sad to witness some of this generation not being properly taken care of and left to waste away after having worked so hard through their lives, and just ignored.
One of the few assumptions i had of Koreans, was that they were quite shy and would not have the same sense of humour as us in the UK. I was so wrong. Koreans are honestly a little crazy and will take any opportunity to have a drink (soju) and socialise, much like home. And they are an absolute laugh. Koreans can be very generous and will offer anything and everything they have to you, not out of trying to ruse you into a scam but it’s simply to offer their friendship and trust to you. One of the things i will miss most about my experience will be the locals i’ve met here, they have been so kind to me and i hope i will have the chance to repay the favour.