Things I hate about Seoul

I'm loving my life here in Seoul, but at 8 months, I'm becoming less infatuated with the city. Like any relationship, while I'm starting to feel more comfortable, I'm also starting to see the flaws. So here it is, my Seoul rant - things I hate about Seoul.

1. The subway during rush hours. People are rude in the subways, pushing and shoving when it is totally unnecessary. I have been poked, squished, checked, punched (by accident). I have been so squished that my bra clasp has popped open. Yes. It is THAT squished. People who don't wrap up their wet umbrellas, knowing that it is going to get everybody else wet while we are packed like sardines.

2. The lack of garbage bins in the city. More garbage ends up in my purse than ever. Along the same lines, the amount of litter and garbage on the streets. The rotting food and garbage is gross and smells terrible.

3. How they won't let me order coffee the way I like it. It's either black or a Latte.

4. The flat and heavy metal chopsticks. I can't get food into my mouth quickly enough!

5. Too many people and too little space. I miss sitting in a quiet park. There's no such thing here. The population density of Seoul is 17,000/km2, Toronto's is 4149/km2. That's an extra 13,000 people per km square!

6. The lack of imported products. I have to go without a lot of the things I am used to using. They are available in Hong Kong, Singapore, and other countries I have been to, but not here. And when they ARE available, the price of imported products is so ridiculous that I just can't buy it.

7. People don't like to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.  At my height, I have gotten a fair share of sneezes and coughs in my face.

8. The smells. Whether it is the sewers, the beondaegi (boiled silk worms), the rotting garbage on the streets or whatever other gross things there are around here, sometimes when the wind blows, your lungs fill up with the pungent odors of Seoul. This is not a fun experience.

9. The traffic. The number of vehicles is ridiculous. But the worst are the motorcycles, swerving in and out of the streets, the side walks, everywhere. You are never safe. Don't walk around with both your headphones in, you have to hear them coming to jump out of the way!

10. Trying to get a taxi in popular areas on the weekends, in the cold. The taxis only take you if you are on the right side of the road, and if you are far enough. I understand why, but it doesn't make it more fun for me!

11. The small percentage of people who hate foreigners. They yell at us to get out of their country.  On the other hand, also the obnoxious foreigners who make the Korean people hate us.

12. Squatter toilets. I hate them. Especially with the garbage bin beside it, full of dirty toilet paper.

13. (An addition from cat that i totally agree with). Soap on a stick. In many public bathrooms (including school), there is no hand soap. But if there IS hand soap, more often than not, it is a bar of soap speared on a stick. Yuck.


I'm sure there are tons more, but that said, I'm still lovin' this city!