Recording summary · January 2017
5 things I liked about South Korea
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Overview
Daniel reflected positively on living in South Korea, appreciating the modern subway system, fast internet speeds, and local food such as home-delivered fried chicken with pickled radish, Chinese food, and dining with lettuce wraps.
Korean food delivery practices included couriers returning to collect reusable dishes, while supermarkets and Costco offered generous food samples that allowed visitors to eat full meals without purchasing items.
Local staff in South Korea frequently mistook Daniel for Japanese and addressed him in Japanese.
Korean ingredients were purchased in England, though kimchi purchases stopped because Daniel's father disliked the strong aroma.
Internet upload speeds differed between an urban setting in South Korea and rural England, and the design and ease of navigation of the Seoul subway system were compared to London's underground network.
Daniel's family from Malaysia visited Seoul during Christmas in sub-zero winter temperatures, requiring frequent stops at coffee shops to stay warm.
Themes
Life, food culture, delivery services, and supermarket food sampling in South Korea.
Comparisons between South Korea and England regarding internet speeds, public transit systems, and food availability.
Interactions with local staff in South Korea and family travel to Seoul during winter.
Developments
Couriers returned to collect reusable dishes following Korean food delivery.
Local staff in South Korea addressed Daniel in Japanese after mistaking him for Japanese.
Daniel stopped purchasing kimchi in England due to his father's dislike of the aroma.
Daniel's family from Malaysia visited Seoul during Christmas in sub-zero temperatures and stopped frequently at coffee shops to keep warm.
Uncertainties & gaps
The exact historical era when the South Korean underground system was built, with speculation that it might have been built around the 1950s.