In The Jungle

There are, of course, a great many differences you notice upon arrival in Seoul, regardless of where you're from. Some are more acute than others. The sum of their effects, though, is to create an entirely unique experience for the first-timer. It's difficult to contain in words the sense of wonderment I felt immediately upon my arrival in Gangnam. It's another world I stepped into.

But first things first. If you're reading this, likely you have no idea what I mean when I refer to Gangnam. So right there, I think, is the best place to start. Seoul is massive. I mean really, really, really massive. It's one of the largest cities in the world by population. If you consider the entire Seoul National Capital Area, including Incheon, which is where the airport is, it's the second most populous metro area in the world, behind only Tokyo. But it's more densely populated than Tokyo.

Seoul is divided into districts. You can think of these as neighborhoods if you like, though the term "neighborhood" seems ill-suited--too rural--to describe them. Gangnam is one of these districts, and it's probably the busiest. Traffic jams are the norm. So perhaps it shouldn't be surprising to see cab drivers run red lights, or to see motorcycle riders weave through the gridlock, sometimes into oncoming lanes. Still, it surprised me.

In addition to its people, Gangnam is also home to a great deal of wealth. You can see evidence of this when you walk down the street. During the day and in the evening, walking on the sidewalk requires more than a little concentration in order to weave in and around the crowd of people, all dressed immaculately, stylishly, and with surprising individuality. No doubt many work in the corporate headquarters of multinational corporations, like Samsung, located in Gangnam.

The people, of course, are all Korean. Multiculturalism is an idea barely worth thinking about here. White people stick out; Black people don't exist. Appearances matter to Koreans, and it shows. Cosmetics stores are everywhere, outnumbered only, perhaps, by restaurants and clothes boutiques. Food and clothes are cheap by Western standards, even in Gangnam, but it's hard not to notice that at least some of the fabrics Koreans wear aren't up to Western standards. And the food is cheaper in Gangnam only if you eat Korean food. Thankfully, I enjoy the food--maybe more than Western food!--but I'm not a picky eater. Many people are. If they don't think they are before they arrive, they quickly realize afterward.

Skyscrapers are everywhere. Chain stores are ubiquitous. For example, I work at a YBM adult language school. There are four of these within a few city blocks of each other. There's one across the street from where I work. This sort of thing is not at all unique. You'll commonly see two of the same stores at once. It's amusing, although it can make navigation difficult; the streets of Gangnam are familiar even if you've walked down only a few of them. Right now, for me, there's nothing more exciting than walking down more and more of them.