Page 24 - Blog 2015 - Korea in Canada

KoREa In Canada
KoREa-Canada Blog 2015

9awesome things

about Korea that

I wish we had in Canada

by Jennifer Fletcher (Montreal, QC)

hen I think back to my time living in Korea, I miss many things, but often it’sthe
Wlittle things that are unique to Korea, that I remember most fondly. I find that the
memory of a place can last forever in the small details – sounds and smells, and little comforts
and conveniences we don’t find at home. Here is a list of “little” things that helped define
the experience!

1 SoMeone HoLdinG YoUr BaG on THe BUS

Standing on a crowded bus is a much nicer experience in
Korea, because it is common courtesy for a person who does have
a seat near you, to hold your bag on their lap while you hang on
to the rail. This, to me, is a perfect example of Korea’s heightened
sense of community and incredibly efficient social organization.
Many urban Canadians know full well how annoying it is to either have a backpack shoved
in to your face on a crowded bus or to hold on to the day’s shopping while trying to hold
on to the rail.

2 GroUP TrUST and SaFeTY

In public places such as coffee shops, Koreans will enter and
place a handbag or cell phone on a table to reserve it, then leave
it there while they order their coffee or go to the washroom. In
Canada, this would be viewed as a clear invitation for a theft that
no one else would likely react to, or even notice. In Korea,

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