Foreigners

He says he points it out because he is just curious, but I can’t help thinking that he is doing it just to annoy me.

Where he grew up, and where we stay with his parents, is quite rural, which usually means not many foreigners. Especially his very small home town. I think the other nonKorean  there is a woman from Vietnam. We usually see foreigners when we go to Jinju but it’s still not that often, so it’s something to make note of. Often there is a nod or smile or acknowledgement as we pass by.

While we may see a foreigner every 3 days or so in that area, we see a foreigner like… every 3 minutes in Seoul! Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration but it seems like a lot. It is a bit strange after spending a lot of time in a rural area and getting used to being stared at and then going to Seoul and not getting a second look. Seoul is only a 3 hour bus ride away, but it can feel like a whole other world.

My husband is surprised at how many foreigners are in Seoul, either tourists or residents. The number has increased a lot over the years. When he was younger there were a lot less foreigners there, so it’s interesting to see how it’s changing.