Korean Ryan Visits America.

My family and I were driving through Chicago for about an hour before we found the vegetarian restaurant that I really like. In that time, we passed by two Korean churches and a Korean grocery. Oddly, that made me feel more at home than the rest of Chicago did. I had grown used to Korea, and the US just seemed odd now.

The first thing I noticed off the plane was the flatness and not just the land. Sure, the lack of mountains was very jarring, as was being able to see for miles, but what was more so were the buildings. In the suburbs of Chicago, we only passed a few buildings more than two stories high. The houses were flat. The stores were flat. The schools were flat. Everything was flat. I wasn't used to seeing that much sky...and I'm still not. It's only gotten worse since I made it back to Fort Wayne. Near my parents' house it's mostly farm land. The world seems to big, but the buildings seem too small.

The buildings may be small, but nothing else about the US is. People here are huge. I don't mean tall, either: the average Korean is only a little shorter than the average American. I mean FAT. Americans are very big, and it took a year away to notice really how big. All that extra weight makes Americans look sickly all the time. Their faces look tired and sunken. They simply look unhealthy. Already I'm longing for the fit, trim, pleasant faced Koreans. In Korea, even the men stay in good shape and are concerned with their looks.

Maybe because people are so much bigger, their houses are too. My entire old apartment builing is probably pretty close to the square footage of my parents house. My actual apartment isn't much bigger than their huge American SUV. The extra space might seem nice in theory, but a small apartment actually seems more cozy. I like the room to run, but having all that extra space makes you want to fill it with things.

Also because Americans have an extra layer of fat, I think they must be warmer. I simply can't get used to American air conditioning. I never would have thought it, but it's WAY too cold here. In Korea, they keep it just cool enough to be comfortable. In the US, it seems like they want to recreate winter.

Sure, I love the food in the US, I love seeing my family, and I love the freedom that speaking the native language brings, but man, America will take some getting used to. I'll probably get used to it just in time to head back to Korea. Good times.

R