What I remember most about my first few days in Hyderabad is the noise -- or more specifically, the symphony of strange and exotic morning sounds: the children chattering in Telugu, the man shouting what sounded like "paper!", the hammer of construction in an ever-growing city, drums nearby... I'd lie in bed each morning just taking it all in.
Seoul, on the other hand, might be the quietest city I've lived in. There are no cars honking, no vendors shouting for your attention... it's a far cry from New York City or Hyderabad. I arrive during Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving, so Seoul is quieter than normal, with many Koreans going back to their ancestral hometowns for the three-day holiday.
Tyler and I both have jetlag, so we're up to see the sun rising out our window on my first day there. We're staying at temporary Samsung housing -- it's like a large hotel suite, though no match for our seven pieces of luggage now strewn throughout the place. It's complete with a Samsung TV, fridge, and microwave -- what else did we expect?
Breakfast downstairs is Asian-style: I have fried rice, chicken, kim chi, and roasted seaweed. We explore the neighborhood: my first impression is it reminds me of Gurgaon outside of Delhi, where Tyler's office was. There's a sense of rapid growth all around: high rises and big roads. But then you turn the corner, and there are cute streets like this:
We are staying in Seocho (as I later learn is pronounced "So-cho"), on the border of Gangnam (of "Gangnam Style" fame) and a 10 minute walk to the headquarters of Samsung Electronics and Samsung Town.
I'm embarrassed by how excited I am by all the western brands here: Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Krispy Kreme, Taco Bell, Burger King, TGIFridays -- just to name a few. We may be feeling more homesick than we realize because before lunchtime, we would have gotten a Krispy Kreme donut, a Jamba Juice, and a Starbucks coffee. We can only get healthier from here! It's really fun seeing the familiar menus with a twist -- like Jamba Juice's dragon fruit and mango creation (as my cousin Jeanne says, "You've hit the jackpot with delicious food!")
Having been here a whole week longer than I have, Tyler shows me the ropes, teaching me how to get a metro card and navigate the bus system. There is nothing more humbling than being a beginner in just about everything. Something as basic as withdrawing money from an ATM takes us four tries.
Feeling the need for a sense of control in something, we return to our new home and set about the task of unpacking. Tyler is skeptical (it's a small room and we've brought lots with us), but we do it anyway. There's nothing like moving halfway across the world to sharpen one's desire to nest. Here's us showing off the fruits of our labor:
We spend the afternoon exploring Hannam, north of the river. The area is really cute and popular with expats, with its cute shops and picturesque hills. We end the day at our favorite soup dumpling place in the world: Din Tai Fung, toasting to our first day together in Seoul. We're a long way from feeling like locals here, but we've taken our first step.
Seoul, on the other hand, might be the quietest city I've lived in. There are no cars honking, no vendors shouting for your attention... it's a far cry from New York City or Hyderabad. I arrive during Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving, so Seoul is quieter than normal, with many Koreans going back to their ancestral hometowns for the three-day holiday.
Tyler and I both have jetlag, so we're up to see the sun rising out our window on my first day there. We're staying at temporary Samsung housing -- it's like a large hotel suite, though no match for our seven pieces of luggage now strewn throughout the place. It's complete with a Samsung TV, fridge, and microwave -- what else did we expect?
Breakfast downstairs is Asian-style: I have fried rice, chicken, kim chi, and roasted seaweed. We explore the neighborhood: my first impression is it reminds me of Gurgaon outside of Delhi, where Tyler's office was. There's a sense of rapid growth all around: high rises and big roads. But then you turn the corner, and there are cute streets like this:
We are staying in Seocho (as I later learn is pronounced "So-cho"), on the border of Gangnam (of "Gangnam Style" fame) and a 10 minute walk to the headquarters of Samsung Electronics and Samsung Town.
Having been here a whole week longer than I have, Tyler shows me the ropes, teaching me how to get a metro card and navigate the bus system. There is nothing more humbling than being a beginner in just about everything. Something as basic as withdrawing money from an ATM takes us four tries.
Feeling the need for a sense of control in something, we return to our new home and set about the task of unpacking. Tyler is skeptical (it's a small room and we've brought lots with us), but we do it anyway. There's nothing like moving halfway across the world to sharpen one's desire to nest. Here's us showing off the fruits of our labor:
We spend the afternoon exploring Hannam, north of the river. The area is really cute and popular with expats, with its cute shops and picturesque hills. We end the day at our favorite soup dumpling place in the world: Din Tai Fung, toasting to our first day together in Seoul. We're a long way from feeling like locals here, but we've taken our first step.
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