I spent last week in South Korea for a work-related trip. Here are some random thoughts and observations from my trip:

• Seoul is like any other city. It reminded me a lot of LA, except about 10 times the size. It took me until the last night in Seoul to actually feel like I was in a foreign country.
• Apartment/condo buildings are what make up most of the skyline though out the Seoul metropolitan area. 50-story buildings with the same design in huge clusters are everywhere.
• I am NOT a fan of kimchee. I maybe like one or two types of kimchee, but the rest is pretty gross. By the end of the week, everything started tasting exactly the same.
• Soju is also gross. It tastes like a combination of vodka, sake and rubbing alcohol.
• The “hip-hop” brand Fubu is owned by Samsung. They also have shipyards, make cars and textiles. They have clothing stores as well.
• Almost everyone in Korea drives a Hyundai or Kia.
• The DMZ put me a little too close to North Korea, but it was pretty darn awesome. I bought some DMZ chocolate and a T-shirt.
• Most hotel bathroom and public restrooms in office buildings have heated toilet seats.
• People in South Korean speaking suprisingly good English.

For my first trip out of the country, it was fascinating and a lot of fun. Work dominated most of time in South Korea, but we did spend the last day sightseeing, so I was able to absorb some of the cultural aspects of Seoul. The jet lag sucks, but it was worth it.