E6 - Jaehyeon: Rediscovering Eastern Europe Through Polish Warmth and Bicycle Travels

What if Eastern Europe isn't what you expect? Join us as we sit down with Jaehyeon, a Korean entrepreneur currently exploring Europe, who shares his enlightening journey through Wroclaw, Poland. Discover how this vibrant city shattered his preconceived notions with its cleanliness, development, and warm-hearted locals. Jay's fresh perspective on the local lifestyle and the influx of foreigners seeking an affordable, quality life in Poland will give you a new appreciation for this Eastern European gem. Plus, you'll hear all about his delightful encounters with Polish cuisine and its comforting similarities to his own mother's cooking.

Ever wondered how to maintain long-distance friendships through shared adventures? We chat about the joys and challenges of cultural immersion when visiting friends in places like Costa Rica, Vancouver, and the Czech Republic. From Couchsurfing to cycling across multiple countries, Jay's travel tales highlight the excitement of exploring new horizons while camping in the great outdoors. Listen to his insights on navigating various travel styles, respecting local regulations, and the unspoken rules of nature, offering invaluable tips for aspiring globetrotters.

Navigating social interactions and setting boundaries can be tricky, especially in the Couchsurfing community. We share personal stories of handling unwanted advances and the critical role of clear communication in maintaining respectful relationships. Reflect on the transformative experiences of hosting diverse people, fostering open-mindedness, and the personal growth that comes from cultural adaptation. Jay recounts the cultural shocks and language challenges he faced, showcasing the incredible journey of embracing new environments. Finally, we explore how travel preferences evolve with age, as we seek more comfort and calmness over adventurous exploits, and the lifelong lessons these experiences impart.

Connect with Jaehyeon:

• Jaehyeon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisis.jaeh
• Couchsurfing: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/jaehyeonkim

Connect with me:

• Igar Garai Instagram: https://instagram.com/igargarai
• or be my CS guest: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/igar-garai

Transcript

Igar: 0:00

Hello travelers from around the globe and welcome back to my travel cast. Today I have a Jay Han Korean who immigrated to Canada eight years ago, currently working on his startup and now having a lovely trip around Europe. Jay, welcome to Poland. Welcome to my podcast. How are you doing, man? Good. Good You're already what?

Jaehyeon: 0:20

several days here? Yeah, it's been my third day. Yeah.

Jaehyeon: 0:24

I'm loving it. How do you like it's been my, uh, third day. Yeah, um, I'm loving it. How do you like? It yeah yeah, it's a very cool city. Um, I didn't know before I, uh, before I come here, but, um, I have a buddy, uh, from swiss and his wife is polish, so, um, they recommend this place before I go to Prague and, yeah, I underestimate this Polish like a little city. But, yeah, I've been having a good time, thank you thank you, cool man, me too, me too.

Igar: 1:00

And so it's your first time in Poland, right, fully first, like first city, wroclaw, right, you're liking it a lot. And well, let me like go, maybe in this way, let's maybe dig about this short Wroclaw trip. How do you like? Yeah, you said you love it, obviously, but like from your perspective again, you also mentioned something that you underestimate the Poland. Like I understand you, a lot of people don't know much, and when they come, like you know, when you don't know, you don't have expectation that you have something like some more surprises, something more good happened, right, and so how was your like, kind of, maybe in details, your feelings, maybe your first days, maybe if your opinion was changing and like I don't know, what did you see in general? What kind of gave you this surprise that you say you didn't expect and oh, wow, it's like, yeah, kind of can you talk around your world's life?

Jaehyeon: 2:00

Yeah. So when I hear or when I say Eastern Europe, for me I can picture kind of a slow life and not much technology and very friendly people just working like a little shop or restaurants and trying to get by. But I was surprised how clean the city is also, how developed the city is and the way they design the layout of the city, people, lifestyle. It's very safe. I think people are happier than what I expected, because when I think about Polish people, russian people, they don't smile a lot. Yeah, it's like yeah, but here I think it's more laid back in a sense. So in that way I really appreciate Poland Also, I didn't know in the past 20 years how Poland has been developed, which I didn't know. But now I can see why a lot of British people or France they come to Poland to live for a cheaper lifestyle.

Igar: 3:25

It has a similar quality and similar quality. Good catch. I agree with you in this sense. Nowadays, really, more and more people come here to Poland. Really.

Igar: 3:34

Yeah, like from Italy, from Spain, french people come, yeah, british maybe no, of course it's not like mass migration, but come and they see that he is know, good country, safe, lovely, beautiful. Yeah, problems with weather, but like it's a climate question. You know, rather than uh, even tone, not called magic before and like maybe cloud is still cloudy anyway. Anyway, good that you like it. Yeah, and I know that you had some experiences and some really advices from friend and you kind of, you know, follow advices. Tell your experience with Polish food maybe.

Jaehyeon: 4:15

Yeah, coming from Canada, I love it, it's. Yeah, we don't have a real food so, um, I really appreciate, like, how fresh, although from your perspective it's not. It might not be the like freshest. Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. Yeah, yeah, but you know, as I mentioned before, it's very like a mom's food. It's very comforting, it doesn't upset your stomach, there's no spice, it's just like a potato or cheese, but it's not heavy cheese yeah, yeah, yeah.

Igar: 4:52

So it's like this cottage cheese, yeah, like, yeah, creamy cottage.

Jaehyeon: 4:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for example, also soup um, I think, also a lot of salad and gherkins pickles.

Igar: 5:05

So I think it's a good balance. Did you say ogurki? Did you say Polish word already Gherkin? Gherkin, Because in Polish pickles is ogurki. So I was like man, you already know this word.

Igar: 5:16

Yeah, like I need to teach you I wish I knew. Yeah, yeah, right, so, yeah, cool. Also really nice that that you and for me it's really interesting approach again like, uh, we spend with you like three days, uh, two days, three days, three days, I think three evenings, days, anyway, um, and yeah, like it's for me was really all the time and we already discussed it was interesting how you say like yeah, for you it's like and fresh, and like like this, like that you give a lot of good words, for me it is, but I'm just like, hmm, I think this can be fresher, like kind of quality also, like in supermarkets it's not like really the best quality of the product, but you from other country, from different approach like, also interesting to see. Huh, it's not that bad again, all in comparison, yeah, kind of, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so, but huh, it's not that bad again, all in comparison.

Jaehyeon: 6:05

yeah, kind of yeah, yeah, yeah yeah so, but obviously it's not like you know italian apple or you know you know, but I know what you yeah, no, no, let's say tomato, yeah, yeah.

Igar: 6:31

So maybe it's not as representable as you know italian grocery, but uh, still, um, icing, healthy enough, and you know a lot of love in the food and I really like there's like a simplicity yeah, I really agree, like you say, mentioned this, you mentioned second time the simplicity and I agree, like this, like a simplicity, yeah, I really agree, like you say, mentioned yes, you mentioned second time the simplicity and I agree, like in general, I think slavic cuisine, yeah, quite simple and I think it has the reason for this simplicity that like again worse, right, like bad times, uh, poor times, people was living like you know not good in centuries, yeah, and it's kind of barbarian food even like you know not good in centuries, yeah, and it's kind of barbarian food kind of you know like it's simple food potato bread, I don't know. Soup, what is soup like?

Igar: 7:10

it's some potato, some veggies boiled with meat yeah you know, like and it's a lot of diversities salad, what is salads? Pam, pam, chop the vegetables. I mean it's food from the field, literally, you know. That's why it's kind of simple. It's without survival food, yeah, yeah, high cuisine, but I think in a lot of cultures it's like this yeah, cuisine, food from simple people going like becoming nation, like, yeah, I think pizza, the same way as we talk about italy, yeah, so it's quite simple food like yeah, so uh, but yeah, the simplicity, home simplicity. I agree with you like really good, good, you good that you really. It's like for me so warm to hear from you and like so unexpected, maybe because it's something like I don't know.

Jaehyeon: 7:57

You mentioned some nice details and I'm like, oh, wow, it's cute, you know yeah, because korean or indian or chinese food we use a lot of spice, and also north africa they use a lot of spice too right um, so it's the opposite of this, like all the spiciness, and it can be heavy. So when I try like polish food, I can literally taste the the ingredients If there's a vegetable. I can taste as a vegetable, whereas you know Indian food or Korean food. We just mix everything together, so we don't appreciate ingredients, but as a whole Kind of details.

Igar: 8:44

Yeah, like the separate details. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, makes sense, makes sense, all right, and what about your trip? Like what, this European trip? What are you doing? Like? What is your, you know destination? How are you going Like? Why are you going Like? What are you doing in your trip?

Jaehyeon: 9:08

Yeah, so I have a good friend of mine from Prague, so he's turning 30 this year, so I wanted to celebrate with him, so that's why I came here for this month. But before I come to praha, I still want to spend uh time by myself for a few days, just to kind of like, um, unpack my stuff and take a good rest before I meet you. Yeah.

Jaehyeon: 9:38

And cause we're going to have a big day, you know, you know, birthday party, and then travel for two weeks. So we're going to go to, so I'm going to go to Prague from here and then spend three or four days at Prague, in Prague, and then we're going to road trip down to Austria, slovenia and venice and switzerland, germany and back to praha all right, yeah, yeah, you have, you will have some yeah nice trip, yeah how many days.

Jaehyeon: 10:13

Uh, it'll be a month trip for me, but we're gonna travel for two weeks together, two weeks, but then we come back to prague and we're gonna spend another week there, all right. So, yeah, pretty much, uh, spending time with him, all right and how you gonna travel, like some, yeah, so my, my buddy can uh rent his parents car, all right yeah, cool, cool, lovely.

Igar: 10:37

Yeah, by car will be really comfortable. Well, so you know some somebody like so you travel also before, or something like how did you meet with this buddy and like that you close, you come into another country to visit, so it's motivated to travel to do some euro trip together yeah it's good connection apparently yeah, we used to live in new zealand ah, really, yeah, okay, and we were, uh, very good friends all right, all right and since then we try to meet like once a year.

Jaehyeon: 11:06

So two years ago we went to costa rica together, oh really, and before, uh, he came to vancouver, where I used to live, oh really. So we spent like six months together super cool.

Igar: 11:16

Oh man, this is cool stuff yeah friendship.

Igar: 11:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, nice, I have some friends. They also kind of like making me motivated to, you know, travel to them, but again, like it's not just a visit, it's also a travel together, like let's go do something together and you know, and the person looked on their place from different perspective. Because when you have guests and showing somebody something, it's like, oh, you even discover from new perspective your city or your village or whatever Interesting man. And you know what I wanted to ask? I wanted to ask you because you mentioned that you also will spend some time with family. Will be some traditional stuff, like what it will be in general, like do you remember that?

Jaehyeon: 12:05

You mean the yeah in Czech? Oh, I don't know. It was my first time, but I am super interested to like know his family. He talked about his family a lot and I feel like I already know them, but I never met them. So I come here and spend time with them. I think I could be able to like understand it better after this experience. So in the sense, I'm very excited yeah.

Igar: 12:39

This would be really cool man For you. This would be really cool man for you. Will be really cool, interesting and deep. Go to this slavic culture, yeah, czech culture, exactly. Yeah would be.

Igar: 12:46

Even for me would be interesting to hear your story, yeah yeah, maybe I should record that after all right and um and uh, tell me in general, uh, like, maybe some your previous trips, what did you have? How did you travel before? Like, what is your, your way of travel? You know? Again, we also have. I think it's also worth to mention that, like you, a guest on couchsurfing, right, so we're having? Yeah, so you're using couchsurfing as an app? Yeah, that's what. This is what I know about you, but I don't really know more like what you're doing, how you're doing, yeah, nature museums. I don't know whatever, just tell me, yeah. Tell me about you, how you're doing yeah.

Jaehyeon: 13:27

So I started my forward journey to Australia, uh-huh From.

Igar: 13:31

South Korea.

Jaehyeon: 13:32

By myself and I went to tasmania, which is like southern ireland in australia, and so there I I was working, uh, I made a cheese, you made a cheese.

Jaehyeon: 13:46

yeah, it's like a french cheese, like brie, or, uh, a camembert all right yeah, um, yeah, it was really fun, and so I saved the money and then I bought a bicycle and then I flew to Italy and then from there I biked from Italy and France, spain, yeah, uk, germany, and then I also stopped by iceland for two weeks oh, so good to you, to you know, have this reaction I did, yeah, wow, all right, yeah, just one by, just by bicycle, by yourself yeah, man, tell me.

Jaehyeon: 14:28

And then I flew to us with my bike and then from new york I cycled down to Key West, which is the end of the Florida. Okay, yeah, so the East Coast, and I flew to San Francisco and I did a West Coast from Oregon to Mexico. Really yeah.

Igar: 14:52

That's sick. Yeah, why. How did this idea came to you um or you wasn't to bicycles for all your life?

Jaehyeon: 15:02

I don't know, no uh, it just said I try to find a way to travel a chip but also spend, um, you know, significant amount of time in certain place where I like, instead of like me hurrying, like catch up flights, okay. So, um, I I figured you know this is kind of good way to travel. I also love biking. Um, also, I want to spend time in nature, so sometimes I can go camp. Um, so, yeah, that's how I started my bike journey.

Igar: 15:37

Nice nice nice. How was your camping? History History, histories, history.

Jaehyeon: 15:45

Yeah, I camp a lot.

Igar: 15:47

I usually camp a lot, so you don't have problem like wild camping, normal, like whenever you find a place like you're okay to yeah.

Jaehyeon: 15:56

Okay, yeah, but usually in North America you have to go to campsite, like whenever you find a place like you're okay to, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, but usually north america you have to go to campsite yeah, yeah, yeah um, but in europe it's, it's, uh, it's montreal, yeah yeah, I mean, even if it's illegal here, like for example in poland, if it's even illegal and you can camp like.

Igar: 16:13

If you don't do. I mean I mean some trash, you know, like fire or something, something that can be dangerous for surrounding or forest. Also, here might be probably a lot of private forest, so if you go like to some forest maybe private again you kind of cannot be on the territory. Yeah.

Igar: 16:31

But again, if you do everything like cheerful, like nobody knows, like you know, normal way will be no problem, but if you will, you know, like also in the visible place or something. Yeah, so here it's about poland, like the different countries, different troops, like in norway you can even camp in the park because it's public territory and everybody allowed to use it. You cannot live there, like, but you, if one, two nights you decide, hey, I want to sleep in my park, feel free, you know. Yeah, at least I heard it. I never tested it yet, okay, so, but I heard it, uh. So, and man, bicycle to this sick.

Igar: 17:09

You know my previous guest was also. We was talking about bicycle trip. He was uh having his first journey, super, like like it a lot. You know a lot of stories. Yeah, do you have any fun stories from your bicycle trip?

Igar: 17:26

Anything you know you can go for different, some pleasurable, some not pleasurable, some dangerous, some excited, some, I don't know. You choose any category, even several. Yeah, if you have some, you remember, like it's interesting man, because really bicycle, I think it's really a journey, you know it's a. One thing is it's very pragmatic, as you said, like you can visit more places. I mean like it's slow way, more time and country, more you see, more things, but also it's very like, physically and mentally I think, a journey. Yeah, because, again, firstly you need to know where to sleep, how to sleep, how to sleep safely right, one thing like where to drive safely right and like so so on. So that's why for me I never tried. For me it's mind blowing. I know like the steps. I know that will be not a big problem, but still it's For me maybe more like oh shit, physically, a lot of work and maybe with bicycle I maybe would go on some like yeah and yeah, so feel free to share with us whatever. Yeah.

Jaehyeon: 18:36

For me, the best part was when I was biking. I always had a host most of the time, so there is a website called the Warm Shower.

Igar: 18:45

Ah, I know this, like I was surfing for bicycles.

Jaehyeon: 18:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah nice, but because of that there's more trust in the community yeah, it's a community literally.

Jaehyeon: 18:55

Yeah, kind of cycling, yeah so it's very easy to get hosted. But also they are mostly retirees who want to help younger generations, so meaning I have like a better bed and you know all the amenities that come with it. But also it's super interesting to like talk with older people. But when I was in US, I met really interesting people who work for SpaceX and that time it was like a founder, co-founder stage and you know people who work for White House, for the president, lyndon Johnson, or, like you know, silicon Valley people. It was really interesting to. It was like another world. Yeah well, I mean, that's what US is known for, but still, when you really experience this, um, you know the world is changing by these people who are meeting right now and that was very inspiring and I met really just like diverse people, uh, hearing my story from them. Diverse people, uh, hearing my story from them.

Jaehyeon: 20:09

That was interesting and, yeah, I mean it's physically hard, but also, um, it's a good challenge, because sometimes when you travel, you kind of feel lonely by yourself and you kind of don't know what to do. You know it's beautiful, but you also want to share with the people, right? But uh, when you bike, like you don't think that way because you're already occupied. You're just busy to thinking about how you're gonna survive. So, um, in that sense, I see it as a meditative in a way. All right, so I like that part. Yeah, also, you know you achieve something, so it's more, uh, fulfilling.

Igar: 20:47

Yeah, nice, yeah, did you document it? Somehow is some like I don't know camera way or like journal or like blogging, I don't know yeah.

Jaehyeon: 20:56

So I didn't anything, I didn't do any of that. Uh, that time I I I think most of my friends told me like you have to do this always, always, they say, but at the time I wasn't in that mindset. I, yeah. I just wanted to just experience like fully without you know, distraction, yeah, but maybe writing can be a good thing, but vlogging and all that it takes a lot of energy. Also, it takes, you know, certain elements. You know you can feel spontaneously when you travel if you do, like vlogging youtube.

Igar: 21:35

Yes, yes, I agree, yeah, it's a work. I think I was thinking everybody was saying, man, you travel, why you don't do these videos, vlog? Because back then, like eight years ago, I think it was this booming of this vlogging, exactly like, yeah, travel vlogging, and and I was, I was thinking about like I was like how to do. Then, like you know these thoughts, and then another one, I where what conclusion I came to that it's work. It's literally work. It's not a travel, it's like really a job, proper job. You need to know what you do, how to put this content, how to pack it, how to represent. It's a lot of work it's really a lot of work.

Igar: 22:13

There's those guys working hardest, I believe. Yeah, yeah, and especially if you want a good picture and everything, yeah well, uh, how old you've been back then when you did all this bicycle journey, uh, when I was 23, all right, yeah, so 10 years yeah so it was even before your immigration to canada. Yeah, yeah all right, all right right. Yeah, man, interesting, and and besides the bicycle trip, did you have any, like you know, spices?

Jaehyeon: 22:45

So I, after San Francisco, I flew to Colombia, oh, okay, and then I did a three-month trip in Colombia, ecuador and Peru, nice, and that was also like incredible time. Yeah, yeah, just a new culture. People just just so friendly, they know how to be happy, um, just fun people. And you know, those people actually share more than you know north american people, even though they don't you know, have much. Ah, you mean share, like, like everything you know, like joy and everything, so it was really um shocking in a good way.

Jaehyeon: 23:28

So I learned a lot um our battery it's okay yeah, and after after um, I went back to australia another six months to make more money because it's easy money there compared to like other countries and and then I flew to Vancouver. And you know I wanted to travel, but I love the city so much, so, okay, I gotta find a way to settle down here. And then I went to school, college in Vancouver and I I spent three and a half years there and I met my ex-partner in Vancouver, but she's from Quebec, so you know she wanted to move back to Montreal. So we both moved to Montreal and I spent another three and a half years there and now I'm in Toronto.

Igar: 24:27

Nice, nice, nice. Well, like you know, when I go like also to those applications you know, like as a traveller, and they're important, they give a lot. They gave me a lot, like couchsurfing, for instance. Yeah and uh, you also mentioned the warm showers is it correct? Yeah, yeah, uh. So uh did you have any like like strange experience, like weird, maybe not so pleasant in general in your times?

Jaehyeon: 24:58

yeah, I you know, when I was uh doing warm shower shower once I think it was West Coast California I had a host and I didn't feel very comfortable because he was gay, all right. But not the fact that he was gay, but the way he behaved was a little bit Pushy. Pushy, too intimate he. The way he behaved was a little bit uh pushy to uh intimate and like like uh closeness, um, and I didn't feel comfortable.

Jaehyeon: 25:31

so actually no well, I mean he didn't touch you, but it's just, uh, just distancing, I don't know and like how, how did you handle it?

Igar: 25:42

like, because I I have similar story.

Jaehyeon: 25:44

Yeah, so I actually told him directly and and then you know he was totally cool yeah, so you know it was fine, but it's just that I wish um. Well, that's not true. I was gonna say I wish I knew he was gay, but that's not the problem the problem is that the way, like the approach yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think, in this sense, I yeah, I think it's very unfortunate because you can be a victim, yeah even as a man.

Igar: 26:19

Yeah, I agree, like I had on my couch once. I had uh, I don't know did I mention already to somebody or not? So the story was also gay, like nudist, everything. I'm like fine, I don't have problem with this, it was written in profile, don't have problem. But again, approach he was like so push to all of us, like it was like me to my friends and another couch surfer, so in total four of us. Like it was like uh, me and to my friends and then other couch or so, in total four of us. Oh, massage, you know everything.

Igar: 26:48

He was like feet massage kind of like this is really in fact, this is kind of harassment or how you call it, like abuse. No, I don't know so. And but also my conclusion was like when you give proper boundaries, yeah, when you put them, totally fine, they're really okay, you know, yeah. But if you kind of give in a softness and you kind of not hear, maybe they think also that maybe he's okay, interesting, just shy or something, you know. So not trying to protect abuser kind of. But I think again, if you put, put boundaries, I think it's work. You know, then after that story I had like I was hosted in us, for instance, also like same story, like gay, nudist and and massage. You know, like it's like in couchsurfing, it's a package for some reason. And and he was like igor, like do you want a massage? I was in the living room, he was in the room.

Jaehyeon: 27:46

I said no, no no, if I want, I will tell you really I'm fine.

Igar: 27:50

If I want, I will you know, and that's it. He was trying several times in the evenings or something. I mean not trying physically, but approaching with words. I said no man, I'm fine, you know. Yeah, so put. You know. Yeah, yeah, so put stuff. Yeah and uh. But even though life story you know, like and this is yeah and uh, but mostly it's good, right, like, how do you have any like life changer for you for using these applications and what people gave you? Like if you can compare yourself back then, uh, before all of those trips, and like after all and yeah do you have some feelings like this.

Jaehyeon: 28:31

Of course, I I mean, I can't be more thankful for this community. Um, what I learned from people and how I interact with people, my I met my ex-girlfriend because she was my guest. I met so many amazing people. Whenever I host people, they teach me at least a few things. People are generally really cool. It's just very interesting people. They are open-minded. They try to be open-minded. Also, they try to understand the world better by interacting with diverse people. Correct? So, yeah, I appreciate it. I mean, of course, it changed my life. Yeah, in a way that is not quantifiable, but it is there Significant?

Igar: 29:32

And it's pleasurable right. It's like really looking back and seeing what you go through with these people and those connections Really cool. Like even to different culture, different age, different, everything can be income whatever yeah but somehow it's chemistry is making the job right yeah yeah, interesting.

Igar: 29:55

Um, jay, you know what I want to ask you, if I can, like it's up to you, uh, more like your question, sorry, uh more like a question about where you came from? Uh, so, from korea, because, well, for me, I think I met several korean travelers but like conversation, like this, like going, especially now in podcast, travel, travel podcast um, I didn't have maybe chance to go, to have to, to ask this kind question. So what I want to ask, just like cultural thing, because for you, how it is as a Korean, the traveling itself, you know, like, let's, let me ask from several perspectives. One is passport. I know you have strong passport, like it's easy, maybe visa. Yeah.

Igar: 30:43

And in general, what? What is more and interesting for me is, uh, your cultural, uh, let's say um, not battle how to say it uh, your cultural, um, your cultural background. And when you go to the new places, you know, let's say yeah, and the way how you get used to act in korea, right, and then you go to some country, some random again, like some colombia, I believe it's totally upside down from korea, right, even like from approach in, like from all the world, obviously the same. Now you're here in poland, you lived in canada, like all your amazing trips, what you had, so like maybe it's I don't know how it's for you, maybe it's just first years you could really feel your cultural shock and something so that's what?

Igar: 31:34

where? I wanna dig if you, um, yeah, like kind of how you travel from your korean approach on those times, how was your?

Jaehyeon: 31:44

you know, maybe some koreans will listen to us and yeah yeah so korea is very uh, homogeneous society where it's like only korean live there. Okay, so right now, no, but you know, five or ten years ago it wasn't like this so I never spoke with um. You know foreigners before in my life how did you know English in school? Well, we learn English, but because we never practice. So it's not in a level like Scandinavian countries where people don't speak English.

Jaehyeon: 32:23

Also, letters are different, so yeah, I mean for me, where people generally speak English.

Jaehyeon: 32:26

Also, letters are different. So, yeah, I mean, for me that was shocking first. You know talking with white people, black people, latin people, you know whatever the color is, and in English the language and the culture of the language was very different from Korean. The way they express and idioms like allocations, that you have to know the culture Because Korea is a very high-context society so there are a lot of social cues that you can learn for a long period of time when you live there. But it's not easy to pick up in a day or two. You've got to spend enough time with the people. But in Canada, where I live right now, it's very liberal, so there's no culture. It's a very young country, so there's more freedom, so this kind of like culture thing is, yeah, it's quite foreign to me, not anymore, but it was.

Igar: 33:47

How did you go through this cultural shock, like it was good one, what, let's say, boosted you in the open, what I assume it is. But again, let's see from your perspective or it was, or you felt some difficulties like I don't know't know, like the way how you used to I don't treat people or behave or act in your daily life in Korea, and then you travel totally different upside down. So how it's impacted you personally.

Jaehyeon: 34:16

This shock. Well, I had to, you know, know, adapt. So constantly adapting, constantly learning, yeah, also, like you don't know, like what you don't know. So when I speak, only you know a certain amount of English, then I only can produce those English, but now I can produce better English, so now I can look back and say, wow, like I was really, you know, like a kid.

Igar: 34:47

Um yeah, your your possibility of change, um, but yeah, it's not.

Jaehyeon: 34:54

You know, I'm really putting like intention, it's more like it's a survival skill. So I'm just constantly I'm not thinking about like difficulty, I'm just I just have to be like sponge, just soak every information about how they communicate. All right, all right, yeah. English vocabularies and expressions yeah.

Igar: 35:16

So, like you was. Oh, it's actually a very interesting approach what you said, because you say survival mode, because you start to behave literally by instance like okay language, okay, what is what? Yeah, it was with you like this, interesting, very nice yeah well, man, good job for you, you know and then you're like you got the bicycle and say okay, I'll go by myself. Well, wow, interesting. Okay. Yeah, keep going yeah. Yeah.

Igar: 35:50

Well, man, what I want to say, like about this, I think for me was also the same. More like for me, maybe, first approach was not approach like shock and reaction to this shock was, and reaction to this shock was more like how the system, like how other country works, how everything is moving. I don't know public transport, like. I don't know supermarkets, like those basic things you know, and for some reason I started to observe those things, and even nowadays, sometimes children.

Igar: 36:24

Okay, how this works, how this, you know to observe those things and even nowadays, sometimes children look at how this works, how this you know, yeah, and then. But language is another story. It's hilarious, yeah, languages you know. When you don't know language, you use everything, like all your letters, fingers. You know expressions, sign language. I don't know. Baby sounds everything. It was, yeah, it was interesting phrase. Yeah, well, nice, cool man. Uh, is there any some? Is there anything something you would like to tell or open up, like, especially from you? Or you're kind of good, or you want to say something to people in general, as you wish, as you?

Jaehyeon: 37:05

I don't know anything yeah, I really encourage travel to younger generation and for me it was like very eye-opening experience. I grew up on traveling, literally, so, um, yeah, I also hope other people can benefit from the experience. The younger the better, I think. Before you really get to know yourself, you also need a time to evolve and you know, accept, you know who you are and observe, like any information. Possibly you can and you can be knowledgeable, you can teach other people.

Igar: 37:51

So, yeah, I want to say I really encourage travel to any people yes, true, yes, cool, good, good, good, good words, very words, and I totally resonate with this, trying to encourage my brother and so on. Can I just drop last question came to my mind Because you also said like in younger age and so on can you say somehow, how do you feel now and compare back then how you travel in general, the way? How is it changed personally for you?

Jaehyeon: 38:30

you mean me?

Igar: 38:32

I think so of course yeah, of course yeah, and like how it became, like, if I don't know, like, definitely in young age you was like more not brave, but how to say more. Like more not brave, but how to say more crazy. Take a bicycle to travel, you know all around the world, but uh, you know, like, uh, I think you, you, because I feel you know, man, I really feel there's some differences. Back then I was okay, I don't care, I can sleep here like or do this, do that much more exhausted things yeah nowadays, trying to make it a little bit more comfortable.

Igar: 39:09

I can do crazy stuff, but not all the days. All the day long you know, sometimes I want to calmness. You know, pc, for example. Yeah, what about you? Yeah, of course.

Jaehyeon: 39:18

I'm looking for more comfort comfort as I get older, yeah you think it's like really age, age, we are getting older.

Igar: 39:27

Also, the experience is not novel anymore.

Jaehyeon: 39:30

Okay, good point, very good point so I think we look for like comfort, um, and you know, you, you don't, uh, have this desire to learn when you get old, so, compared to when you're younger, right, you, you, just you have, you already build your own view, right, right, and you can only add so much yeah whereas when you're young, you are just a sponge right.

Jaehyeon: 39:57

So I really miss this feeling because I can see myself already. I have so much opinions, you know, uh, my objections and you know values and whatever, but I really want to go back sometimes and then uh, just repeat not repeat, but I want to express this feeling of unknown right or just

Igar: 40:21

nothingness yeah do you think it's possible, like somehow together the background, nice, okay, yeah, really cool, I, I I get you like, I feel you, um, yeah, so you think we will end up one day in in the beach in the hotel? Yeah, it's all inclusive cruise, cruise. Oh, cool man, thank you, thank you, really. Thank you for the chat, thank you for your good time. You know our last evening in the wroclaw. You know, I wish you a really good trip and I really, I really excited for your cultural exchange, what you will have in czech republic, you know, just travel, travel, but this is something, this is really gym. You know, this is something not everybody can experience, so it's really unique in my opinion. So, really enjoy travel more, you know, as you said, yeah, thank you man. Thank you so much.