Chapter Two: Rubber Seoul

Welcome to chapter two. I started to think that maybe my last blog might have focused too much on the initial culture shock and I've been having a great time so far here. Plus this time I'm going to try and incorporate more pictures.

So here are some assorted things about Korea that I really like so far. Or at least that are different enough to comment on.

I know what you're thinking. "Ew, why is there a picture of trash here?" Well this and many other larger piles like it are where you have to put your trash. From what I can tell you can really put it anywhere on the street and eventually it's collected. Kind of gross, and sometimes the smell is almost overwhelming. In the summer it's apparently worse. But that's the way they do it here.

For all those times when you have had to choose between wine OR waffles...well now there is wine AND waffles. Finally!

A guard at Deoksugung, which roughly translates as "Virtuous Longevity." Though it dates to the 15th century, like everything else in Seoul it was obliverated in the Korean War and rebuilt Its kind of sparse but there are some cool things in there.

One of many pagodas inside the palace.

Um, Standy-upy-things? (Maybe I should have taken the tour).

Also in Deoksugung. A statue of King Sejoing , who ruled in the 15th century and invented the Korean alphabet. According to my Lonely Planet, he also developed rain gauges, sundials, new music, and innovations in farming. His face is on the 10,000 won note, which currently is the largest denomination here.

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People have asked me what my favorite thing about Korea is. Right now, that is a very difficult question as I feel too immersed to quantify experiences. But my favorite thing, on a broad level, is just that I still have no idea what I'll run into on a given day.

Case in point: last night, in an area I'd already been to twice (Hongdae, it's sort of like a combination of Hawthorne in Portland and Garnett in Pacific Beach--tons of cafes, clubs, and bars). I saw a korean rock band playing covers of eric clapton and jason mraz. They had three drummers and an official dancer who at first was just kind of sashaying around but then did a 3 minute tap solo! Awesome. And then I ended up at a korean version of a german biergarten. So three places or things I'd never heard of but all that were awesome and just part of the unique experience here.

A German pub, they had yard glasses and chilled recesses (see below) built in to the table that not only cooled your beer but also had lights that changed the way your beer looked.




A chilled receptacle thing, in EXTREME CLOSEUP! Wayne's World! Party On!

A view of the city from a pub in Hongdae.

When the night started, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be hanging out with this guy.

And I was nearly positive I would't get a chance to meet one of my heroes. But you just never know what to expect whilst in Korea.

South Korea - The Prologue

I have been in Seoul, South Korea now for just over a week. I officially start teaching kindergartners English next week.

Why Korea? I first got the idea from travel writer Rolf Potts, who saved up enough money whilst in Korea to begin the trip that spawned Vagabonding. (Note: I can't recommend Vagabonding enough to anyone who likes traveling. It is THE book.)

More generally, I was completely amazed, astounded, inspired, and challenged by two journeys across the world. The first is by a Scotsman travelling the world with his wife; he is a brilliant writer and amazing photographer. The second also comes from the UK and is somehow even more ambitious, from a couple who biked from Scotland to Turkey and then liked it so much that they kept going. I was educated and entertained by their account in a way that few other stories have, regardless of medium.

After reading of those amazing journeys there was no way I could resist the siren call of travel anymore. But where to go?

I had considered volunteering in a place like Patagonia, but paradoxically I couldn't afford the fees it costs to volunteer. So Korea won kind of by default--it's one of the few places where English teachers can actually make a little bit of money. But I don't mean to imply that I came over here begrudgingly. I like that it's a mix of mountains, temples, and cities. I look forward to living in a technological culture, one with highspeed trains and starcraft tournaments broadcast on tv and phones that you can write the numbers in the air with. I like Oldboy and other movies from Chan-wook Park. So Korea = winner. Yay!

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I did some thinking about vagabonding and wanderlust on the plane ride over. Since I moved out of my mom's house at 18 to go to college, (so admittedly 12.5 years ago) I've moved to 20 distinct places. My place in Seoul will be number 21, and the 4th contintent since high school. The longest I lived in any one place was I think on Salmon Street in Portland back in 2001-02 for a year and a half. I know I get really antsy after 1 year in a place and 2 years is about my upper limit. Compared to professional vagabonders, this is miniscule, but it does seem like quite a lot of places. Is the constant need to be exposed to new information a flaw in myself or should I just learn to accept it?

I had been in Portland for just over 2 years this time. And I love Portland. For a hiker who likes reading, drinking beer, and cheap movies I don't know if there could be a better place to live. I know I will miss it but it's currently time to get away. I'm looking forward to Korea, even though it's one of the few places I've heard more bad things about than good.

Chief among my challenges will be that I'm teaching kindergartners. This is going to be challenging for many reasons, not the least of which
a)I've never taught kindergarden
b) I never even went to kindergarden. So I have no idea what to expect.

While I'm aware that there may challenges, I'm hoping to keep as open a mind as I can. Worst case scenario is that it's an ends to a means, and will end up in enabling me to travel to other places.

My long term travel goals are not defined but could certainly include any combination of
SE Asia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, or, well anywhere else.

I have a list of places to see within Korea as well. I'll get 10 days off for the year, plus weekends and holidays. Enough to visit Japan once maybe and see other parts of Korea. But the one place I really really want to see is called Paekdusan. It's like Oregon's own Crater Lake, and on the border of China and North Korea. South Koreans, Americans, and other "anti-North Koreans" can enter only through China. Siberian Tigers wander the area

I'm not sure if I've met my nerd quotient for this post(though honestly I've probably unwittingly exceeded it), so I'll add this. Looking around in this city reminds me of the beginning of the first book of Foundation, when Gaal Dornick looks around on Trantor for the first time:

"He could not see the ground. It was lost in the ever increasing complexities of man-made structures. He could see no horizon other than that of metal against sky, stretching out to almost to almost uniform grayness, and he knew it was so over all the land-surface of the planet...There was no green to be seen, no soil, no life other than man."

Thus concludes the prologue. I will update more with pictures and stories soon