Korea`s Got Seoul

From the first moment I realized I would be living in Japan for a year, I knew South Korea was one of the places I would have to visit.  As many of you know, I worked at a private tutoring center in Ann Arbor for a year and a half.  The center was owned and run by a Korean family, and all of the students were either Korean-American or relatively-recent Korean immigrants.  During that time, I heard a lot about the country and managed to work up a healthy curiosity.  So when I began to arrange my vacation days, Seoul ended up on the short list of intended travel destinations.

When I asked my Japanese friends and acquaintances about Korea, I got mixed opinions.  I may have mentioned before that relations between Korea and Japan are somewhat fraught -- Japan occupied Korea for about 35 years beginning in 1910 and ruthlessly oppressed Korean culture, and there`s still a lot of lingering animosity.  In addition, development came to Korea fairly late in modern history, so I think there`s a tendency by some older Japanese to see Korea as a little dirtier and more backwater than their own country (the phrases we heard were "more Asian" or "more like China."  Pro-tip: in certain countries, among certain generations of people, saying something is "like China" is almost never a compliment).

The younger generation of Japanese is a different story, however.  They were generally enthused about Seoul, telling us that it was cheap, great for shopping, and had an abudance of delicious food.  Still, I wondered about the actual culture of Korea.  What made Korea special?  What did the country have to offer, besides shopping and stuffing your face?  Luckily, when it comes to sharing their culture with foreigners, South Koreans are some of the most enthusiastic and outgoing people I`ve ever encountered.  There`s a big push in Korea to attract more tourism and open cross-cultural exchange with other nations.  While in Seoul, we were entreated more than once to "please love Korea." 

And I did.  I LOVED Korea. :)  Now for some pictures.

My ticket to Korea, via Asiana Airlines.  Notice that "Ms. Joanna R Lesher" somehow got garbled into "LESHER.JOANNARMS."  I felt like I needed to develop really ripped biceps in order to be worthy of my new nickname.

The wastebasket at Gimpo Airport.  In case I never mentioned it before, Japan is obsessive about sorting garbage.  There`s a bin for burnables, a bin for non-burnables, a bin for cans, a bin for plastic bottles, etc.  But here at Gimpo, what did I see?  One wastebasket for every kind of garbage!  That was when I knew I wasn`t in Japan anymore.

Hanbok, the traditional costume of Korea.  Some people I`ve talked to say these look like maternity dresses, but I think they`re beautiful.  I almost bought one but decided not to at the last minute.  Now I kind of regret it. :(

Our hotel room was ENORMOUS.  And cheap.  The money we spent on this room would have gotten us a rabbit hutch with a bare matress on the floor in Tokyo.  This is the most luxurious room we`ve ever had since arriving in Asia.

Striking a pose in front of Sejong the Great, ruler of Korea in the 1400s and inventor of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.  This is a big deal because, prior to the invention of Hangul, Koreans had no writing system of their own.  They had to use Chinese characters instead.  Now the country has an almost 100% literacy rate because Hangul is the most scientific writing system in the world.  (Allegedly.  I`m not sure how you`d actually measure something like that).

Ryan in front of Sejong.

A protest in Insa-dong in downtown Seoul.  If you look closely, you can see that the poster reads "Dogs are friend!  Don`t eat dog."  I can definitely get behind those sentiments. :)

Gyeongbokgung, the Imperial Palace of Korea.  It`s one of five palaces in Seoul but is supposed to be the grandest and most imposing.

The changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung.  Lots of drumming and marching around in formation.  Very cool to watch.

Haechi, the mythical protector of Seoul.  He has scales and wings and looks kind of doofy, but in a lovable sort of way.  I`m not sure if I`d trust him to protect my city, but I do want to snuggle him.

The throne at Gyeongbokgung.  The mural behind the throne shows a sun (representing the king), a moon (representing the queen), and five peaks (representing...I forgot).  Colorful, isn`t it?

A gold dragon on the ceiling of the palace.  This dragon is special because it has seven claws, whereas most dragons have only five.  Why the extra two claws?  For kicking more @ss of course!  No, but seriously, no one knows for sure.

Monkeys on the roof of the party hall.  These statues (plus the curved roof) are intended to redirect any malicious spirits (i.e. sky ghosts) that show up.

The back side of the party hall.  You could only reach it by boat.  Gorgeous!

Ah, and now to a more modern part of Seoul, where there is no Emperor and Mario is a candidate for the presidency.  I`m pretty sure he isn`t a naturalized Korean citizen, though...

Insa-dong, the traditional Korean craft district.  Lots of food booths, tea houses, and souvenir shops selling ultra-cheap crafts to foreigners.  And I do mean CHEAP.  The downside about visiting Insa-dong was I realized that all the gifts my Korean students had given me over the years cost the equivalent of like, two bucks and could be purchased in packs of eight.  Oh well, I still feel special!

Man panty!  Only 10,000 won (the equivalent of ten bucks).  What a steal!

Neolithic pithouses at Amsa-dong.  Only an archaeology nerd like me (and a pottery nerd like Ryan) would make this kind of a side trip.  It was so worth it, though.

Namdaemun, a giant marketplace in downtown Seoul.  The vendors there sell everything from knock-off Louis Vuitton purses to knock-off Calvin Klein underwear to knock-off Michigan State hoodies (with the wrong school colors).  We even found a sweatshirt with a picture of Totoro and the lyrics to "London Calling" printed on the back.  I still can`t fathom why we didn`t buy that shirt.

Myeong-dong, a more upscale fashion district.  This is where all the hip youngsters hang out.  We didn`t buy any clothes, though.  We just bought a bunch of traditional Korean cakes.  I think we were doing it wrong.

Who is this sexy Korean dream boat?  We may never know.

Cheonggyecheong, an awesomely charming stream near Myeong-dong (and make-out point of the century, if the number of lip-locked couples was any indication).

A virtual garden at Cheonggyecheong.  The flowers grow a little each day and move when your shadow touches them.

A display on the Seoul metro, featuring the most bone-chilling rendition of Mr. Bean I have ever seen.

On our last morning in Seoul, we met up with my former student, Tae hee.  He took us out for a traditional Korean lunch, which included spicy cabbage, beef, and so many side-dishes they barely fit on the table.  Korean eateries are kind of known for this.

Me and Tae hee, just before we parted ways and Ryan and I headed back to Japan.  Bye bye, Korea.  I love you!