The land of 비(Rain)

As I finally stepped through the doors leading from baggage claim, I realized that I was now in a strange new country. A country which I knew almost nothing about, including the language. This realization brought along its friends; fear and anxiousness. And to make matters worse, it was raining like the country wanted to get rid of me.

This was my first impression of my spring break destination: Korea. Thanks to the Japanese education system, spring break in Japan usually lasts for a whole whopping month. This means I had plenty of time to relax, and take advantage of the extremely cheap flight to Korea. It might seem a little strange but ever since I arrive in Japan during the summer I had dreamed about leaving it. I wanted(and still do) to travel to other parts of Asia and have new experiences. Well, I finally was able to thanks to the $300 plane ticket from Narita to Seoul, and the wonderful currency exchange.

This blog has focused primarily on Japan, but for this special post I am going to write about Korea. The land known for kimchi and pop stars has so much more.

(I wasn't just talking about the weather)

Day 1-Arrival
As I mentioned previously, it was raining. Not the kind of rain where you put your hat on, and feel like you are conquering nature by keeping dry under your man made invention. No, this was the kind of rain that you either hide from with your tail between your legs, or just admit defeat and get soaked. I was lugging my suitcases around without an umbrella for over an hour trying to find my youth hostel. Needless to say, I even the clothes in my bags were soaked. I must have looked like such a poor case that this Korean woman ran up to me and started speaking to me in Korean while holding out an umbrella. I don't speak Korean but I think she said something like "Oh you poor baby! Here take this extra umbrella so that you don't catch a cold. Now run along to your hostel and dry off!" At least I hope that she offered me the umbrella because I took it with very little hesitation. Almost immediately after that, a man approached me and asked if I was looking for "Stay Korea" youth hostel, and proceeded to direct me. Right on, Korea. I'm fairly certain that, that kind of kindness for strangers is very rare in Japan. It was very refreshing to see that it still does exists in the world.

Day 2- Imperial Palace, Insadong



The first day in Korea began with meeting my guide for healthy breakfast of Dunkin' Doughnuts to get our energy up for the day. After I had finished my raspberry fritter and chrysanthemum tea, we set off to the old imperial palace. We arrived to what looked like an up and running legit court of Korea. But as I understand it, these ceremonies are the changing of the night guard to the day guard, and are simply a tourist attraction. And it certainly works.


Lotus in a shaft (Yes that is graffiti you see!)

Next we headed over to Insadong, a street known for its cheap traditional crafts and the foreigners they lure. While this street has a lot to see in terms of shopping, both old and new, the thing that I will always remember about Insadong is the food. Insadong has a wide assortment of food carts that post up on the main road ready to entice passer-bys. This being my first time in Korea, my guide suggested I try... well almost everything. So there we were, jumping from food stall to food stall ordering something new with both hands full, still chewing on food from a different stall. It was here were I tried for the first time, the legendary hoddok. Hoddok is basically melted cinnamon sugar inside a chewy dough. It is given to you hot off the grill and two bites will send you straight to heaven(the first bite is a little too hot...). Almost as if I was being punished for experiencing such pleasure from hoddok, the next food I tried would be my downfall. Ever since I learned about the existence of Korea as a boy, I have also heard of the legendary spice culture that existed. Surely, a country who is known for spicy pickled cabbage would be the land of spice. So, feeling a little big for my britches and wanting to impress my lovely guide, I strode up to a stall that sold dalk gocchi. Skewers with vegetables and chicken on it. This particular stall offered the skewers in mild, medium and spicy. I decided I would "gauge" this Korea's spiciness on this, so I decided to take the medium. Now I've never been outstanding at eating spicy food, but I guess that being in Japan for so long had given me the false impression that when something says it is spicy, it really isn't that bad. Wrong. For the first time since I have been potty trained, I started to cry in public. I stood by the food stall howling at the sky, tears rolling down my cheeks cursing my stupidity. Despite clear instructions by my guide to stay put as she ran to the nearest convenient store to buy some drinks, I had to get away. I ran to near by vending machines and reached into my pocket for some coins. Time seemed to be slowing down for me. Would I make it in time? Would I be able to buy my drink before I pass out from the pain? Or before my tongue just falls off? I prayed that I would not drop my money for that would surely mean death for me. With the clunk-clunk sound of the can falling, I thanked my lucky stars. While the aloe vera drink did help significantly, I still had a whole skewer to finish, but it was impossible, for the damage had been done. I cowered away from the chicken covered in liquid fire, and my Korean guide made quick work of it.

Day 3- COEX mall, Hookah in Handae

I tried to take a bite of Korea, and it bit back...hard...But thanks to opening the country to countless foreign investors, Korea actually has a plethora of American chain restaurants. On day three we went to COEX mall. I hate to admit it, but I felt completely at home in this giant mall. It was, to be honest exactly like an American mall, the only difference is it is located on the south side of the han river in Seoul, Korea. But check it out, I finally can have a decent piece of pizza: one without mayonnaise, corn and tuna on it. In fact it is more than decent, it is Sbarro!

mashiso(Delicious!!!)

The day ended with hookah in a part of town called Hongdae. It is near a Hongik University, an university known for its art programs. These art students bleed out of the university infusing the surrounding neighborhood with a youthful energy and that college town atmosphere. Bars and clubs are in plenty, and the hookah place I went to was proof that they don't mess around when it comes to having fun in Korea. Unfortunately I was too chicken to take a picture, but the place was an old night club converted to a relaxing hookah atmosphere. Drapes hanging from the ceiling, a candle on every table, and they actually had a room where the floor was covered in beach sand. And because this used to be a night club, there was a fully functional bar waiting to take your order, no matter how strange they were. This hookah bar had personalized many shot names, modestly named things like: "OMG I just came". All in all it was a completely different experience from the small 5 seater hookah places in Japan.

Day 4- Seoul Foreign High School, Movie, Bubble Tea

The forth day was planned as our chill out day, and that is what it was. I got a chance to walk through Yonsei University and do some exploring in Seoul Foreign High School. It was certainly a different atmosphere than my public Washington High, but it was without a doubt an American institution. It reminded me so much of Lick-Wilmerding, a private high school in San Francisco.

Later that day we saw "Push" in a beautiful and empty movie theater, then after that we had bubble tea.

Bubble Tea (Yea that's right...Jealous?)

Day 5- Seoul Tower, Myeongdong, Chongaecheon

The final day before leaving we decided to go to Seoul Tower to try and see all of the different parts of town that we had been to. Unfortunately, the tower was placed in such a magical way that this was nearly impossible. However we still did get wonderful views of Seoul not to mention the chance to pee while looking at these views.

9,040.09 km (I'm a long way from home)


If you squint hard enough you can see ICU(just kidding...)


There is something so relieving about peeing at the top of a tower

Day 6- Departure

When I woke up for the last time in my little hostel bed, I heard tiny sounds of rain drops once again hitting the window glass. It was raining in Korea again. I'm really big on the idea that life works in cycles, but this was just ridiculous. Thankfully, this in fact was the type of rain that I could put a hat on and stay dry and smug. While I was walking towards the bus stop that would take me back to the airport, I saw a Korean man and woman engaged in a yelling match. Both looked to be in their early fifties, and both seemed to believe with their entire being that they were right. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I think the woman was winning. I gave her major props in my mind and turned away. Back towards the country of Japan where I have never seen a woman argue with a man, or received an umbrella from a stranger when it was raining.

I'll miss you Korea.