Goodbye Seoul, Hello Busan!

So, day 5 of our adventure we woke up late, packed our bags, said goodbye to the wonderful Miso guest house, and were off to Busan! (well, with a detour to Kyobo book store one more time per Kyle’s request!)

Got in late to the Blue Backpackers Hostile because the bus ride was 4.5 hours then a 45 minute metro, so off to bed we went! 

We woke up to SUNSHINE! Perfect day for the beach! We spent the majority of the day lounging and playing at Haeundae Beach- the most famous and populated beach in Busan. 

This picture does not give justice to the masses of tubes- imagine this, x5

Now when I write that we were “playing” I mean that very literally. There is something about Korea- something that makes it perfectly natural for adults, even older people (who, in the states, may actually be in nursing homes), to just play. Nearly everyone on the beach had a parasol (big umbrella) and large yellow tubes. We joined in on the wave riding on our tube (waves were constantly...made.. by a speedboat marked “surf rescue” which was humorous as the only waves were made by this particular boat and they were not nearly high enough to surf upon). Spent some time just watching others as people in their mid twenties buried each other in sand, 6 men made a tube chain to stay together in the ocean, and an older couple (maybe in their 60s or 70s) played footsie and held hands (of course after we had earlier seen them sharing a tube and riding the waves with the others!). 

"Parasols" covered the beach (see blog on whitening cream) 

Cindy, my supervisor,’s boyfriend asked if we wanted to “play” in several conversations prior to our Busan beach experience... I giggled and informed him that adults usually say “hang out” or something of that sort. Now, I think “play” has nothing to do with a language misunderstanding- but maybe a cultural one. 

I hate salt water. Compromise= goggles

After a long day at the beach we decided to go freshen up and relax at the biggest department store in the world! I am not joking. In this particular department store (Shinsegae Centumcity) there is an icerink, 3 cinemas, a large bookstore, a wine shop, an art gallery, a sky park and a 3 level Jimjilbang- SpaLand. These are all over Korea and although none of our local Korean friends have admitted to liking them, they have all suggested we go just for the experience. So here is a little of what it was like: as in many places, you remove your shoes before entering. Put them in a shoe locker then receive a hot new wardrobe of a brown and tan linen shirt and shorts. Enter the gender segregated large locker rooms and of course, get naked. Exfoliating shower prior to choosing one of the 22 different large (all-natural spring water pumped from underground) baths- hot, cold, warm, with or without jets, some with salt, and some claiming to have skin smoothing remedies. There are also saunas which I graced with my presence for about 30 seconds before dying (maybe a little of an over exaggeration, but they were hot.). Then put on your new gear and hit the co-ed floors with 13 different saunas, steam rooms and cold rooms- some specializing in sound, some with visual effects (such as a room with the projection of constant water drips making small waves on the ceiling), and some special because of the structure or way it is heated. There are also various lounge areas to relax, a DVD/TV room with large relaxation chairs, a restaurant and snack bar, outdoor foot baths of different temperatures, and a garden of rocks and logs to massage the bottoms of your feet. Ahhh, perfect. 

I couldn't even fit the whole building in this picture. This is the largest
department store in the world. 

View from atop the department store. Beautiful Busan! 

After the spa experience of a lifetime we went on the roof to find a beautiful view of the city. A perfect night soon to be followed by a frustrating expedition to find dinner at a specific Korean BBQ joint which we had read about in our guide book. Finally found it and partook in the feast then off to bed at the Blue Backpackers Hostel. 

Our last day in Busan we decided to venture to another beach to see if it would be more relaxing; Gwangalli Beach. But, after lunch and checking out the scene we decided that the excitement of Haeundae Beach was just too infectious so off we went to be swept away once again by the fake waves, thousands of parasols, and a crowd of people frolicking about!

More pictures to come, but for future reference- you can buy
any kind of character on socks in Korea- if you look hard enough
you will even find Obama. 

We finished our trip with the bus home, plopped into bed and slept away most of Saturday! 

More adventures to come... 

Last Day in Seoul

On our last full day in the enormous city of Seoul we took an umbrella in the light rain to explore the alleys of Bukchon Wanderings. This is a neighborhood of about 900 hanok, traditional Korean homes. These homes are protected by the government and although several have been converted to small museums, most are inhabited by families. We did not get to enter into the homes but just walked through the streets- some of which shared the walls to the palaces. The hanok is uncommon to live in now as the vast majority of Koreans live in apartments (as written about in previous entries) and villas (which is the type of apartment we are living in). 

After running into a clown on the street (yes, random), I went to take a nap and Kyle was off to enjoy the sweet aroma of... the fish market! When we reunited Kyle reflected that he could smell the fragrance from his first step off the subway, and that he was the only non-Korean present... and the only one not there to grab some anchovies or octopus! 

We met at Dongdaemun Market- a market which consisted of thousands of indoor and ourdoor vendors... open until, well we don’t even know what time they closed as they were still open as we left the area at 3am! We shopped for a bit- many vendors once again selling knock-off hand bags and clothing, cartooned socks, and street food including fried squid, processed fish on a stick, and a hotdog covered with tater-tots! After our fill of shopping we walked along the beautiful man-made stream called the Cheonggye. This stream is probably a good 30-40 feet below the main and very busy roads. There is a path along the stream and various areas to just sit and lounge, which is exactly what we did! Till the early hours of the morning we sat and basked in the moonlight, perfect temperature and feet dangling into the flowing water. 

A traditional temple-like/palace-like building just in the middle
of the intersection of several busy streets. (common.)

Streets above, the small lights are shining on the path along-side
the stream. The darkness is the water

I can celebrate the MN state fair from here.  

Perfect for our last night, took a taxi to the hostel and crawled into bed about 3:45am! 

Day Three of our vacation!

I wanted to update before we forgot about the fun details of our trip. On day 3 of our vacation we decided to visit/take a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace as it was nice out and a good day to explore. 

Entry gate of the palace

Gyeongbokgung’s construction began in 1394, the same year the capital of Korea was relocated to Hanyang (now Seoul), this was during the Joseon Dynasty. To give you an idea of how large this palace is: we spent over an hour here and apparently only had glanced at portions of it, and at one time it would house at least 3,000 people. The palace’s name means “Palace Greatly Blessed By Heaven”...but, in it’s old age, this palace has had a history of being destroyed through Japanese invasion/colonial rule and during the Korean War. Reconstruction projects have allowed us to explore and various aspects that have survived since it’s beginnings were amazing to see first-hand; such as the triple lane walkway made of large stones/bricks. The center was reserved for the king alone and the sides for the government ministers. On the sides there are stone markers for the bureaucratic rank that these ministers held and by which they would stand in order. The king’s lane was raised above the sides to make even more obvious his rank above all. 

Our tour guide in Hanbok. Notice the uneven surface of the ground

One of the king's many buildings- furniture was stored at all
times except for the rooms which he was occupying.

The king's throne. Only the king could have this painting
behind the throne as a backdrop. 

This palace was built and utilized during the Confucian period which you can see in the organization of buildings; one example is that the queen had separate sleeping quarters and was not allowed outside the palace compound as her main and somewhat only role was to bear a son as an heir to the throne. Social rules were guided by this Confucius mindset and it included a very structured and clear hierarchy that was followed in daily life which also can create a deeper understanding for some of the traditions within the Korean culture even now (such as the hierarchy of who to bow to, how low, and what type (formal/informal) of Korean to speak in). 

The banquet hall, once again, the king entered through the
middle gate/door which is much larger and raise up

One of the most interesting parts about the architecture to me is the deep meaning behind so many elements that one might just glance over or take for granted. These included symbols of longevity, and the keeping of yin and yang or the harmony of all things which is a high value in Korean society. This is also seen in the Korean flag (named: Taegeukgi) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_South_Korea. 

The original paint. This painting is of 2 dragons

These golden dragons are above the throne on the ceiling

After our tour we went to the National Folk Museum of Korea which is at the northeast corner of the palace. This museum had many displays showing traditional Korean culture from early times up until present day Korea. Although the actual wearing of traditional clothes (Hanbok) and living in traditional homes is very uncommon now, it was really amazing to see the beauty and detail of Hanbok and various ceremonies. 

After leaving the museum we  we decided to venture to Insadong, a traditional market. We took a detour to explore a plaza area between 2 very busy and main roads which led the eye to the palace and the mountains.

The palace in the background, and King Sejong- the king attributed to creating the Korean script

Insadong is the area in which we had eaten the night before and was now filled with vendors, socks with cartoons on them, tea shops, and traditional fans. The fans are painted by older men who make a living out of painting ornate and beautiful pictures on the collapsable canvas. I met a man whom I was eyeing his paintings- after choosing one he explained the written proverb: Your condition is the same as my condition. I found this to be beautiful in light of my experience here- many highlighted differences and a language barrier; what a perfect reminder and outstretching of a hand- we all experience pain, laughter, happiness, saddness... and we share in that. It makes me think of Ubuntu, in Korean. 

After jumping on the subway again we headed to dinner and coffee/tea with a couple of Kyle’s friends that live in Seoul and whom he had met 6 years ago at Youth With A Mission in Denver- Tae Eun and Juh Yung. We talked over delicious Vietnamese food and then in a quaint coffee shop. Conversation surrounded updates on life, future plans, and finally a reflection of time in America which I listened to with a heavy heart. Americans are not the only ones who are raised being told that the U.S.A. is the best country- it is something that is common for Koreans to mention here, and visiting America is often a high goal for many. (Although I cannot say that the stereotypes of Americans are particularly or accordingly positive). But after being in the U.S.A. for some time, these 2 shared the lack of acceptance and the isolation they felt during their stay. The language barrier made for difficult conversations, misunderstandings, feeling dumb, and lack of friends. And as I reflect on how hospitable Koreans are to everyone, and how harmony, a humble attitude, and respect are a large part of the ethos here- I understand the reflection of Juh Yung when she stated that she felt many people were not nice... even rude. The conversation has caused me to reflect deeply on the culture of America, and the differences here... not everything can be labeled good or bad. We do not live in this type of world. 

We said our goodbyes, and off to bed at Miso Guest House. 

Day 2 of Seoul searching

We woke up to pouring rain that blanketed the whole day in Seoul, which was the forecast for the whole week (luckily this ended up being the only full day of rain). We decided to make the best of it and go on a tour bus of the city thinking this would be a good way to see some great sights while staying dry! 

On our way to the tour bus we, of course, stopped at Kyobo Book Store- which has a large “foreign” section that Kyle got giddy over. Then off to see the city! 

Seoul is very large and we soon realized that we would only be seeing a very small portion of it and that would take up the entire day. We started at Gwanghwamun (the old city gate) then went past Deoksugung Palace. Next we got off at Namdaemun Market which was a network of streets with many small shops and vendors selling traditional Korean things as well as clothes and knock off handbags. 

A shop for traditional Korean clothing for children

We jumped on the next bus and went past Seoul Station, the U.S.O., Yongsan Station, then jumped off at the National Museum of Korea. At the museum we had lunch- Raman noodles and a spicy soup- Duk Boki, which is the soup we had with my students weeks ago for the first time. 

The National Museum of Korea

The museum, you can see Seoul Tower in the distance

The museum is the 6th largest in the world. And free! We explored only the first floor for hours- reading and looking at artifacts from the earliest history of Korea through the Joseon Dynasty. It is incredible to read of a history of a people that have such deep roots and rich history that is sometimes heartbreaking to read of. I thought of how the American “melting pot” and my multi-cultural background has almost estranged me to such a deep pride and identity as there seems to be here. Do I identify with American history? Mexican? Irish? Scottish? German? European?... although the mono-culture of Korea is sometimes overwhelmingly homogeneous to me, there are MANY things that I find beautiful about it.

Seoul Tower- we wish to go up to the top someday but it was too cloudy this trip to Seoul

10 Story Pagoda

Buddha carved thousands of times 

Back to the bus and our high hopes of stopping at many other places was beat by our exhaustion and our not-so-effective rain coats with a too-small-for-two-people umbrella. 

After some coffee and resting we met up with Chong Jung Ung (Hero) and one of his friends. Hero is our supervisor’s boyfriend whom we have met a couple times before. They brought us to a traditional Korean restaurant in Insadong (a traditional market). They wanted to introduce us to some of the traditional dishes we had yet to try- fish, spicy crab, burnt rice tea, Korean pizza, bulgogi, and of course- Kimchi! After dinner we went to a traditional coffee/tea house where we had great conversation filled with the typical language barriers. 

After devouring the fish

It was late. So we then went back to the hostile to get ready for an evening of... DANCING!! 

We walked up and down the streets in Hongdae to find a “happening” club- bright lights, loud music, and a good sized line to get in gave us the cue- this was the place! The underground club was 2 levels of rave/techno madness! Men and women danced pretty much entirely separately- and just let loose! Kyle did his jig while pointing his index fingers and shaking his hips! 

Off to bed after a full day :)

p.s. there are many many people in Seoul (as expected), and many that spoke English, along with a fair amount of foreigners everywhere. Kyle and I shared with each other several times that we enjoy the trip to Seoul but are very happy about where we live- it is much slower and less western. 


-Shana