We are amidst strange beings, in a strange land.
I'm spending this vacation break working,
travelling, and generally rocking it out in the Republic of Korea. As I'm
nearing the end of my internship period and the majority of my trip, I've
decided to take some time out to write about this amazing country.
Out of the cities I’ve been so far (note that I’ve
still a couple of weeks to go in Seoul following the post of this entry), Busan
has definitely been the city that left the deepest impression on me. The wide
walkways to the beach, the numerous beachfront chillax spots, downtown clubs,
and the laid-back atmosphere coupled with beautiful people has made it my
favourite city in Asia so far, sorry Shanghai! This isn’t to say that Seoul has
been boring at all however. Although a bit more strung-up, areas such as
Hongdae possess a permanent alternative and fresh vibe that permeates from the
classiest galleries to the most seedy-looking clubs. Speaking of clubs, many
offer free entrance to foreigners, though the quality of the club and clientele
vary.
Speaking of strung up,Koreans work way too
hard. They get up relatively early and end work in the late-evening hours.
This doesn’t mean that the whole process is all work though, a lot of it is
idling or “busywork”, where an employee simply sits and does random small tasks
with generous breaks to pass the time. Asia is all about appearances, and it’s
no exception here: you have to show your seniors an appearance of “busyness”.
As a result, you’ll often see working-age couples out and about way after dark,
as well as early burnout and relatively high self-harm rates. I keep saying to
my friends here “You’ve an amazing country but no time to enjoy it”. I’ve yet
to receive a protest.
I believe in travelling to see the people rather
than the sights, as it is the people that are the molded products of the local
culture, making them infinitely more interesting and beautiful than static
sights. I would describe the Korean people as hospitable, hard-working, and
friendly. Korean people tend to be a bit
more reserved than the Chinese, but once you break the ice (usually with
alcohol), you’ll find them full of surprises and of course full of local
knowledge of the best party spots like no guide would ever share with you. As
with all of Asia you encounter a bit of xenophobia, but this is generally more
restricted in Korea to certain groups, and even this is relatively minute.
However, don’t expect English to be widely-spoken (I still don’t understand why
American tourists I’ve met seem surprised at this). I’m trying to learn Korean
and they’ve taken my attempts at the tongue in good stride. So in short, get to
know as many as you can!
With your group of friends it’s important to find
the right time to go! There are certain periods in Korea that are more packed
with festivals than others, which are often fun and a nice break from the
standard tourism packages. So grab some buddies and come check out this awesome
country, accommodation isn’t expensive, with great places such as the LZone in
Busan as well as SBC and Kimchee Guesthouse in Seoul .(http://www.kimcheeguesthouse.com/).
Follow-up reviews by
the end of the trip!
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