In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Grid.” In June, my hula sister and I were determined to find Bukchon Son Mandu, a mandoo restaurant that boasts positive online reviews. Mouths watering, we traversed Insadong, in the sweltering heat, searching for the restaurant and on the way, we came across this unique structure. I had never seen anything like it in Hawaiʻi, so I snapped a pic of this modern, urban twist to the traditional “rock wall”.
In June of this year, after spending some time at home with my family on Kauaʻi, I returned to Seoul with one of my best friends, despite the MERS advisory for South Korea. We stayed in Gangnam for two weeks and during that time, I realized that had I not gone into Hawaiian Studies, I would have likely been living abroad. I’ve been adventurous, fiercely independent, and a traveler from a very young age, so with a knack for languages, I think I would’ve found myself living the better part of my life on foreign soil. I don’t regret the path I chose for my life because it’s been a beautiful journey, but this latest trip to Seoul helped put to rest the “what if” of whether or not I could’ve “made it” living so far away from home. For some reason, this recent epiphany is sweet because after a lifetime spent in Hawaiʻi , it’s thanks to my life thus far that I’m truly able to recognize and celebrate the beauty of difference when I engage with new cultures.
Spending time in Seoul reaffirmed one thing about myself: I love traveling, but more importantly, I love who I am when I’m somewhere foreign and unfamiliar and I can totally travel alone. When I’m at home, I’m careful and my sensibilities are in overdrive, but when I’m somewhere new, my adventurous self shows up. Eat silkwork larvae? Absolutely, hand it over! Walk into a space with live, feral monkeys? Sounds fun! Traveling to new places allows us to suspend judgement, to immerse ourselves into landscapes, and to blend into the background. It’s through these experiences that we begin to scratch the surface of a place and a people. The most enlightening experiences I had about South Korea were not spent in places like Insa-dong or Myeong-dong, where foreigners are expected to show up en masse, but rather, it was on the subway, watching people commuting to or from work and smartly dressed young friends getting excited about a new music video they’re watching on a hand phone. Although my Korean is limited, the language of emotion is universal. …
While riding the metro today, I realized that I really like being where the tourists aren’t. There haven’t been a lot of them since I’ve arrived, other than the huge group I saw at Insa-dong yesterday. I saw a ton of them walking the streets and suddenly felt uncomfortable being around other foreigners. I think it has more to do with the fact that I could be grouped into the classification of people that are generally misrepresented by a few “bad eggs”. Unfair, I know, but when traveling alone, I’m extra sensitive it. The one thing I find refreshing is that people in Korea don’t give you a second look when you’re a foreigner. I rather like it. Maybe they’re too busy to notice, or maybe I’m a nobody, or maybe it’s just not a big deal. Either way, I like blending into the background and people-watching. I don’t think they know what to make of me since I’m quiet, but quick to flash a smile and a bow. They know I’m not in my 20’s and …
After yesterday’s marathon wandering, I decided to take it easy and head down to Gangnam and Apgujeong, the status locations of South Korea and I immediately noticed the difference in terms of the dress, cars, and style of the people in these areas versus where I’m staying in Jongno-gu. If I had to assign an equivalent, I’d say Gangnam is a lot like New York. People do high end business here and as a result, have access to a lot of money. The suit, tie, and fine leather shoes are standard attire here. These are the people who look like they are chaebol characters in Korean dramas with slick haircuts and a kind of confidence that I’ve not seen since I arrived. The difference from New York? Streets are wide and clean and people aren’t rushing around. They’re probably in their offices already so sidewalks are relatively empty. As I sat in the local The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, I saw one bus drive by. This area feels the most like the United States. …
I had read about Dongdaemun being the mecca for traditional medicines in South Korea and being that I long divorced myself from over the counter pain relievers and embraced ancestral knowledge by opting for traditional medicines, like my preventative daily tonic of ʻōlena tea, I just knew I had to go there. After arriving in Dongdaemun, I walked briskly on the main drag, keeping up with people rushing off to work, but after a few moments, I realized I was lost. None of the names I saw on the signs looked vaguely familiar and to avoid looking like a pathetic tourist like I did yesterday, I ducked into Coffee Bay Coffee and Bakery, to let the foot traffic die down, check my metro map, and enjoy two lattes while I continued pecking away at my computer to bide my time. In the meantime, I enjoyed two coffees: a goguma (sweet potato) latte and a red velvet latte, each being 3300 won. I don’t know about you, but getting a less than $3 regular latte is …
In preparing for my trip, I read a blog post somewhere that baseball games in Korea are fun, so I ended up going to one by myself in Jamsil between LT and Doosan. Normally, I’m not a big baseball fan, but considering it’s an experience I should have while I’m here, I took the plunge. I caught the metro and amazingly, the station was a few feet from the ticket office. Then again, I’m realizing that everything in Seoul is this convenient. I bought my ticket and it costed me a little less than $10.00 USD. Not too shabby. Being solo on this trip, I’m thinking it might’ve been fun to attend the game with friends, to share a bowl of ddeokbokki, drink beer, and actually converse with someone, but alas, it was not meant to be and so I sat alone, amongst hardcore fans, and enjoyed being somewhere Seoulites gather during their downtime. As expected, fan cheers are amazing. Here are a few clips of fans getting rowdy with their inflatable noise makers.
I am sitting in The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Jongno-gu and watching people hurrying about on a Sunday. It is quite a sight. Young couples, dressed alike in the same shirts or jackets or shoes and holding hands, while others are bundled up as the temperature continues to drop outside. Here, indoors, there have been two arranged dates in the last hour and the men seem enthusiastic, while the women appear ambivalent. I’m not sure if it’s a strategy to not seem overexcited, therefore forcing the man to pull out all stops in the dating game or if they really are thinking about mundane things like doing laundry or what they’ll eat for dinner. I am not an expert in Korean dating behaviors, but it is an interesting process to observe. You can only order 2 sizes of coffee here. Small or regular and both are smaller than the U.S. equivalent of a tall and a grande, but more expensive per ounce and I am silently grateful that this country doesn’t contribute to …
You would never know that I’m a fan of Korean pop culture just by looking at me, but my love affair with South Korea has been going strong for well over a decade. It all began in Honolulu when I watched subtitled dramas on local KBFD and it’s blossomed over the years to include music, reality shows, cooking, language, and even, history. To kick off 2014 and give you all a glimpse into what makes me tick, I’ll be doing a monthly feature of my current distractions in South Korean culture. ♥♥♥ Drama: The Prime Minister and I After Heirs ended, I latched onto a new rom-com k-drama called, The Prime Minister and I (or The Prime Minister is Dating). I initially thought the 20+ year age difference between the leads, Lee Bum Soo and SNSD’s Im Yoona, might be challenging for on-screen chemistry, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are both excellent actors with a strong supporting cast, plus the storyline is sweet. As much as I liked Heirs, this drama is light-hearted with brooding kept …
Holoholo Girls 