A Korean adventure, Mexican Standoffs & Murses.

Anyang Haseo! (from Seoul)

So before I go into some of the more strang things I've seen in Korea, I'm going to give you a peak into our Korean adventure. Natalie and I have had an amazing time in Korea. Each and everyday has been an epic adventure of discovery, curiosity, and amazement. Tuesday, our first full day in Seoul, was no exception.
We began the day by the day by following our stomachs. What better to eat than some good ole' Dunkin' Donuts? The cool thing about being in a different country is that nothing is ever the same, even at Dunkin' Donuts. We go inside, and there are all sorts of interesting pastries from all over the world. There are pastries from India, Greece, Japan, the US, as well as from some other countries. I love the diversity of American franchises in foreign countries! I ended up ordering a Kim-chi croquette and something else. Natalie ended up getting a kiwi something (Okay, so that didn't sound too exciting but it's because I can't remember the name! Still, Kim-chi croquette? I bet you've never tried it.)
Another cool thing about being in a new country is that you are never prepared. At least that's the case for me and Natalie. After breakfast, we went on a scavenger hunt for an international converter plug so that Natalie could use her hair straightener and her blow dryer. This led us to one of the bigger stores in Seoul: Kim's Club. Kim's club is kind of like a mini-walmart. The only difference is that it is vertical. I think it had 5 or 6 stories. Anyways, we head over there only to be disappointed. There is no electronics department at the mini Wal-Mart. On our way from the airport, Natalie had seen an electronics store in the area so we proceeded to walk around looking for one. We finally found one. It ended up being a mini version of best buy. The only difference is that it is vertical. Everything in Korea is vertical! All of the coffee shops are 3 or 4 stories tall. Everything. After a brief exploration of the store, we finally found what we were looking for (of course, with our luck, we ended up buying the wrong thing).
I know that I'm going over insignificant details right now, but I suppose it's because every little experience has been delightful and new to us. I can't help but cherish them. So at this point, we were ready to go explore the city. Everything we have done, we have done so by opening our South Korea book and randomly selecting something to do. Tuesday's pick ended up being the biggest park in Seoul: Namsan Park.
We took the subway to the park, but we ended up going the wrong way. This is prpobably because we didn't know how to follow the signs correctly. So we walk out of the subway, completely lost, and we see something that looks like a big mountain. So what else do we do as curious adventurers? We head towards the mountain. We ended up takling an intricate uphill climb through alleyways filled with little shops and restaurants. It was a lot of fun to be a little lost, letting our feet lead us. We ended up at the foot of the mountain, which ended up being Namsan Park. The rest of the day was spent hiking the mountain. We also took a cable car to the top, which offered an incredible view of Seoul. Seoul is surprisingly beautiful. When walking about the streets, you see a city that is completely urban, filled with neon signs, restaurants, shops, businessmen, stumbling drunks, food carts, taxis, and buses. It is a true sensory overload. However, when overlooking the city, you see a city surrounded by mountains and rivers. The contrast is incredible.
At the top of Namsan park was a very beautiful pathway that led to some very interesting attractions. One of which was an ancient pagoda as well as an ancient signal that was used to alert the country of foreign invaders. The top of Namsan park is the Seoul tower, a teddy bear exhibit, some restaurants, art, and a laser show. We spent most of our evening taking beautiful pictures and enjoying these sights. By the end, we were starving for some food. We proceeded to take the cable car back down and we hiked back down a new intricate set of alleyways.
Unknowingly, we ended up in one of Seoul's biggest shopping districts: Myeong-Dong. Myeong-Dong is one of Seoul's oldest, most popular, and prestigious shopping districts. Natalie and I were definitely not ready for what hit us. For an American, such a shopping is mind blowing. We arrived there at around 10 pm to find masses of people (and by masses I mean, WAY more than you see in any mall on the day before Christmas) shopping their nights away in neon infested alleys filled with the biggest and best brand names in the country. Truly amazing. We proceeded to have dinner and then walk around for a few hours (mouths wide open in awe). What an amazing second day in Seoul! I can't begin to describe how we felt.


The best part about traveling is experiencing some of the differences in the cultures and the people. I've taken note of a couple of my favorite ones. Of course, there are MANY more that I'm sure Natalie will talk about.

#1: the mexican standoff:
A Mexican standoff is a slang term defined as a stalemate or impasse, a confrontation that neither side can win. In popular culture, the Mexican standoff is usually portrayed as two or more opponents with guns drawn and ready, creating a very tense situation.
Wait, Wait, Wait! So who's been in a Mexican standoff? Me, Natalie, and a Korean. By a Korean, I mean every Korean we pass by on the street.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating. No, we haven't drawn our guns in some weird tense moment. It's not like Blondie, Angel Eyes, and Tuco in the Good, The Bad, and The ugly.
What I really mean is that Koreans LOVE to stare. Seriously, we get stared at almost every second. We walk down the street and BAM! A mexican standoff between Natalie, Me, and that Korean. We get stared at whether we're 10 feet away or 1 feet away. We get the up and down, and the double take. Funny stuff. But hey, i've gotten used to it. That's why Natalie and I are fighting back, guns drawn, ready to go. Well, we've been trying to stare back. Unsuccessfully.

#2: The Murse:
Ah the man purse...the combination of Man and Purse. The invincible Murse. To murse or not to murse, that is the question. It's a murse! No, It's a satchel!
Okay, so it seems like every guy carries a murse in Seoul. Okay, so I started writing about murses and I don't know what to write. Everyone carries man purses. Everyone. What do guys put in there? I'm just wondering. So I have to end this blog with a philosophical question? What makes a bag a murse?

Sincerely,
Nikola


Natalie's Post Script: Notice there is only one picture of Nikola and I standing together in front of something. That is how many people I trusted with my camera. Just one. Just one nail.

We also had our first soju experience this night. Soju is the Korean answer to Sake, only I like it way better because it is chilled. Oh and dried squid... I like that too.

k bye.

Sincerely,
Natalie