Anonymous asked: Would you have Christmas dinner with me if I came to visit you?
I might travel for Christmas. Who’s asking?
I’ve been hearing a lot about the rainy season here in Seoul since I arrived. It looks like it’s finally here! This is the weather forecast I have to look forward to for the next six days (and largely for the next 4 - 6 weeks). The rainy (or monsoon) season seems to come right after the yellow dust season (where sand and dust from Mongolia is carried by the wind and just hangs over Korea). So if you’re planning on visiting me, you might not want to rethink late May and June.
I honestly like rainy days, but this many rainy days in a row is going to be a challenge. Today it was mostly misty but there are these occasional torrential downpours that start without warning. Got stuck in one today when I was bringing my takeout home. Yikes, luckily my food stayed dry.
I’m trying really hard to learn the celcius system. I put the two weather apps next to one another to try to make sense of celcius degrees. I know there’s a math formula, but I think it will be easier to learn if I just see both systems next to one another.
Seoul is still great though (even with the rain)!
An Alarming Morning
So I have a story that I forgot to tell in my last post. I would like to preface this story by saying that I feel completely safe in Seoul. I might only be a few miles from North Korea, but that doesn’t bother me.
This past Monday morning was a holiday in Korea and we had the day off. I was sleeping late and at 10 am I was woken up by the most incredibly loud alarm that I have ever heard. I think it was at 10:20, and I sprung out of bed and thought for a moment that we were under attack from that asshole to the north. After about ten explosion free moments I figured the alarm was just a drill (a suspicion confirmed at work the next day). Anyway, I’d never experienced anything like that, and it was kind of …. fun? I don’t know, I guess it was just part of the experience so far.
I’ve been in Seoul for a little over three weeks now and the newness of it is starting to wear off. I still have these shocking moments when I can’t believe that I’m in Korea, but for the most part it’s just starting to feel … normal. It’s surprising how quickly I’ve settled into a routine here. I guess working with other North Americans (can’t exclude all the Canadians here) dampens the culture shock quite a bit.
I am struck, however, by how different this city is to any I’ve lived in or visited before. In some ways it does remind me of Chinatown in New York. I hope that doesn’t sound insensitive since I’m obviously aware of the fact that I am in Korea, not China. I also can’t help thinking about LA sometimes. One of my first days here my boss took me and a few coworkers on a drive through the mountains. It was a pretty phenomenal way to see the city and the views from up high reminded me of driving around in the Hollywood hills a little over a year ago. Still the excess of neon signs, the food being sold on the streets, and the almost total lack of trash cans in this city are unlike NYC and LA (in a good way though, well maybe not the trash cans). There are also these pretty canals that run through parts of the city. They’re great for walking, jogging, or just sitting down. I’m a big fan.
Since my last post I haven’t done a ton of sightseeing or exploring. I did manage to go to Yeouido this past weekend where I finally saw the Han River and the 63 Building (pictured above). I was under the impression when I got here that the 63 Building was the tallest building in South Korea. Not so. Apparently it’s the fourth tallest (for now) but the towers that beat it are pretty boring. It sort of reminds me of the John Hancock Tower in Boston.
Promise to update more in the future!
Two Weeks in My New Home
(Sungshin, a fun neighborhood around the corner from work.)
Yikes! I meant to post something to this blog long before now, but days have quickly turned into weeks and I’m just getting to it now. Where to start? First I should say that so far I absolutely love Seoul. While it is not without its awkward moments, I feel very comfortable and welcome here. My neighborhood is in the north of Seoul close to Bukhansan National Park. It isn’t uncommon for me to go quite a distance without seeing another white person. I get a fair amount of quizzical looks, but I don’t feel that anyone is saying “go away” with their eyes. I like my neighborhood. There are a lot of older buildings (for Seoul) and there’s a ton of little side streets to explore. Yesterday I ventured up to the Gyeongguksa Temple (which is essentially across the street from my apartment). It was a beautiful and quintessentially Asian experience. More and more the fact is sinking in that I will be here, in Seoul, for the next twelve months.
I’m planning to write a long post in the future about the food I’ve tried here. Almost all of it has been delicious and I can’t wait to try more. This country has an obsession with fermented, preserved, and aged food that is so fantastic. So much of it sounds vile and tastes divine. I’m also going to write about the urban fabric and the architecture (for the few of you who care as much about this as I do). Also, I’m trying to pick up some of the language, so you can look forward to hearing about my triumphs and failures on that front.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy my blog, I’ll try to update it frequently. Wishing you all the best from South Korea!
Saying Goodbye…
I moved back to Cape Cod after NYU and only intended to stay for about 6 months. Well, here I am leaving almost two years later. I’m moving to Seoul to teach English for a year and I am pretty f*cking excited about it. I’ve actually enjoyed living on the Cape these past months, it’s been really nice to reconnect with home (but I’m ready to leave).
Anyway, I’m leaving in a few hours for Korea and I’m so excited to be back in a big city again. I’ve been away from urban life for too long. I’m also new to tumblr, so bear with me.
Will miss you all.
