Seoul and South Korean Travel, Culture, photos and News

5 Cultural Tips When Visiting South Korea

2011-07-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Travelling around the world is an opportunity to experience how people from other cultures live. This can have a number of affects on you, it can either make you appreciate the culture in which you live or it can teach you that there are aspects of all cultures which you can incorporate into your life to your benefit. Whatever the outcome, you need to ensure that you make an effort to be conscious of other cultures whilst in amongst them in order to appreciate the positive and negative aspects. Below are some tips on how to fit in with South Korean culture:

If you go to visit a Korean friend it is custom to take them a small gift - It is likely that they will offer you one in return, and you should accept it after initially showing reluctance. Acceptance of the gift is a must.

Be sure to remove your shoes - When entering a home in South Korea be sure to remove your shoes. This is a respectful gesture which shows that you appreciate being welcomed into someone’s environment.
Eye contact in a business environment:When conducting business with a South Korean national whose position is senior to yours, be sure to avoid eye contact with them. Making eye contact is seen as a lack of respect for who they are and what they have achieved.

Don’t shake too hard - When we shake hands in the west it is seen as customary to have a firm hand shake as this is seen as a sign of confidence. In South Korea it is offensive to shake hands in a firm manner.

Planning to visit Seoul in Korea or interested in jobs in Korea such as teaching English?

4 of the finest hotels in Seoul

2011-03-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world and is home to some 10 million people. The city is the capital of South Korea and is fast becoming a very popular city for tourists to visit with many things to see and do.

You certainly won’t be short of hotels to choose from but today we wanted to highlight some of the most luxurious hotels in the city.

Renaissance Seoul Hotel – Official rating 5* - High speed internet access, close proximity to the city airport and a wealth of luxurious facilities make the Renaissance a firm favourite with the regular Seoul visitor. An ideal choice if you are in South Korea on business.

Grand InterContinental Seoul – Official rating 5* - The Gran is unique in this list as it attempts to fuse Korean tradition with a modern hotel atmosphere. The others offer supreme luxury (as does the Grand) but where the other hotels attempt to bring a westernised and standardised hotel feel to Seoul, the Grand attempts to blend into its surroundings. There are 535 bedrooms and the excellent standards with great on-site facilities make this a perfect choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

JW Marriott Seoul – Official rating 5* - The Marriott is the closest hotel to the airport and is situated right in the heart of the capital’s entertainment and shopping district where you can choose from a wealth of retailers, attractions and of course sample some of the tantalising local cuisine at the many world-class restaurants. The Marriott is the choice for the city traveller that’s visiting Seoul for a short amount of time and doesn’t want to waste precious minutes in taxis going to and from a hotel in the suburbs.

The Ritz-Carlton Seoul - Located in the Kangnam district in close proximity to a wide array of commercial property, the Ritz-Carlton is without a doubt the hotel to choose if you are coming to Seoul on business. It recently earned the highest customer satisfaction rating for a hotel in South Korea, ranking number one for customer satisfaction out of all the hotels in the capital in a study conducted by the Korean Productivity Centre. If your expenses account allows it, consider one of the 47 opulent suites which offer spectacular views across the city skyline.

This was a guest contribution from Rob at Maldives Holidays 2011.

Formula One: South Korean Grand Prix

2011-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

The Korean Grand Prix is one of the newest events in the Formula One Calendar. This event is set to take place this year, with the racetrack scheduled to be completed by July 2010. The race takes place on the Korean International Circuit, located in the South Jeolla province in the Yeongam County, which is 400 kilometres to the South of the capital, Seoul. The building of this race track cost around $260 million and a result of a collaboration effort between KAVO (Korean Auto Valley Operation) and Bernie Ecclestone.

The first Formula One race at the Korean International Circuit will took place in 2010, with the organisers having received a contract for seven years. There is also a provisional agreement for a further five years, which will ensure that the Korean Grand Prix will take place until the year 2021.

Like with most Formula One Races, the Korean Grand Prix will also take place over a period of three days. The first day of the event will be devoted to two practice rounds. The second day will feature the third and final practice round as well as the qualifiers, which will determine who will take the pole position at the main race. The final day is dedicated to the main race.

The Korean Grand Prix circuit is 5.6kilometres long and the race will have 55 laps. The total distance covered during the course of the race is 300+ kilometres.

My Driving Experience in Korea

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to Korea I decided that, in an attempt to maintain my independence, I would hire a car. Driving in a foreign country is always an interesting experience, but driving in Korea really stretched my skills to the limit. It not only tested my driving skills, but also my skills of observation and the extent of my patience. Despite this, I have to say that it added significantly to my experience and I would urge people visiting not to perceive this blog as a deterrent to driving in Korea, more as a preparation aid.

The first thing that came to my attention when driving around Korea was the speed at which cars would wizz around in congested areas. At first it seemed that this was a blatant disrespect for others using the road, but I must admit that although this may well be the case, it certainly hurried the traffic along. What was more concerning was the apparent lack of concern on behalf of the pedestrians. Apparently, whatever was putting people in such a rush was much more important than their safety.

Of immediate apparence when driving a car around Korea is that the rules of the road back home do not apply here, or at least they are not followed as vigorously. Tailgaiting was common, it angered other people when I slowed down as lights began to change and seatbelts are by no means on the top of people’s priority list. I have to say though, the adventures of the road certainly added an extra edge to my visit.....but perhaps that’s just me.

Another place for a crazy driving experience as a tourist is to go driving in Rome, Italy. Korea and Italy from my own experience, seem to offer locations with two of the craziest sets of drivers.

A good Few weeks in Seoul

2010-11-19T04:49:00.000-08:00

If has been quite a few very positive weeks here in Seoul with several major events taking place here and drawing in visitors from around the world. Two huge events and wonderful for helping to promote Korea and Korean culture.

Korean F1 Grand Prix - leading up the race there were concerns that the track would be finished and that the circuit would be suitable. F1 is not used to the way in way Korean construction works I think lol :). Things often happen here at the last minute but they do get done and this was the case with the F1 circuit. In the end it was an excellent grand prix, well organised and i think gave an overall good impression of Seoul and Korea.

A few weeks later and we got to host the G20 summit, which saw leaders from around the world descend on Seoul. World press attention and literally hundreds of the worlds media and contingents filled the local hotels and restaurants. This event generated a lot of very positive attention on Seoul.

A good few weeks for Korea on the international stage in the last month!

(Thank you to James Burrows for his guest news above and good luck with his Paris apartments break site). Quick thank you also to our friends from New York Culture who took out for dinner after the Grand Prix. Hope you enjoyed tasking all the Korean dishes and see you again soon.

Korean Food and Garlic Drinks

2010-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

If you have spent any amount of time in South Korea you will almost definitely already appreciate the extreme importance that food has here. Walk around an area such as Gangnam (Kangnam) and you will see literally a few hundred places to eat. Such a high percentage of people eat out. You will also have noticed that garlic seems to be in almost everything!

Whilst in Seoul it has inspired me to make my own list of the 5 Best Garlic drinks.

1. Honey, Lemon and Garlic drink – This drink is a great remedy for coughs and colds. It is prepared by steeping two or more whole peeled garlic cloves in honey for a couple of hours. The honey is then added to hot water with a few drops of lemon for taste.

2. Garlic Tea – For this drink, one can use any kind of tea, however black tea is recommended. The preparation is fairly simple, with the ingredients being a clove of garlic, one tea bag and some honey. The garlic and the tea are brewed together to the desired level. The honey is then added for flavour.

3. Garlic Smoothie – For people who enjoy vegetable based shakes or even banana shakes, adding one clove of garlic to the ingredients will not only boost the taste, but also greatly increase the health benefits.

4. Tomato and Garlic Drink – For people who like tomato juice, this drink will prove to be much more interesting. It is prepared by adding a clove of garlic to two apples and two tomatoes and blending the ingredients together with a little parsley.

5. Van Helsing – This drink is alcoholic and is prepared by adding some crushed garlic to a chilled martini glass along with a thin slice of onion. On top of this, a martini made up of three parts gin and one part Vermouth is added and the whole drink is garnished with a clove of garlic.

Teaching English in South Korea: Is it safe?

2010-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I get asked very often by people wanting to know if it is safe to teach English here in Seoul and other parts of South Korea. Given the constant political unrest between North Korea and South Korea some people ask if it is safe to teach in Korea.

The truth is that since I first came here 10 years ago, there has always been some kind of reasons why people could have got worried and the foreigners teaching here often do worry. The locals though, the Koreans, they are used to it and are never concerned. Japan, China and North Korea are all always potential enemies but South Koreans go about their every day tasks as normal.

If you are thinking to teach English in South Korea my advice is to go. You should be fine and consider the fact that the U.S. military help to defend the border with the North and also the fact that the North Koreans have an army who seem to have very little effective hardware with which to go into battle with the North. Hopefully all will be calm again very soon.

Looking into North Korea

2010-04-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite travel photos that I took was in 2002 when I was living in Seoul, South Korea. We took a trip to the Demilitarised Zone (commonly known as the DMZ) and from one area in the DMZ, you can look over into North Korean, to the border town.

The photo below shows a picture of North Korea. Destinations and places such as North Korea can make good pictures due to the unusual and lack of photos of such as place and area.

Best Schools to teach English in, in Seoul

2010-03-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Many native English speakers have taught English in South Korea and there are certainly many good schools, universities and private institutes in which to teach, in addition to being many bad ones.

When you first arrive in Seoul and find a job teaching English it can be very random as to if you get a good school. The issues if you do not include having issues getting paid and having a problem to get your end of year bonus. There are many very good places to teach though and the majority of English, Australian, Kiwi, Canadian and American teachers have good experiences.

Our top 3 places to work in Seoul, South Korea are though:

Direct English, Seoul - Teaching 1-to1 and with the chance to work in an area such as Gangnam our personal experiences have been very good with Direct English and they are our number 1 for 2010.
Avalon English Institure Seoul.
The British Council.

Do you agree or disagree? Send us your comments!
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World Cup 2010: North Korea v South Korea

2009-11-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

Both North Korea and South Korea have both qualified for the football World Cup 2010, which takes place in South Africa next summer. December 3rd 2009 though is when the World Cup draw takes place, a date when we will find out who will be in each group in the finals in South Africa.

Will North and South Korea be drawn together? What an incredible game it would in an actual World Cup finals. They have met before and in fact played each other in qualifying having been in the same group. Playing though in the actual finals raises the importance even more and the competitive edge will be even stronger.

Having lived in South Korea for years though, I have found that there is a mutual respect between the teams if anything under the though exteriors, a lot of respect and many South Koreans will quite openly admit that their one big wish in life is to see a unified Korea again. Maybe football is just the beginning?

More about football in Korea.

Korean girls v British girls

2009-07-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

I have been living in Seoul, South Korea for 2 years teaching English and a surprising but common question I often get asked by the male students and businessmen are - what are the differences between Korean and English/British girls? And do I like Korean girls.

Well, I like girls no matter from what country as I am sure you all agree that beauty comes in many styles, shapes, colours, sizes and looks. There are certainly a lot of differences between Korean girls and British girls though if I am allowed to generalise (which is how culture is defined).

Korean girls

- Often very slim (sometimes too slim and sometimes nice slim)

-Brought up much more traditionally and often look after the home and cooking (especially on the holiday weekends for large family gatherings - and especially so if your husband is the eldest son).
- Kind and sweet.

- Can turn into Adjumas (scary old women) when they are older.

British Girls

- Not so slim but more to cuddle.

- More liberated and open minded, but more aggresive and want a lot more independance.

- Cost a lot more to feed them LOL :)

Nightlife in Seoul, South Korea (Part 2)

2009-02-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

Nightlife and things to do in the evenings in Seoul also can take the form of relaxation. In Japn you have Onsen and in Korea, Koreans love what is known locally jjimjilbang's.

A jjimjilbang is basically a sauna and relaxation centre and there are a lot of these venues in Seoul. They are not always easy to find and if you are a non-Korean speaker or reader and do not have a Korean friend showing you where to go, you will probably never ever spot the jjimjilbang in Seoul.

The brillian thing about jjimjilbang and galbijim are that they have excellent facilities. Accordign to the specific galbijim you go in, the facilities might include a:

sauna area
sleeping and relaxation area
computer/internet area
place to buy food and drinks.

If you are a non-Korean then you might find people watching you because they are not so used to foreigners in the jjimjilbang and galbijim. Do not be put off though. They are great places ro relax!

Nightlife in Seoul, South Korea (Part 1)

2008-11-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

The nightlife in Seoul, South Korea is certainly a little different from what one might be used to in countries such as the UK, USA or Australia for example. With emphasis on singing for example, things are very different.

Singing rooms (known as Norebongs in Korea) are very popular with Koreans and they are rooms which you use just for your own small group of friends or work colleagues. After a few drinks in bar or a meal in a restaurant, heading to a singing room is very common.

A lot of Seoul nightlife, as well as based on singing, is based around food. People often spend all evening in restaurants and other eating establishments and a lot of alcohol is often included. Friends of mine recently sent freight to China and then headed to Seoul and they were within a few hours dragged into a singing room. It's unavoidable almost in Seoul.

More about nightlife and drinking in Korea in the next blog. If you are looking for vacation rentals in Korea by the way, Holiday-Velvet.com I have heard are considering expanding into Seoul.

Seoul and South Korea Events, jobs, news and workshops

2008-10-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been asking recently if you can contribute to this blog with your Seoul events, Seoul news, workshops, classes and jobs etc. The answer is yes. We would love to receive your posts and we will add them for free on this Seoul, South Korea dedicated blog.

Just send us your information to:
paul at seoulkoreaasia.com
and we will add your Seoul events, news etc within 48 hrs.

Books on Seoul, South Korea

2008-06-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog to remind you that the book 'Living in Seul, South Korea' if available as an eBook and for sale very cheaply via www.seoulkoreaasia.com

Do not also forget that if you ar looking for information on Teaching English in Seoul, South Korea then there is a lot of info on SeoulKoreaAsia.

Teaching in Seoul, South Korea

2008-04-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Teaching in Seoul, South Korea can be rewarding froma cultural point of view, financial worthwhile if you get into a reasonable school and Korea and other parts of Asia are excellent for travelling and experiening. If you are open-minded and courteous, you will almost definately have a positive and enjoyable experience while living in Seoul and you will find that most Korean people you meet are very friendly, at least that was my experience.

There are several resources for trying to find a TEFL job in South Korea:

You can about Teaching experiences in Seoul, South Korea
Type of schools and documentation needed to teach in Korea
Teaching languages such as Italian & Spanish in Seoul, South Korea.
You can also find teaching jobs in Korea direct from the ESL cafe.

What city or town to teach in, in Korea, really depends on what you are looking for. If you want to live where there is plenty goign on and lots of opportunities and chances to meet other Westerners, then Seoul is perfect. If you really want to experience the Korean culture then maybe places such as Daejeon, Yongtong (Suwon), Ansan or Ilsan, might suit you.

Seoul, South Korea Travel and News Update

2008-04-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Seoul , South Korea News Updates:

Korean in space: It has been an interesting week here in South Korea with many people extremely proud to see Yi So Yeon go into space as the first South Korean to take this trip. Interestingly also the KFRI (The Korea Food Research Institute) have been working over the last few years in preparation for this moment, i.e. to send tradition Korean foods into space, including Kimchi.

This week the book 'Living in Seoul: A Westerner's Perspective' has also gone into eBook format and is now on sale at £2.99 and is purchasable via PayPal.

Flights to Korea: British Airways have soem good flight prices at this time and are worth checking. Lufthansa tend to be one fo the most consistently good airliens to Korea, flying through Germany.

Do not forget the 2008 Mud Festival in Boryeong in Korea.

Boryeong's Mud Festival - July 2008

2008-01-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

If you have are travelling to South Korea this summer, one event you really should make an attempt to visit is the annual Boryeong's Mud Festival. The mud festival is a quite unusual festival and I myself enjoyed visiting the festival in 2004.

There are many attractions including various mud baths, mud massages and other mud opportunities for the visitor. Taking place on Daecheon Beach in South Korea, this festival has gained popularity in many ways because the mud from Boryeong is said to have very natural ingredients which include various minerals and which are thought to be excellent for ones skin.

You can visit the official Boryeong's Mud Festival site and also read up about South Korean festivals.

Seoul International Marathon 2008

2007-10-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday March 18th at 8am signifies the start of the 2008 Seoul International Marathon so now is the time to start thinking about applying and also designing a training plan.

The marathon has continued to gain in popularity over the last few years and in the 2008 event, more than thirty thousand runners are expected to participate. The run takes racers through downtown Seoul and aroudn the city for approx. 26 miles.

You can visit the official Seoul International Marathon website for deatiled information. The run will finish in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium in Jamsil and the marathon and interestingly, each runner will be given a pedometer to record the distance run to stop cheating. Further details can also be found on the Seoul Marathon page on Seoulkoreaasia.

Football (or soccer for Americans) in South Korea

2007-09-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

The 2002 Football World Cup which was jointly held in South Korea and Japan, gave the sport a huge lift in Seoul and the rest of South Korea. Up until 2002, football was semi popular, with the domestic K-League already in progress. The 2002 World Cup though generated huge interest in football and this momentum has continued since.

The interest in football in Korea has now increased even more with a few of the major Korean corporations beginning to sponsor English Premiership teams. Samsung now sponsor Chelsea Football Club (who are London based) and also with Korean players such as Park Ji-sung playing for teams such as Manchester United.

Baseball still seems to be more popular and basketball is also very popular in Korea. Want to learn more about football in Korea.
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Italian version of Seoul Korea site

2007-07-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

It is exciting news to be able to announce that the Italian version of seoulkoreaasia.com is now ready and live at seoulkoreaasia.com/italy/index.html

Many Italians who do go to Italy and Koreans who go to Italy, are very often involved with the trade and industry (see the Commercio e Affari page on the site) and these trades often involve:

Italian marble
Fashion
Music (i.e. opera singing and training)
Food

The Seoul, Korea site in Italian covers aspect area of Korean culture, travel, business and industry which the English version of the site covers.

New Seoul Korea website

2007-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

One of the newest and most informative websites about South Korea is now live and there for you to view. The site www.seoulkoreaasia.com is a site designed by Paul Symonds, an Englishman who lived in Seoul as a teacher of business English, for 2 years.

As the author of 'Living in Seoul, South Korea: A Westerners Experience', Paul has created this in-depth site, a site which is continuing to build and develop.

The newest pages on the site include:

Books about South Korea - some of the favourite books on Seoul and Korea
Living in Seoul, Korea - the book by Paul published for free on the site
Attractions in Seoul - Valeria's favourite tourist attractions in Seoul.

10 best things about Seoul, Korea

2007-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

For fun, I thought on this blog I'd list my 10 favourite things about Seoul, so here goes!

Dak Galbi.
The palaces.
Brilliant public transportation (taxis are plentiful and real cheap and subway system excellent.
Everland.
Lots of bars and restaurants.
Easy access to an Intetrnationsl airport.
Shops open most hours of the day.
More Dak galbi!
Korean people are very friendly.
..and another plate of Dak galbi

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If you need a freight company by the way, to send stock to or Korea, the Bristol Freight company are worth trying.

Flights to South Korea and Seoul

2007-04-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

A new website and webpage have been put online and there is lots of information about flights to and from Seoul, South Korea. There is information on airlines including Korean Air and Asiana and some useful tips. Just got to http://www.seoulkoreaasia.com/flights.htm

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Korean and foreign men (15th March 2007)

2007-03-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Whatever country you go to in the world, women can often be seen dragging men around the shops. What amazes me most though is that women, who otherwise may have no energy to do things, suddenly find the power to walk all day long, from shop to shop, without a second thought - inspired by the love of shopping. I guess it is similar in that women generally do not have the passion for sport that men have. Getting dragged around a shopping mall by my wife, looking for shoes is not my idea of fun, although I guess I say that because I am a guy.
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A new website all about everything to do with Seoul and South Korea has gone live on seoulkoreaasia.com

Korean and the West (26th Feb. 07)

2007-02-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Korea is no different from Western countries. Whichever country I go to, one situation is always the same and I have never understood it. I guess some things in life just have to be accepted. Picture the situation. You are in a supermarket and a woman is in front of you, with her groceries being scanned through at the checkout. She stands there. She could get her purse out and have the money ready to pay. She could (if someone else is not doing it) grab a plastic bag and start bagging her own groceries. What will she do? Nothing!

She will stand and watch the assistant scanning the goods through or she will stand and look into space, thinking about something that only she knows about. Once the groceries have been scanned through, she will then fumble around in her purse for half a minute, looking for coins to pay the exact amount. Watch a man going through and he will almost certainly have his money ready in his hand to pay. He will pay with bank notes and use all the coins at one time and he will bag his groceries as they are being scanned through. My thought is that many women love shopping so much, that they will do anything to delay leaving the shop. They want to hang around and take in the atmosphere. Men usually want to get home and catch the sport (or Star Crafts in the case of many Korean men).
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Parking in Seoul, Korea

2007-02-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

One thing I experienced in Korea which impressed me a lot in terms of logic, is that when there are not enough parking places, people sometimes block other cars in and leave their mobile phone number on the other car’s dashboard. When the people you blocked in arrive back at their car, they call you and you shift your car. When I saw this idea, I was impressed by the system – a system that solves a problem in a crammed city like Seoul. I am not sure if this is a popular idea or even if it is still happening, but when I saw it I liked the idea. In terms of utilising space in a crammed city such as Seoul, I was also very impressed with the way in which you can park your car. There are car-parks in the middle of the sky rises which have one small entrance and inside, there is a rotating lift which moves your car up to a parking space, kind of like a big wheel which lifts cars. Another example of using space is with the way in which golf driving ranges can be built and exist in the middle of office blocks. This also surprised me.

South Korean culture. The illogical in the West.

2006-12-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

Having mentioned the U.S. convenience chain store 7-Eleven (which is now becoming popular in many other countries including in Korea) there are a few questions that I used to wonder about. Why is it called Seven Eleven? The name 7-Eleven was created because the stores were initially open from 7am until 11pm, when they first opened in 1927. The thing is, these days 7-Elevens are always open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. For this reason, one wonders why 7-Elevens still need to have locks on the doors, if they are always open. Equally baffling things I have found while travelling is why there are no English muffins in England, no French fries in France (they are called frittas there), no Outback Steakhouses in Australia and why there are no Danish muffins in Denmark. Not everything in the West is logically either! Talking about logic and the West, a fellow teacher recently returned to Melbourne, Australia and it took him over a month to get an Internet connection sorted out at home - In Korea it took him only one day: he is now back in Korea!

(Part 3) More subtle cultural differences in Seoul, Korea

2006-11-23T03:55:00.000-08:00

Another subtle cultural difference that I have found in every country I have been to, is the way in which things work at the checkout section in supermarkets and it can be confusing. In England, you will usually be handed the plastic bags you need and then you bag the goods yourself. This system is good for keeping the line moving because both you and the checkout operator are working to get you through the checkout.

In some Korean supermarkets, you bag your things yourself, like in the UK. In other supermarkets though there is always someone bagging your items for you, such as in the large supermarket in Shinsaegae, Seoul Bus Terminal. The problem is that, for some reason, the staff bagging the groceries always put everything in too few a bags, to the extent that the bags are likely to break under the pressure. Go to a ‘Seven Eleven’ convenience store and the same thing can happen. Without exception, they always use one bag, regardless of how many things you buy. Maybe it was just that I was very unlucky? I realise that maybe you have to ask if you want another bag because you have to pay for it, but on one visit I bought five bottles of 1.5 litre water, one can of Cass Beer, two tins of tuna and four yoghurts. The shop assistant still spent a while forcing everything in the one bag, to the extent that I could not actually carry it in one hand and if I had, there is no doubt at all that the bag would have broken. It seemed at times as though logic was maybe being ignored to meet with company rules. In other situations Koreans provide services which sometimes are so simple yet brilliant; ideas that sometimes make me question Western logic.
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(Part 2 - Every day tasks in Seoul, Korea)

2006-11-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Korean post offices though provide an excellent service, particularly in that they usually have a special counter for sending parcels and where you can buy boxes and get tape. The staff in the post office at the parcel section, in my experience, will often help to out the boxes together and tape them up. Going to a Korean post office for the first time and without yet knowing very much Korean, can be a real tough. A few months ago, in the ticket hall in Amsterdam train station (Holland), I saw similarly confused Koreans as they travelled Europe - as they tried to work out the ticketing system in an Amsterdam train station. I know they were Korean because, after two years in Korea, I heard them speaking and could recognise the Korean language.

Talking about queues in the previous paragraph, also reminds me of the situation with queuing in Korea and also in countries such as Italy. In Italy there is no such thing as a queue or as waiting in line. Italians do not seem to understand the meaning and on a recent trip to Sicily, Italy I was not surprised to experience about 30 people pushing and shoving each other, as they tried to get to the ticket counter to re-book their airline flights, after their initial flight was cancelled. Korea is much better, with people lining up patiently in most situations. People line up patiently to get onto the subway, to buy a cinema ticket or to pay for food for example.

The only thing that did sometimes bother me was when I would be about to board a subway train and I would experience an adjuma (middle to older aged woman) pushing me with her arms as she attempted to jump ahead of me and board the train. The same situation happened a few times when I was about to step into a lift (elevator in American). As I was about to enter, I found myself pushed to the side by a short and determined lady. Some of the middle-aged women in Korea are very tough!
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The Korean Boryeong Mud Festival

2006-09-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

The mud at Boryeong is supposed to be excellent for the skin, so much so that the mud passed the safety tests for US Food and Drug Administration acceptance in 2004 – so that products from the mud can be sold in the United States. The mud cosmetics now on sale at Boryeong include mud soap, mud shampoo and mud massage cream. The mud is said to contain ‘many mineral components and said not to be contaminated by foul water’.

The 2004 Boryeong Mud Festival was the first ‘Mud’ Festival I have ever attended. Festivals are very popular in the summer time across Europe and other countries, although this most commonly takes the form of music festivals, so a mud festival was a first for me. One of the biggest festivals in the world and one that I have been lucky to attend three times is the Glastonbury Music Festival in England. With a size of 900 acres, dozens of music and entertainment stages and tents and with over 125,000 people at the annual 3-day festival, it is worth a visit if you are in England and can manage to get tickets. In Europe there are some crazy festivals though, every year, and these include the:
- Nine day ‘Running with the Bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain (whereby people actually do run with the bulls and where some people get seriously injured).
- Tomato Festival in Spain (whereby people in the city have a huge tomato fight).
- Annual wife carrying festival in Finland.
- Festival of the Snakes in Italy.
- And the one I would recommend most of all, the Munich Beer Festival in Germany. Many days of heavy non-stop drinking.

The World Cup in Korea in 2002 was a fantastic event and one that seemed to embrace many of the traits that make festivals in Europe so popular. The feeling of people coming together for something positive; the feeling of excitement and fun; and the chance to escape for a few days from the usual daily routine. Many festivals in Korea seemed to be cultural, art, dance or peace related festivals. The interesting mix of Korean festivals seems to reflect the traditional and cultural interests that still attract great attention. The next time I visit Korea though, I want to visit the ‘Yangyang Pine Mushroom Festival’. I love mushrooms and I am curious about what the Pine mushroom tastes like.

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Homogeneity in Seoul, Korea

2006-08-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Another thing that you immediately notice as a Westerner in Korea, in the first few hours in fact, is how homogenous Korea is: there are very few white people. For the first time in my life, I felt very conscious of how my white skin set me aside from others in society, as I walked the streets of Korea. Korea, I remember reading a year ago in the Korean press, is made up of close to 96% Korean and only about 4% non-Korean people. Take a walk around London, England and you will notice how multi-cultural the city is. Seoul is, I understand, is the most homogenous capital city in the world – or at least in the developed world.

If we travel abroad from our home country we all become foreigners. As a Korean in England you would be a foreigner and as an Englishman in Korea I became the foreigner. The only thing is, in Korea as a foreigner one becomes far more aware of the fact because of the homogeneity. My experiences were though, very positive, as I first stayed in the area of ‘Miasamgeori’ in Seoul. Children automatically would say ‘hello’ in English and start giggling and people in most situations were almost always very friendly – although sometimes too friendly. A few times on the subway within the first few months, a few people started testing their English out on me, at times when I sometimes did not feel like teaching English out of work. Within ten minutes I would also usually have a business card thrust into my hand without asking.
During the first few months in Seoul, with the Iraq war on (as 2003 approached), I was also conscious that, as a white person, I would be automatically presumed to be American, such is the influence of America on Korean culture and politics. There was the odd negative stare, but it was always from middle or older aged men. Comparing to landing in the U.S. for the first time, such as J.F.K Airport in New York, with the policemen walking around with guns and people twice the size and twice the weight as Koreans, Korea from the first moment felt pretty comfortable to be in. The expected culture shock did not happen, maybe perhaps because I have travelled a lot over the last few years.

Supermarkets, Kimchi and tea (part 2)

2006-08-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

The speciality of Korea, which I had expected to find everywhere and which was everywhere, is ‘Kimchi’. Kimchi may be mentioned many times in this book and it is unavoidable. It is like writing a book about England without mentioning football, pubs and London; or writing about America and not mentioning the ‘B’ word - Bush or baseball; or writing about the French and not mentioning how much they hate visitors speaking English rather than French in their country.

The importance of Kimchi became clear almost as soon as I arrived in Korea. Not only did the subject of this phenomenon in Korea come up in conversations in classes, but there are also dozens of variations of Kimchi on display in the many supermarkets. It was clear early on from my students, that Kimchi is more than just a food. It is a necessity. A passion. An essential ingredient of Korean culture! Many students told me of how when they go abroad, they miss Kimchi more than anything else. One student said that he missed Kimchi even more than his own family and friends, when abroad.

I learned after a few months in Korea that there thought to be over 100 different types of Kimchi and different types of Kimchi according to the area of Korea. Cheju island for example, have Haemul (seafood) Kimchi and Nabak (square cut radish). Kangwon Province has Chanran (fish paste and sliced radish) Kimchi and Ojingeo Mu-u (squid radish) Kimchi. Ch'ungch'ong Provinces have Gul Ggaktugi (oyster and sliced radishes) and Hobak (pumpkin) Kimchi.

I actually like Kimchi quite a lot and I never hesitated to eat Kimchi when this cabbage, garlic and chilli based food was on the table in front of me. My own favourite is Myeolchi Kimchi – made with a dried fish base and strong seafood taste. Many English teachers in Korea love it as well. I could never eat it for breakfast though. Many people from Anglo countries dislike Myeolchi Kimchi, but they do often like other types of Kimchi. The fact that many Koreans eat Kimchi at every meal including breakfast shows the depth of passion for what is considered a National treasure.

In addition to an amazing colourful display of different varieties of Kimchi, ready-made Korean specialities such as Korean pancakes, cold glass noodles, cooked vegetables and sautéed mushrooms can be found. A warning though! Be careful of Korean bread, as things are not always as they seem. What looks like a normal Western loaf of bread, can when you bite into it, leave you with a mouthful of cream. The centre of the bread is often full of cream and it can be quite a surprise the first time: not because there is anything wrong with cream, but just because you are not expecting it, and you are caught off guard. I do not know why there is cream inside the bread, but there is. It could be because Koreans usually eat rice at every meal, rather than bread, hence bread for Koreans is more like a dessert. Maybe it is a new thing in Korea just to keep the Westerners on their toes!

As an Englishman, the tea section in a supermarket can be very important. Green tea and barley tea are common in many Korean supermarkets and the quality is always good. The problem for an English person though, is that black tea is the most common type of tea drank and in Korea, the only black tea you can normally find is Twinings. Twinings and all other black teas I found in Seoul, were less than half the strength of black teas on sale in England. When I visited the U.S., I always had the same problem finding a good quality cup of black tea so these days when travelling, I usually take some good tea bags (a good brand of Indian tea on sale in England) and a travel kettle. I even have to send it to my English, Australian and South African friends who work in Korea. Tea is probably as important to many British as Kimchi is to Koreans. In the English language there are even expressions which use tea in the expression; such is the importance of tea in British culture. A typical expression is:

“I wouldn’t visit the South Pole for all the tea in China”
Not '(To do something) for all the tea in China’ is a common expression in British English to express when there is no way you would do something. Maybe there is a proverb or expression in Korean involving Kimchi.

For more photos of South Korea visit Living in Seoul - The book.