IMPRESSIONS OF KOREA

 

When arriving in South Korea, it doesn’t take more than an hour or two to realize it's very different than Japan. It's glamorous. It’s grungy. And its full of Granny Gangs!

The first cultural shock wave came as a surprise. It was very materialistic, yes—we’ve all seen or heard about the K-pop idol phenomenon—but it was also very, very capitalistic in an uncoordinated hodgepodge sort of way. They are a nation of dreamers. But is it their own dream, or someone else's?

Everywhere we looked, we were visually assaulted by coffee shops, burger and pizza joints, plus a dastardly dash of Catholicism.

This stood out immediately during the journey from the airport as we debarked from the small airplane and navigated the city to our university dormitory accommodations.

Then our first day of exploring Busan revealed more intriguing contrasts and… Grandma Gangs!
What do I mean by “gangs”?



You'll find out…




We started at Gamcheon Culture Village, which was stunning!




Then we went to the famous street food hub and ate Soondae (blood sausage) and a sweet Hotteok pancake.




I’m sorry to say, but the street food was never satisfying. Neither were many of the local restaurants we visited. The various dishes always seemed to lean too heavily on the sauces, or meats, and MSG….or all in combination!

After we walked to Huinnyeoul Culture Village, which was a bit touristy. And the best part of the day (ie: most authentic) turned out to be sitting under the bridge. Watching the fishermen. There was no glamor here. It was just common people going about their weekend. Joggers, families, old folk socializing, and leathery-faced fishermen.





And on the train ride home, we spotted another faction of Granny Gangs!







Later in the week, our second dive into downtown Busan led to more mixed feelings about the ambiguous foundations of the modernized expression of culture. For example: I tried to see a museum, but all that stood in its place was a huge Adidas clothing emporium. Then I went to visit a big park...but low and behold, a mega mall had replaced it!

So with all my plans foiled, I did what any good tourist would do. I went into the shopping mall—not to shop, but to use the bathroom—then I kept wandering. And i must admit, Busan is quaint because it juxtaposes the grunge and glamour in a way that is rather entertaining. Point in fact, on almost every street corner, you glimpse supermodel adverts for the national brand of beer.
And of course, more coffee, burger, and pizza joints. But just look at these signs!

So, all that considered, I’m very grateful I found my happy spot, which was behind the university campus. The dense woody hillside, just a 10-minute walk from our dormitory, was host to incredible hiking. Almost every day, I’d set out to explore the different routes. And each time I found some remote trail or thought I’d so cleverly discovered a secret creek spot with a small waterfall, there would be… grannies!
They were always present: on the trails, listening to the radio, down in the creeks, filling water bottles, and even way up near the monastery, where a public exercise station is tucked into the side of the fire road.



The Granny Gangs are as impressive as they are pernicious!



Hulya also found her secret spot: a Little Prince installation.


(Sunset view from our dormitory room)




On our last day exploring Busan, we went to the beach, which was so refreshing. The brisk air, the cool water, and the lack of Botox advertisements was invigorating! I even spotted a small and stunning variety of jellyfish.




(The Common Northern Comb Jelly)


We finished the day by enjoying a incredible Japanese dinner. This Kaiseki restaurant turned out to be one of the best meals we had all month.


Michelin awarded, and it cost only 24$ each!
 

Before we flew north to Seoul, I had the odd experience of being approached by a Jewish rabbi who made quick, friendly talk and then tried to convert me to Judaism. I politely refused. He asked if I was sure and even promised it wouldn’t take much time to convert. So, without saying outright that I don’t really like Zionist agendas, I made it clear I was happy and in fact on my way to attend to my natural cathedral in the woods.



I made a short film to prove the point, which is that if there is a god, it's certainly contained in the infinite multitudes of nature’s immaculate design and beauty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiN4GaA_CcM






Seoul Food in the big city!



We stayed almost an hour from central Seoul in a small hanok (which is yet half the of our Busan dorm room, yet far more comfortable).


Here’s the courtyard of our hanok: a traditional Korean house from the Joseon dynasty.

Our one full day in Seoul was hot, hot, hot. As we walked for nearly 12 hours around the city, we found ourselves seeking out shopping malls or park bathrooms, which were delightfully chilled by the AC.

By the end of the South Korea trip, we’d experienced food at its highest and lowest points. Just like the monsoon season. Warm and pleasant one moment, then torrential rain the next!



But to focus on the high-food-moments... there were three good dishes we discovered. Those being a whole cooked pig leg, ginseng soup, and the kimbap sushi rolls.


Samgye-tang (medicinal ginseng soup with whole chicken), mung bean pancakes, and gimbap bowl!



Still, during this visit, I ate more sandwiches from a French bakery than anything else because the bakeries were exquisite in Korea, especially Seoul. There were almost as many bakeries as coffee shops. But if you put all those together, they would still not compete with the number of Granny Gangs we saw!



Okay, okay!
It's finally time to explain the GRANNY GANGS!
In South Korea, you can’t go anywhere without a grandma. And I believe that the grandmothers are the counterespionage agents who watch everything that happens. They are on the buses, streets, and trains; they socialize all day in shopping malls amongst themselves, or wander the cities solo….but no matter their numbers, they’re omnipresent and secretly listening and watching everyone around them. Why?


Well, I posit that the copious number of inconspicuous grandmothers are always hoping to catch North Korean spies. Simple as that. There are CCTVs on every street corner or alleyway. But that technology is merely a safety net for the small amount of political gossip that may slip through the proverbial net that Granny Gangs have cast with their meticulous monitoring of all activities from the subways to the street. They are the secret super heroines of South Korea.



The final takeaway message from walking the streets of Korea is that it's like listening to the jazz pianist Chick Corea. The culture gives one a discombobulated feeling, and the cities are maddeningly arranged based purely on a gut feeling. And beneath the unstructured layout of the neighborhoods is the Neo-Barbie glamor revolution of....K-Pop!



So, if you want to look like the next biggest pop idol's cousin, come to South Korea! There’s an abundance of beauty salons for women and men. Eyebrow extensions and Botox injections are gender-free treatments that accept all citizens in need (with adequate money).


Or come to Korea for the beautiful palaces and cozy hanoks!

And come to Korea if you want to sit on subways and play “Spot the Granny” game. Hulya became a master at that. Until one day she reached her limit. It was the combo of too many long train trips and the density of people during rush hour.








Now for the final photo montage!











Changing of the guard: the perfect end to our last day in Korea.

(Long Donkey. A common kid's game???)


Mr. Do Nothing — a new artist we found. His style cracks me up!

I met a local baker and cafe owner named Harry. He was such a great and kind fellow!


Then it was time to fly...




I cannot explain how, but on our 11-hour return flight, we ended up in the most exclusive “Gangnam Style” Economy class! We had this whole cabin to ourselves!



It was unbelievable. And so the whole flight was smooth as Hokkaido butter!
Now after 35 hours of being awake (minus 2 hours for the fitful airplane sleep) we made it back to California. And in the end, it’s a bittersweet feeling to be back in California.



We’ve flown halfway around the world, taken countless busses, trains, and metros. And by my calculations we also walked 255 miles on foot!
(That's over 584,000 steps!)



And so its time to say one last, Sayonara Amigos!

Thanks for sharing the journey with us!