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versione italiana
July - August 2002 (London - Seoul - Japan)
Yep, we are now in Seoul and its an amazing
city. Its real damn hot and humid but since it gets to an
average of minus 5 Celsius in winter I should be happy.
Seoul as a city feels very safe and the people are very
friendly. You can go a whole day though without seeing another
white person. There are so few of us here but that’s
no problem. On the flight over from the UK, we for some
reason, got upgraded to Business Class. Service with a 5
course dinner selected by menu, with tablecloth and choice
of drinks throughout the flight, was great. Have had worse
flights. In Seoul itself, wherever you go it is very lively.
Every street and alleyway is full of restaurants and vendors
selling food. Shopping malls open ‘til 5am with a
live band often outside one of the mall's in Dongdaumen.
Everything is organised so well. The underground train
system is so efficient, with TV's in the some of the train
carriages and water fountains on the platforms etc. The
system is so extensive and very simple to use. Am not speaking
Korean quite yet but my small picture dictionary has already
come in useful. Luckily, one beer is always easy to order.
In the photo below, there are Valeria and me with the metropolis
in the background.
All
photos by Valeria Lo Iacono & Paul Symonds 2002
Before you ask - no - I haven't tasted dog yet and i'm
not likely to. It is a speciality and you would have to
look hard to find a restaurant serving this. They only
eat a certain type of dog by the way. Last Friday I went
to Osaka, Japan to go to the Korean embassy to sort out
my work visa. The only way to get a work cisa for Korea
as a foreigner is from an embassy outside of Korea.
On arriving in Osaka, I got talking to a girl at the
tourist information desk, and we found that we both needed
to get to the Korean embassy. Both waiting for the lift
we then discovered another 3 girls who had all just also
met in the airport. We ended up as 5 traveling to the
embassy (See photo attached of us in Osaka). The trip
to the embassy then went pear shaped when we were all
so busy talking that we got on the wrong train and ended
up in the wrong part of Osaka and with 2 hours until the
embassy closed on a Friday afternoon. A visa and a few
sake's later we did make it back to Seoul. Below left:
the girls and me in Osaka. Below right: a colourful stall
in a local Seoul market.
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Below you can see more of the numerous
street vendors, in Seoul.
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Well, one of the most interesting experiences for me just
occurred when I needed a haircut. Despite my lack of Korean,
I chanced going into a hairdressers. Finding one is hard
enough. The blue, white and red cone's we are used in Europe
to seeing outside barbershops is in fact a massage parlour
over here. I could have ended up happy but still minus the
haircut. Anyhow, I found a local hairdressers and it all
started with the first shampoo, (would never bother in Ireland
or UK with a shampoo). One guy then proceeded to cut my
hair whilst another guy stood patiently over me waiting
for 15 minutes so that he could dust off my face at the
end. He also aided when the main guy cutting dropped his
comb. My hair near finished, thinking I could now escape,
I was escorted over to have another shampoo and then as
i was about to dash out of the door, and leave the money
on the counter, i was ushered over for a second trim. (The
second guy still waiting nearby ready to assist).
Basically, they achieved with 2 people in 30 mins what
a barber in Dublin would have done alone in 5 minutes. In
Dublin they can't wait to get you out of the door whilst
in Seoul they won't let you escape. Add onto that that here,
the guy cutting the hair, stood in some of the strangest
stances I have ever seen. Maybe he's seen too many martial
arts films. (Cost of haircut was 8 euros - 6 Uk pounds)
On the left you can see Valeria with our friend Helena (from
Ireland) in the background. She was very kind to put us
up for the first three weeks, before I found a job and accommodation.
The photo below on the right, was taken by Valeria just
after I had had my hair cut. We took this picture so that
I could use it to explain to the hairdressers in the future
the style I would want.
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The picture below shows the street outside our apartment,
in the busy and hip area of Gangnam, where I work now.
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