The Land of Kimchi and Kimbap

Things have a way of balancing themselves out. My SAT Writing classes actually seem to be going as well as could have hoped for. My goal of learning Korean, however, has been going nowhere. Virtually all of my conversations with non-English speakers here has consisted of a combination of speaking English (which the listener obviously cannot understand), nodding, pointing, shaking my head, and saying "kamsahamnida". At the very least, I'll need to double my vocabulary of one Korean word if I hope to survive any longer.

At this point, I don't think I can give an accurate assessment of my job in its entirety. I've only taught two days, as Monday was the day students took their diagnostic SATs. Instead, I'll recount my impressions of something far less complex- the city of Seoul.

For those not picking up on the sarcasm, Seoul is actually quite complex, and strikingly different from what I had imagined it to be. I had expected a "Korean version of Tokyo," whatever that may have been. In many ways, Seoul is similar to Tokyo, but it's also a curious amalgamation of China and Japan. This makes sense, since geographically Korea sits between the two nations and has historically served as a "middleman" between the two countries. The city's also much denser than I had expected. Nearly everyone in Seoul lives in an apartment, and the high-rises continue as far as the eye can see. Pollution poses a definite problem, as smog is everywhere- understandable due to the high density of people. [The area I live in, Bundang, a suburb of Seoul, has fewer problems with pollution.] The streets of Seoul are jam-packed with people and the building-fronts are overflowing with restaurants, cafes, and shops. Speaking of food, one of the best things about Seoul is the cheapness of most types of food. I've had chicken kalbi cooked for me on a tabletop grill for less than $5. I discovered that a soft serve sets you back less than 50 cents. And I even found a sit-down Italian restaurant offering lunch specials for under $5 (no tip required). Somewhat confoudingly (at least initially), however, red meat and fruit seem to be more like luxury items here. At the market, I could only find small portions of meat for $20 and up, and fruits like apples average $1-2/each while a small pack of grapes cost me $3. Admittedly, these prices are nothing like Japan's, but considering the bargain rates of other foods, the fruit/red meat inflation is disappointing, especially because red meat is a staple of my diet.

[Edit 6/12: I've actually been frequenting a little vendor lady outside my subway stop who sells foot-long skewers of chicken and beef for less than a buck. I'm sure there's something wrong with the meat, but it tastes good at any rate.]

It amazes me that despite this drive to develop anywhere and everywhere, massive cultural and historical sites still remain in the city. This past weekend, Lil Kim took me to the Changdeokgung Palace which, at various points in history, served as the main palace of Korea.





We also passed through the Insadong market, a center for traditional arts and crafts and modern fashions.



Boiled moths- tasty!

It reminded me of similar areas from my trip to Japan.

Finally, we visited the Cheonggyecheon Stream, a recently reopened river meant to bring a sense of nature back to the city, and Seoul Plaza, an area for mass events like protests.


Outdoor movie screening along the stream. Offering fun, free things to do is a smart move, especially if you want to prevent crazy people from burning down your national treasures.



Seoul Plaza- Protesting sparked by President Ro's suicide



Free performance in Seoul Plaza

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture of the building my goshitel is in (8th floor).