Korea Korea Korea!

The weekend I had to sight-see kept me mainly in the vicinity of the Palace District. The tour began, actually, with my accommodations. Opting to forgo the traditional hotel or hostel, I went for the more traditional hanok style guest house. A hanok is an old traditional styled Korean house, one floor, and is the epitome of charming. Entering the wooden structure is like stepping back in in time. The sliding wooden doors are like an example of your imagination of the East. But the most unique aspect of a hanok was how it's heated. Going oldschool at this point, the structure is heated by gentle flames under the floor. Sounds a bit dangerous, but considering this structure has been around for some time, I figured the owner knew what he was doing. Not to mention there is no better feeling in the world than to wake up and step on a nice, warm wooden floor to send a shot of happiness and contentment through your entire body.


That warmth soon departed, however, when you stepped outside for the first time. The air as a great reminder that it was still winter in Korea and a warm jacke
I arrived just in time for the changing of the guard ceremony. A bit more pomp than the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the United States, it was still an agreeable affair to behold. The ceremony began with a parade of the band and new soldiers to replace those currently on duty. Dressed in magnificent colors really offset these guards from the drab (though sunny) Korean winter.t and scarf were necessary components to enjoying the day. My first sight was not too far from my hanok. I bounded over, with the thrill of a tourist, to the largest palace complex in Seoul- Gyeongbok Palace. Built in the fifteenth century, this palace was the main residence of the King (or emporer... not sure here).


Following the ceremony, I entered the palace and was awed by the architectural masterpieces and craftmanship. Truly an astounding piece of heritage to be found in South Korea if I have ever seen it. The palace was dotted with traditional Korean heritage including the throne room with the royal throne, dish-shaped sun dials evidence of a strong astrological and scientific program in ancient Korea, lavish gardens and well cared for Korean buildings.


The most exciting part of the day, however, was when I got to dress up, for free, as a traditional Korean Guard. Putting on the royal colors, I wore the same robes used by the guards in the changing of the guard ceremony. Enjoy these pictures, but remember that's me in the outfit, not a cardboard cutout. Koreans wouldn't ruin their palace with that kind of schtick.


For all its magnificence, this palace is surprisingly not listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That distinction, in fact, goes to the smaller but equally impressive second palace five minutes down the road called Gyeongdeokgung.


Only acsessible via tour guide, this palace was like an abandoned oasis from it's monstrous brother down the road. Quaint yet impressive, this palace had quite a few features of worth. Most notably, this palace was the official palace for almost 200 years (I think...) when the main palace caught fire and required reconstruction (I guess those underfloor heaters aren't idiot proof). This means tat Gyeongdeokgung has more traditional architecture while Geyonbukgong has more recontruction. I assume this is why the little brother gets the emminent position as a world heritage site.

At the back of the palace is a secret garden with a quaint and almost magical feel to it.


After my royal tours, I strolled down along Insadong, the artistic and cultural center of Seoul and coincidentally right near the palaces. Good dinner, shopping, and tea houses made for a scrumptious and sophisticated afternoon.


Towards sunset, I found myself heading up the cable car to the N-Seoul Tower, previously known as the Seoul Tower and changed for whatever reason unknown. The view was bitterly cold but gave one an excellent appreciation of just how massive Seoul is. This view only encompasses one view of Seoul because the N-Seoul tower is in the middle of Seoul and the city stretches around it. So like I said, here is just a tasting of Seoul.


That night was an interesting night. Near insadong, I snacked on street snacks and tried different delicacies. The best was an ingenious creation of western cuisine, actually. One lady took a hotdog, placed it into a crepe-like pancake and stuffed it with coleslaw, mustard and ketchup. The sweet with the salty made it an excellent combination. The worst was the silk worm larvae. A bowl of larvae soaking in a sauce made the entire experience unappealing. But it was new and customary, and at this point I've had partially developed duck fetuses and bull testicles- how much could this hurt. The answer- alot. It was by far one of the worst tastes I have ever encountered. It tasted like an insect flew into my mouth and I was eating it against my will. This particulary dish comes highly unrecommended by me. I finished the night at a hof (Korean bar) in happening portion of town filled o the brim with energetic college students and business men looking to have a good time.


Sunday was less exciting. I boarded the MRT with the intention of heading to Suwon to see a fortress. But as luck would have it, I got on the wrong train and found myself in Incheon. Not to be dismayed, I decided to take a ferry to one of the Western islands. I popped into the tourist center for directions and they gave me a list of busses to take around Korea to get to my destination-Ganghwa. Three to four hours later, after a one hour ride already to Incheon, I finally arrived in Ganghwa ready to see some ancient tombs and a unique glimpse of North Korea.

I looked in my wallet and noticed I had only 5,000 Korean Won left which is really only less than five bucks. I went to the ATM, but the machine did not accept my card. I went to another machine and again was shot down. I had plenty of foreign currency, but it was Sunday and everything was closed. Essentially, I couldn't get what I needed to get. I returned back to the ticket counter, broken hearted, and with the money I had left purchased a ticket back to Seoul without seeing any of the things I had wanted to see.

When I returned back to Seoul, I treated myself to a nice BBQ dinner followed by a relaxing soak in a Sauna (a must try for anyone in Korea). In the Itaewon district, I went to this massive four story complex of a sauna. The basement with the pools were separated by gender. However, the top three floors, where you wore special pajamas, was open to both sexes to mingle and integrate. On these floors were dry saunas, restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, massages, bedrooms... you name it, they had it! It's a great place for families to come and just relax.


After the sauna, feeling holistically renewed, I made my way back to my Hanock and nestled into a deep slumber while the flames below gently rose and rocked me to sleep.

From your gamsa hamnida Korea guy, Michael.

A Little Heart and Seoul

On Tuesday afternoon, my boss called me up on the phone and asked if I would like to go to Korea tomorrow. Without thinking it through, I replied with an affirmative. He then went to book the tickets as I thought about all the preparation I had to do in the next twenty four hours to prepare for this trip. Who would take care of my bird? When could I go pick up a guide? Where can I purchase some traveler's cheques? How will I make up for lost time at my Chinese Class. Eventually, it all worked out fine and I was on my way, twenty four hours later, to the land of Hanguel-speaking natives.

I won't bore you too much with the specifics of the first forty-eight hours. Essentially, my boss and I met with each of our clients independently in Korea, learning more about their schools and devising ways in which we could help them. In the evenings, we sprinkled in a bit of tourism and culinary experimentation.


I would say that the single most enthralling element about Korea is their food. My boss recently admitted, much to both of our chagrin, that he actually preferred Korean food to Taiwanese food. I would not have such blasphemy present before me. I have sworn by Taiwanese food and I will continue to argue that Taiwanese food is Asian food at the zenith of its possibility. Except of stinky tofu. And maybe chicken butts. But regardless, this was a bold admission from a man who has devoted so much praise to our little island. This could only suggest that my taste buds were in for something quite extraordinary.


His hype was unnecessary- the food spoke for itself. While I will not say it surpasses a good beef noodle soup in Taiwan, I will say Korean's can be very proud of what they eat. Essentially, our dining experience revolved around one basic concept: grilling. A man's fantasy: sit around at your kitchen table with some burning charcoals in the middle barbecuing up some fresh meat. While the food was sumptuous, the sides contributed greatly to the feast. When ordering a rack of pork ribs or some braised beef, it always comes with a healthy portion of kimchee, salad, sauces, and countless other dishes to complement the central fan fare.


Every morning we woke up, after a night of gorging, made us regret eating so much meat and swearing off anything that oinks or moos for the rest of our lives. However, like men who don't learn from their hangovers, we were right back in the barbecues each night trying some chicken, spicy meat, and other delicious tenderloins. The grills were, quite possibly, the greatest things one could ever hope to find in their lives.


During dinner, naturally, we often gravitated toward a certain topic of discussion: would a restaurant like this actually survive in the United States? Would people enjoy cooking their own food? Would the restaurant be liable for someone who undercooked their meat and suffered food poisoning? I will say our estimation of the American psyche found them unprepared for this sort of cuisine, but we can hope that one day the states will be ready.

After dinner one night, my boss and I went to a local Hof, which is essentially a traditional Korean Bar. A small bar in th Bundang region just south a Seoul, this was full of hanguel speaking masters with little Engish ability. For example, when asking where the toilet was, I was given the bill instead. However, our ability to point got us what we wanted and our mastery of one Korean word, Dongdongju, whetted our whistle. Dongdongju is a traditional creamy rice wine. Usually served in a kettle and then poured into a wooden bowl (our bowls were metal as we were in a very local place not fit for tourists) it is a very strange drink. I almost felt like a kid again, sneaking a sip of my father's beer again. At first it was strange and revolting, but the taste lingered and suddenly there was new beauty in this very adult taste. Dongdongju has a tarty zing to it, almost as if it were carbonated. Ordering a squid pancake to go along with this drink (I picked around the squid), my boss and I drank up and rode the subway back to our hotel.


The following day, Saturday, found me left in Seoul while my boss went back to Taiwan. I wanted to get some sightseeing in at this point. I had already seen the Great East Gate, called Dongdamuen. Interestingly, the Korean language stems greatly from the Chinese Language. In the 15th century (it seems like everything happened in the 15th century for Korea, by the way) the scholards of the time possesed great power because they were literate and the commoners were not. Much of the writing was done in Chinese Characters, making much of the knowledge innaccessible to most. The Great East Gate is actually based on Chinese Characters 東 大 門, or Dong Da Men. Maybe I could pick up some Korean after Chinese study... Most likely not.


To be continued..., Michael.