Bike spells Possibilities

On it's way.....

You've got to get up to get down!

SO I had my first experience with the subway. It’s a work of modern genius in public transportation. You quite literally could eat of the floors of the train cars. A meal off the platforms might take some convincing but certainly isn’t out of the question. The cleanliness is unmatched by any subway system or public transit system I have ever seen in the States and being a coast to coaster I’ve run the gamete. It’s geographically expansive, it handles 8 million people going in and out of the city daily and the price is unbeatable. Needless to say I was impressed. It’s one and only draw back would be the smell of Kim Chi, which emanates from most passengers. The pungent odor is only exacerbated when they sweat. I have smelled a lot of displeasing things in my time but Kim chi is indescribably repulsive to me. I think it’s really a personal thing. Not all hold such distain for the smell of fermented vegetable. I don’t completely hate eating it but the smell! Kim Chi permeating from someone’s pores when their armpits are in close proximity to your face is (I will euphemize)…unpleasant. Nonetheless I’ve got high hopes for desensitization.

The destination and the reason for my ride on the modern marvel was a night on the town. A place called Iteawon. It was apocalyptic. Not to make cultural generalization, well actually I think the cultural sensitivity ship sailed right the time I decided to embark upon a kim chi rant. So here I go. Korean girls are generally very composed and poised but you get booze in them and next thing you know, you’re front and center for the shit show that is sure to ensue. And these are some first class performances. Genuine quality. I’ve seen a lot of drunk people in my time and just any drunken debauchery wouldn’t be noteworthy. But, what makes it particularly noteworthy is the juxtaposition of Korean girls from their sober states to their sloppy states.

All drugs are illegal here and strictly prohibited.  The one exception, alcohol. I suppose the mentality is that if you’re going, go big. The Koreans went big with booze and basically non existent with regulation. You can buy alcohol anywhere, everywhere and no one judges, least of all the government. My language barrier prevents me from determining if a cultural taboo exists but if there is one out there I have yet to see any evidence. Open Container laws are non-existent; age is certainly not a factor and if you go out on a weekend public intoxication is basically welcomed. And what bottle of Soju, the national drink of Korea (which tastes like cheap vodka diluted with water) is complete with out a good session of chain smoking? Smoke in any public building seriously, go for it! In stairwells, sure. On the bus, why not! People here smoke like it’s the 1950s and they had the premonition it was going out of style. News flash for those coveting their lungs in the states, in the southern half of this peninsula, smoking is still totally acceptable and to boot very in vogue. And if the regulatory climate wasn’t ripe for nicotine addiction and alcohol dependency why not throw in some economic incentives. A bottle of 40 proof Soju costs about a dollar and cigarettes cost two dollars a pack.  

Speaking of bad habits. Coffee anyone? Ask anyone is this country and the answer is undoubtedly yes. Caffeine in a variety of forms and very large doses is accessible and encouraged. Some of my co-workers drink a concoction with 5 grams in a serving. Which really begs the question why not crack? Really let’s stop beating around the bush here, what Koreans really want is crack. If you ask me what they need is a fat blunt. But I have yet to be asked what Koreans are missing in their lives and I don’t see the question being posed anytime soon. Anyways, I digress.

The night was wildly successful. I rendezvoused with an old friend, met several other foreign teachers and if only for an evening made a plethora of new friends. An experience not to be repeated with much frequency but the nightlife in Seoul will certainly provided moments for inebriation and later even nostalgia.

You've got to have Seoul

When it’s 4:35 pm in Seoul, it’s 3:35 am in Washington DC. After 14 hours of airtime and more movies than I ever cared to watch in one sitting I arrived in Incheon International Airport. Unlike Bangkok the people who frequent Seoul’s international airport are not vacationers. There are no future cases a melanoma or exotic looking pants and jewelry to be found here. The people in this city mean business and their business is money. Dressed in shiny suits and ties, blackberries in hand ready to buy, sell or trade a stock or any other product imaginable at a moments notice. Seoul is an extremely fast paced city and with its incredible light pollution it simply never sleeps. The pollution is not exclusive to light however. I don’t believe truly clear days don’t happen in Seoul. I have been here for nearly three week and have yet to see an actually blue sky. Regardless of what the weather might actually be, with in the city limits a haze of smog prevent anything close to fresh air. But, on the upside, the pollution provides for one hell of a sunset. I have never in my life seen sunsets like these. The sun turns a firry crimson and the sky races with orange and purple.

While the sunsets are out of this world, I’m still not sure what is more astonishing. The sunsets or the sheer vanity of the Korean people, it’s remarkable really. I’m not judging, I am just giving a simple statement of facts; these people constantly and shamelessly look at themselves in the mirror. But, it doesn’t stop there. Then come the photo shoots. Digital cameras, blackberries, cell phones and lap tops are used to take self-portraits anywhere and everywhere, all the time. The issue is not the vanity alone but the flagrance of it. The girls are considerably worse and far more frequent offenders but couples with out question take the cake. In matching outfits they parade down Promenade streets lined with western boutiques and bistros orchestrating a photo layout Vogue would be proud of.

English here is relatively common and I get by with few problems. I live in one of the wealthiest area of Seoul but that is okay I guess. IT really limits my ability to get my self into sketchy situations but I am dedicated to the cause so gritty adventures WILL happen. I might just have to go north towards the DMZ looking for them…(just kidding dad). I get stared at a lot but I also am usually the only person with blonde hair and green eyes with in a 10-block radius. Most of my co-workers are either American or Canadian. A handful of them are Korean-American nonetheless, my office is about as American as you can get.

Mountains are only 20 Kilometers away so I can go hiking whenever I want. Biking is also very popular and I am fortunate enough to live 3 blocks from a river with a paved trail along it going straight into city center. SO my relationship with biking is still in full swing. But before there was biking, there was my first and only real love. ROLLERBLADING! Let’s all is honest with ourselves for a moment. I was born to rollerblade. I am in the market for some sweet new wheels and soon enough I hope to be back in my natural state, giving the Bundang District of Seoul Hell…on wheels.

I will try to get some pictures up sometime soon. Until Next time I will be Smiling in Seoul! All my love to all you crazy animals out there! And I surely miss you!