1) Big visors are very popular. I'm not talking about the visors Mama wears to the beach, I'm talking big, over sized bill visors that stick out about a foot over your face. Everyone over here wears them...well mostly women, but I did see some men wearing them as well.
2) A majority of the women wear pantyhose! I would say about 90% that I've seen. And not just older women, all ages. They wear them under their pants with their sandal dress shoes, under dresses, everything!
3) None of the ladies/girls wear plain socks. They all have patterns and cartoon characters on them. On the subway yesterday there were 3 ladies, probably in their 60's, across from us, all wearing socks with stripes, words, cartoons, etc on them!
4) Everyone has charms on their cell phones. If you look at your phone there is probably a place for you to attach one too, it's usually at the top. But they have strings with little jewels, characters, flash drives, all kinds of stuff. Both men and women...almost every phone I have seen.
5) While on the subway various times, 3 different people who were blind were walking up and down through the subway cars (the crowded subway cars I might add) with their seeing stick and a mini boom box around their neck playing Amazing Grace while carrying a basket for money. We saw another man who was on a wheelie thing on his stomach in the marketplace (he didn't have legs) but he too had his tape player going as he maneuvered through the streets.
6) The culture and etiquette book was right on when it said the people here knock into you or push in front of you without thinking anything of it. It is not considered rude at all to just bump right into someone as you're walking by or passing someone with nothing said at all. I said many times, "excuse me" and "Oh I'm sorry..." before I realized no one even paid attention long enough to hear me...they were already on their way!
7) I was a bit surprised by the lack of diversity I have seen. On my trip to Seoul I probably saw a max of about 15 non-Asian people. This is in a city with a population around 50 million...granted I was in just a portion of the city, but I was there for a good 6 hours in a very busy market place as well as a department store, mall, and a palace. I expected more diversity in such a large city.
8) They love their scooters! Everyone drives like maniacs on their moped/scooter type things. They drive on the streets, cut into the sidewalks and dodge the people and then right back onto the streets again in front of all the cars. They ride through the marketplace on the interstate, everywhere! There's no where those things don't go...clearly they don't have rules about them...although their driving rules are quite relaxed as well, so I'm not sure why I'm so surprised! But I have almost been taken out by quite a few scooters on the sidewalks!
Anyway...those are my observations from the day...onto the activities...
Taylor and I took the train up to Namdaemun Market which took about an hour and a half because of all the stops. Our trip home was MUCH quicker using the express train! I had my first westerner experience over here. There were about 6 schoolgirls (probably 11 or 12 years old) who kept looking through the window of the train car behind ours and finally a few got the courage to come through and were standing next to us giggling and hiding behind each other. Finally one tapped me and said, "Hi...pretty" then she tapped Taylor and said, "handsome". And then they went back to giggling and hiding again! It was so funny!
When we came up from the subway into the market, it was a bit overwhelming!! There were so many people and so much stuff, I wasn't quite sure what to do! There were streets of purses, blankets, jackets, tailors, clothes, shoes, food, supplies, sunglasses, phones, cameras, everything! And I bought nothing! I just liked to take it all in and see it all and watch all the people.
On the sides of the streets right outside the market, well I guess inside the market as well, ladies sit on the ground with their burners or hot plates and make food to sell...none of which I recognized. Although I am positive I saw either a squid or octopus leg roasted because I saw the round tentacle things on the bottom of it. They bring out their vegetables to sell and set it all up on little tables and blankets! They wrap sushi, make bread, everything! In some of the clothing areas there would be a table of shirts with ladies 2 and 3 deep just grabbing through them and trying them on and switching them out...from afar it looked a bit like a feeding of some sort! I have some pictures I'll post on the next entry.
After awhile in the market we walked over to the Deoksugung Palace, built during the Joseon Dynasty reigning from 1392-1910, located in the middle of downtown Seoul. I have a few pictures from that as well that will be in the next post. After walking through the palace and listening to a bit of a concert of traditional percussionists we headed back to the subway to go back towards base and stop in Suwon for dinner at Outback. I know I'm slightly embarrassed to write after all that we ate at an American restaurant...but I'll say after most of the food and smells we walked by that day...Outback sounded wonderful! I promise I'll still eat some local food...Friday just wasn't the night!
The Outback was located on about the 6th floor of this 8 story mall! It was really tall...but it wasn't real wide...all the stores circled the escalator going up the middle. Anyway, dinner was good...Taylor ended up with rice instead of fries for his side...but that poor waitress was struggling to communicate with us...she gave a good effort though! Some things just get lost in translation!
After dinner we decided to look for Hwaseong Fortress which Taylor had found in the Korean guide book. We found a map posted on the sidewalk in Suwon and found where we should be going...approximately so we headed out. After about 30 minutes of walking we ended up at Suwon's City Hall...hmmm...not quite what we were looking for...so we retraced back to our wrong turn and kept looking. Finally 30 minutes later we found the Main Gate to the fortress. It was located in the middle of the city as well and it looks like the middle of a town square (like instead of the confederate soldier there would be a massive traditional Korean building in the middle)...there is a round about going around it and on one of the streets off the round about the wall begins to circle the city. You can walk the wall of the fortress and it looks pretty cool, so we're going to go back to do that another day. It was getting dark by this time so we took a cab back to the Suwon train/subway station and headed back to Songtan and then to base. Phew, so that was the day...we got home around 8:30 and I was in bed and asleep by 9!
On Saturday we went to Taylor's flight barbeque, that was interesting! All the guys and girls he is in charge of were there and man...after seeing them at a barbeque hanging out drinking...I don't know how he handles all those kids! It's a bit of an unpolished crowd to put it nicely :) Props to him and those who take on that responsibility...people think teaching is tough. At least they are not legally given guns when they're in school!! (Obviously they don't have guns while they are off work and are at the barbeque with drinks...but I'm just imagining them on duty!!!)
Anyway...it's now Sunday and Mother's Day over here so a big Happy Mother's Day to everyone! Taylor works Monday and Tuesday so I'll have to come up with some plans for myself again...I fully intended on doing some exploring on my own, but after going up to Seoul with Taylor I just don't think I feel comfortable doing it by myself! The subway system isn't too bad and there is enough English to be manageable...it still makes me pretty nervous because it is so foreign! Songtan, right outside the base, is easy because it's walking distance...but beyond that I'm just not going to be quite so ambitious!
Anyway...enjoy Sunday...it's a beautiful day! :)
Katie, I loved your blog. It is so interesting. I feel like I know the place from all your descriptions. I am sending your blogspot to a few more people each time I read them. I love all the pictures too. What an experience you are getting!! Thanks for the nice note after you left Fl. You are so good about thank yous. Looking forward to reading your next blog. Stay safe. Love to you and Taylor, Mama
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