This post ends the series of my time in Korea, the joyous land where I was delightfully (not so much...) lost for four days and thoroughly enchanted with sights, sounds, and smells. Anyway, I wrote this back in early September but even though it's two months old, nothing in it really needed to be updated, so without further ado part 4!!!:
OK so this post is going to wrap up the Korea talk for now unless I go back (which have been invited back by an enterprising foreign teacher here who claims she can show me around Seoul without any problems. Since she’s Korean, I’m inclined to believe her, but we’ll see...). Anyway, my last day there was the sum of the entire trip, lots of fun couples with lots of frustration. I woke up early and left my bags in the lobby (again). This time I decided to trust them and leave my computer in the lobby since I didn’t feel like lugging it all over the city. Our stop for the day was the National War Museum, which was freaking sweet AND I had a camera with a fully charged battery so I was able to take pictures! (And o did I take pictures. Close to 200 in like 90 minutes. I was camera crazy!!!)
The museum itself was dedicated to the ROK (Republic of Korea- South, as opposed to the DRK- Democratic Republic of Korea, North [in case I hadn’t already gone through that...]) armed forces. It detailed their involvement in liberation from Japan (while the country was still unified), to the Korean War, to their involvement in UN police actions. There was alot of cool equipment and uniforms (there are also pictures of me firing a gun. I’ll get those on Facebook ASAP) from throughout the years. They had a special wing dedicated to the Korean War itself, with a memorial for every country that donated either soldiers or medics. Then they had a bunch of confiscated North Korean weapons, mainly provided by the Soviets, that you could climb into and an exhibit on South Korean munitions suppliers. And in the basement there was a history of Korean military actions and primitive weapons starting several thousand years ago. All in all a cool experience.
After the museum, I hustled back to Insadong to eat one last meal before I needed to go to the airport. I ate some bibimbap, which is rice and vegetables with an egg on top. It was delicious. So up this point, great day. However, it’s about to take a turn for the worse. I planned on getting a cab on the main street, then directing it back to the hotel (which, once again, was in an alley), because my bags were just too heavy for me to carry to the street (to point out how heavy they were, I had a bruise on my shoulder from one of the straps of my big bag because I carried it for too long without taking a rest). My flight was at 6 and I wanted to get to the airport at 3 since it was an international fight to Beijing, which meant leaving Seoul around 2. A little before 130 I went to the Citibank near my hotel to make sure I had enough cash for the cab ride. Of course the doors were locked again. Luckily, I’d given myself extra time so I didn’t stress, I just walked down the street to try and find an ATM. Walking soon turned into frantic wandering because I couldn’t find a global ATM (the situation being exacerbated by the strict no jaywalking laws in Seoul. At one point it took me 3 full minutes to cross a street diagonally because I got caught at both lights. I was furious.). Finally I was able to find an ATM after 35 minutes of wandering. I started walking back towards my hotel, wanting to get a cab as close as possible to a) save money and b) I thought if the cab were close to the hotel, it may have a clue where my hotel was.
I get in a cab, hand him my o shit card, of course he has no freaking clue where it is. I attempt to tell him I want to go to the hotel first, get my bags, then the airport. He has no clue what I'm saying beyond airport. After driving for a minute, he pulls over to talk to a traffic cop, who spoke limited English. I told him the same thing I told the cabbie. This somehow got interpreted as: My hotel is near the airport so drive there now. (Note” the meter is running this whole time). Luckily I knew the cabbie wasn't going in the right direction after talking to the cop so I made him pull over and pointed at the card and kept repeating Insadong (the neighborhood of the hotel). He calls someone to get directions (finally) and we’re able to pick up my bags and get to the airport in a somewhat timely fashion.
Once there, he didn't ask me my airline, he just dropped me off at the terminal. My itinerary said Asiana Airlines, which took me a minute to find. The line was ridiculously long. I waited in it for 40 mins (yea, I timed it...), get to the counter, and of course there's a problem and of course the guy isn't telling me what's wrong. After typing for a minute and frowning the whole time, he left to go talk to someone else and bring her over, all while speaking Korean. Finally, they tell me I'm flying Eastern China Air, and I'm at the wrong counter. They also don't know where Eastern China Air counter is and tell me to ask the immigration desk, which I couldn't find. Great times! So after some wandering (a constant theme...), I finally found it, and waited another 20 minutes in line. At the counter, first the lady tells me my bags are too heavy and I had to pay a fee, so she sends me around the corner to an Asiana Air booth, where I'm charged more than $100 even though from New York to Seoul I wasn’t charged anything (in fact, when I asked the guy at the counter if I went over, he said no, so I turned to my mom and joked that we should’ve tried to cram even more stuff into my bags. He was not amused and told me I barely made the weight limit). I return and she tells me that bag is oversized, so I have to lug it across the terminal again to get to the oversized bag check in. I finally take care of that and go to the bathroom before going through security. Leaving the bathroom, I realized my ticket was no longer in my pocket and I proceeded to freak out. It fell out in the main hallway of the terminal and no one picked it up, or ran up to me to tell me it happened. Luckily it was still there. I went through security and wanted some Western fast food but of course, I was in the new terminal and I had to take a train there, so I decided to get to my gate first, then investigate food options later. I was already impatient and got even more pissed when some old white guy (yes, I do feel the need to point out he was white. All people annoy me equally, not just Koreans) stepped in front of me on the escalator and wouldn’t move out of my way after I made it clear I wanted to walk by him (most escalators in Asia have tape on the middle of the stair: stand to the right if you want a joyride, go on the left if you want to walk). I finally made it to the terminal and there was no Western food. I ate some crappy Chinese dish instead. I was able to use to the internet for free, which was nice, but some reason I chose the mini computer (picture on Facebook), instead of a regular sized one, so my fingers were too big for the keyboard. That was my bad though. I will say my gate was in the new terminal, which is the nicest/cleanest terminal I've ever been in. So Korea has that going for it.
When I got to Beijing (after yet another mini-panic attack on the plane- I’d been getting better with flying but I feel like I’m regressing right now. I’m attributing it to flying over severe storms back in March. That was a scarring experience), more shenanigans ensued. My non-oversized bag was the first one off the baggage claim, which was awesome. After standing there another minute, I see a sign for an oversized baggage claim and figure that's where my other bag will appear (another case where thinking caused me more problems than not). I wait there for about 30 mins, reading a book. The whole time a worker was standing, alternately holding the elevator/doing jack shit. After another 15 mins, I ask her if this is the oversized bag claim, she says yes. After another 15 mins, no bags are coming out of there and it looks like none are on the way. I got kinda nervous since this bag had ALL of my clothes in it, on top of numerous other valuable properties. I decided to walk back to the original baggage claim to see if it was there. Of course somehow the bag got by me as I was standing there and was on the original claim with a few other stragglers. bah.
Next I got to go through customs, which is always fun in China since they always stop me. This time was no exception. The lady pulled me to the side and asked me to open my big bag. She pawed through it for like 20 seconds then asked me if I had any CDs. I told her I did and gave her the case. I got nervous because the DVD case was full, and I had around 20 bootleg Chinese DVDs in there, and she was clearly going to see them. Last thing I wanted was a fine or for my stuff to get confiscated. She flipped through every page of the book (and I mean every page looking at every DVD, it took her over a minute), then put it back and let me go without saying a word. It made absolutely no sense. Why the hell is she looking for DVDs when she does nothing after seeing my bootlegs? Argh China sometimes. Like now in the subway, they moved on from paper ticket to cards, like Boston. However, unlike Boston, if you're buying a single ride card, you can't buy two at once so you don't have to wait in line on the return leg of your journey. No, that would make too much sense. Cards only work at the subway station at which you buy it. I found that out in Beijing when I thought I smartly bought a return ticket when I first got on the subway, only to have it not work at the station on the way home. Anyway, that concludes my Korean adventure. Stay tuned for more Wuxi/random stories throughout my time in Chinaland!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Chinese Cabbies Really Like Trying to Swindle Me
So for those of you who keep up with this here blog or who receive ims/emails from me, you know that cabbies in China are not my friends. They regularly try and screw me over. There was the guy who charged me 30 kuai and two Chinese girls in the back 5 kuai for the same ride. There was the cabbie in Shenzhen (more on this later in the HK/Macau posts), who managed to charge me double the proper fare. And of course, run of the mill cabbies in Wuxi who attempt to take roundabout routes home, even though I can now yell at them when they go the wrong way (nightly cab rides from the same exact departure point can do that).
Well, tonight I was waiting at the bus stop outside school to catch a ride into the city. It was 615, but the bus runs until 636 (or so the sign says). I saw a student and started chatting with her and a friend when a tout came up to us and tried to get us to bite on a ride, but no one felt like paying for a cab when a perfectly good bus was on its way. At first he tried to charge me 30 for my ride, which is a reasonable price, but I tol him I'd rather spend 2 on a bus than 30 on an unnecessary cab, which prompted a chuckle from my student and her friend. He then tried to tell me that there weren't any more buses for the night. I politely told him he was wrong and thought that would be the end of the conversation, but no, he kept on insisting bus service was done. I kindly informed him I ride the bus every night and know it's still running, but apparently he thought he could put one over on the old lao wai. His persistence was admirable, if not also fucking annoying. Luckily my student told him he was wrong and to buzz off. At that moment, the bus also appeared. Needless to say, that asshat got none of my money and will receive none in the future. Douche.
Well, tonight I was waiting at the bus stop outside school to catch a ride into the city. It was 615, but the bus runs until 636 (or so the sign says). I saw a student and started chatting with her and a friend when a tout came up to us and tried to get us to bite on a ride, but no one felt like paying for a cab when a perfectly good bus was on its way. At first he tried to charge me 30 for my ride, which is a reasonable price, but I tol him I'd rather spend 2 on a bus than 30 on an unnecessary cab, which prompted a chuckle from my student and her friend. He then tried to tell me that there weren't any more buses for the night. I politely told him he was wrong and thought that would be the end of the conversation, but no, he kept on insisting bus service was done. I kindly informed him I ride the bus every night and know it's still running, but apparently he thought he could put one over on the old lao wai. His persistence was admirable, if not also fucking annoying. Luckily my student told him he was wrong and to buzz off. At that moment, the bus also appeared. Needless to say, that asshat got none of my money and will receive none in the future. Douche.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Only in China
So this is just going to be a quick, random post that doesn't really go anywhere or mean anything, but I just felt like sharing an observation with y'all (I've also recently decided I like the word y'all and want to start introducing it in the classroom. What would be funnier than a bunch of Chinese people going around saying y'all in a thick Chinese accent? I honestly can't think of anything). Anyway, so I'm bad with names. Like really bad. I'm bad enough that I've been friends with people whom I had no clue what they were called. It's pretty bad at times. I recognize faces pretty well, but names. Fuck no (which is kinda amazing that I've almost got all my students down. Of course 60 are graduating in a month, but still, I've surprised myself). Anyway, so the phenomenon I wanted to mention is Chinese people looking like American people I know. It's really weird and creepy. One of my students looks exactly like an ex- nu peng you of mine... if only she were from China and not Boston. Today I saw a woman who looks exactly like one of my best friend's older sister... if only she were Chinese. Unfortunately I can't really get pictures of this phenomenon and I'm sure anyone who is reading this automatically assumes I'm crazy, but I swear this happens.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Day I Almost Wet Myself
So today's tale is about the day I locked myself out of my room and went into full-blown panic mode (kinda like how at the end of X-Mas break last year I was the first one back to the room and managed to forget our room combination over the course of one month. Perhaps I drink too much.). Anyway, I'm trying to get into a regular posting routine to get rid of all my old stuff and start writing new material, so enjoy!
So, as I’m about to embark on my latest Wuxi adventure (though adventure may not a proper title. Misadventure is more like it, and even at that, this could’ve happened anywhere, not just Wuxi, so maybe it’s best just to call it a mishap), I’m channel flipping (China cable, now with one English speaking station!) and I just discovered CSPN. That’s right, the Chinese Sports Programming Network! Just like American ESPN except with more soccer (Manchester is currently playing Bordeaux, with what little I know about soccer, I know this can’t be a Premier League match, so I don’t know why this is happening). I’m not sure if the CSPN name is meant to be a knock off of ESPN or just a coincidence, but it does conjure up memories of Feichang Kele 非常可乐 (that’s Feichang Coke or ‘Very Good Coke’, a Chinese knock-off of regular Coke. Go figure. Same type of bottle and everything, but with the motto ‘the Coke for Chinese made by Chinese’. I’m not sure if that’s an enticing slogan though. Regardless, the taste leaves something to be desired).
Anyway, so today, I locked myself out of my room. Now, I’ve been trying to buy a keychain for the past two or so weeks. When I say ‘try’, I mean that in the sense that it’s me trying to shop for something I need, so I halfheartedly look when I remember I need it, but that doesn’t happen too often. My two best bets were both in Beijing last weekend: one, at the Lama Temple, was interrupted by the fact that I forgot when my plane back to Wuxi took off (I thought it was 6, when that’s actually when the plane landed...). When I remembered it was two hours earlier than I’d been planning, we quickly had to leave before I could souvenir shop or even see the giant Buddha, which was disappointing. The other was at Beijing Airport (quick note: I make fun of Wuxi alot. It’s a mid sized Chinese city and, while it fulfills my meager needs, does leave alot to be desired, especially when compared with a metropolis like Beijing. Wuxi is kinda like Providence, Rhode Island. With lowered expectations, Providence isn’t that bad a place: nice mall, good restaurants, some fun stuff to do/look at. However, if you compare Providence to New York City, it looks like a backwater shit hole. Therefore, if you compare Wuxi to Beijing or Shanghai, it’s bound to suck, but when seen in a vacuum, it ain’t that bad. The reason for this note being that the Wuxi Airport, in all its tiny glory [and I mean tiny, the place has 12 terminals and I’ve been in Wal-Marts bigger than this airport, though it apparently has international flights...] has free wifi. I found out by accident when I pulled out my laptop on a lark, and was elated when I found I could go to Kissing Suzy Kolber and read some dick jokes. Absolutely made my day. When I attempted to do the same at the Beijing Airport [in the new terminal no less!], I couldn’t get online! Those assholes wanted to charge me for wifi! They can go to hell and rot for all I care. Bah!). So of course, I was keychainless, which meant whenever I left my room, I had to grab my key so I could lock the door. You’d think I’d always keep it in the same place so I could quickly grab it as I walked out the door. Of course, that would be logical and I couldn’t possibly do that. Often I’d be running late as I tried to remember where I put the key last. Once I had to leave with my door unlocked because I was going to be late to class if I searched any longer. I always try and make sure I check for my keys though. This Wednesday, as per usual, I woke up a bit late and was scrambling to get to class on time. In my rush out the door, I managed to forget my keys. Luckily I remembered I forgot them; however, I had that moment of brilliance one second after I slammed my locked door behind me. Awesome.
I realized there was nothing I could do so I quickly went to class and tried to forget about it.
After class ended, I set about getting a spare key so I could get myself over the kindergarten class for the day, which begins at 3. It was only 1130 but it takes at least 90 minutes to get there, because I have to transfer buses, and since I’m a fat ass, I always stop at McDonald’s for lunch in between buses. So I immediately call the FAO (Foreign Affairs Secretary Who Shall Not Be Named. Next July there will be a HUGE write-up on him. It’ll make Mel Gibson in Braveheart look like a fucking pussy.) because he should have a spare key. Of course he’s not answering his phone. Everyone knows you can’t answer a cell phone unless it’s plugged into an outlet. Being able to carry a phone to different places so you can be reached conveniently by those looking for you is pure balderdash and I will have none of it! Anyway, so I stop by his office and he’s not there. I was told maybe at 330 he’d be back. Too late for me. So I go to the English office and tell the teacher there who set me up with the kindergarten job I may not be able to go because I was locked out of my room, I had no money, and I didn’t have any of my kindergarten supplies. After a few minutes, she tells me I’m allowed to be late and they could give me some stuff to use with the kids. Great, but I still have no way to get there.
I walk back to the dorm and strike up a conversation with one of the drill soldiers on duty. He feels bad and starts called the FAO to see if he could help. Lo and behold, the FAO answers his phone for him! He must’ve been in a tunnel or something when I was calling. That’s it. Anyway, the 330 time is confirmed so I’m still fucked. I thank the soldier. He offers to let me chill in his room but I told him I couldn’t.
My next move was to knock on one of the Koreans’ door and ask for a hair clip to try and pick the lock. Each of us tried for 15 minutes with two clips, but to no avail, the door was still locked. She felt bad so she gave me some food for lunch and lent me 100 kuai so I could get around for the day. Absolutely awesome of her. It’s 130 at this point so I start on my merry way. I manage to catch a bus immediately (yay for luck! and it wasn’t even grossly overcrowded!) and get to the train station on time to eat some McDonald’s (I know you all were worried...). I got the kindergarten on time, ran class (with that little girl still bawling her eyes out whenever she saw me. She’s finally gotten over that though, only took 5 weeks), and was informed that the FAO got back at 430 (late?! No! Never!) and handed over my key to my Korean friend, which was promptly given to me at dinner that night. Good times. So that’s my lost key tale. I did finally manage to get a keychain when I was in HK (blog post on that trip coming up, plus the exciting conclusion of Korea!), plus mom and dad sent one over. So now I have two and my ass jingles whenever I walk. No it’s not overkill.
So, as I’m about to embark on my latest Wuxi adventure (though adventure may not a proper title. Misadventure is more like it, and even at that, this could’ve happened anywhere, not just Wuxi, so maybe it’s best just to call it a mishap), I’m channel flipping (China cable, now with one English speaking station!) and I just discovered CSPN. That’s right, the Chinese Sports Programming Network! Just like American ESPN except with more soccer (Manchester is currently playing Bordeaux, with what little I know about soccer, I know this can’t be a Premier League match, so I don’t know why this is happening). I’m not sure if the CSPN name is meant to be a knock off of ESPN or just a coincidence, but it does conjure up memories of Feichang Kele 非常可乐 (that’s Feichang Coke or ‘Very Good Coke’, a Chinese knock-off of regular Coke. Go figure. Same type of bottle and everything, but with the motto ‘the Coke for Chinese made by Chinese’. I’m not sure if that’s an enticing slogan though. Regardless, the taste leaves something to be desired).
Anyway, so today, I locked myself out of my room. Now, I’ve been trying to buy a keychain for the past two or so weeks. When I say ‘try’, I mean that in the sense that it’s me trying to shop for something I need, so I halfheartedly look when I remember I need it, but that doesn’t happen too often. My two best bets were both in Beijing last weekend: one, at the Lama Temple, was interrupted by the fact that I forgot when my plane back to Wuxi took off (I thought it was 6, when that’s actually when the plane landed...). When I remembered it was two hours earlier than I’d been planning, we quickly had to leave before I could souvenir shop or even see the giant Buddha, which was disappointing. The other was at Beijing Airport (quick note: I make fun of Wuxi alot. It’s a mid sized Chinese city and, while it fulfills my meager needs, does leave alot to be desired, especially when compared with a metropolis like Beijing. Wuxi is kinda like Providence, Rhode Island. With lowered expectations, Providence isn’t that bad a place: nice mall, good restaurants, some fun stuff to do/look at. However, if you compare Providence to New York City, it looks like a backwater shit hole. Therefore, if you compare Wuxi to Beijing or Shanghai, it’s bound to suck, but when seen in a vacuum, it ain’t that bad. The reason for this note being that the Wuxi Airport, in all its tiny glory [and I mean tiny, the place has 12 terminals and I’ve been in Wal-Marts bigger than this airport, though it apparently has international flights...] has free wifi. I found out by accident when I pulled out my laptop on a lark, and was elated when I found I could go to Kissing Suzy Kolber and read some dick jokes. Absolutely made my day. When I attempted to do the same at the Beijing Airport [in the new terminal no less!], I couldn’t get online! Those assholes wanted to charge me for wifi! They can go to hell and rot for all I care. Bah!). So of course, I was keychainless, which meant whenever I left my room, I had to grab my key so I could lock the door. You’d think I’d always keep it in the same place so I could quickly grab it as I walked out the door. Of course, that would be logical and I couldn’t possibly do that. Often I’d be running late as I tried to remember where I put the key last. Once I had to leave with my door unlocked because I was going to be late to class if I searched any longer. I always try and make sure I check for my keys though. This Wednesday, as per usual, I woke up a bit late and was scrambling to get to class on time. In my rush out the door, I managed to forget my keys. Luckily I remembered I forgot them; however, I had that moment of brilliance one second after I slammed my locked door behind me. Awesome.
I realized there was nothing I could do so I quickly went to class and tried to forget about it.
After class ended, I set about getting a spare key so I could get myself over the kindergarten class for the day, which begins at 3. It was only 1130 but it takes at least 90 minutes to get there, because I have to transfer buses, and since I’m a fat ass, I always stop at McDonald’s for lunch in between buses. So I immediately call the FAO (Foreign Affairs Secretary Who Shall Not Be Named. Next July there will be a HUGE write-up on him. It’ll make Mel Gibson in Braveheart look like a fucking pussy.) because he should have a spare key. Of course he’s not answering his phone. Everyone knows you can’t answer a cell phone unless it’s plugged into an outlet. Being able to carry a phone to different places so you can be reached conveniently by those looking for you is pure balderdash and I will have none of it! Anyway, so I stop by his office and he’s not there. I was told maybe at 330 he’d be back. Too late for me. So I go to the English office and tell the teacher there who set me up with the kindergarten job I may not be able to go because I was locked out of my room, I had no money, and I didn’t have any of my kindergarten supplies. After a few minutes, she tells me I’m allowed to be late and they could give me some stuff to use with the kids. Great, but I still have no way to get there.
I walk back to the dorm and strike up a conversation with one of the drill soldiers on duty. He feels bad and starts called the FAO to see if he could help. Lo and behold, the FAO answers his phone for him! He must’ve been in a tunnel or something when I was calling. That’s it. Anyway, the 330 time is confirmed so I’m still fucked. I thank the soldier. He offers to let me chill in his room but I told him I couldn’t.
My next move was to knock on one of the Koreans’ door and ask for a hair clip to try and pick the lock. Each of us tried for 15 minutes with two clips, but to no avail, the door was still locked. She felt bad so she gave me some food for lunch and lent me 100 kuai so I could get around for the day. Absolutely awesome of her. It’s 130 at this point so I start on my merry way. I manage to catch a bus immediately (yay for luck! and it wasn’t even grossly overcrowded!) and get to the train station on time to eat some McDonald’s (I know you all were worried...). I got the kindergarten on time, ran class (with that little girl still bawling her eyes out whenever she saw me. She’s finally gotten over that though, only took 5 weeks), and was informed that the FAO got back at 430 (late?! No! Never!) and handed over my key to my Korean friend, which was promptly given to me at dinner that night. Good times. So that’s my lost key tale. I did finally manage to get a keychain when I was in HK (blog post on that trip coming up, plus the exciting conclusion of Korea!), plus mom and dad sent one over. So now I have two and my ass jingles whenever I walk. No it’s not overkill.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
DMZ is the place to be!!!!
Still no internet but I have such a backlog of posts right now that it's ridiculous. I can never complain that life is boring here. So much weird shit happens on a daily basis that it's unbelievable. Say what you will about the Chinese, but they are excellent writing fodder.
Ok I’m going to continue with my Korean adventure and tie up this loose end (by the way, this is a momentous occasion in the history of this blog: I’m actually going to finish a story that I promised to tell. I don’t think this has ever happened before. I know I’ve been promising a Spring Break 2007 story for a year now. I only wrote half of the St. Patty’s Day post. I never finished my series Mass Turnpike Memorial posts, yet here I am finishing up on Korea. I’m patting myself on the back right now [which is making typing rather hard...]). Anyway, we left off after a rather uninspiring day two where I saw a bunch of cool stuff... and was able to document none of it owing to my lack of a functioning camera. Bad times. :-( (yea, I just typed an emoticon, what are you going to do about it?).
However, at the beginning of Day 3 (TGIF!), things were looking up. I had an extra bounce in my step that morning because my long awaited (and much derided) trip to the DMZ. I woke up extra early (like 630...) because I was told I was going to be picked up in my hotel lobby at 715. I woke up and quickly went outside to go to the ATM to make sure I had enough money for the day and to get something to eat. I step outside and it’s raining. Of course I’m not wearing my raincoat so I got soaked. I walked across the street to the Citibank (one of the few global ATM locations in Seoul) to withdraw money. Unfortunately, it wouldn't accept my card, even though it's a global ATM. I was a little worried but decided to walk down the street to see if there was another ATM and because on this street was a stand that sold hotteok (kinda like a toasted piece of pita bread made with cinnamony goodness. ABsolutely delicious). Unfortunately, the stand didn’t open until 8 so I was wet, breakfastless, and a tad cash strapped since there were no other ATMs on that street. I was kinda pissed at this point since it just kinda seemed like everything was lining up against me (which is rare since I feel like I often have good luck *knock on wood*). I walked back to the hotel and decided to try the Citibank again since I couldn’t find another ATM. The doors were magically unlocked! I got some cash then went across the street to McDonald’s to indulge myself in a Sausage McMuffin with Egg since I knew the tour did not include lunch. At this point it was 710 so I ran back to the hotel and quickly up to my room to change out of my wet clothes and get my raincoat. I got back to the lobby just at 715 and sat down with my food and some reading material.
After finishing the food and reading for a bit, I looked up and realized it was 730. Either they were late or I’d somehow missed the tour (which would’ve led to a homicidal rampage). I started getting really antsy around 735, not to mention pissed that I unnecessarily woke up so early. Finally at 745 someone entered the lobby and asked me if I was going on the DMZ Tour. She was lucky she looked almost like Sun from Lost otherwise I probably would’ve snapped at her. Anyway, I entered the tour van. The other people on the tour were a Chinese Malaysian couple and an older American couple from Nebraska with their son, who was stationed at one of the bases in Korea. The mother was a moron. She wouldn't shut up, and didn't seem to understand any type of cultural difference. When talking about dialects, specifically relating to China and Korea, and how it's nearly impossible to understand different dialects, she tried to claim to that Boston people pronouncing car 'cah' was on the same level. I wanted to slap her and, in retrospect, probably should have.
The DMZ was one of the coolest things I've ever done. When they dropped us off, I FINALLY found a souvenir shop with disposable cameras. $20 later, I had two cameras. Thank you Korea for finally accepting my dirty American money. Anyway, back to the relevant topic, tours at the DMZ have to consolidate into larger groups so they can be more easily controlled. In that same vein, there are rules on time limits in certain spots and on where and when you can pictures. You also have to pass through a security checkpoint to enter and there are men with machine guns everywhere. It's probably best I didn't have a working digital camera with me, because I definitely would've broken those rules and incurred the wrath of a soldier...
They showed us a short movie and exhibit before we descended into one of the tunnels the North Koreans burrowed. We walked a steep incline down, then we were allowed to walk like 400m in the tunnel and were actually under the DMZ. It was really cool. The tunnel itself was dark and damp, the rain was making water drip all over the place. We were required to wear hard hat helmets because the roof was very low (I guess North Korean soldiers aren’t very tall) and people kept hitting their heads on the ceiling supports (even me! I felt tall for 15 minutes!). In the tunnel itself, I got yelled at for trying to walk into a restricted area. There weren’t signs (in English at least...) and it looked well lit, so I thought I could go that way even though everyone else was walking in the other direction. I was wrong. Back on the right path, we saw the 3rd line of defense if the North Koreans ever decided to rush the tunnel. It was a bunch of wooden boards and barbed wire. Apparently there are two more even more highly secured lines of defense further along. I hung back and tried to see through a hole in the boards. It was kinda creepy being alone in the tunnel that far into the DMZ. After getting back to the surface, I got my picture taken next to a land mine! Unfortunately it’s on the disposable, so I’ll need to find a way to get that online. It’s probably not as cool as it sounds, but I think the picture is awesome. We were herded back onto the buses and went to the lookout point. Unfortunately it was rainy, but I did get to see into North Korea, including looking at a guard post that was trained on where we were standing! I may have even had a gun pionted at me! You could see the 3rd largest city in North Korea in the distance (can’t remember the name), the deserted North Korean village in the DMZ itself, and the largest state flag pole in the world, belonging to the North Koreans. As I already explained, we weren't allowed to go to the South Korean village inside the DMZ nor the Joint Security Area; apparently there was an incident last month so it's closed. Hearing the South Koreans talk about the North, they're really bitter about the split and blame the US/USSR for it, but at the same time, they're heavily anti-North Korean government. Anyway, it was awesome. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone.
The last stop on the tour was the train station that links the North and South. One train runs daily, though they hope eventually the line will run to Seoul and the station will be bustling. Now it’s just a random tourist stop. Very clean though.
After returning to Seoul, I went to an electronics market to finally buy a new battery (the one that the girl recommended the night before). The process started poorly. Apparently I couldn't bargain there, and I didn't understand the sales guy. He was trying to chrage me 60,000 won (about $60US) for a camera battery, which I thought was ridiculous, especially when I thought he was saying it only cost him 3000 won to buy. I wanted to pay him 10,000 won, which was still overpriced, but I was willing to let it go to get what I wanted. He refused to sell it to me. I was getting pissed off again since he wouldn’t let me bargain and I thought he was being an ass. I was about to leave and so exasperated that I asked him in Chinese if he spoke Chinese. He looked at me weirdly, so I asked again. He said he is Chinese and how do I know Chinese. Immediately happy times ensued and we had a conversation in Mandarin (college wasn’t a waste of time! HUZZAH!). I remember alot more than I thought I did. I understood 95% of what he was saying and he knew everything I was saying. I finally bought a charger and not a battery (since the battery wasn’t charged out of the package, there was no reason to buy a battery for 60,000 won and a charger for 30,000 won when I already had a dead battery that could be charged, so I saved myself $30US in the process). I ate some dumpling soup (a Korean speciality) for lunch then came back to my room and put the battery the wrong way in the charger so it wound up not charging...
That night I was tired but realized it was my last night in Korea so I went to Itaewon, the foreigner district. I was unimpressed. It was early (like 730)and rainy, but I thought it was boring, so I got myself a shirt and left quickly. I had no interest in spending time with foreigners and the market there was nowhere near as good as the Silk Market. Most of the stuff they were selling was crap. I ate some dumplings and wound up at a jazz bar, which was a ton of fun, though kinda pricy (thanks Lonely Planet for sending me to a place where I spent twice as much as I’d anticipated!).
So I think I’ve gone on long enough for this post. There will be ONE more installment of my Korean adventure coming soon! It’ll include my last half day in Seoul (with more linguistic confusion and me on suicide watch!), and my travails in the airports of two different countries (i.e. Beijing Capital fucks me with me again!).
Ok I’m going to continue with my Korean adventure and tie up this loose end (by the way, this is a momentous occasion in the history of this blog: I’m actually going to finish a story that I promised to tell. I don’t think this has ever happened before. I know I’ve been promising a Spring Break 2007 story for a year now. I only wrote half of the St. Patty’s Day post. I never finished my series Mass Turnpike Memorial posts, yet here I am finishing up on Korea. I’m patting myself on the back right now [which is making typing rather hard...]). Anyway, we left off after a rather uninspiring day two where I saw a bunch of cool stuff... and was able to document none of it owing to my lack of a functioning camera. Bad times. :-( (yea, I just typed an emoticon, what are you going to do about it?).
However, at the beginning of Day 3 (TGIF!), things were looking up. I had an extra bounce in my step that morning because my long awaited (and much derided) trip to the DMZ. I woke up extra early (like 630...) because I was told I was going to be picked up in my hotel lobby at 715. I woke up and quickly went outside to go to the ATM to make sure I had enough money for the day and to get something to eat. I step outside and it’s raining. Of course I’m not wearing my raincoat so I got soaked. I walked across the street to the Citibank (one of the few global ATM locations in Seoul) to withdraw money. Unfortunately, it wouldn't accept my card, even though it's a global ATM. I was a little worried but decided to walk down the street to see if there was another ATM and because on this street was a stand that sold hotteok (kinda like a toasted piece of pita bread made with cinnamony goodness. ABsolutely delicious). Unfortunately, the stand didn’t open until 8 so I was wet, breakfastless, and a tad cash strapped since there were no other ATMs on that street. I was kinda pissed at this point since it just kinda seemed like everything was lining up against me (which is rare since I feel like I often have good luck *knock on wood*). I walked back to the hotel and decided to try the Citibank again since I couldn’t find another ATM. The doors were magically unlocked! I got some cash then went across the street to McDonald’s to indulge myself in a Sausage McMuffin with Egg since I knew the tour did not include lunch. At this point it was 710 so I ran back to the hotel and quickly up to my room to change out of my wet clothes and get my raincoat. I got back to the lobby just at 715 and sat down with my food and some reading material.
After finishing the food and reading for a bit, I looked up and realized it was 730. Either they were late or I’d somehow missed the tour (which would’ve led to a homicidal rampage). I started getting really antsy around 735, not to mention pissed that I unnecessarily woke up so early. Finally at 745 someone entered the lobby and asked me if I was going on the DMZ Tour. She was lucky she looked almost like Sun from Lost otherwise I probably would’ve snapped at her. Anyway, I entered the tour van. The other people on the tour were a Chinese Malaysian couple and an older American couple from Nebraska with their son, who was stationed at one of the bases in Korea. The mother was a moron. She wouldn't shut up, and didn't seem to understand any type of cultural difference. When talking about dialects, specifically relating to China and Korea, and how it's nearly impossible to understand different dialects, she tried to claim to that Boston people pronouncing car 'cah' was on the same level. I wanted to slap her and, in retrospect, probably should have.
The DMZ was one of the coolest things I've ever done. When they dropped us off, I FINALLY found a souvenir shop with disposable cameras. $20 later, I had two cameras. Thank you Korea for finally accepting my dirty American money. Anyway, back to the relevant topic, tours at the DMZ have to consolidate into larger groups so they can be more easily controlled. In that same vein, there are rules on time limits in certain spots and on where and when you can pictures. You also have to pass through a security checkpoint to enter and there are men with machine guns everywhere. It's probably best I didn't have a working digital camera with me, because I definitely would've broken those rules and incurred the wrath of a soldier...
They showed us a short movie and exhibit before we descended into one of the tunnels the North Koreans burrowed. We walked a steep incline down, then we were allowed to walk like 400m in the tunnel and were actually under the DMZ. It was really cool. The tunnel itself was dark and damp, the rain was making water drip all over the place. We were required to wear hard hat helmets because the roof was very low (I guess North Korean soldiers aren’t very tall) and people kept hitting their heads on the ceiling supports (even me! I felt tall for 15 minutes!). In the tunnel itself, I got yelled at for trying to walk into a restricted area. There weren’t signs (in English at least...) and it looked well lit, so I thought I could go that way even though everyone else was walking in the other direction. I was wrong. Back on the right path, we saw the 3rd line of defense if the North Koreans ever decided to rush the tunnel. It was a bunch of wooden boards and barbed wire. Apparently there are two more even more highly secured lines of defense further along. I hung back and tried to see through a hole in the boards. It was kinda creepy being alone in the tunnel that far into the DMZ. After getting back to the surface, I got my picture taken next to a land mine! Unfortunately it’s on the disposable, so I’ll need to find a way to get that online. It’s probably not as cool as it sounds, but I think the picture is awesome. We were herded back onto the buses and went to the lookout point. Unfortunately it was rainy, but I did get to see into North Korea, including looking at a guard post that was trained on where we were standing! I may have even had a gun pionted at me! You could see the 3rd largest city in North Korea in the distance (can’t remember the name), the deserted North Korean village in the DMZ itself, and the largest state flag pole in the world, belonging to the North Koreans. As I already explained, we weren't allowed to go to the South Korean village inside the DMZ nor the Joint Security Area; apparently there was an incident last month so it's closed. Hearing the South Koreans talk about the North, they're really bitter about the split and blame the US/USSR for it, but at the same time, they're heavily anti-North Korean government. Anyway, it was awesome. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone.
The last stop on the tour was the train station that links the North and South. One train runs daily, though they hope eventually the line will run to Seoul and the station will be bustling. Now it’s just a random tourist stop. Very clean though.
After returning to Seoul, I went to an electronics market to finally buy a new battery (the one that the girl recommended the night before). The process started poorly. Apparently I couldn't bargain there, and I didn't understand the sales guy. He was trying to chrage me 60,000 won (about $60US) for a camera battery, which I thought was ridiculous, especially when I thought he was saying it only cost him 3000 won to buy. I wanted to pay him 10,000 won, which was still overpriced, but I was willing to let it go to get what I wanted. He refused to sell it to me. I was getting pissed off again since he wouldn’t let me bargain and I thought he was being an ass. I was about to leave and so exasperated that I asked him in Chinese if he spoke Chinese. He looked at me weirdly, so I asked again. He said he is Chinese and how do I know Chinese. Immediately happy times ensued and we had a conversation in Mandarin (college wasn’t a waste of time! HUZZAH!). I remember alot more than I thought I did. I understood 95% of what he was saying and he knew everything I was saying. I finally bought a charger and not a battery (since the battery wasn’t charged out of the package, there was no reason to buy a battery for 60,000 won and a charger for 30,000 won when I already had a dead battery that could be charged, so I saved myself $30US in the process). I ate some dumpling soup (a Korean speciality) for lunch then came back to my room and put the battery the wrong way in the charger so it wound up not charging...
That night I was tired but realized it was my last night in Korea so I went to Itaewon, the foreigner district. I was unimpressed. It was early (like 730)and rainy, but I thought it was boring, so I got myself a shirt and left quickly. I had no interest in spending time with foreigners and the market there was nowhere near as good as the Silk Market. Most of the stuff they were selling was crap. I ate some dumplings and wound up at a jazz bar, which was a ton of fun, though kinda pricy (thanks Lonely Planet for sending me to a place where I spent twice as much as I’d anticipated!).
So I think I’ve gone on long enough for this post. There will be ONE more installment of my Korean adventure coming soon! It’ll include my last half day in Seoul (with more linguistic confusion and me on suicide watch!), and my travails in the airports of two different countries (i.e. Beijing Capital fucks me with me again!).
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Only in China
So this is a new segment entitled “Only in China” where I’ll describe (and hopefully provide a photo) of something that normally doesn’t happen in America, just so people can get a taste of how things are different here. The first post is going to be a double since I don’t have pictures for either of these events. The first event being, imagine a police motorcycle. I bet you see an officer cruising down the street, weaving in and out of traffic. Imagine the officer is a male. Now imagine a second officer, also a male, riding the same bike. Except there’s no restraint for the back seat, so he’s holding onto the officer who’s driving like they’re dating. Weird and a tad on the tongzhi (look it up) side if you ask me....
The second part of this post is also pictureless. I was complimented the other day because I have big eyes. Not the color, or the way the light hit them, but simply because they were big. I had absolutely no response for that.
As a quick update to the 2nd part, since I've now been here two full months, getting compliments on the size of my eyes is a regular occurrence here, to the point were I now just accept it. I have big, wide Western eyes, and Chinese people love them. I also draw attention to them by constantly keeping them wide open. Maybe I'm just an attention whore. Who knows.
The second part of this post is also pictureless. I was complimented the other day because I have big eyes. Not the color, or the way the light hit them, but simply because they were big. I had absolutely no response for that.
As a quick update to the 2nd part, since I've now been here two full months, getting compliments on the size of my eyes is a regular occurrence here, to the point were I now just accept it. I have big, wide Western eyes, and Chinese people love them. I also draw attention to them by constantly keeping them wide open. Maybe I'm just an attention whore. Who knows.
Korea Part 2 i.e. Why the Chinese Are Better Capitalists than the Koreans!!!
So there is obviously a giant back log of material for this blog. I have up to 10 additional posts already written and ready to go, with no real outlet for them (Thank you Wuxi South Ocean College for being too cheap to purchase internet that I can use with an Apple Computer! Seriously! Duo xie!). Anyway, its been a busy time for me. I'm attempting to apply to law school, which is going horribly. We'll see where I wind up with that one. On top of that, I have douchebag students who continually find new ways to piss me off. Yesterday I was compared to Iron Man. In that we're both boring. Awesome. That class is never watching a movie again... Anyway, we're going to continue the series of Korean posts. This is part two of a very special four part series, where, once again I'm hopelessly lost in Seoul, with no aid or ability to find my way.
Ok so we last left off at the end of my first day in Korea, so now we shall proceed in logical order to the second day. Of course I woke up late, as I’m prone to do almost every day of my life. I’d wanted to wake up around 8, get a quick breakfast, then get to the National Museum of Korea as soon as it opened. I didn’t move until 10. The only advantage in sleeping that late was that it gave me about 16 hours of sleep in less than 24 hours, which officially got me over my jet lag within a day of being in Asia (huzzah for messed up sleeping schedules!). I quickly showered and left the hotel, getting to the National Museum a little before 1130 after a pleasant subway ride (I became the master of the Korean subway while I was there. In only 3.5 days I rode more than half the lines and could easily navigate the city). Now, the National Museum is freaking massive. It has two wings, the normal wing, and a special exhibition hall and children’s museum on the other side, with an open air atrium in the middle that has a picturesque view of the Seoul Tower in the middle. It’s also a history nerd’s dream building.
Anyway, I decided against the special exhibit (on the kingdom of persia) because of time constraints, so it was off to the normal Asian stuff for me! I started on the 3rd (of 3) floor which was Asian arts. Half the floor was Korean stuff, the other half Vietnam, China, India, Central Asia, and Japan. Alot of the exhibit was really cool, I really liked the Vietnam section; (nerd alert!) I took a class on Vietnamese History/Culture freshman year and it was my first chance to see real Vietnamese art and stuff kinda tied in to what I learned. Anyway, the Japanese part was the last section of the 3rd floor and I could see my camera battery dying. I walk into the room and see a sweet scroll (this room had the only things of worth Japan has ever produced) and of course my camera died as soon as I pushed the photo button. So my plan to make it through the museum on my battery and replace it afterward had officially failed.
I looked in the museum shop on the 3rd floor and there was no camera stuff in there (of course) so I proceeded to the 2nd floor which was even cooler than the 3rd. There was some awesome calligraphy and paintings, and on the other half they had galleries of stuff from private collectors mostly Korean guys but there were some Japanese in there as well (in an attempt to foster good relations between the two countries because, you know, nothing like donating some rare artwork to make up for around 50 years of brutal colonization. I’d say they’re even now). One guy had donated a ton of stuff from Myanmar, which was really cool looking; everything had a reddish tinge. I'd never seen Myanmar art before (or, for that matter, anything from Myanmar [also, I always forget, between Burma and Myanmar, which is the British slave name and which is the indigenous name? I used to know this and now can’t remember...]) and was really disappointed about the camera. I went to the 1st floor, and in the shop there, also no camera stuff, so I had to go through that floor cameraless. (At this point I should also mention that I was starving. It was around 1230 and I had yet to eat anything that day. The museum had a cafe which served weird sandwiches [Korea is obsessed with sandwiches and coffee. You can’t walk half a block without seeing a coffee shop or a sandwich shop. Quizno’s abound!] and a cafeteria whose menu I couldn’t read). Half of the floor had an exhibit on Korean civilization from the Paleolithic Age until the Joseon Dynasty that ended in 1910. I rushed through that section (and most of the museum) because I didn't have a camera, and I was running out of time to see the whole museum and get across the city to my 2nd museum. That section was also full of kids who kept walking in my way (I swear Koreans pay no heed to anything or anyone while they're walking. They don't jaywalk. Ever. It's weird; they will wait with no cars coming until the walk sign comes on, but everyone will walk into you if you're in their way). The other half was even tougher to not take pictures of: they had an exhibit on Korean script from its inception through bookmaking, up to today, then they had a section on mapmaking, then they had a section on the origins of the Korean flag. I was legitimately dying and so pissed I couldn't take a single picture.
Leaving the museum, I passed through two more shops. No batteries, and even worse, no disposable cameras, so I legitimately had no options for photography. I stopped at a convenience store outside to get a Pepsi (for some reason it costs less than Coke but is twice as delicious!) and a Capri Sun (for the nutritional value). I got stares from kids while I was drinking the Capri Sun.
At this point it's 1 and I haven't eaten anything all day. The museum cafe had no food I could recognize so I wouldn't eat there (as I already mentioned), the convenience store smelled like Spaghetti-O's (because they're obsessed with Italian food here and someone was cooking microwave spaghetti in the oven) and there were no restaurants around the museum (a recurring them of the trip is that there is alot of everything here, but whenever you need something specific, it's nowhere to be found). So I took the subway to Seoul Station and got off to go to the market where I bought a traveler’s adaptor the day before. They didn't sell the specific battery for my camera, or any Sony products for that matter (I originally thought they didn’t sell any Japanese products as a way to slap them in the face. I was wrong, they just didn’t sell Sony stuff). There was another department store across the street. They didn't sell cameras. At this point it's past 2, when I'm supposed to be at the next museum, I'm tired, hungry, and pissed off. All I wanted was McDonald's (good ol’ American comfort food!). There wasn't one in sight. I settle for Burger King, but realize I can't get a Whopper, because I can't tell them no mayo or onions. I wound up settling for chicken sandwich and sucking it up and eating the mayo, since there wasn't another option. The BK was meh. I’ve had better and of course I sat in the corner so people wouldn’t look at me the whole time. There was an old couple that was absolutely devouring this massive sundae they sell there. I wish I could’ve taken a picture of it because they were absolutely going to town on it. Alas.
After I got some food in my system, it was off to Seodaemun Prison! I was pumped for the prison and decided I would look for a camera store around the prison, which wouldn't be a problem because it's a big tourist attraction (it was built by the Japanese in 1908 and was used to house political dissidents. They tortured and killed a bunch of people there. Then after liberation, the South Korean government, back in its oppressive days, used it for the same purposes. Yet another example of my useless knowledge that will get my nowhere in life). I got off the subway, bought my ticket for the prison, and saw no souvenir shops. I didn't consider it a big deal and walked back to the street. It's a crowded street so I didn't think I'd have an issue finding a photo shop. Of course I was wrong. Tons of shops. No film. No disposable cameras. I was fairly close to livid at this point (another them from this Asian trip in general [since I’m writing this whilst in China] is that even when I want to spend money, and am willing to pay a premium price to ensure that I can buy the exact thing I want/need, no one is available to give my money to. It’s unbelievable. In America that would never happen, but here it’s like no one wants my money.). I couldn't believe there was nowhere to buy a camera. I would have gladly paid an exorbinant fee for a disposable just so I could get some pics, but nope. No one wanted my money. I entered the prison cameraless and started to walk around. As is the case with most attractions here, there's Korean script, Chinese script, then a tiny English description on SOME of the placards. Luckily alot of stuff there looked cool, so it didn't matter if I didn't know exactly what things were. Whilst in the main hall, there's set of stairs that go down, and a white woman (I can spot them in a crowd here, they're so rare) was a few steps ahead of me and about to go down. A man stopped her and said something in Korean. She had no clue what he meant. So he looked at me, pointed at her, and said 'pregnant' then something else. I looked at him and repeated 'pregnant?' he said yes and pointed at her. I said I didn't understand. He calls over a young girl who worked there and spoke English (and had previously asked me if I wanted a tour guide, which I politely declined), and she told the woman if she was pregnant, she couldn't go downstairs. She wasn't. I don't think he meant it as an insult, just a warning, but she, like most other women, did not like the suggestion that she was prego. The warning was because downstairs were wax figures acting out various scenes of torture the Japanese did to Koreans. It was kinda weird. Once again, I wish I’d had a camera to document that, because seeing wax figures pluck off finger nails and whip each other is something I would like to share with the world. After a few minutes of awkwardly walking near each other, we eventually struck up a conversation (and by we, I mean she struck up the conversation since I’m socially inept). She was French and with her bf, but he had no interest in the prison so she was alone. It was nice to talk to someone in English (even if she was French, she was a pleasant person). It was the most I'd spoken since I got here and it helped cool me down. Anyway, back to the prison, we got to walk through the actual buildings with cells and even go into some of the cells (both regular and solitary). We saw the quarantine building, the building where they put on mock trials so they could kill people accused of crimes against the state, the actual killing building and trap door the used to take out bodies and carry them away from the grounds. Cool stuff. Anyway, it would up that our hotels were in the same area so we took the subway together to Insadong then said goodbye.
Once at the hotel, I checked my email and saw the original DMZ tour I’d arranged for the next day had fallen through. The company was doing tours, but the one that I wanted to go on (the DMZ in addition to the JOint Security Area [which would’ve let me enter North Korea] and the Korean village inside the DMZ [Panjaemum?]) wasn’t being run because apparently there was an incident a few weeks before (and now that South Korea just accused the North of restarting their nuke program, I wonder if any tours are running). Luckily they still had the regular half day DMZ tour so I signed up for that. My original pick up time was supposed to be 745, but the lady called 5 minutes later and asked to switch it to 715, which I said was fine.
After the DMZ business was taken care of, I began to plan my night. In my Lonely Planet guide, it said there is a photo store in Hongik (another neighborhood with no street signs...) that would take care of all my digital photo needs, which I interpreted to mean they'd have batteries, then I was going to an outdoor market where there was supposed to be a good duck restaurant. I took the long way to the subway, hoping to find a photo store, which turned into me wandering for an hour in alleys and underground markets to no avail and just getting frustrated further. Huzzah for wanting to strangle people! I finally hopped on the train at around 7ish. it took me close to 45 mins to get to Hongik because of the line change. When I got there, I realized I had no clue where I was going so I just started walking in a random direction. After 5 mins of wandering, I looked up and saw a Kodak Photo Store, which immediately excited me. Of course, they wanted my memory card to print up pictures for me, they didn't sell batteries. I got annoyed again and started wandering around the area. It was near a college and there were alot of young people around, who were just getting in my way. I wandered around the area for another 45 mins or so, hoping to find another camera store. There was one, and they also didn't sell batteries.
I dejectedly hopped back on the train and went to the other market place, very conspicuously reading my tour book (at that point I'd given up all hope of not looking like a tourist, what with my white skin, non-slanted eyes, and always being lost--- tonight I saw some lady blatantly laugh at me as I stopped in the middle of the road, clearly not knowing where I was going). When I got off the stop, I noticed another white girl, this one around our age. She came up to me, asking how my sightseeing was going. I told her I was miserable. Apparently she's an English teacher here, so we chatted for a bit and she gave me a good suggestion for a battery (though it was already closed). I wanted to ask her to eat dinner with me in exchange for the help, plus she was someone to speak English to, but she was unfortunately meeting a friend.
I then wandered around this market for the next hour. I found a great camera store but my battery was sold out. Then I found a Sony store, but it closed 15 mins before I got there. I gave up on the battery and tried to find the restaurant... and failed... again. The Lonely Planet book can only do so much when there aren’t street names. I went where I thought it was supposed to be, but in reality I had no clue and was just guessing. I finally gave up on finding that restaurant and just walked to the nearest restaurant with people. I wanted dumplings, they didn't sell them, so I had some BBQ beef instead. After the meal, I thought I saw where the restaurant should've been, but it wasn't there. I walked back to the hotel annoyed and tired from all my walking (I walked for close to 3 hours just looking for a battery).
Now before I end this post, I’ll explain the title. If I had been in China and needed a camera battery, around every single tourist spot there would be several stores that would sell camera supplies, and even if they didn’t sell my battery, I’d at least be able to buy an overpriced disposable camera. I even took some pictures to this effect while I was in Beijing. Around Tiananmen Square there are at least 10 stores that sell camera equipment. Inside the Forbidden City there are at least 10 different kiosks/stores that sell camera stuff and that is a communist country. South Korea, which is supposed to be capitalist (and kinda has been for a few decades), had absolutely nothing and little help for tourists. The gift shops in most museums were small and had little to nothing of value. Argh.
Ok so we last left off at the end of my first day in Korea, so now we shall proceed in logical order to the second day. Of course I woke up late, as I’m prone to do almost every day of my life. I’d wanted to wake up around 8, get a quick breakfast, then get to the National Museum of Korea as soon as it opened. I didn’t move until 10. The only advantage in sleeping that late was that it gave me about 16 hours of sleep in less than 24 hours, which officially got me over my jet lag within a day of being in Asia (huzzah for messed up sleeping schedules!). I quickly showered and left the hotel, getting to the National Museum a little before 1130 after a pleasant subway ride (I became the master of the Korean subway while I was there. In only 3.5 days I rode more than half the lines and could easily navigate the city). Now, the National Museum is freaking massive. It has two wings, the normal wing, and a special exhibition hall and children’s museum on the other side, with an open air atrium in the middle that has a picturesque view of the Seoul Tower in the middle. It’s also a history nerd’s dream building.
Anyway, I decided against the special exhibit (on the kingdom of persia) because of time constraints, so it was off to the normal Asian stuff for me! I started on the 3rd (of 3) floor which was Asian arts. Half the floor was Korean stuff, the other half Vietnam, China, India, Central Asia, and Japan. Alot of the exhibit was really cool, I really liked the Vietnam section; (nerd alert!) I took a class on Vietnamese History/Culture freshman year and it was my first chance to see real Vietnamese art and stuff kinda tied in to what I learned. Anyway, the Japanese part was the last section of the 3rd floor and I could see my camera battery dying. I walk into the room and see a sweet scroll (this room had the only things of worth Japan has ever produced) and of course my camera died as soon as I pushed the photo button. So my plan to make it through the museum on my battery and replace it afterward had officially failed.
I looked in the museum shop on the 3rd floor and there was no camera stuff in there (of course) so I proceeded to the 2nd floor which was even cooler than the 3rd. There was some awesome calligraphy and paintings, and on the other half they had galleries of stuff from private collectors mostly Korean guys but there were some Japanese in there as well (in an attempt to foster good relations between the two countries because, you know, nothing like donating some rare artwork to make up for around 50 years of brutal colonization. I’d say they’re even now). One guy had donated a ton of stuff from Myanmar, which was really cool looking; everything had a reddish tinge. I'd never seen Myanmar art before (or, for that matter, anything from Myanmar [also, I always forget, between Burma and Myanmar, which is the British slave name and which is the indigenous name? I used to know this and now can’t remember...]) and was really disappointed about the camera. I went to the 1st floor, and in the shop there, also no camera stuff, so I had to go through that floor cameraless. (At this point I should also mention that I was starving. It was around 1230 and I had yet to eat anything that day. The museum had a cafe which served weird sandwiches [Korea is obsessed with sandwiches and coffee. You can’t walk half a block without seeing a coffee shop or a sandwich shop. Quizno’s abound!] and a cafeteria whose menu I couldn’t read). Half of the floor had an exhibit on Korean civilization from the Paleolithic Age until the Joseon Dynasty that ended in 1910. I rushed through that section (and most of the museum) because I didn't have a camera, and I was running out of time to see the whole museum and get across the city to my 2nd museum. That section was also full of kids who kept walking in my way (I swear Koreans pay no heed to anything or anyone while they're walking. They don't jaywalk. Ever. It's weird; they will wait with no cars coming until the walk sign comes on, but everyone will walk into you if you're in their way). The other half was even tougher to not take pictures of: they had an exhibit on Korean script from its inception through bookmaking, up to today, then they had a section on mapmaking, then they had a section on the origins of the Korean flag. I was legitimately dying and so pissed I couldn't take a single picture.
Leaving the museum, I passed through two more shops. No batteries, and even worse, no disposable cameras, so I legitimately had no options for photography. I stopped at a convenience store outside to get a Pepsi (for some reason it costs less than Coke but is twice as delicious!) and a Capri Sun (for the nutritional value). I got stares from kids while I was drinking the Capri Sun.
At this point it's 1 and I haven't eaten anything all day. The museum cafe had no food I could recognize so I wouldn't eat there (as I already mentioned), the convenience store smelled like Spaghetti-O's (because they're obsessed with Italian food here and someone was cooking microwave spaghetti in the oven) and there were no restaurants around the museum (a recurring them of the trip is that there is alot of everything here, but whenever you need something specific, it's nowhere to be found). So I took the subway to Seoul Station and got off to go to the market where I bought a traveler’s adaptor the day before. They didn't sell the specific battery for my camera, or any Sony products for that matter (I originally thought they didn’t sell any Japanese products as a way to slap them in the face. I was wrong, they just didn’t sell Sony stuff). There was another department store across the street. They didn't sell cameras. At this point it's past 2, when I'm supposed to be at the next museum, I'm tired, hungry, and pissed off. All I wanted was McDonald's (good ol’ American comfort food!). There wasn't one in sight. I settle for Burger King, but realize I can't get a Whopper, because I can't tell them no mayo or onions. I wound up settling for chicken sandwich and sucking it up and eating the mayo, since there wasn't another option. The BK was meh. I’ve had better and of course I sat in the corner so people wouldn’t look at me the whole time. There was an old couple that was absolutely devouring this massive sundae they sell there. I wish I could’ve taken a picture of it because they were absolutely going to town on it. Alas.
After I got some food in my system, it was off to Seodaemun Prison! I was pumped for the prison and decided I would look for a camera store around the prison, which wouldn't be a problem because it's a big tourist attraction (it was built by the Japanese in 1908 and was used to house political dissidents. They tortured and killed a bunch of people there. Then after liberation, the South Korean government, back in its oppressive days, used it for the same purposes. Yet another example of my useless knowledge that will get my nowhere in life). I got off the subway, bought my ticket for the prison, and saw no souvenir shops. I didn't consider it a big deal and walked back to the street. It's a crowded street so I didn't think I'd have an issue finding a photo shop. Of course I was wrong. Tons of shops. No film. No disposable cameras. I was fairly close to livid at this point (another them from this Asian trip in general [since I’m writing this whilst in China] is that even when I want to spend money, and am willing to pay a premium price to ensure that I can buy the exact thing I want/need, no one is available to give my money to. It’s unbelievable. In America that would never happen, but here it’s like no one wants my money.). I couldn't believe there was nowhere to buy a camera. I would have gladly paid an exorbinant fee for a disposable just so I could get some pics, but nope. No one wanted my money. I entered the prison cameraless and started to walk around. As is the case with most attractions here, there's Korean script, Chinese script, then a tiny English description on SOME of the placards. Luckily alot of stuff there looked cool, so it didn't matter if I didn't know exactly what things were. Whilst in the main hall, there's set of stairs that go down, and a white woman (I can spot them in a crowd here, they're so rare) was a few steps ahead of me and about to go down. A man stopped her and said something in Korean. She had no clue what he meant. So he looked at me, pointed at her, and said 'pregnant' then something else. I looked at him and repeated 'pregnant?' he said yes and pointed at her. I said I didn't understand. He calls over a young girl who worked there and spoke English (and had previously asked me if I wanted a tour guide, which I politely declined), and she told the woman if she was pregnant, she couldn't go downstairs. She wasn't. I don't think he meant it as an insult, just a warning, but she, like most other women, did not like the suggestion that she was prego. The warning was because downstairs were wax figures acting out various scenes of torture the Japanese did to Koreans. It was kinda weird. Once again, I wish I’d had a camera to document that, because seeing wax figures pluck off finger nails and whip each other is something I would like to share with the world. After a few minutes of awkwardly walking near each other, we eventually struck up a conversation (and by we, I mean she struck up the conversation since I’m socially inept). She was French and with her bf, but he had no interest in the prison so she was alone. It was nice to talk to someone in English (even if she was French, she was a pleasant person). It was the most I'd spoken since I got here and it helped cool me down. Anyway, back to the prison, we got to walk through the actual buildings with cells and even go into some of the cells (both regular and solitary). We saw the quarantine building, the building where they put on mock trials so they could kill people accused of crimes against the state, the actual killing building and trap door the used to take out bodies and carry them away from the grounds. Cool stuff. Anyway, it would up that our hotels were in the same area so we took the subway together to Insadong then said goodbye.
Once at the hotel, I checked my email and saw the original DMZ tour I’d arranged for the next day had fallen through. The company was doing tours, but the one that I wanted to go on (the DMZ in addition to the JOint Security Area [which would’ve let me enter North Korea] and the Korean village inside the DMZ [Panjaemum?]) wasn’t being run because apparently there was an incident a few weeks before (and now that South Korea just accused the North of restarting their nuke program, I wonder if any tours are running). Luckily they still had the regular half day DMZ tour so I signed up for that. My original pick up time was supposed to be 745, but the lady called 5 minutes later and asked to switch it to 715, which I said was fine.
After the DMZ business was taken care of, I began to plan my night. In my Lonely Planet guide, it said there is a photo store in Hongik (another neighborhood with no street signs...) that would take care of all my digital photo needs, which I interpreted to mean they'd have batteries, then I was going to an outdoor market where there was supposed to be a good duck restaurant. I took the long way to the subway, hoping to find a photo store, which turned into me wandering for an hour in alleys and underground markets to no avail and just getting frustrated further. Huzzah for wanting to strangle people! I finally hopped on the train at around 7ish. it took me close to 45 mins to get to Hongik because of the line change. When I got there, I realized I had no clue where I was going so I just started walking in a random direction. After 5 mins of wandering, I looked up and saw a Kodak Photo Store, which immediately excited me. Of course, they wanted my memory card to print up pictures for me, they didn't sell batteries. I got annoyed again and started wandering around the area. It was near a college and there were alot of young people around, who were just getting in my way. I wandered around the area for another 45 mins or so, hoping to find another camera store. There was one, and they also didn't sell batteries.
I dejectedly hopped back on the train and went to the other market place, very conspicuously reading my tour book (at that point I'd given up all hope of not looking like a tourist, what with my white skin, non-slanted eyes, and always being lost--- tonight I saw some lady blatantly laugh at me as I stopped in the middle of the road, clearly not knowing where I was going). When I got off the stop, I noticed another white girl, this one around our age. She came up to me, asking how my sightseeing was going. I told her I was miserable. Apparently she's an English teacher here, so we chatted for a bit and she gave me a good suggestion for a battery (though it was already closed). I wanted to ask her to eat dinner with me in exchange for the help, plus she was someone to speak English to, but she was unfortunately meeting a friend.
I then wandered around this market for the next hour. I found a great camera store but my battery was sold out. Then I found a Sony store, but it closed 15 mins before I got there. I gave up on the battery and tried to find the restaurant... and failed... again. The Lonely Planet book can only do so much when there aren’t street names. I went where I thought it was supposed to be, but in reality I had no clue and was just guessing. I finally gave up on finding that restaurant and just walked to the nearest restaurant with people. I wanted dumplings, they didn't sell them, so I had some BBQ beef instead. After the meal, I thought I saw where the restaurant should've been, but it wasn't there. I walked back to the hotel annoyed and tired from all my walking (I walked for close to 3 hours just looking for a battery).
Now before I end this post, I’ll explain the title. If I had been in China and needed a camera battery, around every single tourist spot there would be several stores that would sell camera supplies, and even if they didn’t sell my battery, I’d at least be able to buy an overpriced disposable camera. I even took some pictures to this effect while I was in Beijing. Around Tiananmen Square there are at least 10 stores that sell camera equipment. Inside the Forbidden City there are at least 10 different kiosks/stores that sell camera stuff and that is a communist country. South Korea, which is supposed to be capitalist (and kinda has been for a few decades), had absolutely nothing and little help for tourists. The gift shops in most museums were small and had little to nothing of value. Argh.
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