keep me where the light is: seoul fitting

so i promised that i would make good on a blogpost about my trip to Seoul, not that anyone is keeping tabs, this is probably more for myself than anyone. anyway, so here goes.

firstly, this trip has been one that i was believing God for. i randomly wrote on a small piece of paper some time early this year that i would want to go on a family trip overseas to somewhere nice. and that the expenses would be taken care of. one thing led to another and suddenly, we booked a flight to Seoul and i was planning the itinerary and it was all really supernaturally easy. so yea! another answered prayer :)

if my pulse on this is right, i guess you would have known quite a few friends who have recently gone on a trip to Korea, and the duration of these trips are getting longer and longer, whether for personal travel or for summer exchange. this is undoubtedly the effect of popular culture and media on tourism, creating that desire in korean drama fans, kpop fans or people interested in korean language to take that pilgrimage of sorts to Seoul especially. of course, im not much different. and i was really excited just thinking about the different places i could see that i came across in dramas. but most of all i really just love walking the streets of a foreign land and getting as close as possible to the locals.

it is not always pretty of course when you peel back the layers of glamour and picture perfect (plastic-surgery modified) veneer of this country that we get from dramas. yes the guys there are on average handsome, at least more handsome than what i see in singapore, mostly cos they are really tall and slim. and the ladies look good too, whether they are pretty or not. the one thing that stayed true were the ahjummas that i see in the markets on dramas, they really do look as they are haha. beyond physical appearance, this country is just like any other country. i found alot of similarities between koreans and singaporeans in that we are both not very friendly people naturally. unlike the Thais. you think rush hour in spore is bad, wait till you try rush hour in the seoul subway. people push you into the carriage, this old man apparently tried to brush his arm against mine, nobody gives up their seat for a pregnant lady nor an old frail woman, people stare at each other when they cut your queue. they also dont make an effort to speak english, not even the younger ones, and just keep silent or brush you away if they dont understand you. an auntie even jacked up the price of the pants my mum was buying after we gave her the money. but, there was also an elderly taxi driver who was patient and smiled repeatedly at us while we were in his cab back to our guesthouse. through chicken-talking-to-duck hand gestures and body language, a kind elderly subway personnel helped us go up and down three stories to refund our card money of only $1.50 sgd equivalent. a lady in her 30s tried to make conversation with us when i bought a pants from her, and i introduced my mum aunt and sis to her through my very limited korean. a young gentleman used his swanky gps on his samsung phone to help us get directions to the Coffee Prince shop that is impossible to find, using his limited english, "left-te, straight-te and-de right-te".

just like another other country, you would have your share of kind and patient people, but also impatient and hostile people. any romanticised or fantasised ideas about korea as a holy land of sweet and considerate princes and princesses would be brought down to reality really quickly when you travel in this way. but thats is what i love about travelling on a shoestring, or a limited budget at least. you get to see the dirt and smell the roses, feel the electric buzz of a mega city, yet think about the issues that the locals are concerned about, live out your fantasies but also come to see the daily struggles of the locals. they are also normal human beings, like you and me, trying to make the best that they can out of their life.

and often, the best parts of a trip are those that are not mentioned or recommended in the guidebook. yes, gyeongbokgung is the most recognised palace in the history of korea and drama fans are socialised into knowing that as well, but that was one of the worst parts of my trip, the crazy blazing weather, the hordes of tourists trying to get THE perfect picture of the roofs and windows and the royal guards, the commercialisation of it. but there is just so much noise there. the best part of my trip honestly was the hike i took up to N Seoul Tower and the comfy train journey to and back from Nami Island. i could just slow down and gather my thoughts, without noise and things trying to grab my attention. just the scenery and personal space. best of all, it was free, or close to free.

coming back, i have been inspired to try out working in a travel company in developing tour packages. but not mass 'lets clock hours and tick off the list of things to see' kind of packages. not packages. but journeys. experiences. bridges and linkages with home, with your other experiences. yea, so idealistic right haha. but this is definitely on my list of possible future careers. why not? if i can feel so much while travelling like this, im sure there would be similar people who would want to too. yay! :)

ok so finally, here are the photos! will put captions below the pictures just cause i like too haha.