Well... this solo traveller took another stab at trying travel with someone.
Taipei with the boo was a success.
After sitting in a few too many airports alone, i figured I should figure out if I can handle spending time in one with my boy.
I have a tendency to be a doormat as to avoid conflict on vacations with friends, which ultimately leaves me upset and disappointed in my trips. However, after voicing that concern to D and being intentional in doing what I want to do - things went very smoothly. A few items compromised and some less than delicious meals were the only things that kept it from being a perfect trip (is there even such a thing?)
Taipei is a great city, and relatively cheap compared to the other East Asian cities I have visited. If youāre a night owl and snacker, this is the city for you. Theres always something new to munch on around every corner. Iām not sure if I was ever hungry the four days I was there....
Despite the new success abroad, my next trip will be a ways from now. The Lunar New Year falls over my booās birthday and we canāt afford another long weekend abroad so I am trying to plan a stay-cation (as well as some surprise birthday festivities :P )Ā
Stay tuned
A bit late to post, and realizing I didnāt even make a post about my trip to Japan a couple months ago...
Surely because life has hit a rhythm here. Things donāt seem worth writing about because they have become the norm.
I figured, the best homage to that affect, would be to write about how my habits have changed since arriving:
CASH IS KING -Ā Ā
I have found I use paper money here far more than I have back home. Splitting a bill is never done by the restaurant or bar or taxi, so being able to pay my share makes having cash critical. It also doesnāt hurt that nearly every cafe offers a stamp card for cash purchases; my daily fix might as well earn me something.
ACCEPTING HELP -
I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T. always fit me well before moving here. Asking for help was painful. I have learned that I am not always capable of doing something entirely on my own, mostly due to a language barrier, and that asking others for help isnāt gonna get anyone killed.
*NEWSFLASH* I HAVE A LIFE -Ā
Through most of my schooling, and surely my gap year, I thrived with a lot of alone time. i took extra work shifts and binged a few too many shows, but life always seemed balanced despite few social interactions.
Now, Koreans have made me crave activity. Going and getting dinner with friends must happen at least... 3? 4 times a week. Surely almost every weekend meal. Shopping, seeing movies, chatting at cafes - I have become non-content with a homebody lifestyle. The boyfriend was surely the tipping point of this change.
MS. MONEYBAGS -Ā
Paying for university was a daunting task I didnāt take lightly. I saved just about every penny I could pinch. Now, with school behind me and a well paying job, I live a bit TOO frivolously (at least compared to what I am used to.) I tracked my spending the last couple months and was a bit awestruck at how much I had spent in restaurants and cafes. Having a life comes at a cost - one I am lucky to afford - but I am still adjusting to the mindset that paying to participate in social things is okay and healthy.
MORE MORE MORE -
Any restaurant with a bottomless option was something I cherished in the States. Now, I expect it. Bottomless kimchi, and snacks, and radish, and salad, and whathaveyou is part of every meal here. EVERY meal. If there isnāt a bowl of something to snack on, I feel out of place. At least I get my moneyās worth :P
STILL STARINGĀ -Ā
I donāt know if the day will ever come where Korean people find me uninteresting to look at... the novelty of that has worn off. It surely doesnāt bother me, but it lost its luster ofĀ ācoolā andĀ āsillyā awhile ago. Itās just my life now. No more blending in crowds, something this quiet girl cherished back home. I accept it, and move on, knowing I canāt give my BF a peck on the cheek without soooomeone seeing.
FAKE ITĀ āTIL YOU MAKE IT -
With some time under my belt, I have learned some baaaaasic BASIC Korean. This has set me up for many unintentional conversations. I can place my order in Korean now, and that almost always leads to follow up questions that I donāt understand. I usually just choose to nod or motion toward someone near me whose bilingual. On occasion though, I just fake it and laugh and respond with simple phrases and try to move along as fast as possible.
CHILLING DESPITE THE CHILL -Ā
Winter is upon us. The heated floors are fabulous, but they certainly canāt dry clothes. My new laundry routine generally consists of washing the load, putting them on the rack, opening my windows for the moving air, and leaving the house for the day. The heater doesnāt stay on ever, only when I need it, and letting in the arctic frost has been a small growing pain this past month.
As a whole though, despite these changes, my life is so similar to back home. I have downtime, I go to work, I shop at the supermarket, I have a favorite coffee spot, I have people that I regularly see... Life is swell. The new year is coming, and Iāll stop into Taipei for a small spell. Excited to add country four!
Until next...
me, thinking about those times when youāre sat at a window seat on the bus and a stranger sits beside you trapping you there and your stop is coming up but youāre on a seat that isnāt near a stop button so youāre going to have to communicate with this stranger to move while the bus is still in motion and navigate to a stop button in time without falling but youāre bad at socialization and maintaining your balance: heights
Long time... no post... Iāve been a little busy.
Someone found a special someone earlier than expected. As much as Iād like to talk about the specifics of my cute boo - I wanna write a post on general dating trends Iāve seen in Korea and how they differ from the States. [but Iām totally going to put pictures of us because weāre adorable.]
Koreans are very eager in the concept of commitment. Most couples are officially together after only a few dates (3-5 Iāve heard is common.) Dating is also just a big deal in general. Most people who are dating will spend the vast majority of their free time with their significant other, as its expected to be together as much as possible [and if you arenāt with them, youre texting them all the time.] My Korean teacher coworkers are always eager to hear about my dating life and want to know how often I see him. Dating culture is really consuming and prioritized here.Ā
What Koreans value I would say is fairly similar to American standards, though they are much more blatant about it. Korean friends want to know how old you are and what you do for work above most else. Itās not taboo to ask for a persons age, and a well paid job is highly sought. Though I must say I have found Koreans to be exceptionally picky. Small noses, short stature, curly hair - the list could go on for what I have heard people say they wonāt date someone for... usually superficial looks concerns.Ā
Like Iāve previously shared, Koreans love anything cutesy and this REALLY shows in dating culture amongst young people. Girls will talk very childlish (link link) and this is considered to be very charming. Personally, I am lucky and have a guy who isnt into theĀ āOppaā title but Iāve heard it countless times out and about in Korea and have been encouraged to keep trying to beĀ ācharmingā by my Korean friends.
One of the most apparent things thats different between American and Korean dating culture is theĀ āmatchyā look. Koreans love to match their partners - from basic outfits even all the way to the same haircut. (link) Its weird and different, but a theory on its roots says that its come about because Koreans have fewer forms of acceptable PDA. Looking the same lets them show they world that they are together. Speaking of PDA... [;) ;) ;) :P lol] kissing I would say as a whole is taboo - a quick peck may catch a few double takes but Iāve seen it occasionally on the weekends out in Ulsan and Seoul - always by young couples. Koreans are just much more touchy. Itās very common to hold hands and touch faces or just wrap your arms around a partner on the subway.
Another major difference, for me, isĀ āmeeting the parents.ā In Korea, you donāt meet the family until you are next to marriage. I come from a highly social family and it was very common for friends - platonic or romantic - to meet members of my family early on. Overall, its a small cultural compromise that hasnāt been too big of a deal.
More to come... Iāve been told that Koreans celebrate anniversaries not by months, but myĀ ā100ā² days... so weāll see what that has in store.
Here you can read all my thoughts as I was wandering about. The notes are incomplete, but its what I wrote :P
Last night, I jumped the KtX to Seoul and got to my AirBnb with ease. Sadly, the slight drizzle upon arrival reminded me that I forgot my raincoat. Classic.
I had planned out my airport arrival as follows: 935 flight so get to ICN by 8 so jump the train by 7 so leave the AirBnb by 640.
All this would have worked out if I wasn't an idiot and waited in the wrong line at the airport for my boarding passes for nearly an hour.
I had to run through a terminal and half to catch my flight but I got there before final call and that's all that matters.
The 5hr flight to Bangkok went smoothly. At one point, my Korean teenage boy neighbor fell asleep on my shoulder/armpit/boob. As someone who hates physical contact, I was dying. As someone with strong maternal tendencies, I couldn't disturb his sleep and embarrass him. Kindness won and I made a secret friend.
The customs were cake and rather entertaining. As my flight came through so did a flight from Kobenhavn. Somehow I ended up in a line of 20+ blonde families. The most culture shock I've had yet in Asia. The little Korean kids and Danish toddlers were hitting it off and I couldn't help but smile.
There was a slight delay in my second flight but it was totally worth it to meet my seat buddies: a gay French couple who were reading Camus' The Stranger to each other. What is life??
Landing in Samoi, I was greeted with the warmest breeze and a friendly driver to my hosts place. I went for a long walk on the beach and snagged some goodies to munch on before lying down for an early bed time. Getting good sleep is the start to any good vacation.
Good sleep came and I spent the day at Ang Thong Nat'l Marine Park. Pierre, my host, booked the trip for me because I am a hot mess. Driver picked me up early and took us to the pier. Being paranoid about sun exposure, I picked a spot directly in the center of the lower deck. I would be getting plenty of sun the rest of the day. The tour group matched me up with a couple other solo girls and we kayaked out to Thale Nai on Ko Mae Ko. One of the girls was Thai, enjoying her birthday weekend with friends on Ko Samui. The other was Pilipino and has been working in Chicago the last few years. Both thought it was hilarious that I would wear a water shirt. We enjoyed the beach for a bit before taking a long tail boat back for lunch.
From there, we departed for Ko Wua Talap for a free afternoon. I'm a sucker for a good viewpoint and LOOORD MERCY. Did I find one. Getting there was a struggle - though not steep, it was a trail of sharp rocks and blistering heat. Wearing a dress was not the best choice to make. Even still, the wideshot view over the park was incredible.
I made it back down alive but not without a bit of a lobster face (chest/shoulders/etc.) No sunscreen is sweat resistant enough for SE Asia. Totally and completely worth it.
Found the girls who opted to kayak and heard about their stories. While everyone loaded up, they allowed passengers to jump off the dock and swim in the bay. It was clearly the best and most fun way to get rid of the bug spray and sunscreen in my hair. On the trip back to Samui, the girls sunbathed and I retreated to the shade and eavesdropped on the many European tourists flexing their English skills. I missed this hobby.
Once back to the pier, the hotel shuttle got me back to grab my bags before moving on to my next nights accommodation. Ā I got there just in time for a sunset swim. I washed up and went to the bar that the bungalow guy owns. There I was met by a posse of 60+ Aussies that were keen to having some fresh blood in the bar. We talked politics (Thai/Aussie/US) and they gave me a bunch of drunk life advice. I'm good at making single-serving friends.
The next morning I got up to catch the sunrise and then pack for my ferry to Samui. Got a brief flash of pouring rain but it made the walk to the pier MUCH more humid. Bought my boat ticket and took the spare time to continue on toward Big Buddha. many people brought flowers to its feet.
Leave it to me to over plan time, so I bought some junk food and studied my Hangul at the pier until departure. The ferry took about 2 hours and went smooth enough. Landed in Tao and walked to my hostel... Sometimes I forget how much I dislike hostels. Arrived to a very disorganized, very dirty, and very loud treehouse dormitory. The key to my locker also worked on the others in my room and I got locked inside the smelly bathroom stall. Yikes. I went for a long long walk and grabbed a bite to eat before heading back, knowing id want to try and be at least a bit social. Talked with a couple UK girls and a dude from Oregon. I had enough of youth culture after an hour or so and went back to my six person room for an attempt at shut eye. I don't miss dorm life.
Tuesday morning I had booked a full day snorkel trip with my hostel. Turns out the hostel staff forgot to call in my ticket. Classic. Luckily - a scooter showed up and ran me to the pier in time to catch my tour. We went to 5 different spots on the island, most with good clarity and coral. Swam through several schools of fish and some tried to eat my hair. It was awesome. Our last stop was the ever popular Nang yuan island. Knowing there was a view, I made sure to butt ahead at the dock so I could summit the view first. Totally paid off.
We spent an hour or so there and then ended up doubling that time because our boat engine and broken. The tour group sent out this teeny boat for our 30 people and we splashed all the way back to the pier. Took on alotta water and had a few Castaway type moments but I'm alive and that's that.
The boat was later than expected so I went back to the hostel and had to try and coordinate my ride to my next AirBnb. It was a hot mess but they figured it out. My host for Blue Heaven arrived quickly and we weaved our way to the spectacular view over Aow Luek Bay.
Big upgrade. Worth the extra 30 a night. Beautiful view. Huge private bath. Free breakfast. God bless.
Finally got some steady rain so I had a lazy morning. Took my time with breakfast and snuggled with the lobby cat. The night before, I had run my battery to the bone and then couldn't get my charger to work (!!!) My wonderful host scrummaged something up for me and I owe him my life. He told me he was taking a group of guests to another part of the island for the afternoon and I gladly took his invitation to join. A family from Shanghai and I spent the day snorkeling and chatting during a dry afternoon. The snorkeling at this beach was better than all the other spots the day before - I was so thankful. Took a nice shower and got ready for a nice dinner at the hotels restaurant. Another storm rolled through and I ate Red Snapper while looking at lightening over a bay. Wowie wow wow. Epic vacation.
Visiting the Tropics and the Art of Avoiding a Sunburn
For the first week of August, I spent my days island hopping around Thailand. I spent a few days in Koh Samui followed by Koh Tao before an extended layover in Bangkok on my way back to Korea.Ā
The following weekend was extended by a bank holiday on Monday so I took advantage of the day off to explore Koreaās Jeju Island (Jejudo).
COMPARISON:
Food: This one is difficult, as I WOULD toss the points toward Thailand as a whole, but when you throw up on a plane because of food poisoning, itās hard to succumb to that opinion. I am gonna leave this one at a stalemate.
People: Hands down, better in Jejudo. Thailand was crawling with Westerns which really killed any kind of authentic vibe to the islands. Jejudo was mostly Koreans and Chinese. Some of my hosts were great in Thailand, but my host in Jejudo was equally great so Koreas snatching this W
Cost: Thailand was bar none cheaper. Asides my $14 USD mini bottle of sunscreen (that I needed two of) everything was so cheap. Subways in Bangkok to dinners out each night, I didnāt bat an eye when paying for this vacation upon arrival. Jeju was more typical to Korean prices and typical American expectations.
Beaches: Ko Tao is gonna win this without a thought. Very clean, never too crowded, and the views were breathtaking.
Transit: This one is difficult as its more a matter of preference. Getting around in Thailand, most people rent scooters or pay for taxi pick up trucks to tow them around. The trucks werenāt bad but I would not say either island was pedestrian friendly even for short distances. Jeju has much more developed, with plenty of buses and sidewalks. However, the island was so large. I should have bothered to get my international drivers license and rented a car. I think the island would be more enjoyable if it didnāt take 2 hours to get to the bus depot to transfer to another half hour bus ride. If you can rent a car, Jeju gets the win but for me, I have to go with Thailand.
Overall: Both were fabulous. Ko Tao was my favorite, followed by Jeju, then Samui in a third but by no means horrible.
This weekend, I saw two Korean films. The first in theaters, Train to Busan was too much fun. It was easy to follow despite the language barrier and my coworkers and I went to spy on a friendās date like a group of middle schoolers.
The Assassination movie was played at an outdoor festival. I figured a drama would be much more difficult to follow, and it certainly was. Luckily it was a beautiful night and there was some great people watching to do between action scenes.
Saturday, I made a friend was The Sixth Sense. He mentioned he had watched The Happening and I told him M. Night is aĀ āone hit wonderā and he should actually watch the wonderful one.
No, the national anthem isnāt Gangnam Style. 1. When you tell people you live in Korea, theyāve asked you North or South. 2. You can hold an entire conversation just using Kakao emoticons. Save Up to 80% on Your Hotel Deals. Book Now & Pay Later!Agoda.com 3. You semi-panic for the tourist who sits in ā¦
For someone not living in Seoul, Iād say that this list holds true in some areas for Ulsan.
1. I have been asked which Korea. Glad itās South
2. Kakao emojis are wonderfully versatile but also slightly vague. Theyre fun nonetheless
3. No subways here :/
4. I have successfully dodged a few sidewalk scooters
5. I have many of these stupid menus!!! Lol theyre good for practicing reading Korean
6. Flavored milk is very popular and I am all for it
7. Charging your phone here is no joke. Businesses are really helpful - for example, a friendās phone was dying at dinner and the restaurant took and charged it while we ate.Ā
8. No blind dates personally but I know they are very popular for young Koreans.
9. Free wet wipes??? I havenāt been offered any but I intend to stock up
10. Many convenience stores are open 24hrs back home sooo....
11. Food is still too hot for me but I just wait it our a couple minutes. Iām sure Iāll appreciate it more come winter
12. Street food is less common in Ulsan or at least in my district. However, my short weekend in Seoul - I can vouch for pan seared cheese and the many fresh juice pouches
13. Corn on pizza!! So different - not sure how the trend started - but I have experienced this. Not my favorite topping but its not stopping me.
14. Iāve been on a few crowded subways but theyāve all been breathable. Iām sure this is not the case after a festival or holiday...
15. Big advocate of scissors in the kitchen and at the table.Ā
16. Daiso is fab. GS25 and all the other convenience stores are similar but my CU (CVS for You) is my go to
17. Havenāt really picked up on the hand to elbow, but I am definitely using two hands to give things to students and cashiers.
18. Naver maps, Google maps, and my phone in general makes life here so easy. God bless technology,
19. Usually children or young men who think theyāre funny, people definitely sayĀ āHelloā just to hear me say hi back. Doesnāt bother me too much especially for the 6 and under crowd
20. The Kakao sound has really grown on me. At first, it just startled me just becuase I didnāt recognize it but now its just a cute way for me to check my phone
21. My students are giddy anytime I attempt Korean, and people have told me at language exchange that my pronunciation is very clear. Even though I donāt buy it, Iāll take the compliment :P
22. No selfie stick but selfies are way more fun with Snow filters
23. Havenāt left the house in these babies but I have a pair for the shower/laundry/bathroom
24. This is no joke. Couples here will match in every possible way - from shoes to their haircut. Not sure how well Iād take to this concept
25. I have a coworker that does this. Iāve had friends at home that do this. Doesnāt phase me
26. Too Seoul specific. Canāt say I know of any meeting point in Ulsan yet that is madness, but youāll be the first to know.
27. aaaaaaand no comment. Coming into Seoul moving here was a breeze and hopefully any flights Iāll be doing soon will be just as easy
Yesterday officially crossed me into a month of being in Korea.Ā
Here are some thoughts and observations Iāve had as a young, white, hetero American female - lets see if anything changes as time passes.
Tech stuff here is super fun. From every door having keyless entry to the fancy toilets, people are always a step ahead. Phones are basically glued in your palms by age 7 (all my students have one.) Korean things are far more cutesy than American things too. Kakao emojis are everywhere and swiping through the flawless filters on Snow is too much fun.Ā
This is everyoneās Korean boyfriend at the moment, Song Joong-Ki. From what Iāve gathered, he is currently advertising clothes, beer, pizza, internet, phones, shoes, and toothpaste. He embodies fairly well this notion that everyone is beautiful. Iāve found that people here are rather androgynous: short hair is common on both men and women and everyone has the body frame of a 12 year old American boy... with exceptional skin. As a friend has put, everyone isĀ āa little beautiful, a little sexy, and a little handsome.ā
Driving here is a hot mess. Koreans are frantic drivers and frequently get into accidents. Most people drive new vehicles, and I assume this is because we are in a wealthy district and theyāve totaled a vehicle in the last 5 years. Someone was telling me that buying parts here is incredibly expensive so people just buy new again.
Everything is neon. The roads, the buildings, the buses: they all glow from miles away. Honestly, its a bit overstimulating but makes me feel metropolitan and cool at the same time.Ā
THINGS THAT ARE NEW AND DIFFERENT:
Spitting. Men here spit... all the time. Itās like theyre trying to pull a baseball of snot from the deep part of a lung.Ā
Staring. My blonde hair and American curves catch some exotic looks almost daily. Being exotic has had a few upswings though - I get unnecessarily nice service most places. I feel guilty and strange buy mildly flattered.
Sun protection. It is not uncommon to see women wearing full sleeves, pants, gloves, a sunhat, and carrying an umbrella to block those UVA rays. Iāve embraced this rather well
Trash. Similar to NYC, trash seems to pile up quickly here. The biggest difference is that you canāt seem to locate a trashcan anywhere asides a bathroom... Iāve never been good at spotting things but this seems to be a big trend.
Taxis. Taxi culture is fairly new to me and I donāt know if Iām all in on it yet... I always like going to cities with public transit so I donāt mind the buses here. Everyone keeps yelping about them though so Iām guessing their novelty will fade soon (hahaha).
Water. Everyone here buys super large water bottles. Iāve been told the water is safe, but the main concern is in older buildings with old pipes... I figured when in Rome.
THINGS THAT ARE THE SAME:
Middle school kids are punks. Babies are precious. Kids laugh over farts.
Cafes are everywhere. Going from one coffee city to another has been very comforting.
Most people I interact with are pleasant. That Midwestern kindness is parallel to my new home.
Vanity. Young Koreans are very into their looks and put a lot of energy into being attractive.
Life as a whole. I have a routine, a main grocery store, a favorite coffee shop, and people to chat with about TV. Iām feeling settled.
After work Friday, my coworker Noel and I took a taxi to the boons of Ulsan to catch the KTX toward Seoul. The speed train here topped the same speeds I got in Germany - about 300km/hr - but that only does so much good when your train leaves around 11pm. Arrived in Seoul just before 1am and was shot. Since all public transit was done for the night, the taxt line was insaaaaane. Lucky enough for us, Noelās friend was in town and had a taxi swing in and get us from the station.
This convenience came at a price though - he wanted to show us around and make sure we got dinner. This pushed my bedtime from 130 to 430... something thats tolerable but not ideal. Itās especially draining when you have to get up at 6am. Only plus? The people of Seoul are beyond stylish. Everyone is hot. And in a city of 10 million, it makes for some great people watching.
We booked a hiking trip with Seoul Hiking Group to Seoraksan National park and our bus to leave was departing at 7:15am. We ventured off at 6:30 and arrived at our subway transfer station to realize that cars donāt regularly run until 7am.... Panicking, we ran up, grabbed a taxi, and went to the meet up corner. We arrived 5 minutes late to no bus. We figured its better to be out taxi fare than our whole trip deposit so we grabbed another taxi and decided to hope for the best and pray we can catch the group at the last pick up location. We arrived 2 minutes late but saw a whole slew of buses - running down the lane of them, but no luck. We walk back to the main drag and saw some other people with packs just as our bus pulled up. We made it.
Luckily, the bus ride out was about 2hrs so I caught a few ZZZs on the way out.Ā
The hike was beautiful but long. REAAAAALLY long. We were originally told that the trip would be a hike from 1030-230ish with an hour and a half rafting trip to follow. We were not done crossing the river until 5:30. Its hard to mentally prepare for a hike when it takes twice as long to complete as anticipated. Especially on 90 minutes of sleep.
By the time the hike was done, between tripping on rocks and jumping off them for 6 hours they still offered to do the rafting trip. I was so shot though that I slept on the bus. Rafting in the dark with moderately low water levels is so unappealing with an empty belly and bruised shins. We finally made our way back to Seoul and didnt arrive until about 1030pm which meant we were back to the AirBnb until close to midnight.
The next day we kept it easy and did a little shopping and went to a couple cafes to get a break from the heat. Eager to go back solo and do more touristy things... and stare at the beautiful people
A Quiet Girlās Experience at a Conversation Club
Today after work I scurried to a language exchange meeting at a cafe. It starts each week a half hour earlier than I can every make it, but I overcame my anxiety of walking into rooms late and meeting new people to work on my failure complex by attempting to speak a new language. Big night.
I ran into someone I knew there! My friend who drove me around Saturday attends so I sat next to him and 3 other Koreans. We did some small talk, discussed Autism, and then they gave me suggestions for my weekend plans to Seoul. They even tried to get me coupons for the KTX. Needless to say, they welcomed be warmly and I even got to practice a little Korean.
photo courtesy
Hoping next week, I will learn a bit more. I did make plans with two girls tomorrow to grab a bus to a bookstore (?) I think. Regardless I am along for the ride.Ā
snowghoul
izzy806
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
gummygunk
vaporwave
andulkaphoto
stormborns
kianamaiart
