I created this blog almost a year ago, to mark my adventures in Seoul, I thought, which is why I called the blog searching my Seoul. However, in those six months, I only managed a handful of entries. I found myself enjoying life and living too much to commit thoughts and impressions to paper, ( or to the computer screen as it were).

Then I saw this quote a few days ago, it said:

                Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. 

My initial reaction was, I would if I could, if I had the resources, the time, the money to do so. But then I realized, traveling someplace I have never been to before does not mean traveling to another country.  My country has so much to offer, so many beautiful places that I can go to, and I have never been to before. I also realized that for the past few years, I have in fact been doing that, traveling someplace I have never been before. I realized, for its drama, and corresponding stress, my work has provided me with various opportunities to travel. I have been to Tokyo, to Geneva, to Helsinki, to D.C., to Seoul, all in the name of work. For the past few years, I have unknowingly been living this quote, and my life has all been the richer for it.  The year 2005 brought me to Tokyo, and I was in Europe in 2006. 2007 and I was in Pangasinan, visiting Manaoag for the first time with my sisters. The first month of 2008 saw me in the US, going for training and a visit to family living there. 2009 and I was exploring Ilocos with friends from work, cramming everything we could go to and see for two days and visiting my dad's province of birth, Cebu, walking around and sightseeing with my sister. My sister's work also meant I got to go to Boracay in 2009, to visit Puerto Princesa in 2010 and Bacolod in 2012. In between, I got to visit Davao, to attend yet another conference in 2011. And although I may not be as extensively well traveled as some, I think my life has been enriched by all of this adventures.

Some days, I think going someplace you've never been before doesn't have to mean traveling physically. And if books and the materials we have read, or the shows we watch were portals, then I have traveled far and wide, off to Narnia, to Hogwarts, to wartime London, to the underworld, to prehistoric Philippines, anywhere and anywhen my imagination could take me as I gobbled up and lost myself in the books I have read.

Perhaps, going someplace we have never been to before simply means we have to reach beyond the boundaries we have set up ourselves, to expand our horizons, and to be open to what the world has to offer.

seeing the sights

Counting down the days until all this is over and I suddenly feel the urge to visit the places I feel like I should visit. In contrast with the vow of not acting like a tourist, now I want to act like a tourist before I leave. Yes, contrary, thy name is M. Any visitor worth his salt will tell you that if you have a few days to spare, the thing to do in Seoul is to visit the Five Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, plus a few other World Heritage sites. Finish that off with trying on the Hanbok, the Korean traditional dress and maybe lunch at Insa-dong, the antiques district. 

Gyeongbukgung (gung means palace) is considered the main palace, and with its majesty and grace, it bears this title well. Visiting this palace was perhaps the first tourist thing I did when I came to Seoul. The trip was in fact, characteristic of the pbali, pbali life in Seoul. We had just come from the district office issuing alien registration cards one station away. Feeling cooped up in our dorm and wanting to explore a little, we asked our coordinator what sights could be seen near the station. And lo and behold, a station away, and conveniently, with an exit directly into its grounds was Gyeongbukgung.

 Armed with a camera with a dying battery (and not yet harboring illusions at taking super nice photos like you do), my group mates and I set about exploring the grounds of the palace.  It is a little awe-inspiring to enter these ancient grounds and walk around places where history was made. For me, the idea that something this ancient  could stand the ravages of war and time, to be preserved and restored, was awe-inspiring. It makes me a little sad that in good old P.I., the same things could not be said. Seeing ancient structures stand proudly in the midst of all the towering symbols of modernity is something else. (And to digress a little, now I am convinced I need to bring my friend to Gyeongbukgung when she comes to Seoul, if only to take better pictures haha). 

Fast forward to September and said urgency pushed me to visit another palace (I was in fact, waiting for autumn to come, much nicer to walk around on a cool day, plus I wanted to see the foliage change colors). This time, it was a much smaller palace, Changgyeonggung, which was tucked in a quiet street in Jong-no, and required quite a walk from the nearest subway station.

Enter its gates and you will notice Changyeonggung bears a quiet dignity and is much cozier and less harried than Gyeongbukgung, which is a major tourist destination. Instead, here you see families and couples walking around the buildings and grounds or having a little picnic under its trees. The buildings in this place bear the ravages of time, as for some reason, the government opted not to paint over the building but to open them in all its timeworn majesty. Perhaps a factor to this decision is the fact that the main hall, called Myeongjeongjeon, is the oldest extant main hall of all the palaces in Seoul. 

 Myeongjeongjeon (if it looks familiar, maybe you are one of those who love Korean historical dramas and have seen this used as a setting) 

stair guardian

details on the main hall's ceiling

I still have a few places I want to visit on my list, and as I count down to my last ten weeks in Seoul, I hope to make more wonderful memories and continue to see more of what it has to offer. Meanwhile, me and my trusty camera will find time to play tourist and visit as many places as I can before I leave for home. 

I see this all over the place, even in the buildings in Royal tombs. Maybe they serve as guardians? I find them fascinating, is that weird?

When in Seoul...

Kyung Hee University

Two months and two weeks have breezed by it seems, as I settled into my new life. Immediately, I was thrust into the routine of four-hour language classes twice a week, and four-hour lectures on Korean culture, history, and their copyright system. The theme for the next six months appears to be: when you can, try something new. And as I struggled to memorize the Korean alphabet, familiarize myself with the culture and the food and just settle and fit into my new life in general, I began to forget to see things from the eyes of a tourist, a stranger, but to embrace what Seoul had to offer.

Amidst the hurried and harried pace of  student life, one stumbles upon gems such as this pond at the back of the Main Building of KHU

   

A dragon and a bell (Korea House)

 I easily slipped into a daily pattern of going to school and the office,  and most days, I would spend the end of the day just sitting in front of our dormitory doors, chatting with friends, and struggling to communicate with words but succeeding with gestures with the sweet old ajusshis who guard our dorm. Before I came here, I had read accounts of people who came to Korea and came away with impressions of rude people who were always in a hurry, and yes, Korean life appears to be on express bpali, bpali most of the time, but for the most part, the people I have met have all been very kind, and eager to help. Maybe because I live in essentially what could be called a university district, and the people around our dorm are used to foreigners, but aside from the occasional little shove you get if you're too slow or are in the way of the subway door, I have not encountered rude people.  Or maybe its because I'm also Asian and my default action when I cannot be understood is to try to gesture instead of speaking more loudly in English, especially when my paltry supply of Korean words run out or the little old ajumma talks too fast. 

 Life in Korea has been and continues to be an adventure. From eating yummy pajeon and drinking sweet makgolli in some of the restaurants that serve the best pajeons in all of Seoul (and discovering that these restaurants are in fact, located at the street next to where our dormitory is located, and yes, it took me about a month and a half before I figured that the street near Hoegi station that people were talking about was in fact, the street after ours), to trying soju and beer, to learning to eat pickled radish and appreciate fiery kimchi and its various permutations, to discovering cozy little family run restaurants that serve spicy but tasty soups nestled in the side streets along our area, to getting on a train armed with nothing but your transit card, some cash, and the subway map on the way to exploring wherever your fancy takes you, I will always be forever grateful for the fact that this opportunity landed on my lap. 

Some days, when I reflected on how my life has been, I realize, the Universe, or what ever force or Being out there that determines what we deserve or what to give us, does give you what you ask for, not when you ask, but when you need it. Things work out for the best most times, and patience is the key. As funny as it seems, living in pbali, pbali Seoul has taught me that, and I continue to learn and live its lessons every day. 

The city lights compete with a luminous moon (Seoul at night, viewed from Namsan)

Seoul at Night (viewed from Banpogyo)

through a glass, darkly (a bird's eye view of Seoul from the viewing deck of the Seoul N Tower)

I'm on my way...

After waiting for several weeks to hear from the organizers, I finally got the long-awaited email. And now came the part where I had to essentially shut down my life at home and figure out how to pack six months worth of stuff without going over the weight limit imposed by the airlines.

Let me tell you something, putting your life on hold so that you can play at being a student and a scholar for six months is not easy. I had to deal with figuring out how to pay my utilities and other bills, including having to ask for temporary disconnection of my mobile phone services (as it was fairly cheaper and easier to deal with getting a prepaid mobile phone in Seoul than talking with the people from my mobile phone service provider. Yes, I am talking to you Smart Communications, your people suck at customer service.).

Leaving the country in itself was exciting, but a little sad, made worse by the fact that I had to take a taxi and bring myself to the airport alone. In fact, I had a little cry before I boarded the plane.

But once I landed in Incheon and breezed through the immigration section, I was eager for my new albeit temporary life to start. And off to a running start it was. My first day in Seoul was a busy one, and one I spent in a sleep- and food-deprived daze, that is, until they started serving snacks during the orientation. I had arrived on the same day as our welcome reception and orientation, and my coordinator, pressed for time as she was, brought me to my dorm, showed me my tiny dorm room with its teeny tiny kitchen and bathroom, then walked me to the university that would serve as the place where I would learn Hangeul for the next six months. Then it was off to the Seoul Olympic Park for our orientation and reception.

My first impression of Seoul was one of a harried and hurried lady who never loses her poise. She is gracious and well-groomed, though showing some signs of wear and tear. Somehow, through all the Western influences pushed at her, she never loses sight of who she is, and so Western shops comfortably jostle against mom and pop type stores and huge Korean shops.

Life is fast-paced, and a common word you hear, particularly in the subways, is "bpali, bpali" as ajummas urge you to walk faster up that stairs. The subways are a maze, but a well-organized one, and with a map and some planning one can reach the edges of the city comfortably and catch a quieter glimpse of the city. When I first arrived, I was consumed by the idea of living like tourist and visiting the noteable historical places that this country has amazingly preserved. But as I begin to become familiar with the inherent charms of my temporary home, I am becoming more comfortable with the idea of experiencing this city, this country, instead of looking at it from behind the lens of my little camera.

Seoul calling

About two months ago, a call brought an unexpected change in my life. There I was, living my mundane, boring life juggling two jobs, as a public servant and a full-time copy editor, when one of the people I knew through my work encouraged me to apply to a six-month cultural exchange program. Admittedly, I was intrigued. I had been suffering from ennui from my work for a while now and I thought this would be a good change of pace. So I jumped at the opportunity without really pondering on the consequences. Meanwhile in my life, I had other things in the burner, I was planning on following through with my plans for graduate school, save up to complete law school and finally sit for the Bar exams, and the peak season for my copy editing job loomed in the distance. With my application sent, the waiting began. As I waited, I began to consider what arrangements living abroad for six months entailed. And then the doubts began to creep in, and as the weeks passed, my doubts began to grow, to the point that I had in fact written a draft of a letter to the organizers to pull out my application.

And now, after having lived in Seoul for almost four weeks, I am glad that I did not withdraw my application, despite my doubts, despite the issues I have left behind in my government job and despite all my misgivings.  Life in a new country has been a challenge to say the least. Adjusting to the culture, the food, and the language has been difficult. Korean language classes for four hours a day twice a week has been a huge help and I am charmed by the quirks of my temporary home. I am in this program with a bunch of amazing and mind-blowingly talented individuals, and I look forward to the next five months of adventures and friendships. This has definitely been the right thing to do, and I will return home a changed person because of all of this.

I created this blog to try and capture my thoughts and feelings about this chapter in my life, and thus will contain stories about my explorations of Seoul and getting to know myself better.