Korea, Korea, Korea.

It is raining again, but Korea has been filled with many bright moments. I have been here for several days now and am finally becoming used to the climate, the people, and especially the food.

On my first day, I decided to get lost; this is seemingly a tradition in every city I enter. So, with a subway map in hand, but no map of the city, I jumped on the subway, rode for 45 minutes, got off, and wandered around. One thing I didn’t realise is that, in Korea, if you want to get lost — or even if you don’t — you get lost. I stayed mainly near the major streets because I needed to meet Amara at some point and couldn’t spend three hours looking for a subway station. I ate some bread, a moped almost ran over my leg, and eventually a nice Vietnamese restaurant supplied enough food to sustain me for the rest of the day.

Soon, I met up with Amara at the preschool where she teaches, one of the most prestigious in the city at $1,400 a month per child, and was introduced to everyone who worked there. We eventually left, got some food, watched a movie, and fell asleep. I don’t know whether jet lag was still lingering, but I was somehow quite tired.

In the morning, I slowly got ready and headed out to get lost again. After a little more wandering, I visited Sogang University. Hope is studying Korean there and, although I wasn’t going to be able to see her, the university gave me a destination in the city. One thought that keeps echoing in the back of my mind is that this city has too much to see, yet nothing to see. Perhaps I feel this way because I am not doing “tourist” things, but from what I have seen and heard, the city doesn’t have many “sights” that must be “done.” After Sogang, I ate at a traditional-style Korean barbecue restaurant. A kind woman who spoke no English helped me, so I ordered lunch through international sign language: miming, finger-counting, and pointing. I didn’t really know what I had ordered, but decided to play it safe and choose what the group next to me was having. I also watched how they prepared and ate it, always useful when trying not to look too foreign. I had some type of beef and kimchi, heated and wrapped in lettuce. Certainly good.

Upon leaving, I took a photo and decided to go on a “walking tour.” Of course, I was distracted by a stop labelled “Digital Complex,” which was disappointing; there wasn’t anything digital about it.

No walking tour.

Finally, I met up with my friend Hope and had lunch. We chatted for quite a while, and then I wandered some more. Each time I ride the subway, I have an interesting encounter. Maybe it is because I stand out, maybe because people are friendly, or maybe something else. I was on the subway for one stop and sat down, apparently in the section reserved for elderly passengers, as depicted by the universal blue signs. There was plenty of room, and I was only going one stop, so I didn’t think too much about moving. An older Korean gentleman came onto the train, so I got up to give him room; I always offer my seat to someone who needs it. He got my attention and firmly encouraged me to sit next to him — so there I was, squeezed between two Korean men in their seventies. After I sat down, he slapped my leg, very hard, and we both sort of laughed. I jokingly elbowed him, and he elbowed me back. The exchange went on for a little while, he gave me a mint, and I got off the train after we shook hands.

Later, I went to dinner with a group from Amara’s preschool. Jeff, Sandra, and their two children joined us at a rather formal and expensive restaurant. Many small plates arrived, and after eating all we could, we decided that “the table won.”

To finish my Korea stories, last night I met a few of Hope’s friends at a bar. At around 11:00, we started eating a hot, spicy stew that was quite good. Soon the soju started flowing. With a slightly unsettled stomach, I made sure to keep the evening modest. With only a week in the country, I did not want to lose a day. Most of the others, on the other hand, were having a much bigger night. I was glad to exchange email addresses with a few of Hope’s friends whose paths may cross mine again soon. Two of them are going to Malaysia at the same time I am, and another will be heading to Taiwan around the time I might go, if I decide on that route. The taxi ride home was entertaining, and after arriving back at Hope’s place, the evening quickly wound down. Maybe the soju gave me energy, and perhaps I had a few things on my mind, but I just couldn’t sleep. I called my stepmother at 4:00 a.m. here, around noon there, I think, and chatted for a while. Still unable to sleep, I had breakfast and even read a short, 100-page book that my mom had given me for my 21st birthday, all while typhoon-like rain fell outside.

Somehow, my energy is holding up, and I need to go use it. I don’t think a run through the city would be a good idea; while it is Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving, and the city is empty, I might get lost and you would never hear from me again.

I now have just a few more days in this city. Admittedly, I feel that I have reached a natural end to my exploring. I have seen some fascinating parts of the culture and, while I would like to meet more locals, still feel somewhat immersed. Work back in the States calls.

Maybe one or two more stories will follow, but for the most part, another experience and another stamp in the passport are now behind me.