Seoulscapade

I’m having what I could only be described as a most interesting, and so far happy, time. There is something new everywhere I look, naturally, and although that will likely wear off, I doubt I’ll get sick of the food. I won’t tire either of the helpfulness and politeness of Koreans, which has left me with an enthusiastic first impression.

The city is frantic and crowded (which keeps the crime rate down because there are always so many potential witnesses around). Compared to where I came from, any time of the day is rush-hour. One thing I noticed straight off is that Koreans are extremely patient about it all, although bus drivers are understandably exempt, given the traffic they have to put up with.

Space is a very valuable and expensive commodity here. You rarely see anything that’s one story high, even the kitchen strainers you can buy are multi-tiered. Monthly rent for the shoebox I’m staying in could put you in a 4 bedroom home (with a pool) in Perth. Luckily, my work is paying for it. The first picture above was taken from the top of the building I’m living in, showing a hill being overrun by apartment blocks. The second picture just above shows high density living near the Han River.

My building is located in the middle of a street of ‘love’ motels near the Seoul National University subway station. These motels are clearly purpose built. You can drive right up to the entrance, passing through rows of plastic flaps that conceal your identity once you get out of your car. I’ve seen cars poking out with hard plastic covers, some with fake numbers, over their plates—presumably to keep them private. They’re really quite practical, the Koreans.

Here’s a night shot but it doesn’t really give a good idea.

Another example of Korean practicality, depending on your disposition, is the emergency fire escape I have in my studio. It’s like a comic modern art installation, as you can see in the picture below. There’s a mountaineering hook fitted to the wall by the window, and under that is a red plastic case full of rope. You can figure out the rest. If there were a fire, people scared of heights would be left with a difficult choice. Let’s hope the opportunity for me to use it doesn’t arise. I’m 10 stories up.

The studio itself is new and is all I need for now. My window is about a metre from a window of one of the love motels, which is frosted, fortunately. I’ve noted some activities that I really don’t want to see in more detail.

My office at Seoul National University is also new and quite spacious: it’s half the size of my whole apartment, in fact. It has a great view of the mountains surrounding the campus. As for the job, they’re easing me into it, but it’s a round about process as there isn’t an introductory program. It’s basically a matter of feeling my own way.

One good thing is that I get 4 weeks annual leave, although I can’t take it all at once. And the vacation deal is not as good as the one teachers get; however, I do get a higher salary than the average teacher. My pay and conditions are a lot better than many Koreans, from what I hear. In many Korean companies, employees only get 6 days annual leave.

Out and about on the streets I’ve noticed that seafood is cheap but the cost of honey is exorbitant and the variety poor (entrepreneurs take note!). You can get bargain price shoes and clothes but electrical stuff seems equivalent to what you’d pay elsewhere, which surprises me. Everyone has broadband and everyone has a mobile phone–the flip open kind. Public transport is frequent and pretty cheap. You need to be alert when out and about. It is not unheard of for people be killed or injured by motorbikes, that is, while on the footpath! The public toilets, I should mention, are often the squat variety, and you may get a male and female cubicle right next door to each other.

Here’s a local restaurant. Check out the toilet rolls. They make perfect (and, of course, practical) serviette dispensers.

There have been the inevitable communication problems: I went into a McDonald’s the other day for 1 Coke, 1 order of fries and 2 burgers (yes, meat, I’m ashamed to say, before I reverted back to vegetarianism), and after much gesturing, pointing and smiling, I thought I had it all sorted. But I was given 3 cokes, 3 bags of chips and 3 burgers. Why argue the point, and how would I, anyway?

Social etiquette here appears to be a very complicated issue. Confrontation is not part of how things are normally done. This is perhaps why directness doesn’t seem a standard everyday practice, and asking for something requires tact for a favourable response. On the other hand, it might be hard to get things done no matter what, because despite the practicality I mentioned, there are occasions when it seems that thinking outside of the square is just not an option.

My guess is that electricians have high suicide rates.

One Sunday morning something happened that I’ve just got to relate. I went early to a large department store I’d heard about to look for kitchen gear, and just before it opened, I could see the staff through the doors doing what looked like a folk dance to loud music. It was some kind warm up routine. That was funny in itself. I wandered away from the doors and waited until they opened.

When they did open I just absently walked straight in. One couple ahead of me did the same, but others seemed to hold back for some reason. Then I became aware of the grandeur of the main floor and about 100 employees all standing to attention at their stations and all looking at me. (The density of staff was unbelievable in this place.) There was some kind anthemic music blaring out. I felt very exposed.

But I was committed and it would have been too awkward to turn back, so I continued along the main walkway. As I walked along staff on either side began bowing. The couple ahead of me had disappeared. I was alone, surrounded by a 100 employees , all with eyes on me if not bowing slowly and low, treating me like royalty. Remaining composed despite the instinct to run I passed on through the gauntlet, blushing excessively. It was quite bizarre.