As promised when in Vietnam, let me muse about some of the differences between Vietnam and Korea. It was interesting to see the 2 cities so closely in a short time period to be able to draw comparisons/differences. I saw a lot more of Hanoi (4 weeks) than Seoul (3 days)
Seoul: There were lots of tall thin buildings (sky scrapers) with a very modern flavour. The architecture reminded me of large cities in North America, especially Toronto and Chicago.
Hanoi: Some buildings were very tall, but the majority were low-rise with a distinct Asian flavour. There were clay roofs with turned up corners, what one would expect to see in a southeast Asian city.
Seoul: The locals were NOT rude, but did not seem aware of our presence. When our eyes met theirs, they mostly just looked away.
Hanoi: The locals did not pay much attention to foreigners, though when our eyes met, they had a warm smile and dip of the head in acknowledgment of our presence.
Seoul: Wide expansive streets were the standard with high-rise buildings in between the older native buildings.
Hanoi: Some streets were wide, but not close to the width of those in Seoul. More buildings were 2 to 3 floors.
Seoul: Street vendors were here and there, a mix between fruit stalls and those peddling local newspapers.
Hanoi: There were vendors everywhere, with fruit, vegetables, and meats being predominant.
Seoul: The restaurants were expensive compared to Vietnam. It was not uncommon to find a nice breakfast or light lunch or the equivalent of 15-20 USD. There were many roadside establishments to eat at for 5-7 USD.
Hanoi: The prices were far less than in Seoul, and it was easy to get a nice meal of rice and a meat/bean curd for less than 1 USD.
Seoul: The signage was always in Korean, with more than 80% of them displaying the English translation.
Hanoi: There was close to no English on any signs.
Seoul: The drivers were very courteous and would go out of their way to accommodate pedestrians.
Hanoi: The drivers were very rude and pedestrians were expected to perform super-human gymnastic feats to avoid getting run over.
Seoul: The intersections were controlled by state-of-the-art traffic lights. Uncontrolled intersections were approached cautiously by all drivers, watching for hazards attentively.
Hanoi: Controlled intersection? What does that mean? They were a free-for-all and do your best to NOT hit someone on the way through.
Seoul: The odd scooter here the odd one there.
Hanoi: Scooters scooters everywhere, even on the sidewalk during rush hour.
Seoul: Hardly a vehicle horn to be heard.
Hanoi: Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep ...
Seoul: The people were wonderful ... warm, friendly, helpful.
Hanoi: The people were wonderful ... warm, friendly, helpful.
Seoul: More than half of the items on restaurant menus were western.
Hanoi: There were some western choices on restaurant menus, but local fare was more predominant.
Seoul: No visa requirements for Canadians.
Hanoi: Visa required for all, and one cannot show up at the boarder unannounced and obtain a visa. They must be informed of you arrival beforehand.
Overall impressions ...
Seoul: The people are wonderful, the sites worth seeing, the cuisine captivating.
Hanoi: The people are wonderful, the sites worth seeing, the cuisine captivating.
Would I recommend one over the other ... no; Vietnam and Korea are BOTH worth the trip. It is worth seeing Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) as well as Hanoi. If your trip to Korea permits, see Jeju island.
I loved all the people I met; the best about Vietnam was the Transglator. The best about Korea was my Naomi.
Good night Chet; good night David ... see here if interested in this reference ...
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Home, home again
There's nothing like it. As I mentioned in my last post, impressing Ian is part of it. So not only do I get exit row, but just before the plane leaves, I am called to the desk to find out I got bumped to business class. That was cute. The pods are nice. I did my best to stay awake as it is the best way I have found to deal with the time change. I watched 5 movies, 4 of them crap and the last one (Ghost Writer) was pretty good. The food was good and I had dinner and nothing else.
I got to Toronto with 1h20m to collect my bags and get top gate 124 for flight 460 to Ottawa. It was close but I did make it. My Sweet Thing was there to pick me up and Shauna/Paddy/Sean were there too. Home sweet home ...
I got to Toronto with 1h20m to collect my bags and get top gate 124 for flight 460 to Ottawa. It was close but I did make it. My Sweet Thing was there to pick me up and Shauna/Paddy/Sean were there too. Home sweet home ...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It's all about impressing Eeeeeeeeen
I had a nice (and very expensive) sushi lunch for 43 USD. I found out there are roughly 90 JPY to the USD. Now people are asking me and I am such an expert. After chowing down, I bought some treats and went to the Air Canada connecting flights desk. I scored exit row for the Tokyo-Toronto flight. I know this is the sort of thing that impresses Ian A. The more you get to know that young man, the more you realize that NOTHING matters except shticks like "getting exit row YYZ->HKG and then NAR-->YYZ". On the way over the Airbus was the one that has nada in front of one of the exit rows so there is lots of leg room. I hope the trip to Toronto is the same shtick.
In Ian's world, it's not really family, friends, good health and the like, it's about shticks. I hope he finds exit rows on consecutive trans-Pacific flights worthy of mention.
In Ian's world, it's not really family, friends, good health and the like, it's about shticks. I hope he finds exit rows on consecutive trans-Pacific flights worthy of mention.
One down two to go
The trip from Seoul was uneventful. I caught up on my sleep as usual. They served a shrimp dish half way through the flight which was nice. The plane emptied out quickly and the hallway we were sent through was nowhere near what I would have expected to see in Tokyo. I anticipated its being one of the biggest airports I may have ever seen. Tokyo I thought was one of the world's busiest. I asked someone where I could find the international connections transfer desk and was told it is by gate 47. That was the furthest gate from where we disembarked, so no change there.
I got to the desk and other than Thai there was nobody at the desk. The woman from Thai informed me that Air Canada opens at 2PM. So I will go chow down on some sushi and come back then. Not long after traversing the small corridor, there was a security checkpoint and a sign said we were supposed to show our boarding passes, which I did not have. This was visions of Istanbul where I would not have gotten as far as I just did in Tokyo without that precious 4 by 18 centimetre document.
The signage here is great and I had no problem finding anything (so far). I was intrigied by the flight map they were showing on the way here. We seemed to be mainly heading east but a bit south as well. My curiosity forced me to check Google maps and indeed Tokyo is 2 degrees or so south of Seoul which amounts to close to 180 miles. Who would'a thunk. Better still, who cares except this stupid weygook :).
I got to the desk and other than Thai there was nobody at the desk. The woman from Thai informed me that Air Canada opens at 2PM. So I will go chow down on some sushi and come back then. Not long after traversing the small corridor, there was a security checkpoint and a sign said we were supposed to show our boarding passes, which I did not have. This was visions of Istanbul where I would not have gotten as far as I just did in Tokyo without that precious 4 by 18 centimetre document.
The signage here is great and I had no problem finding anything (so far). I was intrigied by the flight map they were showing on the way here. We seemed to be mainly heading east but a bit south as well. My curiosity forced me to check Google maps and indeed Tokyo is 2 degrees or so south of Seoul which amounts to close to 180 miles. Who would'a thunk. Better still, who cares except this stupid weygook :).
Monday, July 12, 2010
The soul of Seoul
The day started very early when I woke up about 5:45. I could not fall back asleep so I just got up. I finished packing and proceeded to the lobby to pay the bill and arrange to get the bags picked up in 1520. Naturally as soon as I closed the door, I realized I had forgotten something. The key I had with me did not work (visions of the Horison where 1,209 keys went south).
I went downstairs to get re-keyed and then picked up my rented cell and book. I sat in the lobby while my luggage was fetched. The bell guy started taking my bags outside then I noticed the 5:55 shuttle bus was just getting ready to leave about 15 minutes late. I boarded it and enjoyed my last glimpses of Seoul for this voyage. The scenery did not disappoint as has always been the case this trip.
Check-in was a breeze (listening Air Canada??) and after I got rid of my bags I returned the rent-a-phone for a whopping $23. Dizzy did mention that they were cheap which turned out to be the case ... sweet. My bags are checked to Ottawa and I need not pick them up until YYZ when I clear Canada C&I. Say what? Checked to destination (Air Canada and China Southern you listening??).
I walked a bit then found somewhere to eat for a bit. I have 2h40m until my flight. Dizzy reported that Korean food is so bland and it all tastes the same. I ordered kimchee/pork soup at Incheon and used half a box of tissue wiping my eyes and my nose. I wonder if it's the kimchi that makes the food so spicy and Dizzy does not eat this stuff so does not know. When Dizzy was crossing the street last night after our goodbye, it was like a Hollywood movie where the heroine disappears into the night amidst a fanfare of closing music. I heard In the City by the Eagles as she crossed the street. That dolly seems very happy in Korea and has carved out a nice little niche of friends to support and be supported by her. She thinks she may exit the current contract early but that may change. She has issues with some of the people she works with and if they get her down more, who knows. The only thing she mentioned about the future was grad school (yippeee!!!). She is going to save for pick up a MacBook and I told her I would assist when the time comes ... bye bye Seoul.
I went downstairs to get re-keyed and then picked up my rented cell and book. I sat in the lobby while my luggage was fetched. The bell guy started taking my bags outside then I noticed the 5:55 shuttle bus was just getting ready to leave about 15 minutes late. I boarded it and enjoyed my last glimpses of Seoul for this voyage. The scenery did not disappoint as has always been the case this trip.
Check-in was a breeze (listening Air Canada??) and after I got rid of my bags I returned the rent-a-phone for a whopping $23. Dizzy did mention that they were cheap which turned out to be the case ... sweet. My bags are checked to Ottawa and I need not pick them up until YYZ when I clear Canada C&I. Say what? Checked to destination (Air Canada and China Southern you listening??).
I walked a bit then found somewhere to eat for a bit. I have 2h40m until my flight. Dizzy reported that Korean food is so bland and it all tastes the same. I ordered kimchee/pork soup at Incheon and used half a box of tissue wiping my eyes and my nose. I wonder if it's the kimchi that makes the food so spicy and Dizzy does not eat this stuff so does not know. When Dizzy was crossing the street last night after our goodbye, it was like a Hollywood movie where the heroine disappears into the night amidst a fanfare of closing music. I heard In the City by the Eagles as she crossed the street. That dolly seems very happy in Korea and has carved out a nice little niche of friends to support and be supported by her. She thinks she may exit the current contract early but that may change. She has issues with some of the people she works with and if they get her down more, who knows. The only thing she mentioned about the future was grad school (yippeee!!!). She is going to save for pick up a MacBook and I told her I would assist when the time comes ... bye bye Seoul.
The heat is on
Some of the locals seem to wear the same clothing regardless of the weather. Today it was quite nice in the AM but it deteriorated as the day wore on. We pine for the good weather all year in Ottawa then are caught complaining about the heat when it starts. My Sweet Thing has been telling me that it has been warm at home. I see men wearing long sleeved shirts underneath a jacket and sporting a tie. I start to perspire just looking at them.
I will grab the 7:25AM bus to Incheon in the morning. With am 10:20AM flight and a 70 minute drive, that is probably the best one to catch. I tried turning on my Rogers cell while here and it could not find the network. Here is what I have learned about the locals from Dizzy, a usually reliable source of information.
1- They are very proud of their country and many systems are so homegrown that one does not see them anywhere outside Korea ... the cell network is a good example.
2- They speak their mind when they interact with each other and will tell you things that one normally keeps to one's self ... e.g., you're overweight if they think you are.
3- They are offended by language that criticizes them or their country. While weygook would like to think we are able to accept constructive criticism, Dizzy believes Koreans reject all comments regardless of their content that have the slightest hint of being negative. I did notice the same in Ethiopia with government people. They object to a suggestion that there was something somone forgot to do, thinking it is an attack by ferenge on them personally.
4- They have little respect for one's personal space. When I was waiting for my luggage on Saturday at the airport, some locals parked themselves between me and the baggage carousel even though there was not enough room for them. I have noticed this in other situations.
With all the above in mind, I for one would take all this into consideration were I to be spending more time here. Regardless of how one judges people in other countries, it is our job as aliens to be sensitive to ways the people work.
I will grab the 7:25AM bus to Incheon in the morning. With am 10:20AM flight and a 70 minute drive, that is probably the best one to catch. I tried turning on my Rogers cell while here and it could not find the network. Here is what I have learned about the locals from Dizzy, a usually reliable source of information.
1- They are very proud of their country and many systems are so homegrown that one does not see them anywhere outside Korea ... the cell network is a good example.
2- They speak their mind when they interact with each other and will tell you things that one normally keeps to one's self ... e.g., you're overweight if they think you are.
3- They are offended by language that criticizes them or their country. While weygook would like to think we are able to accept constructive criticism, Dizzy believes Koreans reject all comments regardless of their content that have the slightest hint of being negative. I did notice the same in Ethiopia with government people. They object to a suggestion that there was something somone forgot to do, thinking it is an attack by ferenge on them personally.
4- They have little respect for one's personal space. When I was waiting for my luggage on Saturday at the airport, some locals parked themselves between me and the baggage carousel even though there was not enough room for them. I have noticed this in other situations.
With all the above in mind, I for one would take all this into consideration were I to be spending more time here. Regardless of how one judges people in other countries, it is our job as aliens to be sensitive to ways the people work.
Viva España
I kind'a thought they'd win but I would have still liked Nederlands too. So my Monday in Seoul started about 8:15. Since I had slept from 10 until 3:15 before the game, then 2 and a bit hours afterward, I was fine. I called Dizzy and she sounded groggy. I told here to call me back when she was more awake. It was very bright and sunny which did not please me completely since that contributes to the heat.
I was low on cash so I went to the bank machine and the first one did not like my card. The next did not like my ATM card so I had to use my VISA. I thought I was still in Vietnam (19,000 local = 1 USD) so asked for 1,000,000 wan. When the machine spit out the cash, there was about an inch of bills. Then I realized I was in Korea not Hanoi and realized I had asked for about $1,000 not $100. Silly me. I knew that mistake would be costly since I would have to do currency exchange back into USD.
Dizzy called and I told her I would meet her at the busy intersection down from her apartment corner. I got to that corner and freaked since there were fences up all over the 4 corners so no pedestrian traffic could penetrate the intersection. I called Dizzy back and she said she would meet me where we met yesterday. She mentioned that the subway station is the only way to cross the street at that intersection. It reminds me of the busiest intersection on the strip in Vegas. We had coffee by exit 8 at Starbucks then we will head off to Dizzy's school. Dizzy loved my stupid weygook story about too much money from the bank machine.
The school was about 10 minutes away. The taxi driver was rude and I decided that I would close the door after he drove away as he left so quickly. I met the famous Zach at school and Naomi showed me off. I also ran into the ladies from yesterday that she teaches with. The kids in Zach's class were adorable as were all the other I saw at the school. Her class is on the third floor and her kids are busy first period every Monday. Dizzy complained about how tired she was and had not slept much. I wondered if maybe she was tired from our walking yesterday and she said it was the most exercise she had ever got ... the 61 year-old weygook did not feel it but the 25 year-old expat did :).
The kids showed up after first period. Are they little dollies or what? There are 12 in every class, except one was away so Naomi had 11 today. They were so cute. Sean is a handful and David, though not a problem for Dizzy, is a handful for the other teachers. They eagerly volunteered to assist with cake and milk being served and I took a number of delicious pictures. I stayed with Professor Dizzy and her students for about 20 minutes then departed.
I headed out of the school, hung a left, and flagged a cab to Iteawon to catch the hop-on-hop-off tour bus for the day. It was about 10:20 as I grabbed the cab and the traffic was still heavy. The streets are so wide, panoramic, and pristine. Seoul had the summer Olympics in 1988 and would have had to beautify the city for that, but it was 22 years ago. If it weren't for the signage, as mentioned before, I could be in anytown USA from the look of the city. The lines on the road are freshly painted. Well painted lines always remind me of driving the 417 back from Montreal at night and how hard it is to use the lines as an assist; they were last painted in 1201 :).
I went to the Hamilton Hotel for assistance in finding the stop for the tour bus. They told me to cross the street, which I did, and found what appeared to be the bus stop. After waiting for 20 minutes or so, a shopkeeper told me this tour does not run Mondays ... don't say anything on the web site :) to tell SW (stupid weygook).
I walked around Itaewon and saw many places advertising big sizes for big weygook, then cabbed it to Insadong. Before leaving I checked with a foreign exchange hut about cashing in my won but did not like the rate. I have been told the foreign exchange game is a racket all over Asia even at the banks (which I later confirmed by cashing in 840,000 won for 639 USD ... that cost me 33 USD for my mistake this morning).
I am trying to find a knock-off purse for ST who texted me saying she was listening to Levon Helm. I did not check with her to see if he asked about me. Levon fu____g Helm!! Beauty ... wish I were there. 6,200 won later I am in Insadon. The streets are narrow. The funkiness of a shopping area varies inversely as the width of their streets. The shops were lovely and I bought some small trinkets for Annabelle, Paddy, and Sean.
I went into an alley and sat down in a local restaurant. The advertised prices outside on the sandwich board were 5,000-7,000 won. When I sat down the weyook English menu was substituted for the Korean menu that was whisked away before I could detect the inflated prices for SW. I solit that joint, and settled for anothe ronec elsewhere. I ordered a mix of vegetables, lettuce, and squid which was lovely. The kimchi was spicy as I remembered it yesterday with Dizzy. The sides were all great and there was what seemed to be a slimy green leafy thing with a nice hot sauce still not sure what that was even though it tasted like and had the consistency of pasta.
I walked for about an hour after lunch, then strolled out of Insadon into another area of Seoul then grabbed a cab back to the hotel. After doing the foreign exchange at the bank, I returned to the room, packed, and did this post.
Dizzy and I have texted a number of times. I am thinking of walking down the street and seeing if I can find the busy NYC-like Fifth Avenue street I was on yesterday with Dizzerators. We will dine tonight probably with a few fellow teachers of hers from Canada.
I was low on cash so I went to the bank machine and the first one did not like my card. The next did not like my ATM card so I had to use my VISA. I thought I was still in Vietnam (19,000 local = 1 USD) so asked for 1,000,000 wan. When the machine spit out the cash, there was about an inch of bills. Then I realized I was in Korea not Hanoi and realized I had asked for about $1,000 not $100. Silly me. I knew that mistake would be costly since I would have to do currency exchange back into USD.
Dizzy called and I told her I would meet her at the busy intersection down from her apartment corner. I got to that corner and freaked since there were fences up all over the 4 corners so no pedestrian traffic could penetrate the intersection. I called Dizzy back and she said she would meet me where we met yesterday. She mentioned that the subway station is the only way to cross the street at that intersection. It reminds me of the busiest intersection on the strip in Vegas. We had coffee by exit 8 at Starbucks then we will head off to Dizzy's school. Dizzy loved my stupid weygook story about too much money from the bank machine.
The school was about 10 minutes away. The taxi driver was rude and I decided that I would close the door after he drove away as he left so quickly. I met the famous Zach at school and Naomi showed me off. I also ran into the ladies from yesterday that she teaches with. The kids in Zach's class were adorable as were all the other I saw at the school. Her class is on the third floor and her kids are busy first period every Monday. Dizzy complained about how tired she was and had not slept much. I wondered if maybe she was tired from our walking yesterday and she said it was the most exercise she had ever got ... the 61 year-old weygook did not feel it but the 25 year-old expat did :).
The kids showed up after first period. Are they little dollies or what? There are 12 in every class, except one was away so Naomi had 11 today. They were so cute. Sean is a handful and David, though not a problem for Dizzy, is a handful for the other teachers. They eagerly volunteered to assist with cake and milk being served and I took a number of delicious pictures. I stayed with Professor Dizzy and her students for about 20 minutes then departed.
I headed out of the school, hung a left, and flagged a cab to Iteawon to catch the hop-on-hop-off tour bus for the day. It was about 10:20 as I grabbed the cab and the traffic was still heavy. The streets are so wide, panoramic, and pristine. Seoul had the summer Olympics in 1988 and would have had to beautify the city for that, but it was 22 years ago. If it weren't for the signage, as mentioned before, I could be in anytown USA from the look of the city. The lines on the road are freshly painted. Well painted lines always remind me of driving the 417 back from Montreal at night and how hard it is to use the lines as an assist; they were last painted in 1201 :).
I went to the Hamilton Hotel for assistance in finding the stop for the tour bus. They told me to cross the street, which I did, and found what appeared to be the bus stop. After waiting for 20 minutes or so, a shopkeeper told me this tour does not run Mondays ... don't say anything on the web site :) to tell SW (stupid weygook).
I walked around Itaewon and saw many places advertising big sizes for big weygook, then cabbed it to Insadong. Before leaving I checked with a foreign exchange hut about cashing in my won but did not like the rate. I have been told the foreign exchange game is a racket all over Asia even at the banks (which I later confirmed by cashing in 840,000 won for 639 USD ... that cost me 33 USD for my mistake this morning).
I am trying to find a knock-off purse for ST who texted me saying she was listening to Levon Helm. I did not check with her to see if he asked about me. Levon fu____g Helm!! Beauty ... wish I were there. 6,200 won later I am in Insadon. The streets are narrow. The funkiness of a shopping area varies inversely as the width of their streets. The shops were lovely and I bought some small trinkets for Annabelle, Paddy, and Sean.
I went into an alley and sat down in a local restaurant. The advertised prices outside on the sandwich board were 5,000-7,000 won. When I sat down the weyook English menu was substituted for the Korean menu that was whisked away before I could detect the inflated prices for SW. I solit that joint, and settled for anothe ronec elsewhere. I ordered a mix of vegetables, lettuce, and squid which was lovely. The kimchi was spicy as I remembered it yesterday with Dizzy. The sides were all great and there was what seemed to be a slimy green leafy thing with a nice hot sauce still not sure what that was even though it tasted like and had the consistency of pasta.
I walked for about an hour after lunch, then strolled out of Insadon into another area of Seoul then grabbed a cab back to the hotel. After doing the foreign exchange at the bank, I returned to the room, packed, and did this post.
Dizzy and I have texted a number of times. I am thinking of walking down the street and seeing if I can find the busy NYC-like Fifth Avenue street I was on yesterday with Dizzerators. We will dine tonight probably with a few fellow teachers of hers from Canada.
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