Seoul Survivor (Part I – Reunions, origins and histories)

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, I've been quite busy with work (I promise I have been doing some, and there’ll be a science post soon!) but also because I went on a long weekend trip to Seoul last week.

                I think most people have known that this was one trip I have been planning ever since I found out I was going to Shanghai. In fact, my friend Aimee (Korean name Boram) has been asking me to come and visit her ever since we left our undergraduate halls in Nottingham back in 2007 (Sherwood Hall! Woo!). I had the very good fortune of having Aimee as my neighbour during my time there, who was a really bubbly and friendly girl and we had some fun times in halls that year with her friend Bina, another Korean girl at our halls from a different building. We did fun things like going to hall formals:

After one of our hall formals: L- R Jade, Sarah, me, Aimee, Nina and Bina

…and we also bravely tried to make kimbap (김밥) which are basically the Korean version of sushi (taken on during one of the spells of Japanese occupation) using our very rudimentary halls kitchen (sticky rice boiled in the microwave anyone?) and whatever ingredients and equipment we could get our hands on at the local “Fresh Asia” Chinese supermarket in Beeston.

Lol, priceless look on Aimee’s face as she takes a first try of our creation!

Bina, busy creating the kimbap, while I’m busy posing with it! Lol. Note the awesome 2007 fashions and hair cut I was trying to rock! (I was trying to work the "Pob" at the time)

For health and safety reasons we only made tinned tuna, cucumber and cheese versions, but they turned out really delicious, and it was great fun!

It was so nice to catch up with Aimee and Bina after six years, and seeing how much our lives had changed.

Aimee at Changdeokgunk Palace (창덕궁)

With Bina during our dinner at the world famous Bulgogi Brothers restaurant (불고기브라더스)

Aimee is now almost 30 and has settled down and after a beautiful wedding, had an adorable baby girl:

Aimee with her baby girl

When you haven’t seen somebody for six years, the realisation of how much time has passed suddenly hits you and you feel very old! But it was so nice to be able to catch up, and try to recreate our kimbap night!

(even though they insisted that kimbap wasn’t really that cool, and that it’s more of a snack than anything else). 

              I originally planned to have my visit during the “Golden week” which is only in China, and is a good time to leave the country, on account of the huge crowds (see my earlier post about this). Unfortunately, even though I handed in my passport at the Exit-Entry Bureau as soon as I could, I couldn’t get my passport back in time. But now, I’m so glad that my trip was slightly delayed, because I caught the last of the mild autumn weather, and the wonderful colour show of the leaves as they change for the season!

A building in Gilsangsa temple (길상사) behind the foliage

It’s a little bit out of the way, but definitely worth going for! Much more quiet, secluded and ambient than some other temples

          The colours in the October-November season are known to be a popular tourist attraction, and I can definitely confirm that it's worth it. The colours are really so vibrant in real life, and my camera doesn’t have the quality to really capture the beauty, so a few photos have had a bit of autocontrast. Seoul has a really good amount of greenery in the city, and is one of the few capitals to have an actual National Park within its bounds (also worth a visit). So many places were awash with different shades of green, yellow, amber and red, which allowed me to take photos like this:

At Namsangol Hanok Village

Outside Changdeokgung Palace. No photo doctoring – this is really what it looked like!

           One of the first things that struck me about South Korea is that Korean, really is literally nothing like Chinese, which meant that all the words I’d learnt in the past few weeks were suddenly useless (although there are many signs and announcements in Chinese, on account of the large number of Chinese tourists – which is hardly surprising given the proximity, and how great it is here. People in the west have yet to discover how really awesome Seoul is as a tourist destination). Yes, the writing is different, but also none of the words sound the same, and the language structure and grammar isn't similar either. For starters, Korean is not tonal (phew!), and there are sounds that are hard for westerners to pronounce, since they are part way in between b and p, or g and k, or ch and j, and there is only one letter for r and l (hence the stereotypical joke of Asians mixing the two up frequently when they speak English, although I’m told it’s much worse in the Japanese). Despite the lack of tones, it’s quite a melodic language, and it sounds much more pleasant to the ear than the harsh clashing sounds of all the Chinese tones. (I once asked the people in my lab how Chinese people express feelings with speech, since all the usual inflections used in English are used in Chinese tones to give meaning. They told me that they simply adjust the volume!) I especially love the way people say goodbye in Korean (annyeonghi gaseyo -안녕히 가세요), like a little song with a bow at the end, as if you’ve just given a farewell performance.

The fact that Korean has an alphabet (called Hangeul) of only 28 letters, rather than ideographic characters (as in Chinese) is a blessing, since it’s possible to guess how to pronounce new words. In actual fact, Korea also used to employ the Chinese characters for writing, much like the other Chinese dialects and languages, which means that almost any Chinese person should be able to read the same text, even if they pronounce completely different words (this is thought to have partly contributed to China’s success at keeping diverse communities cohesive throughout its vast territories and time).  However, in the 15^th century, a Joseon King known as Sejong the Great (세종), a very forward-thinking king who, despite opposition, introduced the new alphabet with the explicit goal that Koreans from all classes could read and write, not just the nobility. The Hangeul letters were loosely based on patterns made by the mouth, tongue and teeth when making the sound related to the character. With this new, simplified system it was possible for someone to learn how to read in a matter of days. It gave the people a new identity, and the now instantaneously recognisable text was born.

Nevertheless, some historical sites still show the remnants of times gone by, when the Chinese characters were still in use, such as at the Changdeokgung palace.

The Concubine's quarters. Note the Chinese characters on the window frame, remnants from the old style of writing

And generally, the Chinese theme is very much apparent throughout the historic sites, as can be noted from the general architectural and decorative styles. Changdeokgung is basically one of Korea’s answers to Beijing’s Forbidden City.

Roof detail at Changdeokgung Palace

             But I think this one is prettier and has more character. Perhaps this is partly because the Forbidden City is just so vast it seems unyielding, and less of a welcoming or comfortable place. Seoul has several smaller, but charming, palaces spread throughout the city, rather than just one, big, imposing one.

             Unfortunately, we didn’t get into the Secret Garden attached to this palace, because we didn’t book ahead in time (visitors are limited to protect the garden and heighten the enjoyment), but I heard it was amazing, and a must-see, so be sure to book your time in advance.

             History is also easily engaged with in other parts of the city, such as the Namsangol Hanok Village, at the base of the Namsan mountain. This area is home to several traditional wooden buildings (hanoks) which regular people lived in (I guess the equivalent of hutongs in China).

Traditional Hanok housing at Namsangol

               This area is really cute, as although it has been a little bit touristified, there is a real emphasis on interaction with the past, and getting involved. Here you can watch traditional straw-craft, play ancient games, try on traditional clothes, and even do a spot of toy archery!

A straw-crafter, making shoes, bags and baskets

Cute kids on a school trip, trying out traditional games (pre- iPad entertainment!)

                 There is usually a small fee for trying out some of these extras, but it's not more than a few pounds each, and I think it's good because it means you can pick and choose which activities you want to take part in, rather than pay for all with an entrance fee, and it means that entrance to the park for people like me who just want to wander around and take photos, is completely free.

The Namsangol Hanok village is also where the Seoul Time Capsule lies:

Seoul time capsule, created in 1994, to celebrate the city’s 6^thcentenary

Inscribed with well-wishing messages from mayors of cities Seoul is twinned with, from all over the world, including Paris, São Paolo, Jakarta and many others, the time capsule was set up in 1994 as part of celebrations for the 600^th anniversary of the setting up of Seoul. It contains an array of objects including plants, technology (who would be able to play the tape or disks in 400 years time when it’s finally due to be opened?!), everyday objects as well as 90s fashion items and traditional Korean clothing. I wonder how much of it will have survived properly and what future Seoulites would make of the selection of objects! It’s nice to see that there’s a real awareness and value of heritage, the passage of time and this effort is a reflection of that; a gift to the future generations giving them insights into their past – a glimpse of our current present.

Have you been to Seoul? What was your favourite part? I loved Seoul so much, I had lots more to write about it, so check out part II as well