Christmas in Korea

Christmas in Korea is a bit of a special thing. It's celebrated, yet it's not celebrated, and the way in which it's celebrated is completely different from how we celebrate in the west.

Christmas has really changed a lot since when I first came here 3 years ago. Actually, the first Christmas I celebrated here, I don't think I saw a single Christmas tree. But now, 3 years later, there are Christmas trees and decorations filling streets of Sinchon. Stores all over are playing Christmas music. Hell, there was even a Christmas market a few weeks ago. The Christmas spirit is actually here!

Now why is this surprising to me?

Here in Korea, Christmas isn't exactly traditionally celebrated. In the west, it's a religious holiday and family holiday. We get together with our families, open presents, and eat a huge dinner. But here in Korea, it's a couples' holiday. Christmas day is probably the biggest couple holiday of the year. Christmas is the day where couples flood the streets, look lovingly into each other's eyes, and pay for ridiculously over-priced meals and motels. So romantic.

Because Christmas is a couples' holiday, there generally isn't much Christmas spirit here in Korea. In the past, you might have seen a tree or two, maybe heard a Christmas song (but that was only played on Christmas day). But this year, people seem to really be embracing Christmas. Kind of.

I was walking this evening with my Korean friend excitedly talking about all of the Christmas trees and music and how it reminded me of home and family. My friend was generally confused as to why I would think of my family on Christmas. For my friend, Christmas is purely a couple's holiday. While I was happy about the Christmas spirit, he was depressed about it because he doesn't have a girlfriend.

This of course isn't to say that all Koreans treat Christmas like a couples' holiday. There are many churches that put on Christmas plays and celebrate on Christ on Christmas Eve and day. Yet they are in the minority.

So even while the spectacle of Christmas is growing here, it seems that the meaning isn't changing. It still isn't about the birth of Christ or being with family; Christmas is still a Valentine's Day like holiday that is just an excuse to go on a nice date with your significant other.

Gyopo

The word Gyopo (교포) is my least favorite word in the Korean language. Gyopo means a Korean who was not born and/or raised in Korea. For me, gyopo is a word that is filled with hate. Censuses show that roughly 7 million Koreans live abroad. With 50 million Koreans living in the South Korean peninsula, by using the term “gyopo,” Koreans effectively isolate 8% of its population.

For any person living abroad, it can be difficult. You long for home and miss everyday familiarities. Children born from immigrants oftentimes visit their home country rarely, if at all. So, for many who are the children of immigrants, there is often a sense of loss. Yes, they were born in this country, but in reality they are from another. This tends to be the case with my Korean American friends; they call themselves American, but at the same time, their true home is Korea. Yet with the word “gyopo,” it turns many Koreans away from Korea.

Gyopo is a harsh word.  It’s a word that really pushes Korea’s homogeneous mentality—you’re only Korean if your parents are Korean and you’re born in Korea. For my Korean American friends whom I have here in Korea, life can be a bit of a struggle.

One of my good friends is a so-called “gyopo.” Though he was born in Korea and has even done his military duty, he is still “gyopo”—not Korean. He speaks Korean fluently, with no accent, yet the Koreans around him reject him. He’s not Korean, he’s American. He dresses like an American, he talks like an American, he acts like an American. He’s not Korean. He’s American. We often have lunch together and he will tell me how often he is rejected. His Korean friends don’t want to have drinks with him or dinner with him. When working in group projects, he’s treated as the foreigner, not as a Korean. A family friend offered to set him up with his friend’s daughter but warned my friend, “Treat her like a Korean. You’re American, but you need to be Korean around her.” When he said these words he became depressed. He is Korean. He was born in Korea. Yet he did not grow up here. Therefore, he will never truly be Korean.

Many Koreans who live or were born abroad face the same struggles that my friend does. Often times, they don’t socialize with native Koreans, they socialize amongst themselves. Even in their “home” country, they are isolated. While not all non-native Koreans are treated like this, the vast majority are.

The largest population of non-native Koreans is located in China. They are known as the Chaoxian in China and as the Joseonjok in Korea, 2.5 million Koreans live in China. In China, they are not accepted. They are not Chinese. In Korea, they are not accepted. They are “gyopo.” For Koreans living in China, it can be a difficult road. They live in a country that does not accept them, and their home country treats them as if they are foreigners.  For the these Koreans, the Joseonjok, life is much harder. Unlike Koreans who grew up in western countries and tend to be much wealthier, Koreans who grew up in China tend to be much poorer. Since they don’t have as much money, they face more discrimination. They are often blamed for stealing native Koreans’ jobs and for crime. For Koreans born in China, they are the bottom of the racial hierarchy in Korea.

My boyfriend is a native Korean, born and raised in Korea. He spent two years in the US and speaks English almost as well as any native speaker. Anytime we’re out in public and Koreans speak to him and in English, my boyfriend gets excited. He’s a foreigner. He feels flattered that Koreans think he’s a foreigner, and it makes him feel proud. Yet sometimes I don’t think he realizes the implication of what being a Korean foreigner is like. Yes, he’s excited that Koreans are treating him as a foreigner as they do me, but being a true Korean foreigner is not that romantic. He doesn’t understand the isolation and discrimination that comes with being a “gyopo.”

Not all Koreans treat non-native Koreans like I have mentioned in this post. Yet the Koreans that do this have often lived or studied abroad themselves. It is oftentimes the Koreans who have had little to no international experience (whether that be from traveling abroad or even having a foreign friend) that treat non-native Koreans like “gyopos.”

“Gyopo” is a word that I hate. I wish sincerely that it was a word that didn’t exist. But it does and the stigma is there. I hope that one day Koreans can accept all non-native Koreans and treat them as equals, but that day seems like a long way off. 

Racism in Korea (Part 2)

Racism isn’t limited to being charged extra or being refused service. Young Koreans are just as guilty, though perhaps in a more innocent way. For some Koreans, having a foreigner friend can make them seem worldly. They’ll brag to their other friends that they have a foreigner friend; you essentially become their pet in a handbag.

Guys and girls will date foreigners just to learn English. Korean guys will try to hook-up with foreign girls to add a ”notch in their belt.” Foreign girls, especially Americans, are perceived as slutty, and we are approached as such. Foreign men are seen as sexual devients, trying to steal away the poor, innocent Korean women.

And if you’re a foreigner dating a Korea, be prepared for stares. Mixed race couples, while becoming more common, are still seen as an oddity. The automatic assumption is that the Korean is dating the foreigner to learn English. If a Korean girl is dating a foreigner, the couple will get dirty looks because they think that the girl is a slut. If it’s a Korean guy and a foreign girl, the foreign girl will be thought of as a slut. There have been many occasions where my boyfriend and I have gotten hate glares from people. It should be noted here that most of these assumptions and glares come from older Koreans.

My boyfriend is Korean and I’m an American foreigner. Even though we met in the US and have been dating for more than a year and a half, my Korean friends still try to warm me that he is dating me to learn English. Why do they keep telling me this? Because it is such a common practice for Koreans to date foreigners to learn English. I became mad at one of my students who was going to study in the US when he told me that he wanted to date an American just so he could learn English. What’s worse about this is that Koreans who do this don’t even see it as wrong.

This video is about 2 years old and caused a firestorm when it came out. MBC never apologized for its racist content and things like this still air on Korean news.

In summary, not all Koreans are racist, and to think as such is blithely ignorant. Yet racism does exist, and it’s a huge problem. Korea’s government is pushing for more foreign tourism and foreign businesses to enter Korea. They are riding the Hallyu wave and are encouraging its growth, which is great. Yet, if Korea truly does want more foreign tourists and foreign business, it must stop letting these racist attitudes go unchecked. Being barred from a restaurant, bar, club, or taxi simply because you are a foreigner is simply unacceptable. These businesses need to be held accountable for their actions if Korea really does want to become a part of the globalized world. 

Racism in Korea (Part 1)

While Korea is a wonderful country filled with some of the kindest people I have ever met, racism is still a very large problem here. Korea is a “homogeneous” nation. They are a nation of one race—Koreans. And while this certainly isn’t a bad thing, the idea of having a homogeneous nation creates racist attitudes towards non-Koreans.

This article was posted the other day. Koreans are very upset by this and have been calling Bali racist. This article, along with some other incidents that have started to bother me about Korea’s attitude towards foreigners made me want to write this post.

So why did I share a link about Koreans getting banned from establishments in Bali? Because this is the exact same thing that happens to foreigners here. Foreigners are well aware of bars that ban foreigners *cough* Ho Bar *cough*. But bars aren't the only ones that are guilty; clubs, restaurants, and taxis are just as guilty.

This video (not mine) was taken in Itaewon. Itaewon is (in)famously foreigner and English friendly. The fact that this video takes place in Itaewon is astounding. As more foreigners enter Korea (as part of the government’s plan to attract tourists and foreign business), the fact that this trend is increasing, rather than decreasing is simply disturbing.

When I first came to Korea, I witnessed very little racism. The worst things I saw were Hongdae bars banning American military and old men asking if I was Russian (aka, was I a prostitute). Yet in these last 2 years in Korea, I have seen a dramatic shift in attitudes towards foreigners by business establishments.

When I was living in Ulsan, my Korean and foreign friends and I went to go to a club. They let our Korean friends in, but refused to let us in because we were foreigner. After telling them off, we all left the club. A few weeks later, a Canadian friend and I were trying to buy 김밥 (gimbap) for an activity we were doing with our students. The store we went to was famous for having the best gimbap in the area, and as expected, it was very crowded. We order the gimbap and were told it would be about 20 minutes until we got out gimbap. 20 minutes passed and the restaurant still hadn’t made our gimbap. They were now making orders for Koreans who had ordered after us. I decided to go inside and ask why it was taking so long. When I went inside, I looked the prep station; it was organized so that the order receipts were at top so that the orders could easily be seen and made. Our receipt was till at the end…with the word 외국인 (“weigookin”, foreigner) written in large letters across the top. As each new order came in, our order would be moved to the back. I talked to the owner and told her to cancel our order because we didn’t want to eat there anymore. The owner threw a fit and demanded that we pay even though they had not even made our gimbap. After a while of arguments, they finally made the gimbap, but tried to charge us extra. Incidents like this are far from rare nor are they limited to places outside of Seoul.

It’s not unheard of for foreigners to be refused service by a taxi, or charged extra by them. Restaurants are guilty of this practice, too.  Clothe markets like in Dongdaemun will charge extra if you’re a foreigner. 

I will continue the rest of this topic in the next post.

**Disclaimer** Not all Koreans and Korean places are like this. Most Koreans are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Don't let the 5% change your view on other 95%.

How to Beat the Foreigner Stereotype

Most every foreigner gets this. After living in Korea for about 3 months, other foreigners tend get…annoying. Annoying to the point where you make every effort to avoid typical foreigner hangouts. Why do you do this? Because you don’t want to be the “stereotype.”

What is the stereotypical foreigner? They are the ones that drink an obnoxious amount of 소주 (soju), run around the streets shouting and hollering, and shoving their bottles of soju in other people’s faces. They are the ones that talk loudly on the subway and sit in the seats for the elderly. They are the ones that talk about their “Korean conquests.” They are the ones that the Korean media makes their racist news reporting on. They are the ones that refuse to adapt to the culture that they have decided to live in.

For many foreigners, our biggest complaint about other foreigners is their drunken antics. Yes, Korea is a heavy drinking culture, yet the difference between a Korean getting drunk to a stereotypical foreigner getting drunk is quite large.

Koreans drink. Good God, do Koreans drink. Yet while they drink such a staggering amount of alcohol, they tend to be relatively civilized when it comes to getting drunk. Here’s what I mean. Koreans tend to be much quieter, less rambunctious, compared to the stereotypical foreigner. For Koreans, drinking is as much of a way of getting drunk as it is a way of creating closer bonds with friends and coworkers. I mentioned in a previous post that when Koreans drink, what they say when they are drunk is taken as truth. Thusly, they tend to be much more reserved when drinking compared to their western counterparts.

Stereotypical foreigners drink. Good God, do they drink. But I should say here, stereotypical foreigners drink, just like the stereotype is that all Koreans drink an insane amount of soju. Yet when a stereotypical foreigner (read, not all foreigners) drinks, as I mentioned above, his/her actions become intolerable. The foreigner suddenly turns into this loud, obnoxious beast that jumps around and beats his chest.

Skip to 3:25 to see what I mean by annoying foreigners. And I know, Eat Your Kimchi, it's like committing sacrilege, but this video really pisses me off.

I hate this video. This video depicts what so many foreigners hate about other foreigners; the running around, the shoving soju in people’s faces, and just being a general asshole. But here’s the thing, you can avoid being these people!

Let’s play with a scenario. You have moved to Korea for the first time. You have what I call the golden pass. For 2 months, you’re going to be excited with Korea with its sights and sounds, and yes, drinking culture. More often than not, you will be the stereotype. In my belief though, you need to be the stereotype for a bit so that you can learn the culture—so that you can learn what and what not to do. After 2 months, your views on foreigners will start to change. Bingeing on soju becomes less fun (those hangovers are becoming a real bitch), you notice how loud the subway is when a group of foreigners get on, and all of a sudden, you make a terrifying transformation—you become a Korean. At 3 months, the thought of a large group of foreigners in one place almost revolts you. This is the transformation that most, but not all, foreigners make.

So how do you keep from being the stereotype? Drink, but monitor yourself as you drink. Try not to get wild. Don’t run around shouting and telling Koreans to take shots with you. It’s rude. When you get drunk, DO NOT say 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo, “Hello”), to every Korean on the street. It’s rude. Try to be quite and respectful to the people on the street around you. Are you drinking in a Hof? Go ahead and play games and be loud. That’s what Hofs are there for. Are you drinking in a bar or outside of a convenience store? Be quieter because a bar is not a place for games and a convenience store is in public.

When it comes to public transportation, remember, you’re in public and you need to speak quietly (think a whisper) or not speak at all. Do not sit in the elderly seats. They’re reserved and open for a reason. If you see an elderly person get on the bus/train, please give up your seat for them; 1) it’s the polite thing to do and 2) you make the rest of us foreigners look good. Also, if there’s a child, please give up your seat for them as well.

아줌마 (Ajjumma, “Middle-aged woman/auntie”) rant: If it’s an ajjumma, you don’t need to up your seat. Every foreigner and Korean deals with the bitchy, evil ajjumma. We all hate them. My advice is just to pretend you don’t see them or understand what they’re saying. (Quick rant as to why I will never give up my seat to an ajjumma again. I was on the subway and a woman came on with her small child. I gestured to the woman to come over so that I could give up my seat to the little girl. As the mother walked over, and I started to stand up so the little girl could take my seat, an ajjumma snaked her way in and stole the seat from the 4-year-old!!! A 4-YEAR-OLD!!!!!! They have no shame!!!!! I hate-glared the bitch for the rest of the ride. Thankfully someone else gave up their seat for the little girl, but good Lord was I pissed at that ajjumma. I have many other horrible ajjumma stories (as do all foreigners and Koreans alike), but this one is the most poignant. Remember, ajjummas are not elderly and you are not required to give up your seat for them.)

To sum it up, the best way to avoid being a stereotypical foreigner is by not acting like a jackass. Don’t be rude or disrespectful to people. Be quiet in public places. Be polite when you drink. These are easy things to do, and if you do them, Korea can become a better place for all foreigners. 

T-Money Card

If you’re going to be living in Seoul, you need to have a T-Money card. What is a T-Money card? It’s a transport card that lets you get ride the subway and bus system here in Seoul and can pay for taxis as well. T-Money can also be used in most cities outside of Seoul.

T-Money cards can be purchased at just about every subway station. If there is not a T-Money card machine (always next to the text dispensers), than you can buy one at the convenience store in the subway. If you buy from a convenience store, you’ll have a lot more options than buying from the machine.

If you get you card from a machine (don’t worry, there’s an English option to make purchasing easier), simply select the card or phone charm that you want and insert your money. Cards cost 3,000 won and there are a few varieties to pick from. If you would rather have a cell phone charm, the cost is 5,000+ won. Depending on the store, there will be several varieties of cell phone charms to choose from.

Getting a T-Money money card is very helpful and cost effective. The usual subway fee is 1,150 won plus a 500 won deposit. The bus fee is also 1,150 won. However, with a T-Money card, the subway and bus fare is 1,050 won (and no deposit). The T-Money card has one more useful option: you can transfer from the subway to the bus or visa versa for free. Without a T-Money card, a transfer to the subway to a bus and visa versa costs an additional 1,150 won.

To charge your T-Money card, you can charge it at the subway station at the charging machines or charge it at most convenience stores (GS-25, 7-11, C&U, etc.) You can charge in amounts of 1,000-90,000 won.  

Outside of Seoul, the Cash Bee card is used. While the T-Money card is accepted outside of Seoul, charging it is a little more difficult. So if you’re not living in Seoul, you should buy a Cash Bee card, not a T-Money a card. Cash Bee cards are not accepted in Seoul. 

If you decide to get buy a T-Money card from a store rather than a vending machine, here is some useful vocabulary:

T-Money 카드가 있어요?  ‘T-Money kadue ga issoyo?’ (Do you have a T-money card?)

이것을 주세요. ‘Igosool juseiyo’ (This one please.)

For more information on T-Money cards, please visit: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TR/TR_EN_5_4.jsp

Playing with Sheep

Unlike the US, where things such as petting zoos are common, in Korea, interaction with animals is relatively minimal. So, when given a chance to pet a farm animal, many Koreans take it. In Gangwando(강완도), the northeastern province of South Korea, there is the  Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm (대관령 양떼목장). It's a small plot of hilly, grassy land filled with roughly 200 sheep.

After paying an admission price, you are  allowed to go and pet and feed the sheep as well as walk around the paths that encircle the sheep farm. When you pay your admission, you are given a ticket that is worth one bowl of hay. After retrieving your hay, you can feed and pet the sheep.

The area is quite crowded, filled with mostly small children and retired adults. The sheep however, are friendly and hungry. It's easy to go up and pet and feed the sheep.

After feeding the sheep, you can walk along the scenic paths. For our group, this was our favorite part of the farm. The farm is located in the middle of Korea's rolling mountains which creates some breathtaking and camera-worthy sights.

The price of admission is 4,000 won per adult or 3,000 won per child. The farm opens at 9 am closes at 5 pm sharp, so make sure to get there on time. If you're traveling in Gangwando you might pass by the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm. For a pit stop/leg stretch, it's worth going, however, the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm is not worth going out of your way to see.

A Strange Little Tip

My friends and I discovered this trick when we traveled together recently. When we went on our trip, our group planner made us official looking name tags as a joke and made us wear them. By wearing them, we actually ended up looking like an official tour group.

What made this unique however, was how interested people were in our little "tour group." With a mix of Koreans and foreigners, it looked like quite an odd yet interesting tour group, and we were thus stopped frequently asking how we knew each other or how we found this tour group. At many points at our stops, the owner(s) of the establishment would come out and greet, offering a free private tour or free service.

Free, private tour of Terarosa Cafe

So, a little Korean travel trick if you're traveling in a group, wear official looking name tags. Who knows, maybe you'll get a free private tour or some extra service as well.

Picture of us with the Vice President and founder of Terarosa Cafe

Making Rice Cake

Rice cake (떡, ‘Ddok’) is eaten year round in Korea. You’ll see it every day on the streets here in the form of Ddokbokki (떡볶이, Spicey rice cake). But rice cake comes in more forms than just the delicious spicy one. Rice cake is often served as a traditional desert as it can be flavored to be slightly sweet. Rice cake is also given as a traditional gift during the holiday of Chuseok (추석, Korean Thanksgiving). I was recently given the opportunity to make rice cake in the traditional way.

How to make rice cake:

Things you need:

• ·         2 giant wooden hammers
• ·         2 cups of rice (by this I mean take 2 cups of uncooked rice and cook it. You’ll have roughly a gallon of rice.)
• ·         A giant wooden slab
• ·         Water
• ·         Red bean powder (for sweet flavoring)

How to do it:

     1.    Get the tip of the hammer wet
2.       Slam the hammer down really hard on to the cooked rice
a.       It works if you have you’re in unison with your partner. Counting “1. 2. 1. 2,” may help making the rice cake easier and faster for you.
3.       Make sure to keep the tip of the hammer wet. When the rice sticks to the hammer, remove the rice from the hammer and dip in water.
4.       Add water occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the board.
5.       Keep hitting the rice until it a large mass of solid rice
6.       Put the rice on to metal trays covered in the red bean powder (not only does this add flavoring, but it keeps the rice from sticking together.
7.       Cut the rice into bite-sized pieces (don’t be liberal with the powder or these bite-sized pieces will stick together

In the end, you get enough yummy rice cake for 6 people. Make sure to eat the rice cake within 2 days of it’ll start to go bad.

Shopping in Korea

When it comes to grocery shopping, there are lots of options here in Korea. However, knowing how to do it properly can be a bit tricky.

 Super markets: Supermarkets include Homeplus, E-Mart, and Lotte Mart. These are great places to go because they contain just about everything. From food to home appliances to pets, these supermarkets have it all. The food and meat is always fresh, however, they tend to be a bit more expensive than local markets. While convenient, you’ll tend to pay a little bit more if you shop at a supermarket.  The big plus though to shopping at supermarkets is the amount of meat and the freshness of that meat that you can buy there. It’s the best place to go to find meat from pigs, chickens, cows, and fish. It should be noted though that supermarkets in Korea are all closed Sunday.

Department stores: At the basement of most department stores is a supermarket/grocery store. These are just like Homeplus and E-Mart, but they are a lot more expensive than the big 3. Unlike supermarkets though, department store supermarkets are open on Sunday.

Local stores: These are small mom and pop stores that are located where apartment complexes are. Most just sell vegetables, but if you search, you can find a place that sells meat, too. Local markets tend to be a lot cheaper than super markets. Sometimes though, the produce or meat is just not very fresh. To find the best places to shop, you need to look around your neighborhood. The best local market near me sells super fresh meat and produce for less than half the price of a supermarket, but I have to walk about 7 blocks to get to it. If you are looking to save money, local markets are the best, just be prepared to do a bit of walking. Most of these local markets are open 7 days a week, but some are closed on certain days. Make sure to look or ask for when they are closed.

Korean words you need to know:

• 얼마예요?  (‘Ol-my-ye-yo?’)How much is it?
•  ___이/가 있어요? (‘___eul/reul isoyo?) Do you have___?
• 닭고기가 있어요? (‘Dalkgogl reul isoyo?) Do you have chicken?
• 당근이 있어요? (‘Dangeun eul isoyo?) Do you have carrot?
• ___이/가 어디에 있어요? (‘___ee/ga odi e isoyo?’)Where is ___?
• 소고기가 어디에 있어요? (‘Sogogi ga odi e isoyo?’)Where is the beef?
• 마늘이어디에 있어요? (‘maneul ee odi e isoyo?’)Where is the garlic?
• 닭고기(‘dalkgogi’) Chicken
• 돼지고기 (‘dwejigogi’)Pork
• 소고기 (‘sogogi’)Beef
• 당근 (‘danggeun’)Carrot
• 양파 (‘yangpa’) Onion
• 파 (‘pa’) Spring onion
• 마늘 (‘maneul’) Garlic
• 김 (‘kim’) Seaweed
• 계란 (gyeran’) Egg
• 두부 (‘dooboo’)Tofu
• 쌀 (‘ssal’) (Uncooked) Rice
• 참기름 (‘chamgireum’) Sesame Oil
• 간장 (‘ganjang’) Soy Sauce
• 기름 (‘gireum’) Oil
• 빵 (‘bbang’) Bread
• 물(‘mool’) Water
• 포도 (‘podo’) Grape
• 사과 (‘sagwa’) Apple
• 기위 Kiwi
• 배 (‘bae’) Pear
• 복숭아 (‘boksoonga’) Peach
• 바나나Banana

Jeonju

Jeonju (전주) is a small city in the mid-western part of South Korea. It was the capital during the Hubaekje kingdom and was considered the spiritual capital during the Joseon dynasty. Jeonju is most famous for its delicious food.

While it is a small town, Jeonju offers many things to do. The most famous of these is eating. Jeonju is famous for bibimbab (비빔밥) and soybean sprout soup (콩나물국밥, ‘kongnamool gukbap’). Jeonju is so famous for its food that people from all over Korean come just to eat Jeonju delicacies.

Jeonju is home to a famous Hanok village, the Jeonju Hanok Village (전주한옥마을). The Hanok village is home to traditional constructed houses with many shops selling traditional goods and foods. Sprawling over a distance of about 1 ½ square miles and about 800 traditional houses, the Hanok village is absolutely huge.

The village is home to many local artists who own a shop or booth along the street. It is also home to many mom and pop restaurants, traditional Korean hotels, and museums. The most popular things to eat in the Hanok village are soybean sprout soup, patbingsu (팟빙수), which is a delicious red bean ice cream dessert, and  Igang wine, Jeonju’s traditional makkeolli.

Pictured is Soybean Sprout Soup and Jeonju Makkeolli

My recommendation is to walk around the village until you get hot, then go to "Grandmother's Best" (외할머니 솜씨) for some of the best patbingsu you'll ever have. Grandmother's Best is quite popular, and the line is often times quite long, so it's best to just take the patbingsu to-go. If you take your patbingsu to-go, go eat it at Jeonju Hyanggyo (전주향교), Jeonju's Confucian school. The school is a couple hundred years old and is a beautiful campus to walk around. The school is open to the public to walk around during the day. Just be remember to respectful and quite when you're at the school because class is in session during open walking hours. 

After eating your patbingsu, go back to the village, and walk around some more. Visit the Jeongdong Cathedral (전동성당), one of Korea’s oldest Catholic churches and famous for its classic Spanish architecture. Then browse the outdoor booths looking at the local artists’ work. Once you work up an appetite, go sit down for lunch/dinner and eat some soybean sprout soup with some traditional Jeonju makkeolli.

Jeonju, outside of the Hanok village, is a great city. The downtown area has a great shopping area with many cute and fashionable clothes that would please any fashionista/cheapskate. It’s also home to a lotus pond and water fountain that turns into a movie screen at night.

Playing Roy Kim's "봄봄봄" ('Bom Bom Bom', 'Sping Spring Spring')

Jeonju is an absolutely beautiful city home to some of the nicest people I have met during my time in Korea. If you are a foodie or just love to travel, make sure to stop by Jeonju. Just a word of warning, not many Jeonju residents speak English or speak English well, so if you don’t speak Korean, make sure to bring a dictionary!

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon (청계천) Stream is a 5 mile long stream that runs through Seoul. It is open all year for the residents of Seoul to come and view during the day and night. The Cheonggyecheon also hold events throughout the year.

The Cheonggyecheon start off as an open stream that ran through Seoul. As a matter of fact, most of the stream had been covered by cement. But in the year 2003, Lee Myung-bak (이명박), who was the major of Seoul at the time, initiated a green project to restore the Cheongyecheon. In the year 2005, the Cheonggyecheon was open to the public.

At the entrance of the Cheonggyecheon is a large waterfall. Behind the waterfall is Seoul’s famous sculpture “Spring.” In reality, it looks like a colorful, upside down ice cream cone and is actually kind of ugly. But hey, art. Dotted along the river are also small rock bridges where you can cross to get to the other side.

Cheonggyecheon is most famous for being a “couple hangout” spot. For many couples, it’s a very relaxing walk along a beautiful stream. You can also stop and take a break at some places and stick your feet in the cold stream. The stream is also a favorite for families with small children as certain parts of the stream allow you to play in them.

The Cheonggyecheon’s most famous event is the Seoul Lantern Festival, which is generally held in the fall of each year. The festival is an amazing display of art, lights, and ingenuity. If you are in Seoul during the festival, make sure to check it out. Be warned though; it’s an extremely popular event and therefore usually very crowded. Expect to wait in a long line to get down into the river.

The Cheonggyecheon is truly an urban beauty and is a great place to go and visit with your friends, family, or significant other. The best time to visit is during the spring or summer where the weather is warm enough to stick your feet in and enjoy the stream. 

To get to the Cheonggyecheon, you can take a bus, taxi or subway. If you take the subway, get off at Euljiro 1-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 2 or 3, Jonggak Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 5, or

Gwanghwamun Station (Subway Line 5), Exit 5.

Seokguram

Seokguram  (석구람) is a mountain side grotto that contains a 1,000+ year old Buddha statue. The Buddha, carved into the granite mountain side, is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Silla dynasty Buddhist art. Seokguram is considered to be a part of the Bulguksa temple complex, but it is theorized that historically that the Seokguram grotto was used primarily by Silla royalty.

Driving up to Seokguram is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve seen in Korea. As you wind around the mountain, you are greeted with long fields of green and mountains dotting the horizon. If you suffer from car sickness, be prepared; the road up to the grotto is long and twisty.

Once you have arrived, there are several viewpoints to see some of the stunning scenery. Make sure to bring your camera!

 At the entrance, there is a large bell which can be rung for good luck. To ring the bell, they ask for a 1,000 won donation to the temple. Even if you don’t want to donate or ring the bell, the view from the bell house is quite amazing, so donate the 1,000 won and check it out.

 The log is heavier than it looks!

To get to the grotto, you must first take a 15-20 minute hike. Don’t worry though, like everything before, the view is to die for. Once you reach the grotto site, the area is filled with hundreds of colorful lanterns. During Buddha’s birthday, there are even more lanterns near the grotto.

Unfortunately, due to issues with preservation, the grotto itself is not often open to the public. There are a few days a year where you can actually go inside the grotto (one of which is Buddha’s birthday). If you can enter the grotto, you first you must take off your shoes. Once inside, there are mats where you can pray to Buddha if you so choose. However, cameras are not allowed due to the fragile nature of the grotto. If you visit on a day in which the grotto is not open, you can still see it from the outside.

Once you leave the grotto, you can continue on to see the small Seokguram temple. While modest, any fan of Asian architecture will be happy to see the classically designed wooden buildings. As we visited on Buddha’s birthday, the temple was giving out free bibimbap (비빔밥) (actually, most Buddhist temples do this on Buddha’s birthday).

Since we visited on Buddha’s birthday, entry to the grotto was free, but on regular days, the temple costs 4,000 to enter. To get to Seokguram, you can take a car, taxi, or bus (Bus 12 from Bulguksa Temple). The ride up to the grotto takes roughly 30 minutes depending on the traffic. You also have the option of hiking from Bulguksa Temple to the grotto. The hike is about 4 kilometers and takes roughly 2 hours to complete. 

Anapji

Anapji (안압지) is an artificial pond in Gyeongju (경주) that used to be a part of the palace complex during the Silla dynasty. It was constructed under the order of King Munmu in 674 AD. In 1975, restoration began on the site and was completed in 1975. Anapji is now a big tourist destination in Gyeongju and a popular place for couples to go at night.

At night, the pond itself is quite impressive. The reconstructed buildings and pond are well lit, making it a photographer’s dream. Littered around the pond are signs in Korean and English describing the different artifacts that have been found at the pond as well as describing Silla dynasty palace life.

At the center of the pond, there is a large pavilion that acts as a mini-museum and contains several artifacts found in the pond. In the middle of the mini-museum is model of the entire pond complex during the Silla dynasty.

With benches placed throughout the pond, it makes it a comfortable 30-45 minute walk to see the entire complex.

It serves as great romantic place to slowly walk around with significant other, though the majority of visitors are families with children.

The pond is open during the day as well as during the night. Anapji is more famous for its night views than for its day views. I went at night, and it was a truly beautiful sight. I can only imagine walking around this pond during the fall when the leaves are changing colors.

Admission is a cheap; 1,500 won for both day and night. It’s within walking distance of downtown Gyeongju (about a 20-30 minute walk). You can also get to the pond by cab or bus. However, I recommend walking so that you can walk through the lotus pond, see Korea’s ancient astronomy tower, and walk through the kings’ tombs.

If you enjoy photography, history, or just beautiful view, visit the Anapji pond in Gyeongju. 

Why did I come to Korea?

I got asked this question last night. For starters, this question actually peeved me. Not the question itself, but the conversation that led up to the question.

I was at a dinner, welcoming incoming students to Korea University, where I started asking the age old question, “Why did you come to Korea?” Some replied it’s because they have family here, some said just to see, but the overwhelming majority said “K-pop”. There was no other reason for them to be in Korea. The sole reason they came was for the cookie cutter K-pop world.

The restaurant we went to happened to have music videos playing in the background. Anytime a K-pop band appeared on the screen, the large table of 20 went silent to intently stare at the screen filled with gorgeous boys or girls, occasionally letting out screams when their favorite idol did “idol things”. This left the remaining few of us in awkward silence while we watched these girls salivate over a TV screen.

When the question came back to me, asking why I came to Korea, they first asked if I was part Korean. I am not. Then they asked if I liked K-pop. I do not. Then they all looked at me perplexed. “Then why did you come to Korea?”

The question, when asked in such a way completely dumbfounded me. Why do people like to go to France, or Spain, or Australia? Are they going simply because they are obsessed with the pop culture there? What reason is there to go to another country other than for pop culture or family?

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before simply replying, “Just because.” I did come to Korea “just because.” When looking to study abroad, Korea wasn’t even on my map. I knew of North Korea, I knew my grandfather fought in the Korean War, and I butchered the pronunciation of Seoul. However, when asking about going to a different country, the man at the study abroad booth said, “Hey, what about Korea instead?” He then proceeded to tell the story of how he wound up in Korea. He didn’t choose it, as a matter of fact, he wanted to go to China, but he didn’t get accepted so it was suggested to him that he go to Korea instead. So he did. And he loved it. The story he told me was a story filled with love and passion. I thought to myself, maybe I can love Korea, too.

When the time came for me to actually study abroad, Korea was on my list, but it was not my first choice. Rather, I wanted to go to Japan.  However, in a twist of fate, I couldn’t go to Japan and had to “settle” for Korea. I’m not going to lie; I wasn’t excited about this at first. I really, truly wanted to go to Japan. I had been fascinated with Japan ever since I was a little kid, from the history to the culture to the fashion. I wanted to experience Japanese culture, not Korean.

Something my mother taught me was to always look on the bright side. Even if a situation is grim, there is one shimmer of light. So I went to Korea, knowing nothing about the language and culture, I made the decision that I must look on the bright side, and since I loved Japanese history and culture so much, why not give that same chance to Korea?

I have never regretted giving Korea that chance.

I didn’t come here for family or K-pop, I came here for the same reasons so many students study abroad every year—I want to experience and learn a different culture, and I have loved every minute of doing so. 

Bulguksa

Located just outside of the city Gyeongju (경주), Bulguksa Temple (불국사) is the largest Buddhist temple in South Korea, and one of the few to survive the Japanese occupation. It is classified by the South Korean Government as the “Scenic and Historic site no. 1.” While the first small temple was built in the year 528, the temple that we see today was built in year 751 under King Gyeongdeok (경덕). This makes it one of the oldest surviving Buddhist temples in Korea.  

My friend and I had the opportunity to visit the temple on Buddha’s birthday, one of the biggest Buddhist celebrations of the year. Because of the importance of the date, the temple was quite crowded. We came relatively early in the day and were able to avoid much of the crowds.

Leading up to the temple is along path, climbing up the mountain. On the path are local vendors, selling food, trinkets, and souvenirs. The trinkets and souvenirs are what you see at every temple with the exception of some vendors selling Bulguksa themed trinkets. One of the vendors at the top of the hill sold some delicious mook (묵).

The temple itself was covered in paper lanterns, with each lantern attached a prayer; a prayer for health, for a loved one, for a prosperous year. Seeing all the lanterns strung out throughout the temple made for a beautiful and colorful sight. You could buy the lanterns at the temple and put your own prayer on them. The lanterns started at the price of 7,000 won and went up in price depending on the level of detail and intricacy of the lantern.

Bulguksa’s stone pagodas were a sight to behold, especially being draped in the colorful lanterns. People fought over trying to get the best shot of being in front of these historic beauties. As of right now, one of the stone pagodas is going through restoration and will be open again sometime next year. 

The temple itself had many prayer rooms for people to go to, each room offering a different thing to pray for (health, food, prosperity, etc.). In each of these rooms was a small Buddha, with a large Buddha in the main prayer room. It is considered disrespectful to photograph Buddha and those praying to him. Each prayer room has a sign forbidding camera use.

Since neither my friend nor I are Buddhist, we instead walked around the temple and observed. The entirety of the temple in quite beautiful, and nestled at the base of a mountain, it offers some pretty spectacular view, especially at the entrance of the temple.

 

Since we visited on Buddha’s birthday, entrance to the temple was free. However, on other days, there is a nominal 2,000 won entrance fee. You can get to Bulguksa by bus for 2,000 won (which is a little less than an hour ride), or take a cab for around 35,000 won.