A few months ago, I saw London go from summer to fall. It happened in a day. I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop wearing a romper from Bali and flip flops shivering in recognition. Today, I’m in Seoul. It felt like early fall and t-shirt weather yesterday. Today, a chill has come and sunken the city down a few spinal layers. I’m feeling not just fall but DEEP fall and the start of winter approaching. It’s cold and rainy, and I’m wearing a ridiculous fox sweatshirt that my friend Lux called my midlife crisis sweatshirt. I don’t really know what that means.
My time in Seoul has been social but quieter, with room for introspection and good 1:1 conversations. I’ve gotten to know people better. I’ve appreciated the lack of defined schedule and the time to process. I started making videos of myself giving myself advice every time I have a major realization.
Sexuality, dating, and gender roles in Korea are fascinating. Apparently, if you are a white woman, people assume you are a prostitute because there is a big prostitution industry (mostly Russian women) in Korea. The white women I met had many stories of men coming up to them asking “how much?” In my mind, I always imagined Korean women themselves as conservative, but I seem to be wrong about that. My male friends were always inadvertently checking themselves into love hotels finding it hard to sleep through the night from all the moaning in the background. Hm, or was that inadvertent? Others had a lot of success picking up women at clubs. There are many “sexy” massage parlors all over the place.
I wonder if the excessive repression, conservatism, and work ethic somehow breed excess in sexual expression and proclivities – and the need to keep it so open and hidden at the same time. I don’t know if this is true, but one person told me that the only way abortions happen in Korea is if a man comes forward and says he raped the girl!
Being a Westerner in Korea though seems like an easy life. Anyone can get a job teaching English. The U.S. military stationed in Korea seem to have it pretty easy too.
I wish I had spent more time with locals while here, but I’ve been pretty occupied tending to myself and connecting with friends. I still have a few days left.
A few moments from the last 2 days.
- A night out tacoing and drinking in Itaewon, the foreigner district (marveled at all the white people around – even had a white waiter at Vatos Tacos!)
2. Failed hike to Gwanaksan due to navigational challenges, but with some good views nonetheless
3. Talking to friends around the world – Lux in NYC, Ludmilla in France, and others in Jeju and Chiang Mai
4. Walking an awesome path along the Han River at dusk, talking about life, the universe, the future, confusion, love, and wanderings
5. Cafe-hopping to work and taking pictures of wifi codes (and drinking beverages there – not just stealing the code)
6. Wandering the streets of Seoul wondering which restaurants are actually good (Sinchon area in the photo)
7. Finally eating some fried chicken up in this B
8. Living at an AirBNB on a Muslim street near a mosque in Itaewon
…and then almost everyone left, and I was alone (wearing my midlife crisis–and only–sweatshirt)!
Life is good.