Witnessing the soon to be Korean history

The thought of witnessing some of the important developments of another country was something new. Its something one shouldn't ignore as one becomes a part of it and gets to see the changes from within as an insider.

I came to Korea in 2016 but from then on there has been so many big changes in the whole nation of South Korea. The first being the candlelight protest to remove the ex-President from his/her position. I have never seen so many people come together for the cause of something and achieving their goal. Everyday news was filled with the news of protests. As a foreigner I saw how this protest happened and also the change in the government. I also witnessed the election campaigns which I found was very funny. People used loudspeakers and gave out pamphlets. The most funny thing was that they had a song which played from time to time and 3 supporters, mostly elderly people would dance to the song. 

The second one is related to the geography of Korea. South Korea was known to be safe from Earthquakes. Korea was not prepared for the recent earthquakes. It was occurring after many years. The first tremor was in 2016 at Gyeongju(경주) and I was in Busan at the time. My dorm was on a hill and I was in the 9th floor. The building shook. It felt like a train. It was traumatizing. All I could think was "why do I have to come to foreign country to experience such things?" But later I realized that such an experience is preparing me in some way. And that is how I took my passport and cell phone when my Goshiwon caught on fire. :)

The third one is more of a happy and a proud thing(for Korea). It was the Winter Olympics. In 1988 Olympics was held in Korea and the next time it happened was after 30 years in 2018. I was so happy that I was in Korea even though I couldn't go to watch the games. But I could see the live broadcast. The most happy moment for many Koreans was the participation of North Korea in the games. South Korea and North Korea came together as one team for Ice hockey. They didn't win but their effort was applauded. Also I didn't expect India to be part of the games but was so proud to see two athletes.
The fourth is slowly taking place. Its the peace talks between South Korea and North Korea. North Korean athletes had come to Korea for the Winter Olympics soon after which South Korea sent a team of singers to perform in North Korea. Winter Olympics became a platform for the two siblings to meet. And soon the peace summit will be held and many in Korea are praying for a miracle to happen. 

These things evoked different emotions in Koreans and as a foreigner I could feel and understand what was going through peoples' minds. No one in India knew much about the continuous earthquakes that had happened. I not only witnessed the changes but also got to understand the history of Korea. Maybe after 10 years I can say that I was part of Korea's history. 

In the end, this is what I learned: Enjoy not just the beauty but also the hardships and shabby sides of whatever you do, wherever you go and whoever you meet. It makes you feel more attached to the thing, the person and the place. 

My Journeys: Taean(태안)

While in Seoul my first trip was to a place called Taean(태안) which is in the western part of South Korea and its the seaside.

The area outlined in red is Taean(Tae-an, 태안)

One day my friend(언니) decided to go to the beach but it was already past 7pm. I said "No" but she persuaded me and I decided to go with her to the beach. All I was thinking was that the beach is near from Seoul so we will be back early. But she decided to leave at 12 midnight. So we went to get her car from the University parking lot at 12 and we were off to Taean. I was not sure where this place was. It took almost three hours to reach there. In between we stopped at a convenience store and had some Ramyun and Rice rolls. (The convenience store in Korea is open 24x7) After having our snack we decided to go the beach but it was too early(3am) so she drove us through the villages nearby. It was so quiet and dark unlike Seoul. By 4am we had reached the beach and the water was till the fence. We looked for a good place to park the car and waited inside the car. We slept off till 8 am inside the car. When we woke up there was slight drizzle so we drove to the nearest to sea and saw that the water had drained. This was something new to me. It was the low tide and high tide phenomenon. 

The same place during low tide and high tide. 

There were two islands called Anmyeon-do(안면도)which looked like two huge rocks or small hill surrounded by sand and stones. It becomes island when its high tide.  

We saw 2~3 people picking something from between the rocks so we also decided to go down and see. There were small crabs and shell creatures. I caught a small crab just to get the feel of it. We started collecting some shell creatures so that we could boil it and have for a meal. 

As it was continuously drizzling we decided to have breakfast and come back. All the restaurants there had seafood based menu. We went for Blue crab soup/curry. It was tasty but as I was not used to eating rice and seafood in the morning I had to force myself to eat it.(Koreans eat rice for all the three meals) By then the clouds cleared and we saw more people going in to collect shells and other creatures. Mostly there were Korean families. They had brought their children to experience picking up these shell creatures. 

The local people were selling equipments for digging and some local snacks. 

We also went in to enjoy the sea and take pictures. There was a line of wooden stumps leading into the sea. 

We had gone very inside but by 12 noon they announced that the sea water is moving in. We were still inside and slowly our legs were getting wet with water and it rose till the ankle. I got onto the stump and started walking on it. The water was rising within seconds. I felt very strange and scary of the sea. The behaviour of the sea seemed very mysterious. 

Tips:

* There is direct public transport from Seoul to Anmyeon-do. It takes 2~3hrs. 

* Carry raincoats, equipments and containers to experience picking shell creatures. 

* If going by car try visiting the flower show nearby. Get to see the beauty of tulips, lilys and other flowers. There is a small entry fee. 

Episode 3 # My New Findings

Episode 3
Place: University Dormitory

The friend with whom I had gone to see the handicraft exhibition, later contacted me and asked if I could repair something for her. It was a Rosary. A part of the knots were broken off and it needed to be made again newly. It was not something that I could just add a bit of a thread and finish.

This was the condition of the rosary. 

All I was thinking was that why would somebody want to repair a rosary. They could discard it and get a new one. But my friend said that the person who asked for the repair was not able to find anyone who could repair it for them and that it belonged to his/her grandma. They wanted it to be made in the similar knot pattern. So I said I can do it but would need some time to learn how to make such knots. But that was not all. It seems that this rosary is something that the grandma cherishes and that she would like to hold onto to it till her last breath. 

This background inspired me to put in more effort to do my best in repairing this rosary. And I decided to repair it before Christmas. But another shocking fact was that the beads of the rosary were made of  real stones which made it heavy. 

I took 4 days to repair it and this was how it looked.

This gave me ideas to do more with beads like weaved, knotted and elastic bracelets. I asked my friends where I could get beads and everyone told me the same place which is Dongdaemun Market.

 I searched the place through internet and found the market. It was right in front of the subway gate. There were buildings with 6 floors and each floor had different types of raw materials. Lace, Jean cloth, swatches, raw material for making clips earrings, blankets, tote bags and what not!!!

I wished I could own the whole building. Everything was so beautiful. 😍😍  I spent 3~4 hrs in beads section of that building. 

A lady saw me checking the beads at her store and asked me whether I make rosaries and I said yes. She showed the beads that were in fashion. She gave me a cup of tea. I asked her if she could teach me how to make the last knot for elastic bracelet and she showed me and told me that if there is anything else I would like to know she is ready to let me know. I bought beads from her shop and looked for more at other stores too. 

 These are some of the things I made using the beads. It helps me to think about new ideas and do more things with just beads and strings. 

Some days I decide that I will revise a certain portion of my studies and make one bracelet. Just to make the bracelet I try and finish studying as soon as possible. Its a reward I give myself. And its the best creative reward. 

Fire in Goshiwon!!

One day, the Goshiwon where I was staying caught fire at 11:30 pm and it was a traumatic experience as there was smoke and the fire alarms were ringing crazily. The Goshiwon was in the 5th floor. I couldn't think of anything but to call the owner. I called the owner and as she was staying 30 minutes away from the Goshiwon, she asked me to call the helpline. But before I could call the helpline I could hear fire engines and ambulance. I peeped out through the balcony window and there was a line of fire engines which meant that it was huge fire and that they were informed even before the alarm started ringing in the Goshiwon. Korea is super fast in such things.
On the hand, there was this Korean guy(who was also staying in the Goshiwon) who had woken up hearing the alarm. He goes near the alarm control and tries to switch off the alarm. There's a fire and he is so cool about it???? I got really worried and asked him to leave the place. I don't know whether he was trying to act cool or whether he was sleepy. We went down and the firefighters asked us whether we had inhaled smoke and then took us into the ambulance and checked us. The fire was put off but the 1st floor(ground floor) and the basement still had smoke. Even after that day, the alarm used to ring because of the smoke in the basement. It used to give me shock waves.
Once you go through such a traumatic experience the veins in your body tends to feel prickly.

How did the fire start? A stupid guy staying in another room had thrown the cigarette butt outside through the window and it was the cause of fire(That is what I heard) coz police had come and checked the guy's room for the next two days and the guy had run away and returned after 3 days.
# People who are found smoking in Non smoking zones in Korea are fined. and No Smoking inside buildings!! No its not allowed.

In Busan it was the strong earthquake which traumatized me. We stayed in a dormitory which was on a hill and our room was on the 9th floor. So think how strongly the building would have shook.

I learnt something from these experiences. When such things happen I take my Passport, Laptop, Mobile and get out of the building as soon as possible. If you don't find these things just forget them. Our life is more important. Take the stairways not the elevator.
These are some of the new experiences I had in Korea. I hope I don't have to face such things again. 

Episode 2 # My New Findings

Episode 2

Place: Goshiwon in Seoul

After my friend left the Goshiwon I was bored and that is when I came upon a youtube video on bracelets made using embroidery threads. It fascinated me and immediately I bought 50 colors of embroidery threads from Gmarket(one of the Korean online shopping site). Within three days the threads were in my hand and I began experimenting. The first one that I made was not so good. (everyone takes time to learn).

I saw more videos and got ideas from Macrame tutorials and weaving patterns. 

This is when I realized that I like handmade things with knots. 

After moving into the University Dorm I seldom made these bracelets. 

I have a Korean friend who makes accessories whom I had met in India. I met her in Korea after 4~5 years and she took me to an Exhibition which displayed handmade things from accessories and clothes and what not. (I felt like spending the whole day there. It was a treat to my eyes.) 

Try figuring out what these are made of. 

(These things were highly priced but perfectly made)

One day the Korean friend asked me if I could repair something for her. I will come back with the behind story in the next episode. 

Goshiwon Story

Before moving on to the 2nd episode I would like to share my experience which led to episode 2.

When I shifted from Busan to Seoul I had to stay at a Goshiwon as I was late to apply for the University Dormitory. Goshiwon(고시원)in Korean means small rental rooms which are used by students preparing for  important exams like government exams. They are expensive but are really small as only a small bed, small table and wardrobe fits into the room. They may or may not have attached bathroom and same goes for window too. In simple terms, a normal sized apartment is turned into 20~30 small rooms for people to live.

I was given a room with an attached bathroom the wall of which touches my leg while I lay on the bed. And a sliding window which opens to the hallway.

 The walls of the rooms were so thin that I could here the guy in the next room talk to his girlfriend at 12 midnight. Sleepbreaker!! And there was no day or night in that room. Its up to me to decide between day and night with the switch on the wall.
I used to sleep late. Sometimes 12pm..1am sometimes even 2am too and wake up very late as I couldn't see any sunlight. There was a shared kitchen where I used to cook some Ramyun(noodles) or other food. Nothing was fine for me in this place. (I tried chicken curry for the 1st time in this Goshiwon)

The Goshiwon I had stayed in had old men too staying there. They were people having no family or were unmarried and working to keep themselves busy. I never thought such people existed. But I was blessed to get a friend. She is 17~18 years elder to me and she had decided to do a course at the University. She was staying in the Goshiwon and she used to make really delicious food. Before meeting her I was always wanting to shift to a better place. With her help I was happy even in that small room. She used to take me to night markets and places I have never been to. Once she took her car and drove all the way to the east seaside of Korea. We started at 12 in the midnight and reached at 3am in the morning. But a day came when she had to leave the Goshiwon and go back to her house in the village. There was no one to talk to or spend time. All I wished for was to move into the University Dorm. After she moved out I stayed in the Goshiwon for one month and a half.

This is where my Episode 2 of New Findings begin. Again it was through youtube.

Bored! My new findings

Episode 1: Knitting
Place: Busan

I came to Korea in August 2016 and Busan was the first city I lived in. As I was stuck to my dormitory room fearing that I might end up using all my allowance I started watching some videos in youtube and that is when I started my new work. People might think that I am an Ajumma(old or aged lady in Korean) but it gave me lot of happiness. Its nothing other than Knitting.
When I get to know something new I tend to be so excited and sometimes even dream about it. That was how much I was eager to try knitting as I had never tried it. So I started searching for a place where I could get the wool and needles for knitting. People in Busan recommended me to visit the Traditional Market in Guseo(구서).
I went to Guseo and found the shop!! Eureka! But found some Ajumma's sitting there and knitting so I was little hesitant to ask them but I did it. I never thought something good would happen there. The ladies there told me how many rolls of yarn I would need for making a muffler and they also taught me how to knit for free!!! I didn't expect them to be so nice to me. They also told me to come back so that they could show me how to finish making the muffler. Even though I learned how to finish it through watching youtube I still went to those ladies because I felt thankful to them for being so kind to me.

                                                         

                                                 

These are some of my works. I made 6 to 7 mufflers and gave it as presents to people close to me. 

My message to people out there is to find something new to do when you have free time. It gives you at most pleasure and satisfaction. 

Episode 2 is coming soon...

Shall we take the Bus or Subway?

Korea's transport system is super comfy. Why?? Coz you just need a transport card that can be used in buses and subway. And this travel card can also be used as debit card in Convenience stores. But the thing that I would like to focus is how one uses it. Its either the bus or the subway. So this is where an interesting thing happens especially in a city like Seoul where all the areas are well connected by bus routes as well as subway. Most people tend to get used to one of the two. I move with the subway map. If two people having their own comfortable and easy transport system that they follow plan to travel together.. they will end up arguing. This has happened to me sometimes. If one is independent enough to travel alone then choose your own path and move on.

Check the Seoul Subway map and its shocking. Its because there are more than 10 lines crossing each other and its a headache to figure them out which is why I use Kakao Map App. This app is really convenient. And everyone takes time to figure out the routes and that is when they get lost. This is how we learn. I too made mistakes and got lost and felt how stupid I was. But I am still a beginner in bus routes.

 
   I captured the subway map using the App but the whole map was not available on single screen...so here it is in 2 shots!

Using bus to travel around Seoul means that one gets properly oriented with the roads and buildings. (My friend knows what lies where once she is in the city hall square of Seoul) Also we get to know which bus takes us where.
On the other hand subways give us dimension of only the subway routes but it helps us to know what lies immediately next to a subway station. (Most of the famous places are connected via Subway)And as for me, there is a common and short route that I take while moving from North to South of Seoul. (I think this is same for everyone as they have their own favourite route)
Using these two transport systems people in Korea can be divided into two and its always better to travel with a person who also follows the same transport system. If not, one has to give up and follow the other.
But there are times when one is left with nothing but to change from one transport system to another. Can't do anything. Sorry! There is no other way!
But remember Korea is a very advanced country. While changing from Subway to Bus or the other way around the amount for the ticket in the 2nd transport system is reduced by less than half.
So if you are in Korea figure out which mode is comfortable for you to travel and move around and see the beauties of Korea.

This is the travel card that I use. There are different types of cards like Cashbee, T-money etc.. which is available in the convenience stores.

Tips:

* Better not to take the Bus if you feel nauseous.
* Check the timings of buses and subways using the App.
* Remember to recharge travel card before going anywhere!
* Better not to sit on the seats reserved for the old, pregnant.. specially on the subways.