In May this year (2013) I was asked if I would consider
travelling to South Korea for work. My first reaction was trepidation and a bit
of fear. Personally, I had made the decision a few years ago that traveling
with the Asian continent was not really something I would be interested in for
a variety of reasons.
Once I got over my initial ‘drama queen’ reaction I calmed
down and considered the prospect of traveling to a country where the culture,
language and history are so vastly different from New Zealand. I also decided
that it was an amazing opportunity (despite being mostly work-related) that was
unlikely to come up again in the near future.
I have always been pretty relaxed about traveling, however
this marked the first time to a country where English is not the native
language. I do remember thinking “how lost can someone get in South Korea?” The
really great thing is that one of my work colleagues had traveled to South
Korea earlier in the year and he had also been there before. Also, the hotel I stayed at provided pretty
comprehensive instructions on which ‘limo’ (bus) to get from the airport to the
hotel.
When I first arrived in Seoul I was overwhelmed by the sheer
number of people around. I managed to get the right bus to the hotel and settle
in. I think that, that night I walked around locally just to get my bearings.
One thing that really surprised me was the amount of high rise style apartment
blocks. I suppose when a city’s population is about four times the size of the
whole of New Zealand you have to build up to accommodate the people.
Working took so much of my time especially when I was
adjusting to the time difference. I would work when I woke up and then from
9am-6pm and then work again after dinner.
What I found really lovely was that the people I was working
with went to lunch as an office each day and we tried all sorts of different restaurants
from Vietnamese to traditional Korean. The sheer amount of different food
options was just mind-boggling! My suggestion is to try some traditional Korean
food before you go over there and then do not be afraid to try everything! It
was a bit harder for me as I do not eat red meat/pork/lamb etc. however I
managed to push myself so far outside my comfort zone when it came to trying
different things from Ginseng Chicken to aged Squid.
I was there for a fortnight and on the weekend I was taken
out to do some touristy things. We went to a beautiful Italian restaurant for
lunch and then to Insa-Dong which is a more traditional shopping area with
Korean antiques etc. Then there is Myeong-dong which is a very popular shopping
spot and when I first went there earlier in the week I was overwhelmed by the
sheer number of people in one place.
We went to the huge Buddhist temple and I didn’t realise
until we saw a diagram of the layout just how bit it was. Then we checked out
Shinsegae which is a massive department store/mall. It’s kind of split into two
parts 1. Very high end fashion etc. and the second is more affordable and
possibly a bit more popular. Tried some traditional Korean dessert/sweet
treats.
There were times that I felt very alone in Seoul. It is hard
going out shopping or eating alone when you are not working. Also, sometimes I
just wanted a long conversation in English where I did not have to worry about
colloquial language and having to explain.
When I returned home I realised there were so many things
that I would have loved to have seen. You forget that when you go overseas for
work that it is not really a holiday and you are normally knackered! When I
thought I would be going back for work I was quite excited and began to think
about all the things that I could do and see while I was there. I did not end
up going back for work, however I know now that I would love it if my husband
Mark and I could go back there in a few years and experience Seoul together on
holiday. It is a beautiful place. The people are amazing and so friendly and
welcoming. The food is incredible and we even went and had traditional Korean
food for our wedding anniversary about a week after I got back to New Zealand.
Korean food kind of makes New Zealand food look a little bit boring.
In retrospect I really wish I had done more research about
Korea before I left New Zealand. The history and traditions of South Korea are
rich, interesting and at times painful. If you are planning on going anywhere
my suggestion would be to look at the Lonely Planet (or similar) books/websites
for more information as it will really make your holiday/work trip much more
fulfilling.
If I ever go back to South Korea these are some of the
things that I would love to see/do:
- Seoul Tower
- Folk Village
- National Folk Museum of Korea
- De-militarized Zone
- Lotte World Adventure
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Gwanaksan Mountain
- Biwon (Royal Secret Garden)
- Gangnam Samgyeopsal Street
