I’m not into K-drama filming locations, I don’t follow Korean makeup or hanbok trends, I have no plans to collect Korean celebrity merchandise, and I can’t even speak Korean—yet this was still going to be aself-guided trip?! Are we really, truly, seriously, no-joke sure we’re going to Korea? (getting louder with every word)
So I set off without particularly high expectations. After traveling there via Google Street View, I figured I was basically heading to a second Taipei. But after the trip, my verdict on thisfour-day, four-night self-guided trip to Seoulsomehow turned out to be, “Huh—there seem to be loads more places worth exploring!” (Although I say that about almost everywhere I visit ← busted)
[ Security! Are you really going to let someone keep coming back for more like this? ]
Whenever I told the people around me, “I’m going to Korea,” the most common response was…
Scenario 1: “Oh, do you watch K-dramas?” “No.” “Then what are you going to Korea for?”
Scenario 2: “Isn’t Korea boring? What are you going there for?”
Scenario 3: “What are you going to Korea for?”
Scenario 4: “Oh… Korea. Not interested.” (End of conversation.)
(Hey—you all coordinated your stories beforehand, didn’t you?!)
If I were reporting this as an ordinary citizen journalist, the front-page headline would definitely be: “Taiwan–Korea Relations Strained as Pro-Korea Citizen Receives Cold Shoulder.” Just look—has Korea really become that polarizing in Taiwan? It seems that anyone outside the K-drama and K-pop fandom can practically be classified as indifferent to Korea, if not so cold they’ve caught a chill from actively rejecting it. (Or maybe the problem is just my social circle.) With everyone so overwhelmingly pessimistic about traveling to Korea, even I started questioning myself before departure. But Giddens Ko once famously said, “Only dreams that are mocked are worth pursuing.” (Steady on, that seems a little dramatic.) Ignoring what everyone said, I stuck to my decision to go (because I’d already booked the flights, actually), and that’s how I got the chance to discover the lovable Korean capital of Seoul~
[ Never dismiss any reason to set off ]
As a prehistoric human whose last K-drama was Full House, a whole 10 years ago (cue thunder crashing beside my ears), my impression of Korea went no further than “Dongdaemun” and “that place with a row of old brown houses.” (Possibly something only Baojie could decipher.) Whenever I tried to sneak a glimpse of Korea through a K-pop music video, they always seemed to be inside a studio anyway (legs lifting this way and that). Broadly speaking, I could only assume it probably didn’t look too different from Taiwan or even Japan—but what it actually looked like had long since vanished beyond the limits of my brain’s memory.
[ If this even counts as lifting a leg ]
What really piqued my curiosity was Korea’s dramatic progress in recent years, which has left Taiwanese industries feeling threatened and constantly compared, along with its increasingly polished approach to stationery and fashion design (even if, at first, traces of other people’s work were everywhere). It made me want to seejust how far Korea had developed and what it was capable of(You can tell how urgent this desire was.) I’d also been lucky enough to meet some genuinely kind Koreans while in Australia, which lowered my guard toward the country even further. And so the idea of this trip quietly settled into my mind.
Then, one drowsy morning last November (← the atmosphere of the scene is crucial), just as my eyes were closing for a nap, I happened to spot a spring-and-summer getaway promotion on Scoot’s Facebook page. My company had also announced its 2014 holiday calendar a few days earlier. Those marketers were incredible—they had timed it perfectly! I was successfully marketed to, just like that. Then I went off to market the trip to my famously hard-to-persuade buddy, Da-Wai (seasoned marketing veterans really are tougher customers… picks nose). After much coaxing and cajoling, we finally decided to depart during the tiny Labour Day holiday on May 1, when spring would be in bloom and the weather wouldn’t be too cold.
[ With these two pictures, it finally feels as though we’ve reached the actual article (I have no shame) ]
Looking it up afterward, the tickets we bought weren’t actually that cheap. A round trip still worked out to around NT$7,000 per person, which wasn’t far off the price of a full-service airline. This proves that being half-asleep is truly dangerous.Thank goodness I didn’t buy a house that way…Still, I don’t regret bookingScootat all. I was especially happy with the flight times—they were perfect for a humble office worker determined to stretch every dollar, conserve annual leave, and squeeze every last drop out of a trip. A solid nine out of ten.Both the outbound and return flights were at night, so I only had to get ahead on my work and take half a day off before departure, then I could spend the entire next day exploring(feeling blessed),and the late return flight meant I could enjoy almost another full day without wasting any time! You just have to be prepared to perform the spectacular LIVE SHOW of typing with your eyes closed at work the next morning. (Please note that this is merely a thoughtful warning and in no way a description of what actually happened.) (Coward.)
[ Wait until I’ve finished talking before you fall asleep ]
I comforted myself with the thought that I still remembered a few Korean words secretly picked up from Korean friends. Sure, none of them could be assembled into a full sentence, but at least it felt like I’d leveled up by 0.5. Little did I know that my Korean vocabulary—hello, sorry, delicious, cute, and pretty—would barely get a chance to shine (dramatic sting…). Every time an opportunity arose, my brain froze. Even when I clearly meant to say “kamsahamnida” (thank you), my agile tongue somehow blurted out “arigatō”… “arigatō”… “arigatō.” (That’s an echo. Can you feel the shock reverberating through my mind after the words escaped?)And so I inexplicably discovered the Japanese soul hidden within me (says who?)
But honestly, language really isn’t a problem! (Sincere feelings are what matter!) The metro even displays place names in “Traditional” Chinese (HIGHLIGHT—major bonus points), and many tourist attractions and famous restaurants have Chinese introductions or menus, sometimes even Chinese-speaking staff.It’s quite friendly for Chinese-speaking independent travelers; besides, when visiting a country where every conversation risks becoming incomprehensible clanging and chickens talking to ducks, you naturally prepare a little more carefully. We rented mobile internet, brought Google Maps, and followed the routes generously shared in other travelers’ blog posts, so there were very few occasions when we actually needed to ask for directions.
[ Am I supposed to eat this…? ]
If you do need to ask for directions, it’s much the same as in Taipei. Seoul is a big city with that same hint of natural aloofness, but the moment you ask for help, people immediately become enthusiastic and eager to assist. Most also know at least a little English, and, most heartwarmingly, they’ll do their best to make sure you understand.So as long as you don’t meet them on the sports field, their lovable nature simply can’t be hidden. (Fact.)
Finally, here’s how we spent our four-day, four-night Korean holiday. These attractions may not be the prettiest, most famous, or most entertaining (I didn’t even set foot in Myeongdong, where everyone supposedly has to go), but like the KING OF TEA, they all left a wonderfully lingering aftertaste—so delightful that I really wanted to document this Korean adventure.
First night: 2014.4.30
18:20 Taipei → 21:50 Seoul (When we booked, the flight was actually scheduled for 19:50→22:35. They kept moving it earlier before departure, but arriving earlier was even better~) → Check in at the designer hotel in Hongdae → Hunt down our first Korean meal at Xingtiandi Seolleongtang → Wander around Hongdae
Day 1: 2014.5.1
Morning run in Yeouido Park→ Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art → Exchange money in Itaewon → Sigol Bapsang → Wander through Itaewon and stumble upon Softree honey ice cream (but notrendyhoneycomb) → Night view from N Seoul Tower
Day 2: 2014.5.2
Changdeokgung Secret Garden tour → Bukchon Hanok Village → Wander around Samcheong-dong and fill up on pancakes → Walk along a short stretch of Cheonggyecheon at night → Dongdaemun → Wonjo Won Halmeoni Dakhanmari
Day 3: 2014.5.3
Morning run in Yeouido Parkagain → Budae-jjigae at 희정식당 in Yeouido → Properly explore Hongdae’s shopping district and creative market → KyoChon fried chicken → JUMP, the show that’s recently become a big hit in Korea → Jjimjilbang at Happy Day SPA in Hongdae
Day 4: 2014.5.4
Strike out again in our search for Softree honeycomb ice cream in Hongdae → Wonjo Won Halmeoni Bossam (Grandma Wonjo is very busy) → Leisurely stroll around Ewha Womans University → ISAAC breakfast for dinner → Take Scoot home from Incheon Airport, 22:50 Seoul → 00:05 Taipei (The flight was originally scheduled for 23:45→01:25 when we booked, but it was moved nearly an hour earlier too—excellent)
We’ll slowly break down the details of each PART next time. (Promises like this still have some credibility on this blog, right?!… Right?…)
