I gotta break a leg or carry Lucien while wearing a dress if I want to sit in the special seats on the subway in Seoul. Some feminists are not gonna like this.
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Garbage and recycling
Not unusual in Seoul ~
I’m not sure what would work better in terms of waste removal in Seoul. Residents don’t generally throw their garbage on the side of the street as shown in the above picture. They are required to place it in valid garbage bags (which can be purchased in any convenience store). But considering the amount of traffic in Seoul, it’s actually surprising that there aren’t more bags ripped open. I don’t think that bins would work well since streets are narrow, and there aren’t any alleyways to store them.
I haven’t quite figured out how the system works, but I know that there are different bags for different wastes. Recyclables must be separated from food waste, and the non-recyclable must also be bagged separately.
Note the cute little food bags on the left-hand side.
Anyways, I don’t know how the garbage/recycling is collected. So far, I haven’t seen trucks. But I have evidence that shows that some of it disappears on two wheels.
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Noksaek means “green” in Korean
There have been numerous and visible efforts to make living in Korean cities more comfortable. I’ll write about some of these projects – completed, under construction, and planned – in the coming weeks, but in this posting, I’ll address certain environmental improvements made in Seoul since I last visited.
Although the number of cars continues to increase here, I’ve noticed that the exposed parts of my socks no longer turn to a dark brown after spending the day walking in the streets of Seoul as it used to in the early 1990s. Also, I would have to wash up dirt and pebbles off my umbrella in my bathroom after a short promenade in the rain. It was scary to think about what I was breathing in.
Twenty years later, all public buses and taxis in Seoul run on LPG. Perhaps later studies will show that LPG is actually more dangerous than diesel because it facilitates the spreading of mad cow disease, but I am certainly spending less money on socks this time around.
Another incentive to use public transportation is the price of gasoline. It obviously is difficult to set a price that is high enough to deter without generating a popular uprising. Even though one litre costs around $1.50 (that’s roughly $5.50/gallon), there are still far too many motorists in Seoul. The car is such a powerful social status symbol. Indeed, foreign car manufacturers have started to establish themselves in Korea, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and some American automakers which may or may not be alive at time of posting.
The two-wheels have also gone more green. Until just a few years ago, you had to be nearly suicidal to brave Seoul traffic on a motorbike, so I am quite surprised to see that there is a growing number of cyclists here. I haven’t checked recent Korean hospital statistics, but I would think that the government wouldn’t waste its money building bicycle lanes if it were just for a few nutcases. Granted that these lanes are not common, but there are bike shops and bike racks here and there, e.g. subway stations or on university campuses, such as Yonsei University (see picture below).
Furthermore, Yonsei University has adopted the policy of restricting access to its campus to licence plates starting or ending with determined numbers on certain days of the week.
Of course, there is plenty of room for improvement. I am delighted that buses, subways and taxis are convenient, quick and generally affordable. No doubt this protects the right to freedom of movement more effectively than the private car, while minimising the environmental impact.
But as I type this, I am feeling a cold draft coming from the sealed window of my apartment. Many of the windows I have seen in Korea still only have one glass pane, and/or can’t be closed properly. I wonder if global warming doesn’t originate from the heat coming out of Korean windows.
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Welcome, customer!
I must say I am tempted to give these waffles a try. They’re amongst the new eating fads in Seoul. And perhaps I should indulge a few right away because they may vanish as quickly as the whipped cream that garnishes them. There is a constant stream of novel foods available in Korea, nearly matching the pace of Korean technological innovations.
For instance, while sampling these Belgian waffles, you can now sip a top-grade espresso. A few years ago still, the only coffee you could buy was one you’d get from a vending machine for the equivalent of 10 cents, or one made out of instant coffee powder, or the American-type concoction. Enter the commercial espresso machine. It’s become conspicuous in any serious coffee shops today. And I can buy freshly roasted beans from a shop two blocks away from where I live!
I noticed another, more subtle change, however. Only five years ago, the restaurant waiter, the shopkeeper, or the bank teller would have addressed you as sonnim or “guest,” as in a guest visiting your friend’s parents for instance. Moreover, young sales assistants would sometimes use the deferential “older brother” or “older sister” to raise closeness and profit figures. Today, the old intimacy has given way to a business relationship. When you walk into a store, you’re greeted with kogaengnim! or “hello, customer!” I suppose that’s an unambiguous way of reminding you why you’re there.
But now… pondering upon the changes that have been occurring in the University, I wonder how long it will take for students entering campus to hear “welcome, kogaengnim!“
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From the U.S. Command in Seoul Garrison: Martin Luther King is truly an American hero…
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… a freedom fighter in the stubborn South. Apparently, he became advisor to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, cautiously. His marches woke up the sleepy American public, and made Americans realise that racism and discrimination were, ultimately, un-American.
Did his ideals win the hearts and minds of the nation? Yes! Indeed, “institutions of injustice began to crumble across the U.S. [...] The great democracy our forefathers had envisioned was finally closer to perfection because of an inspired descendant of African slaves.”
His track record proves that he is a distinctly American son. “He helped a Nation see that it could truly fulfill its destiny to be the land of the free and home of the brave.”
What a soup of clichés.
It’s a real shame that Martin Luther King never had the chance to visit the Yongsan Garrison. Who knows what he would have said? Let the generals preach peace and non-violence?
“This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”
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the joys of travelling – sequel
Part of the joys of discovering countries is sampling their food. This is definitely true for Korea.
Around universities in Seoul, small, dodgy-looking restaurants and classy ones compete for the remaining commercial space left by 3G/4G cell phone stores, real estate agencies and convenience stores. You don’t need to look hard to find a copious and yummy meal in my neighbourhood. The above snack cost me just over $6.00 all incl. I plan to go back for seconds.
How can one eat out so well for such a reasonable price here? Twenty years ago, when the same meal would have cost you half of that, I was told that it was cheap because Korea was arguably still a developing country, and that incomes were low. But if one takes inflation into consideration, haemul sundubu hasn’t really become more expensive today while salaries have gone up.
(Delicious) food for thought…
the joys of travelling
The experience of air travel has changed little compared to twenty years ago. If you own a private jet.
For those lucky ones still using commercial airliners, flying has become an activity designed to test the patience, endurance, and wallets of travellers. It starts well before you board the plane: you go online, spend hours finding the best deals for your ticket, and feel reasonably proud of yourself for having nailed the hot bargain. The price makes you forgive the three stopovers to your destination. Until the website adds the airport fee, the fuel surcharge and the GST. Ouch.
You bite the bullet, print out the seven sheets of your e-ticket, and start packing your suitcases. A few days before the departure, you receive an email urging you to confirm that you accept the changes in your flight schedule. You click okay, and print seven new pages. It feels good to save trees thanks to your e-ticket. Once at the airport, you go to the check-in area, and stand in line. You whistle joyfully, you’re going abroad. It’s your turn: you are finally greeted by a computer screen. The screen tells you to scan your passport, but for some reason, it can’t read your passport, and tells you to seek human help. That’s okay, you only wasted 35 minutes. Good thing you arrived at the airport three hours before your flight, as required by the airline. The single and unhappy clerk running back and forth behind the nine counters sorts out your passport issue with a grunt, and informs you that as of two months ago, one must pay a fee for one’s checked-in luggage. Since you have two pieces, it’ll cost you $50, but they go well over the 50 pound limit, so that’ll be another $50.
Grr. You need a drink. You get a lemonade, and head to the security check-point. There, they tell you to take off your shoes, your coat, your sweater, your hat, and your belt – thanks heaven you put a fresh set of underwear this morning. But you’re a good sport and a real patriot. You’re doing your part in keeping the country safe.
Sorry, you can’t keep the lemonade. You’re thirsty and you’re cold now. Better put your clothes back on quickly if you don’t want to catch a cold, and be denied boarding because you have a cough. H1N1 is no joke apparently.
The seats on the plane are just as narrow as twenty years ago, but now, each passenger has their personal video terminal. The flight attendants really have a lot less attendance to do. Eighteen hours later, you arrive at your destination. You are grateful that all three legs of your trip arrived on time, but you can start praying that the airline will not go bankrupt before your return.
Hmmm… street food in Korea
Korea is a street food paradise: sweet potatoes, sweet rice cakes, roasted chestnuts, hodokwaja (some sort of walnut cakes), ttokpokki (spicy rice cakes with meat, eggs, etc.), dumplings, and many other yummy things.