Mum and dad in my world

Last month my parents spent two weeks in Seoul and Jeju. It was quite fun and I took them places even I had never been! Aside from my dad’s “special” taste for food (i.e. only the familiar Western cooking...), I was glad to see their daily reaction to new Korean adventures.

Having lived in Seoul for a year, I took them to the usual tourist spots:

Changdeokgung palace – with its gorgeous secret garden, it offers a great anachronism with the big metropolis…


Insadong – the oh-so-lovely Buddhist/artsy neighborhood where they struggled to used chopsticks and mum tasted exquisite seafood pancakes.


It also where one can taste delicious traditional rice cakes prepared on the spot, as you can see on this picture. They beat the rice until it is a thick paste used to make the Korean delicacy.


Obviously the subway experience was one of a kind, surrounded by Koreans watching tv on their cell phones, playing video games, napping on each other’s shoulder… and of course random people selling random stuff such as wallets or socks.



For the first ever I visited the Korean traditional folk village – about an hour subway ride from downtown, and a half-hour bus ride. It’s definitely worth seeing, especially the seesaw and dancing shows. The traditional houses are also pretty cool.




Mum was going to the bathroom before hopping on the bus but she couldn’t… it was nearly impossible to go around those homeless napping. It’s really sad. Seoul station is particularly infamous for its drunk homeless.


We came across a very unusual event – that is, a horny horse trying to get it on with its significant other. Unfortunately it was show time and the crew beat the crap out of it.


A night visit at Cheonggyecheon after delicious samgyeopsal (fat pork) was the logical next step. The stream originally existed years ago and was then buried to make a street where street vendors sold local products. A few years ago, the mayor of Seoul decided to throw away the merchants and rebuild the stream. It is gorgeous at night.


Dad was quite impressed with the amount of police buses all around Gwanghwamun (downtown)... though it is because most embassies are located in the city center, the main reason is because of the recent (and still ongoing) protests against the US beef. Those protests have been held every night for over a month and, though quite peaceful (candle-light vigil), there have been some signs of violence.


My personal favorite was Seodaemun prison, where Koreans were tortured during the Japanese occupation.



Everything in there is VERY visual – from a Korean woman having her shirt ripped off while a Japanese soldier is laughing, to a very disturbing scene in which Japanese soldiers are torturing Koreans. They apparently used sharp objects under people’s nails.







The cells were tiny. It must have been hell.




Big time.

And while some nations try to forget, or forgive, Koreans obviously keep the sadistic memory alive. I really don’t get war. The Japanese were freaking torturing Koreans in their very own country. How sick is that.

Another tourist attraction I hadn’t seen yet is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea) It’s definitely a must.

The following picture is a list of all the efforts for reunification. There are MANY eh!



The most impressive spots were the 3rd tunnel and Dorasan station. This train station was built after the South Korean government gave the North millions to reconnect both Koreas. It took years to even happen, and when it did Kim Jong-Il said he wasn’t ready to have “people” come. Only food. So the place is basically empty.

So even up to that day, the South keeps sending the North food supplies. And no one can catch a train to North Korea. It was such a big deal back then, even George W. Bush paid Dorasan a visit.

It’s incredibly sad to see how far away the North and South still are from each other, even though geographically they are so close.
Discovered in 1978, the 3rd tunnel is one of the many tunnels dug by the North to invade South Korea. Again, it is very, VERY disturbing to see. The South found them but they are afraid there are still more undiscovered.

We went in. 45 meters below the surface. It was humid, dark and narrow. Yet apparently the tunnel could allow the transit of some 30000 soldiers per HOUR. How scary is that? Of course the South considered this a sign of aggression, but the North said there was no proof that it isn’t, in fact, the South that built the tunnel to invade the North.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, I was the closest a normal citizen can get to North Korea. I didn’t see the “no pictures” sign until I was out. Sorry…

Another interesting spot in the DMZ is the freedom bridge. I almost cried when I saw the kids’ drawings, dreaming of reunification. 12.773 Korean war prisoners returned to South Korea, passing this bridge by foot. Thus the name.


The DMZ really is quite a spooky area. Yet I was very surprised to learn that there is a small village in the restricted area where South Korean farmers live, a few minutes away from North Korea. And the same is true on the other side. Whatever the South does (be it build a building, or accidentally shoot), the North always does twice bigger.

There is an observatory that allows people to “see” the North but the day we went we couldn’t see a thing because it was so foggy. It thought it was interesting that there is a line on the ground after which no one is allowed to take pictures. It’s like you can see that North Korea exists, but you can’t prove it ;)


Anyone visiting the DMZ can feel a very strong vibe there, the hope that the North will finally come to its senses and aim at reunification. South Korea has done heaps to help the North, and they only want peace. There are still countless families separated between the North and the South.

Once in a lifetime they get to meet in a mountain at the border, and they get 3 hours to “catch up” – i.e. cry into each other’s arms and wonder why the world is so fucked up.

Our next step was Dongadeamun and Namdeamun markets. Crucial. Anyone coming to Seoul has to see those. But beware: it will give you a hell of a headache because it is PACKED with people selling and buying all kinds of crap – food, clothes, hammers, drinks, shoes, bags, toys, TVs, jewelry, knives, sunglasses, etc.etc.etc.




I took my parents to a very "cozy" restaurant… it was dirty and quite cheap. I think they appreciated the experience, though they weren’t so fond of the ambiance…



Mum got this great shot of a kid peeing on the street, right in the middle of the very crowded Namdaemun market.



After 5 days we left the Sofitel and headed to Jeju. A sweet plane ride spiced up with turbulence and my parents headed to their hotel, the Hyatt, at Jungmun beach. A little piece of heaven, I tell ya.


Unfortunately the weather was crappy for the rest of their stay and they had to deal with rain a lot. I was very impressed with the quantity of things they have seen though! Waterfalls, caves, museums and, well, dad seemed to have a great time…


I slept at their hotel a few nights and enjoyed dinner in their company. It felt nice to eat Western food :) But it was so… surreal! My parents, in Korea! There they are with a haenyo (woman diver) at the Hyatt seafood buffet. Yummy.


They came to my school and mum was speechless when she saw all the kids running around, jumping on my back and yelling my name. Yet when class started everyone was quiet and they both attended my class with a big smile.



I took them to Hallim Park – a pretty great (and big!) tourist spot with plenty of cool flowers and plants and lava caves.







We also drove by cool green tea fields - which look even better on a sunny day :)
They also went to the Hallim 5-day market. Most towns on the island have a market every 5-day and sell local products – from fish, to fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and even worms!


It was pretty sad to see them go. In the past three years, we’ve said goodbye so many times. But it was great having them here and now I only have a month and a half left in Korea. Though the sun, beaches, food, friends and fiestas are very, very (!) nice, I really look forward to going home!