Korea Blog 24th of July 1996

Out and about at 10am today. First place that we managed to find was the city hall. Previous to that Wayne haggled a guy down to 4500 Won from 6000 Won for some Korean red ginseng. The guy really wanted the sale. Then we had a gander at Teoksugung Palace. I handed the girl enough money for a youth (19-24 years of age) and she didn’t believe me when I said I was 24. Showed her my passport and she still got the calculator out to check!

Walked to Namdaemun (South Gate). Quite impressive. Bumbled our way over to the statue of General Kim Yu-Shin and two of Kim Ku. At Teodsugung I took a photo of King Segong the Great (1397-1450). He invented Hangul, sundial, waterclock, rain gauge and some other instruments. There was some very nice looking rock poetry in this area. Climbed up to Seoul Tower and paid 1600 Won for the 3rd floor observation deck. Lunch was bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables with egg) – best food I’ve had so far. Took the subway to the Olympic Stadium – huge. Had tea at Lotte shopping centre. Wayne had chicken ginseng in another restaurant and I had kal gook soo (sword noodles). Spent ages walking around for a cinema that was showing “Eraser”. When you walk through the wrong areas the look on people’s faces lets you know. Don't take the back streets.

Korean men spit whereas Japs don’t. I haven’t seen any women riding motorbikes and the only foreign cars I have seen are two Volvos.

“Eraser” was brilliant. When looking for my seat I asked a guy about the ticket and he said, “Oh, you’re a white guy!” I would have thought that that was quite obvious. As soon as the credits started the lights came on, the movie stopped and everyone cleared out as though there was a fire. Don’t waste any time shipping them in and out of the cinema as though they are cattle. Funny things about the movie. A propaganda movie of six to eight minutes precedes the film. Korean subtitles are put on the right hand side. Languages other than English are not translated into Korean. Sound reproduction was really poor and the lip sync was stuffed on the propaganda film.

All the signs at the palaces tell of the annexation of Korea by Japan, the buildings being burnt by Japanese etc, etc. The Japanese version isn’t as strongly worded as the English. “Japanese invasion of 1592”

Some more kids wanted to talk to us in Namsan Park so I just spoke English to them. They spoke Korean until we left and they said “Bye bye” and “I love you”.

Pics - Contrasting Buildings - the old palace and the new skyscrapers, Restoration at Kyeongheuigung.


- posted by Hammy @ 8:31 am