What is Gangnam Style - Part 1

18:22 Unknown 0 Comments

Having now been in Korea for a little over 3 months I think I am now qualified to give my initial impression of my temporary home on this transient adventure. But before I proceed to provide a snapshot I must first qualify it in saying I am not living in just any average area in Seoul, I'm in Gangnam-gu. That's the one and the same Gangnam as featured in Psy's record breaking song parody on the pseudo rich culture of Korea and Gangnam specifically.

So this is the area where stereotypes come in to their own so bear that in mind when considering everything I say. I will be doing my damndest to give a balanced view of Korea during my time here but I have to start somewhere and it's going to have to be what's close to home.

Let's start with guys holding hands, and no I don't mean gay guys which as I hail from Cape Town I would find perfectly normal. No here it is a little more bizarre as it is straight guys happily strolling down the street hand in hand. To add a subtle twist to this original social idiosyncrasy is that there is often a large age gap, so a middle aged man holding the hand of young man. I'm not sure where the origins lie but apparently its called skinship, non-sexual motivated touching. In a strange way if you can manage to briefly divorce your perspective from the Western culture and conventions it's actually probably a more natural human action considering we are a social animal and most other primates aren't shy to have male on male affection. If you missed what happened there then yes I did just compare you to Monkey!

It took me a considerable amount of time to get my bearings in Gangnam but this is not because I have the directional sense of a gps in an electric storm, my sense of directions is normally pretty good, but rather the fact that each block is just a duplicate of the block that preceded it and the one that will follow it. The buildings around Gangnam station are firstly not the most interesting or distinguishable you will see in Korea, I found the one's I saw in Garosu-gil to be the most architecturally interesting thus far.

But it's more than just the drab building design that makes it repetitive but rather the fact that some big corporates in their infinite wisdom decided it would be in everyone's best interest to have the same chain coffee shops selling expensive, not so great, coffee on every block. This goes so far as to have competitive chain shops across the street from each other or on consecutive floors in the same building.

How they all turn a profit out of this little area still boggles my mind. They are aided slightly by the fact that firstly young people, up to and even over the age of 30, still live at the home so the only place they have to socialise during the day are these coffee shops. This is coupled by the fact that Gangnam is home to probably the highest concentration of adult language institutes in Seoul and as such there are many young people. But even taking these factors in to consideration there are way too many to make sense. There are also way to many Korean barbecue restaurants but I don't want to flood you with too much information at once so this has just become Part 1. I'll save Korean restaurants and deja vu in the subway station for Part 2! Stay tuned to find out more inside info on life in Gangnam.

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Welcome to Korea

16:48 Unknown 0 Comments

So while I sit in Butterfingers, one of the few places serving anything that even slightly resembles a western style breakfast, I was struck by a strange need to write something.

I'm now moving in to my 3rd month in Korea and all I can say is time flies when you don't know what the hell you are doing. I'm thinking back to the night of my arrival in Seoul. It only takes one mistake of catching a bus to the Gangnam express terminal instead of Gangnam station to leave you lost and confused trying understand why there is a massive clothing market where the sign says a subway station should be.

Wondering around trying to gauge directions or communicate with indifferent taxi drivers left me with a stark realisation. Despite spending most of my life considering myself fairly well educated, in the matter of a 20 hour plane flight, I had now become absolutely illiterate. Had it not been for the beacon of English hope in the form of the friendly staff at the Marriot hotel, who kindly hailed me a cab and directed them to my correct destination, I might still be wondering the streets of Gangnam laden with bags, dazed and confused.

The rest of night was equally interesting. After meeting my schools director he took me out to dinner to a Japanese style fast food restaurant called Pomato spoon, don't ask me to explain the name. Despite not speaking Korean it seemed easy enough for him to order a fair selection of food. This proved to be easier said than done when I returned at a later date. After wondering the streets for approximately two hours a night to find a dinner I could order for the third night running I decided to return to the familiar hunting grounds of Pomato spoon however I was confronted with the menu below! My solution pointing at the picture in the middle and hoping for the best, it wasn't what I wanted but it didn't kill me either. I consider that a victory against illiteracy.

The other noteworthy part of the evening was the accommodation, the night ended with me being led through a low dark archway in to the unmistakable dingy foyer of one of the infamous Korean motels often known as love motels. This is where I would spend my first week in Korea. Love motels are a reflection of the societal structures, with most youngsters staying at home in to their early thirties if they don't get married and with marital infidelity being a criminal offence there is a certain need for private clandestine meeting places. It was in one such fine establishment that I found myself. The motel itself was tidy and clean and the concierge was always super friendly and overly generous with physical compliments as happens frequently in Korea. The only downside was the hotel tended to come alive in the early hours of the morning, it was if it had a heart beat. Well maybe not a heartbeat, more like a rhythmic thumping sound which continued for an admirably long period. Other than that it was actually a pretty pleasant experience and if you are looking for affordable accommodation they are well worth the money.

So that pretty much covers my initial experience in Korea. I'll look at a few more of the unique elements of Seoul and specifically Gangnam, where I am based, that I have experienced in the initial couple of months with the next few posts. No promises about the timing though since I seem unable to stick to any commitments I make! :P

Ciao for now.

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Planning to make an impulsive move

14:11 Unknown 0 Comments

It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech - Mark Twain

There are many parallels between planning a speech and planning life in general and every spontaneous move seems to require and inordinate amount of planning.

I originally began this blog in September last year with the intention to document my imminent move to Korea which I had decided on whim was exactly what my life needed. However I know sit here completing this post from my villa studio in Gangnam 9 months later having only just almost completed my first month in Korea.

What happened in between is somewhat of a mystery in terms of how it took so long from the inception of the idea until the actual final implementation.

I say a mystery but this is actually just a means of avoiding responsibility for waylaying myself. I can certainly give some advice on what not to do when preparing to make an impulsive move overseas which is all I intend to cover in the rest of this post.

Firstly never underestimate the amount and respective time attached to the mundane admin work that needs to be completed in order to make that impulsive move overseas. It always takes longer than expected and has the proverbial red tape hoops to jump through. It is also very unwise to do begin this process just leading up to the end of the year break as you will be caught up in the inevitable public servant slow down as they approach the holidays , their excessively long holiday and then the slow restart of the huge machine that is public services.

Secondly it is also very unwise to try and leave a city like Cape Town just as summer is approaching. In fact considering it's the number one tourist city in the world I'd go so far as to say it is down right impossible. Enjoying one last Cape Town summer before heading off is certainly a strong motivator for procrastination when the alternative was a Korean winter.

Thirdly it is a terrible idea to meet a young Brazilian English language student and get caught up in a whirlwind romance that will result in you becoming a very willing tour guide for the entirety of their time there, while doing little else productive with your life.

However if you were to ask me whether I would change anything the answer would be a resounding no. There is a vast chasm in life between taking the most efficient route through life and having a life worth living and I would choose the latter every time. I had a summer to remember and I still managed to make it to Korea, eventually.

I think that should do for now to bring you up to speed. I also did an inordinate amount of research before I arrived here so I will share my data base of sources along with some helpful advice, I hope. I'll also give some of my initial impressions of Korea, it certainly is interesting. But that's all for next time.

Ciao for now.

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If you give a little love you can get a little love....

20:29 Unknown 0 Comments

Lucky in love

Look I don't know if I'm turning in to a bleeding heart hippy or I have been eating to much KFC and my female hormone levels are right up there but something about this video just tugs at my heart strings and I find myself quietly choking up on my own each time a press replay on the Tube. All my training as a South African male tells me I should be impervious to such trivial emotional things and as such it's taken me a few months of avoiding posting this to reach this point but I can't anymore...it needs to be shared...

I hope the message is clear but just to hammer it home, in order for the world to become a better place we don't all need to become doctors with out borders, or volunteer in a war zone or an aids orphanage. Although these individuals are commendable for the personal sacrifices we are not all cut out to be volunteers and in fact the world would stop functioning if we all decided to quit our jobs and head off to volunteer somewhere. But what is important and easily within each and everybody's reach is to take the time to show some common decency and respect to your fellow man and women. It's just those small courtesies that make this world a better place to live in and make us less self involved so we can start looking out for each other. We are all human, some of us just had luckier births than others so everyone deserves a little respect. Now go forth and give a little love people! :)

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Summer time loving and loving summer time....PART 1

21:28 Unknown 0 Comments

I guess the only way to begin this article is with an apology for sorely neglecting this creative space but I will also counter my apology with a justification that the huge delay is just a testament to how great and engrossing the Cape Town summer is.

Due to the huge volume of content I have experienced and my propensity to forget and blur memories I will do this article in the form of a flash sale of all the photos I have taken so far this summer. I will try say something about most of them but I cant make any promises so here we go...........

The MIG

Ok so it makes sense to start at Basecamp, The MIG, where all ascents and descents to and from the peak of fun begin and end. The MIG is an old but spacious four bedroom penthouse flat in Sea Point when block back from Beach road but the views, as seen above, are not too bad.

However the real magic of The Mig is not the flat itself but rather the crazy bunch of guys that inhabit it. It's a brotherhood of guys around 30ish that all live life with a passion in there own way, whether it be a dream job like running a diving tours up to Mozambique or going on amazing surf trips and other adventures to simply sleeping in the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens on a whim they inspire you to be yourself, be different and live life with volume cranked up way past what the speakers can handle. Although I am not one of the permanent residents of the flats due to the gracious generosity of the legitimate tenants I have been given a rotational status which has seen me become the proverbial guy on the couch and when on of the digs mates are away I get bumped up to a bed, either way it's just great to be part of the madness. In addition when not drinking tequila by the bottle the flat is a mecca for good health with organic, free range and grass fed foods bursting from every kitchen cupboard. It's gone so far that there is now a fully fledged herb and vegetable garden operating on the balcony.

The famous Sea Point prom

As an added benefit the flat is located next to a multitude of amenities. It's within spitting distance of the famous sea point promenade which in summer is filled with the hustle and bustle of joggers, cyclists, skate boarders and rollerbladers, it's definitely one of the best ways to wrap a day in Cape Town, or start a day for that matter. The next one is actually only 5 min around the corner being the famous beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay. Clifton being slightly more private and remote and Camps Bay offering easy access to all the restaurants and clubs that are only separated from the beach by Victoria road. An added benefit for myself is the outside gym along the promenade, if you have to work out it just feels so much more wholesome soaking up rays rather than sitting in an air-conditioned box.

Gym with a view

Then there are the plethora of restaurants scattered along sea point main road, all within a few minutes walking distance and almost immediate if you are too lazy to walk an opt to drive. There is also the last club of a night club known as Decodance only a couple of blocks away. The walk home is strategically broken by one of the best pizzas I have had in a long time which happens to be open at 4am. Everything seems to come together perfectly at the Mig as if by divine intervention. It's a magical place.

So that covers the home base on the fun side of the mountain, far away from the leafy quiet southern suburbs that I retreat to in between the madness. Its the fun side that I leverage of to maximise the summer, which leads me to my next post, what the hell have I been doing that has seen me unable to find the time to sit down and talk shit for several weeks, I'll endeavour to explain myself in the next post....to be continued......