this is the end, beautiful friend … my time in korea is done and done. tomorrow i will board a plane and fly to delhi. from there, i’m going to travel around asia, into the middle east, then europe, africa, north and south america. my final destination (hopefully) is cuba.
korea has been my home for six long years and there have been times that i have loved and hated this country. i think that’s what i’ll remember most about korea: it’s definitely a land of extremes.
most fondly, i’ll remember all my good friends and the people to whom i’ve been so close – especially in the last 12 months. the people of korea are warm hearted and very giving. some of the people here i’ll remember forever … even if i never get a chance to see them again (and of course, i hope i do get to see them again).
i’ll also remember the wonderful food in korea. i have no doubts that i’ll crave kimchi and other korean foods while i’m abroad. i’ll miss soju and samgyupsal: the perfect combination for drinking and talking and laughing and having fun. korean food is so unique. not only is the taste unique, but the way to eat korean food is also unique … and of course, for koreans, food is the perfect way to bond and build relationships.
sadly, though, i never had a chance to try dog meat …
korea can also be a very beautiful country. i have thousands of photos taken in korea – temples, trees, monks, mountains, people, skylines, the sea … spending time taking pictures has been wonderful.
my favourite thing about korea is definitely the temples. small temples hidden away on mountainsides and in the strangest places. it was always an adventure discovering temples and finding huge stone buddhas in the most unlikely places.
the thing i wont miss is the moral and ethical side of korea. i’m not saying that koreans aren’t ethical, but i think that korea can be a horrible country to do business in. many foreigners walk away from korea with stories of being ripped off by their schools. screwing someone over money is almost a sport amongst hogwans. used car salesmen, telemarketers and hogwan owners rate amongst the professions whom i hate the most.
that sense of morality also extended into other facets of day to day life. crossing the road was dangerous because there’s no guarantee that cars (especially taxis) would stop. motorcycles constantly use the sidewalks (veering around pedestrians, honking for people to move out of their way).
i guess that sums it up. the day to day stuff in korea is a grind. it’s probably one of the symptoms of living in an overcrowded city: people push and shove, are rude and downright disrespectful.
but once you get past that, once you meet koreans and have dinner with them, they can be the most amazing people.
i have to be honest. it was 50/50 for me, the days that i loved and hated korea. for every good day i had with friends, i had a terrible day because my boss would change the rules or find a way to steal days off my vacation. for every day that i enjoyed photographing temples, i would fight with the arrogant bastards who sell their stupid shit on the subway.
none the less, korea is now a part of me. the smells, the taste, the sounds, the people, the culture, the habits and the quirks … it’s all rubbed off on me and made me a different person.
goodbye korea. i’ll miss you …