I think I’ve basically decided not to do a post on Japan. There’s just…not much to write about. I went and came back. I might do small posts on the more interesting parts of it later.
Well. Ciao.
Category: Travel & Study
Storm Drain
Calling it “the rainy season” here in Korea is a bit like calling a summer in Phoenix, Arizona “the warm season.” Even the northeast US’s storms have got nothing on what it was like some days here. That said, my (Korean) friends have insisted that this really isn’t normal, and sure enough, the news seems to agree with it. I was actually intending to meet a friend on the day of that article, but I showed up at Sadang Station (사당역) to find the place fortified with sandbags* with emergency workers milling about or directing traffic…and as the picture in that article shows, well, the red bus I was intending to board never came. Probably for the better, really.
Sadang Station
*The station entrances are already elevated off the surrounding sidewalk; the sandbags are in addition to that.
The first time I noticed something might be amiss was all the special announcements coming over the subway station’s intercom as I entered the first station. However, the audio was so badly distorted I doubt I could have understood it even if it was in English. My friend hadn’t checked the news either, so we didn’t realize the extent of the flooding until my being stuck at the station prompted him to investigate.
Under an Arch (Suwon Fortress)
Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of it, but while taking the subway the day before I passed over the Han river (runs through the middle of Seoul, for any unfamiliar with the city). Running along the river is a park, but if you want to actually get to the edge of the water, you have to descend a fair bit. That’s where I originally took the cloud picture, incidentally. But when I passed by on the subway, the bridge of which is (fortunately) very far above the water… the only sign of the park was the tips of tree branches visible.
Moreover, running parallel to the subway lines on the bridge are the express ways (highways). I’ve mentioned this before, but space in Korea is tight; the on/off ramps extended over the edge of the river. Normally they, too, are pretty high up… That day, however, the river had very nearly risen to its level. Later the roads there were closed, but at the time traffic was backed up…probably from earlier closures and flooding. I would hate to be stuck there.
To anyone thinking about visiting Korea, I’d really recommend coming during springtime, say late April or early May. Otherwise, you might get pretty much shut down by weeks of rain at a time. Or, if you are willing to brave the rain, South Korea’s authorities seem to do a wonderful job of keeping the infrastructure, public transit, et al.
I still need to do a post on my short little trip to Japan…Which was well over a month ago now? Yeah, I’m pretty far behind on things…
Han River Cloudscape at 24mm
Spotlight across the crowd
Last week, a friend that had access to free tickets through volunteer work he was doing offered to invite me to a concert. He wasn’t necessarily a fan of the groups that were coming, but, well, as mentioned, it was free. I accepted, naturally, and made my way over at the appointed time.
These waiting children would only be disappointed when the picture event was cancelled.
First, he explained, was “picture taking time,” that is, where fans would get a chance to get their picture taken with the singers et al. His role was to keep the small crowd from pressing forward, and I just tagged along and tried to shoot pictures under some of the worst light you’ve ever seen. If these shots seem a little noisy–it’s because I had to lighten them. Although there were lights just inside, where people were actually standing/waiting there was nothing at all.
On the Radio
Anyway, the crowd was soon disappointed when the pop stars cancelled the picture event, citing lack of organization. The children actually seemed to take it pretty well–no one seemed to cry, or get angry, etc–they were just quietly led away. On the other hand, one middle-aged woman in particular was outraged and was shouting at anyone she had an excuse to–my friend, when he tried to calm her down, and even at me a little. In the end we just left them to deal with it.
The concert itself–Well, it was ‘interesting’ (read: a bit strange), but I can’t compare it to American ones. This was my first trip to a concert ever, so I don’t have over experiences for it to go up against. The music, while loud, wasn’t earsplitting. On the other hand, the screaming of the fans was–I covered my ears, my friend didn’t and later told me they still hurt after the concert. Many of those people have to have shouted themselves hoarse but, another thing he pointed out, it’s a mark of pride here, a way of showing your loyalty to whatever it is you’re a fan of.
Fans at the concert
Here’s a short sample video clip I took. It was really more of a test of some special video firmware for my camera and, naturally, the sound quality sucks, but if you’re interested here you go. Concert Clip
The Costs of Living in Korea
Scooters for sale
The other day I went with a friend to pick up his scooter at the repair shop. When I asked about the prices involved, I was shocked about what he was paying. While in Provo I got my first (brand new) 150cc Chinese scooter for $700, he payed $500 for a heavily used one, a mere 50cc’er (top speed of about 23mph/37kph). The repair bill would run him another $400. When I asked him about the price of a 150cc here, he estimated around $2000. Ouch!
Engine problems
Is it cheaper or more expensive than the US? Well, as it turns out, a bit of both. In the end, I’d have to say the overall cost is higher, but there are ways to economize and knock it down a bit. Same with Japan, really, but also like Japan, it doesn’t change that it’s a pretty expensive place overall.
Transmission problems
Real Estate: If you want to actually live here and, say, get a condo–absurdly expensive. Quickly goes above $1 million. Renting’s not cheap either. However, on the lower end of the scale–You can get a room for pretty cheap. They’re tiny, but you can find rooms for a bit cheaper than Provo might cost. (Right now I’m paying 32만원 or ~$320/mo). Provo’s certainly cheaper during the summer but it’s not terrible really.
Exit 6
Groceries and Food: Well if you’re OK with living on purely rice and maybe one or two very simple sides, you can do it for cheaper than the US (but you could do the same thing in the US too haha). Generally, though, the portions are much smaller. And normally, I would like that–less waste if I don’t use something fast enough. But instead of smaller prices, it’s actually more expensive than the States. Even things you’d think would be cheaper, like the cup noodles available at every convenience store here, are marginally more costly. Incidentally you cannot buy milk/drinks/juice in any size larger than 1.5L, and milk not even that much at a time. A shame because I usually buy and drink milk by the gallon…
Tuition: Here Korea wins out over the US. Maybe they don’t have guaranteed loans, so the schools can’t simply ask any price and get it? In any case, it’s substantially less than Stateside, by like 40% at least.
Vehicles & Gasoline: Substantially more expensive in Korea, as with the above about scooters.
Taxis and Public Transit: Once again Korea wins out. If you want to take a taxi (something I’ve only needed to do at the behest of the BYU program’s professor), it won’t cost you much. And as I’ve said before, Korea’s got a fantastic public transit system. Using rail alone I’ve been able to cross from one edge of the country to the other more than once already, buses will take you to the more outlying areas, and it’s all very cheap. The base cost of the subway is $.90, with another $.10 added on for every certain number of kilometers you travel and maxing out at $1.90. My two-hour-each-way commute of my first two weeks here ran me $3.80 per day, which is far cheaper than a car’s gas would cost even in good times. Nevermind car insurance, maintenance, etc.
The Subway Runs on Windows XP
Though I can’t really hold this against Korea, the bank fees can really mount. I found out mine charges not only a flat foreign ATM fee, but also a portion of the balance withdrawn. I’ve lost probably about $150, maybe more, to these fees already. And a ticket to Japan on the jet ferry, in better times, would have run $260; it costed me $325 thanks to the exchange rate. All in all, my trip’s run a bit overbudget… :S