Jo.Char.vel: South Korea

(Him: Charlie)

Visiting Japan and Korea was never high on my list to do, as I am more of an adventurer in exotic (and more than not poor) backpacking destinations. But the world always throws things at you when you least expect it, and here I am in the two most developed countries in Asia, on a technical visit to a number of wastewater treatment plants. To be exact, the trip is just in Tokyo and Busan. Worked is not to be discussed here, so I am just jotting down my encounters during off-hours during this week-long visit.

My first impression of Tokyo is exactly how I imagined – spotless public space and courteous people. But for some reason, owing to the black, old school taxis, faintly lit Ueno streets and the fast moving crowds, I was frequently reminded of the Resident Evil, where zombies lurk in dark corners.

Overall, comparing Tokyo and Busan, Tokyo definitely shows a much higher degree of sophistication. Tokyo did amaze me by its courteous, and sometime robot-like people - the three customer service reps at the shopping mall almost melted me with their synchronized bows, electrifying smiles and soft voices. On the other hand, I am not sure if Busan adequately reflects the image of South Korea, but compared to Tokyo, Busan people are less fashionable (I would say miles off), and definitely not as behaving as people in Japan – many tourists would have the experience of being shoveled by elderly, without warning, on buses or subway.

The food in both cities is impeccable, with great variety and superb taste. Oh, the ticket vending machines in noodle shops is quite interesting. And to my surprise, eating out in Busan is very affordable. In the last two days I stayed behind when I went out with the hostel people, a meal with lots (too much) sojo, octopus sashimi and lots others only cost 12,000 won (US$12) per person!!

Another thing I noticed in both Tokyo and Busan is how conscious the public is to energy conservation. From the plants we visited to subway cars, ventilation or air conditioning was never excessive. It is common to see people cooling themselves with paper fans on subway in Busan because the temperature in the car is a bit warm, but nobody seems to fuss about it, especially when the temperature is 39C outside. You know where I am going this, don’t you? Yes! I am comparing this to Hong Kong, where every indoor space is cooled like a fridge year round!! You see, having people using their paper is not happening in Hong Kong and I guess it’s grown to be not acceptable. Well, what can I say, have it your way, the City of Complaints!

A highlight of the trip is visiting Gamcheong Cultural Village in Busan. Developed ages ago and boomed after the Korea War when thousands refugees poured in, this village has always been the home for Busan’s poorest crowd. Even though the entire area looks just like favela in Rio, surprisingly, the village, which sprawls the local hills, has actually been properly planned such that each house was built without blocking the view of the house above. The result is layers of pastel houses connected by a maze of narrow alleyways and steep stairs.

Since an art project in 2009 to revitalize the village, Gamcheong has attracted chic and funky artists to move in, resulting workshops and gallery dotting the otherwise sleepy hillside village.

The quirky village is sometimes dubbed Machu Picchu of Korea, but in my opinion, that would be a disgrace to this lively village. I say it actually resembles closer to Baret, the Albanian city of thousand windows, except the monotone is nicely refreshed with bright and colorful touches.

Even though the village has seen a lot of changes, its rustic charm is still largely intact - elderly chit chatting and chilly picking from rooftop garden for sun drying can be seen in every other corner of the labyrinth of alleyway and stairs. The unique mixture of vibrant art scene and original Korean rural life scene makes getting lost in Gamcheong the serendipity of the trip!!