Weeks 8–10 · Seoul, South Korea · March 2014
Getting Around
This is the first week that I have been here and settled in — nice to be in one spot for a week. The update this week is focused on translation and transportation. And I received a nice gift box of Spam for new year from my boss… 16 cans.
Our translators are great — translate via a microphone, wireless connection, and headset in real time. But sometimes either things are not translated right or it just isn’t expressible in Korean.
1 — When opening a weekly meeting: “it is good that we have made it a week safely — one week closer to death.”
2 — After I made a statement, a response from a team member in Korean translated “Mr. Jarrett is a little stupid, but he is new and recoverable.”
3 — When stating our goals for 2014: “Good finances, safety, and reduce sexual harassment.”
Real-time wireless translation in meetings is a genuinely impressive technology but it introduces a category of problem that doesn’t exist in monolingual meetings: you hear everything, including what was probably meant to stay internal. “Mr. Jarrett is a little stupid, but he is new and recoverable” is either a frank assessment shared among colleagues that the translation headset accidentally relayed, or a perfectly calibrated Korean way of making a new person feel included. Either way: recoverable.
I was walking through the neighbourhood to try and find a bike store that I saw on Google — never found it but when I got to the Olympic Park (site of 1988 Olympics) there was a really local bike store, basically a temporary stall in an alley. I was looking at several bikes, and he said $210 — I said which bike, he said $150 and I said how much is a lock and he said $140 with the lock. Sold. (Side note — I generally don’t try to get the best deal — that last couple of dollars means a lot to some.)
The day I bought the bike a cold front blew through and the pollution blew out. The pollution is from China — a combination of industrial pollution and sand storms. On my bike ride I was able to spend 90% plus on bike trails and in parks — really great. Similar to Washington DC, a river trail/park with options off each way to ride…probably over 100 miles total. But then I came up on a hybrid BMX/mtb track and I immediately went to the top of the ramp — minor problem, it was paved. Concrete jumps, banked turns, and bumps. With no helmet or suspension I was conflicted, so I decided to go for it slowly, but braking hard on the drop and it worked out OK with no permanent damage. If it was dirt, it would be awesome. Then I found a bike trail all the way to work through parks — about 8 miles. Good day.
Had to go to the DMV. At least 10,000 people there — but with my expat liaison, moved through the stations quickly — without the help it would have been very difficult. Didn’t have to take any tests — eye test was done in a group of 5 (not sure how they knew who couldn’t see). In the end, I had to give up my Maryland licence, but was told that each time I go to the US I can return to the DMV and exchange my Korean licence back for my Maryland licence and when I come back to Korea do the same in reverse. I don’t see that happening.
As far as driving — no issues, people stay between the lines and stop at stop lights and not a lot of bikes or scooters with which to deal. The car is a bit of a disappointment — style wise nice but engine is similar to a lawnmower. Double disappointment when I connected by phone to listen to XM or Pandora…but both are blocked in South Korea — one English station that plays Top 40.
South Korea has invested heavily in a national cycling infrastructure called the National Bicycle Route (국토종주자전거길). The Four Rivers trail system alone stretches over 1,700km and follows the Han, Nakdong, Geum, and Yeongsan rivers. Seoul’s portion along the Han River — the network referenced in these posts — covers over 200km of dedicated riverside paths connecting most major districts of the city. The trails are free, well-maintained, and equipped with rest stops, bike rental stations, and certification stamp facilities. This investment has made Seoul consistently rank among the world’s most bikeable major cities despite its hilly terrain.
Last weekend didn’t have much planned and it was a bit cold for the bike, so I just worked, caught up on administrative stuff, watched OSU give away the Iowa State game because of the coach, and hopped on the subway and headed around town. I posted a lot of pictures, some of which go back to my interview trip when it was clear and 70 degrees. I now have my debit card which has a RFID tag so I can just wave it to get on any train or bus.
The main stops were the Hyundai Department store (2 blocks from my house), Lotte World, and Digital Media City. The two department stores were bigger than anything I have ever seen (like Macy’s NYC but larger) and Lotte World also had a sizeable theme park — the Disneyland of Korea. I have a picture of just the “hiking equipment” floor. And completely packed, you could barely walk. Digital Media City is billed as one of the largest, most modern real estate developments in the world and was built on an old landfill — but because it is mostly offices and all new with no alleys and restaurants, it was very sterile and reminded me of downtown Houston on a Saturday night (at least in the 1990s) with no people around.
Only translation issues this week related to my start of Korean class. Unlike other Asian languages with symbols, Korean is based on an alphabet so it is more like learning Greek than Chinese as there are 24 letters. I have a very patient teacher. I also figured out why some Asian people confuse L with R (think Fa la la la la, la la la la and Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra). In Korean at least the symbol ≣ is a very soft l at the first of a syllable and a very soft r at the end of a syllable — and to them they can’t hear the difference.
Geek note. Went to a Samsung meeting with all the business group — the presentation for the next generation of smartphones and integration with media and social networking was amazing. I’d tell you, but then I would have to kill you. Also met the principal architect of the Burj Khalifa and he explained his thought process behind the design and approach to wind loading (OK — very big geek note).
Heading out with some US guys tomorrow night who have been in town…25 and single so I will be hard pressed to keep up. Next week heading home and will have a lot of time on the plane to compile the “food issue.”
Jogyesa Temple (조계사) in central Seoul is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, which is the dominant Buddhist order in South Korea. Built in 1395 and moved to its current location in 1910, it is the focal point of Korean Buddhism in the capital. The large white-barked locust tree in the main courtyard is designated a natural monument and is over 500 years old. The temple is notable for being an active urban temple in the heart of a modern capital — monks, tourists, and ordinary worshippers coexist in a space surrounded by commercial Seoul. The giant lanterns referenced in the photograph are typically installed for Buddha’s Birthday celebrations (Vesak), held in late April or May.
Just arrived back in DC…Annelise helping me with the commentary on the food pictures…Most Korean food is pretty good, but the best pictures I really couldn’t take as not to offend someone to take a picture of something they were eating I couldn’t believe. I pretty much eat out every meal and there are more restaurants than I could ever visit within walking distance. The only issue is that many of the better places they cook at the table require at least 2 people for dinner and most of the time I am on my own so sometimes it is difficult to find a decent place to eat for one. btw…most of the time I am very happy to eat by myself after a long day.
“It is no longer ‘Asian food’ — it is just ‘food.’”
Korean BBQ (gogi-gui) is not merely a dining format but a social ritual. The table grill, shared cooking, and rotating seating at celebratory dinners reflects the Korean concept of jeong — a form of deep affection and connectedness cultivated through shared experience. Soju, the clear distilled spirit served alongside, is the world’s best-selling liquor by volume — the brand Jinro alone outsells all Scotch whisky globally. It typically contains 16–25% alcohol and is traditionally drunk in small shots poured for others at the table, never for oneself. Korean dining etiquette around pouring — always for the person next to you, accepting with two hands — is a direct expression of the same social values visible in the BBQ rotation described here.