Wir alle fallen. Diese Hand da fällt. Und sieh dir andre an: es ist in allen. (Rilke).
Wir alle fallen. Diese Hand da fällt. Und sieh dir andre an: es ist in allen. (Rilke).
Member since:31.10.2007
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I've stayed in Seoul, South Korea, for six months, March - September 2006 as a Writer-in-Residence. I was invited by the Korea Literature Translation Institute (KLTI) under the Korean Ministry and Culture's ACPI (Asian Culture Partnership Initiative) program.
As a Writer-in-Residence, my life in Seoul was joyful. I've received a monthly-grant USD 1,700. In 2006, the living cost in Seoul was the highest in the world. The second was Tokyo, and the third was New York. But again, my life in Seoul at the time was wonderful.
*Dormitory*
For six months I stayed in Crimson House, a dormitory near Korea University. You must pay around USD 300 a month to stay in this dormitory for standard room. Crimson House's management is very good, a safe place for many non-Koreans who stay in Seoul for any reasons (study, research, etc.).
About safety, do not worry; Seoul is one of very safe places in the world.
Crimson House is full wired with the fast internet access available in every room. The neighborhood is good. Even we usually very hard to find the ordinary Korean people who speak English, commonly they have a kind of East-hospitality, like in other Asian countries. They say "anyonghaseo" to us (that would be meant "good morning, good afternoon, good evening", "how are you?" or "hi!").
It's not easy for strangers to live in apartments. There are many documents needed to be provided. Many single people in Seoul stay in dormitories, not only students.
*Korea University*
Five days a week (Monday to Friday) I went to Korea University for spring and summer season's Korean language course. All sonsengnim (professors) in class were very
warm. They help us to learn Korean language (Hanguk-mal), easily, quickly, and cheerly. I have four sonsengnim during spring and summer season classes. They were all women.
After the class I usually went to the nearest restaurant (siktang) for lunch. I frequently ate rice with fish-egg (albab). Kimchi (a kind of Korean salad) always available in all Korean restaurants. Kimchi is "national-food". For me, kimchi was too spicy.
Sometimes, I went to Nepal restaurant near Korea University or Pakistan restaurant in Itaewon (an international-suburb in Seoul). You need at least 3,000 Won (+/- USD 3) for a standard meal in Korean restaurant; but in Nepal and Pakistan restaurants the lower price for a standard meal is 6,000 Won (+/- USD 6). My lunch at Nepal or Pakistan restaurants was usually kitchen-baryani or mutton-baryani; served with Indian rice.
After lunch, I returned to Korea University, and performed my research on contemporary Korean poetry, Korean female poets, and other personal researches, at the Korea University library.
I was always feeling at home at the Korea University library. It has huge collections. In second and fourth floors, you can find large collections in English. Usually I spent my reading times at the library from 2 PM until 7 PM.
After library times, regularly I went to another restaurant for dinner. And then I went to my favorite cafés.
* Cafés*
I have six favorite cafés in Seoul: Hollys Café, near Anam-subway exit; Music Café, not so far from Korean University; K-Cafe, not so far from Gyeongbok-gung Palace; Marie Café, at Anguk-subway exit; Snail Waiting for the Rain Café and Verna Solar Café, at Hyewa. Hyewa is an art suburb at Seoul, surrounded by many traditional and contemporary theaters.
My favorite drink is Earl-grey tea. In Marie cafe a cup of earl-grey tea is 3,500 Won. In other cafés, between 4,000 - 6,000 Won. The owner of Marie Café is Ms. Kim Hye-jeong. She served me as a regular customer as if I am her own son.
In Music Café and Verna Solar Café, you can order shoju too. Shoju is a Korean traditional drink. It's similar to sake for Japanese.
Even in the weekend, my café-hours were my writing-hours. I wrote essays, critics, poems, and my Seoul-memoir, most at those six ordinary but unforgettable cafés.
*Weekend*
Weekend is the celebration days in Seoul and other big cities in South Korea. Every weekend nights you will see people everywhere, usually at pubs, karaoke (durepang), family restaurants, and famous streets, such as Insa-dong and Dong-daemun. "Dong" is meant "street".
In Saturday and Sunday morning, people with their families go to the mountains or hills near Seoul. Most of Korean people love mountains.
Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, were my favorite days in Seoul for I have much enough time for exploring Seoul and other cities in South Korea. For a traveler, South Korea is amazing. This country provides safe, cheap, and fast public-transportation. I love to travel by subway train or by bus to explore the city. For inter-cities transportation, I choose KTX, that is a fastest train in South Korea, 300km/hour.
If you have T-Money, your life is very easy in Seoul. T-Money is a kind of pass-card for any public transportation. I utilized it every time for pay train and bus. Taxi doesn't except this card. You can buy T-Money in every subway stations. This card available at every store too.
*Insa-dong*
If you need to be alone, do not go to this street in Saturday and Sunday. You can not see anything except people. Very crowded. But in other days, it's very nice to be explored. There are many traditional and contemporary galleries around this
Pictures of Seoul (South Korea)
Korean Traditional Performing Art-1
street; also is easy to find fine restaurants (West and East menus); and of course, fine cafés too. There are many tea houses along the street.
I was usually visiting the best tea house in the street. It has two floors, wood building. It serves various Korean teas. I like the tea mixed with the rose, served hot. The taste was amazing.
There's a public sphere for amateur and professional musicians. Most of them were tourists.
*Itaewon*
The Pakistan restaurant I mentioned above, laid here in Itaewon, near the only one mosque in Seoul, "Itaewon Central Mosque".
Itaewon is very famous place for strangers in Korea. It's a kind of gathering place. You can find anything you want here; from DVDs to branded cloths; from Italian food to Indian food; from beers to English-tea; from very cheap to very expensive hotels.
*Hotels*
I never spent any single nights in hotel during my stay in Seoul. It's because I have no any reason to stay in hotel. Hotels are easy to find every where in Seoul. Anyway, when I traveled to Gyengjo and Jeju-do (Jeju Island, is like Bali for Indonesian), I stay in moderate hotels.
*Yong-san*
Yong-san Electonics Market is one of the best places for electronic devices and computer shopping in Seoul, located on Subway station Line 1, Yong-san Station. It's covered around 5,000 stores. In Yong-san I bought digital camera, MP3 player, stereo set, and two laptops. Price is very competitive. I recommend you to bargain everything you want to buy. So, it's possible you get great stuffs with price cheaper than other places in Seoul.
Ask Koreans in the street in Seoul "Excuse me, where is Yong-san?" or "Byane-yo, Yong-san odi-e-yo?", and they'll tell you how reach the place. Anyway, Yong-san is easily to be reached by subway.
*People*
Most of Korean people are friendly. But commonly language becomes a problem. Fortunately, I have many friends in Seoul and they all can speak English. Most of my Korean friends were professional artists or writers.
*Omoni Nal and Sonsengnim Nal*
May has many celebration days in South Korea. Two of those are Mother Day (Omoni Nal) and Teacher Day (Sonsengnim Nal). Usually children bring carnation to be given to their mothers; and students bring the same flower to be given to their teachers. We could easily find flower-stores here and there in Seoul provide carnation during May.
*Five Pictures*
Attached, five pictures I've taken at The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA) on evening in May 2006. The dances tale about the happiness of farmers during their harvest celebration.
NCKTPA is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture. We can find many outstanding performances through year.
How to get there by subway: (1) Subway Line 3: stop at Nambu Bus Terminal Station, Exit #5; (2) Subway Line 2: stop at Bangbae Station, Exit #1; (3) Subway Line 4: stop at Sadang Station, Exit #1; (4) Subway Line 7: stop at Naebang Station, Exit #3.
Address: 700 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
*Two seasons*
I came to Korea in early spring and returned to my country in early autumn. I think my life in Seoul was fruitful. I wrote a poetry book, and it has been published by Orfeus Books in 2007 under the support of the Korea Literature Translation Institute. The title of the book is "Two Seasons". I also wrote essays on several topics relating to my activities in Korea and also wrote my Seoul-memoir.
Here is a poem quoted from my book, "Two Seasons" (2007).
SPRING SONG
I will name all flowers that sprung in the early spring merely with your name
the empty road and the clearly sky separated by twenty three stairs
the solitary of yellow 'kaenari' and purple 'agi-jindalle' convey me to the paleness of your face
sound of wind was sighing to the air voice of the rain is long to the leaves Seoul city always wakeup slowly
I am leaving Jeagi il-dong with my passport and my wallet inside my left pocket of my jacket
I don't know at all whether this daylight subway train will reach your sunbeam heart
I will name all flowers that sprung in the early spring purely with your name
(Seoul, April-August, 2006)
'Kaenari' and 'agi-jindalle' are famous and lovely flowers in Korea. In the early spring, they bloom everywhere. *
(c) 2007 Cecep Syamsul Hari
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Advantages: Koreans are often very friendly, Prices can be reduced although very cheap, goods are of high quality generally, Seoul has a natural energy charged by Koreans aspirations for a perfect country, views breathtaking Disadvantages: Can be difficult to navigate Seoul, The "wet season" is a bad time to go (starts end july, mainly august), Few Koreans know good english,
chocomaro 05.05.2004 (05.05.2004)
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Review of Seoul (South Korea)
Advantages: Koreans are often very friendly, Prices can be reduced although very cheap, goods are of high quality generally, Seoul has a natural energy charged by Koreans aspirations for a perfect country, views breathtaking Disadvantages: Can be difficult to navigate Seoul, The "wet season" is a bad time to go (starts end july, mainly august), Few Koreans know good english,
chocomaro 05.05.2004 (05.05.2004)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Seoul (South Korea)
Nov 4th, 2007
(Nov 19th, 2007)
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