Exploring, observing, and eating food
Of course the best things to do while traveling is eating. Eating can be the highlight of a trip, can bring back charming memories, or even be the one thing you remember about a trip. I can’t firmly say that food was a stand out on this trip.
We tried traditional food one night out and were pleasantly surprised that apparently with every dish you order you get a plethora of sample dishes. I say that to highlight the fact that if I had know we’d get all these lil finger food dishes I’d ordered a very modest appetizer.
Instead I order BiBamBop which was decent and a dish described as such: noodles in soy milk. Now, say that sentence out loud. Does that shit sound appetizing? No. The answer is no. But I got it. And I took one bite and packed it to go. Consequently eating it for the rest of the trip (little portions for breakfast).
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to really try street food though all of it did look delicious. To be fair all the sweet things I had were delicious!
Observing
Jus sitting back and observing the everyday people of Seoul was a feast for the eyes. This is the main reason I travel. Not to fill my passport or brag to others ( I rarely talk about my travels yet I write to all on this lol) but to observe the people and break down my ignorance. The culture of Seoul really took me by surprise. I had no idea about the fashion, beauty standards and just plain pop culture of this city. I found it immensely interesting.
Some what unsettling was the feeling that I was trapped in an Instagram-ready Truman show. How do you know what is really real if everything is manufactured for social media?
We also came across this slightly creeping flagship store that resembled a a Westerner’s typical house. They even had pics of the family all over the house. I loved the ethnic diversity of the fam, though!
It was like being trapped in Instagram real time or Brooklyn. Same – Same.
Hongdae
If I thought center Seoul was hipster/trendy I was not ready for Hongdae. Right when I stepped out the damn subway I felt old. About 8-10 years too old. The fashion was oozing from everyone’s pores. And the men’s haircuts. Can we a take a minute to talk about this? I’ve never wanted a short bowl cut so badly in my life!
One thing that really warmed my heart was the amount of gender-bending I saw. It was extremely common to see men in full face makeup. The men definitely put a lot of care into their look.
And the sex positivity! YES QUEEN, YES. There were so many brightly-lit adult sex shops that were nothing short of amazing. You could even relax among artwork or sit outside with friends and chat. I just loved everything about it. About time I can look at toys in bright light and not have some cishetero creepo man lurking around the corner.
Final thoughts
This was my second time to East Asia and to a major East Asian city. It amazes me how efficient and smooth everything is. Everything makes sense when moving around the city. Everything is clean and people jus seem to get it. Seoul really opened my eyes to the immensely unique culture that is pumping out of the city.
Les Go... 