Epic walk around town: Day 2 in Korea (Saturday July 7)
In which Yvonne has her first successful Korean transaction.
Woke up early in the morning because I do, and because I'm probably still jetlagged. After yoga and not quite enough sleep, it is definitely time for coffee. I look up "coffee" in Korean on the internet, remind myself how Eddie said it, rehearse a few times and head out in search of Paris Baguette.
Koreans are completely obsessed with French flair. French words show up everywhere. Not to mention the parasols that seem to hail straight from La Grande Jatte and the white lace dresses worn by grown women that look like part of the "toilette" of little Parisian-born Adele from Jane Eyre.
At Paris Baguette begins one of a long series of exchanges on this trip where I attempt to guess what the other person wants based on context, and am usually wrong.
Me: "anyeong haseo!" [hello!]
Woman: "anyeong haseo!" [hello!]
Me: "ee amerikeoppi?" [2 coffees]
Woman at counter: [something short I can't make out]
Me: "ee" [holds out 2 fingers]
Woman at counter: [same short thing I can't make out]
After a few more dead ends, it turns out the short thing I can't make out was the word "hot". As in the simple English word, "hot", that you learn in kindergarten or earlier. But I do succeed in getting coffee for Eddie and me, so it's a win!
Speaking of learning Korean, I discovered on the plane ride that there was one word I already knew: Anyeong! Thank you, Arrested Development.
After fueling ourselves, Eddie and I headed out for a big day.
Somewhat lost in translation
First stop was Anguk Station, a subway stop with a dude who spends his days painting and doing calligraphy in the station and posting his art everywhere. As Eddie and I are admiring the gorgeous work, which combines Korean and Chinese, an older Korean gentleman wearing a sash saying "I speak English and Chinese" comes up and begin translating the things we're seeing. It's touching and kind of awesome because it's clear that this guy is totally into what he does, but he's kind of slightly wrong slightly more than half the time.
We walked from Anguk Station to Gyeongbuk Palace, where there's loads of gargoyles and dragons and animal goodness that I am sure are not actually called gargoyles in Korean. I cannot resist taking a tourist picture, and Eddie and I crack up when we see the finished product:
.
In which Yvonne stars in a national English-learning program
Next stop: National Folk Museum, where we are randomly accosted by a very colorfully dressed woman who looks like she came straight from an anime. In fact, she looks kind of like she was dressed by Miyazaki's envisioning of Howl. She is looking for someone who speaks English and who has been snorkeling before. (??!?!?)
Well, I've been snorkeling before, 10 years ago. And I do speak English good. But does she really want to interview someone with only one experience snorkeling a decade ago? Really?
YES. YES, PLEASE, she does, she is a host for an English-learning program, they've decided to do a special on snorkeling, and it has been wholly impossible to find anyone who has ever done snorkeling, please, she just wants to do an interview and go home.
A few other things of note
The rest of this epic day consists of a huge late lunch at around 3pm with perilla leaves (like shiso, but a Korean variety of it), lots of kimchi, and some potato dumpling soup that seems like the Korean answer to spaetzle or chicken dumpling soup; a walk along the central district; a photo op with Haechi, who is kind of like Smokey the Bear but way, way cuter; and red bean binsu (shaved ice) on our way back. It's been a great day.
And finally ...
Moment of zen
Cell phone uniformity.
Woke up early in the morning because I do, and because I'm probably still jetlagged. After yoga and not quite enough sleep, it is definitely time for coffee. I look up "coffee" in Korean on the internet, remind myself how Eddie said it, rehearse a few times and head out in search of Paris Baguette.
Koreans are completely obsessed with French flair. French words show up everywhere. Not to mention the parasols that seem to hail straight from La Grande Jatte and the white lace dresses worn by grown women that look like part of the "toilette" of little Parisian-born Adele from Jane Eyre.
At Paris Baguette begins one of a long series of exchanges on this trip where I attempt to guess what the other person wants based on context, and am usually wrong.
Me: "anyeong haseo!" [hello!]
Woman: "anyeong haseo!" [hello!]
Me: "ee amerikeoppi?" [2 coffees]
Woman at counter: [something short I can't make out]
Me: "ee" [holds out 2 fingers]
Woman at counter: [same short thing I can't make out]
After a few more dead ends, it turns out the short thing I can't make out was the word "hot". As in the simple English word, "hot", that you learn in kindergarten or earlier. But I do succeed in getting coffee for Eddie and me, so it's a win!
Speaking of learning Korean, I discovered on the plane ride that there was one word I already knew: Anyeong! Thank you, Arrested Development.
After fueling ourselves, Eddie and I headed out for a big day.
Somewhat lost in translation
First stop was Anguk Station, a subway stop with a dude who spends his days painting and doing calligraphy in the station and posting his art everywhere. As Eddie and I are admiring the gorgeous work, which combines Korean and Chinese, an older Korean gentleman wearing a sash saying "I speak English and Chinese" comes up and begin translating the things we're seeing. It's touching and kind of awesome because it's clear that this guy is totally into what he does, but he's kind of slightly wrong slightly more than half the time.
We walked from Anguk Station to Gyeongbuk Palace, where there's loads of gargoyles and dragons and animal goodness that I am sure are not actually called gargoyles in Korean. I cannot resist taking a tourist picture, and Eddie and I crack up when we see the finished product:
.
In which Yvonne stars in a national English-learning program
Next stop: National Folk Museum, where we are randomly accosted by a very colorfully dressed woman who looks like she came straight from an anime. In fact, she looks kind of like she was dressed by Miyazaki's envisioning of Howl. She is looking for someone who speaks English and who has been snorkeling before. (??!?!?)
Well, I've been snorkeling before, 10 years ago. And I do speak English good. But does she really want to interview someone with only one experience snorkeling a decade ago? Really?
YES. YES, PLEASE, she does, she is a host for an English-learning program, they've decided to do a special on snorkeling, and it has been wholly impossible to find anyone who has ever done snorkeling, please, she just wants to do an interview and go home.
A few other things of note
The rest of this epic day consists of a huge late lunch at around 3pm with perilla leaves (like shiso, but a Korean variety of it), lots of kimchi, and some potato dumpling soup that seems like the Korean answer to spaetzle or chicken dumpling soup; a walk along the central district; a photo op with Haechi, who is kind of like Smokey the Bear but way, way cuter; and red bean binsu (shaved ice) on our way back. It's been a great day.
And finally ...
Moment of zen
Cell phone uniformity.