From Asia to South America, via Europe...

[Ex-SIN]

Glad to hear you're feeling better. Looking forward to the rest of your TR.

[N_Architect]

Thank you, Ex-SIN, much appreciated.

N_Architect

[9V-SIA]

Guten Tag!

Glad you feel better.

Now.... start posting again!

[kapitan]

N_Architect, hope all turn out well for you.....

[B727]

But hei, Mercury is retrograde this period, and delays and disruptions to plans are at their peak, so guess what? My departure would take on a different turn the next morning…

Ain't that the truth! Lord help us

[N_Architect]

In Athens, Greece as of this afternoon.

Munich was very nice, it's the first time I got to step foot in Germany. Got very tempted to get that BMW X5 from SiXT for around 14 hours (that was the length of my stopover there), but the Eur 455 they quoted was too much (surprisingly enough for a crazy guy like myself but true). You see, that special 'she' is in Salzburg right now and I really wouldn't mind driving there to meet but being with this stomach condition, being sleepless and with not much energy reserves I decided to pass. But I'll take my revenge soon, and you'll be here enjoying a TR from that as well... (with a nice car, touring Europe, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy, Denmark, it can't really get any better, can it? Only problem will be the speeding tickets I'll get. I don't suppose we can get any 'sponsors' here for this, can we lads? )

Anyway, God, I'm digressing again... but I guess some of you may like it...

So, let's move on. Doctor's verdict: Acute Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (basically means your stomach/bowels digestive system has been totally destroyed and is completely untuned. Doctor made a similarity by giving me the example of a hard disk that is in such a state that now needs a complete format and re-installation of the operating system. Well done, N_Architect. One full month (last March) of coffee and a pack of Marlboro's every day was the cherry to the whole cake and brought us to this.

"Can I eat some (i.e. just a little) spaghetti?" I ask. "No, spaghetti will be too heavy for you" doctor replies. Hmmm. Ok. "Only rice noodles and chamomile or warm water, in very small quantities, of course" he concludes. Did acupuncture today, same tomorrow. "But acupuncture lasts 72 hrs, we shouldn't do another session so soon", I say. "Yes, but your condition is acute, to say the least" he adds.

More soon.

-------

kapitan, 9V-SIA: many thanks for your wishes and thoughts. I'll be back even more stronger when I fix this.

B727: Sometimes I pay too much attention to astrology or whatever else I guess. But I strongly believe that you can use Astrology and predictions to understand our world better and be more alert for the future.

[Kyo]

I hope you're doing better, mate - do get well, a very interesting (albeit not the best start to a journey) TR so far.

[s7r0ng3r]

get well soon mate! great TR so far.

[Paint Horse]

It is good you now have a diagnosis. In my experience Acute Irritable Bowel Syndrome is generally caused by worry, concern, and uncertainty. There is no cure for it other than to eliminate the worry, concern, or uncertainty. I know in my case once I did that it totally went away. This is also true of my wife when she had a bout of it a while back. It seems to be a common malady of modern life.

[N_Architect]

Kyo+, s7r0ng3r: Many thanks guys for your good words and wishes. Things are getting better day by day.

Paint Horse: You're spot on, last 3 months were full of worry, concern and uncertainty. I anticipate things to get better soon (at least in some fronts), however we're not there just yet.

Wanted to do something on Athens, which I'd suppose may be useful to you before coming with your wife here, but I hope I have some time after I return from Latin America to go round the city and take some good shots.

9V-SIA: Many thanks fro your vm, will discuss with my doctor as there is heart history in the family.

I've just sorted my internet connectivity issues here so I'll try to get back on writing soon.

N_Architect

[philfna]

N_Architect I hope you feel better soon. I love your trip reports. You've inspired me to goto Asia for my honeymoon. I'll do a reverse trek from yours :-). Get better soon!

[N_Architect]

TR resumes here

Post #14 has been edited and updated slightly and TR resumes from next post onwards.

philfna: thank you for your kind words, recovery has ups and downs at the moment, but I'll get there. Asia is an alluring and very beautiful continent with great variety and totally different culture, you'll love it.

[N_Architect]

Leaving to go to the airport

Next day – our new ‘D-day’:

Taxi comes 10 minutes before 7am. I go down at 7. It is a large ‘VIP’ type (as they call these here) black Equus. I’ll take a picture of it on the return journey.

I remember once I did an internal seminar/course here in Korea and the subject was “Intercultural Communication”. The lady teaching it was saying to us “Have you noticed when you arrive here in South Korea that a lot of taxis and big buses have dark windows, large letter designations on the top or side saying ‘VIP’ and almost all of these vehicles are painted black as this denotes something important, something with status, something major? These people here like this style, of being, having or feeling VIP.” Then something else comes into my mind, something that a friend told me few weeks back, that here in South Korea most of the cars are either black, white or silver in color.

I had never noticed this, to be honest, but it is absolutely true. You just won’t see here this variation in colors (in the cars sold) that exists in Europe or North America, for example. The more examples like this you look at, the more you understand and realize where you are now, what these people value, how they function, how they think. It takes time indeed to get there, but once you begin to comprehend that life, customs and mentality here are completely different to what you’ve been used to, then you know that you really need to approach this from a different perspective.


City of Pusan (2007).

When I first arrived here in South Korea, 38 months ago, I just felt it would be the start of a very adventurous journey, but that I would also adjust extremely quickly. Having studied in England, during the last 4 years there I hanged out mostly with Asian students (coming from Singapore and Hong Kong), I had made precious long-lasting friendships and was initially exposed to a different way of thinking. At least that was what I thought back at the time. What I now know is that I knew nothing about Asia back then. And what I also now know is that I never managed to adjust here in South Korea.

At this moment in time I believe that the more Eastern you go, the wider the cultural differences between Asia and Europe become. And we’re talking about huge differences here, not just minor things. Note this does not imply negatives or inferior situations or customs, but simply different in their own sense and interpretation. However, as time goes by and you remain here, you clearly see that it is not easy at all to accept this way of life. You have just been brought up differently, period. For example, you can see the Chinese are flexible, they negotiate a lot, they bargain a lot, if you ask them something other than the standard service or offering you can easily get it. They have no problem with that. Now try that with a Korean. The word flexibility is virtually not used here (and in Japan of course things are even worse, I don’t think this word even exists in their dictionary). I’m exaggerating, but you get my point. These are very important things and details in everyday life.


City of Tongyeong (2006).

Take food for example. There is absolutely NOTHING there. If you live in Seoul, perhaps things may be slightly different (and only slightly). But if you happen to be where I was (in the very south part of South Korea), then prepare to really starve yourself. Cheese? Yes, some mediocre quality one at top quality prices, just because it is mostly for the ‘foreigners’ and these people come here as ex-pats and make a lot of money, so yea, let’s rip them off. Yogurt? After you try to taste Korean yogurt (or better to say what they think they call yogurt) you’ll just want to take the first plane back. Bread? Try the plastic think they sell there and you’ll soon be saying home sweet home again. Desserts? You just won’t believe what these people call a ‘dessert’ unless you try one. One of their favorite ‘cakes’ is with ...sweet potato (yes, you are reading my words correctly). In the same way of course they make pizza with sweet potato. The ultimate distortion or absence of taste, in everything they make. Not only you have to bar with all this, but on top of it they try to convince you that is really very nice (more on this later on).

Next time I’ll take pictures of the food they serve us at the shipyard (and most important, of the way it is being served and also of the way in which we take lunch). You just won’t believe your eyes, really. Eating without any tissues or liquids (water, soft drinks and cups) on the table. Every process, from serving or sitting down to eating or disposing food is designed in such a way that it minimizes time so that they (and unfortunately we as well) have lunch like robots and spend in the ‘restaurant’ as less time as possible. The herd mentality at its best.


Traditional way of all mothers in Korea carrying their babies (Tongyeong, 2006).

[N_Architect]

Yes, the herd mentality. Everyone (or almost everyone) drives either a black, white or silver color car – so guess what: you have to do the same. Everyone follows blindly all orders and rules in the shipyard (which in essence is not a workplace but instead a military camp) – so guess what: you have to do the same. You must obey, there is no deviation. Tomorrow is a public holiday? Everyone will be out in the streets (just after 5pm) the evening before, trying to get to their hometowns.

Every bloody year, the day before Choosok starts (it’s their thanksgiving holiday and usually lasts about five days, around end of September) two thirds of South Korea’s population will be in the highways trying to get to their hometowns. Every damn year just before Choosok it takes between 7 to 9 hours to get from Koje to Pusan, a 2 hours drive under normal circumstances. They know it, and they still keep doing it, year after year. What kind of material are their brains made of? Don’t they understand that it is much better if some people take a day or two off and leave earlier? What’s wrong with that? No, no, no, that cannot happen, Mr. N_Architect. Why should some take a day or two off? Here in South Korea we take ‘holiday’ only when it is an official public holiday (i.e. 7 or whatever days per year, that’s their annual ‘holiday’).


Locally established market, in the parking lot of an apartment block. Tongyeong, 2006.

A society in which if anyone does not feel eager or mature or ready or willing to comply with all imposed rules, regulations, conventions, customs, and so on, is considered an outlaw. He or she is the black sheep. Yes, true indeed. A girl that may want to hang out or date a ‘foreigner’ will most likely be looked down and may possibly be totally abandoned by her family and social circle if she decides to marry him. She will be the black sheep. Things that happen in society but never surface in the news so that the non-Koreans can learn and discuss about. All these things are what they simply won’t tell you when you enter their ‘dynamic’ country. A place and a society of double standards, a nation that always promotes to the outside world a well crafted image, but hides excellently the ‘bad’ things (because bad things are bad things, you know, and we’re not supposed to talk about them). Do we still live in the ‘60s or is it just me?

The image of a place that respects and preserves old traditions, a place with ‘delicious’ food, patient, smiling and warm people, a place with no crime activity, etc. A big whole lie, that’s what all this is. A place full of propaganda, a nation that brainwashes its young generation making teenagers suffer by crushing them for studying and turns them to young adults that lack proactiveness and decision making. This is Korea, or at least a significant part of it (in my subjective view of course).


A different gas station. Kyungnam province, South Korea (2006).

You see what happened? I started talking about the taxi that came to pick me up, then tried to edit the text a little bit and suddenly ended up writing a two page thing.

To those who may think ‘why is this guy so rough on them?’ let me just tell you that if you were in my place you’d understand. Yes, I do get very rough occasionally, but when I bring into my mind situations I’ve lived in that place, I just get angry. Adjustment is part of an ex-pat’s life, acceptance of military-style customs and attitudes with no reason for prolonged periods isn’t, in the same way it is not to take everyday life (especially at work) as if you are in a kindergarten and people just try to stuff you anything expecting you to believe in it. There is a limit to which one can accept hypocrisy, harshness, hostility, stupidity and double standards. I’m not dictating anywhere else may be better, all I say is that you should not take s**t if you feel you do not need to do so.

I’ll never forget what the wife of a friend & colleague told me once, back in 2007 when we met for a company dinner in Pusan. We were talking about me having met or dating any Asian girls, and I was telling them that it has been kind of difficult for me to understand Korean women (well, it is sometimes hard for men to understand how all women think, anyway, but that’s another story I guess). Then the conversation drifted (again) to how these people here behave and think generally with me saying I kind of find life in Korea restricting occasionally, and that lady told me: “The Koreans? They are the Germans of Asia.” Totally surprised, I replied: “Is that so? I thought the Japanese were the 'Germans' of Asia.” Then immediately she comes back saying “The Japanese are the Nazis of Asia.” (!) Rough comment indeed, but sometimes true (in my own subjective opinion of course, and I have to stress the word 'sometimes'). No intention from my side on adopting racist judgment here, just laying out a phrase the wife of a colleague told me once. Let's be clear on this.

I have nothing against the Japanese or any other Asians, I respect them fully, however being exposed (for a considerable length of time) to the culture and customs here, one really gets a taste of totalitarian system elements that emerge every now and then, among other things.

We’ll be back on the above issues, in this thread or at another time as I have a lot more to report (and you’ll be really surprised to read), but for the moment let’s get back in our trip.


Haeundae beach, Pusan (2007).

[N_Architect]

So we were at the point where my taxi driver came to pick me up and go to Pusan Gimhae International Airport (PUS), a two-hour drive.

Ride’s cost to PUS airport is 140,000 KRW (one-way).


Ready to go, having just refuelled our large Equus with LPG.


Equus car classic legroom shot (copyright SQFG, of course).




Leaving Koje. Hope this repeats in July, once and for all.




This picture and the one above: crossing new Koje bridge, the bridge that connects the island with mainland Korea.


Passing by Tongyeong’s new expanded area.




This picture and the one above: in one of the tunnels on Expressway no. 35.

I ask the driver, “will we go through the highway or through the shorter coastline route?” He replies “Highway, highway.” Ok, love that. Coastline road (‘General way no. 14’ is full of radars and traffic lights, goes through many small towns and I don’t like that as I much prefer highways (and speeding, naturally).

Well, this was the result, 45 minutes later:


Stuck in early morning traffic in Masan. What the f*** are we doing here?
Why would you ever do that in going to the airport when you have the nice and open highway available to you?

Yea, he told me ‘highway’, but what he meant was that in the first exit of the highway, connecting to the coastline road (which of course in nothing but a highway), we will take a turn and continue there. Reason, of course, is that this coastline does not have the 6,900 KRW tolls you have to pay if you use the highway, and naturally most Koreans the former to save bucks. Anyway, same story again and again, the return will be through the highway, and tolls are on me...


Going through all these small towns, till we reach Masan and then Pusan Gimhae airport.


Passing through Masan.

Next: Finally reaching PUS airport and flying to GMP, Seoul.