I find it fitting that this is my 100th post. I didn’t expect to write so much during my trip, but I did. Is this considered an accomplishment?

What more can I say about Seoul? It’s an awesome city definitely a city worth visiting. Things to note about the city, public transportation is dirt cheap and efficient, the food is good and affordable (you can have a traditional meal without hurting your pocket), soju is dirt cheap (about $1 a bottle), there is a lot to see…

I love the metro here, usually when I miss a train/bus in Chicago the word “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK” runs through my head, because I know I have to wait for another slow ass train. Here, you miss one? Oh well, another one will arrive shortly. They’re super clean and tidy so you don’t have to worry about being on a smelly train. The only trade off is the train can get pretty crowded during rush hour. For the most part you’re not going to find a seat if you enter the train from main commerce areas, but the train moves fast enough to not care how long you’ll be standing. A forty minute train ride doesn’t really seem to phase me. Also, on the weekend the trains closes at midnight, but fret not. Taxis are dirt cheap here too. So transportation is never really an issue here, besides rush hour; that’s if you mind cramming and heavy congestion.

Food is like an abundance here, every sidewalk has at least 5 restaurants. However, I don’t like how they’re only specialty restaurant where they only serve certain foods on the menu. For someone who doesn’t know the language it’s hard to decide where to eat and everything is a surprise. No more soondaeguk for me. Also, if you like Korean BBQ, this is the place to be. There is also an abundance of street vendors with pretty cheap food. You can buy food almost anywhere here. It’s ridiculous.

Drinks, I don’t like the beer here in South Korea, everyone I tasted, tasted like a light beer, bleh. The only time I went bar hopping, I find that prices for beers in bar were not to my liking, I think Chicago has more affordable beers and variety, but I could have been looking in the wrong places. Soju on the other hand is dirt cheap and you can buy them anywhere. No wonder there are so many drunks here. There is also makegeolli as well, which isn’t too bad. Doesn’t taste like alcohol, so, I can see the appeal in that. The drinking age is 19 here, it’s a pretty odd age isn’t it?

Also, I like the exchange of currency here. By which I mean how money is dealt. You pay at the register, you never leave the money on the table. The bill always ends with a 0 so you never have things like pennies to carry around, but there are 10 won coins, which practically doesn’t do anything, but rarely are exchanged. Also, I think a lot of people will like this, NO TIP. Apparently, it’s not a custom to leave tip in South Korea, oh man. You save yourself so much math over here, when you buy something, you don’t need to apply tax to the item, Everything has been calculated. Nothing beyond addition and subtraction when you do things here.

I hate to sound like such a dude here, but the girls here I would say 75-80% of the girls I’ve seen around are at least a little above average, for their age. However, it just goes to show, make up does wonders. I’m still amazed at what it can do. I think people here put a little more effort into the way they dressed in comparison to most Americans. However, I feel like it’s absurd here. It’s about -11 C and girls are wearing shorts shorts, mini skirts, and some sans leggings. Like I said to myself, maybe they don’t have to worry about freezing their balls off. That would explain a lot of things on why they prefer to were so little leg armor. Also, I think the need to dress up is a bad thing as well. I feel like some girls dress way beyond their age, ie middle schoolers.

As great as everything seem so far, as I have painted for you. I still like my space, I realized if I were to live here. I would live in a single studio apartment. As luxurious a studio sounds in the U.S., not so much here. It’s just a square big enough for a small closet, a small kitchen, a toilet with with a shower head with very little space to move (I miss having a mounted shower) and a square big enough for you to sleep in. That is something I’m still not use to and I just love having space, who doesn’t? Only way I’ll consider living in Seoul is if I have a kick ass job that can land me a shower and a toilet, a manageable kitchen, a small living room and a bed room.

Regardless, if you can. Visit Seoul, tell me and I’ll tag along :]

In summary,

Things I’ll Miss

• Seoul Metro
• Using money
• The city in general
• People I met here.

Things I won’t miss

• Small spaces
• Crazy sales people

Favorite place in Seoul: Myeongdong

P.S. I hope you enjoyed reading of my ventures as much I did experiencing them.

-David M.