From: Peter
Wynne-Willson <pwynne@nuri.net>
Subject: Out
of Seoul Experience
Date: Sunday
21 November 1999 02:51
Dear all
Notes from my
brave baby elephant trip out of the big city.
Train.
Excellent. On the way down I travelled super-express. They keep you at the
barrier until it is ready for boarding, like a plane. There is a gate number
and everything. Then the best moment is after you get your ticket clipped, you
go past this guard of honour of railway men in pristine uniforms with white
gloves and Miss World-style sashes, who line the sides and bow in unison at
each passenger. Wonderful. I just can't see it happening at New Street. There
are regular announcements and everything runs to the minute. 'We will be
stopping at Chechon for one minute'..... Seats are allocated, and people sit in
their one. The train doesn't go especially fast, and the woman next to me makes
me close the curtain, to keep the sun out of her eyes, so 
I have to peep round it
to watch the countryside rolling by.
And roll by it
did. Four hours worth. The day was cloudy, and there was something a bit
disappointing about the Korean countryside. I shouldn't say that. It was very
interesting. There were paddy fields, of course, lots and lots, but it is the
end of autumn, and they were nearly dry, and yellow looking. We went through
several fairly substantial ranges of mountains, and some lovely scenery. But
every inch that can safely be stood upon is used, there were no empty spaces at
all visible all day. Even the mountains themselves are crowded with trees. It's
hard to explain, because I had achieved the principal aim of getting away from
the city, and really should have felt more impressed.
I got off at
Andong, which is an unremarkable town of 200,000. I looked for places to stay.
Nothing bore any relation to the maps in the guide book, which I have got a
little used to, but this far out of season, and on a weekday, there were
clearly plenty of choices. In Korea you have five options, Hotels, Yogwans,
Yoinsuks, Youth Hostels and Minbak, in reverse order of poshness. The hotels
cover the usual range 5 star to one star, Yogwans and Yoinsuks are 'Inns',
Youth Hostels are Youth Hostels, and Minbak are rooms in people's houses. Kind
of Bed and Breakfast without the breakfast. And in fact without the bed,
because Koreans sleep on the floor, which as I've mentioned before is heated by
the underfloor heating system the 'ondol'. I decided to do my main sight-see
straight away, and deal with accomodation when I got back.
The guide book
said that a taxi to the Hahoe Village would cost 9,000 won and take 20 minutes.
An hour, and 20,000 won later I got there. It was really worth it, though. This
is a preserved but living traditional village which you have to pay to get
into, but which in other respects is reasonably normal. Full of tourists in
season, and at weekends, but on a cloudy cool Monday in November there were
almost no other visitors. It was quiet. An actual, traffic free, music, babble
and crowd free haven. The inhabitants were all rather antique, and rural life
was going steadily on, skinning, podding, drying, soaking, grinding sort of
things. I spent about four hours there, just hanging out, going into houses a
bit, doing what would be chatting, if there were any mutual comprehension
involved. I had a point-and-hope meal in one house, which was excellent. I just
chickened out of staying in a Minbak there. A man showed me the 
room, with an open fire
burning merrily underneath it, but I failed at this hurdle. I really should
have done, but some combination of fear of spending the evening trying to make
conversation in Korean, then trying to sleep on a hard but warm wooden floor in
the knowledge of a raging fire underneath, and the facilities, which suffice to
say did not involve flushing in any way...... I opted to return to the town.
Pathetic soft western wimp.
Outside the
village there is a brand new special museum, built to mark 'the most
significant moment in our 4,000 year history - the visit in April 1999 of Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd of England' This is the chair she sat in. This is
the pen she used to sign this, the piece of paper saying she came here. This is
the spade she used to plant this tree. This poem, written by famous poet,
expressed to Her Majesty our great honour and humility on this occasion... At
one point it said 'On her visit to Korea, Her Majesty felt she should visit
some of the great old relics of our culture......[yes well, it takes one....]
It was the strangest feeling being there. Why on earth, you felt, should they
give a damn that the Queen comes here? It is bizarre. No connection
historically with Britain, very few British people, not even much British
business. Still, I had the irrational desire to tell other people that I too
was English. A kind of possessiveness. 'These pictures are of my Queen you
know'..... I found myself standing around, ostensibly waiting for the bus,
smiling at the exhibition, secretly hoping somebody would say, but My God, are
you from England? Perhaps so I could just nod smugly 'yes I am actually', as if
I were a close personal friend of hers.... What the Hell is that about then?
Back in town,
drink in an 'Italian restaurant' - full of young women [high school girls]
every single one of whom had a miniscule huntyphun. It is already a way of
life, and clearly not just in Seoul. Conversations invariably include at least
one long-distance participant. Yumi tells me this may well be the boys, who are
perhaps sitting all together in another bar. Strange.
I find a
Yogwan which is cheap, 25000 [about £13] but fine. There is a bath, which I
enjoy. Korean TV, which I do not. I finish my book. Then in the middle of the
night I wake up... noises. Outside I can hear people out on the little town.
Noraebang - the Karaoke which you hear everywhere is still going strong, as is
the PC room, which is a place that young men gather to sit at an individual
internet terminal and play Starcraft - a global but especially Korean
phenomenon of networked world domination, and also the DDR machines - these are
another craze, consisting of a platform with squares marked on it, and a person
dancing to music, the aim being to keep to the pattern dictated by the flashing
squares under your feet. All this is drowned out however, by the noises from
the next room, through the paper-thin wall. A highly energetic passionate
encounter which didn't leave very much to the imagination, although my
imagination did pretty well at filling out details, and I learned a few new handy
Korean words. It went on at quite a pitch for an impressive length of time,
which made me feel there was either ancient oriental tantric ability involved,
or else some faking. Either way it was hard to get back to sleep, which is why
I should have opted for the fiery Minbak.
In the
morning, again mislead by the Lonely Planet, I went on a very very long
lakeside walk [not as nice as it sounds, because also beside the lake was a
motorway!] to another traditional village, but only had time to watch a little
bit of thatching, before getting back to get my train.
I had decided
to go some of the way back to Seoul, and then spend the afternoon in the quiet
mountain resort town of 'Tanyang'. This again was a seasonally crowded place,
which today had no visible visitors except me. I went on another lakeside walk,
which this time was genuinely very nice and peaceful. I was aiming for Korea's
biggest complex of caves. This I was warned is terribly crowded in season, and
you have to queue to go through. I was congratulating myself on being there
late in the November afternoon, when visitors were dwindling, until once I had
gone in it dawned on me that actually down a cave it is quite nice to have
someone else around! It was completely terrifying. Not only dark and wet, and a
very tight squeeze for someone of western proportions at times, but also up
very high ladders, and across huge drops. I have no idea in retrospect what
possessed me to go in. I think they were probably very beautiful caves, but
when I eventually heard footsteps [the cave track was 2km long] I was so
relieved. The people I caught up were a young couple. The woman was very
pregnant, and we got into a kind of battle of her wanting to let me past, and
me trying to make clear that 42 week pace would do me just fine as long as I
could stay within six inches of them! When I came out I was sodden, and it
hadn't been warm, or that wet. This was a cold sweat.
Very very nice
chinese meal in Tanyang, and then a litre of beer, owing to a language problem!
I only managed half of it, but that was enough for me to sleep for quite a bit
of the 3 remaining train hours home. Ordinary express train, slightly slower
and no bowing line, but half the price. Funny how safe and familiar it seems
here now. I've only lived here a week, but after my little travels it feels
like home!
Friday
I had the
post-graduate students and Yumi and Young-ai round for a meal last night which
went very well. Literally the first chance I had had to pay for anything when
with them. I had sought out western food supplies, which was a frustrating
process, because the places suggested turned out to be full of almost equally
unfamiliar American food, of course. I found eventually from different places
fresh basil, imported pasta, olive oil, wonderful looking mushrooms, earl grey
tea and strawberries. Enough to make at least a kind of european meal. Gifts
from all of them, and lots of appreciation, of course.
Also early
this morning we went into a High School [16-18] for Girls, to do research. This
was hysterical [literally at points - notably when I spoke!] The students set
up the hall for what they had planned, and Young-ai and I had to see the
Principal. Tea with her. Quite internationally recognisable girls school tweedy
Head, very sweet actually, but first time I had been in a strong
status-reversal situation. School Principal at Young-ai's own school, requires
colossal amount of bowing. Yong, my student, came into her room practically
backwards, and bobbed down to the carpet every stride. She was very positive
about drama, and genuinely interested, but the conversation took a ....long
pause....short period of holding forth....much bowing and agreeing, then long
pause again.... form. No-one except her had the ability to end the session,
which mean't we started very late! In a way it is a very extremely english
thing at work here, going to 
ridiculous lengths to
avoid embarrassment.
There were 55
in the class. Very young-looking eighteen year olds, in uniform. They have an
absolutely brutal system for university entrance here. The whole nation of 18
year-olds takes a single exam on a single day, and then the answers are
published in the evening paper on the same day, so you can immediately check
through and see whether you seem to have done well enough or not. The result is
seen by parents as practically a judgement on whether or not you succeeded in
life, and makes a vast difference on all sides. The final results then take a
month to be sorted out. These girls are in that limbo.
Anyway, when I
was introduced they clapped loudly, and when I did my practised 'annyong
hasseyo' with coy bow, they went wild...cheering clapping giggling. I couldn't
resist a little speech of thanks at the end. When I spoke English it was as if
a movie idol of major proportions had come to visit. This is the school we will
be doing the final programme at, and I am hoping Ali and the boys will come to
that. I cannot begin to imagine the reaction then. If Eddie can practise his
bowing and annyonging, I don't think we will be able to avoid a few fainting
casualties.
This wasn't
even my session. The students were doing some drama and discussion activities
to find out about attitudes to technology. They were nervous but all very good,
so it bodes well, I think. They have decided that the main programme on the TIE
course will be set in the future, exploring the effects of technology.
The cold snap
predicted for so long seems to have arrived. No snow yet, but I today began to
get a sense of what it will feel like when it turns cold. Cold, in fact. But
really beautiful, if today is anything to go by, and certainly no colder than a
decent Patterdale Christmas.
Tonight I went
to another play at the University, which was very good I think. Totally
incomprehensible for me of course, but they certainly put a lot into it all.
'Very committed performance' I was able to say afterwards - as I wiped the spit
from my face. I have seen enough now to begin to see some traits in Korean
acting, and relaxation and subtlety are not amongst them.... A great deal of
physically impressive acting, quite a bit of declaiming, a lot of sticks and
swords, and masks and dry ice and men with bare chests and white silk
everywhere.
Less than a
week before Ali Eddie and Jim arrive, and so preparation for that is dominating
a bit. My current apartment is about two hours drive from the airport on a
Saturday night, so Yong is going to drive us. I think they will have quite a
time here.
Marvellous
news about Cherie, you must all be very happy over there...
With love
Pete