Amateur Adventurer: Jenni's Journeys in Korea: Day 4: Sunday August 28

Successful Sunday Abroad

Sunday brought a tear-free day –yay! I woke up, went to Starbucks for Passion Iced Tea and met up with Hilary to spend some much needed time on the internet. To be honest, if I were to put blinders on, only looking at my computer, my other senses would have convinced me I was home. The smell of coffee brewing, the sound of jazz in the air and the ceramic mug resting comfortably in my hand –Starbucks is Starbucks. I might have thought I was visiting a local Chapters if it weren’t for the Korean families walking past and staring at me in my Starbucks fishbowl.

The short time I spent in Barbados last summer somewhat acclimatized me to the feeling of being a minority, but here is an act of “othering” that is actually quite flattering. Instead of hoots & hollers, there seems to be a genuine interest that involves many, mostly personal, questions because I am a waygook (foreigner) not to be confused with a megook (an American). As promised, the Canadian flag patch on my backpack has made me a welcome traveller.

After a significant amount of correspondence, Hilary & I decided to take a trip to Myeong-dong to practice navigating the subway system around Seoul. Myeong-dong is within Seoul and can be accessed by subway lines #1 and #4 (which runs through Gwacheon). As my trusty KTO (Korea Travel Organization) travel guide says “Myeong-dong has long been the trendsetting center of Korean fashion... Every back alley has cafes and restaurants serving snacks and delicacies for when you need a break from shopping”; what better place to window shop, people watch and eat a spicy potato spiral on a stick.

After an invasive 30-minute subway ride back to Gwacheon –personal bubbles are not a part of Korean culture, particularly in limited spaces like subway cars –we met up with Sara at her apartment. The apartments of foreign teachers are equipped with hot plates and only the select few get a microwave, like Sara, so we opted for microwave-baked brownies and a couple hours of girly chatter. Overall, a very successful Sunday abroad.