Pros and Cons
If you haven’t noticed the change on my left-hand sidebar from “Currently in Jerusalem” to “Currently in Seoul”, let me state it more directly: I’m not in Jerusalem any more and I am back, temporarily, in Seoul. Due to some circumstances, I’ve wrapped up my life in al-Quds or Yerushalayim after five months there. It’s been three days since I’ve been back in Seoul and I’ve noticed some jarring differences between the two cities. Here is the list.
Pros (of being back in Seoul):
1. Family
2. Korean food
2. Let me say it again: KOREAN FOOD
3. Not being the only Asian in town (or not being stared at or sexual obscenities screamed at me on a daily basis)
4. Amazing service. I don’t need to scream and intimidate bank tellers, shopkeepers, bureaucrats, and waitresses for services I should rightfully be getting without having to harass them.
5. Public transportation
6. Being welcomed. In Jerusalem, I’ve continually needed to justify my reason for being there. As a non-Jewish, non-Christian, and non-Muslim Asian who is not a migrant worker nursing an elderly Israeli woman, many Israelis were puzzled at my reason for being there. Because (in their logic) why would anyone who is not Jewish, Christian or Muslim want to be in Jerusalem?
Cons (of being back in Seoul):
1. Not having my friends in Jerusalem
2. The doom demanding conformity to the Korean ideal
3. Freezing weather
4. The lack of quiet only heard during Shabbat
5. Jerusalem artichokes
6. The lack of diversity. In Seoul, many neighborhoods look and feel the same, with the same franchise restaurants and coffee shops in buildings with almost identical architectural designs. In Jerusalem, there is so much richness and layered depth on every street corner, ranging from the people frequenting certain neighborhoods to the architectural nuances.
Pictures from my last night in Seoul with lalakim.
An amazing "last night" out in Seoul
I met up with a couple of high school friends that I hadn’t seen in a long while. We inhaled our dinner and went on to inhale four pieces of cake and a bingsu. All of this totaled up to five hours of endless chat. It was soon 11 PM, and one left the party to head home. The rest went on a drive through Seoul, making a pit stop at the Han River Park. It was the perfect fall evening with the crisp breeze, cool just enough for a light cardigan. I walked around, taking care to not bother the nuzzling couples strewn across the lawn and along the riverside. The night view of Seoul is absolutely breathtaking and I fell in love with this city all over again.
After dropping off some more of the crew (one has to go to work at 6 AM and the other was getting tired, me thinks), the driver and I set out for Gwanghwamun. We whizzed through Gangbyunbukro, spotted the rumored gay scene in Jongno, and parked in front of the Donga Ilbo building on Cheonggyecheon. We took pictures with a disposable camera (an impulsive purchase at 7-11) and ended the night with ramen noodles, a can of Asahi, and two iced coffees. I was home by 2:30 AM.
I will be back in the winter for Christmas and New Year’s so I won’t be away for too long, but it was a great way to reconnect with old friends. Now I’m REALLY tempted to forgo Jerusalem and find work here instead for my gap year.
