Seoul has flashes of brilliance and interest but ultimately they have torn down their past in the rush to get to the future. So there really didn’t seem to be much soul in Seoul.
Here’s an example. On a side street in Gangnam-gu we ran into this, a talking flower vending machine. In the past this would have been a lovely flower shop tended by someone who cared about the neighborhood and their craft.
Now it’s just a machine dispensing flowers. Convenient? No doubt. But does it have soul? Nope. And all over Seoul they have made choices like this. Shops that sell piles of Chinese goods blare out Korean pop hits in order to attract customers, but each is louder than the next and the result is that you want to run away screaming.
This lady’s days as a chestnut vendor in Insa-dong are numbered. In fact, Insa-dong’s days as an artist colony are numbered as the tourist trap shops take over.
Our hotel was nice and in a relatively convenient location. The suite itself was nothing special.
Without fail, however, people were wonderful and friendly. There is no talk of North Korea, crazy Trump, or anything that we talk about when the subject turns to Korea. They are living the life they know and that doesn’t appear to include a fear of nuclear war.
It’s easy to see why there is such an affinity between Seoul and Los Angeles. Both places have no center, no gravity, and traffic is crushing and directionless. People are very image-conscious, plastic surgery and skin whitening are endemic. Expensive clothes, shoes, and cars.
We felt like we got a big hug from Korea, but was it real?
Overall a great introduction to Korea, we’ll see if we go back.
