Day 1

Woke up this morning at 3:30AM. If I was smart I would have forced myself back into a restless sleep, but it seemed impossible: my body was wired and my eyelids felt like they were duct-taped open. Instead I spent the morning browsing through other people’s travel blogs, slowly beginning to understand the magnitude of the bad Seoul-related pun problem. To anyone reading this, I apologize on these writers’ behalf and promise to never, ever subject you to that.

At 6:40 I went on a run through Ewha Women’s University. It’s really hilly back there but the air was surprisingly clean. In general, there are randomly scattered patches of plants, trees, and flowers throughout the city, but Ewha and Yonsei are particularly green. I just learned today that Christian missionaries founded both Ewha University and Yonsei University. There are lots of churches and crosses around, but Nora (a Ph.D student who’s traveling with us) told me that only about 20% of Koreans are Christians; it just seems like more because they’re so vocal. 

We went back to Ewha with the whole group after everyone had showered, and I had a chance to learn more about contemporary marriage practice. It seems like the Chinese “jia nv ding nan” (date up/date down) marriage norm is also fairly prevalent in Korea. I can’t say I’m that surprised, but I really wish I knew more about gender in Korea.

From the campus we took the subway to Hongdae, an awesome area with tons of food and shopping. We had lunch at a restaurant where you grill your own food on the table, and since everyone else had grilled beef I decided I should just quit being a vegetarian and give it a try. Just kidding. I ate some vegetarian kimbap that Professor Ahn ordered for me earlier. I have yet to attempt to order a vegetarian meal for myself in Korea and am dreading that inevitable moment.

Next we took the subway to Yeoeuido Island where we rented bikes. I tried tandem biking for the first time with Spencer and it was super fun! It was a great way to explore the area along the river and to stay awake during the afternoon. Afterward, we went to the Noryangjin fish market, which is basically the scariest place in the world. I’m actually sort of afraid of fish that aren’t in the ocean; especially domesticated ones, and this guy really abruptly killed a giant fish right in front of me that everyone later ate. I felt really bad for the fish because it was really trying hard not to die. Then I remembered that this fish is no different from other fish or other animals; that animals have to be killed like this every time we eat meat, not just the times when we witness it. Maybe it’s good to be reconnected with that fact.

We got back to the hostel a couple hours ago. I’m exhausted but I feel like it’s too early to go to bed if I don’t want to wake up before dawn tomorrow. Don’t feel much like writing now and Spencer’s already knocked out in the bed next to me. I’m starting to get waves of nausea/dizziness again, so it’s probably time to go to bed now.