Wally Nes’ Blog

What side of the street do you walk on?

For most of us, that’s answered by a full mouthed ‘Right’. For the right is the only right side of the street.
Or is it? The side of the street on which you walk is a matter of place and time.

When I was a kid I learned basic road safety in the Netherlands. Meaning, you walk on the right side of the road, cars move on the right side of the road and bicycles move on the right side of the road. From the outside in: Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorists.
It was on a bike I first broke this rule. I was fast and sleek, neigh unstoppable was I, on my bike, and the traffic rules certainly didn’t apply to I.
I don’t specifically recall whether I got an earful for that behaviour, but I suppose I should have. And it’s strange therefor that the likely culprit of that earful was the man who introduced me to walking on the left side of the road.

You see, when everyone transports themselves on the same side of the road, the slowest transporter (the walker) will have everything coming from behind him at, in some cases, frightening speeds quite close to oneself. At that time (6-9 years old) I wasn’t well known for walking in a straight line, or keeping my attention focused on relevant things (like speeding cars) and would often, unexpectedly, move sideways into the path of an oncoming bike/car. I have never been like this, but there’s a few instances of word-use not fit for my virginal ears done by heavily swerving bicyclists that stand out in my memory.
If, on the other hand, as a pedestrian you walk on the left side of the street you are still in a spot reserved for pedestrians (the side of the road) and you can see things hurtling towards you prompting you to pay attention, where, had they come from behind, they might’ve caused me a nasty little surprise.

In England and Japan (India, South Africa, Indonesia etc), walking on the left hand side of the street, or, as we call it, the wrong side of the street, is normal. The rule even. Well, mostly. I think I’ve mentioned once or twice in conversation (looking back through my posts I see I haven’t really blogged about it.) You see, in Japan you walk on the left side of the street. Cars go on the left side of the street. Bicyclists go . . .  well, there’s not really a set place for them.
Osaka is the big exception. In Osaka they walk on the right side of the street, cars still go on the left hand side of the street though. Can you imagine what that would be like, changing sides halfway through a country? I think there’s a half-British Island which does this somewhere. This causes a bit of a problem, because Osaka isn’t a really clearly defined concept. It just sorta edges out, like so many other metropoli/metropolae/metropoliseses? I lived about an hour outside of what can regularly be considered Osaka, but most of the people I lived with did work in Osaka. Meaning that half the people would walk on the right (those that visited Osaka regularly) and half would walk on the left (regular Japanese). It also meant that when I was hurtling down the hill I would never be sure what instinct would be most prominent in my dodgee. Would it move to the right or left. All in all, people just sorta walked . . . wherever.

Korea now, Korea is an interesting case. Korea drives on the right hand side of the road. But trains drive on the left, as this system was built when the Japanese ruled here. The metro system though, was built with French help, so that’s on the right hand side. Except on those stations where they connect to the railway where it’s left again. So . . . . that’s kinda confusing. The walking though. Walking is done wherever and that struck me as kind of strange. The only place you’ll see indicators which side to walk on is in the subway and it’s on the right. There’s actually a campaign about it now

You see, the Koreans used to walk on the left in the subway and on the street. But then a few years ago the government said that right was the way they’d now walk. So right is the side people now walk on. Except the ajoshi and ajoma (Old man, Old woman) who will damn well walk where they’ve always walked, even if that way was initially beat into them by the Japanese oppressors.
This means though, that as a weiguk (foreigner) you will now, no matter what side of the street you walk on, be walking on the wrong side of the street for someone.

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Quote of the Day:

Work is the refuge of those that don’t have anything better to do

- Oscar Wilde

So we moved to South Korea
BIG DEAL.
How much of an impact on your life can it really have?

First of all the Vegetarianism/Veganism.
It’s not a title we claim anymore. Let’s face it, we don’t speak the language and our ordering tactic pretty much consists of looking at the wall

and picking the third one from the left. (Or right, got to mix it up a little every now and again.)

This is how we ended up with the fish head stew*.

It was part of our cultural growth, which we have now passed and will never visit on again.
The term most accurate in describing our dietary disposition now is: I’m-annoyed-by-this-but-will-eat-it-lest-we-starve-itarians.

Charades

We rock at it.
No, seriously. We have absolutely no idea what people around us are saying and vice versa. Fully submerge yourself in a country like that and your charades skills will skyrocket. I have even made charade inquisitions which lasted shorter than had I asked it in a language I’m familiar with.
Then again, it’s taken us maybe 7 hours in total spread out over 3 weeks to figure out how to get garbage bags.

You see, in Seoul, apparently, you are not allowed to put your trash outside in any old plastic bag. Nor in a generic black garbage bag. Even if the translation on the bag is “galbage bage”. No, the garbage bag you use is issued by your local gu’s office (where a gu is a part of the city, so in our case: Songpa-gu) and is clearly marked (we guess) with marking indicating that you can put this outside in your own gu.
These garbage bags, according to the guidebook, are sold by pretty much any local conbini (They have little convenience stores on every corner here, much as in Japan) except that they’re not on the shelves. The generic garbage bags, however, ARE on the shelves. But after two weeks the cleaning lady started delivering back our garbage. This indicated we were running out of time figuring this out as that stuff doesn’t stay fresh for long usually. Try charading garbage bags, I dare you. It wasn’t till one I got my hands on an actual (used) garbage bag that I was able to get my point across and I was sent to  . . . the conbini.

Armed with my used garbage bag (smelling slightly of ashes) I made my way back to the big combini. Yes, she had garbage bags. Under the counter, obviously for her own use. WHERE (어디) DO YOU BUY (wallet tapping) THOSE (point at garbage bag).

-nothing-

She kept grasping the bags desperately going for the good old “My engrish bad” option after a strained silence.
OK, luckily for us there is a guy around here who does speak very passable English (He’s modest about it, but he’s also far superior in English skill than any Korean I’ve accidentally met) who took me by the hand to a different combini and yes . . . . you have to buy your garbage bags here from under the counter. Propped away so the casual shopper won’t see it.
There’s a couple of things which spring to mind being sold from under the counter.
Garbage bags isn’t one of them

Epilogue, noone can really tell me what the things are called, so we have 4 garbage bags now and before we use the last one we will take it to the combini, wave it in the teller’s face and say MORE

Also, it would be nice if we could figure out why the old Korean ladies who take away our trash keep returning our bottles.

Being comfortable around naked Koreans

Ok, this wasn’t really a biggy, a year in Japan prepared us for this quite well. Besides, we’re both blind as a bat. I just do my business in a foggy room filled with slowly moving Korean coloured blobs.
Thing is though . . .

You feel sensitive about certain things. When I came to Korea I had a massive headcold and you know what happens when you have a massive headcold and you take a shower (or eat hot food). Stuff comes out. So you’re sitting there, in the mist, with all these Koreans and you blow like a foghorn. And again. And again. Aaaaaaand you’re starting to feel the eyes of the others on your back as your nosedrippings slowly make their way to the sink and you hope it doesn’t have to pass other people’s feet on the way.

There’s other things though. Both Raph and myself preen certain areas for euhm . . . hygiene purposes.
I’m OK walking into a room with naked Koreans.
I’m OK with them scrubbing each other’s back, and it’s been done to us, perfectly natural.
I’m OK with the genitalia flopping around
I’m OK with the little naked kids running around
I’m OK with the nose blowing
I’m OK with the deep buttcrack towel sawing

Shaving my balls in front of other people?
No, not OK with that.

Living together

We used to spend about 42 hours every two weeks together. We’d long for when we’d see/touch/taste each other again. It was torture (sweet, but torture non the less) to be apart.

Now we’re together pretty much all the time outside of when we go to the communal baths (which are segregated)

We haven’t broken up.
Yet

Spreading Happiness

We do this a lot
At random things we do we make people laugh
Haven’t quite worked out where our comedic talents spring from

But people like us a lot. Or at least, there’s the laughing.

.

P.S. Ik heb m’n blog tweetalig gemaakt voor diegene die dit liever int nederlands lezen. Bovenaan rechts vind je een keuzemenu voor English/Nederlands. Ook onderaan tweetalige posts kan je de opmerking “Deze post is ook te lezen in: Dutch” vinden.

* Picture does not represent the reality of the food we were served.

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Even a fish wouldn’t get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut

- Korean proverb

Well . . . mountain may be a big word.

Raphaëlle is a city person. I am not. I enjoy the advantages and convenience it gives, but I like my outdoors to be . . . outdoorsy. I like the green, the nature, the undulating.

Luckily for me, Seoul has much of the undulating. Most of it is still concreted over, but this city is build on a whole bunch of hills. And there’s a fair bit of these hills on the outskirts which still have the green and the nature. There’s also at least one that is in the middle of the city and we’re moving next to it (No, more on that when I have pictures and the lease is signed ) . Seems Korean’s (or at least Seoul’s) national hobby is hiking so they’re keeping many of these hills the way it is as well I think.

First weekend here I decided to go explore one. I went on google maps, found the nearest subway accessible bit of green and set off.
With note to the google maps I posted, the nearest indicated green zone is actually a golf field (another national past time) which is why you have to play with the view (top right: map, satellite etc). Also note btw the airfield in the bottom left corner. It’s military as near as I can figure and they do really take off/approach for landing quite close to our rooftop.

Anyway, the subway station I found is called namhansanseong and a quick google after the hike showed that namhansanseong is famous for this kind of thing. I should really google stuff  before setting off on a hike, I didn’t see any of that. I only really googled it in the first place to show people I wasn’t making up that name. I mean the Korean is 남 한산성입구역, who makes that shit up.

The winter has been intense here this year so spring came late. There was still ample skiing being done when I arrived 2 days before this hike (though not on the hill in question). The flowers were arriving

Unfortunately the mountain trees were without much leaf yet.

The bare trees stopped me from getting any super shots, but there’s a couple of nice shots

As I wasn’t even 48 hours out of a 11 hour plane ride with the resulting jetlag and still suffering from an enormous headcold after going up for 2 hours I called it a day, which was just as well for when I got to the subway station I got a call from the landlady of the office if I could meet her earlier than planned.

This involved some “2nd hand furniture” which will hence forth be referred to as “old crap” . I will refer you to the album in which pictures of said old crap are and refrain from any further comment. The mere thought of the stuff revolts me. Important to note is that the first 3 pictures are of after cleaning, not the other way around.

P.S. Due to the dying of the data carrier which on which I held the pictures you can find in my photopage I have to wait to get my backup sent to me here before I can alter the photopage where I usually put my pictures. Yes, there is a backup. No, my bag was quite full enough to bring 2nd backups with me. (First backup died and it seems I hadn’t actually put those pictures back after reformatting my computer. Dôh)

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Quote of the day:

Dude, did you just tell a random asian behind a counter of a KOREAN store in KOREA you didn’t speak Chinese?

- Random American in Itaewon, Seoul

Odd thing to write about as first post in Korea, but I felt compelled.

Before I get any further though. I am here, arrived safely, despite the volcano god’s best efforts to the contrary.
I am still slightly sick, which together with the air pressure in the plane has seen fit to screw up the airpressure in my head. That’s right, despite being here for 70 hours my ears STILL HAVEN’T POPPED. Not only do I not understand the Koreans, I can barely hear them.
A fine way to start an adventure. Seems someone thought that with all the experience I have in these kind of things they decided to make a little bit more challenging.

Raph has been writing about the areas in Seoul and their characters and stuff. Raph is a city person, and she writes about stuff like that. I like my surroundings to be nature filled. So my first weekend included a trip to the closest patch of green I could find on the map. But more on that later.

Reference Databases. We all have one. You’d be surprised just how developed it is.
Let’s take Orange Juice.
Now, as a kid you always got the local supermarket’s brand, with the occasional freshly squeezed one on your birthday/easter or smthg. Your oldest friend’s mom shopped at the other supermarket and they therefor had that brand.
You made a new friend at, say 12, and on a stayover you are introduced to Appelsientje.
Your supermarket’s brand and that of your first friend didn’t really taste very different, his was slightly sweeter. But this Appelsientje . . . . wow, that’s a lot closer to freshly squeezed. Result: You nag your mother for that brand (Let’s hope this isn’t the same time that you first taste Coca Cola as well).
Now, you have 3 orange juices in your database. But with this one new friend was just the first of many and soon you have the cheap brands, the cheap supermarket’s home brand, the posh supermarket’s home brand, appelsientje dubbeldrink (with mango), cool best and if you’re not a total dope you’ve noticed not all freshly squeezed ones taste the same either.

By the time you first leave your parents’ home to fend for yourself you’ll have an extensive library of oranje juice reference files with comparative flavors and whatnot. Now it is time to add price/quality to that.

Then, one day, some years later you emigrate to South Korea.
You head to the store for some orange juice and find yourself faced with an entire wall of different brands of the stuff
You know it’s orange juice because the stuff in clear plastic containers is orange with bits floating around and everything has pictures of oranges on the cover.

So . . . . .
Now what? You have this extensive database in your head of relative tastes, flavours and prices. Yet, the only thing here you can clearly make out is the price. (4500 won. What the crap was that in Euros again?)

So you pick one at random

And you don’t end up with the cheap supermarket equivalent.
You don’t end up with the posh supermarket equivalent
You don’t end up with Appelsientje, Coolbest or freshly squeezed.

You end up with Orange flavoured lemonade.

Of course.

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Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

- Anon

I miss a lot of things about Japan. In an online game I play at my LARP forum I reconnected with Shibuya Crossing.

In case you forgot just how populous Tokyo could be. This one is for you

Conflicting with the Japan theme I had starting off, the Korean theme I hope this will evolve to and the European theme this blog has now that I’m sorta stuck in the middle I would like to use this blogpost to take you on a journey to a place I lived and traveled in 9 years ago. Australia

If I ever find myself with too much time on my hands (which isn’t a realistic prospect just now) I will have some of the pictures scanned, but anyone who has been at my place has seen them on the wall. The big A4-prints illustrating some feature of Australia.

In the fall of 2001 (Southern hemisphere: March) I crossed the Nullarbor plain. Nullarbor means No (Null) trees (arbor), and is a misleading name. There’s at least 5. Which I suppose is , for a 1200 km stretch, close enough to no trees after all.
The actual plain is 1200 km from east to west at its longest but the highway that travels through it doesn’t become any more interesting after exiting the highway. In reality it is more of a 3k drive between stuff. Sure, there’s the bits and pieces of skylab to see in different roadhouses to keep you distracted on the 2 day long drive but for some people this is not enough.

I was lucky enough to encounter people with car trouble underway and we were able to keep busy helping them along and snickering behind their backs. Rani got a ticket for sleeping on the backseat without a seatbelt.
It was still pretty boring.

BUT NO MORE!

Australian businessmen have banded together and are building A GOLF COURSE.

Read the article here.

This is the route it takes. And just so you know, this is what it looks like now

And this is how natural it will look

What can I say . . . . I quite like it. Can’t be much worse than it was before.

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Quote of the day: