 |
| Minerets in the distance |
This time I was able to explore more of the city than the area around the hotel, the hospital and where I was teaching (Arko Theater). Getting around is easy-the subway is cheap, easy to navigate with free entertainment in the form of songs that are play when a train is arriving at the station. (Side note: while traditionally on the subway, it would have been more common for people to give up their seat for Bruce and sometimes for me, rather than having us stand, I noticed that this time, younger people would often continue to sit with their heads buried in their cell phones. Instead it was middle aged people who stood so that Bruce could sit). We went to Itawon, the location of the main Seoul mosque and the center of the Muslim community in Seoul. The mosque is on a hill, so that it’s minarets tower over a tangle of working-class apartment buildings and stores. People walking the streets seemed to be from everywhere in the world, including Africa, America, and the Middle East (to name the few I recognized).
 |
| Mosque in Seoul |
The area is also a great spot for non-Korean food (don’t get me wrong, I love Korean food, but an occasional shwarma or kebob is nice too) We passed Turkish, African, Malaysian, Pakistani, Egyptian and Arabic restaurants. All Halal and often filled with people who did not look at all Korean. The Mosque itself was beautiful with views of downtown Seoul. I didn’t get to go into the men’s prayer section and sadly, the women’s section has a wall blocking any view of the main floor of the prayer room. On the other hand, it was interesting to see women, who already had their heads covered and were wearing long modest floor length clothing, added
 |
| View from Mosque |
another long skirt and a head-covering cape to pray. I wasn’t able to ask anyone, but I have only seen that type of women’s prayer covering in Shi’a mosques. Clearly, I have lots more to learn.
We also took the train to Gangnam, located sound of the Han River which run through the middle of the city. It had been described as a fun area filled with small shops and places to eat, but we emerged from the subway to a lot of noise, heat, cars, motor bikes, people rushing around and surrounded by tall buildings.
 |
| Welcome to Gangnam |
It seemed very western, modern, young and frenetic. A stark contrast to the areas north of the city where we had been living and exploring. I had wanted to see Gangnam, because I use Psy’s song ‘Gangnam Style’ in one of my classes, but having seen the real thing, I if the song is a more cynical statement about westernization and sexualization of Korean culture. (Compared to the dance steps and clothing of the women in his song, , traditional Korean women’s clothing, the Hanbok has a high- set waist band and and a skirt that billows around the body to the floor, masking the actual shape of the body inside. It would actually have been
 |
| Coffee and Ice Cream for consolation |
difficult to know if someone were pregnant.) In any case, we decided to head back after having some ice cream (Bruce) and something cold to drink (me). In the coffee and cake shop were how the rich sweet coffee drinks, as well the as decadent cakes and ice cream we saw young people eating around us, would ultimately impact Koreans who have traditionally eaten very healthy food and tended to be very small and slim.
Ok more later. Thanks for reading.
Comments
Post a Comment