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| Jogyesa Temple in Seoul |
1. The mountains. Wherever you are in South Korea, the rolling waves of small mountains surround you. It's a beautiful sight, especially in spring and summer when they're covered in green (and when the air quality is good, of course)! The mountains provide a space for many leisure and nature activities, such as hiking (the Korean national pastime, in which elderly people and children make you look bad with their impressive pace and stamina). They're historically and traditionally important, with mountains playing a key role in the location of many palaces, temples and shrines. The constant presence of the mountains is a comfort, providing a sense of permanence in my changing life. I'll definitely miss seeing them every day.
2. The unbearable cuteness of everything. From the everpresent KakaoFriends characters to matching couples outfits, adorable sights truly abound in South Korea. Cuteness is not just for kids there, but for everyone, and it's surprisingly delightful even as an adult (and despite the obvious sales strategies that these cute things represent). You truly can't miss Kakao Friends, a motley crew of charming characters from Kakao (a large and prominent Korean media company). Kakao Friends includes such creative personalities as Ryan, a lion who wants to be a bear, and Muzi, an animated pickled radish in a bunny costume (really). Beyond the corporate cuteness, saccharine sights proliferate everywhere you look: smiley face jewellery, sparkly nail decals, daisy chain mask accessories, fun stickers galore, and the largest and most varied emoji collections I have ever seen or even imagined exist. And yes, couples really do wear matching outfits - down to the exact same shoes. It's all cuter than it has any right to be.
3. Korean food and snacks. Korean food is truly unique and delicious, and of course has and deserves entire books written about it. I'll just say here that there's something very craveable about the earthy, umami, fermented and sometimes fiery flavours of Korean cuisine. Some of my favourites are squid bibimbap, kimchi jjigae (stew), sundubu (soft tofu), pajeon (savoury pancake), and dakgalbi (a marinated chicken dish that you grill at the table). Banchan (side dishes) make every meal feel like a small feast. The snack food is awesome, too; ramen and gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) of infinite variety can be found at lunch restaurants (alongside tasty dishes such as udon and omurice) and convenience stores alike. Vendors on the street and in the subway sell tteokbokki (rice cakes with the most addicting chewy texture), odeng (fishcakes with broth, a favourite of commuters), and hotteok (delicious fried dough with a sweet syrup inside). And of course, who could forget bingsu- shaved ice with sweet toppings and ice cream. I'm salivating just remembering it all.
4. Daiso. Daiso is best described as the dollar store of South Korea, though it is far superior to any dollar store I've ever visited. Like any good budget shopping destination, Daiso has absolutely everything you need, and a ton of things that you absolutely don't need, but find yourself purchasing anyways. It's a veritable treasure trove of household junk and a wonderful source of entertainment. Alongside the actual necessities (dish soap, toothpaste etc), at my local Daiso I bought throw pillows, rainbow marshmellows, a mini humidifier, neon hair barrettes, 'Korean tradition' souvenirs made in China, chopsticks with giraffes on them, a rose gold eyelash curler, many, many sticker sets, and a sloth stuffed animal that I slept with for a year until my foster dog chewed the arm off and I had to amputate. They probably wonder what happened to me at that Daiso, because I was a very frequent customer. I miss Daiso dearly.
5. Cafe culture. European cities may be known for their quaint and laid-back cafe culture, but Seoul really knocks it out of the park in terms of aesthetic spots to get your caffeine buzz on. Coffee is a way of life in South Korea, and it's not unusual to see friends meeting for an Americano and cake at 9 or 10 pm (a death wish for me personally as someone who wants to sleep through the night). It's an all-hours affair, and there is no dearth of delightfully Instagram-worthy cafes in which to enjoy your brew (and snap a few dozen selfies, of course). There are places for the minimalist (slab counters, gorgeous pastries, lo fi beats) and the maximalist (hot pink everything, unicorn lattes, an abundance of cute stuffed animals on soft benches). There are theme cafes, cat cafes, K-pop idol pop-up cafes, plant cafes and painting cafes. Epitomizing the glorious expansiveness of Seoul, I think you could visit a new cafe every day and never sip at the same spot twice.
Thanks for reading! :)
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