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Saturday, December 16, 2006

My Day in Snapshots

Min & Young at the Restaurant

My Korean friends haggled a fantastic price on my new toy: a Canon. Seoul's South gate- Namdaemoon is the place to go if you're on the market for a camera; camera stores lit up the streets like christmas bulbs. Price shop and know what you want.

I celebrated by snapping my very first photo.

... And my second-> South Gate.

After sight-seeing and dinner, which consisted of whole, rice-stuffed chickens in broth, and good conversation, we went our separate ways. Min only returned from Montreal 3 days ago so he was tired. My other friend had swing dancing practice for a University concert! He saw me off at the subway where I traveled alone to Itaewon: "Western Town."

I was hoping to find products like a good cleanser. Itaewon was disappointing. I arrived after dark and was admittedly a bit scared. The streets were dirty and teeming with American soldiers, blacks and Hispanics. I got an ice cream cone at McDonald's and was repulsed by the foreigners' attitudes, as a whole. I didn't hear one "comasamnida" (thank-you.)

I asked a Caucasian where to go for shampoo and she gave me vague directions about a 'hole in the wall, black-market' where you can find everything from back home. After walking for 20 minutes and finding nothing on the shadowed street, I journeyed back to the subway. I didn't take a single photo so I must have been uneasy!

My arrival back at SUWON Station, one hour later:

Look how beautiful Aekyung Department store is! I love my city.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Americans don't need to say thank you to Koreans for anything. It's the Koreans who should say it to Americans for giving them everything. Without America, there will be no Korea. The burden is on the Koreans.

Greg Santos said...

Someone didn't take etiquette classes growing up...

Anonymous said...

Did Americans give Koreans that bad taste in my mouth? Oh wait, that's just your attitude that did that.

Those pictures were my first drops of visual rain! With a digital camera glued to your hip, it'll be like Being John Malkovitch. I love you.

Kevin said...

Just wanted to drop a note and say I've really been enjoying your blog. I think you are a very good writer. I also live in Suwon and let me tell you the hardest part is getting used to the other foreigners. Also being an American you have to get used to the Anti-American sentiment from the other foreigners (haven't experienced any yet with Koreans). You don't have to deal with that obviously being from Canada. Anyway, keep the posts coming.

Eva Karrin McKinnon said...

Thanks so much, Kevin! Your comment made my night. Your blog is great. I'm on my way to bed but tomorrow I'll read it in one sitting like you did Shawn's blog ;)

Gary said...

Eva, we found a lot of stuff at the basement of Doota in Dongdaemun...check out my previous post here: http://thedailykimchi.blogspot.com/2006/09/our-journey-to-dongdaemunthe-search.html

Anonymous said...

i just think its ironic that u have to mention everyone's race who u encounter, "black and hispanics"... were you scared because they were the people you encountered there? and ironically, u asked a white person for directions to the black market...

Helena said...

I think I know that hole-in-the-wall black market store in Itaewon. Did she say it has a red door? We used to go there for oatmeal.

Anonymous said...

I have lived in Suwon for 3 years. You sound like a bit of a racist to me (American soldiers, blacks and hispanics). You should consider yourself lucky that a foreigner even gave you the time of day because for some reason all westerners seem to ignore other foreigners. It makes me ashamed for all of us, but especially Canadians because they all seem to have that high and mighty attitude that you also display. Sad, I used to respect Canadians until I came to Korea.

Gerribee said...

I was googling camera store and found this blog. I'm here in Suwon right now visiting my American husband :p I'm actually in near panic coz I go back to Japan in 3 days and I haven't seen any camera store yet. A lot of stuff here in Korea are so cheap I love iT!

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