goingseoulo

This blog was meant to be primarily for photos but I'm sort of in a weird mood so I'm going to write something... despite the fact that I usually hate reading other people's blogs. Then again, no one is really reading this blog so I'm basically just talking to myself (which I do anyway).

Today was sort of my first day as a Seoulite (what an awful sounding word) and I basically just spent it wander/wondering around - decided to go to COEX mall in South Seoul which was pretty boring, tho it had a nice big bookshop. My course is starting on Monday so I bought a dictionary and a book which caught my eye: 'I have the right to destroy myself' by Kim Young-ha. A very nice nihilistic title and it is pretty intriguing so far. I'll write more about it later if I can be bothered...

So like I said, I wasn't planning on writing much in this blog but I was a bit thoughtful today. The truth is, I don't know if I really like Korea very much. I mean I'm happy to be here and I want to stay, but as a country, it seems to represent so many things that I oppose. Admittedly, my preconceptions are just that - preconceptions, which have been fed by a number of sources: a half-completed university course, my slightly mad Korean friends, the internet and of course books. Looking at Korea in the most negative light, it is a country built on a culture which values conformity and obedience over individuality and creativity, which populated by people who are inward looking, homophobic and even racist. They are obsessively shallow and competitive, which has in part led to the booming (and very open - illustrated ads in subway stations) plastic surgery industry. So how much of that is true? Finding out is my task for the next 2.5 months. If anyone happens to stumble across my blog, please comment, I would like to know what you think...