Flying to Seoul, Korea was always an interesting experience! With strong winds on the nose of the aircraft, the flight to Seoul from Detroit could take upwards of 13 hours!
I had a Tae Kwon Do Master that was from Seoul. On one of my first trips to Seoul he was back in Korea, wanted to have me get together with his wife and family for an evening out! He met me at the hotel shortly after I arrived. They whisked me away for a traditional Korean meal with me still in my uniform!
I was introduced to Korean barbecue and something called "Kimchi". The food was delicious! But I ate the Kimchi (Fermented spicy cabbage) a bit too fast! Hot! Very hot! My eyes watered and my host family laughed good naturally at my wide eyed, gasping response!
After dinner they took me to Namsan Tower's observation deck. This tower sits on Namsan Mountain. After a cable car ride we had to walk up a steep hill to get to the tower. This was a bit tricky, since I was still in my 2 inch heels! I thought about taking my shoes off, but didn't want to run my hose!
The view of Seoul at night from this tower was spectacular! I guess "breath taking" would be an adequate description! Since we had arrived late, we didn't have a lot of time there. The announcement was made that the tower was closing- please go to the elevators and exit.
We all made a dash for the elevators. Everyone that was on the observation deck poured in, so it was a very crowded elevator! My Tae Kwon Do's wife poked me in the ribs. "Everyone is looking at you!", she said. I glanced around and sure enough, all eyes were on me! With my heels on I was 5 foot 9inches- and towered over everyone in that elevator! What could I do?! I smiled and said "HELLO!" Their response? In unison everyone gave a hearty "HELLO! " in return! I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Instead of them being negative about me being there, they were simply curious. I was touched by their friendliness!
There are many adventures that I've had in Seoul, Korea that I will write about another time. But this first experience with the food and people set the stage for a wonderful relationship between me, Seoul, and the Korean people!
Until Next Time! Remember, Life Is Indeed An Adventure, and Widening One's View Of The World Through International Travel Is A Wonderful Adventure!
Hi Marcy , that was a very nice story. I've never been there but you made it sound like a nice place to visit.
ReplyDeleteDear Reader- Thank you for your comment! Seoul is such an interesting place! To be in a place so different from what we know- and to learn their ways is a joy indeed! Thank you for your comment!
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