Whoever called Korea the Land of the Morning Calm must have been deaf. Oh well, when travel writer Percival Lowell coined this phrase in 1885, Korea must have been such a calm place. Perhaps the only noise that broke the morning silence was the swishing of the Koreans' national costume, the hanbok, if it made any rustling sound at all as Koreans gracefully glided in it.
Of course, that calm was painfully shattered from 1950 to 1953 when the Korean War resulted in two Koreas, separating the North from the South with a ceasefire line at the 38th parallel where the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is located.
Today, we all know that North Korea is anything but calm. And neither is South Korea, which is a restless, fast-progressing country that rocks with the sound of the very popular and boisterous Psy and those cute K-Pop stars (think Lee Min Ho and 2NE1). There is never a sleepy moment in this high-tech nation that emerges as Asia's third largest economy, now a global leader in technology (think Samsung), automobiles (think Hyundai) and even the cosmetic industry (think The Face Shop).
I visited Seoul, the powerhouse of this never-boring country, and spent five sleepless but euphoric days in a land which for a long time had been an elusive item on my must-visit list. It helped that my husband and twin children, all believers in kimchi and K-Pop, and loving travel in winter, were aching to revisit Seoul. Our youngest daughter, a Korea first-timer like myself, was dreaming of visiting the border, that Demilitarized Zone which has become a surreal tourist attraction what with tank traps, electrical fences and battle-ready soldiers looming on the horizon . Unfortunately, we were not able to book a tour to the DMZ. There goes our dream to espy the hairdo of Kim Jong-un.
But here were 10 things that kept us awake and very much alive in Seoul:
1. Bibap The Delicious Musical: The power of K-culture is so eloquently seen in this comedy show that will make you laugh and crave for food with its mouthwatering sounds in beat-box and a cappella plus professional b-boying and acrobatics. This is sonic, non-verbal entertainment that goes beyond nationalities. Be prepared to be picked out from the audience to be part of the hilarious cast. Bibap has been presented before audiences in England, Japan, China, Vietnam, Macau and Singapore. Maybe restaurateur George Pua should bring it to his K-Pub at The Fort.
2. Dootah: This eight-storey mall that is a favorite of young people kept us awake past midnight, for it is open until 5 a.m. from Tuesday to Saturday. (It closes at 11 p.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Monday.) The mall boosted my respect for Korean-made clothing that is of very good quality and up-to-date fashion. There are cafes and a food court on the seventh floor but who cares about eating when you are faced with so many wonderful, reasonably-priced clothes? The mall lies within the Dongdaemun Market with a gate built in 1398 by King Taejo.
3. The Alive Museum in Insa-dong: This museum, housed in two adjacent buildings, will quench your thirst for art — and laughter. You can be the main character in 3-D art by Van Gogh, Manet and Picasso. The optical illusions will blow your mind and empower you to do the impossible. The kids were so camera-happy battling a crocodile from a tree top, doing a flying warrior stunt and looking like the sexiest cabaret dancer. And so was I in my favorite area: the room where you simply sit down and see the changing scenes of the four seasons. So beautiful.
4. Seoul Tower: Up here, you get a panoramic view of Korea — and perchance the world (look for the window that marks the direction towards the Philippines, and pose for a selfie there). The dazzling experience begins at the elevator where you are told to look at the ceiling. (See, the restless Koreans never waste time — even a 30-second elevator ride offers thrills.) Built in 1969 and opened in 1980, the Seoul Tower has an observatory, a revolving restaurant, shops, a food court, garden, photo zones and a performance area. Located on Mt. Namsan, this is literally the loftiest high you can experience in Seoul.
5, Myeongdong: Our tour guide says Gangnam is the most affluent neighborhood in Seoul (hence Psy’s wannabe Gangnam Style), but the most expensive piece of real estate is Myeongdong, an area consisting of two main streets lined with shops and home to all major fast-fashion labels. Lit up by dazzling neon, this is where you see K-Pop singers and dancers doing free impromptu acts, hear vendors shouting out sales and have a bite of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, among other street delights. Restaurants of various cuisines other than Korean are here, too. Within the area is Seoul’s main Catholic church, the Myeongdong Cathedral which has a 9 a.m. Sunday Mass.
6. Gyeongbokgung Palace: This is where you take a relaxing walk in history, as there are a series of palaces with poetic gardens in between. Built in 1395 by King Taejo during the Joseon Dynasty, the palaces transport you to a simpler, yet more elegant era. If you are lucky to have an erudite tour guide as we had, you will get a refresher in Korean History 101 plus amusing trivia on the romantic (and unromantic) life of royals, their concubines and eunuchs. For instance, did you know that for security purposes, an emperor would sleep not with his empress, but with a coterie of men, so as to confuse would-be assassins? There was likewise never a boring moment looking at the historical vignettes at the National Folk Museum of Korea within the area.
7. Insa-dong: One thing I most admire about Koreans is that they are designing the future with their hi-tech innovations; yet they have a reverence for their past and their culture. Located in the heart of the city, Insa-dong is closed to vehicles and is Seoul’s headquarters of culture. People just walk around to shop, eat and enjoy. The long street is lined with small quaint shops and street vendors’ stalls selling artifacts, antique pottery, rare books, clothes and art. In fact, there are about 70 art galleries here. There are exquisite teahouses, small restaurants and stalls selling street food cooked on the spot.
8. Nandaemun Night Market: I believe you can best discover the heart and soul of a country by visiting its markets. Tradition and modernity blend in markets such as Nandaemun where you can buy anything and everything from handicrafts to haute couture. This is Seoul's wholesale center (check out the buildings bursting with clothes), plus it has an alley of eateries and pop-up restaurants with plastic see-through walls and heaters to shield you from the winter cold. The market is open 24 hours daily. It starts at the Namdaemun Gate, a postcard-pretty structure built during the Joseon Dynasty, perfect for photo ops.
9. Korean Food: According to the futurist Alvin Toffler, a third taste will conquer the world. The first is unprocessed salt; the second, processed sauce; the third, fermented taste. Korean dishes are the forerunners of fermented food (think kimchi, Korean paste, chili paste and rice liquor). Yes, Koreans have conquered the world with their bibimbap (rice with vegetables and beef), bulgogi (barbecue) and yachae hotteok (veggie pancake). Traditional Korean wisdom says, “There is no better medicine than food.†Kimchi is said to be one of the world's healthiest foods as it helps digestion, prevents yeast infection and cancer as well. And what about samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) and yakbap (medicinal rice)? Every day we savored Korean food from the street stalls in night markets as well as from fancy restaurants and we loved it! Toffler was right. In Korea, the future is now.
10. Cheong-Gye-Cheon Restoration: You cannot help but admire Korean ingenuity here. A long buried stream is transformed into a calm oasis complete with a waterfall and pocket gardens. And this is right in the middle of Seoul’s busy and noisy urban area. This is a favorite photo op site among tourists. It may be nice to see this in November, during which thousands of paper-and-paint sculptures are floated on the stream.
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Many thanks to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea’s Minister and Consul General Min Kyong-ho, and Counsellor for Culture and Public Relations Seong Un Hwang, and Korea Tourism Organization Manila director Sangyong Zhu. For more information, visit www.visitkorea.or.kr, follow on Facebook www.facebook.com/ktomanila and Twitter www.twitter,com/ktomanila.
E-mail the author at mananquilmillet@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram @milletmartinezmananquil. Photos by Millet M. Mananquil