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[figee]

So in four weeks I'm off to a conference near Seoul.  I'm going by myself, and it's a big conference, so I won't know anyone.  The upside is that I present on the first day, then have four days to catch up on some reading, meet some people, go on a study tour and eat Korean BBQ (as an Australian, this is obviously the best thing about going there).  On the downside, I don't know anyone, and am a it leery of heading to a country where I have no idea of the language.  I'm happy shifting through most of Europe, including Eastern Europe, but maybe because I rely on reading so much, the thought of being somewhere where I can't recognise anything scares me a little.

So, any tips for getting me out of my hotel room and into a strange place?  And any tips about what to see while there, and where the best places to eat are?

[scotia]

I was in Seoul in January travelling on my own and it was easier than I had imagined (I was working during the week but had a couple of days at the weekend to explore). The train and subway stations (not sure how close to Seoul you are, but the subway went out to Suwon) had signs in English as well as Korean, though with buses I had to rely on the numbers and checking the destination with drivers: stating my destination in a questioning voice and looking hopeful resulted in my either being beckoned onto the bus or receiving a rapid wave of the hand to say 'not this one'. I wouldn't use it in many places, but the 'help I am  lost' look was useful in Korea and on several occasions resulted in young Koreans with reasonable English stopping to help me. Many of the signs for major attractions (maybe even all) included a Roman alphabet translation. I bought a T-money card which meant that I did not have to deal with fares most of the time (the exception was the bus to and from the airport - misnamed the 'limousine'), just wave my card in the direction of the reader. Depending on how far out of Seoul you are, this may be an option.

I am not sure about the situation as you get further from Seoul, but a couple of my colleagues who have been doing the trip for a number of years have ventured further afield and had a great time.

[notaprof]

My husband traveled to Korea to give a lecture once and if he can survive on his own there any one can.  He is not the most adaptable of people and he is terrible at languages but he found helpful people wherever he went.  He loved the heated mats that people sleep on there and has never slept so well at any other time in his life.

My sister has a very cute pocket-sized book for travelers that has pictures of things in categories so that if you don't know the word for something, you can point to a picture and someone would understand what you needed.  There is a section on food, a section on transportation, a section on lodging, as section of things you would typically find at a drugstore in the US,  a section of health related things in case you needed a doctor, etc.  I took it with me to China and never actually used it but seemed prudent to have it since all I could say in Chinese was ni hao, xie xie and how to count to 100.

[firecracker]

I would also say that if you have any time or inclination, you could learn the Korean alphabet VERY quickly.  It consists of circles and straight lines, and was designed for ease of learning in order to rapidly increase the country's literacy rate (it worked!)

I don't think I'm any whiz at languages, but after 2 days of concerted effort, I had learned the alphabet. If you get outside of Seoul, this might be helpful to you.

Also, I would definitely suggest that you go to one of the korean spas/bathhouses (jimjilbang in Korean). For a small fee, you can spend the whole afternoon.

Do you know what area of Seoul you will be in? If you will be near Hongik University, there are loads of great restaurants in that area.

Have fun!

[firecracker]

A few more suggestions:

Go to Insadong (a "traditional" old street, good for buying souvenirs, and having tea)

Definitely hit the markets, even if you are not a huge shopper; they are fun to see. The best night market is Myung-dong, and the day markets are Dongdaemun and Namdaemun (these are the names of two of the main city "gates").

And Jogno Street also is a fun place to stroll, and has some good places to eat.

And if you like hiking, try Bukhansan or Suraksan (easily accessible by bus/subway). I did a bit of hiking in Korea, and found hikers really friendly, always offering food, etc.

[scotia]

Go to Insadong (a "traditional" old street, good for buying souvenirs, and having tea)

Some of the streets off Insadong are also interesting, with traditional Korean buildings. I also enjoyed Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is close to Insadong.

Definitely hit the markets, even if you are not a huge shopper; they are fun to see. The best night market is Myung-dong, and the day markets are Dongdaemun and Namdaemun (these are the names of two of the main city "gates").

The Namdaemun Gate burned down in February and is currently awaiting restoration.

And if you like hiking, try Bukhansan or Suraksan (easily accessible by bus/subway). I did a bit of hiking in Korea, and found hikers really friendly, always offering food, etc.

I spent a morning hiking in the hills around Seoul and found some of the older villages really interesting (be careful taking photographs around Shaman temples as I was warned that they have to restart their rites if anyone takes a photograph while a rite is in progress. I encountered a man being very fierce to a couple of Korean hikers who hadn't spotted the 'no photographs' signs). The views to the city were very good.

I also enjoyed walking around the walls of Suwon fortress, a World Heritage Site. It is accessible subway/train from Seoul to Suwon and then a local bus.

I spent a lot of my time outdoors because I was stuck in a classroom all week and it was cold so doing things outside was possible. I believe Seoul is very hot and humid in the summer so some of this might not be so attractive in July/August.

[mozman]

I went to Korea for a meeting last year.  Not in Seoul, but in a smaller city.  No english anywhere except in the hotel.

Do what I did - relax!.  I just started walking around and didn't worry about the language.  People were very friendly and we were able to make ourselves to each other understood by pantomime.  I learned a little korean - the people were delighted when I tried it out on them.

The first day I was their, I found out where the central market was - I had the taxi take me there and drop me off.  Just started walking around, sampling the local food (the street food was GREAT!).  This was interesting, at some places (the carts) you could point to the food.  I went into restauraunts where there was no english and no pictures of the food.  I just pointed to random lines on the menu and enjoyed what I was given.  It was an adventure.

Korea was great fun.  Drink the so-ju!

mm

[spork]

Do a search on YouTube for "We Got Married" clips with English subtitles.

[meagain]

If you go into a shop early in the morning (when you might be the first customer) be sure to buy something, even some trinket.  Especially in the smaller shops on side streets, the first customer is thought to set the tone for the entire day.  Don't be alarmed if the owner spits on the money and rubs it on his or her head.

Have fun.

[montreal_at_heart]

I was there a while back. A few thoughts:

- The main thing to do is to go shopping.
- Take money, lots and lots of it, for the shopping.
- Check out the markets- there's a shoe market a towel market, a button market, a machinery market.. you get the idea.   
- Ride the subway, which is an experience in itself.
- Most restaurants seem to be BBQ places.
- To generalize, my experience was that Koreans are reserved and will likely avoid direct eye contact, but when approached will go far out of their way to assist you. It is a sincerely kind, if quirky,  society. These are really terrific people if you can get close enough to talk to them. There seems to be a very high level of built-in decorum and trust in this society. Crime seemed nonexistent.
- The best times you can have will be through your contact with Koreans themselves- try to befriend someone. If you have professional contacts who invite you to do something, do not turn them down. It's an entry to a somewhat closed society, and to fun.

[figee]

Thanks everyone!  I fly out on Sunday, have consulted a Korean colleague who pointed out where all the protests in Seoul are going on, and politely suggested that I avoid that area.... so I'll update when I get back!

[figee]

I'm back home safe and sound, and would definitely return.  Insadong was incredible - 4 hours to cover about 400 metres of the street.  A colleague and I kept on getting distracted.  Bought some really lovely things home as well.  As everyone said, people were incredible friendly and helpful, although the language barrier was sometimes difficult.  I was staying out near Kintex, so an hour outside Seoul, so English was limited, but handwaving and smiling seemed to work ok.,  Try as I might, the only things I really picked up was 'thank you'.

The food was pretty good, but I'm a little tired of kimchi, and have been enjoying fruit and vegies ever since.  It was also miserably hot, which took a bit of getting used to.

The only bone I want to pick with you guys is the lack of warning about the toilets.  Mine didn't come with an instruction manual, and the uses for all of those buttons remained a mystery.  Photos sent home elicited that helpful response that I should look for the rudder and the joystick.  So, can anyone explain?  I 'got' the etiquette bellls (just gave one a press to see what happened then spent the next minute or so wondering where the noise was coming from), but similar experimentation of button pressing with the hotel toilets failed to produce any information.

[montreal_at_heart]

oh yeah- etiquette bells. I never saw one, but apparently they are there to mask the sounds of er... biological production.

[figee]

But apparently a gendered phenomenon, as there were none in the men's toilets.