I said that I was kind of taking the same pictures in Seoul as I was back home. One thing that kind of helped was how familiar everything felt. The people there love Western culture, and you definitely see its influence on things like food, fashion, and music. However, they tend to lag a bit behind. What you end up with is a neat anachronism where you see familiar themes from a few years ago, but they've been reshaped to fit in a present day context. For example, the dubstep wobble is just beginning to creep its way into pop music, for better or worse. Cafes are all over the place, from cute little wood-panel knit-beanie joints to big by-the-gallon Starbucks establishments (they have Starbucks there, too), and they all serve muffins and buttery French-style pastries. Burger, pizza, and pasta restaurants are in no short supply, and LV bags and Canada Goose parkas are the norm, but then again, where in the world right now are they not?
... Yet it all feels distinctly Korean. Flavors, textures, colors, and sounds have been rebalanced for the local palate, taking care not to offend the elderly -- many of which still grace the sidewalks with their daily strolls around town, cold weather be damned. With the exception of the former chaos of a bustling COEX Mall, nothing in particular screams in your face for attention like it would in the West and nothing is ever really done to excess. It doesn't really need to. Streets and sidewalks are wider, and there's more open space to take your time and take it all in. Everything just exists, politely asking for a moment -- a far cry from the strobe lights and neon signs of Tokyo and Hong Kong. If something happens to catch your fancy, stop in and take a look, taste, or listen.
There is WiFi everywhere. Absolutely everywhere, from the subway to the top floor. I had forgotten to unlock my phone in time but I ended up not needing to, as you can stand outside a cafe (or just walk in for a $6 cup of Bolivian hand-drip), jump on their WiFi, and look up your next destination. The local telecoms also offer pay services that you can log into while you're on the subway. We didn't really need that, though. There was enough free WiFi to bounce on and off of just to get what you need to know.
With that, getting around town was extremely easy. We were at most a 20 minute train ride from anywhere we wanted to get in Seoul. Their subway system is reminiscent of those of Tokyo and Hong Kong, with ample ventilation, big LCD screens to tell you where the next train is, and sliding glass doors to keep the tracks clean and running smoothly. The trains run smoothly enough that it's not necessary to grab a pole or hanging loop to keep yourself upright. Everything is very shiny and new, not having to conform to hundred-year-old fixtures like it does in New York City.
Speaking of fixtures...
I had gone with the intention of getting a new (used) film camera to shoot alongside the Fuji but unfortunately, the power adapter we bought ended up not fitting the outlets in the hotel room and I only have two batteries for the Fuji, now without a working charger. I ran them both up in about three days. Depending on how often I wake up the camera to take pictures, the battery in the X100S lasts for about 200 shots. One of my few complaints about the Fuji has always been the tiny little battery.
So, with the Fuji dead, the new camera would have to take over as my primary shooter for the trip. Luckily for me, the camera I would get, the Voigtlander Bessa R2A, would be a worthy stand-in. I'll introduce you in the next post, along with the pictures I took with it.
Again,
here's the rest of the album I shot on digital, including some B roll.
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