Building higher for a better view
They say 20 years ago Gangnam* was only
farmer¡¯s fields and now
you¡¯d be hard pressed to find a patch of grass to run your toes through least
they hit the dusty bones of a long dead member of nobility or you get yelled
at by a park ranger for stepping over the little rope that encases what green
remains. The buildings have become our mountains with peaks tall enough to
see the shadows of rock through the smog; ventilators and air conditioners
our trees. We¡¯re blocking out nature¡¯s wonderland with concrete and glass
and cranes that pop up over night faster than weeds can break through holes
in the sidewalk or tree roots can push up the asphalt and reclaim the space
they¡¯ve lost to civilization. So save all your cash for a riverside apartment
but be ready to move because tomorrow there very well might be a tower obstructing
your view or the shrill pounding of a jackhammer to wake you up and drill
out the sound of birds chirping in the new day. Yet there¡¯s no denying there¡¯s
something heart-jerking about seeing a sunset over grown-up children¡¯s more
durable forts and gleaming through the spaces man forgot to fill.
Bringing cities to life
Concrete building blocks seem grey, and glass feels lonely if not acting as a mirror to check the state of your hair or search for imperfections in your attire. So buildings block out nature¡¯s colours, but people bring the full spectrum back into focus, giving life to what would only be massive ghost towns without all the hustle and hostility and love and laughter that humans shout through the streets at four am after a night on the town or a day of faxes and phone calls to keep the infrastructure sound and the economy something to talk about in the next day¡¯s morning edition. People animate the inanimate and give breath, blood and purpose to these shelters we¡¯ve created and memories to trace along the cracks and creaks and tears running up and over the walls that surround us.
These days
There are 28 bridges that span over the Han River which runs through the center of town, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t ecstatic the first time I went flying over the new addition to the Hannam Bridge that took about two years to complete. Traffic jams thin out to make way for less distraction as one scans to feast their eyes on the light sparkling off the water, too polluted to swim in, and along the rows and rows of apartment buildings nicely framed by mountains in the distance that make up a fair share of the climate of this small peninsula we call home. There¡¯s beauty to be found even on overcast days in the pastel rainbow that hogs the colour chart and seems to attach itself to all things erected in this city of over 10 million inhabitants. Give me a tank full of gas and I¡¯d be thrilled to drive back and forth over that river and take mental pictures of the cityscape I thought monochrome, but is indeed filled with tones, and the wind in your hair blowing over the water is just an added bonus.
Smogless days
I hate the rain that falls for days or weeks or months during monsoon but you¡¯ve got to give it credit for washing all the exhaust off and making way for fresher smelling air and a chance to see detail in mounds of rock caused by shifting earth, and if anyplace is full of shift, it¡¯s definitely Korea with it¡¯s turbulent history and love of tear jerking drama. Pink skies at night--sailors delight; pink skies in the morning--sailor¡¯s warning. And considering we¡¯re surrounded on three sides by water, one¡¯s got to think of those things¡¦But really I just love the sky.
Burberry
You can take this city and break it into little pieces, rip it apart and wonder through each neighborhood that has a bit of everything so one technically never has to leave theirs¡¯, and although each area has its own feel you¡¯ll always find a bit of burberry no matter where you go in Seoul. Live in Uijeongbu* or Duncheon-dong*, hours apart, but still tied together by the greatest subway system on earth, and the criss-cross of plaid. And every street has a story to tell and every ajumma*, her unique independent experience, but this is ¡°our¡± country (foreigners not included) and ¡°our¡± brand of choice. And to the untrained eye it may all look identical, but like every drop of snow, no two scarves are the same. (And I¡¯ve heard complaints, no two stairs in a stairwell, either. But I¡¯ve yet to confirm this.)
Apartment Shopping
According to a friend apartment shopping ranks in the top ten of the biggest stresses in life and searching through all the vacant spaces in this city can make suicide seem like a logical option because finding the right amount of pyeong* to call your own (for a price you can afford) gets harder when they all start to look the same and sunlight seems to be a fairytale detail lost amongst the windows that open to brick walls, and your eyes squeeze shut with the noise of traffic, barking miniature dogs and the pudongsan* employee who keeps trying to shove a contract down your throat.
Glossary of terms for
the non-Korean speaker:
Ajumma - married woman
Duncheon-dong - neighbourhood
Gangnam - neighbourhood
Pudongsan - real estate agency
Pyeong - a unit of area
Uijeongbu - neighbourhood
