Observations on Korean Culture

I’ve only been in South Korea for about 4 days but have already noticed some interesting cultural trends. Here’s a few that stand out so far:
1) Men love the coif. Other than gender, the coif knows no boundaries (athough I’m sure I’ll see a woman with a coif at some point). The coif is featured prominently on just about every advert that has a man in it.

2) Women love mirrors. It didn’t take long to notice the abnormally high frequency of mirrors in stores and even in metro stations. Women are constantly checking themselves in mirrors and / or applying makeup.
3) For the most part, people here dress very well. Suits and ties for the men even on weekends. High heels and skirts/dresses for the women. The other obvious fashion trend are people decked out in hiking gear (boots, poles, backpack) even when it’s obvious that they haven’t gone and aren’t going to go hiking all day.
4) Lots of women have unnaturally pale skin. Back in the day being tan meant you were poor because you were working in the fields all day. Nowadays, I’m not sure why having lighter (think mental institution scrubs) white skin is what women here desire. There are lots of skin whitening products out on the market here.
5) Kim Yuna lovefest. Yes, she’s an Olympic gold medalist. Yes, a lot of young girls look up to her. Yes, she’s got a pretty face and is photogenic. But seriously, her face is everywhere. From cosmetics to soju, she’s on so many adverts that you can’t get away from her. I thought I’d seen more adverts of her than men on the street with coifs, but then I realized that even she can’t overtake the coifs.
6) Couples love wearing matching outfits. Apparently entire families are now getting into this trend. Only a picture can do this one justice.

7) Men almost always carry their girlfriend’s purse, even if they’re carrying their own murse.

8) With apologies to the “official” stance on gays, there are indeed gay people in Korea.

I wonder if that’s his murse or he’s just carrying it for his buddy…
9) Speaking of murses, the murse (male purse) is a disturbingly popular fashion accessory for all men. Sorry friends, you will never catch me rocking one of these.
10) People drink like there’s no tomorrow. In fact, it’s common to see people passed out drunk on the sidewalk.

Mosquito Island, Thailand - Jan 2010

Stopped on Mosquito Island for lunch while I was touring the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand...

South Island, NZ

My travel plans for the South Island of New Zealand:

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Jabs and pills

Medical preparation is very important to consider before going anywhere. It's essential to get all your vaccinations and pills before departing. Today I'll be getting all my booster shots for everything from hepatitis to yellow fever. There are about 10 different diseases that I need boosters for in addition to the malaria and altitude sickness pills. It's also important to note that many countries have nationalized healthcare so if I break an arm or something I won't have to worry about an massive bill. Also, most of what we call "presciption meds" don't require prescriptions in many countries. I learned that firsthand in Brazil when I got traveler's diarrhea and needed meds. Speaking of which, I never want traveler's diarrhea ever again!!

I've got a year...where do I go?

Choosing where to go for a year is a fun and frustrating process. Fun because you'll actually be going to these places and not just reading about them . Frustrating because you want to go to all of them but you can't. For me, the biggest factors were location, weather, things to do, and budget. Many of the places  I'm going to are classic backpacker stops, but I'm sure at some points I'll go even further off the beaten path and find a truly unspoilt place. Despite the onslaught of globalization, places like that still do exist. Trust me.

So after looking at google maps for hours at a time, I've narrowed down my list to the following (in order):

Asia: S. Korea, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia

Oceania: Bali, Australia, New Zealand

South America: Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico

Other than Australia and New Zealand, all the other locations are cheap. And for the most part, I can travel cheaply between places by bus, train, or ferry. Hell, I might even take the 24 hr long ferry from Incheon, S. Korea to Tianjin, China. It's significantly cheaper than flying. And I'll be on a motherfucking boat!

Journey of a Lifetime

My parents worked hard to get my sisters and I to where we are today. Especially these days, they're prodding us to save money, buy a home, find a spouse, have children, etc. Sorry mom and dad, but that's just not for me at this point in my life. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) I wasn't a victim of the great recession. I didn't lose my job nor my sense of security. Don't get me wrong, I like what I do and the company I work for... but I don't want to sit behind a desk for the next 40 years and live the same life that everyone else lives. And that was how I thought things would go for me, but in the fall of 2008 things changed...

Patrick and I went to Buenos Aires and despite some minor misgivings and uncertainty, we stayed at a hostel recommended to us by a friend. Milhouse Hostel. And that's where I discovered an idea so uniquely foreign to Americans that I couldn't believe it. People taking months or years off to travel. And not just any people, but young people. In America, we work our whole lives saving money to get that nice home and nice car and summer weekends in the Hamptons. But for most Americans, travel is an afterthought for when you're retired and gray. But why wait? Why not see the world while you're young and able-bodied? Why not do it now?!

So I made a decision. I told myself I would do a gap year. Not immediately, but when I became ready - financially and mentally. So I kept traveling from that point onward, staying in hostels, guesthouses, and occasionally hotels all over the planet. Iceland, Thailand, Belize, Holland, Peru, Belgium, Nicaragua. I've learned a lot from my travels so far, but there's so much more to see, do, learn, and experience. The world is too massive that it would be a mistake to not explore and experience all that it has to offer. So that's why this June I'm saying farewell to the comfortable confines of NYC and traveling for a year. 

Great Treks

Already did the Inka Trail, next on my list is the Annapurna Circuit :D

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/travel/27personal.html?fta=y