Anyway, back to the story. The Seoul Zoo is located inside a magical land called Seoul Grand Park. It not only has a zoo, but a museum, amusement park, lake, 2 sky rides, and a rose garden - all located within the gorgeous hills just outside of Seoul. I hadn't expected any of this as my sky ride seat came over the first hill and I was in awe. Que: camera. I always take several pictures of these sorts of views because I like to have options for later...and it turns out that some of my options hold more than just a beautiful view. I managed to capture on film, two things that are very hard for me to describe to people who have never seen it. And I shall share them with you now.
1. The Korean Couple Fight
This sight is not uncommon in the cities of Korea. I have seen several screaming matches late at night when everyone is wandering home from the bars. But more importantly, I have seen these fights happen in broad day light when the couple is (presumably) sober. For reasons unknown to me, coffee shops are a popular place to witness such an event, and these sorts of fights are easy to spot from a mile away. The female is always sitting, tight lipped and arms crossed, as far away as she can be from her boyfriend without being at the next table, in complete and utter silence. The male is usually sitting there trying thinking of the right thing to say. Occasionally he will say something and when it is returned with silence he goes back into the depths of his mind for something else to say. (I know it doesn't sound a whole lot different from the fights American couples have, but I have never seen this frequency of silent fights in all my years in CO.) The following picture is one of the most unfortunate places that I can think of to have one of these fights.
2. The Korean Gawk
As a foreigner in a strange land, it took some time to get used to the stares you can get from some people. Over time, maybe I forgot about it or learned how to ignore it, but either way I don't notice it as often as when I first got here. It is a part of my existence in Korea. There are a wide range of looks you can receive as a foreigner here, but the one you receive the most is the hardest to describe. I guess I would say it is neither angry nor excited or surprised. And the best part about it is that the stare-er doesn't look away, even if caught by the stare-ee. As far as the following picture goes, I guess I should concede that three white girls might have been quite a sight on the sky ride that day, so can you blame them?
I would like to thank the two couples in the pictures for providing me with an unexpected source of blogworthiness and amusement. And I would like to thank you for reading!
