Seoul - Back on track

Time to say 'never ever' 👋

Yay, it continues! Finally! Today exactly one moon has passed, 28 days. How time flies.

I've had very little sleep. And for days now, this fluffy feeling on my tongue, even after brushing my teeth. Even the tongue cleaner can't keep up. I know from experience that my body has absorbed too many toxins of all kinds and now wants to get rid of them. Whether it's the food, the water, or the air, I have no idea.

I'm taking the bus one last time. I won't miss this stench, nor many other things. It turns out that the best thing about Busan is the high-speed train to Seoul. 😁

The journey 🚝

I'm curious. In Japan, I had absolutely no concerns about my safety. Busan was also relatively carefree, although not as carefree as Japan. On my Airbnb listing for my apartment in Gangnam (yes, that Gangnam with the style), it said 'safe area'. I search the internet for a crime map of Seoul. And indeed, there is one.

The landscape passes by, left and right. Endless high-rise landscapes, at least ten floors. What is considered a big city for us is just a sideshow for Asians.

I'm exploring Klook, an app to find activities. I find a shooting range and a performance show that will be right around the corner from me. I'll take it. And a massage for tomorrow. And a food market tour. Bought * 4. So far, I've paid almost nothing for experiences. It's time for that to change, my saved budget is more than ready for that.

Arrival in Seoul 🚉

I'm surprised. Even the medium-sized train stations in Japan were bigger than the biggest train station in Korea.
What is damn big, though, is the US Army Garrison in the city. It's not even outside, it's very central. How big? 1.5 * 1.5 km big.

What immediately catches my eye is the greenery. There are far more trees and bushes here. It gives a completely different atmosphere.

Since the shooting range closes at 6 p.m. and I have to travel for 45 minutes, I opt for the quick option for a meal; Cup Noodles. When I arrive at the minimart, I grab two random packs. Suddenly, at the register, I also get an energy drink and a kind of Knoppers. Neither will taste really good, but hey; all of this for 2.85 €, that's quite a welcome. Thanks Seoul. 😃

I continue walking and 100 meters later, I encounter a gardener and an employee of GS25. Out of the blue, we exchange friendly looks and nod approvingly at each other. Totally friendly, totally pleasant. What I missed in Busan for eight days, I get right away here. 

And another 100 meters later. I pass a sign, some e-sports agency, not even 100 meters from my accommodation.

Arriving and moving on 🚇

The apartment is quite pleasant. To my surprise, for the first time, I find a bathroom where there is no separate shower, but the bathroom itself serves as a shower. I don't understand why, but Koreans don't have proper bath towels. They only have small ones. I know that Asians, on average, are smaller, but such small 'bath towels'?

I set out, throwing myself into the metro. Next to me sits a Korean woman, typing on her phone. Just like everyone here. When I take a quick side glance, I can't help but smile. I see alternating Korean characters and words like 'dancing' and 'beautiful'. 😁
Every person around you is just a lay actor on the stage of your life. Until you realize that you play the same role for your neighbor. It's not just your destiny, but billions out there, each with their own story.

And it went *boom* 🧨

I arrive at the shooting range. First, I'm turned away, it's closed. Then he asks me something. Shortly after, he asks if I'm from Germany. Yup, I had to indicate that when booking. Then suddenly, quickly. 10 minutes later, I'm outside again, wide awake.

How was it? yeah, how was it? First of all, apart from shooting a pellet rifle as a child, I've never fired a real weapon before. Digital weapons in computer and video games, plenty of those. Millions of digital rounds. Today, I get a total of ten live rounds in the chamber. And they will be enough to turn things upside down.

I had the choice between a small pistol with a small caliber (0.9 kg loaded) and a big gun (1.9 kg loaded). I chose the big version, a Desert Eagle .357 Magnum. There are good reasons why the police use the smaller ones. The .357 is overkill. And maybe that's exactly why it was the right choice.

The gun hangs on a horizontally stretched rope, because I've seen videos of people hitting themselves in the forehead with such guns. And that's how it goes.
After a short briefing, I take it in my hand, I imagined it to be heavier. Maybe it's also because of the rope. I aim, slowly pull the trigger, and I was not prepared for what came. This noise is tremendous.

How tremendous? Take a New Year's firecracker. Preferably a D firecracker. It should have about 125 decibels, which is already borderline. Hold it at arm's length.
Now double the volume, and you're at 135 decibels.
Double it again...
Double it again...
And one last time.
Now you're at 165 decibels. And that's how loud the gun is. It's damn loud, even with ear protection. Once you've experienced that, you see movies from a different perspective, among other things. But not just movies.

Yes, it was the biggest boom at the shooting range, but I still can't understand how people make a sport out of this level of noise. I understand the cool feeling of 'aim, shoot, make a hole in a target'. It depends on your skills. But that's about it.

I'm glad I did it. It's an experience for life. One that changes or reinforces a few perspectives. I don't need to do it a second time. And as a wake-up call, it's effective but impractical. 😅

Stand up for your rights!

I hear human noise and music on the way to the temple. Yes, I'm giving the temples a chance here too. Noise means something to see. On the way, I grab a tea to go and head into the big city. I like it that way.

I exit the subway and think, 'Oops, a similar noise as just now.'. The noise is getting closer. Since I'm not ready to pay for the temple visit, I wait for the event that is getting closer. I suspect that the approaching train to the previous event is the source of the noise, and I let the spectacle pass me by. It has something special. Besides, they have atmospheric music. I notice how, in between, those moments full of endurance and atmosphere just come back naturally. Seoul is cool, not Busan.

Go with the flow ⛵

I go to my next destination, passing a canal along the way. After two minutes, I have already forgotten my destination, I just let myself be carried along by the river. Go with the flow.
While walking, I sing the song of the woman from earlier to myself. 'Du bi du dab da'. I have everything I need. I have a sweater with me, I have money, my phone, a power bank, and always a train nearby. What more do I need right now?

I hear beautiful music on the bridge above me. I keep going, join in, and enjoy the fading piece. Right next to it, I spot a shopping street, inviting. I feel like a teenager, with an attention span of... Oh, I have to keep going.

I pass by a Baskin-Robbins. Now is the time. I've seen dozens of these shops, but I've never tried them. That will change today. Apple Mint, Boundary Tea, and Ice Coffee. 6.16 €, you get something for your money here. Especially suuugar!

After a while, I randomly turn and come across a wonderful handcraft market that I had already seen pictures of online. Here too, just go with the flow.

Real threats

After a while, I head back to my accommodation, the lack of sleep is catching up to me. I go into the nearest metro, and I notice the shelter sign. The threat is always present here, there seems to be shelter drills once a month.

To end the day, I check the upcoming weather and want to remove Busan from my list.
The air quality there today is at 199, yesterday's warning was at 140.
Seoul is at 58, Langenfeld at 20, and Düsseldorf at 22. You take certain things for granted until you experience something different. Oh, Taipei's air quality is at 114, another reason to return to Japan.