(36) something something tokyo

Harajuku clothing store

It's funny that this is the title for a post about my winter vacation to Tokyo, because honestly, Tokyo and the experiences I have there are something I can talk about until I run out of breath. It's my favorite city. It's a place where I can always find some new experience while at the same time, revisiting old experiences that remind me why I love this place so much.

This time I was able to share the experience with my girlfriend, not only a special occasion based on the action of sharing my favorite place with her, but the fact that she was able to clear out her schedule enough to actually go for a few days was a miracle. Her job, is not the typical 9 to 5 that many people hold. Taking vacation time is almost never a possibility for her and taking more than three days off to travel overseas is also a next to impossible task.

However, after a lot of discussion, scouring of the web for affordable plane and hotel accommodations and planning a mix of my favorite places to see with some new things for both of us to explore, the date was finalized and the plans were set. Fate had aligned, it was time to return to the city that in many ways, set me on the present course my life is currently on today. My genesis city, the origin of everything.

Traditional Japanese Wedding

It has been several years since I had spent time in Tokyo, and admittedly my memory of locations and sight to see were a bit fuzzy. I knew that certain places existed in certain areas,  but the memory of exactly how to go to them, the right train to take, the right subway exit to leave, was still a bit fuzzy. I spent a large amount of time researching and refreshing my memory of the places I visited years before. This was the first time I was traveling overseas with someone who was more unfamiliar with the area than I was and I wanted to make sure that her experience was as stress free as possible. I was completely comfortable with being lost in an unfamiliar place. It's how I ended up discovering most of the areas that would become favorite places in Japan during previous visits. I knew my girlfriend though. I knew what made her uncomfortable and what quickly drained her enjoyment. I made sure that this time, there was no getting lost.

Bright Shibuya

The wonderful thing about Tokyo, specifically central Tokyo where our hotel was located, is that incredible ease to get to each location with little to no difficulty. Many of the popular areas like Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya were only a few subway stops away with a maximum time of 30 minutes to get to each area. I was amazed the first time I came to Tokyo in terms of its efficient subway system. after spending two years using the subways in Seoul and Daegu, I can still say with confidence that the Tokyo subway line still impresses with its ease of use and access.

With only three days, we decided to maximize our time in seeing places and trying things. By the end of the day we were always tired and ready to sleep as soon as our bodies hit the bed. I always took this as a sign of a good day. We used our energy to do what we wanted, another check on the list.

Taken from an indoor onsen (hotspring)

I took her to some of my favorite old places to visit. We walked around the shops of Harajuku at night taking in the bright pastel and candy colored clothing while enjoying one of Harajuku's famous crepes. We visited Meiji Shrine and were able to visit the many temples and shrines there. We were even lucky enough to witness a Japanese traditional wedding in progress while we were there. It was a incredible surprise to see and something that made my girlfriend very happy to witness in person.

That's not to say everyday was a nonstop series of traveling. We took the time to appreciate some of the more calmer moments. We made sure to sip coffee at the Starbucks in Shibuya while watching the crowd of people cross below us. We visited an onsen and let our minds and bodies relax as the soothing hot water was a pleasant and comfortable yin to the cold, outdoor air's yang. In the evening we always took the time to have a sizable meal with cold beverages, a celebration of our freedom and a great way to end a day of new experiences.

Delicious and fresh sushi

My girlfriend had to return to Korea after three days, while I stayed behind a few more days to visit friends. At first I was nervous for her. Having lived in big city her whole life, I knew that the impact on her wouldn't be as big for her as it was for me. A place so important and significant, I wouldn't want her experience to be mediocre. I wanted to share the same feelings and love for this place that I had with her. I wanted her to understand why I loved this city so much.

In the end, she didn't get quite the same impact as I did, but ended up loving it all the same. For her, it was more of an experience of seeing the little differences and the subtle changes between her city of Seoul and Tokyo. For her, it was seeing clean streets with not a piece of litter in site. It was going to a convenience store and seeing a wider selection of alcohol than just beer and soju. It was seeing grown men and women purchase figures and statues of famous anime characters with no sign of shame or remorse.

While any big city is bound to be similar in many ways, digging into the center to see the differences and the essence of what makes the city different from anywhere else. Cities have souls, and the people and the places make up the blood that flows through its veins.

For a few days, she was able to see that blood. For a few days she was able to catch a glimpse of the city that I love and the city that I know one day, I will return to again.

Random helpful things I have discovered in Korea (glasses, transportation, hair cuts and wi fi)

As of right now, it has been nearly five months since coming here for the first time. what once seemed like an impossible dream of making my way to Korea has now become an everyday reality. There's been some challenges along the way but for the most part, Korea has been an incredible country to explore and discover. I consider myself very lucky that everyday is an opportunity for new adventures.

Since being here there have been a lot of small things I have learned along the way that have helped me live a comfortable life. Here is a small but helpful sampling of what I have learned.

If you wear eye glasses in Korea, it is very easy and affordable to get new ones. I was able to visit an eye glasses store in Seoul and in the end purchased a new pair of glasses, new lenses and a have my old glasses repaired for 40,000 won, an insanely cheap price compared to the states. If you were waiting to purchase new eye wear until after coming to Korea, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Traveling in Korea is a breeze. Not only do larger cities have an easy to use subway and taxi system (most of which will have a very frequent use of English) traveling between cities and towns is easy thanks to the excellent train systems here. The slowest train, the Mugunghwa will take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours between locations but is the cheapest (around 14,000 won). The next train in line is the Saemaul which is a step up in speed and price (around 20-25,000 won). Finally, the KTX is the fastest train that Korea offers, able to travel from one end of the country to the other in less than 6 hours. It is the most expensive option (anywhere from 34,000 to 50,000 won), but as you can probably tell, you have plenty of train options that can fit every budget and time frame. The website allows you to book your tickets in English and redeem them at the station. Be sure to bring your passport when redeeming them. You can find a link to the English Korail site here.

Along with trains, taxis and subways, buses are also an option. While a majority of bus schedules are in Korean, a little time spent learning the schedules and having a Korean friend help translate will cut down on travel time in the city immensely and will be a cheaper alternative to a taxi or subway.

Getting a haircut is also an easy experience if you live in a larger city. Most places will known enough English for you to express how you want your hair. An alternative is learn some basic hair-related phrases (trim, cut, perm) in order to make the process easier. Be warned, there are many places that cut hair for many different prices so be sure to choose carefully. Ask other foreign teachers, Korean friends and co teachers before making a decisions. Guys and especially girls are at a risk of having their hair butchered if not careful. As with many things in Korea, doing your research before doing anything else is key!

Finally, a side note: wi fi is not something that is widely available in Korea like back in the states. Coffee shops and restaurants are often your best bet to find hot spots, but even then, some places may be lacking. If you have a device that relies on wi-fi, it is best to find a reliable hang out spot that you can frequent. If you have a mobile phone device, it is best to stick with your service and try for the largest data plan possible. While it may cost more initially, if you frequently use your devices, it will be considerably less than going over a limit.

There are many useful tips for foreigners living in Korea. This is just a small sampling. I will post more as time goes on and I discover more new tips and tricks.