Welcome to my Korean adventure. This isn’t a guidebook. It’s a collection of stories – sometimes reflective, sometimes surprising, usually humorous – about one person’s encounter with a place full of contrasts. From urban life and street food stalls to temple complexes and conversations lost in translation, I invite you to walk with me as I do my best to navigate the invisible layers of South Korean culture.
Before I share with you my thoughts and memories, a few words of introduction are needed. The trip happened in 2019 and, as always, I took plenty of notes during and shortly after my travel. I started to work on my new website, where the Korean journey was supposed to be one of the first posts published. I also started studying ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring which proven to be more time and effort consuming than I planned, especially with the pandemic hitting the world. And in my area of expertise, it hit really hard. There were not too many people moving around the world. Long story short, the website project has been abandoned, I focused on Instagram and Facebook instead.
Now, finally, these stories are seeing the light of day, freshly edited, but still as honest as when I first wrote them. I hope you’ll enjoy these reflections on a vibrant, surprising, and beautiful country.
our big fat Korean wedding – part 1
A trip to South Korea wasn’t really on my bucket list. I didn’t know much about the country, though Daewoo – a Korean corporation, had invested in my home town to build cars shortly after the fall of communism. Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt early enough to be neither memorable nor significant. If I had ever decided to go to the Far East, which was highly unlikely as I was never particularly drawn to that part of the world, I would probably have chosen Japan, like majority of people I know. And then I moved to London… One day, I…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 2
As I mentioned in the previous post, we flew with Asiana Airlines, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. Since it’s a Korean carrier, I was a bit nervous about the food and legroom, but it was much better than any experience I’ve had so far with British Airways (flying economy only, naturally). Being fairly tall, I appreciated the extra space to stretch my legs, a must when you’re stuck in one seat for 11 hours. The onboard food was delicious, with options for either Western or Korean-style meals. We opted for the Korean dishes, and they were…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 3
This is probably the only post in the series without any photos of the actual subject. The reason is simple: it was only my second day in South Korea, and aside from a few pictures with friends, I didn’t take any others. And honestly, I’d rather not post photos of other people—especially since most of them aren’t even on Facebook! the wedding Anyway, I’m not entirely sure whether my friends’ wedding was typical or not. I did some research, and it seems that their celebration wasn’t too different from what many other Korean couples might do, so I’m going to…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 4
jimjilbang – Korean sauna Before my trip to Korea, I did some research. Many sources recommended visiting a jimjilbang, which in Korean culture is similar to a sauna in Finland, an onsen in Japan, a banya in Russia, or a hammam in Turkey – a cheap public bathhouse. All the local friends we met during our trip suggested the same, but of course, I thought I knew better. I wasn’t about to “waste” my precious time exploring a place I believed there was nothing special about. After all, I had experienced saunas before. No matter how much I enjoy those…