Where I live - Part 1

It occurs to me, sometimes, that the point of having this blog is not to drone on about the mundane business of my life here, but to offer insight into what living in Korea is truly like. I'd like to take some inspiration from my friend Brent, who blogs about more cultural things like Korean TV, rather than what his hair looks like, or what he ate for breakfast, and show you around my neighbourhood.


This is the Shidae Apartment complex. From far away, it looks quite nice. My building is the tallest one on the right - building 101 (Baek-il dong). I'm on the 18th floor of this 19-storey building. Now, ponder that for a moment: 19 floors x 14 apartments on each floor x 9 buildings x average of 2 occupants per apartment = more than the population of La Pocatiere in one city block, not including about 15 restaurants, two 4 or 5 storey department stores, a daycare centre or two, a grocery store, two convenience stores, a couple of fruit stands and various other businesses. Note that there is another Apartment complex right next to Shidae, with about 5 buildings in it.

Across the six-lane road from Shidae, you suddenly enter a different world. Here is a... well, can't call it a village... let's say "hamlet" of small traditional Korean dwellings. Low houses with tiled roofs peeking over low stone or concrete walls. This is where I came with Nina to learn how to ride my scooter.

Continuing up the one-lane road, there are fields of rice and tea. Farmers in odd get-ups are wandering around, sitting on the side of the road, or working. Rotatillers and wheelbarrows litter the pavement. These fields are currently being torn up to make way for another apartment complex...but more on that later.

Further up the road - we are now only 5 minutes from Shidae and its high-end boutiques - autumn shows its colours over "Lake Nina", a dammed reservoir nestled at the base of a mountain, overseeing the patchwork of fields below.

Up now, Red Devil's engine whirs and protests, past a quarry, until we reach.... a White Castle? Yes, at the end of this road in the middle of nowhere, there is a fairy-tale palace sort of wedding hall. Next to it is a driving range.

But, let's turn around and go back home now...