I have been flying to South Korea for 13 years, and yet I wrote only two blog posts about it: one about the racoon cafe in Busan and one about cherry time. To me, this place is something very casual, very homelike, very laid back, – somewhere I always come on holidays and have undivided attention of my parents and a cat (cat’s attention I never get, but that’s life). My packing to South Korea is two pairs of shorts, a swimming suit, three T-shirts, flip flops and gifts to Mus and Dad. (On my way back, I fill the suitcase with Korean cosmetics.) Recently I am not even taking my Canon with me, unless Mom and I are making a sweet detour somewhere else, like we did to Bali, and travelling light with my street camera, Fuji X-T2.
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
So today I want to show this country like I see and love it: no postcard views of the temples (which are gorgeous, by the way), no ultimate Instagram material of the cherry blossom.
South Korea is a country that changes every year, and changes A LOT. Every year new skyscrapers grow from nowhere, each time aiming for new heights and more glass, every year there is a new shopping moll. And now, more and more often, a new park opens in the middle of a city or even on its outskirts. Parents (Dad, actually) always push me out of the house, reasoning that I did not fly through half the globe to sit at home, chase the cat and watch movies (even though many time I flew across half the globe for less important reasons). So every weekend is a discovery time. This time we went to visit an ecological park in the middle of nowhere, between the cities, huge and full of sun flowers.
Sunflowers at the ecological park near Busan, South Korea
And, of course, in our family it means PHOTOS.
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
Not only in our family: Koreans are obsessed with taking photos, selfies especially. It is the country of social media, all kinds of screens in all possible places, fiber networks which are often unencrypted and high-end photography toys (from normally disliked Japan).
A couple taking a selfie in the sunflower field
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
No street photography in Korea can do without small Korean dogs.
Ecological park near Busan, South Korea
If you have ever wondered where my passion for photography is coming from.
So two very Korean things you have already seen are selfies and small dogs. What else is fundamental to Korean life? Shopping! Shopping is more than a recreation here, it is a hobby and a lifestyle. Shops know that, create it, foster it and cater to the crowds flocking in. Kids are somewhat sacred in Korea, and of course they have their own place in the paradise.
Back to the topic of small dogs. Small dogs in Korea have their own shops, with toys, accessories and divine pieces of clothing. And you taking their pictures makes the owner very, very proud. He would even engage with the dog to make sure it is looking in the right direction.
Small dog in South Korea
“Mom’s touch”: a cute example of Korean advertising thought. Many ads here are like that, straightforward and appealing to the fundamentals.
Streets of Busan, South Korea
And, sure, HelloKitty! In general, many road sings in Korea (and many printed signs, for this matter) are made is a form of cartoon animals in bright colours.
Streets of Busan, South Korea
Cat cafe in Busan: not only racoons are here to play with when taking coffee.
Streets of Busan, South Korea
A vending machine with white bunnies! In case you forgot yours today.
Streets of Busan, South Korea
Busan is a (relatively) old Korean city. As cars Korean cars get bigger and bigger, the cities’ street stay the same. Sometimes passing along the street can become a challenging, let alone parking! A solution (and a small business) is something like a tower with rotating floors inside. You leave the car at the bottom for a relatively small fees (competition between the parking towers is high) and get it at the bottom when you come back. No suffering induced by self-parking like in the German duplex parking!
Streets of Busan, South Korea
Streets of Busan, South Korea
That’s my first post about day-to-day like in South Korea, typical things I see there. Did you like it? Coming next: Korean food markets and road side cafes.
🙂
that’s a completely different to the common way to show South Korea. Interesting photos, my fav is the one with the flowers in the foreground and the city in distance, looks nice. I also liked the flowers photo too.
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oh thanks, I am happy that you like it 🙂
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Yes this is a side most people do not share about Korea. Well, some do but very few. Mostly it is about the city and the sights in and about it. You are right it changes every year! We used to collect the city tour maps but after 2 years its completely inaccurate… so it becomes an “antique”…
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Is there a place on Earth you two have not been to? 🙂 true about the maps, plus everyone goes so digital in Korea, it is getting difficult to get those maps now!
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Heheh… lol… Yes! There are still many blank spots on the planet we have not touched!
That’s true, we should keep and sell. Do you want to buy? heheh…
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That’s so cool! I had no idea things changed so fast.. Last time I went was 5 years ago..
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South Korea changes every year, literally: and the place my parents live is not even Seoul or Busan! Very very impressive.
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Interesting to see a bit of South Korea, as a family member is heading there soon. I love the photo amongst the field of flowers. Glorious feeling!
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I am sure they will enjoy! Korea is fantastic – and very tourist friendly! People literally take your hand and lead you wherever it is that you lost and can’t find a way to.
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That is good to know!!
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That is good to know. Thanks.
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I hope your family member has a great time! What city will they be heading to? I studied in Seoul for 5 months, and it was amazing!
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Yes Seoul and Busan I think. They will also go to the DMZ
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South Korea looks beautiful 💕
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Thank you – it is beautiful, as a country, with all the temples and the mountains, but I also love it because it is so real, so authentic and so different from what I am used to.
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South Korea looks amazing!!
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Thank you Mark! It is amazing – even if it is not cherry time or the red autumn colors!
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Yes maybe it gets overlooked in favor of other more popular destinations…but I like bed it whenever I visited..
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Beautiful! I love your casual take on Korea. I have the opposite on my blog (from a tourist perspective), but sometimes I also don’t take any photos and just enjoy being there. It was fun to see what pictures my friends took, when they went to Korea for the first time. Things which are so normal to me, because I go there so often, but which are very curious for a tourist.
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I actually never look at Korea from a tourist perspective, will go check your notes! :))
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