🇰🇷 Barbarian

Hello Adventurers,

The older I get, the more I find myself exhibiting a feast mindset. It’d be great to chalk this up to intentionality — it being the byproduct of innate sophistication and/or just something that came to me from deep contemplation that unlocked transcendental ego dissolution via some higher form of consciousness — but that’s not the case (IRL, I’m simply too scattered for that).

TBH, my feast mindset was nurtured by lots of different things. Professionally, I worked in the marketing industry for a long time. And there, I learnt that a good idea can come from anywhere / anyone, and if one creates the conditions to welcome ideas (as opposed to being an egomaniac gatekeeper that squashes the ideas of others…for fear of being usurped) then ideas beget more ideas, and the wildest opportunities seem to materialize outta nowhere…and everyone wins (e.g. individuals, teams, clients, consumers, etc.) And personally? Well, I’ve marathoned the globe for a near-decade and have been gobsmacked by the everyday ingenuity that I’ve witnessed on the streets (which can be small contributions that push culture, commerce as well as communities forward in big ways…and is stuff you recognize your own brain lacks the bandwidth to birth). And personally-personally? Well, I’ve surrounded myself with artists, writers, and musicians for the last 30 years…and that tribe is all about jamming, skill-sharing, peer-reviewing, and cross-fertilizing each other’s work…which elevates everyone in the process. And hoarding and greed? It is basically antithetical to everything in this paragraph.

Anyhoo, remember how much the pandemic sucked? I do…but I absolutely love that Goblin Mode arose from it. Like, the term — as well as the concept — just totally nailed the zeitgeist. And if I had a famine mindset, I’d be jelly that I didn’t coin the term / capitalize on it. However, I’m just glad that it exists…because it is brilliant, hilarious, and gets my juices flowing (playfully motivating me to sharpen my insights ‘cause I always want to create more resonant ideas). That said, I didn’t enter Goblin Mode in the pando — not because I’m vain — but because I’ve struggled with self-control at different points in my life (and thus know a slippery slope when I see one).

However, nothing makes me feel more goblin-esque than visiting Asia’s most advanced / prosperous nations. Why? Well, because their citizens as well as their societies operate with an unparalleled degree of etiquette, discipline, diligence, poise, respect, and duty that no Westerner is accustomed to (nor possesses). In comparison, we’re barbarians. #RealTalk

Like, I showed up to Korea — which coincidentally is a feast-y place (or just life-affirming in its outlook which is possibly informed by a hard history) — sniffling, coughing, and smelling like Mongolian pollution…while outfitted in ripped, stained, burnt as well as really worn-out clothes. And while I was politely received there by everyone (bless ‘em all)…man, it was just a whole new low in terms of personal mortification! Oh, and I tried to keep my sunglasses on the whole time…which is an invaluable ‘life hack’ my bestie Darv taught me long ago (when he used to rap near-naked on stage / used to voluntarily make crazy NSFW internet videos)…because shades create an adequate sense of disassociation when you’re out in public and embarrassed and/or doing something that deeply embarrasses you).

Anyhoo, it was really humbling to get myself ‘checked’ in South Korea — which is healthy to experience on occasion — and this dispatch recounts my self-conscious time in spectacular Seoul (where this dirtbag banged-out four marathons as well as 190 ish kilometres by foot). So let’s get into it…ya filthy animals!

- Ben Pobjoy

2023 TREK TRACKER

Where in the world...record am I?

• Countries visited: 69

• Flights taken: 73

• Kilometres flown: 118,952

• Marathons completed: 215

• Kilometres trekked by foot: 10,210.8

• Total kilometres trekked since 2015: 73,302

RAPID WEEKLY RECAP

A speedy synopsis for time-crunched readers

• The Wildest Thing: Since 2015, I’ve trekked 73,000+ kilometres by foot through 80-ish different countries…and have used Google Maps to successfully navigate every foreign marathon. However, the app does not work at all in South Korea…because the South Korean government instituted a law there that requires mapping data to be stored on local servers for national security purposes (which Google refused to do). Anyway, it makes total sense when you think about it…and it’s wild to consider how exposed every other country is in comparison (like, if that data fell into the wrong hands)😲

• The Biggest Obstacle: I’ll spare you the nerd talk ‘bout how digital cameras work…but the extreme Mongolian cold broke my camera’s electronic viewfinder (cracking the liquid crystal silicon on the EVF display…which I only discovered when I turned on my camera in Seoul), and while this doesn’t affect the photos my camera takes…when I make photos now, it’s like I’m looking at the world through cracked eyeglasses (which is sooo disorienting, and something that’s gonna be expensive to repair)😭

• The Lesson Learned: How a developed society treats its most vulnerable citizens — as well as how it thinks / doesn’t think about public space — tells you everything you need to know about its values😍

FIELD NOTES: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

The city of the future…honours its past

“Hey, Hey, Hey!” That was Fat Albert’s catchphrase, but also what some teenaged boy in Seoul was yelling at me — for a good two blocks…right when I got to South Korea — after a shoe that was clipped to the exterior of my backpack had fallen off (detaching because I had bumpily sprinted across a massive intersection to beat a traffic signal). And I could hear the voice (which varied in its proximity to me) — but was ignoring it as I walked briskly — because I thought it was a street vendor trying to sell me something (or just someone trying to catch my attention to run game on me).

But then I felt a light tap on my shoulder, I turned around, and this out-of-breath teen presented me with my runaway sneaker…as he bowed his head (which I think was an apology for interrupting me?). And I was auto-grateful — because a single shoe ain’t of much use when you got a pair of feet — so I pulled out my wallet to hand the young dude a few Won for his troubles…which near-offended him ala why reward someone doing the right thing?

Anyhoo, he then retreated back to his pack — being four other high school-aged boys — and they all acknowledged me with a mix of friendly lil waves and thumbs-ups. And that first interaction in Seoul? I’d learn it was completely indicative of this place’s soul; so considerate and kind.

And while that specific example was a small moment, it was big nonetheless; I felt it warmly ripple through me…at the tail-end of three tough months on the road…where I had done 50+ marathons across 26 other countries…and was ill from my time in Mongolia (which had pooched my sinuses and given me a sore throat). And admittedly, I was atypically fragile and exhausted — and had South Korea been anything other than the gentle and joyful place that it is — I think I would’ve cracked (and had a terrible time).

But I had a wonderful time…in this genuinely pleasant place (where people took care of me…even if this didn’t register with them). And I could stop this issue of the newsletter right here — because that’s all you need to know about Seoul — and why it warrants a visit. But Imma continue…because this place is hella honourable, and I gotta honour it.

Chicken or the egg? Citizens or the state? I don’t know the genesis…but what I do know — because I saw It expressed in so many different ways — is that Seoul is designed for the absolute benefit of the ‘bottom up’ masses rather than the ‘top down’ minority. Like, the sidewalks light up so us phone addicts don’t walk into traffic, street lamps are being replaced with smart poles that have free Wi-Fi / chargers for phones as well as electric vehicles, and I already posted to my IG ‘bout their luxurious bus stops, the kid-sized loos in the free-to-use public washrooms, and the nifty pedestrian enclosures for safety. And don’t even get me started about all the river-side parks full of pedestrian paths, putting greens, basketball courts, outdoor gyms, croquet courts, dog parks, running tracks, playgrounds, archery zones, rose gardens, and community gardens where people grow their food. Anecdotally, much of these functioned as hubs for seniors in the early mornings (where they were staying physically active as well as engaging with one another…and me loves that shit). Now some of the overall design thinking is zany — like the germ-y CPR dummy pictured above — but I dig the spirit of it (and plus, I made-out with loads of randos over the course of my lifetime…so who the hell am I to judge?).

Anyhoo, my Dad chides me from time to time for regularly dunking on North America…and I always tell him to eat my shorts. Why? Because I’ve seen the world that is possible out there (as evidenced by places like Seoul or regions like Scandinavia)…and I refuse to accept the minimum viable product that is public space in North America / hate how all the real amenities in North America are behind a paywall (i.e. you gotta buy a drink somewhere to use a restroom…and then have to piss an hour later…and repeat this pay-to-piss consumerist cycle). And fuck that shit…it is a famine mindset (and exclusionary in principle)…and I want a better quality of life for us all.

I love Europe…but it sometimes feels too blend-y blend-y (because outstanding stuff gets lost in the mix). And what do I mean by this? Well, a stoney cathedral that is hundreds of years old can be nestled between some newer buildings that are bricky — and the earthy tones of their general masonry as well as the stylistic continuity of their architecture — makes for a general lack of contrast. In Seoul? Hell nah! The old palaces and old temples tend to be curvy in shape, colourfully wooden (as well as ornate in construction), and tiled when it comes to their roofs — and they aren’t just beautiful — they wonderfully contrast all their modern surroundings (being straight-lined buildings made of glass or concrete).

Anyhoo, Seoul has five grand palaces as well as countless temples…and it all makes for a truly unique cityscape that is excellent to marathon through…or leisurely stroll. The golden Suguksa Temple (at sunset, pictured above) was my fave temple — especially since it is right off of a busy street / at the foot of a forest — and Sungnyemun (being one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul) was another stand-out because it is smack dab in the middle of a busy intersection where it is surrounded by corporate office towers. The locals here have a lot of respect for their history — and everything is beautifully preserved as well as maintained — and I adored all of it (whether day or night). Bipedal in Seoul? Big co-sign over here!

I could be wrong, but it is my understanding that South Korea doesn’t have a dominant religion (thus differing from say, how Christianity underpinned much of the foundational construct of America…which itself was forcibly slapped atop polytheist Turtle Island). As such, faith is quite diverse and funky in South Korea — so much so — that it is full of some wild-ass sect-y shit ala new religions and some modern messianic madness. I mention this because I find this stuff generally interesting — and because Seoul was surprisingly evangelical — and because I’ll revisit the topic twice more herein (if ya keep reading).

Anyhoo, I really dug the colourful grounds of the Jogyesa Temple…because it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in a place of worship; just covered with statues of Buddhist motifs that were rendered in a style that felt befitting of an amusement park for kids. It was sooo peculiar in its playfulness!

Embarrassingly, I accidentally took a photo of prayer time at Jogyesa (see above) — and learnt this was not permitted only after exiting the temple (where I noticed a tiny sign that warned against such). And unlike other places in the world, no one here yelled at me or admonished me (because the people here are so classy)…and such made me feel that much worse for my actions (akin to when your parents go, “We’re not mad at you…just really disappointed.”). And I dunno, I’m just sharing it wit chu so you avoid making the mistake I made!

Loads of big cities have those big iconic streets — y’know, stuff like a Broadway or a Boulevard Saint-Germain — and Seoul has ‘em too…but the play here is to get yourself onto the smaller side streets (because that’s where the street life happens…and where you’ll make the best discoveries).

Yes, there are ‘bigger small streets’ like Insadong and Myeongdong…but I dug the tiny alleys around Gwangjang Market (which is a must-visit market for the food stalls that double as open-air restos at night). That said, every hood has its local strip, and mine was Daemyeong-gil. The latter didn’t just have a LULZ café full of live raccoons but all these automated photo studios that were super popular with young people.

And I gotta say, one thing I really loved about Seoul was how there’s all these packs of young people hanging out and/or strolling the streets — where they’re laughing and arm-in-arm and goofing around — and it was so wholesome and such good vibes (i.e. seeing kids being smiley and carefree…which is what being young is all about). And FYI, I know some of you may read this with suspicion — because young people can be noisy, aggro, and anarchic assholes that annoyingly raise the ruckus — but I swear, Seoul is pretty special in how civilized and respectful it is (young people included).

South Korea was prolly the only country visited in recent memory where I wasn’t in too good of a place mentally or physically. And it’s nothing to be worried about, rather, I was just borderline exhausted — and quite sick — and inexplicably felt like I could burst into tears at any time (I didn’t…but that’s how fragile I was).

Everything felt more laborious than usual — whether it was routing a marathon or making dinner — which is why I had to drink a million coffees each day just to have the energy to press on. Thankfully, the Koreans are huge coffee drinkers — and there’s always a beautiful café with exquisite interior design every hundred metres (not kidding) — but my favourite café by far was the Music Seoul Complex. 

Basically, it’s like a library full of thousands of vinyl records…where you can grab a coffee, pull records from the shelves, and listen to them at any table (each of which has a record player and headphones). And it is fucking amazing — and I just couldn’t process it as a ’thing’…because I know people would steal the records in like every other city — and it was so rad to see groups of friends huddled around record players bopping with their headphones on and/or being excited to play a cut for a friend or two. I love coffee and music on vinyl — so I am biased — but I’ve never seen a café like this (and it really is an innovative ‘take’ on a retail experience).

Imma throw you a bone…Dojang…it’s a traditional Korean stamp — personalized with one’s name — that is an extension of your identity (which has historically been used to sign legal documents as well as contracts in this part of the world). And I discovered this one dude in a tiny lil workshop that’ll make you a custom one (scroll the hyperlink to see what I mean).

His storefront just so happened to catch my eye — and I entered not knowing what it was — and I left with a Dojang that he etched-by-hand to simultaneously stamp my wife’s name in both English and Korean (which he made in minutes…which I had no clue would be bilingual…after I had chosen its flower-y base, and before I chose a pouch for it).

If you write letters — or dig all things stationary — then this joint is a worthwhile stop for a rad keepsake. And if you’re an idiot husband like me — who has been away for much of the year — then this is a good place to get your wife a lil something as an apology for her choosing to marry you, LOL.

Real talk…I think I was in Seoul for five or six days…and I only showered once (gross, I know…and not typical for me…like, I swear on my effing life). Yes, because I was lethargic…but also because of a forced error.

Basically, I stayed in this little hostel room that was fully kitted out — and totally excellent — but the staff forgot to place towels in my room (which were supposed to be included as per the original Airbnb listing). To rectify this, I found a staff member in the hall — and acted-out what I was looking for — to which he replied with a nod as well as a ‘five’ hand signal. And five minutes later there was a knock at my door…courtesy of the smiling dude who was only too happy to serve…now proudly extending a small bath mat to me (carpet-y on the top, and rubbery on the bottom). And I graciously received it…and we were sooo close…yet so far from what I needed (and I resigned myself to the fact that my acting skills apparently suck shit…and I wasn’t getting towels). So I used the bath mat as a makeshift towel on my final day…strategically saved for use right before a flight (because I didn’t want to risk offending any seat mates by being groady). And this stinky saga further contributed to me feeling like a disgusting human being the whole time I was in Seoul. #GoblinMode

Anyhoo, Seoul has wicked street style — be it traditional or contemporary, whether worn by the young or the old — and all the kids here dress fun and whacky, all the twiggy Tinker Bell women pull-off these crazy winter jackets that look like bed comforters fashioned into billowy silhouettes, and there’s all these old guys who style themselves like wise guy mobsters. If you like clothes, bring lots of dough here — and come with empty space in yer luggage — because the shopping is primo (and this is ironic for me to relay…because I’ve never been more in need of a makeover / new wardrobe).

BEST LOCAL THING-Y

I moved to Toronto when I was 18 years old…landing there on the edge of its Koreatown. And while I arrived as a teen that was socially outgoing, I was timid in other ways…and sorta intimidated by the big city (i.e. never knowing where to start with regards to certain things). And basically, I never got around to trying Korean cuisine (short of kimchi made by honkies sold at exorbitant prices at yuppie restos).

Anyhoo, when going to South Korea I knew I’d have to right this wrong. And I sorta did…eating vegan approximations of Korean dishes there…the authenticity of which even I had to question (because Korean food is super meaty and/or often topped with an egg).

That said, I ate everything from bulgogi to bibimbap to mock meat versions of Korean cutlets and chicken wings. And all of it was really good as well as consistent no matter the restaurant — and everything was served with tons of little sides of things pickled and/or fermented — and ya, big fan; specifically of Vegan Insa (which was run by a really nice chap in a charming Hanok-styled building in a laneway).

However, all the vegan restaurants I was hitting in Seoul — be they Vegan Insa or Osegye Hyang in Insadong to StyleVegan over in Gangnam — they all had TV(s) on the wall…all playing the same channel…being the one I recognized from the TV in the dining room of the vegan place I ate at in Mongolia. And you know what it was playing? CULT SHIT, ha ha!

As I already explained, South Korea is home to many ‘new religions’ and Guanyin Famen is one of them…but this specific one is a transnational cybersect (where all adherents are vegan…and where its practitioners who are restauranteurs seem like they’re mandated to play their cult leader aka Supreme Master on TV). And if you’re interested, you can see the maximalist insanity of their graphic-blasted programming here.

Truthfully, no one bothered me at the restos — nor tried to convert me — but…still not my thang to support (if I’m being totally honest). Lastly, I did eat at another great place in Seoul called byTOFU (that I’m confident isn’t cult-y)…and I’m sharing it with you in case you have a greater appetite for the separation of church and state when it comes to eating out.

POBJOY'S GLOBAL PRICE INDEX

This is an on-going documentation of how much things cost in different places around the world. Here are some of the things I bought in Seoul (all prices converted to USD):

• A medium soy latte from Starbucks: $4.25

• A 100 gram box of Oreos, two 500 millilitre bottles of Coke Zero, two 40 gram bags of ‘truffle mustard’ potato chips, and a box with 10 packs of ‘instant coffee sticks with micro-ground coffee beans’ from a convenience store: $8.90

• An appetizer that was an eggless egg salad, a main that was a taco salad bowl, and a 355 millilitre can of Coke Zero from a vegan restaurant that wasn’t cult-run: $20.52

MARATHON MUSINGS

On the aesthetics — and acoustics — of annihilation adjacency

I went to South Korea knowing that it is a geographical scrotum surrounded by seas, straits, and bays. However, it took me a few days to remember that it also dangles below a dickhead dictator (being Kim Jong Un up in North Korea, who is nuts ‘bout nukes…and obsessed with keeping his aggressively fade’d, box-top’d hairdo tight AF).

And — as a visitor — you can’t be faulted for not really feeling this existential threat ala potential for death from above (because Seoul is seemingly normal and busy and bustling)…but then you eventually put two-and-two together after passing the zillionth army conscript walking ‘round in their military uniform and/or passing any one of the city’s 3,100 shelters (all marked with signage that indicates where you should go if the government’s ‘Emergency Ready’ app informs you that North Korea has fired a projectile). Wild stuff, right?

Anyhoo, I don’t know what I am…but I know that I’m not a sociologist or a cultural anthropologist. And I merely state this as a caveat…because the ‘take’ I’m about to share might be totally wrong (like, if dissected by scholars or experts or academics or whatever else). That said, I wouldn’t share if I thought there wasn’t maybe something to it.

For me, part of the fun of my freestyle marathons is that I’m trekking through the real world as it is really happening (versus marathoning a closed race course that obstructs real life). And, when I’m in foreign places, my marathoning is a great way to intimately observe the workings — as well as the nuances — of cities and societies for hours on end. As such, I try and receive as much information as possible while trekking…then sorta process it all when I’m not trekking.

And a few things stuck out when I was marathoning Seoul; playful illustrations are plastered on absolutely everything (expressed as anything from commercial characters to functional instructions from government…which are geared towards kids and adults alike), and catchy K-pop tunes are blasting from everywhere too. And collectively, it is all hyper happy and sugary sweet and joyfully juvenile in its feel. Like, to a Westerner…everything here presents as real kiddy (which isn’t a diss)…more so, it is that everything here is less adult-y and uptight than in the West.

However, when you know a thing or two about the annihilation adjacency / heaviness of relatively recent South Korean history — like the oppression of Korea under Japanese rule, the enslavement of comfort women, the millions of deaths in the Korean War, and the on-going threat of North Korea’s unpredictability (all of this being back-to-back stuff over the last hundred years) — the unique aesthetics and acoustics here take on a unique dimension; they’re over-the-top in their qualities…like an escapism tweaked to the max. In addition, the rise of all the new religions here makes much more sense too (when you consider the larger backdrop).

Anyhoo, sometimes I don’t get things from afar — like K-Pop or other elements of the greater Korean Wave — but coming here…I think I now understand why this part of the world has birthed what it has; to counter the ever-present spectre of death (which sadly feels a lot closer here…like, in this inexplicably explicable happy part of the world).

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