013_courtesy lane

Try taking subway ride in Seoul and you will be surprised by the number of senior citizens traveling on their own. They are really in good shape walking up and down the stairs like it’s nothing. There are some courtesy seats designated for them at each end of the car. They know exactly where to wait by this blue sign on the platform.

012_seoul subway

Taking subway in Seoul is quite convenient. The network is dense enough to bring you close to anywhere you want to go. It is less complicated than Tokyo subway but I think the fares are more expensive. The experience is also very much different. In Tokyo, commuters are like robots; they know exactly what car number and door to take and which exit brings they closer to their destination and they all move through narrow passageways without touching each other. In Seoul, it is pretty much like trying to get a piece of Prada when they have 50% discount. You get push from every direction and, of course, they don’t say sorry. The most polite way is to tap you first before they shove you out of their way. It is fantastic that they won’t get angry when you push them back. It is just a customary manner in Seoul subway culture.

011_windy cap

I once heard from somewhere that people who live in regions where climate changes a lot in a year would invent more things than people who live in places with same weather throughout the year. Does this make one more intelligent than the other? That I don’t know but I do know that changing of temperature encourages people to think and plan in advance. What they can use in winter will be useless in summer and vice versa. This picture was taken from a restaurant in Korea in winter. To protect a fan from dust when not in use, they invent something like a shower cap to cover it. Very cute, isn’t it?