It is good to be back in Korea for the first time in a couple of years. Having lived here for so long, I was often too immersed in the culture to notice the changes going on, but after being gone for a couple of years, it is much easier to see them.
My first thought, upon arriving at the airport and taking the new(ish) train into Seoul was: Wow, is Spain a dump. I mean, there is a lot I love about Spain, but to see the clean, cool trains, with wifi everywhere, the difference was rather jarring. Great, though, to be able to take a train into Seoul, especially during rush hour when the bus would have been a nightmare.
Here in Seoul, the bizarro City Hall building is nearly finished now. A lot of people like it (“It looks like a tsunami rushing over the colonial era City Hall,” said one friend), but I’m not one of them. The new Gwanghwamun plaza is rather nice, and I think makes better use of the space than the old plaza. Looking forward to checking out an Imax movie or two while I am here, plus seeing all the other changes.
