Last Looks

Today was my last full day here in Korea. I had to move out of the apartment early in the day and that left me with lots of time afterwards. As such, I returned to my old neighborhood after checking into a hotel near the airport for my final night here to do some shooting. Perhaps, I should have done more of that while I was there! Anyways, and in no particular order, here are some shots of the stores and restaurants that I frequented while living here. I will miss them!

Grand Mart department store. A somewhat iconic older chain store that has been around for a while. This one is a block from where I live and is the very first place I shopped at when I arrived here. It's kinda old and run down looking both on the outside and on the inside. But, the stuff they sell are the latest wares.

The main entrance.

A funky sculpture outside.

Yes, that is a McD's you see there. It's in the fourth floor food court area and the taste of the food is the same here as back home in North America. I generally don't like McD's and only ate there a few times. The fries are about the only thing I like at McD's.

Judging by the number of pix I shot of this store you would think it was my fave store. But, it's not. I just like the big old building itself. It's interesting to me because it reminds me of the old stores and buildings in the 60's.

This is Home Plus. Now, this is my fave store. They have just about everything you could want and at decent prices, too. Although, the quality is sometimes a bit low. A part of the UK based Tesco chain of stores, this chain does very well here it seems. It's very popular and always busy. I eat at the Lotteria fast food chain upstairs in the food court. You might recall a review of them a while ago. Basically, the Korean version of McD's. I like them.

Main entrance.

Secondary entrance at the other street corner.

The entrance just opposite my apartment building and the one I usually use.

My former apartment building. It's known as an "officetel"; which is a combination of residential and businesses scattered throughout the building. And, I do mean throughout the building, not just relegated to the first few floors. There was an office type business just on the other side of the elevators facing my apartment. And, I was on the ninth floor!

One of, usually, four entrances; one on each side of the building. This one faces Home Plus. And, is the one I usually used as the recycling depot is closer to this end and I recycled stuff everyday. I'll miss the easy recycling bins, too. Canada's recycling system SUCKS in comparison.

Looking up from just outside the entrance.

Inside the building; the downstairs elevators. There are three of them. But, they are divided into odd floors, even floors and both! Kind of a different system. I don't really know if it's more, or less, quicker. I usually didn't have to wait too long as I leave so early in the morning.

The elevators on my floor.

My former front door.

If you've seen some of my earlier posts regarding my former home, you'll know what it looks like on the inside already. I no longer had a key at this point! Wahhh (sniff, sniff)!

Outside my former front door looking towards the right hand side.

Towards the left hand side.

Straight ahead. Yes, I was right in front of the elevators, but I didn't get too much noise from it, though. People were generally decent about noise.

From the elevators looking towards my old door.

The dry cleaners I used. Pants dry cleaned and pressed within three days; KRW2500. That's a bit over CAD$2!

Caffe Bene. Perhaps the best gelato and waffles I have ever had. It's a chain all over Korea. I love them. I did a review of them earlier.

The best place for home made style dumplings I've ever had. They are home made as you can see them being made as you sit in the restaurant.

Perhaps the only authentic Italian restaurant in all of Korea. A very recently opened restaurant that I just love. I'll have a full review of it coming up soon. I regret that I have to leave just as they arrived!

The best European styled pastries and breads I have had anywhere. Although, some of the "Koreanized" versions of things are a bit not to my liking; like corn added to things where they should not be added. I dunno about this corn thing everyone here seems to have going. And, I mean regular yellow corn like from the cans. Another chain found throughout Korea.

The is the place where I used to get my hair cut for KRW5000 (less than CAD$4.50). Now, compare that to back in Canada where the same hair cut used to cost me CAD$21 + tip! I will surely miss this place, too. I mean, c'mon! What a difference in prices!

A fried chicken place I like. Ironically, fried chicken is not considered a main course meal food here. It's regarded only as bar food and not served with things that you would normally associate with a complete meal; like fries, salad, bread etc. Trying to find a complete meal that includes fried chicken as the protein source is impossible. Luckily, this place had potato wedgies in one of its menu items. Try finding french fried potatoes anywhere other than McD's and its Korean clones.

Korean BBQ grill. Most yummy. A charcoal grill inside your own table where you cook the raw meat yourself. Absolutely the best Korean food around. Various different types and all of it is just so good! Well, except for the spicy versions which are too hot for my tastes buds to handle. This is my fave grill restaurant as their red bean dipping sauce is out of this world good.

My usual table (right) outside on the deck; well, at least during the summer and warm weather months.

Another BBQ grill restaurant that I like.

A noodle place that I like. Their noodles are amongst the best I have had here. Although, they do need to cut down on their use of mussels and clams a bit and add a bit more shrimp in their broths. All in all, still very flavorful and yummy.

Well, that's a very quick and dirty run down of the places in my immediate former neighborhood. I didn't remember to shoot everything, though. For example; my doctors offices just across the street, my bank right at the corner, my tailors just downstairs in my former building, the pharmacy inside Home Plus, the contact lens place right next to the bank, the E-Mart on the way to school, the pizza place also on the way to school, the school itself, the sidewalk vendor who makes the best fresh-made doughnuts I've eaten and so many other businesses that closed up after a few months that I used to frequent. Things change very quickly here in Korea.

I will miss them all. Tis a bittersweet, wistful, feeling at the moment punctuated by short moments of panic when I realize I am headed, once more, into the unknown. I was very excited about coming here to Korea and did not have such moments back then. Now, that I am on the flip side heading back, I sometimes wonder if it was the right decision to leave. Well, what is done is done.

Into the abyss I go!