Is this Asia?!

A sea of jovial white faces, sipping beer and kibitzing about sports outside a seemingly endless row of pubs and taverns. Waves of grill smoke penetrating the crowd, transporting the aroma of hot dogs and sausages that sizzle nearby. A cacophony of English conversation in varying accents. Sounds like scene in any American city on a Saturday evening, and actually, that's exactly how it felt when I visited a section of Seoul called Itaewon yesterday.

I met some friends in this district known for its mostly expatriate population for a few drinks and dinner and was amazed by the lack of "Koreanness" around. It was certainly the first time in the last week I've been around so many white people, and I suppose it was a relaxing change from the sometimes tiring communication challenges I encounter in the areas where I live and work. Itaewon has been a foreign mecca for hundreds of years ("long before whitey came along," according to my friend, Jerry). More recently, it has become a tourist hot spot where a fusion of cultures provides for about any ethic cuisine you could imagine. Most people around here laud Itaewon for its extensive array of shops and vendors selling items you can't find anywhere else in Seoul, including sizes big enough to fit fat Americans! Underground (literally) shops sell designer knockoffs and blare popular American music.

I enjoyed my evening in Itaewon, but left feeling glad I live and work in very different atmospheres. I enjoy the laborious, yet usually very humorous, exchanges I have with the people who live and work around me. I like to flounder my way through "conversations" with Koreans who speak no English (they keep speaking Korean, I keep speaking English, and many hand gestures later, we both smile and give up). I love seeing the look of wonder and befuddlement in the eyes of the school children in my neighborhood who don't see too many white people on a daily basis. They usually wait until I've already passed and am a few strides away before they turn around and throw out a sheepish, "Hello." Maybe I feel like I'm getting a more genuine Korean experience here. Maybe I'm just sick of white people! Whatever the reason, I like having Gwangmeyong City as a home and Itaewon as a leisurely weekend getaway.