KCCNYC Journeys: Casey’s Travels
KCCNYC Journeys: Casey Eckersley
By Casey Eckersley
I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Korea for the first time this spring. Although I would still classify myself as a beginner in Korean, thanks to the classes at KCCNYC I was able to communicate with some of the people I met, and it made such a huge difference in our overall experience. I want to highlight a few things that became a little more special in Korean (largely thanks to the incredible patience of the Koreans I met!)
Jewelry Shops in Jongno
We stayed for a few days in Jongno. It was absolutely beautiful with the cherry blossoms starting to bloom, and there were so many incredible cafes, bars, and restaurants. I’m by no means a jewelry expert, but there were also some incredible small jewelry stores with such beautiful pieces. I loved one in particular so much that I went in - and the woman working was the designer! I enjoyed my chat with her and would love to someday see her work again (you can find her on Instagram if you want to check her out!)
Hiking Hwangyeonsan in Busan
I was eating ramen outside of a convenience store near Haeundae when a taxi driver ahjussi happened to sit next to me to eat dinner on his break. I had more danmuji than I could finish, so I offered him some. I’ll admit that my beginner Korean was nowhere near ready to understand his Busan satoori, but managed to pick through our conversation enough to get his recommendation to go up to Hwangyeonsan. I walked up, which was incredible both for the newly blooming cherry blossoms but also for the incredible views. You can easily take a taxi up as well, but I recommend walking up the back side from 금련산역 to arrive at sunset. It felt very safe to walk down even in the dark, and the views were truly unparalleled.
Jeju City
We saw dolphins just off the coast! 최기사님 said that he had never seen them off the eastern coast before, so we must be lucky 🙂
I must admit, the people I met in Jeju were the kindest people - maybe who I’ve ever met? I didn’t have a single unpleasant interaction in our time there. On our first night, I asked someone for a recommendation for drinks. (Huge tip: if you are able to navigate a conversation in Korean well enough to ask for food recommendations, you will be directed to some of the best restaurants a tourist could possibly hope for.) We ended up at an amazing cocktail bar hidden on the second floor of an old office building. We had the opportunity to go to Bar Cham later in our trip, and while it absolutely lived up to the hype, I think fortyfive bar in Jeju City could give it a run for its money. The bartender also gave us a recommendation for an out-of-the-way izakaya that had possibly the best sashimi I’ve ever eaten in my life (see aforementioned huge tip.) I would’ve never been brave enough to try it without being able to order and make basic requests in Korean - but I’m so glad I did. One of the chefs from Culinary Class Wars was sitting with a group right next to us! The main sashimi chef seemed amused (I hope?) by my middling Korean and treated us to several special courses at the end, which was so thoughtful and delicious!
Closing Thoughts
In summary, I had an amazing time in Korea, and learning Korean at KCCNYC opened up so many new opportunities to make the trip even better. I would truly encourage anyone else thinking about it to take a chance to do the same!
