Complex Numbers

Seoul Blues

Another entry for this round of "Journalistic Intentions"  [18+], in which I demonstrate that I've got no

Seoul

While I like to travel (apart from the whole "airplane" bullshit), there are some places in the world that I would actively avoid. Kabul, for example. Mount Everest. East St. Louis.

There also exist locations I definitely want to go to (which is distinct from "will definitely visit.") Places like Tokyo or Budapest, e.g.

Seoul, South Korea is smack in the middle of these extremes.

I'm sure the city has its charms. The pictures I've seen look pretty enough. There's nothing that would make me say, "yeah, not going there." I simply have other priorities.

Now, if someone were to go, "Yo, Waltz, wanna visit Seoul with me?" I'd probably say yes. Assuming I liked the person, of course. But if I only get one chance to visit that general area of the world, it'd be to sample the whiskey, sake, and delicious cuisine on the other side of the Sea of Japan.

I mean, sure, there's the whole "awfully close to their northern enemy" thing. But that wouldn't stop me. Everywhere has its risks, including sitting on one's ass at home.

Despite having been mostly destroyed during Japanese occupation (or attempted Japanese occupation; I've always been a little unclear on that particular war), the city and surrounding area apparently has lots of really cool historical tourist traps: palaces, temples, and the like. But the primary reason I travel is to experience culture, by which I mean yeast culture. And there's nothing that stands out in Korea in terms of food or drink.

Right now some of you are going, "You're nuts. Korean food is delicious." You're right; it is (or at least what makes it over here is). Except kimchi. Fuck kimchi. But so are a lot of other national cuisines.

Apparently, one of the big tourist draws of Seoul is the shopping. I'm not interested in yucking other peoples' yum, but I have near-zero interest in that activity. You know who else supposedly has great shopping? France. You know what I haven't mentioned once in my banging on about planning to visit France? Shopping.

That leaves art and architecture, and I'd definitely check some of that out if someone dragged me there.

None of this is meant to rag on Seoul in particular or South Korea in general. They're cool. I just have no more desire to visit there than I do Omaha. And at least I can drive to Omaha.