(A find from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows)I love airports. I’m actually fascinated by them. Every time I see people scurrying to their gates, or see the tired faces in the mass security lines, I can’t help but wonder where all these people are from, where they’re headed, what they’re doing, and who they’re meeting. It’s a place where people from all different countries, backgrounds, and ages converge—unlikely paths intertwining, only briefly—and then part ways, maybe forever.
The slumped man sleeping in a corner, the couple hugging before tearfully saying goodbye, the millennial running to catch their flight—iPhone and neck pillow in hand; Every one of them with a unique story, destination, and goal. And each time I’m at an airport, the word sonder comes to mind. Sonder, (though not actually recognized by official dictionaries) is the realization that strangers have a life as vivid and complex as your own. I’d always had this thought, especially when in airports or while looking out along a twinkling city skyline, but I didn’t have a word to describe it until recently. Coined by John Koenig and originaly published in the Dicitonary of Obscure Sorrows, the extended definition of the word is one of my absolute favorites. I couldn’t have said it better myself, so here is the word for word version: SONDER—Noun The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. Isn’t it just perfect? I’ve read it 20 times over and it still doesn’t loose its charm. I guess the reason I love this word is because it puts the world into perspective. I get a glimpse of how vast and diverse our world is—how complex and beautiful our unique experiences are. How many of those people will we be able to meet in our lives? Or perhaps never meet? How many times will we enter the lives of others briefly? As a Good Samaritan on the street or a silent stranger in a crowd? And how many times will we actually become part of someone’s life story? As a supporting actor in their life’s show, or the best friend that only appears in act 1? And although this sheds light on our differences as individuals, it also reminds me that we are more similar than different. We’re all just people trying to make our way in the world, sometimes united briefly when with a destination at an airport.
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(The Final Chapter: Sushi, Goodbyes, and Departure)In the 3 weeks I’ve been here, I’ve had A LOT of raw fish. It’s an expensive delicacy so whenever we meet up with family/friends who haven’t seen us in a while, they want to treat us to something nice. I used to absolutely hate raw fish—deeming it almost unpalatable until about 4 years ago. But now, I actually enjoy eating sushi…albeit there are still certain types I struggle to eat. I’d say it’s definitely an acquired taste.
Goodbyes It’s already time to leave, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet. In the last couple weeks, I’ve said a lot of hellos and a lot of goodbyes—often to the same people in the same day. Since I only get to visit once every year or two, the goodbyes I say here are usually the longer kind. It’s weird to think that the next time I see my cousins, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and other friends, so much will have changed. Last year when I visited, it felt weird to think that I’d be returning as a high school graduate and soon-to-be college student. Though it’s crazy and bittersweet all at once, I’m excited to see all the adventures this next year will bring. Airport At the moment, I’m at the Incheon airport sitting next to a Gongcha and, of course, surrounded by duty free shops. I’ve got about an hour until my flight starts boarding, so I’ve entertained myself by writing some blog posts and treating myself to a White Pearl Apple Green Tea Lemonade. (Yes its delicious and yeah Koreans go hardcore with their combinations). A Couple Minutes Later Alright, my flight is about to board so I’ll catch you on the flip side. Sayonara South Korea—Megan signing off from Incheon. (Okay sayonara is definitely Japanese, but it has a good ring to it, don’t you think??) UPDATE I arrived home a couple hours ago and the jet lag is real. Anyways, earlier I went through the security and customs check in San Francisco, which low key terrifies me even though I have nothing to hide and I’m a legal U.S citizen. Basically you get your picture taken, Passport scanned, and then wait in a line to talk to security workers who ask you what you were doing in the country, how long you were there, etc. The guy I had looked 110% done with his job and asked me a bunch of questions about what I was doing in Korea and such. He then asked if I was a student. I told him I’d recently graduated and will be heading to college soon. When he asked what college, I told him I'd be attending UCLA. To which he smiled and said, “I went there too.” He suddenly became super chatty and asked me about which dorm I was in, talked about signing up for classes, and proceeded to tell me about his experience there. It was awesome and very sweet. I’m pretty sure the people in line behind me were super confused on why I was suddenly laughing and striking up a light-hearted conversation with this guy. He stamped my passport telling me I’d have such a great time there and wished me good luck. Thank you, I hope so. (Friends, Shopping, and Indoor Amusement Parks)Shopping I recently went shopping with a couple friends from high school who also happened to be in Seoul. Shopping in Korea is quite the experience. We opted for 2 of the most crowded, hectic, and popular shopping districts: Gangnam and Hongdae. (Yes, that’s the Gangnam from Psy’s Gangnam Style music video). These two areas are stocked to the brim with street vendors, closet-sized clothing stores, bargain deals, and, of course, materialistic, hungry consumers. There’s a lot to see, a lot to buy, and at the end of an action-packed day, I ended up with a bag full of goodies, a significantly lighter wallet, and calloused feet—It was definitely all worth it. Sulbing Ohmygosh the food. (Insert heart emoji) Where do I start? From street food, to traditional Korean restaurants, and the endless desserts, it’s a dieter’s worst nightmare. I could go on and on about the deliciousness, but one of my favorites is a café called sulbing. If you are ever in Korea, this should be at the top of your to-try list! Sulbing specializes in a traditional Korean dessert called patbingsoo—ice shavings topped with condensed milk, fruit, sweet red beans, rice cakes, and ice cream. Sulbing takes this classic to the next level. It uses a new technique to create “snowflakes” from ice and tops it with a variety of toppings. This creates a melt-in-your-mouth sweet, creamy goodness that is to die for. Public Transportation
The public transportation in Seoul is gold. From busses and subways, to trains and taxis, it’s safe to say you won’t ever need a car to survive there. Actually, the whole country is so conveniently interconnected because of its size, which is something hard to dream of in the US. All modes of public transportation in Seoul use a unified card scanning system, which means you can just keep a loaded card in your wallet and use it to ride just about anything. The fare is cheap, and the facilities are really nice as well. Subways, busses, and trains are always very clean and air-conditioned. Cosmetics Korean cosmetics are top-notch. And there’s a lot of it. There are beauty stores on every corner, filled with schoolgirls and twenty-somethings trying on makeup and skin products. From personal experience, I’d say Korean cosmetics are reasonably priced, good quality, and reliable. I highly recommend it! There’s been a recent international demand for Korean beauty brands and there’s even a separate category called “Korean Beauty Products” on Amazon, so I’d say it’s pretty good. (And accessible!) Indoor Amusement parks?! I got to go to Lotte World a couple days ago, which is the largest indoor amusement park in the world. Located in Jamsil, the park is composed of an indoor and outdoor park that you can go back and forth from. The indoor is great in the summer when it gets super hot and humid, which allows you to wait in line while avoiding those ultraviolet rays. Like seriously, we need more indoor amusement parks. I went with one of my friends also on summer break, and since most Korean students are in school (their semesters run from March to July), the park was pretty vacant. This meant speedy short lines, so we were able to ride every major ride in the park—twice. It was a good day. |
About MeThanks for visiting my blog! My name is Megan, I work in Marketing and I graduated as part of Minerva's class of 2021. Enjoy a collage of reflections, poetry, and late-night thoughts. Archives
October 2023
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