Exercising in Seoul has proved to be easier than I originally believed. There is a tiny exercise room in the basement of the boys' dorm and a running/ bike path along the Han River, which flows parallel to our dorms across the street. On dry days, I love to run along the river, over which a tall, cement highway structure carries people wherever they intend to go. Interestingly, along the river are outdoor exercise machines, somewhat like the ones pictured below:
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| Outdoor gyms along the Han River |
As I run along the path, adults exercise on these unusual machines. I pass dozen of people walking and riding bicycles, but not many others running. I usually do not pass anyone looking my age or younger than me, with the exception of today, when I passed a group of young boys that proceeded to jog alongside me for several seconds until I moved away from them. Apparently, regardless of the culture, young boys are always looking for trouble!
What I notice most during my runs along the Han River is the bounty of direct stares I receive from men and women alike. As I jog, I try to figure out why every person I pass stares at me, sometimes to the point of turning their heads to follow me. Maybe it is what I wear - a tank top and shorts. I also have yet to see another young girl running, so maybe that's it. Or, it could be that I don't look Korean. Who knows? I hope I'm not breaking any clothing rules for outdoor exercise, but it too hot to wear anything else but what I wear. Maybe it's a combination of all of these things, or maybe it is something entirely different. It could even be the difference in the symbolism of the stare between American culture and Korean culture; in the U.S., it is impolite, but here, maybe it is acceptable. Regardless, now I run with my head down.
My friends and I receive similarly unwanted attention when we go to some places in Seoul. In Insadong, it is not uncommon to be photographed by Koreans and foreigners alike, especially when smiling for one of our own cameras. At the mud festival, we felt like movie stars as dozens and dozens of photographers snapped our pictures. Ultimately, my question to these people that randomly snap my picture is this: What do you plan to do with a blurry photograph of me, in which my eyes are likely half closed or I am making some kind of weird, mid-talking face?
My friends and I receive similarly unwanted attention when we go to some places in Seoul. In Insadong, it is not uncommon to be photographed by Koreans and foreigners alike, especially when smiling for one of our own cameras. At the mud festival, we felt like movie stars as dozens and dozens of photographers snapped our pictures. Ultimately, my question to these people that randomly snap my picture is this: What do you plan to do with a blurry photograph of me, in which my eyes are likely half closed or I am making some kind of weird, mid-talking face?
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