1. No more holidays, please — Lantau Sunset to the right series

I started to carry on my Contractionary Fiscal Policy when I came back from Peru. I still got some money in the bank account, but it would be responsible to cut travels or shopping as an unemployed. I was positive I can still keep my normal lifestyle. And by November I will start my new job and everything will be back on track.

In my great efforts to cut unnecessary spending, I realized I had a Seoul trip lined up in a week. October 1 was a public holiday in Hong Kong. I booked a 4-day long weekend trip half a year ago. It was planned as a shopping and food trip. Unfortunately at that moment, I was sure there won’t be any shopping at all.

“I don’t want to go. What can I do if I don’t go shopping in Seoul?” I was rambling with the girls. It’s ironic that I would ever not feel like to go on a trip.

“You can do a lot of things in Seoul. Why not go hiking? It’s free.” Lorena tried to correct me, “I have a friend living in Seoul and she is a regular hiker. I can introduce you to her if you need.”

I never saw Seoul as an outdoor destination. But with the new situation, I can only make best use of what were available to me. I went on a hike the first day I was in Seoul. It was a lovely and challenging one in Bukhansan Mountain. The weather was great. The scenery was beautiful. And there were some really fun climbing for the last portion of the hike to the summit. Another world did exist in Seoul besides all the hype about the cosmetics, the fashion and the K-POP.

I posted my hiking pictures to my IG that evening. Immediately I got a message from Grace, “What!!!! Are you in Seoul???”

Grace was a Korean girl. She was an exchange student from Boston University to my university in Beijing. I met her in my third year. I always thought she was special. Back then, there were a lot of Korean students studying in my university. They were very easy to spot on campus — everyone, girl or boy, rode a funny looking scooter and girls will always wear mini skirts even in snowy winder days. Grace, on the other hand, wore no makeup nor trendy dresses. The reason you can notice her was because she was pretty. She was a goodie girl who went to church every Sunday. I once looked at her, “You are not like those Korean girls.” Grace, who was always so nice and polite, rolled her eyes for the first time, “I’m not one of them.” Her choice of the boyfriend also surprised me. Willy was another exchange student from the same program as with Grace. As much as I loved Willy as a friend, I had to say he probably was the least attractive guy in the group. Willy was a Chinese Philippine, short, dark-skinned, and wearing classes. He would say some witty words to make you laugh, but he was definitely not a sunshine boy who would sweep you off your feet. Actually, he was a bit clumsy. When I saw Grace and Willy were kissing on the dancing floor in a club, my jaw dropped. I never thought Willy could find a girlfriend. While here he was — kissing a super cute and smart girl Grace. Grace told me, “He is very smart.” Though they broke up after the university — they were based in their own countries as they needed to help run the family business, they still stayed as great friends.

I haven’t seen Grace for a while. We set an appointment for lunch the next day. I was quite excited.

We met at a Korean restaurant chosen by Grace close to Gang Nam. Grace hasn’t changed a bit. Still a goodie girl look, she kept neck-length straight hair, wearing a conservative blouse and a pair of Ferragamo shoes. When she saw me, she smiled, “You haven’t changed a bit.” I didn’t know whether I should take it as a compliment or not. Grace just came back from her volunteering in the church. She asked me how my stay in Korea went so far. I was not sure if she felt interested in my travel adventures. I guessed that’s why Grace said I haven’t changed a bit. After graduated six years from college, I was still into adventures and uncertainties. Dressed in my crop tank and jeans, I was sitting across a fair lady. Grace was a great representative of the established. She liked the established system and she followed the established system. You won’t expect any exciting stories from Grace, but you knew you will have a relaxed and simple time with her. She was one of the kindest person I knew.

During this trip, I also had a chance to catch up with another friend Judy. We met in Chiang Mai last year. She was Kim’s friend. She used to be based in Hong Kong working for a major international newspaper. Later she moved to Seoul for a new job. I followed the address she gave to me and arrived at her office. I was not very familiar with her and a bit of nervous coming to her office. She greeted me at her floor and led me in to her office, “There are only two people at the office today. We are all very casual. You can walk around. I just need 5 minutes to wrap up my email and then we can head out for lunch.” Judy worked for an international NGO dedicated to human rights issues. She was in charge of business development in its Seoul office. Judy said it to me proudly, “I think I’m the most successful people in my peers.” I raised my eyebrows. “Of course I’m not talking about I making most money.” Judy continued, “I work for an non-profit organization. I used to be a political journalist. Now I’m working on human rights issues in North Korea. I think my work has an impact.” I found it amusing that Judy’s office happened to face JP Morgan’s office building on the other side of the street, where those real rain makers worked. Judy, who can see JP Morgan right from her office every day, didn’t believe that philosophy.

Though it was only the second time I met Judy, the conversations were flowing between us. Judy’s father was relocated to Beijing by his company when Judy was little. Growing up in Beijing, Judy can speak fluent mandarin. Later she went to school in USA. Her English sounded like her first language. “How do you like your life in Seoul?” From my perspective, a passionate and lively person like Judy didn’t quite fit the vibe in Korea. “The work is challenging. The people here are very conservative. Though I speak Korean, I didn’t go to school here and it was really hard to get into the local’s circle. Also politics is very sensitive. So it was even harder for me to raise money for a political themed NGO.” Judy explained to me, “As for the personal life… I think you’ve seen how Korean girls look like on the street — the makeup, the nails, the dress. I’m not the local guy’s type. And there aren’t many single expat men neither. My personal life has suffered a lot since I moved here.” “Why not leave?” I asked. “My work finally picked up a little this year. I found my first donor. I can’t walk away right now. I will give myself another two years.” Judy looked quite determined.

After lunch and coffee, we walked back to Judy’s office. I told her I left my job two months ago. “What do you want to do?” Judy asked. “It could still be in the same investment and asset management industry. I haven’t figured out the exact roles. I need more time to think and talk with people. Right now I’m going to those Startup and FinTech events. I haven’t got time to check them before. Now I got the chance and time. I want to look around first.” I was not clear on my next step yet. “Well, take your time. The young people in Korea all want to work for Samsung. They never think and they don’t like changes.” Judy looked at the people on the street — they all looked the same.

I suddenly remembered what I saw around Hongik University, a local art focused school. From the late afternoon till the evening, there will be street performers, usually the students from the university, singing and dancing in the nearby neighborhood. I randomly stood in front of a singer. She was so talented. She got a beautiful voice and had great techniques too. But once I walked around, I found it so scary that every singer sang with the same techniques and every group of dancers danced the same. They were like products manufactured from the factory line. They were good but they were the same. I can imagine how cutthroat the competition must be — you had to be perfect otherwise you will be easily replaced. It only benefited the men who owed the system. The rest of the people had no identities.

The shops were busy and the food was amazing in Seoul. But I felt I can’t breath.