The Ramblings of Loren Christopher

A special treat arrived in the mail for me last weekend, a right angle lens.  It can be also referred to as a “spy lens”, but that sounds creepy and slightly perverse, so I prefer the term “right angle lens”.  So, I bought one of these because I’ve always been interested in street photography, and capturing the candid shots of people I see as I travel.  Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the courage to just ask them if I can take their picture.  And I’ve tried sneaking pictures of interesting looking people, but it never quite turns out the way I want.

So, I was pleased when I heard about this lens attachment….and last weekend I went out around Jongro (central Seoul) to test it out.  Jongro is a pretty happening area, particularly on the weekends.  There’s Insadong street which has loads of touristy stuff and shops, at night there are neon lights everywhere you look, bars, game rooms, all kinds of street food, and people everywhere.

I went in the late afternoon….the weather was perfect and I visited Tagpol Park.  This place is FILLED with old Korean men.  They all come here and play a traditional game called “Go“.  I have no idea how to play it myself, but it is comparable to our chess or checkers…..in that there is a board and there are pieces and you take turns playing.  I’m sure it’s more complicated obviously.

The point, however, is that this park is flooded with old Korean men who bring their games and they just sit around playing.  Some men will crowd around and watch particular games (I guess if they know it’s a good game).  Also there were some REALLY old men talking who had crowds gathered around listening to them.  I wish I had gone with one of my K-friends so I could have gotten a translation.

I like old people, especially of other ethnicities.  Old Koreans in particular amaze me because I cannot imagine how much change they have seen in their lifetime.  Just 50 years ago the entire country was ripped apart and starving….they had nothing.  Now you walk down the street and people are in designer clothing, using the latest technology phones, there are multinational corporations everywhere you look.  It’s amazing to think about.

That’s one of the reasons this country fascinates me so much.  There is an interesting juxtaposition of ancient (and somewhat archaic) societal hierarchies, customs, and traditions mixed with the ultra-modern and image conscious people of today.  Last Saturday, as I was walking around creepily taking pictures of strangers….lol, I tried to capture an essence of the people and why it is that I like this place so much.  For more photos you can check out my flickr page.