I Love My Neighborhood: Yongin, Gyeonggi-do (South Korea)

Welcome to another edition of “I Love My Neighborhood”, where I ask expats from across the globe to share the joys of local life they’ve found in their corner of the world.

If you’re just joining in now, check out the other cities that have been covered so far here.

Today’s guest post comes from Audrey, a Canadian teaching in Korea. I love Audrey’s blog; from seeking out local food to weekend trips around the country, she seems to truly be making the most of her time in Korea. When not off having adventures at fish markets and mud festivals, she’s based in the city of Yongin.

Audrey: Why I Love Yongin

Yongin is located in Gyeonggi-do; that’s the province that wraps itself around Seoul like a giant doughnut. The city sits in a valley, and my area has a particularly peaceful feel to it, even though it happens to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country! I can’t say I chose this neighborhood as it was assigned to me when I signed my teaching contract, but it has turned out to be a nice little place to call home for the year. Its eccentricities certainly keep me entertained!

The Walking Paths

There’s a path that runs through my neighborhood that leads down to the lake. Now there is nothing particularly inspiring about a walking path, but the people I see on it are certainly something to write home about! I’m talking men walking their poodles, which have been painted various shades of neon; the women hiding behind giant visors and facemasks, lest they get a tan; and the gathering of men having their midday picnics.

The Drunkard

No one likes the town drunk, but my neighbourhood has one that is quite entertaining. He has a bit of an opera singer’s voice, so when he wanders down the street at night (usually past midnight), his voice carries all the way up to the tenth floor in a deep sing-songy tone. It’s not the sort of tune that will put you to sleep, but it will make you chuckle.

Traditional Korean Food

You are not going to find very many options for foreign dining in my neighborhood. Fried chicken is about as exciting as it gets, which means I had to learn to order Korean food fast! At first, I was overwhelmed by the menus written in hangul, and the photos which I couldn’t decipher as meat or vegetable, but now I can walk into my local joint and order a tofu stew sans problème!

The Street Vendors

Korean fashion, kebabs, and dishware? Vendors like to park their trucks on my street and set up shop right outside my apartment building. On any given day I can expect to jump over the boxes they have scattered on the sidewalk. Every once in a while they tempt me with a bargain.

The Fruit Unloaders

Unloading fruit from the truck is a serious business! It’s not uncommon for me to walk past the supermarket and see a watermelon tossing competition going on. That’s right! The workers form a line between the fruit trucks and the store’s entrance, and just toss them down regardless of the people walking along the street. I wouldn’t want to get hit by a flying piece of fruit!

That’s Yongin in a nutshell; quirky, odd, yet endearing.

About the author: Audrey is the girl behind That Backpacker. She was born in Canada, raised in Argentina, and now finds herself teaching English to a mischievous bunch in Korea. You can follow her travels on Facebook and Twitter.

All photos courtesy of the author.