Arnab's Year in Cities - 2013

In the year of our Arnab 2013, I visited 7 countries and stayed overnight in 30 different cities from Andong to Yangon. I was largely based in Asia this year, with the only exception being a trip to Greece in summer. Spectacularly diverse adventures were to be had across the contintent in Myanmar, Mongolia, and Indonesia. For a while I worked out of my company's Indian office in Gurgaon, which allowed me to visit my family and friends during off days. A company trip to Bangkok and a friend's wedding at a beachside resort in Krabi resulted in multiple visits to Thailand.  

The 2013 List 

Andong, South Korea

Athens, Greece

Bagan, Myanmar

Bangkok, Thailand

Boseong, South Korea

Busan, South Korea

Changwon, South Korea

Delhi NCR, India

Fira, Greece

Gangneung, South Korea

Inle, Myanmar

Jakarta, Indonesia

Jeonju, South Korea

Jindo, South Korea

Jinju, South Korea

Kolkata, India

Krabi, Thailand

Kuta, Indonesia

Mandalay, Myanmar

Meteora, Greece

Mumbai, India

Padang Bai, Indonesia

Pohang, South Korea

Sacheon, South Korea

Samcheok, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea

Tongyeong, South Korea

Ubud, Indonesia

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Yangon, Myanmar   

Past years

• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

******

All men dream; but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds
Awake to find that it was vanity; 
But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. 
That they may act their dreams with open 
eyes to make it possible.
~ Lawrence of Arabia

Sejongjo Hoeryeyeon - The King's Banquet

The Korean youth have a colour palette consisting of black, grey, and brown. They dress as if they are on the way to a funeral every day, mourning the passing of the last traces of their individuality. Colourful garb can only be found on the mountainside, where oldsters wear a rainbow of brand named hiking gear as they climb the various scenic ranges that span the nation, or during festivals celebrating Korea’s history and culture, where the traditional hanbok dress is worn by both men and women. 

On January 1, 1433, in the 15th year of King Sejong’s reign, a lavish banquet to celebrate the new year was held for the first time. King Sejong was an accomplished leader who funded the development of hanguel, the Korean alphabet which replaced the complicated Chinese characters that were in use until then. Nowadays, the Sejongjo Hoeryeyeon royal banquet is reenacted annually at the Gyeongbokgung Palace to celebrate the king and his achievements and also to give modern man an insight into their colourful past.

The enthralling spectacle consists of music, drama, dance, bows, wine, and food. About four hundred performers, including artists trained in the traditional styles of aak (the music played during Confucian rites), dangak (music adapted from China's Tang dynasty), and hyangak (indigenous Korean court music), entertain both the king and his audience on a grand scale. Food and wine is offered to the king in a ritual manner, with heavy bowing taking place whenever the opportunity presents itself.

*****

All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. ~ Khalil Gibran 

Chronicles of Korea

As my time in Korea comes to an end, I compiled a thorough list of the different places I visited around the country during my stay. The natural and historical sites had much more variety and charm than the inhabitants. Although it pales in comparison to my Chinese adventures, there was still a lot to see and explore in this small but densely populated nation. 

• Andong
• Boseong
• Busan
• Buyeo
• Changwon
• Cheonan
• Chuncheon
• Daegu
• Daejeon
• Damyang
• Ganghwado
• Gangneung
• Gongju
• Goseong
• Gurye
• Gwangju
• Gyeongju
• Hampyeong
• Hwacheon
• Ilsan
• Incheon
• Jeju
• Jeonju
• Jindo
• Jinhae
• Jinju
• Mokpo
• Nami
• Paju
• Pohang
• Sacheon
• Samcheok
• Seoul
• Sokcho
• Suncheon
• Suwon
• Tongyeong
• Uijeongbu
• Ulsan
• Wando
• Yeongam
• Yeosu
• Yongin

*****

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~ Confucius

Greece

Amidst years spent in the high-octane economies of Asia full of aspirational youth and rapidly growing businesses, I made a visit to the Old World where a completely different attitude prevails. Mired in a depression with no end in site, Greece struggles to regain even a portion of its former glory.

The birthplace of democracy, the home of brilliant philosophers and mathematicians, and the training grounds for legions of brave warriors boasts the remnants of its past as its main drawing card in these austere times. Many stores in central Athens were shuttered, with unemployed members of society and walls sprayed with graffiti as prevalent as plastic surgery clinics and mismatched couples in South Korea.

The food was good, but not substantially better than the dishes found in Greek restaurants elsewhere. In some ways it was worse, as all vegetable portions had somehow become replaced with french fries in almost every dish I ordered (perhaps as a cost cutting measure).

The summer weather was hot and dry, with greenery nowhere to be found in the arid landscape. The English was decent although some people had the habit of using the words ‘stairs’ and ‘escalators” interchangeably, leading to some unexpected surprises for elderly travelers.

I had about 8-9 days in hand for my Greek odyssey. My journey in Hellas began with a night in the port town of Piraeus, followed by three days on the mystical isle of Santorini, and then a return to the mainland to see the historical sites of Meteora, Delphi, Corinth, and Athens.  

*****

There are some people who live in a dream world, and some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. ~ Douglas Everett

Poor Arnab

A pretty Chinese girl expressed her sympathy for me after hearing about my sad state of affairs with K-girls: 


Poor Arnab... Indian black hairy IT nerd


The description sounds tragedy enough...