Expat home in Bangkok - chapter II

The Second Epiphany
Será porque estoy siempre en estado de alta actividad, pero en general la presión no me causa angustia ni histeria . Al contrario, me ayuda a pensar estratégicamente y a llegar más rápido a una conclusión, tras evaluar diversos factores de manera racional. En lo que respecta a la búsqueda de hogar, la presión temporal me hizo despertarme a las 7AM del Domingo pasado y ponerme a leer online acerca de las experiencias de otros fellow expats en mi situación. Estuve indagando bastante rato acerca de Ari, informándome acerca del barrio, viendo fotos, leyendo sobre cafés-restaurantes-tiendas-supermercados en la zona... Antes de que dieran las 11, que era cuando había quedado con mis amigos para ir a ver los templos, tenía claro que quería vivir en Ari: 25' puerta-puerta con el trabajo, 30' puerta-puerta con la escuela de baile, plagada de cafés, restaurantes y tiendas cucas, sin el agobio de putas, borrachos y Chinas locas compra-Vuittones que acecha en Sukhumvit - cierto es que los peores Soi son 8-11 (BTS Nana, donde estoy ahora) pero en torno al 26-39 (BTS Phrom Phong, donde los pisos caros, mi escuela de baile y el EmQuartier) también están las calles cargadas de gente.

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Expat home in Bangkok - chapter I

Este mapa muestra lo diferente que es el turismo de la vida laboral. Los templos de Bangkok están en el río, al Oeste. Pero los expats vivimos, trabajamos y salimos en torno a Sukhumvit, en el Noreste. Por eso como turistas, os recomiendo esta zona ya que tiene más opciones de restaurantes y bares.

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Home away from home

The notion of home
Home is represented by very different ideas depending on who you ask. For those who never left, it is the place where they grew up and stayed, often where the majority of their family, friends and even more distant relatives are. For regular expats, home is typically where the job, friends (at least a subset of them), partner and kids are. The latter is more of an abstract concept, that relates more with the activity than with the physical location. In the past, that's what home was for me. The place where Enrique is, where we work and live together.

Our life in Málaga made me question that concept quite often, as he would not be there on average, for 6 months a year. This summer I had a fun realization, that it felt more home in the tiny apartment of Seoul than the rest of 2017 - he was in Sweden, I was ping-pong between Europe and Asia on weekly basis. Our life in Gangnam was nowhere ideal but, we had each other, on daily basis.

Through the starting of my new life in Bangkok, I am once again reconsidering the concept of home. When hearing with the fun weekend plans with the Spanish and friends in Bangkok, Enrique told me that this seemed like my second Erasmus, which made me realize how lucky I am to be given the chance again (but on my 30s) to have some time on my own, when I can explore who I am, what drives me, what makes me happy. To process this variety of experiences in the silence provided by living alone. Distance relationships are often seen negatively by the society, when in fact it is many of us in this kind of situation (I can count 4 friends who have their hubby in another city). While the transition from being a normal couple into one geographically split is tough, spending time alone eventually provides a chance to shut down the world, take care of yourself in a deeper level. It also makes you give the apppropriate value to the moments spent together for the magic time they are. The true realization of the the volatility of life allows you to live fully.

From the psychological, into the physical home
One of my colleagues was extremely suprised to hear that I was moving to Bangkok "despite having renovated my apartment during the summer". The irony of destiny.

We bought our apartment in Malaga towards the end of 2014, when having some issues with the landlord - I ended up in court as the building owner was not paying back the loan to the landlord, meaning that all of us tenants were at risk of being kicked out as soon as the trial was over - and a hard time to find rental apartments in Málaga which we liked and could meet our budget. Back then it felt like jumping from the top of a cliff, but after completing the major changes - installing the stairs, changing all the hideous brown wood by white walls and concrete floors - we were both happy with the decision. The apartment was instrumental for Málaga to start feeling like home. There was one thing missing though, which was the terrace. It was not very pleasant and we had water leakage under heavy rain, which is more common than you probably think in Málaga. We converted a small pool into the dining area pictured, covered the walls with concrete and installed some ambient lightning. This took the whole month of June, brought me to the hospital (as I had a bronchitis crisis as it turns out I am allergic to concrete dust). But it was finally done, another great job of Adrian Scarrone and his company MDQ reformas (highly advisable if you want to fix your home in the area). When everything was ready, we left to Seoul for the summer. Soon after, I ended up here.

After a notable time, money and effort investment... I am back at square zero, as home-less being who has to battle the real estate market of Bangkok - alone for the first time. As I noted quite some curiosity by those of you who also follow me on instagram and found it extremely useful to read online about the experiences of fellow expats, I decided to write a mini series of posts this week, to capture what it takes to find an apartment in Bangkok.

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Bangkok - Citadines Soi 8

Byakko ain't here, but looking at him makes me feel home.

With a bit of nostalgy, from doing this together with Enrique when we moved to Japan let me introduce you my 25m2 home of the month. Citadines is a staple for serviced apartments in Bangkok - in fact the guy at the reception recalled my face from when I came last year to stay in the one at soi 11, can you believe that? - not huge, but conveniently located and serviced, with an option for breakfast or dinner for those of you not keen on cooking your own stuff.

For the rest, just get some food and wine from Villa Market in Soi 11 or Tops Market (under Robinson, between soi 17 and soi 19), to enjoy some conversation for those back home in the intimacy of the little apartment. Truth is, the place ain't big but well distributed and spacious when you manage to get all your stuff in place with nothing hanging around. As you can judge by the pictures, my 4 suitcases fell into place leading to some kind of micro-sized harmony.

I brought a large cup, because I am a maniac for 500ml coffee in the morning and the pink Daruma, to ensure my dreams are pursued.

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Costa Rica - Diving at Drake Bay

The cherry of our nearly 3 weeks in Costa Rica was this amazing boat dive, cortesy of Drake Divers in Bahia Drake. 27C water, great visibility, amazing creatures as you can see in the video. The boat leaves in the morning and you are back on time to catch the boat back to reality (read Sierpe) at around 13.

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Bangkok - Pool Party

Picture from here

During my first weekend here, the guys took me to a really nice pool party. It's a luxury to have experienced Bangkok expat friends, isn't it?

Turns out that these happen every weekend and you can find out what's next in this listing. New for me, but someting I look forward to repeating, specially when my friends start to visit. If you want to give it a shot during your vacay, here come some notes.

• Parties are during daytime (2-8PM), perfect way to chill the afternoon away and make your choice, whether you go home to sleep or you get changed to hit the buzzling nightlife again.
• Despite being held in fancy hotels, they are not super expensive. Entrance in BLAST, in Hilton Doubletree somewhere in Sukhumvit, was 400 (10EUR) or 700(18EUR) with one hour free flow of wine and beer. I picked the second option, which turned out to be quite cost effective as I didn't drink much anyway.
• Some have lockers, some don't. Dresscode is casual, flat sandals and shorts will do. Id on't see a major need to bring a towel, of course you can but you may as well dry just while chilling by the pool. I wore a small bag to have my valuables with me while being able to dance, no towel, sunscreen or clothes to change, it was just fine.

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On the road

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Busan - Gamcheon Culture Village

Gamcheon Culture Village, dubbed as the "Machu Picchu of Korea" is a must in Busan that consists of houses built in staircase-fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain.

How to get there? From the Toseong-dong metro station take exit 8, cross the street and walk to the bus stop in front of the hospital. Catch minibus 2 or 2-2 (₩900, 10 minutes) up the hill.

The history behind these artsy streets, today filled with colourful murals, cozy cafés, cool stores and millions of selfie opportunities goes back to the Korea War. As explained in our post, Busan was the last stronghold of South Korea during the first phase of the war, implying that millions of refugees fled to Busan forcing the Government to hurriedly build houses piled on top of each other on the few available spaces, like this hillside.

With the rise of industrialization, Gamcheon reached almost 30,000 inhabitants, but afterward most of its population moved to other cities and the population fell to 8,000. The few left were aging rapidly, one quarter being over 65, Many of the colorful houses were abandoned. The area lacked basic infrastructure (running water, sewer system) and gave it a rundown look, in danger of disappearing over the time.

In 2010, the local Government in collaboration with urban planners, artists and the residents, had the idea of regenerating the area and attracting tourism, opting for a sustainable development that would respect its unique character and artistic value.

The government made a major effort to improve the infrastructures (retaining walls, running water and sewage system, street paving, parking areas, etc). Meanwhile, artists and residents focused on repairing the homes of the elderly with low incomes, renovating abandoned houses and turning into new things worth visiting like museums, art galleries where cultural and educational activities could be housed.

New village businesses were also stimulated (think of shops, cafés, restaurants, galleries, crafts workshops, hotels) simply because commercial activities create jobs and generate income for the residents, part of which goes back into the community in different ways: distribution of food, organization of festivals and events, reparation of houses, etc. The government also supported the enhancement of the residents’ capacity and self-management, by offering courses in several areas, like business management, sales techniques or crafts.

Volunteers were trained to give guided tours of the village and stimulate the curiosity and creativity of children in this unique area through the “Growing through Art” initiative.

The numerous color tones of the homes, the more than 40 works of art exhibited in the village, the craft shops, the art galleries and cafés, together with the programming of different cultural festivals and the participation of the residents in the revitalization, care and promotion of the village, gave it a unique appeal that resulted in 1.5M visitors in 2015.

Gamcheon is the blueprint on how citizen efforts and Governmental actions can be synergised to execute dramatic change, from a poor marginalized area into a cultural, dynamic village full of life.

While our pictures are not fair when it comes to the beauty of the actual colors - it was already dark when we made it there... I feel thankful about having a chance to wander through the streets without hordes of Chinese tourists armed with selfie sticks.

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Busan - Beomeosa Temple

Beomeosa Temple「범어사」is a Buddhist temple located on Mt. Geumjeongsan in Busan. Established in 678, it is considered one of the three major temples in southeast Korea. However, the superb scenery of a temple built atop the mountain and the hidden gems called "hermitages" set it apart from anything else we've seen in Korea.

How to get there? First take the Busan subway (1) to Beomeosa station, take exit 1 and walk to the stop of bus 90 which will take you to the nearby entrance of Beomeosa Temple.

The first thing you see from is the main temple entrance, called Iljumun Gate, which is very impressive but also quite similar to anything else you have seen in Seoul. The really cool stuff is hidden in the forest, but not impossible to find. When you see this main gate, just IGNORE IT and continue to walk right towards the hermitage, leaving Beomeosa Temple to your left. There will be signs that read「청련암」which means Chungryunam or Blue Lotus Hermitage, just follow them to hit the jackpot.

This unique enclave is impressive yet quiet. I doubt many foreigners manage to make it there, to be honest. But the walk is well worth it, I had never seen so many bronze statues together, laid out in such a harmonious way, guarding the golden Buddha on the top. On the sides, we can see some halls dedicated to the practice of Seonmudo, a traditional martial art.

Quite a fun anecdote happened to us there. As we were walking downstairs on the way out, a lady came running to invite us to eat bibimbap. On one side, we were somewhat hungry and exhausted (it as 4PM and we had not eaten anything for lunch) but on the other it was too late for lunch. So we politely thank her and left. Then, she came back running trying to hold us - when she arrived we realised she was bringing a bag with some food "korean rice cake" she said and gave two of these blocks to us. It didn't taste much - beyond plain rice of course - but proved quite filling, as we shared one and didn't feel hungry until more than 5 hours later... The korean name for the rice cake is tteok「떡」and is the basis of local favourites like tteok-bokki, favourite dish of a good friend, which one could call the Korean macaroni.

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Busan - Geumjeongsanseong Fortress

Geumjeongsanseong Fortress is located on the peak of Mt. Geumjeongsan (801.5m) in Busan. Its 17km long wall made it once the largest fortress in Korea. Now, only 4km remain from the original. While the exact time of construction is not recorded, it is believed to come from the Three Kingdoms Era - earlier than 668 - when Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla dynasties were fighting against each other. The present fortress was built in 1703, after the Japanese Invasion of Korea from 1592~1598 to prepare for any further invasions from Japan.

While you expect to visit some kind of castle, the environment you find after getting out of the cable car is actually a forest, quite a lovely walk in the nature as long as you come prepared for it. The views from the cable car as well as the wall thickness are impressive, but if you are tight on time you could just skip this and focus on Beomeosa Temple, which together with the beach and other things was the real highlight of Busan.

The good thing is that both Geumjeongsanseong & Beomeosa are located in the same subway line, rather close to each other, so you can combine both visits easily. Since the fortress is southern - and we were coming from the south - we started from there, but as said, it could have been done the other way around too... Up to you!

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Busan - Canvas Hostel

It's never easy to find a good, affordable, well-located hotel when you book with few days in advance, specially during the high summer season. Luckily, we got a spot in CANVAS Hostel [WEB] so we are here to tell you.

Managed by a group of cool young hipsters from Busan, Canvas smells of modern design. With ample rooms - in fact much larger than our temporary home in Seoul - large common areas and free breakfast (toast, coffee and olive oil available) this is a perfect base for a flash weekend in Busan.  It is also possible to stay in shared rooms, but we are a bit tool old for that!

Walking distance from Haeundae Beach, close to the main bus lines to take you to all tourist highlights as well as the main train station (to go back to Seoul), CANVAS is a really convenient, classy and advisable spot. During the last day, you can keep your luggage in dedicated lockers.

Definitely a keeper! Make sure to secure it for your visit to Busan!

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Busan - Haeundae Beach

English
Haeundae is the largest and most popular beach in Korea, located in Busan a city in the south which is very advisable for a weekend out of Seoul.  Think of a Miami-like skyline, with much more affordable places to stay and eat, wrapped by a boardwalk with plenty of cool views. The perfect way to kick-start the weekend. In the night, the sand is covered by small groups of teenagers who put music and dance to the environment, very much Hongdae-style.

Spanish
Haeundae es la playa más famosa de Korea, situada en Busan - la segunda ciudad más grande del país - tiene un skyline comparable al de South beach en Miami, pero con hoteles y restaurantes mucho más asequibles en los alrededores. Dar un paseo por sus alrededores es la manera perfecta de comenzar el finde en esta excitante ciudad. Busan huele a vacaciones y ofrece múltiples contrastes, de lo más tradicional - templos y fortalezas en las montañas - a lo más chabacano - esos adolescentes con sueños de K-Pop que amenizan la noche cantando y bailando en la arena, como vimos en Hongdae.

Drones allowed, show some love to our little video!!

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