holiday revealed part one

hi sorry for lack of posting these last 2 weeks. I'm now glad to be back in Japan (but not so keen to have a lesson first thing tomorrow!). It was funny- yesterday on the plane back, it felt very much like it used to going back to Durham (uni) for the start of a new term - a bit anxious, not really wanting to go back, but on the other hand wanting to be back & hoping the new term will go well and hopes and dreams will be found, pursued and realised.
Anyway, back to the holiday-
KOREA
My advice to you (prob applies more if you live in Japan than not), but if you want to go to Seoul, just go for a weekend- you probably don't need 5 days there! Eat kimichi (pickled spicy cabbage- great if you like spicy food), see a palace (they all look the same to me!), visit the N Korean border [was very strange, we went to the DMZ- Demilitarized Zone - on a tour, and we got to one place and a Korean soldier gave us a sightseeing talk, highlighting what we could see of N Korea from the huge window in front of us. He had a very strong British accent, and turned out to be from Surrey but has Korean heritage and decided to do 2 years military service to keep his Korean passport.] Was funny hearing his S London accent so unexpectedly! - (Maybe something similar to when I was in HK 5 years ago and met an old man in a HK/mainland China border town when i was on a day tour, who had previous worked at 'My Old China' restaurant in Purley Way, Croydon!)
Anyway, I was surprised at how keen the S Koreans are to be re-unified with the North. Both places are obviously very different though. E.g. there are few trees in N Korea, because they chop them down to use the wood for fuel or even food!

Besides the palaces & touristy areas, I can't remember much else apart from visiting the supposed world's "largest" church (750,000 attending members) - S Korea has many churches.
Other than that, it was like being in Japan, although not being able to speak a word of the language. (The one word I did learn- thank you- I kept forgetting or mispronouncing anyway!)