Meet a Stranger a Day

36. Diana, Quanah and Renee

2009-10-25T14:04:00.011+01:00

Gwangju was going to a special experience from the start: for the first time in Korea I was staying not just with a host, but with an entire host family. My couch surfing contact, Renee, was at work when I arrived, but I was to take a taxi to her family's home. I managed to find their apartment with the help of yet another kind stranger, rang the doorbell and was let in by Renee's mother Diana. She doesn't speak much English (although still more than I speak Korean), but that was not stopping her from being incredibly hospitable. She cooked me a fabulous dinner (and if you've read this travelogue up to this point you'll know that in Korea this means the table was covered with an abundance of delicious food), and by the time my efforts had had any visible effect on this spread of goodness, Renee's sister Quanah had arrived. She speaks very good English, which means that now the conversation really took off (well, after she had added noodles to the selection of foods, that is).
After dinner came the drink, and the gambling. Diana called a friend, who brought her daughters, and a bottle of bamboo-based wine - I'm not sure whether it was juktongju, or jukryeokgo, or something else entirely, but it was tasty. We drank, and ate some more scrumptious side dishes, and talked for a good while, until it was time for the daughters to go home and do their homework. That's when the Go-stop cards came out, and we started playing. Fortunately for my wallet we only played for points, because after a first round of total beginners' luck, I was struggling to even keep track of what was going on. It's a fascinating game with many rules (so many in fact, that it seemed a bit as if they were making them up as they went along), and it seems to be a good mix between strategy and luck. If you want to try it out and are in my neighborhood, let me know - Diana gave me the cards as a gift, and I want to practice!
Sometime during our game Renee finally came home from work, and shortly after that her father. He's a lovely, charismatic man, and - according to Renee - crazy like the rest of the family. The Park family, by the way, is an atypical Korean family as far as I can tell; the relationship the two daughters have with their parents is much more one of friendship, than of the traditional Korean obedience - the family laugh a lot and are full of friendly banter. And yet it was very interesting to witness the change in atmosphere when the dad walked in the door - immediately he was the center of attention, the playing cards and drinking glasses were whisked away, and he started peeling one of those sweet, huge juicy Korean pears - a quick snack before we all went out for more food at Renee's favorite fish place, where he tried to set me up with the cute waitress.
After saengseon hoe and maeuntang it was time to go to bed. And since I've not mentioned Korean sleeping customs so far, now is probably a good time. The Park family had cleared a room for me, and from the looks of it not just any room, but probably the one with the best bed.

I had happily slept on the floor for the previous two weeks, which incidentally is pretty much standard procedure in Korea - their heated ondol make sleeping on the floor comfortably warm at the very least. But this was the luxury version: a bed of "normal" height, with a slab of stone set over an electric heater, the control panel conveniently integrated into the bed.

The next day we went for a picnic in Damyang, a county to the northeast of Gwangju, which is well-known in Korea for its Bamboo forests. But first we went to visit the May 18th National Cemetery, where the victims of the Gwangju massacre and heroes of the Gwangju democratization movement are laid to rest. I had wanted to go there to find out more about what it took for Korea to make the transition to a true democracy. The museum that is part of the memorial site managed to convey the immense courage the protesters showed during the 10 days of resistance, and the heart-braking fate that many of them suffered. I was deeply moved.

After another short drive and a one hour hike through beautiful pine forests, we reached our picnic place: Geumseongsanseong, a large fortress built during the 13th century.

Most of the buildings of the fortress were destroyed during the Donghak movement of 1894, so the interior seems more like a park than a military compound. But a 5 minute walk from the outer wall revealed a small house and stage - the sleeping quarter and training grounds of the Dongjaam, a pair of boy monks who are being trained in the Asian fighting art by their father. We arrived just in time for their training session, and were dazzled by skill of these real-life Bruce Lees.

This post concludes the newest instance of Meet a Stranger a Day - Korean edition. I spent four more days in this fantastic country, but they were filled with travel, meeting old friends, finding a way to recharge my camera's battery, and buying overpriced souvenirs - which is why I'll leave it here. But I'm hopeful - Meet a Stranger a Day will be back, as sure as I'll go traveling again...

35. Timothy

2009-10-24T13:59:00.004+02:00

Even though my flight to Jeju was on a Saturday, Haeyoung had to work in the morning - but we were going to have lunch before I had to take off to the airport. I used the time until then to find when and where exactly the bus to the airport leaves, and to have a second look at the port. And then lunch was so delicious and the company so good, that I caught the bus twenty minutes later than intended. On top of that, traffic was atrocious, and instead of 90 minutes the transfer across Busan took about two hours. I arrived at the checkin-desk with 15 minutes to go until takeoff, focused only on not missing the plane, and must have been quite startled when the staff asked me whether I preferred an aisle or window seat. Either that, or it's standard procedure to have an extra close look at late checkin luggage. Whatever the case, I was asked to wait at the counter until my backpack had been scanned, and - after about a minute - told to join security for a closer inspection. They had seen an electrical appliance, with a wire coiled up, and wanted me to show it to them. It took me a few moments to realize that they meant my laptop charger (I was not sure about which of my belongings were in my hand-luggage and which were in the backpack), but together we found it. With the immediate security risk resolved, their focus wandered to a different item; back in Zurich, I had wrapped a couple of buttons - part of a special delivery of climbing pants to Eunkyoung in Seoul - in a piece of paper, on which I had been practising Hangeul, the Korean writing, pretty much with random simple words. While we were looking for the charger, somehow one of the security crew saw this, and now asked me whether I had written this myself - from then on they were all smiles, and I was finally on my way to Jeju.

Tim picked me up at the airport, an unexpected kindness; in general he struck me as a gentle giant (him waving to one of his elementary-school English pupils is a sight to behold). In the evening we joined the expat crowd for an open mic night, and later on went to the aptly named "The Bar". It was good fun, but it meant that we had a late start the next day, and what I had wanted to be a daytrip up Jeju's Hallasan turned into an afternoon at the Trick Art Museum. Its concept: take masterpieces, monsters and dinosaurs, arrange them so people can interact with them and take cheesy pictures, and let the crowd exit through the gift shop. Definitely not my kind of museum. The next morning I pulled myself together, and at least went to see the Manjanggul lava tube. Jeju is a volcanic island off Korea's southern coast, and sports craters, basalt stone cliffs, and underground caverns. Manjanggul is part of a system of roughly 7km of such caverns, created by subterranean lava flows, of which about 1km is open to the public. It was a bit of a bus ride and accompanying walk to get there, but the caves are impressive and very nicely lit.

Particularly interesting is the lava pillar all the way at the far end of the public part, where lava flowed and dripped down from another tube higher up, creating a strangely shaped pillar.

Porous volcanic rock is ubiquitous on Jeju, and is used - among other things - for dry walls.

34. Haeyoung

2009-10-20T01:35:00.010+02:00

Busan is Korea's second largest city, and one of the world's five largest ports. This becomes noticeable for example when traveling by subway; after a short 40-minutes bus ride from Gyeongju to Busan, it took me a full hour to make my way across town to Haeundae, where I was going to meet Haeyoung. Thanks to Ji-whan's planning and hand-drawn map of the subway system, this proved to be simple enough. I arrived on time, and without any major detours, and had just enough time to make a phone call and buy some iced tea from a street vendor, before Haeyoung picked me up. We left my luggage in her car, and went directly to Haeundae's namesake beach, a summer favorite that draws up to a hundred thousand sunbathing visitors from all of Korea, not all of which can conceivably touch sand at the same time.

Haeundae has seen a nearly incredible amount of development in the last five years, including the construction of Gwangan bridge.

Since we both hadn't eaten, Haeyoung then took me to the the place to go for fresh eel. The eel are kept alive in a tank just outside the restaurant until the moment you place your order.

At that point, they are killed and filleted, and stewed on a cooker on your table. Eventually the pieces stop moving and are ready to eat - they have a chewy texture, a desired trait in Korean cuisine.
It was one of the last days of the Busan Film Festival (PIFF), and Haeundae Beach was filled with booths that were all at least loosely related to the movie industry. We took a stroll along them after dinner, and happened upon a performance of traditional Korean music - part of a PIFF-related reception. A brass instrument, whose sound reminded me of a Shawm or Schalmei, accompanied by four percussion instruments, playing groovy, stomping, pounding rhythms, and dancing: a man - maybe the fool?, a bear - or at least two men in a bear costume, and at the end the musicians themselves, who circled, jumped and turned like dervishes, the long ... on their hats describing coordinated circles and figure eights. What struck me as remarkable, is that I would have placed this music much further west, had I heard it out of context - I would have guessed it to be from Turkey, or somewhere along the silk road perhaps.
After that, we walked back to the car, had another look at Gwangan bridge by night, and drove to Haeyoung's home in the outskirts of Busan.

The next day - Haeyoung had to work - was filled with sightseeing. One of the things Busan is known for is the Jagalchi fish market, an immense collection of stalls and restaurants, partly in the road, partly in a newly opened market hall, and ships in all sizes and shapes.

Jagalchi's focus is on fish, but that doesn't mean you can't get everything else too. At the outer reaches you'll find stores full of traditional Asian medicine (this time I was quick-witted enough to take a picture of the dried frogs), and any supplies fishermen may need; ropes, chains, nets, and so on.

Closer to the center of the market are the dried fish stalls.

Tiny dried fish, small dried fish, big dried fish, dried seaweed, dried squid, dried octopus - if you can dry it, you can find it here.

At the heart of Jagalchi are the fresh fish stalls, and of course live fish, and crab, mussel, clam, squid, snail and turtle.

Walk on past the restaurants that sell fish and other seafood, fried, stewed, and of course raw, and you'll get to the vegetable and fruit part of Jagalchi, where there's cabbage, leek, carrots, potatos, dubu (or tofu), lettuce, sesame leaves, garlic, onions, hot peppers and of course kimchi. And then, as you are about to emerge from this jumble of color and smells, there are more medicine stalls with their powders, roots, barks, leaves, mushrooms, seaweeds and, again, dried frogs.

In the afternoon I went for a hike in Geumgang, a mountain park in the northern part of Busan. It turned out to be quite hard to find, as I had forgotten to pack my guide book when I left Gyeongju, and was navigating only from a tourist map of Busan. I took the metro to what I thought was a nearby station, and walked in the general direction of the mountain, which thankfully distinguishes itself from all the other hills in and around Busan by the red supports of its cable-car. Busan's road system was not kind to me, and gradually turned me away until I was walking in a completely useless direction; but eventually I made it to the entrance of the park. I decided to walk up, rather than take the cable-car, and was rewarded on the way with a magnificent view of the sprawling Busan.

33. Ji-whan and Jae-min

2009-10-16T07:16:00.003+02:00

In Gyeongju, my couch surfing experience was an unusual one. Professor Hank Chay of the Gyeongju University arranges for his students to accommodate couch surfers - to the mutual benefit of all involved. The students, in my case Ji-whan and Jae-min, get to practice their English for a couple of days, while the couch surfer has the best, most authentic experience possible. I had been exceedingly complicated, delaying my departure time from Daegu more and more (so I could spend some more time with Martine and Ross, see some more of the sights, and have yet another delicious meal). But when I finally arrived at the Gyeongju bus terminal and called Ji-whan, he and Jae-min were there within minutes. We took a taxi to Ji-whan's one-room apartment, dropped my stuff and exchanged some presents (red ginseng tonic and Swiss chocolate), and started right away into the sightseeing, of which there is a lot to do in Gyeongju.
Anapji pond is the reconstruction of a Silla-era summer palace, and it looks truly pretty - especially at night.
A nearby restaurant serves the town's best Boribap, and after this yet again delicious meal we drank brotherhood with Dongdongju, a sweet rice-drink that somehow reminded me of the Swiss "Suuser". Later that evening, we went to play some basketball, a traditional Korean sport, played with a large ball and one or two hoops fixed to a rectangular board... oh, you've heard of it?
The next morning, Ji-whan took me to the Jimjil, a Korean bathhouse, with showers, a sauna, a hot pool, a very hot pool, and a refreshingly cold pool, all of which we used in the proper sequence. Refreshed and clean we started into the day, and went to visit two of the most important cultural sites in the vicinity of Gyeongju: the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto. On the way there we decided to strengthen ourselves on Beondegi, stewed silkworm pupae. Unusual, to say the least.

As I've mentioned before, Korean Buddhist temples all have a relatively similar layout. One of the recurring features is the well, where devotees wash their hands and use the red and blue ladles to drink the cleansing water.

33. Martine and Ross

2009-10-15T15:58:00.007+02:00

The bus ride to Deagu took longer than I had expected, and so instead of around five as planned, I arrived after dark, around eight. Daegu has several bus terminals, most of which are reasonably near downtown - except, of course, the one at which I arrived. In addition to that, it seems to be little frequented by foreigners, so that the only English I heard or saw, was an invitation to buy some authentic Indian food. I politely declined, and continued my search for a public phone. I found a number of them tucked away by the side entrance of the terminal, brushed away some cobwebs (clearly most Koreans own a mobile phone), and called Ross. He was at a wedding reception, but very kindly explained where I should go to meet up with him (a landmark building run by one of the big hotel chains), and that I should make the taxi driver call him, if there should be any problem. And sure enough: I approached a gaggle of taxi drivers, and said just the one word in a questioning tone; much puzzlement ensued. They started throwing hotel names back and forth between them, all of which sounded distinctly not like the name I had given them. Finally, one of them waved me towards his car, we got in, and he drove off. In safe distance from the other drivers he asked me for my destination again. I tried finding the place in my guide book, but without success. Finally I pointed to his phone, typed Ross' number in for him, and so for the third time, my couch surfing hosts had saved me.
As it turned out, the wedding reception did not take place at the hotel at all, but Ross had simply chosen a big enough landmark form me to find. From there we took a short walk to the bar where the reception was still in full swing. I waited downstairs for Ross and Martine to say their goodbyes, but I hadn't even taken off my backpack, when Ross reappeared: I had been invited to join the party! The guests were a good mix of Koreans and foreigners, including a group of couch surfers. I won't go into the details of the party - you've probably been to a couple of them yourself. Only this: apparently, belly dancing is all the rage in South Korea.
The next day I went to visit the nearby Haeinsa temple. It houses the Tripitaka Koreana, a huge collection of buddhist scripture carved into wooden blocks, dating from the 13th century.

Haeinsa is very popular among Koreans, at least on a Sunday - instead of finding serenity, I ended up being part of a huge mass of tourists. And of course the wooden blocks aren't on public display, instead they are kept safely in the original storage, which provides the perfect storage conditions that apparently modern science cannot. But I was impressed by two things. Amid all the people, in one of the side temples was a monk, chanting, without a sign of distraction. And between the first and second gates stands the trunk of a roughly 1000 years old tree, according to legend planted to commemorate the foundation of Haeinsa in 802.

32. Lindsay

2009-10-11T19:58:00.005+02:00

Arriving in Sokcho, after a four-hour bus ride through green hills and along the coast, I felt the slightest bit of apprehension. Sokcho is a small town according to Korean standards, counting a mere 100'000 inhabitants, but its dense layout and high-rise apartment blocks give it the feel of a much larger city. And I was going to have to try to communicate with a taxi driver again, a task that had left me puzzled and frustrated in Seoul. I managed to say "Sam Hong apatah" without making too much of a fool of myself, and when we arrived at the apartment complex and the driver pointed at several of the buildings with a querying look, I think I managed to convey to him that I did not know exactly which one, but that here was a good place to get out... And then once again a couch surfer came to my rescue - my host Lindsay had come out to greet me, and with that the taxi driver was satisfied that I was not going to get lost.
After I had lent my fingers to Lindsay's cat Mamba as a chew-toy for a while, we took the scenic route to Sokcho's food town and went for delicious Samgyeopsal - thick slices of pork, fried on a coal stove integrated into the center of the table, and served with a mind-boggling array of side dishes; lettuce- and sesame-leaves, kimchi, pickled roots and beans, scrambled eggs, raw squid, dried fish... I can't recall the exact arrangement, but suffice it to say that a Korean dinner table is not complete if there is still some space on the table.
After dinner that we went for some beer and soju, and had a great chat, which was interrupted only for a short time by a Korean girl of about 17 years, who had been dared by her friends to go ask the foreigners for some beer - we realized what exactly was going on only later, when the bar staff brought candles and everybody started singing Happy Birthday.

Friday was reserved for hiking. Near Sokcho, a short bus ride of about 30 minutes from the city center, lies the national park of Seoraksan (Mount Seorak). I had considered trying to scale the summit, but decided not to overdo it - with a horizontal distance of about 10km from the park entrance and a vertical distance of 1700m it would have taken me roughly 10 hours there and back - a timeframe for which I was simply not awake early enough. Instead, Lindsay suggested the hike to Ulsan Bawi (Ulsan Rock), and she was spot-on with her suggestion. It's the time of the year when the leaves start changing color here in Korea, and the hike took me through some beautiful forests, which were mostly green, with just the right number of red leaves.

On the way to Ulsan Bawi there are several temples and shrines - and there's the teetering rock, Heundeul Bawi, that can be rocked back and forth by a small group of people.

The final half-hour of the ascent to Ulsan Bawi consists of stairs.

The view from the top is well-earned and much more spectacular than these two pictures can convey:

On the way down I stopped by Sinheungsa, the temple at Seoraksan's foot. All the Buddhist temples I've seen in Korea so far share some common elements. One of them is the entrance to the temple compound, guarded by the four kings of heaven, each of which rules over the domain of either north, east, south or west.
The king of the south, always depicted with a musical instrument.

At their feet: vanquished daemons.

After I had returned to Lindsay's, we met up with her friend Ari, and went to the harbor fish market. The way to buy (or even better, eat) fish here: point to the fish you like, and the seller will kill and prepare it right in front of your eyes.

Or you can order squid sundae - tasty!

Since we were still a bit peckish after our fresh clams, shrimp and squid sundae we decided to follow them up with some Bulgogi - thin slices of beef, again fried on a coal stove integrated in the table, and as always with an enormous number of side dishes.
And then - the night was still young - Lindsay and Ari introduced me to Sokcho's night-life. We met up with some of their colleagues from the English teaching institute, and went to their local to join in a double birthday party. There was a lot of talking, drinking, dancing, birthday cake and great company. And then, and I know I'm repeating myself, but Korean culture seems to be centered very much around food: at the party I talked to two Korean work colleagues of Lindsay's, and - hungry from all the dancing - we went to eat some pig spine soup (the literal translation is potato soup, and there are usually some potatos to be found in it, but according to common opinion, pig spine soup is a much more accurate description). Delicious food in the company of two charming ladies - what else could I possibly wish for...

Leaving Seoul

2009-10-11T18:46:00.010+02:00

The hardest thing about writing a travel-blog seems to be finding time to actually write it. I'm having such a good time here in Korea, that sitting down by myself with a computer is really not the first thing that comes to mind. But since I don't want to wait too long to write down my adventures - I tend to forget the details much too quickly - I'm just going to take some time right now, at ten to two in the morning, after coming back from my host Ross' surprise birthday party... So, let me think back a couple of days:
Getting out of Seoul was a bit of an odyssey. Eunkyung had to work early, so I had a head start into the day. Unfortunately that also meant that I was trying to get across Seoul with my large and heavy backpack during rush hour. Yong Jin had mentioned a subway connection, which sounded easier to handle than the bus - so following Eunkyung's suggestion I wanted to take a taxi to the subway station, rather than walking for 20 minutes and possibly getting lost. Finding a taxi was easy, but when I tried talking the driver into taking me to the station, he replied with a stream of exasperated-sounding Korean, and by pointing in the general direction of across the road. I realize now that he was probably telling me to flag down a taxi going in the other direction (apparently Korean taxi drivers are generally unwilling to do a u-turn across 4 lanes of heavy traffic - which kind of makes sense if you put it that way...), but at the time I guessed that for him the short distance was not worth the trouble, and he was showing me in which direction to walk. I had no map of the area, and was at first reluctant to try finding the subway station without better directions, but one look at the packed bus changed my mind - I could not even imagine trying to fit in there with all my baggage. You see it coming of course, and indeed that's what happened: I found no subway station. Instead, after about half an hour of happy early morning walking, I completed a half-circle that brought me back to the main road, just one bus stop further away from the city center. Obviously I was going to have to resign to the fact that I had no choice but to somehow squeeze in. And then luck smiled on me. The very first bus looked just like the one half an hour earlier - packed to the doors. But there was another one right behind it; clearly that was my chance! I got in, paid the fare, and was going to simply stand with my backpack on - but I had not counted on the kindness of Koreans: an Ajossi who was standing right next to me organized a place for my backpack in a corner of the bus (a lot of pointing was involved), and the Ajuma who was sitting just next to where I was standing offered to take my second bag onto her knees (again, a certain amount of pointing). Ajuma and Ajossi are honorific titles f
From that point on, finding the Express Bus terminal was more or less straightforward. But I hadn't left the city just yet, and I had two hours to do some last minute exploring. I stuffed my backpack into a locker again, this time putting much thought into how I could prevent the mechanism from jamming again, and headed off towards the Han river, along which I had detected a riverside park on my map.
Seoul can be a very green city. The residential area just by the Express Bus terminal is positively lush with trees and other greenery, and I even saw some hot chili peppers drying in the sun.
But Seoul can also be confusing, and - from a pedestrian's point of view - a bit frustrating. According to my map, to get to the riverside park, all I had to do was walk northwards. But after a while I came to a wall, which clearly separated me from the riverside park. It was still in a very green area, so I didn't mind much walking along it - but after about half an hour I was beginning to wonder how long exactly this wall was going to be. Behind it, I found out after a while, was one of Seoul's city freeways, and eventually I came upon an underpass, and finally entered Jamwon Riverside Park. What struck me as odd though, was that the park was less green than where I had just come from. There were fewer trees and bushes, and the paths were concrete and even straighter than the one along the wall had been! My guess is that this reflects much of the Korean way of life; a park is not a place where you go to sit in the shade, smell the flowers and read a book. Instead it's where you go to exercise. There are bicycle freeways instead of gravel paths, and workout-machines instead of park benches.
Well, I didn't have a book to read with me anyway, and I needed to get back to the bus terminal. But because it had taken me such a long time to find a way past the wall, I was now closer to the subway station a couple of stops away from the terminal - so instead of walking all the way back, I decided to make my way there. The orientation principle involved: find the next bridge across the river, and follow that road until you get to the subway station. But again my plan was foiled by the same city freeway. I found a way onto the bridge, but needed to cross the freeway that merged with the traffic coming from the bridge. There was even a red light, which I was sure would turn green eventually. There were two buttons on the pole, and to be sure I pushed them both. Nothing happened for a couple of minutes. I pushed the buttons again, tried pushing them both at the same time. Nothing kept happening. Traffic kept flowing by me at speed, so that simply crossing the road was out of the question. Eventually I began looking for an alternative route. I had seen what looked like a bus stop on the bridge, and turned back to investigate that option - but upon closer inspection it lacked the telltale signs of a serviced bus stop, such as schedules and route plans.
On the way there I had crossed paths with an Ajuma, and had been wondering how she would master the amazing red light that never turns green. So after waiting a perfunctory couple of minutes during which none of the passing buses showed even the slightest inclination to stop at my "bus stop", I returned to the red light. The Ajuma was still there, and so we waited together for another few minutes, trying out various combinations of how often and hard to push the buttons - until, eventually, we both resigned to having to brave the flow of traffic. At least there were two of us, not only a crazy tourist, and not only a silly old lady, and somehow we made it to the other side. We parted ways shortly after that, and I finally made it to the bus terminal and my bus without any further shenanigans.
There's still a lot of writing to catch up with, but for now I think I'll call it a night.

31. Yong Jin

2009-10-07T16:35:00.006+02:00

Jet-lag was a real problem today: not only did I have to essentially kick myself to get up and out, but also my body seemed to frequently decide without warning that now would be a perfect time to drop into a deep sleep phase - needless to say we had a bit of an argument about that. Also, today Eunkyung had to work - so I was going to explore the city by myself. I took the bus to the city center, and walked to the subway station. As I was gazing at the subway lines trying to figure out how to get to Ingwansan, Yong Jin approached me and asked if I needed help. Of course by that time I had already forgotten where I was going, and it took a consult with my paper guide to tell him. In Yong Jin's opinion, taking the subway to Ingwansan was a waste of a perfectly good walk through the city, and after asking whether I had time he offered to take me there on foot. We had an intense conversation about what he perceived as South Koreas fixation on the US, and how European countries and political systems offer much material to study for a scholar of politology such as him. Somewhere on the way to Ingwansan, he pointed me to a small road full of shops - the real Korea - and offered to take me to Koreas biggest market. Obviously I was not going to pass on an opportunity to see something that is not even mentioned in my paper guide, so we turned about, and ended up taking the subway after all.
We eased into Kyeongdeung, strolling by a couple of stalls at the very outskirts of the market, and I rue and lament the fact that I was too busy looking to take more than one photo - it doesn't do justice to deluge of impressions I had. As we made our way inside, the density of shops, goods and people kept increasing until the paths between stalls were just wide enough for one person to walk through. There were hot chili peppers from various region, fresh, dried and ground, with different shades of red (and also different prices) signaling to the savvy shopper how intensely their taste-buds would be challenged. There were fruits and vegetables in hundreds of shapes and sizes. There were fish for culinary purposes - frozen, salted, dried or alive, and fish for medicinal purposes. There were dried roots, dried berries, dried frogs, dried squid, dried octopus, and dried seaweed. There were traditional mills that produced sesame oil, and kimchi stalls with all kinds of kimchi. There were stalls for traditional medicine with roots, with seaweed, with berries, with fruit, and with stag horns. And there was lunch. At the center of the market, there were a couple of places to sit down and have 장터극수/Jangteogeugsu (I think, I'm not sure if I'm reading Yong Jin's handwriting right), which is a noodle soup, and Sundae (but not the sweet creamy kind: it's more similar to haggis and pork liver). After that: five flavor tea in Simubang (not sure if I'm reading the business card right), a buddhist tea room.
And then it was time for a palace.
Yong Jin showed me to and around Gyeongbokgung, the king's palace. Again I was too busy looking, and listening to Yong Jin's treasure of information, to take more than a few detail shots:

Yong Jin: thanks so much for taking the time to show me around! 감사합니다!

30. Eunkyung

2009-10-07T12:22:00.011+02:00

The last two days have gone by in a blur, albeit a very colorful one. I arrived at Incheon airport shortly past eight in the morning, and made my way into the city by bus. It was a long but pleasant ride, and it gave me time to enjoy the scenery - at least when I wasn't busy watching the Korean soap opera that was on TV just behind the driver. As we made our way towards the city I caught my first glimpse of one of the huge apartment complexes that are common here. At the beginning they were visually competing against green hills, soon they started blending into the massive city that is Seoul.
I arrived in Gwangwhamun about two hours before I was supposed to meet my host, so I walked to the next subway station to find a locker for my backpack:
I was so overwhelmed by the massive amount of Korean explanations (well, at least I guess that's what they are), that I completely overlooked the English translation. But I wasn't going to give up so easily - I thought about how the locker would work if I had built it, tried a couple of buttons, and hey presto - my stuff was locked away. So I walked in the general direction of onwards, and saw the palace guard guarding Deoksugung palace.
I was in no mood for museums though - I needed to get the feel of the city. So instead of going in and looking at the palace, I continued my way through the financial district, just as far as the Great South Gate (Sungnyemun on my map, but Namdaemun in my guide). Unfortunately the gate had burned down in 2008, and all I could see was the protective wooden wrapper that had been erected around it. I turned around and ambled back to the subway station, the locker, and all my stuff. Which I thought would be easy enough to retrieve, until I tried. After a few misses, I thought I had found out which buttons to push - just the ones that made sense if I thought about it - but the door to locker number 3 did not open. Well, no reason to panic - I was just going to have to ask my host to help me decipher the Korean instructions. I double checked that the door had indeed not opened, and went outside, to the front of Hotel Koreana, to wait.
I did not have to wait very long - the lovely Eunkyung soon arrived, and followed me back to the subway station, the locker, all my stuff, and a locker repairman who was just checking and closing the door - my door - and then rebooting the system. I'm still not sure what had happened (my Korean is way too sketchy for that), but upon trying the method that had made the most sense again, we were finally able to retrieve all my stuff from the locker - which I may have slightly overfilled if I'm perfectly honest. After that everything was just fantastic. We dropped my baggage in Eunkyungs apartment, and went for something to eat: make your own rice paper dumplings with a great array of tasty ingredients!
After that Eunkyung brought me to the local indoor bouldering hall, where I was sorely reminded of how much I am not in shape (I can't really write out of shape, as I don't think I ever was in one). But I simply love climbing, and so even though even the simplest route became increasingly challenging the more I grew tired, I had a great time trying, and watching the local cracks perform laws-of-physics-defying feats. A great first day in Korea to be sure!

29. Irène and Markus

2009-10-05T14:01:00.007+02:00

A lot of things have happened since my last post; summer has come and gone, I've started hosting couch surfers with great gusto, my facebook status has changed to single (or at least it would have, if I had a facebook profile), and I've booked and organized the next big adventure: a three week long trip to South Korea, which will include my first experience surfing a stranger's couch. It was clear that I wanted to post my traveling stories, but I wasn't sure how to integrate them with Meet a Stranger a Day; should I create a sister blog? Or will you forgive me the transgression of posting non-daily tidbits of non-stranger related information on such a clearly labeled channel? Well, at least for the first post of the new MSD the decision is easy. I'm writing this post during my stopover at Helsinki airport, just after having waved goodbye to Irène and Markus, two strangers that once again prove how tiny the world can be.
So I was sitting on my aisle seat in the airplane, trying to solve one of the problems described in "Programming Pearls", politely not listening in to the conversation that was taking place on the two seats to my left, when I heard the words "couch" and "surfing" used in immediate succession. After five months of hosting surfers from all over the world, for me that's pretty much an open invitation to chat; I couldn't resist, and soon we were talking about travel, people, and the world. All the while I was wondering: Markus looked distinctly familiar, and both he and Irène had that wonderful Swiss German that placed his origins in the center of Switzerland, the eponymous Schwyz - could he be related to my next-door neighbor Daniel? Indeed! I was sitting right next to Daniel's brother and sister - they were on their way to Delhi, on the first leg of an eight months long around-the-world trip. Small, small world!

Hiatus

2009-02-16T08:31:00.002+01:00

The last week and the weekend have been very busy, to the point where there just wasn't enough time for Meet a Stranger a Day, and today won't be different - but I hope to be back at it in a couple of days.

28. Self-portrait

2009-02-10T22:00:00.004+01:00

Zurich is actually quite beautiful in the rain, with light and color reflected on the wet tarmac. However, when even the old town is almost completely deserted, it's time to start looking for self-portrait opportunities...

27. S.

2009-02-09T22:28:00.004+01:00

I have to assume that you're not coming here to read me complaining about the weather - and yet, there are the days when I just can't help myself, when the leakage of my shoes is so pronounced that I make squelching noises as I walk through the torrential rain. On those days - like today - I wish I had a Beeblebroxian third arm, in absence of which I try to hold on to my umbrella with my chin as I endeavour to get the camera out of its bag, clean the lens or fiddle with the settings, all while trying to keep it reasonably dry. On those days no one in their right mind would ever think of subjecting themselves to the vagaries of weather just to take a couple of photographs, with or without umbrella. But then again - it might have just been the prospect of reaching the train station considerably less drenched that made up S.'s mind today...

When I approached S., she was skirting along the facades in the old town, carefully selecting her path to lead from canopy to awning, elegantly reducing the unsheltered stretches to a minimum. She seemed astounded at my project, and at the same time intrigued by it, and allowed me to accompany her to the station. We had a most interesting chat during the fifteen minutes that followed; her story, her curiosity, her outlook on life and her desire for changes of perspective were amazing and inspiring.

Once we had arrived at the station and were out of the rain, we stopped for the portraits. I took 25 photographs - I've finally learned how to reduce the intensity of my camera's flash and needed to practise. I'm still not happy about the colors of the pictures taken with flash, and so the one I've selected was again taken without. It sums up quite well how I saw S. - open, curious, good-humored, with maybe just a hint of self-irony.

S., thank you so much for your trust and your openness - I wish you all the best and hope that a new horizon will present itself to you whenever you need it.

26. Tex Mex

2009-02-08T22:09:00.007+01:00

As you may have deduced from the absence of posts the last few days, Paris was not all too kind to me. But no matter - Meet a Stranger a Day is a learning experience, and even though I would have greatly enjoyed a chat with a Parisian and am disappointed to have missed out, I did learn a lot. First, language is important. Although I had concocted an introduction in French to the best of my abilities, I kept stumbling over the pronunciation; and so, by the time I had arrived at explaining what I was trying to do, my vis-à-vis had usually already lost patience. Also, I believe that it is helpful if I appear somewhat self-confident - which is probably not the first adjective to come to mind when presented with a stuttering, language-mangling tourist. And second, the difficulty of crowds: meeting a stranger is easiest if the density of people on the street is just right; a few passers-by give security to the people I approach - but too many, and the encounter becomes an obstruction. In Paris, where I needed optimal conditions, it appears that at no time and in no place does the crowd disperse.

Back in Zurich, and after a couple of days off, I had no trouble getting back on track. After having taken several long-exposure warm-up pictures in my neighbourhood, I took a short stroll through the old town, and struck gold on my first attempt. I met Tex Mex in front of a cinema, where he had just bought tickets, and invited him to a cup of coffee. Even though his Swiss-German is excellent, we felt most comfortable chatting in English, and the twenty minutes we had until the start of his film went in a flash.

It was too dark in the bar for my camera's auto-focus to work, and so I suggested to take a couple of shots just outside the well-lit cinema, where his friend was already waiting. I took 8 pictures, but I had misjudged the lighting, and most of them turned out to be unsatisfactory. Through sheer luck and careful cropping I was able to salvage one that shows quite well Tex Mex's attentive openness and aplomb.

Tex Mex: thanks for your time and your good wishes - I hope tonight's was another decision not regretted. All the best!

25. Self-portrait

2009-02-04T23:59:00.001+01:00

Meeting a stranger is much harder in Paris than it is in Zurich - particularly since I have no idea in which arrondissement I might be most likely to succeed. Today I tried my luck in the Quartier Latin, but there were just too many people. In a crowd, it's nearly impossible to find someone who even looks like they might have some spare time, let alone pluck up the courage to stop them, explain my project in a language I have not mastered nearly as well as I wish, and deal with a response of which I merely understand the operative rejection. Another self-portrait then, and a new rule: after two consecutive self-portraits I may take a couple of days off - after all, Meet a Stranger a Day is supposed to be fun first and foremost.

24. Self-portrait

2009-02-03T23:59:00.003+01:00

Paris, here I come! What with traveling and meeting up with my father and brother, I got started really late today. However, it was important to at least approach one stranger, in order to keep the rhythm and remove at least some of the initial fear of talking to people in french. I managed to do just that - and received a very positive and encouraging reaction. I kept looking for a short while, but since it was clear to me that that was the best I would get today, I went back to my hotel to take today's self portrait: in the light of french television.

23. Susan

2009-02-02T23:06:00.009+01:00

When I approach a stranger, part of my pitch is a time-estimate; I ask for about 15 minutes of their time, and if they can spare a little less I happily make do. Every once in a while however, if my vis-à-vis and I both have more time and conversation flows easily, 15 minutes become 90 and a chat becomes a dialogue. Tonight's encounter with Susan was one of these cases.

I approached Susan as she was walking towards a nearby cinema; she had spontaneously decided to watch a movie, but her film of choice was sold out and so she had been put on the waiting-list and told to check back shortly before the show. I accompanied her to the entrance, and was delighted when she chose to join me for a glass of wine rather than take the last seat in a packed cinema.

I took 17 pictures; her liveliness and expressiveness, together with the longish exposure due to low lighting, made taking her portrait a challenge. But the last one manages to capture her pensive and gentle side quite well.

Susan: thanks very much for the fascinating and insightful conversation - and may you enjoy the anticipation as much as your actual travels.

22. S.

2009-02-01T17:18:00.003+01:00

Today's meeting was prearranged - S. was traveling to Zurich and had asked the local couch-surfers' group if any of us would be around for coffee. I was not sure whether or not to bring up the subject of Meet a Stranger a Day; this blog is a tool to keep me going out and meeting people, and as such it should not interfere with encounters that happen independent of it. As it turned out, S. had already read about this project on my couch-surfer profile, and when I spotted a good backdrop in the snow-storm and asked her if could take her picture, she agreed.

We met for breakfast at a bakery of which I had fond memories - I used to live in the neighborhood a couple of years back, and starting Sunday with croissants from Carredda's had always been an experience reminiscent of holidays in Italy. Later on we walked through the city, and - as I tried showing her the sights in Zurich's former industrial district - discovered places I had never been to before.

On our way back to the city center the snowfall intensified, and I decided to try taking her portrait in those conditions. I wanted to take more pictures in a café in the old town, but there the camera made her nervous; and since I knew I already had captured her lovely smile with the first shot, there was no real need.

S.: thanks for the interesting chat, and your patience with a couch-surfing novice. Have a wonderful holiday!

21. Dani

2009-01-31T23:20:00.008+01:00

Walking through the city, looking for a stranger to meet, a pattern of places has emerged where I am likely to find someone to talk to. I try to widen my circles every once in a while, but whenever it is getting late, and the cold makes my eyes water, I tend to fall back to the old trails.

I met Dani on Bahnhofstrasse, where there are usually many nice people - who usually don't have much time. He had just been to the cinema and was on his way home, but decided to take the time to get to know me. We went to the lounge of the local vegetarian restaurant, and ordered coffee and fruit juice at the bar. I was fascinated by Dani's background and his development from commercial pilot to art therapist - and by his current project, kaCHIna.

Conditions in the lounge were difficult, with colored lights throwing odd shadows. I took 10 pictures, and had a hard time deciding which one to use. I finally settled for a cropped version of a technically unsatisfactory shot, that nonetheless shows Dani how I saw him - thoughtful, open-minded and fun to be around.

Dani: thanks for your curiosity and your insights, and may kaCHIna have the success that this brilliant idea deserves!

20. Franske

2009-01-30T23:59:00.003+01:00

Here's my latest recipe for having a good time:
1. Meet a Belgian
2. Go to a pub that serves trappist brew
3. Talk shop

I had already been walking through the city for quite a while, and was about to make a couple of passes through the old town, where so far I had had the most luck finding someone to talk to at this time of night. Franske was on the way back to his hotel when I approached him, and - after I had repeated my introduction in English - was instantly ready to go for a drink with me. With our jobs in IT as a common background, there was an immediate rapport; we had a long, interesting and highly pleasant conversation - so much so, that when the café we were in closed for the day, we decided to continue our chat in a place that serves Belgian beer.

I took six portrait shots, and have selected the very first one - showing Franske's curiosity and directness.

Franske: thanks for the chat, and all the best - we'll meet again!

19. Lara

2009-01-29T23:14:00.004+01:00

There are days when people only seem to move in packs (and while it is possible for me to approach groups, it is much harder to form a relationship and take portrait photos if my focus of attention is divided). Today was one of those days, and what's more the few solitary passers-by were all on their way to meet up with friends and form a flock. I had already given up hope and experimented on a self-portrait, when I decided to ask one more person.

That person turned out to be Lara. She was sitting on a bench at a nearby tram-stop, and reading a book. When I explained about Meet a Stranger a Day, she was genuinely interested, but since it was late and she was on her way home, and it was cold and trams come in 15 minute intervals at this time of the night, she was reluctant to miss the one which was just pulling in. We decided that I could take the tram to the end of the line with her and barely made it in the doors in time.

The ensuing chat was short - we arrived all too soon at the terminus. But in the little time that we had, we managed to gain a good overview over each others personality. Whether it is in a pub or outside, there is always a sense of being watched when I start taking pictures of my vis-à-vis; but in the tram I had much more of a feeling of playing for an audience - which might have kept us from delving into deeper topics even had there been more time.

I took eight pictures, in which Lara shows a lively and humorous set of expressions; the one I've selected best captures her wonderful laugh.

Lara: thanks for your spontaneity and cheerful attitude - you've saved tonight's post!

18. Gidi

2009-01-28T23:40:00.005+01:00

Due to today's full schedule, I had my cello with me when I went out to meet a stranger tonight. I had expected people's reactions to be considerably different: being approached by a camera-wielding stranger is weird enough, but I would have expected a cello case on my back to give the situation a distinctly surreal character. As it turned out, there was no perceivable change in people's attitudes; if anything, I must have looked even more harmless.

It was getting late - nearly to the point where meeting a stranger would have made me late for rehearsal - when I met Gidi. He listened to all of my pitch, and without apparent hesitation agreed to go for a drink with me. Having grown up in the french part of switzerland, his german was much better than my french, and so our conversation was held predominantly in german. Gidi was a good listener, asking just the right questions in the right moment, and at the same time he was unafraid to talk about himself. Later on, we walked to the train station together; and once again I realize that the trust and depth of our conversation grew as we were walking.

I took 16 pictures while we were talking, and have selected one that was taken near the middle of our time in Café Zähringer. It shows Gidi from his thoughtful and calm side.

Gidi: thanks for your time and your interest - and all the best with your studies and your travels!

17. Self-portrait

2009-01-27T23:06:00.006+01:00

No portrait today. It had to happen at some stage - there were always going to be the days where I could not find anybody to have a chat with. Today I was late getting started, and when - after several tries - I was turned away in a particularly nice and encouraging way, I decided to quit on that positive note, call it a day and grant myself some much-needed beauty sleep.

I also decided that whenever I found nobody to meet all day, I would compensate with a self-portrait - starting today with a long-exposure shot. If you can't see me walk through the picture above, try looking for my feet.

16. Francesca

2009-01-26T22:47:00.006+01:00

Talking to a stranger can be liberating - the likelihood of meeting again by chance is so small, that issues you would be embarrassed to share with your colleagues may lose their taboo. This fact is particularly pronounced when travelers meet, two people on their way to somewhere else, sharing a moment's confidence.

When I approached Francesca, she was on her way home from a literary reading, waiting for her tram and looking at the local confectionery's display. She seemed intrigued by the idea of Meet a Stranger a Day, and when I had explained the project in more detail she accepted my invitation to a cup of hot chocolate. We walked the rest of the way to Zurich's most ornate and flowery café, and had a long and interesting conversation; she told me about her travels and we philosophized on the nature of conversations between strangers. I was intrigued by Francesca's animated past, and by the serene optimism with which she was looking toward her future.

During our chat I took 23 pictures. Francesca showed many facets of her personality; the photo above shows that thoughtful confidence that in my eyes stands for the essence of her character.

Francesca: thanks for your insights and your acute questions, and all the best for your studies!

15. L.

2009-01-25T23:59:00.004+01:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! We've just returned from a new-year's eve dinner party, and since most of my blood is needed in my stomach right now to help digest all that delicious good fortune I've ingested, there is a definite lack of it in my brain - which is why today's entry is a bit shorter than usual.

I met L. by the lake, where she was taking a stroll with her baby daughter. I took most of the photographs right where we met; afterwards we walked together for a quarter of an hour, and talked. It is remarkable how different the rhythm of a conversation becomes when it takes place during a promenade; there is more space for pauses that might be considered awkward in a stationary situation, there is less eye contact, but - possibly - more trust.

I was impressed by L.'s strength and self-confidence, and by the apparent ease with which she combines the life of a successful business-woman with that of a caring mother (and in case this sounds sexist to you, dear reader: I believe that feat to be just as difficult to achieve for a man).
Of the twelve photos taken, I've selected the one that shows L. from her most direct side, approachable and friendly.

L.: Thank you for your time; I wish you and your family all the good fortune in the world!

On a clear day you can see the alps in the distance.

14. Lola

2009-01-24T23:59:00.005+01:00

In the course of the last two weeks, I've developed a ritual: every day, as I go out to meet a stranger, I start by trying to capture the mood of the city on a couple of pictures. It might be a shot of the city by night, or a close-up of a fountain, or the unusual contents of a shop-window that catches my eye. This helps me get into the right frame of mind, and reminds me which way up the camera should be held. I've decided to add one shot of each of these daily warm-up exercises to the end of each day's post.

I met Lola and her partner in the old town, on their way to a club. They agreed to let me hold them up for a while, and we went to a nearby bar. While our chat was initially relaxed and casual, I inadvertently steered it towards a topic that for Lola had a more somber quality. From that point on, though we had a thoughtful and serious discussion, I failed to make her feel as comfortable as I had hoped to.

The 15 pictures taken during our conversation show Lola with a wide range of emotion and expression; friendly, engaging, funny. The one I have selected for today's post best portrays her in that thoughtful mood with which I walked away from our exchange.

What I need to learn:
Improve difficult lighting situations with an external flash.

Lola: thanks for your trust and your time - I hope you went on to have a lovely evening!

Church spire, photographed from the unlit side.

13. Haps

2009-01-23T23:59:00.004+01:00

If I had thought that I had seen this winter's worst weather, I was sadly mistaken. Conditions worsened just as I was getting ready to embark on today's search for a stranger, with a harsh, cold wind blowing and a deluge of sleet and rain pounding on the roof. On top of that I was working on a severely limited time budget - I was planning to attend one friend's concert and another one's birthday party out of town. The concert was going to take place in the conservatoire, where - when I had studied there a long time ago - there was always somebody to be found taking a quick break in the hallways; I decided - rather than brave the storm - to go early and try my luck there.

When I arrived, Haps was already standing at the door to the concert hall. Since it was immediately clear that we both knew my Violist friend, I introduced myself and found that I had just met my friend's father. At that point I was not sure whether I should proceed: I was worried that this known connection between us might put him under pressure to talk to me when he normally might not. On the other hand, exploring the intricacies and nuances of human interaction is exactly what this project is about - and (on a more practical note) it would be rude of me to break off our conversation and look for somebody else to talk to. When I finally made up my mind and told Haps about Meet a Stranger a Day, he graciously agreed to become a part of it.

There was a certain amount of tension: we both wanted to secure good seats for the concert, which put a deadline on our talk; furthermore the hallway was noisy which led to a somewhat fragmented conversation. Even so, Haps came across as a good-natured, amicable personality - and when I offered to call the whole thing off, if he felt uncomfortable in any way, he declined. It was highly interesting to learn of his work counseling the state in ecological law, and I would have liked to find out more about what I perceived as his deep-seated passion for ecological matters.

What I need to learn:
It would probably have been worth finding a quieter spot - I need to take the time to ensure both I and my vis-à-vis are comfortable with the surroundings.

Haps: Thanks for participating - without you, today's page would probably be blank. Please let me know if there is an exhibition of your artwork!

Short respite from the torrential rain.

12. Oli4

2009-01-22T21:52:00.006+01:00

Sometimes - and today it happened twice in a row - people will tell me that they can't or won't accept my invitation for a chat, but thank me for asking. Most of the time it is a matter of catching a train or having some other prior engagement, occasionally the blogging context, that keeps them from participating, and so I have no reason to doubt their sincerity. I have no way of knowing what exactly happens in their minds, but I imagine that they experience a moment's feeling of unlooked-for importance. What a wonderful thought - that I should be able to make these people's days just that little bit brighter!

When I met Oli4, he was one of the few people standing outside in the cold winter night, just finishing a can of beer and simply passing the time until he was to meet up with his date. He joined me for a drink in a café just across the road, where we talked about the intricacies of relationships and the time and effort required to entertain two circles of friends. But mostly we talked about sports - about the ice hockey team of which Oli4 is an avid fan, and about how a victory that would have been truly sensational had been snatched from their gloves in the last minute of yesterday's match.

I tried to find a balance between taking many pictures (and getting a good one by sheer luck), and ensuring Oli4 felt at ease. Of the resulting 16 photographs, 5 made it into the final selection. The one I eventually chose strikes a compromise between technical qualities (it's slightly blurred and has a bit of an uncontrolled slant), artistic expression, and character expression.

Oli4, thank you for your trust and your company - enjoy being young!

I just can't resist coffee...

11. Dominik

2009-01-21T21:50:00.008+01:00

Today I was on a deadline. Since I was not going to have any spare time in the evening, I needed to find a sympathetic soul in my lunch break - a daunting task, given the fact that everybody else in the city was going to spend that exact same time actually having lunch. I got lucky nearby the university: Dominik had a look of stunned disbelief when I explained my project to him, but was up for a short chat.

Dominik did not talk much about himself, but rather wanted to know more about my motivation for Meet a Stranger a Day; as it turns out he has found a different, excellent way to get to know people - he's a couch surfer. For those of you not familiar with the concept of couch surfing: couch surfers all over the world offer to provide you with a roof and a bed in their home for a few nights, under the condition that you will do the same for others (edit: Dominik has emailed me to correct this - there is no such condition. See also my shiny new couch surfer profile). It's a concept that enriches the life of both the host and the guest; whoever offers a couch can meet people (and make friends) from all over the world without all the hassle of actually traveling - and in return, the traveler is a guest more than a tourist.

Dominik was not very comfortable with being on camera, and seemed to grow more and more self-conscious. We decided to wrap it up after 16 photographs, of which I've selected the third.

My thanks go to Dominik, for his spontaneity and goodwill.

Camera-shy.

10. Laura

2009-01-20T23:59:00.003+01:00

Today marks the tenth dieiversary of Meet a Stranger a Day - time for a pat on the back and some introspection: how do I deal with rejection? The day started quite hopeful and people were politely interested, but at 9 in the evening, after walking through the city for two hours, I had still not made today's acquaintance. The reason, besides those who simply did not have time, was predominantly the thought of being published on the internet. Nearly 20 people had declined to meet with me; most of them wished me luck, a few seemed very peeved indeed about being spoken to. What carried me through was threefold. First: the knowledge that on the previous nine days, I had always prevailed in the end - and that, even if I would return empty-handed, at least there would be much to write about. Second: I was not going to give up today of all days - I was going to earn my second digit! And third: even though none of them had resulted in a portrait, some of our brief encounters had contained moments of that delectable human communication that is the essence of meeting a stranger.

I met Laura in the old town near the local fitness center, where she had just been for a workout. When I had explained my project to her, there was a moment where it could have gone either way - but to my surprise she accepted. We went into a nearby café where, initially, we both talked mostly about ourselves, outlining our respective places in life. But soon we were talking about more personal things, and Laura began asking me in-depth about Meet a Stranger a Day. With her intelligent questions she quickly revealed one characteristic of this project that I had not fully realized: I try not to give away too much about my vis-à-vis, and in consequence write primarily about myself.

Conditions in the café were somewhat difficult, which is why I took a new record of 53 pictures. Even so it was difficult to choose a photograph; ultimately I decided to favor character over technical perfection. Both composition and lighting in the selected photo are lacking - but it does show Laura's curiosity, amiable directness and confidence.

Laura: you've made my day - thank you very much!

9. Simin

2009-01-19T23:59:00.005+01:00

Rain, and darkness, and rush-hour; those are the conditions in which meeting a stranger becomes a true exercise in stoicism. When it pours like it did today, people in the city leave their homes and offices only if they must - and when they do, they hide behind their umbrellas or inside their hooded raincoats. At rush hour, everybody is on their way to somewhere, and most pace through the streets head-down and at speed. The collective disposition is cantankerous, and being approached in the dark by a man wielding a camera does nothing to lighten the mood.

What delightful serendipity, then, to find a gem like Simin. Like everybody else she was on her way home from work, but unlike most she had an untroubled and approachable air. She seemed genuinely interested in my project, and agreed to join me for a cup of coffee with confident cheerfulness. We had a lively conversation, the topics of which spanned 50 years and two continents; and when I mentioned my musical past we discovered that she also knew a good friend of mine.

Simin was a bit camera-shy at first, but in the course of the conversation she appeared to become more at ease. I took 36 photographs, of which I chose the 18th; it lies just on the cusp of that change of temperament, and has both bashful and confident facets.

Simin: thank you very much for your time and courage - I hope you like the picture, I know I do!

8. Konrad

2009-01-18T16:49:00.006+01:00

In a city of roughly 380'000 people, it was probably just a matter of time until I met somebody with whom I share a mutual friend. Nevertheless, finding out is an elating moment! When I approached Konrad, he was taking a photograph of the city and lake, and - with his backpack and hooded jacket - could easily have been a tourist. Due to a misunderstanding, I gave my introduction in English, until we both realized that German would do nicely. Since the weather was wet, cold and dark, and my first few shots were hampered by a splashed lens, we decided to go for coffee.

Soon we were chatting about life in Zurich, about how it compares to Konrad's native Vienna, and how both cities are, in some respect, provincial. What's remarkable about this is that we both perceived that city in which we had grown up as a small town. Knowing people around you makes the world a smaller place... That's approximately when we found out about our mutual friend - approximately, because I can't remember exactly how we reached the topic of sports teams; interesting how the mind works - well, mine anyway - as soon as it perceives an outstanding fact, it latches onto that and discards the preceding few seconds.

This was the first time I took the majority of my pictures indoors (27 of 36), which made for a new and interesting situation. The background was nicely chosen, and I've managed to work well with lighting from several sources. While we were talking, Konrad seemed to relax quite quickly, and so the photo I've selected was taken pretty much in the middle of our conversation. It portrays his confident and friendly character.

What I need to learn:
It would have been easy to take the free chair out of this picture, had I thought of it. I've tried several variants of cropping it, but all of them seem to take the life out of the shot.

Konrad, thanks very much for your time and amiable company - all the best!

7. Andrea

2009-01-17T23:59:00.007+01:00

Democracy is a challenge. In Switzerland, we the people are asked to vote on diverse issues several times a year, and the next batch of propositions includes - among other things - an initiative that proposes to place the Patumbah park under protection. This park was created in 1890/91 by Evariste Mertens, and commissioned - tunnel and all - by the owners of the Villa Patumbah, in order to cover the new railroad that was being planned just in front of their home. The issue is somewhat complicated, since the estate has been subdivided for many years, and preventing the rightful owner of one half of the land from developing it creates a legally uncomfortable situation. I had never been to Patumbah, and realized that I did not know enough about the matter to cast a well-informed vote; I needed to see the park with my own eyes.

I met Andrea at the lower entrance to the park. He was walking his dog, taking a break from cramming for his end-of-term exams, and assented without hesitation when I asked if I could take his portrait. My first impression of him was that of an open, serious and trusting character - a perception that intensified during the ensuing frank exchange of ideas. I took 37 photographs while we were talking; the one I have selected shows his relaxed expressiveness quite well.

Later on I had the pleasure of running into a small group of supporters of the initiative, and by joining them and listening to their stories learned much about the park's history. This experience caused me to re-read the official documents - and ultimately to change my opinion: I have come to believe that it is worth trying once more to save Patumbah in its entirety, regardless of the obvious difficulties.

Things to remember:
Democracy only works well, when our votes are well-informed and our decisions deliberate.

Andrea: I wish you all the best for your exams, and for your future - senza rimorsi.

6. Ashanty & Vero

2009-01-16T21:19:00.007+01:00

One of the things I've been wanting to try out, is how the dynamics of my daily adventure change if I approach a group of people instead of just one person. I had a chance to find out right at the beginning of my lunch break: just as I climbed the steps that lead through a park overlooking the city, Ashanty and Vero were taking possession of a bench. They were bubbling with laughter when I asked them for a bit of their time, and immediately agreed to play along. What struck me as the most prominent difference to my previous experiences, was that while I was welcome to participate, they did not need me to drive or shape the conversation.

There were giggles and laughter throughout the twenty minutes of our chat, but both Vero and Ashanty also displayed a more serious side, particularly when talking about the relatively pronounced protective armor of reservedness that people in our region of the world seem to have sometimes - and which stand in stark contrast with Vero's experiences in Spain, where the exchange of ideas between strangers is perfectly usual.

One difficulty in dealing with more than one vis-à-vis I had not anticipated: when taking pictures, keeping up with one spirited person is already a challenge. Even more so with two of them! I took 36 photographs, none of which do the two vibrant personalities justice. The one I've selected captures some of their good-natured laughter I enjoyed so much.

What I need to learn:
Composition, composition, composition. Check all four edges for crop, cruft and clearance.

Ashanty and Vero, thank you both for your time, your laughter and your insights. I wish you both all the best!

5. Luisa

2009-01-15T20:08:00.006+01:00

Today, I was on a quest. On a day like today, when the city is securely tucked under a thick blanket of clouds and the temperatures are high enough for snow to become slush, Zurich dresses in dark, somber and distinctly grayish tones. I wanted to find a speck of color and try to capture it in a way that shows the power and visual strength it commands. This turned out to be a challenging exercise, because it severely cut down on the number of people that I allowed myself to approach. Interestingly enough, most of the people I did ask were interested and would probably have stayed for a chat, had they not been otherwise engaged - obviously, in my desire to catch the remaining daylight, I had picked a less than optimal time of day.

Luisa turned out to be not just wearing a colorful scarf - she's also a colorful character! She patiently listened to me as I tried to explain what this project is about, and when I had finished, she just asked: "italiano?". She had understood what I asked of her, but was concerned she might not be able to explain her views on life in swiss-german. My italian is worse than patchy, but there was no question - I wanted to try to make the conversation work across the language barrier. Luisa had a lot of insightful views about life, love and spirituality to share - and whenever I was not sure that I had understood, we switched languages. We both tried to accommodate our vis-à-vis, she in her broken german and I in my shattered italian.

I took 26 pictures while we were talking, and Luisa kept me on my toes. Her conversation is a very physical one - she likes to move, and she seeks closeness to her dialogue partner and a central position in their visual field. I, on the other hand, needed enough distance to compose a meaningful picture and wanted to explore different visual angles, leading to a somewhat contradictory movement which had us dancing a little dance. The photo I selected captures the essence of our confabulation and of Luisas lovely, friendly and at the same time strong and arresting personality.

Things I need to learn:
While walking around makes for a larger selection of people to portray, it makes controlling and composing the background much more difficult.

Luisa: thank you very much for your insights and your good wishes - I hope you get a chance to see your portrait on the internet...

4. Am See

2009-01-14T23:30:00.007+01:00

I've been thinking about the term "subject". From my point of view of a native swiss-german speaker, it doesn't properly describe the relation in which I aim to stand to the person portrayed. This train of thought started during my conversation with today's portrayee, when she asked how I decide whom to approach - and used the word: "not-victim" which, had she not said it in a joking tone of voice, would have sounded just as uncomfortable in swiss-german as it reads in english. Funnily enough I have no trouble finding the right word in german: today, Am See was my "Gegenüber", the person opposite me, my vis-à-vis.

I approached Am See, who was sitting on a park bench by the lakeside, towards the end of my lunch break. What struck me as remarkable and encouraging, was that it wasn't being approached by a bearded stranger, not the thought of letting me take her picture, but the idea of her portrait being published on the internet that seemed to give her pause. Fortunately I managed to reassure her, and once she had decided to give me half an hour of her time, we had a highly engaging and enjoyable chat. I took 33 photographs, in the course of which she displayed a beautiful depth and richness of emotions. Many of these show facets of her personality - thoughtfulness, fire, and humor - and best portray her when seen together. I've selected the one that can stand by itself most easily.

What went well today:
How I approached Am See today was good: I had the right kind of body language, the right tone of voice (polite but not apologetic), and finding a level eye contact helped a lot, I think.

Things I need to learn:
Don't cut off part of people's heads - it's just not polite.

Am See: thank you very much for your open-mindedness, your time, and for the story about the three old ladies - what a wonderful image!

3. Andi

2009-01-13T23:59:00.001+01:00

Perseverance. If there were only one lesson to be learned from today - there are in fact many - it would be not to give up. Admittedly that may be a trite and unoriginal notion; but after several hours of dealing with rejection after rejection, the thought of giving up had acquired a warm and fuzzy quality. What had gone wrong? Whereas I had previously approached potential subjects with my camera in hand, today I had it stored in my small camera bag; partly to protect my hands from the cold, but also because the area around Kreuzplatz has no features that could stand for themselves in landscape photography. It took me quite a while to realize that without the camera clearly visible, there was - from the point of view of a potential subject - nothing that could distinguish me from the various peddlers of salvation that people are used to being approached by.

Having failed spectacularly both during my lunch break and after work, I decided to try again after dinner. Two hours later I met Andi at the river, where he was waiting for his tram home. My pitch seemed to pique his curiosity, and he agreed to participate after asking a few well-chosen questions. On our way to a local pub I took 11 pictures in difficult lighting conditions, 4 of which made it into the final selection. The very last one best portrays Andi's openness as well as his gentle and friendly enthusiasm.

As we talked over dark beer, there appeared to be three stages of a developing relationship. Initially, we were sharing data points - profession, age, leisure activities - and Andi was unafraid to discuss closely personal matters; but soon enough we started discussing interpersonal relations and the roles of society and culture - we were sharing and comparing opinions, which I believe reflects that our mutual trust had deepened. Finally, after a most enjoyable hour of chat and discussion, we had got to know each other well enough for our conversation to develop into friendly banter.

Things to try out:
Try to approach groups rather than single individuals - which may give potential subjects additional security.

Andi: thanks very much for your time, your trust and your interest. You have single-handedly saved my day!

2. P. Sz.

2009-01-12T21:14:00.010+01:00

One of the topics I hope to explore with "Meet a Stranger a Day" is how easy it often is to find at least one thing two strangers have in common. I approached P. Sz. just as the sun broke through the thick cover of clouds that hangs over Zurich throughout most of the Winter. As is to be expected, he asked some very legitimate questions about the nature of my endeavour - on what platform was I posting my blog, what was my occupation, what was my company's area of expertise - but it seemed that as soon as he had made the decision to allow me to portray him, he started telling me about himself. That moment may perhaps have hinged on what the two of us have in common: an interest and profession in computing. Now ten years retired, P. Sz. witnessed the early years of electronic computing in Switzerland, working with the ETH's ERMETH - one of Europe's first computers.

As we walked towards the restaurant "Le Café", where he was meeting some friends, I took 15 Pictures, many of which sadly are a testament to my limited abilities - it seems that by suggesting I could photograph while accompanying P. Sz. to his destination I inadvertently introduced the additional complication of both myself and the subject being in motion. Fortunately we soon developed a nonverbal understanding that allowed me to take a short time to compose my pictures without breaking the flow of conversation. Of the three or four resulting useable portraits I've selected the one that in my opinion best portrays P. Sz.'s keen intellect and willingness to engage. I'm not too happy about the background, but as it turns out the mannequin acts as a curious echo of the subject.

Things I need to learn:
Deal with the time-constraints that arise from most days of the week being workdays, both for me and potential subjects
Take the time to do multiple shots, check the result and redo, especially if the composition appears to work

I would like to thank P. Sz. for his kind words of encouragement - I had expected the second day to be much harder than the first, but his interest and conversation made for a most enjoyable experience!

1. Alex Bär

2009-01-11T17:26:00.001+01:00

Wow. What an experience! Inspired by Skull-a-day, I've been thinking about this project for a while now and today finally had the guts to actually get started. Each day starting today, I will walk up to a perfect stranger, have a conversation with (and about) them and take their portrait. While that sounds simple enough in principle, none of these things come easy to me. Walking up to a perfect stranger? And talking to them? Not something that the Swiss in general and I in particular are very good at... And taking somebody's portrait? Well, while I am very interested in photography, the kindest thing I could say about myself is that I dabble.

So what amazing luck that the very first person I walked up to turned out to be Alex Bär. Alex is an artist - which made my task that much easier, since he was unafraid of stepping into the metaphorical spotlight. I had originally planned to take a series of pictures of my subject, then get to know them better over a hot chocolate in a nearby café, and close with a second series. However, Alex had to catch a bus, so the process was somewhat compressed. I managed to take 12 Pictures, of which 3 are completely unuseable for technical reasons (bad lighting, closed eyes, motion blur). In the course of the remaining 9, I seem to have managed to make Alex feel more and more at ease, and so it is the very last one that I have selected for today's post. I'm still not too happy with the composition, the lighting and the overall quality (the picture is very grainy in high resolution), but I think I managed to capture the amiable depth of Alex's personality.

Things I need to learn:
Talk while taking pictures - I like to keep visual contact in a conversation, which gets a bit awkward when I'm trying to look through the camera at the same time.
Get a better eye for composition and lighting.

I would like to express my thanks to Alex, whose friendly cooperation helped me make the first step - and direct you all to his website, where you can see some of his beautiful paintings.

Please leave encouragement, tips and criticism in the comments,
thanks, h.