I haven’t been outside taking pictures very much over the last couple weeks because of the very low temperatures. Today, however, was above zero so I decided to walk around with my camera.
I’m always very impressed with the motorbike delivery guys in Seoul who work in all conditions, rain or shine. Based on how many delivery scooters and motorbikes I see every day all over Seoul, without the efforts of these Koreans I imagine that businesses would suffer a major slow down without the delivery guys. If you look closely at the center biker you’ll see the special wrapping he has around the bike’s handle bars . . .
Later, I saw these guys hanging in the air painting. I don’t know how many stories the building had that they were on but it is one of the taller buildings in Seoul.
I’m not sure if these workers were Korean, or migrant workers from another country, but I have a lot of respect for the courage and physical strength it must take to do what they do for hours every day. I’ve done some repelling when I was younger and that lasted all of a minute or two–being suspended in the air for an entire shift every day, wow.
I wasn’t standing far enough away from the building to get a full shot but this shows about 40% of the entire building’s height.
Later on I was walking alongside Cheonggye Stream and saw this crew cleaning the walkway with a high power hose . . . and a floor cleaning machine. I’ve never seen one of those used outside, hmmm.
I finished up my walk near Jogye Temple and saw this shoe repair guy. He had chosen a great location with a lot of foot traffic and appeared to have quite a few pairs of shoes and boots to work on.
Perhaps the biggest impression I’ve felt lately made by a working Korean was the grandmother-aged woman I saw a week ago during one of the -25 degree nights. I don’t have a picture of her but she was pushing a cart full of cardboard boxes along the sidewalk, and periodically stopping and picking up more recycling .
Long after I’ve left Korea one of the strongest memories I will have is of the sheer power of the working class Koreans I’ve seen during my time here.
J
Kimchi Icecream 
3 comments
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January 19, 2010 at 9:35 am
TT
Totally agree. The working class really, really, work. Sure the office workers put in long hours, but if they’re treated generally pretty well with bonuses, etc. It’s the month-to-month subsistence work that requires such effort. Ain’t no cushy government handouts for them!
January 19, 2010 at 9:46 am
kimchiicecream
Yeah…also, considering the ‘make work’ and ‘look like you’re busy’ kinds of jobs versus the REAL working jobs…yeah, I have a lot of respect for these Koreans and the migrant workers who do the jobs that Koreans generally won’t do.
January 22, 2010 at 12:24 pm
John from Daejeon
I worked for a while in Northern Alberta and nearly froze to death in the middle of the summer. So while I admire these hard-working South Koreans, those fishermen on the “Deadliest Catch,” those truck drivers on “Ice Road Truckers,” and, most importantly, those electricians keeping the power running in the brutally harsh winters of The Great White North truly impress me. Then, there are also those poor souls north of the border dealing with colder temperatures than their better housed, fed, and clothed cousins to the south.
By the way, it seems that the “seal men” have disappeared from the neighborhood markets as soon as the mercury plunged beneath the freezing point.
Try to keep warm in this mini-Ice Age.