No English, no problem

The Little Prince looking over his new planet.

It is easy to make a case for traveling in countries where English is widely spoken. The possibility of getting lost becomes less scary as it would not be difficult to look for someone to give you directions. Eating can become a more enjoyable experience too since no guess work is involved when choosing from a restaurant's menu. 

That said, it cannot be denied that traveling in an English-speaking country also strips your trip off of some sense of adventure and excitement, and lessens the chances of you experiencing moments like this:

I was in Busan, on my way to Gamcheon Cultural Village. I wanted to visit this place after seeing it on the show 1 박 2 일 (1 Night, 2 Days). I've always loved success stories, and as far as urban regeneration goes, there's no bigger success story in Korea than Gamcheon.

Anyway, I got off the bus that was supposed to be near the village, but I had no idea where I was supposed to go to next. Afraid that I got off the wrong bus stop or I might end up walking the opposite direction of the village, I just stood there. After a few minutes of trying to figure out where the entrance to the village was, I realized that this old woman, an ahjumma, who got off the bus with me was also still standing there, looking at me. 

I figured she guessed I was lost so I just asked her for directions by saying nothing but the name of the place I wanted to go to. So she answered, in 100% Korean. I repeated what she said to her to confirm, this time using a mixture of English and hand gestures. Miraculously, we understood each other, and I found Gamcheon. 

So, yes, traveling in a country where everyone speaks English is convenient and comfortable, but it also means having less interesting stories to tell about your trip.

I found a fellow Wes Anderson fan.

young love