Having never been to an Asian country, I was somewhat apprehensive to take a weeklong trip to South Korea earlier this summer.

I arrived at Incheon airport in Seoul tired and disoriented from crossing the international date line and adjusting to a 10-hour time difference.

With a big hug from Derren, my 23-year-old son and personal tour guide, we began our adventure. His well-worn copy of the "Lonely Planet's Guide to South Korea" would become our anchoring third partner in this excursion.

Visiting my son in this foreign land was in many ways surreal. There is a distinct juxtaposition of ancient and modern - reflected in not only the architecture and the food, but also in the people.

Old and new

My first observation was that transportation is excellently executed in this metropolis. Every bus was punctual to the minute, and the spider-web network of trains into and around the metropolitan areas also is amazingly prompt. This reassuring constant and some English signage along with the undecipherable Korean script provided the basis for a weeklong tour of several of South Korea's regions.

Starting and ending my trip in the big city of Seoul, which ranks in the top 10 largest cities in the world, was eye-opening and yet reminded me so much of why I love living in Bismarck.

Seoul has multi-national companies on the same block as traditional vendors who work out of a shop the size of an American walk-in closet.

Not as pristine as Tokyo, the city is still remarkably clean. Ongoing construction of high-rise buildings confirmed the stable economy. The humid temperatures and heat rising from the concrete and pavement, however, could certainly have used a North Dakota breeze.

Seoul has five palaces in the heart of the city. The Changdeokgung Palace, located in the Insadong area (also referred to as the East Palace), is well worth the investment of two hours and a nominal fee of 3,000 won (about $3). The structures built out of dedication to their king and government were amazing.

Originally constructed in 1405 and reconstructed in 1592 after having been destroyed during the Japanese invasion, it served as the main palace for about 270 years. The masonry and labor-intensive construction were impressive for their attention to detail. The hand-painted arches and eaves allowed only in the royal palaces have helped to preserve the natural wood ceiling beams. The vibrant traditional colors against the blue skies and ginkgo trees in the Secret Garden gave a visual actualization of the peaceful contentment pervading the "Palace of Prospering Virtue" grounds - even with the 27 daily tours.

The historical relevance and excellent preservation caused the site to be registered with the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1997. Immediately outside the walls of the palace grounds, corporate skyscrapers and apartment buildings abound with bustling city streets.

Also in Seoul, the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art also contrasts old and new. The modern building housed ancient artifacts (14th and 15th century) from the Joseon dynasty in one section. Another area of the museum housed modern abstracts, including several by Mark Rothko, and a variety of modern art collections from an Andy Warhol original to a variety of giant spider sculptures dotting the museum grounds. This museum was a pleasant answer to a rainy morning before catching a flight to the Korean island of Jeju.

Jeju, often called the Hawaii of Korea, has a relaxed vacation attitude. Many Koreans take their vacations in Jeju. The contrast in architecture here was even more evident. Along the coastal villages, hut-like homes with primitive fences made from the local lava rocks were adjacent to properties with new-construction hotels.

Touring "The Island of the Gods" on a moped provided breath-taking views of the coast, overgrown volcanic craters, and the ever-present Tol-Harubang stone sculptures said to offer protection and fertility.

Comparing the natural beauty surrounding hikers on Mount Hallasan, the tallest peak on Jeju, with the bustling E-Mart's large discount chain store with offerings from dried seaweed and other groceries to clothing and sporting goods, was again a complete disparity - almost comical.

Food

When I was mentally preparing for my trip to South Korea, I committed to myself that I would make the most of this experience - including eating a wide variety of traditional foods.

One of my favorite items was a street market fare of tempura appetizers - my first exposure to octopus, some unpronounceable vegetables and a wonderful stuffed hot pepper. Spiciness is not lacking in any of the Korean cooking. In fact, one night my son got a McDonald's craving and was deeply disappointed when they replaced the ketchup with a spicy pepper salsa on his Big 'N Tasty.

Known for its specialty of Korean barbeque, the cooking is traditionally done right at the serving table. Any variety of meat can be ordered and is prepared by the waitress - but no one can really resist turning something on the barbeque so almost everyone takes a part in flipping the black pork bacon or chicken and vegetable stir-fry.

Every meal is served with multiple side dishes - one of which is always kimchi (Korean traditional spicy aged cabbage). I tried quail eggs, seaweed soup, gimbop (a form of sushi), and bibimmyun (cold noodle soup).

Not only did I start looking forward to the kimchi, I also got proficient with chopsticks. In fact, I don't remember seeing a fork my entire trip. The restaurants do, however, provide a large spoon for the soups and rice. For the record, I did not try any form of the squid (dried or cooked) after I saw it being harvested and dried on the side of a road on neighboring Udo Island.

For those not inclined to be as adventurous in their food habits, most American fast-food restaurants can be found interspersed on city streets. I even saw an Outback Steakhouse while in Seoul.

People

With my blonde hair, I got my share of looks from young and old - especially since South Korea has a nearly 100 percent homogenous population of more than 49 million people.

The Korean people, however, have a sincere interest in other cultures and show extreme kindness to their visitors. It definitely helps to have someone who can translate and has some insight into cultural differences. Everyday communication can be an effort, unless one is willing to revert to informal sign language or accept the guidance and opinions of the locals.

Much of the American dream is seeping into Korea's modern culture. It was difficult to find T-shirts with Korean writing - in fact, most had poorly translated American-esque sayings and product slogans.

South Koreans, however, have invested in educating their students in the English language. My son, for example, has been working as a teacher in two schools in a rural area outside of Daegu.

While travelling by ferry from Jeju back to the mainland, I was surrounded on the platform by 11-year-old soccer players who were eager to try their English skills with visitors. Another observation - kids will be kids, no matter what country they were born in. The 13 Korean boys were quick to entertain the ferry riders with ssireum (Korean wrestling) and we joined them in Kai bai bo (rock-paper-scissors). This interaction made the five-hour ferry ride go by quickly.

The cities never seemed to sleep and the workers we would pass still in their stores as we headed to the hotel at the end of our busy sight-seeing day would sure enough be there first thing in the morning when the store's doors opened.

The Korean work ethic carries a strong level of customer service with a genuine humility not often found in the big cities of the United States.

"Work ethic" cannot even begin to describe the manual labor in the farming and fishing villages on Jeju. Much of the harvesting in the countryside appeared to be a community effort - relying on young and old to get the job done. Undaunted by the magnitude of what lies in front of them, the villagers displayed a quiet contentment.

In closing

On the final evening of my visit to South Korea, we were fortunate enough to get seats at the Chongdong Theater for a Korean traditional stage performance of "Miso."

The artistic expression through traditional dance, percussion instruments and orchestral music were a perfect ending to summarize the Korean culture. The rich history and memorable experiences from South Korea will be etched in my mind forever.

Before flying home, a quick round through the market is always needed. There were typical tourist areas with trinkets to take home, as well as art studios - again with both traditional and modern offerings.

As my personal souvenir, I chose a scroll from the Jeon-Gak Gallery with the blocky Korean symbolic lettering with a message of "Every Days are All New."

My perspective of finding something to explore and enjoy every day was reinforced by this journey to a foreign land - that, I hope, I will put to use in North Dakota.

(Lisa Irby recently moved to Bismarck. She is the mother of four sons and married to John Irby, Tribune editor.)