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87 a simple project Seoul Sub-Urban is a blog that Usher started as a way to ex- plore the city’s diverse neighborhoods while taking advantage of one of the best subway systems in the world. Each entry is a profile of a Seoul subway stop that follows Usher’s exploration of the surrounding neighborhood — including anything from its history, its appeal to locals and its obvious and not-so-obvious attractions — as well as offering a series of snapshots taken by one of his collaborating photographers. One characteristic that distinguishes Usher’s perspective from that of other travel journalism is his willingness to spot- light areas that wouldn’t necessarily capture the eye of the average Lonely Planet writer — he includes the commonplace sights alongside the tourist highlights. “We don’t just hit the more glamorous aspects, and we don’t try to ‘exoticize’ the place too much,” he explains. “We try to present it as ‘This is what this place is at this time.’” When asked about the more expository aspects of his work, he says, “I think the bulk of everyday life is not cool, and in this kind of project, where it’s not a one-off thing, if you’re going to be honest about what the place is you have to include some of those uncool moments.” Usher’s approach to writing is an extension of his own travel philosophy. For him, traveling “close to the ground” can help a person not just observe a local culture but better understand it; while an experience such as traveling to the top of Namsan Tower is culturally enriching (and, as Usher says, “the main attractions are the main attractions for a reason”), so is a jaunt through some of the back alleys of Gangnam. Meaningful trav- el, he argues, is about finding a way to bridge these two types of experiences. Blogging has helped him develop a greater appreciation for the simple pleasures that Seoul has to offer. documenting the city For the photographers who have worked with him on the project, Seoul Sub-Urban is more than a travel blog. According to former contributor Elizabeth Groeschen, a Kentucky-born photographer who now works out of New York, “Because there has been such an emphasis on the research behind each location … it’s a very thorough documentation of a city that is changing at such a rapid speed.” The project’s current photographer, Singaporean Merissa Quek, agrees: “I think that this project tries to encapsulate each neighborhood’s partic- ular characteristics, regardless of whether or not they’re of interest to the casual tourist. … (It’s) taken on a documentary character.” Though Usher admits that the blog was initially an effort to get him writing more consistently, he is still quite humbled by where his efforts have taken him. Usher’s unique style of nar- rative captured the attention of U.K. newspaper The Guard- ian, which reached out to him to write a best-of list of Seoul subway stops. His work has also led to a regular column in SEOUL magazine, as well as a book, which will be released in English later this fall (the Korean version was released in March). seoul: imperfect but never boring Looking back on five years of subway stops — the site’s archives feature more than 145 entries — Usher says that as the audience has increased in size, he’s felt a greater ob- ligation to make sure he’s offering well-researched facts in addition to any of his own commentary. Though he tries to keep his posts more descriptive than political, he doesn’t feel any obligation to present an overly rosy picture of life in Seoul. “Every city has problems,” he says. Of his pieces that address the less savory aspects of Seoul’s push for urbanization (his melancholy portrait of a neighborhood slated for demolition comes to mind), he says he’s confident that his posts do not hurt the image of the city. “The problems of a neighborhood are as significant as its positive aspects,” he argues. Having traveled to over 30 countries in his time outside the States, Usher’s impression of Seoul remains optimistic — he’d be the first to admit that the city is a great place to live. This was emphasized by a recent trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, a city that he felt presented a much more cohesive urban envi- ronment than the chaos of the Korean capital. “Copenhagen is a lovely city, but it’s not a city I feel too terribly excited about because it seems like there’s nothing wrong with it,” he says, jokingly wondering about how day-to-day life there might com- pare to Korea: “I mean, aren’t you people bored yet?” ‘this project tries to encapsulate each neighborhood’s particular characteristics, regardless of Whether or not they’re of interest to the casual tourist.’ merissa Quek More info j seoulsuburban.com ‘We don’t just hit the more glamorous aspects, and We don’t try to “exoticize” the place too much. We try to present it as “this is What this place is at this time.”’ charlie usher