How I Survived Ten Days Of Korea As A Muslim

Written by mohdazhar.

Photos by shahezuan and stdynn.

Days before my flight to Seoul, my friends and family were probing me on how I would survive the ten-day trip. Their concern: the city is famous for its pork and alcohol diet - two things that contradict my beliefs as a Muslim. Well, to be frank, I could see their worries coming true as soon as I landed on Incheon International Airport. Nonetheless, ten days flew by and I am proud to say that I have pulled it through.

So this was how I did it.

Mr Billy and I, posing in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Loving his MJ-inspired jacket!
Photo by stdynn.

For a city so alien to me, the help of a knowledgeable tour guide was certainly crucial. Fortunately, I had Mr Billy. A former lecturer and founder of a gem stone factory, Mr Billy was proficient in both the English and Korean language. Thus, he was able to communicate with the seven Muslim students (including myself), making sure that our needs were well taken care of. For example, ham sausages were replaced with omelette. Other non-halal meat was also replaced with squids. The special requests were usually made way in advance, and even if they were not, the meals were rectified almost immediately. Superb.

Seafood was prepared for most of the days. I learnt that the preferred seafood by the South Koreans are baby octopuses and squids. Finding fish or prawns in restaurants was like finding a black cat in a coal cellar. I only had the opportunity to eat fish on the second last day of the trip. And as ridiculous as it seems, the sight of the white meat gripped me with sheer excitement!

It was squids galore for the Muslim students in this trip. Hmm, now which shiny bald-head shall be my next victim?
Photo by shahezuan.

A quick check with one of my lecturers, Mr Douglas Kwon, a South Korean now based in Singapore, revealed that the South Koreans are a huge fan of squids. In fact, the diet was so popular that - according to a 2011 Los Angeles Times report- the country’s squid capital, Ulleungo, once suffered a drastic fall in squid catch due to overfishing. I remembered thinking to myself if squids are probably the next most famous thing in the country after K-pop.

Anyway, as the days grew by, so did my lassitude for baby octopuses and squids. It grew so bad that I began saying “Not you again..” whenever I tossed the shiny bald-heads into the steamboat pots! Nonetheless, I, along with the six other Muslim students, adapted to the diet. We mixed and matched the squids with different sauces or side dishes such as kimchi, ketchup or even seaweed. We were thankful that there were food for us to feast on, and we did all we can to make the best out of it.

That said, we took a completely different approach as we explored Seoul on ourselves during the free and easy days. This was the time when we had to find our own food to fill our innards. Thus, we decided to follow the ‘no meat’ guidelines. Two of the Muslim students, Nur Amirah and Fatin, were able to converse in basic Korean, and they were there to enquire stallholders if their food prepared contained any form of kogee (meat). I tried to do the same, but the experience was like a tongue twister for me.

The Seoul Central Mosque stood tall amidst the evening sunlight.
Photo by stdynn.

Just a day before our trip ended, Mr Billy brought us to Itaewon, a district famous for its Muslim environment. Rows of shophouses proudly displaying the Halal signs led me to one of the most beautiful structures in the city – the Seoul Central Mosque. Initially, I planned to capture an interview with a Muslim there, or maybe an officer of the mosque, but the idea was plonked down almost immediately as I stood star-struck in front of the 36-year-old mosque. The architectural design was delicate and simply breathtaking. 

Before leaving Itaewon, I managed to grab a roll of chicken kebab from one of the shophouses there. Each roll costs ₩ 4,000, which is around SGD 4.50. A refreshing aria surrounded me as I took the first bite. It was bliss. After nine days, this was something that I could fully indulge myself in. Secretly in me, I felt as if it was a reward, for I have survived almost ten days in Seoul.

As a Muslim.