I feel proud to be a local guide for Google Maps because I can contribute to bringing diversity in my city, Seoul.
By diversity I mean finding specific needs for specifically targeted people.
Seoul is a huge city with crowded people. Because of the size, the information that you could find is also flooding, which sometimes makes it difficult for people to find their specific needs. In this post, I want to talk about some ways that I am addressing to these specific needs.
- Foreigner-friendly
I am pretty sure that other countries also have their local search engine other than Google. Korea is also that case because locals use mostly Naver, which is a domestic search engine, although Google and YouTube is spreading among the younger generations these days. This makes it hard for foreigners to access information that locals share, meaning that much of the information are based on a local platform in a local language. However, by making use of Google Maps and writing reviews as a local guide, I am contributing in a way that connects foreigners with the local community. Although Google Maps offers reviews to be translated in English or other languages, I write reviews in both Korean and English to give foreigners the sense of connectedness and welcomed. Even more, there are some tips that foreigners should know such as the opening times, restrictions, reservation, and menu choices.
*Camerata is a music studio located in Paju, in the outskirts of Seoul. Although it could be seen as a cafe, it is a music studio, meaning that you should listen to music without loud chitchatting. They also offer live music every weekend.
- Pet-friendly
The number of pets that Koreans own is almost 10 million, meaning that one person out of five lives with a pet. Compared to the big population however, not many places are open for both pets and pet owners. As more and more places are becoming pet-friendly, the information has to be shared, but it is quite restricted. By making a list of shared places for pet-friendly restaurants, cafes, and hotels, I want to help pet owners to find more places they could enjoy with their pets. As a pet owner myself, I am visiting new places and checking their pet-friendliness for my fellow pet friends ?
- If you want to see my list of pet-friendly places in Seoul click here.
- For peace of mind
I have been living in a big city, and living in a big city means sometime we need to find our ways for relaxation. For me it is finding somewhere quiet, green, nature-friendly, even eco-friendly. I think many people living in big cities would have similar needs, to find somewhere where it’s not crowded but nice enough to find peace. This is why I find these places and write reviews about them. (although writing reviews and making the place popular would not make this place peaceful anymore haha) This does not apply to my city, Seoul but anywhere I go. I try to find places that are as cozy and peaceful as possible…peaceful so I can read books, practice yoga and take a nap. These days I am also into finding places that promote eco-friendly ideas, such as zero waste cafes and shops.
Participating as a local guide gives me more than just points and badges, it gives me a reward that I am contributing to different aspects of my community to be more diverse. So you should also come to Seoul and find more treasures with me!