Usually when I travel, I have some idea of what to expect. But the departure date for my 10-day trip to Seoul, South Korea came faster than I expected. Before I could say "frequent flyer miles," I found myself speeding away from the Incheon International Airport in the back of a cab bound for my hotel in the Chung-gu district.

Given Seoul's size (some say nearly 20 million), it's surprising how little most people, including myself, know about the place. Even though I own a Samsung phone, watch an LG television at my parents, rent Hyundai cars, and have watched the occasional violent Korean movie, I could not even begin to name one of the 25 "Gu" districts in Seoul.

So what is it actually like? Combine Tokyo, Times Square, and Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, then throw in some Asia on steroids and you have Seoul. A pulsating, traffic-clogged mega-city with multi-lane bridges and highways darting between glass and steel skyscrapers dressed in neon lights like 21st century Christmas trees. My senses were overwhelmed.

As I soon discovered, however, behind the modern facade lay labrynths of tradition and history proving that Seoul is still more village than metropolis.

My first foray into the city was our trip to Itaewon -- Seoul's touristy shopping district. Kevin and Mita had already been here for a couple days and deftly navigated me through the subway system. There's no break from the intensity of Seoul in its metro: throngs of the city's inhabitants pack out the train cars and have no problem pushing and shoving their way out. Although the ticket attendant did not speak English, we managed to buy our 900 Won one-way tickets (about $0.95) without much trouble. The train systems were modern and clean although the system was beginning to show its age. Signs were graciously provided in English and electronic monitors in the cars announced the next stop.

The young people, and there were many, bundled themselves in fashionable winter jackets and scarves as they scurried down the streets laughing into their cell phones. The elderly trotted along with frowns and canes, their shoulders draped in overcoats and fur.

As I discovered on this short outing, Seoul is a shopper's paradise. From the looming, neon-lit department stores to the stalls in the five-century old Namdaemun market, shopping is a sport here. Everywere I walked, flashing signs and loudspeakers hawked useless goods. In one block, I passed stores selling electric toilet seats, eyeglasses, hair clips, counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags, and mounds of tea. There were endless restaurant stalls; one lady cooked pork skins with a blow torch while her son loaded up to-go orders in a bag.

After two days here, I'm still stunned. Maybe it's jetlag or just how disoriented I still feel wandering the streets of Seoul. Whatever it is, I can enjoy playing on words until the trip ends: Seoul Mate, Seoul Traveller, Seoul Train, chicken soup for the Seoul, body and Seoul... okay, I'll stop.