“You’re telling me you left your phone at home? ” the chat spammed as I fumbled with my folded Z Fold 5, trying to keep the stream alive. I was in Gwangju, two hours by subway from home, ready to film the traditional five-day market. But when I opened my bag to start the broadcast, the iPhone I always used for streaming wasn’t there.
I had left it on my desk. All I had was this foldable phone, which I barely knew how to use, and it was already overheating. “Sorry, everyone. I’m going to eat lunch and head home early,” I said, ending the morning stream.
But the chat wasn’t having it. “You can’t just leave. Just ask people for directions like it’s the old days. ”
“Yeah, ditch the map.
Make it a challenge. ”
I laughed. “Okay, fine. No map.
I’ll just walk around and ask people. ”
I had planned to show off the local market, but the phone was struggling. The frame rate was terrible, the screen was flickering, and I was terrified I’d drop it. So I decided to change the plan: I’d walk around, ask strangers for directions, and find a raw fish restaurant the old-fashioned way.
“No phone, no map. Let’s go,” I said. I stepped out of the cafe and started wandering. The neighborhood was a maze of older apartment buildings and small shops.
I spotted a man walking toward me. “Excuse me, sir, do you know where the raw fish restaurant is? ” I asked. “Go straight and turn left.
You’ll see it,” he said quickly. “Thank you! ”
“You’re really doing this without a phone? ” the chat asked.
“Yeah, it’s a little scary, but it’s kind of fun. Feels like I’m back in 2010. ”
I kept walking. The sun was brutal.
I stopped another person. “Excuse me, is there a cafe nearby? ”
“Just keep going straight,” an older woman said, already walking past me. “Thank you.
”
I found a small cafe and ordered a blueberry juice. The owner looked young, maybe my age. I struck up a conversation. “How long have you been open?
”
“Since nine in the morning. I close at eight at night,” she said. “That’s a long day. ”
“Yeah, but it’s been about two months now.
”
I thanked her and finished my drink. The chat kept encouraging me. Someone even sent me a tip. “Can you interview the owner?
” they asked. “Ask her about running a business. ”
I hesitated for a moment, then walked back up to the counter. “Excuse me,” I said.
“I’m a streamer, and my viewers want me to ask you some questions. Would you be okay with that? ”
She blinked, surprised. “Uh, sure.
”
“What made you want to start this business? ”
She gave a short answer, and I could tell she was a little nervous. I didn’t push too hard. “How old are you?
” I asked. “Twenty-two. ”
I paused. She looked younger.
“Really? You have a very young face. ”
She smiled and handed me my waffle. I sat down and took a bite.
The chat was teasing me again. “Thanks for the interview,” I said, standing up. “I’m off to find that raw fish place. ”
I walked back outside.
The heat was still strong. I had been walking for over an hour now, and my feet were tired. I stopped another passerby. “Excuse me, is the fish market this way?
”
“Go straight for two blocks, then turn right,” he said. “Thank you. ”
I followed his directions and finally saw the market entrance. It was bustling with vendors and shoppers.
I was starving. “Let’s get some raw fish,” I told the chat. I found a stall that looked good and sat down. The owner, a middle-aged woman, wiped the table.
“I’ll have the seasoned raw squid,” I said. “Coming right up. ”
While I waited, I scrolled through the chat. It had been a strange day.
I had left home without my phone, spent hours walking in the heat, asked strangers for directions, interviewed a young business owner, and now I was about to eat lunch in a market I had never been to. “This was actually worth it,” I said. The food came. The squid was fresh and spicy.
I ate quickly while chatting with the audience. One of my regular viewers, who had been with me since my first stream, wrote:
“Remember our first meetup? It was at a raw fish place too. ”
“I remember,” I said.
“That’s why I wanted to come here. ”
I finished my meal, thanked the owner, and stepped back out into the market. The sun was starting to ease up. I had planned to head home after lunch, but the day had turned into something different.
“Let’s keep exploring for a bit,” I said. “No map, just walking. ”
The chat cheered. I saw a group of elderly men sitting by a stall, drinking makgeolli.
“Excuse me, sirs, is there anything interesting to see around here? ” I asked. One of them pointed. “Go up that street.
There’s a shrine and some old houses. ”
“Thanks. ”
I walked up the road, passing small gardens and old wooden structures. I came to a quiet hill where a few tourists were taking pictures.
I stopped and took in the view of the city below. “This is nice,” I said. “I never would have found this if I’d just gone home. ”
The chat was warm and supportive.
“You did good today,” someone wrote. “Yeah, this was one of the more fun streams we’ve had in a while. ”
“Maybe I should lose my phone more often,” I joked. I started heading back toward the station.
On the way, I stopped at a small shop and bought a bag of tomatoes from a farmer. “Eating these on the train tonight,” I said. I got back on the subway and settled into a seat. The phone battery was dying, but the stream was still going.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t show you the market properly,” I said. “But I hope this made up for it. ”
I looked down at the phone in my hand. It was warm.
I laughed to myself. I had come to Gwangju to make a simple market video, and instead I had spent the entire day asking strangers for directions in the heat, walking through an unknown city with no map, making friends, and eating better than I would have if everything had gone according to plan. “See you tomorrow, everyone. I’ll bring the right phone next time.
”
I leaned back and let the train rock me. For the first time that day, I felt relaxed.