Seoul Neighborhoods: Hyehwa

I wanted to show Beth some of the different parts of the city, so we went to Hyehwa to explore for a day. There is some pretty awesome street art in Hyehwa.

It seems like everyone here has small dogs. Perhaps this is because they have small apartments as well. Regardless, it also seems like people really love dressing their dogs in ridiculously cute outfits. There was a street vendor who was selling all of these doggie outfits. 

This is the official symbol of Seoul, but this particular version of it just reminds me of the Cheshire Cat. 

There was a street vendor selling these fish cake things. I really don't like them, but they are EVERYWHERE. 

It's fish that has been ground up into a paste, then made into flat sheets that are cut and scrunched onto the sticks. The sticks of hardened fish paste are then boiled and people eat the fish and drink cups of the water/broth they've been boiled in. Perhaps there is some seasoning that goes into all of it. I don't know. But I'm not a fan of this particular kind of street food. 

There was a statue that had this inscription on it. 

The Lamp of the East

In the golden age of Asia

Korea was one of its lamp bearers

And that lamp is waiting to be lighted once again

For the illumination in the East.

Which is all well and good... But look at the top part of the statue. 

Haagen-Dazs. Accessorize London. Kraze Burger. The contrast just amused me. 

Donating blood has never been such a cheerful experience!

This is a general view of an average street around Seoul. Lots of cars. Lots of people. Lots of signs. 

Hyehwa does definitely have some unique architecture though. It's difficult to find buildings like this in the rest of the city. It is the theatre district, so it has a fun, artsy vibe. 

And lots of cool coffee shops. 

This is something I encounter in lots of places around Korea. I'm constantly amazed that there aren't more electrical fires. 

I have no clue what a music monster is, but I want one! It's so cute!

There were also some really fun stores to browse around. 

The Shop of original sensibility. 

It had lots of fun knick-knack types of things. 

I don't really know what to make of this, but we walked around a corner, and there it was. 

If you want happiness, all you need to do is come to this store! They sell it by the cup. It was right next to this store:

The small text says "Casual Wine & Bar". I've always wondered what made casual wine different from formal wine. 

This was a fun mural that was painted next to the lock museum. 

I've heard good things about this jazz club, but I've never been to it. 

You should really never question what you find in Korea. Why in the world would it cause confusion to walk down the street and see a MASSIVE statue of Gandalf the White? 

In just one building, you have a Texas Western Ice Bar and Beard Papa's. What more could you need?

More cars, lights and people. 

How this combination of chef and chimp is supposed to make me want Italian food is a mystery to me, but there we have it. 

Finally, this store was the piece de resistance for the day. It's called "Dong Bang". The "Bang" (pronounced bahng, not like a gun) translates to bread. I think the "Dong" part is self-explanatory :)

The employees had great uniforms. They were also really friendly. 

This is what it came out looking like. It was surprisingly delicious. It was like eating a cupcake, only the frosting was inside and it was all warm and gooey. It's also hard to see in this picture (which is unfortunate), but it has a little face on it. Awesome.