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. 

Lunar New Year Gifts

Lunar New Year is rapidly approaching. It is often called Chinese New Year in America, although it isn't called that here. For obvious reasons. This year is a big celebration, because 2012 is the year of the dragon. I will be celebrating Lunar New Year by flying to America, but most people celebrate by giving gifts, bowing to ancestors and eating a special soup that makes you a year older. 

The whole getting a year older thing still kinda throws me off sometimes. In less than a week, I'll be turning 27. My actual biological age is 25, but culturally speaking, I add two years. Everyone has their actual birthday celebration, then everyone adds a year on Lunar New Year, whenever it may fall. I've heard this is especially shocking for expats who are nearing the 30 mark. 

Gift giving is also really important. Many parents give money to their children, and my students all tell me this is the best part of the holiday. However, if you want to give a gift to someone who isn't a child, or to a co-worker, there are different options for that. Giving box sets seems to be a big thing here. It doesn't matter what the holiday is, there are always piles and piles of box sets that go on sale in anticipation of the gift giving season. The first time I saw these gift boxes up close, I was surprised. You see, gift boxes are different here. In America, maybe your box would be some nice lotion and soap, or cheese and sausage. Here are some examples of gift boxes that are quite common in Korea. For price conversion purposes, just assume that 1,000 Korean won is the same as 1 US dollar. It isn't exact, but it gives you a ballpark. 

This is the display rack outside of a grocery store in a busy neighborhood in Seoul. 

Shampoo, body wash, soap and toothpaste. 

Two bottles of canola oil and one bottle of grapeseed oil. I actually almost bought one of these, because that's a rather good price for oil here. 

The combo pack. Oil, tuna and generic SPAM. 

This seems to be quite popular, especially around lunar new year. It's a gift box of SPAM. For $50. 

What I've been up to

So things have been a bit quiet around here lately. That's more because I've been really busy than because there's nothing to write about. So now I have quite a few things to catch up on as far as blogging goes. But here's a sneak peak.

My friend Beth is visiting from America, so she and I have been out and about doing fun things, discovering quaint places and ridiculously cute things, and eating amazing food. I've also been teaching an English camp for elementary school students, and that certainly takes up a lot of time. Without further ado, here are a few highlights.

This is a chai tea latte. It will change your life. It's amazing. And the spoon has a face. 

The inside of yet another cute cafe. 

Some of my crazy kids during English camp. 

I found amazing elephant earmuffs!! Expect to hear more about these later. They've become quite significant :)

This is Beth's first proper meal in Korea. 

This is the strawberry smoothie that changed Beth's life. It was pretty awesome to sit back and watch. 

We were shopping for books, and we saw this series of English books. I'm not sure if I would feel encouraged or depressed if I were studying from them. 

More of my crazy kids. 

A hysterical translation of a text message. It sounds so apocalyptic. 

We got some free cookies! They were really delicious. 

Another amazing cafe. This cafe was amazing for a number of reasons. Again, expect to hear more about it. 

One of the reasons the cafe was so amazing was because it served REAL APPLE CIDER!!! Like, it had tiny pieces of apple floating around in it, and it was served with a real cinnamon stick. It was the most amazing thing I've had in a really, really long time. The strawberry smoothie may have been the best moment of Beth's life, but this apple cider was pretty close to mine. 

I got a ridiculously adorable passport cover!!

She winks at you!!

We got Korean style porridge for dinner tonight, and as always, it was a treat. I got pumpkin porridge with rice balls and red beans, which is a whole lot more delicious than it sounds. 

Finally, Beth and I got matching bear foot slippers with little claws that stick out. It was pretty amazing. And they were super cheap! I'm mostly just excited that I found shoes in Korea that actually fit...