Did I just use a Rebecca Black song and Korea in the same sentence? Wow.....
Random, but I've only seen 3 people dress super weird. Other than that, everyone makes me wanna go shopping with them haha.
Holy cow!! Today was so much fun! (Technically this is a day late as well as some of the other posts but oh well). You'll see why. I did so many things!
Today I got to see many parts of Seoul 서울 and was guided by my uncle's/이모 부의(emo-boo-eh) nephew Young Min/이영민. He's really nice and is going to an English academy to better his English. This trip was supposed to be good English practice for him and good Korean practice for him. But just like my study buddy sessions, it has been good English practice for him and me not so much because I can't say much and end up speaking in English. Koreans don't want you to be confused and so if you don't understand, they'll try to speak in English. I thought that was pretty nice and interesting.
Our first stop was Gyeongbok Palace 경복궁(gyung-bok-goong). It means "Palace of Shining Happiness" according to Wikipedia. But it's important because it was the main and largest palace during the Joseon 조선 dynasty. I found out later, I didn't even see all of it! There's so many entrances and mini building within the area. It's really cool because Seoul 서울 is so metropolitan and then there's this preserved piece of history right in the middle. I'm not sure on the history of it because we didn't stay long. (For the study abroad, I'll probably be coming back to this place so I'll get back to you on the history). But the history according to Wikipedia have their facts saying different things. Like at first it said some parts were preserved during the Japanese invasion and then it'll say it was burned down and reconstructed. I don't know....Man, if it was saved then it was saved! If it was burned down then it was burned down! I felt like I was in Sungkyunkwan Scandal 성균관 스캔들 haha. Yes I know, those places aren't the same. But anything from the Joseon 조선 dynasty makes me think of that drama.
It's me, in a green coat, in Korea, in front of Geunjeongjeon 근정전(geun-jung-juhn). So far, as I've been here in Korea, it hasn't hit me that this is Asia. The rest might not make sense but I'll just get it out there. I feel like Korea, it's not super different, but this palace made me feel like I really was in the East. Super cool! Maybe it's because so many Chinese and Japanese tourists were here so then it felt like Asia.
Gyeongbok Palace 경복궁. Geunjeongjeon 근정전. This is where where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon Dynasty.
Old mixed with the new. Haha is that cool or what?
I don't know if you can see it but on the right is a tower. From the picture view, it's on the left of the tree post. This tower was made by the people centuries ago. It was huge!
Actually, before we went to Gyeongbuk Palace 경북궁, we went to the National Palace Museum of Korea. It was free so why not! It showed a collection of art and objects saved from the palace from the dynasty. The museum is still continuing research on the dynasty. Again, we only saw the 2nd/top floor and didn't see everything. But can always go again. On this floor were records, symbols, state rites, architecture, and science from the dynasty.
Call me weird but so cute!
Palace robes. The one on the left was for the king and the one on the right is for the queen.
Up close King palace robe
Up close Queen palace robe
These hairpins...
Plus these hairpins...
Plus these hairpins...
And then these hairpins make....
Just her headdress! This queen had more jewelry in her hair than my whole jewelry collection! Very pretty but heavy and uncomfortable.
Pot!
Just as we were getting out of the museum, we heard some loud drums and wondered what and where the noise was coming from. We happened to come at the right time! There were having a performance! I'm not sure of what but I think they were reenacting war life during the Joseon 조선 dynasty.
I think these are soldiers?
I'm assuming ministers of war
Going outside the gate
This drum was so loud and powerful
This guy was up super high in the gates!
Rock, paper, scissors......? Just kidding.
Here's a clip of the performance. I couldn't get most of it because right then my camera died. My camera has died at the most inconvenient times!
After Gyeongbok Palace 경복궁, we just looked around the city and walked a couple streets. We then decided to go to Insadong 인사동 which was super fun. It was just a bunch of little stores and shops on the streets.
Insadong 인사동. This place was so much fun!
Weon-joo-han-ji 원주한지. Korean Handmade Paper
Kim Hyun Joong 김현중 little notebook. Haha so the story behind this: While Young Min 영민 and I were getting off the subway 치하철 (chi-ha-chorl), I could point out every celebrity that was on the advertisments. I saw an advertisement that had Kim Hyun Joong 김현중 on it and pointed and said, "오! 김현중! 와우.... 잘 생겼어!/ Oh! It's Kim Hyun Joong! Wow, he's so good-looking!" (good looking=charl-saeng-gyeoh-soh). Young Min 영민 then asked if I liked Kim Hyun Joong 김현중 and I said, "Of course! 완벽해!/He's perfect!" (wahn-byoh-kae). Haha lol. Anyways, after we left the store, he handed something to me and it was this notebook! He said, 쥴리앤이, 선물!/Julianne, present!" (present/gift=sohn-mul). Haha how funny and thoughtful at the same time! I thanked him and then we continued through Insadong 인사동.
I personally like the one on the left haha.
Haha, I had to get this. It's a SHINee 샤이니 cell phone charm! I thought about getting Super Junior 슈퍼주니어, 2PM, or Hyun Bin 현빈 but this won me over. The Super Junior 슈퍼주니어 had all of them on there that it was too long; it would have been the length of my phone haha. Plus it was white and so it didn't look that good. I don't know any songs by 2PM and so I didn't want to be a poser lol. With all the fan girls here in Korea, you got to be careful. ;-) And then I thought, "Hello" by SHINee 샤이니 is my ringtone! Light bulb! So that's the story behind this one. Now when I go back to Provo and dance with Chelsea, we can double our fun with this. Haha, if any of you want a cell phone charm, email me! Asian phone charms are the best haha.
The next place we went to in Insadong 인사동 was Ssamziegil 쌈지길. This place was a lot of fun too! It's an open-air structure that contains five floors of handcraft shops, accessory stores, snack counters, restaurants, and a gallery. Its floors are slightly slanted like spiral so that you can go between floors without using stairs. Ssamziegil 쌈지길's name comes from its spiral structure, making one continuous path that is lined with craft shops like one of the streets in Insadong 인사동. They had a really cool feature on the wall. You could record a video message and then email it. They have them in Disneyland as well.
There was so much graffiti that Young Min 영민 and I decided to leave a message. This is what I wrote: "Julianne was here! 함주은이 여기에 왔다!"(hahm-ju-eun-ee yoh-gi-soh wah-da!) The next part only makes sense if you've seen the Korean drama "Secret Garden 시크릿 가든" (which I recommend watching; it's so good!). It says: "확실헤요?(hwak-shi-rae-yo) 최선입니까?(chwe-sun-im-ni-ka?) 언제 부터 그렇게 예뻤나? 작년?(ohn-jeh-bu-toh keu-roh-keh yeh-bohn-na? jang-nyun?)/Are you sure? Is that the best? Since when did you become so pretty? Last year?" Speaking of which! I saw a kid with Kim Joo Won's tracksuit! I should have taken a picture!
Young Min 영민 wrote this!
But this below is what made Insadong 인사동 really interesting! Aunt Sookhee 숙희 이모 recommended that we see this store corner. This was so entertaining and interesting! Check this out! They're making traditional court cakes! This is actually in two videos because my camera died (again) and so I'll upload the other one later because right now the server is being weird so it's hard to upload anything. The second video is more funny and you actually get to see what they made. So just wait a little longer and I'll post it.
This guy and the one next to him were so funny! You'll see why.
We got a box and it tastes pretty interesting. The outside almost was like powdered string and the inside you saw in the video was nuts and honey. It's pretty sweet and so if you like a nutty flavor you would love this. But aren't these guys hilarious?
Here are some middle school students 중학생들 (joong-hak-saeng-deur). For their English class, they had to go out and talk to foreigners. What they had to do was perform an English dialogue and then have me rate them. Their dialogue was so funny. The two girls were a mother and daugther and the boy was a son. I can't remember all of it but it was funny. They all had good English but the boy especially had good English. They were so cute and such sweet kids! Haha I bet they could tell I was a foreigner because I kept talking to them like they were adults (I wasn't using 반말 with them but honorfics). They probably thought I was REALLY nice to them lol. I forget often that there's a difference in age when I talk to people in Korean. It's not good because that's a huge part of their culture and language that everyone has to keep in mind.
Close to Downtown Seoul 서울
Close to Downtown Seoul 서울
My two favorite countries side by side. America and Korea. But I guess I love Brazil, Germany, Greece, Panama, Republic of Congo, and Luxemborg too. Haha lol.
Close to Downtown Seoul 서울
Downtown Seoul 서울
Four floor coffee shop and cafe!
After Insadong 인사동, we headed to Chunggyecheon 청계천 which is in downtown Seoul 서울. According to Wikipedia, it's this "long modern public recreation space. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development required it to be covered by transportation infrastructure." In Julianne's terminology, it's this cool stream of water that has bridges and mini waterfalls that you can walk along. It's so pretty at night and a great place to take pictures.
Chunggyecheon 청계천
Chunggyecheon 청계천
(Insert Rebecca Black) "Standing on the ground. Walking by the waterfall. Which one should I take........?"
But unlike Rebecca Black, I actually chose a path to go on Friday! I was a little nervous because I thought I was going to get wet from the spray or fall in.
After sightseeing for a little bit, we decided to grab some dinner. What's cool about Downtown Seoul 서울 and in fact any busy street with lots of stores on the side, is that you can find anything and everything! If one store doesn't have what you need, just walk a couple stores down and you'll find what matches your style. It's been really convenient! We stopped by the restaurant Manbosung 만보성. There I had Jjambbong 짬뽕. It's this spicy soup with seafood, noodles, and vegetables. It's so good! However, we didn't get any rice and so it was a little too hot to take in by itself but it was still good. It was so big! I was not even halfway finished and I was already full. I gave some to Young Min 영민 and so it wouldn't be wasted. He got Jajangmyun/jjajangmyun 자장면; 짜장면 which are noodles with meat and vegetables in this black soybean sauce. (Also very good if you're interested in trying Korean food. Well, technically it's a Chinese dish but it's really good.)
Manbosung 만보성 restaurant
Jjambbong 짬뽕.
Jjambbong 짬뽕.
Chunggyecheon 청계천 at night!
So pretty! 참 예쁘다! (chahm yeh-be-da)
Walkway
Bridge. Actually, I'm adopted; this is where my mom picked me up and so I'm adopted. ;-) just kidding. You know how Americans say that you're adopted because the milkman delivered you or that FedEx dropped you off, Koreans sometimes say that you're adopted because they picked you up at the bridge. Haha, okay maybe it's not that funny.
There was an exhibition to travel to Macau under the bridges. Haha finally, I get to take a picture that fits my personality haha jk lol. I haven't been able to do any silly pictures because everyone I've met here is so polite and well-mannered and they don't usually pose silly for pictures. Since, no one was around and we were under a bridge, we decided to do something funny.
Haha and Young Min 영민 did it too.
We then headed to more parts in downtown. We walked along Gwanghwamun Park/Square 광화문 and saw these cool monuments and statues. This part is also really good to take pictures.
This monument was really cool! The important figure on this monument is 이순신 Yi Sun Sin (pronounced like: ee-soon-sheen). 영민 Young Min said he was important because he defeated the Japanese in an invasion.
Sweet....
This is King Sejong 세종 대왕. He invented Hangeul 한글 which is the Korean alphabet. He invented many things as well.
Hangeul 한글
Alright, alright. I'll work harder on Korean King Sejong 세종 대왕....
Gwanghwamun Park/Square 광화문. I thought this picture was cool because of the traffic mixed with this old piece of architecture.
Downtown Seoul 서울/ Gwanghwamun Park-Square 광화문
Is this place or cool or what!
It's been such a long day! Full of fun but now I'm dead. Haha so Young Min 영민 was really tired a little towards the end so he wanted to stop and get some coffee. What's nice about the cafes I've seen here is that they have many floors with tables and couches. How did they know we would be tired? ;-) Young Min 영민 got his coffee and I just waited for him upstairs. I went to the restroom to find him asleep. I didn't know what to do and didn't want to wake him. So I took a nap as well. Young Min 영민 told my aunt that I slept for an hour. Well, I wouldn't have if you didn't go to sleep in the first place! Haha oh well. I don't think it really was an hour. But since Young Min 영민 believes that I slept that long....
BLACKMAIL! Muahahaha!
