Weekend Wanderings

Seoul and its neighbouring cities offer a smorgasbord of sights, sounds, food and adventure for this Vancouver Island couple. The pace of life in Seoul is very fast; it seems this city never sleeps. From its dusk to dawn dancing neon street signs to the night shift cabs orderly in line ready to transport the 30 million here or there.

Our pace on the other hand is so much slower. Not because we are cognitively incapable; rather, navigating the subway by way of colour coding, hailing a cab and handing him our laminated cheat sheet (home address), ordering food by pointing to pictures in a restaurant and finding items in the grocery store take concentration and a tremendous amount of 'processing time'. Regardless, we have enjoyed our weekend meanderings and learning curve.

One of the many buildings at the Chang Deok Gung Palace "Queen's Palace"



funky bright colour on the roof. The special paint preserves the wood poles and brighten any dull day!

 

mirror or hole in wall???? 

We are in the Secret Garden which is not a secret any more. This massive garden area was reserved for the Royal family for various reasons. Boating, fishing, writing poetry, contemplation, studying, hosting special banquets and even 'hobby farming'; raising silk worms.

 

 

Sunny Ko, Janine Puetz, Cheryl Lloyd are the Scarf Sisters in Insadong. This part of the city is a old section of Seoul and apparently is the only place in the world where Starbucks uses the traditional characters of the country.

 

 

Korean BBQs - are an interactive eating experience! Delicious too!

 

Soju, rice beer you drink in shot glasses . . . Interesting!

 

VERY hot coals are under the wire rack. Once the delicious marinated pork is cooked, someone takes the meat scissors and cuts it into small bite size pieces. Then the fun begins. The bite sized meat piece is placed in a lettuce or sesame leaf. Add any one of a multitude of sauces, garlic (raw or cooked), pickled radishes, pickled onions or whatever you dare. Fold the leaf up like a wrap and enjoy the deliciousness! The silver piece above the meat is the exhaust fan which can be lowered to take away the smokiness of the cooking.

 

Cuties in traditional dresses heading into the Chuseok church service (Thanksgiving service)

 

 

 One of the many gifts families give to one another at Thanksgiving. Sumin tells us it is very good ham; nothing like the Spam in North America. I will take her word and try it sometime.

Food Festival in Central Park; a celebration of Harvest prior to Thanksgiving.

fresh fish anyone?

Neon Nemo; every youngster's delight

Delightful Dancing Rainbow Fountains

 

chickens, eggs, corn on the cob, Korean veggies; all the trimmings of a Thanksgiving feast.

 

Our weekends are fun with lots of variety and learning too!