Hey all, just a celebration, since I know I don't know 3000 people, and it wasn't all just me looking at my posts:
I've just noticed I've topped 3000 views! Thanks for reading, please keep in touch! I've just hit the 6 month mark here in Korea, so I hope to keep posting my pictures and stories!
All my thanks!
-Sam
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Snoop Dogg and Tandem Biking at Bakersfield Park on Children's Day!
Yesterday, Joseph, Monica, Amy, Van, Steven, Andrew, Nina, and I all went to a Snoop Dogg/2NE1 concert being held at the Olympic Park. If you've never heard of 2NE1, they're K-Pop group known for songs like "I Am The Best" and "I Love You" which you can look up on youtube easily :). If you don't know Snoop Dogg, you can look him up too, but he actually played a lot of songs that weren't actually his, so it was a mix all around.
It took place at the Olympic Park east of Seoul. Before the concert, which took place in the Velodrome where the bike racing happens (the concert was open-air), we waited near the big park, some much needed green for Seoul.
The concert started at 7:00 and lasted until about 10:00, after which we headed to Gangnam to a little pub for awhile.
The following day is Children's Day in Korea (and also in Japan). Amy and I got some sandwiches from the Flying Cup and Saucer (go here if you can, btw, it's amazing, and Leona who runs the place is really nice), and went for a picnic at the nearby Bakersfield Park across the main road in and out of Bucheon and Incheon.
Korean people were all sitting in tents for their picnics, so they didn't get sunburned, but we just had a blanket. A lot of little kids were out for Children's Day, and the grass is behind some ropes, but you're still allowed to sit on it, so we looked a lot like a zoo exhibit, and we got a lot of stares, especially from the little kids, because we were really weird and strange.
There's a lot of people on bikes at the park, so after our picnic, we decided to rent a tandem bike. At first we were rubbish and going the wrong way, plus the bike was a bit too small so we looked really silly. Since we were getting laughed at and we were also laughing at ourselves, once we worked out the biking bit well enough we decided to go all out and really put on a show, so we rode round and round the park singing Sound of Music since we were getting stared at any way. At least we made ourselves and other people laugh.
Finish the day off with some lovely Annapurna curry, and it was a great weekend!
It was windy so my hair was a mess. Smart Amy had hers up!
The lake at the park
Sunset in Bucheon, looking towards Incheon
Amy checking out the view
Tandem Bike!
Strawberries, an egg tart, and lovely sandwiches for our picnic
Amy again at our picnic
Well, now I'm caught up, so expect more regular posts as I do more exciting things!
Thanks for continuing to read!
-Sam
It took place at the Olympic Park east of Seoul. Before the concert, which took place in the Velodrome where the bike racing happens (the concert was open-air), we waited near the big park, some much needed green for Seoul.
The concert started at 7:00 and lasted until about 10:00, after which we headed to Gangnam to a little pub for awhile.
The following day is Children's Day in Korea (and also in Japan). Amy and I got some sandwiches from the Flying Cup and Saucer (go here if you can, btw, it's amazing, and Leona who runs the place is really nice), and went for a picnic at the nearby Bakersfield Park across the main road in and out of Bucheon and Incheon.
Korean people were all sitting in tents for their picnics, so they didn't get sunburned, but we just had a blanket. A lot of little kids were out for Children's Day, and the grass is behind some ropes, but you're still allowed to sit on it, so we looked a lot like a zoo exhibit, and we got a lot of stares, especially from the little kids, because we were really weird and strange.
There's a lot of people on bikes at the park, so after our picnic, we decided to rent a tandem bike. At first we were rubbish and going the wrong way, plus the bike was a bit too small so we looked really silly. Since we were getting laughed at and we were also laughing at ourselves, once we worked out the biking bit well enough we decided to go all out and really put on a show, so we rode round and round the park singing Sound of Music since we were getting stared at any way. At least we made ourselves and other people laugh.
Finish the day off with some lovely Annapurna curry, and it was a great weekend!
It was windy so my hair was a mess. Smart Amy had hers up!
The lake at the park
Sunset in Bucheon, looking towards Incheon
Amy checking out the view
Tandem Bike!
Strawberries, an egg tart, and lovely sandwiches for our picnic
Amy again at our picnic
Well, now I'm caught up, so expect more regular posts as I do more exciting things!
Thanks for continuing to read!
-Sam
Namsan Tower (tandem biking will have to wait)
Last weekend, we finally followed through with Amy's dream of visiting Namsan Tower - the big tower sitting atop a hill in Seoul overlooking Itaewon, Myeongdong, etc etc etc. If you check the pictures from the Skyway, you'll see it lit up atop a hill in one of those.
Namsan tower is fairly new. It's got amazing views of the city, boasts a restaurant, a few museums, and a post office (yes, I sent a few post cards - if you didn't get one it's because I didn't know your address from memory (or I don't know you), sorry). It's a steep walk up a hill to get to the cable car, or you can hike the mountain up. We took the cable car, which was a massive line too, but for 6000 won (about $6) it was worth it, even though it was scary and the line was long.
We had to wait a long time, and when you reach the end of the line, they cram as many of you into the thing as possible, and it swings on the way up. There were maybe 25 to 30 of us crammed into this little box:
When you reach the top, there's a few more steps to climb to the main top place, which is where the tower, the museums, and a Coldstone is (you cannot escape this place whereever you are). There's a Teddy Bear Museum, a pagoda, and a nice gradual walk down the other side to the bus stops (you can get buses from Itaewon and from Myeongdong). WE got there right when the sun was starting to go down, so we took our pictures, ate some hurricane potatoes (they're fried potatoes twisted in a spiral up a skewer and coated in powdered cheese, yum!), and paid to get into the tower, which boasts a very very fast elevator. Since the ride is so smooth, to remind you it's fast, they make you stare at the ceiling, where an image of you blasting into space is projected, but other than that, it's not that cool.
Inside the cable car, that's Seoul on the Myeongdong side below
View from the base of the tower
Namsan Tower
Brooke and Beks at the tower
Amy at the tower
The pagoda as the sun set
At the base of the tower are a bunch of wire trees, to which thousands of padlocks are attached. These padlocks are left by couples, sometimes with messages, always signed and dated, and it's supposed to represent being together forever. There's also some rubber phone cases for longer messages attached to the trees with the locks.
The padlock trees
Inside the tower, when you get up there, is a cafe and an observatory, which looks out in all directions over the entirety of Seoul. We made it in time to watch the sun set from the tower over the last of the hills, and then we sent off a few postcards. We found Denver, and London too, and Brooke found Australia (that's where she's from), and the views were spectacular.
After we made our way down the hill to the bus stop, we got a few final looks at the tower.
Next Post: Tandem Biking, and Snoop Dogg in concert at the Olympic Park!
-Sam
Namsan tower is fairly new. It's got amazing views of the city, boasts a restaurant, a few museums, and a post office (yes, I sent a few post cards - if you didn't get one it's because I didn't know your address from memory (or I don't know you), sorry). It's a steep walk up a hill to get to the cable car, or you can hike the mountain up. We took the cable car, which was a massive line too, but for 6000 won (about $6) it was worth it, even though it was scary and the line was long.
We had to wait a long time, and when you reach the end of the line, they cram as many of you into the thing as possible, and it swings on the way up. There were maybe 25 to 30 of us crammed into this little box:
When you reach the top, there's a few more steps to climb to the main top place, which is where the tower, the museums, and a Coldstone is (you cannot escape this place whereever you are). There's a Teddy Bear Museum, a pagoda, and a nice gradual walk down the other side to the bus stops (you can get buses from Itaewon and from Myeongdong). WE got there right when the sun was starting to go down, so we took our pictures, ate some hurricane potatoes (they're fried potatoes twisted in a spiral up a skewer and coated in powdered cheese, yum!), and paid to get into the tower, which boasts a very very fast elevator. Since the ride is so smooth, to remind you it's fast, they make you stare at the ceiling, where an image of you blasting into space is projected, but other than that, it's not that cool.
Inside the cable car, that's Seoul on the Myeongdong side below
View from the base of the tower
Namsan Tower
Brooke and Beks at the tower
Amy at the tower
The pagoda as the sun set
At the base of the tower are a bunch of wire trees, to which thousands of padlocks are attached. These padlocks are left by couples, sometimes with messages, always signed and dated, and it's supposed to represent being together forever. There's also some rubber phone cases for longer messages attached to the trees with the locks.
The padlock trees
Inside the tower, when you get up there, is a cafe and an observatory, which looks out in all directions over the entirety of Seoul. We made it in time to watch the sun set from the tower over the last of the hills, and then we sent off a few postcards. We found Denver, and London too, and Brooke found Australia (that's where she's from), and the views were spectacular.
After we made our way down the hill to the bus stop, we got a few final looks at the tower.
Next Post: Tandem Biking, and Snoop Dogg in concert at the Olympic Park!
-Sam
Cherry Blossoms and Eunsome Burger
Shortly after my mum and dad left to head home, the blossoms appeared. Man are they beautiful. Take a look at this:
All across Bucheon and Korea, these blossoms opened all over. There were Cherry Blossom festivals, Plum blossom festivals, and Azalea festivals all over. These sticks that had previously lined the road looking dead in winter turned into beautiful pink spots of color against the gray of the skyline. Finally spring has arrived!
Beks, Van, Scott, Amy, and I visited a place Beks found called Eunsome Burger, down in Gangnam. If you're curious, it's off a backstreet about a five minute walk from exit 10 of Gangnam Station on the subway. That place is -good-. They're known for a beer-can chicken, which is, for lack of a better description, chicken raped with a can of beer and cooked. That sounds worrying, but stick with me. Because of the way the cooking process works, the beer actually keeps the chicken really moist, and it permeates the meat, so the entire end product is to die for. Also, the apple pie is really good too. ;)
Beks and Scott eating at Eunsome Burger.
That amazing beer-can chicken.
Beks and Scott, since they don't feature too often in this blog, these are some of my friends, folks. :)
NEXT POST: NAMSAN TOWER AND TANDEM BICYCLES!
All across Bucheon and Korea, these blossoms opened all over. There were Cherry Blossom festivals, Plum blossom festivals, and Azalea festivals all over. These sticks that had previously lined the road looking dead in winter turned into beautiful pink spots of color against the gray of the skyline. Finally spring has arrived!
Beks, Van, Scott, Amy, and I visited a place Beks found called Eunsome Burger, down in Gangnam. If you're curious, it's off a backstreet about a five minute walk from exit 10 of Gangnam Station on the subway. That place is -good-. They're known for a beer-can chicken, which is, for lack of a better description, chicken raped with a can of beer and cooked. That sounds worrying, but stick with me. Because of the way the cooking process works, the beer actually keeps the chicken really moist, and it permeates the meat, so the entire end product is to die for. Also, the apple pie is really good too. ;)
Beks and Scott eating at Eunsome Burger.
That amazing beer-can chicken.
Beks and Scott, since they don't feature too often in this blog, these are some of my friends, folks. :)
NEXT POST: NAMSAN TOWER AND TANDEM BICYCLES!
Mum and Dad's Visit! - the Skyway and Seoullung Tombs
My mum and dad stayed for ten days. After returning from Busan, we met with a work colleague of Dad's and his wife, and they took us to a lot of places around Seoul. We had an amazing barbecue dinner. There was so much food on the table and they kept bringing it that when we were done it just looked like we'd not even touch it!
Afterward, we went and drove the Skyway to look at Seoul from the top of the mountains. What a view! The pictures don't do the place justice. On the way back down, we stopped by a place for tea, but it was closed. It was an old Geisha house turned into a tea house on the side of the mountain all with old architecture and traditional pathways and soju-making jars. Even though we couldn't go in, that was really cool too. Then we ended the night by finally getting tea and cake at a little coffee shop near the President's house.
Gate of Gyeongbokgung, the big palace in Seoul.
A look over Seoul from the Skyway.
Seoul from the Skyway.
Later that week, we visited the Seoullung Tomb, which was a little green forest in the middle of the towering landscape of Seoul. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to two former emperors and a queen of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, and it's a really pretty place. The pamphlet tells the story of the first king, King Seongjong, who Dad said "sounded like a fairly decent guy" was into poetry. He wasn't the oldest son, instead coming to power because of his granny and mum, who worked pretty hard to get him there and help him keep power. He was apparently a fairly good, well-liked ruler, who tried to be good for everyone. His second wife, Queen Jonghyeon, is buried with him at the site, as well as their son, Jungjong, who became King himself after his father's death (he was less successful than his father, and he came to power after his half-brother was overthrown in a coup, I believe the story was).
The tombs are really well taken care of, with spirit roads from T-Shrines to allow for the passage of the dead. Rites are still held at the tombs for these departed monarchs, but nothing was going on the day we stopped by. It was so quiet and nice, with blossoms on the trees, that I immediately fell in love with the place, because it's not often in Korea you encounter such quiet places without anyone else around. If I get the chance, I'd like to go back again, because it's one of the few places in Seoul that really seems peaceful.
Pictures of Seolleung:
NEXT TIME: BLOSSOMS!!!
Afterward, we went and drove the Skyway to look at Seoul from the top of the mountains. What a view! The pictures don't do the place justice. On the way back down, we stopped by a place for tea, but it was closed. It was an old Geisha house turned into a tea house on the side of the mountain all with old architecture and traditional pathways and soju-making jars. Even though we couldn't go in, that was really cool too. Then we ended the night by finally getting tea and cake at a little coffee shop near the President's house.
Gate of Gyeongbokgung, the big palace in Seoul.
A look over Seoul from the Skyway.
Seoul from the Skyway.
Later that week, we visited the Seoullung Tomb, which was a little green forest in the middle of the towering landscape of Seoul. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to two former emperors and a queen of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, and it's a really pretty place. The pamphlet tells the story of the first king, King Seongjong, who Dad said "sounded like a fairly decent guy" was into poetry. He wasn't the oldest son, instead coming to power because of his granny and mum, who worked pretty hard to get him there and help him keep power. He was apparently a fairly good, well-liked ruler, who tried to be good for everyone. His second wife, Queen Jonghyeon, is buried with him at the site, as well as their son, Jungjong, who became King himself after his father's death (he was less successful than his father, and he came to power after his half-brother was overthrown in a coup, I believe the story was).
The tombs are really well taken care of, with spirit roads from T-Shrines to allow for the passage of the dead. Rites are still held at the tombs for these departed monarchs, but nothing was going on the day we stopped by. It was so quiet and nice, with blossoms on the trees, that I immediately fell in love with the place, because it's not often in Korea you encounter such quiet places without anyone else around. If I get the chance, I'd like to go back again, because it's one of the few places in Seoul that really seems peaceful.
Pictures of Seolleung:
NEXT TIME: BLOSSOMS!!!
March is for Birthdays, April is for Parents Visits - Busan!
Hello hello readers! It's time for a long over-due post.
For those of you who wondered why I did not post in March, I can only say this: terribly sorry. March was a month of birthdays (including my own, hello 23!), and so a lot happened, but not much that deserved a post about. We didn't visit anywhere particularly new, and we didn't do too many exciting new things, so despite having a full month, I had very little new to post about.
In the one week when there wasn't a birthday, Amy and I found ourselves in the middle of a Saint Patrick's Day celebration in Sindorim. I have never been so thrilled by the sheer number of people with blond hair. A band was playing jigs, and everyone was dancing and throwing beer about and drinking in the middle of the street at the bottom of the Sindorim mall, and it was completely by accident we ended up there. All in all, it made for a good distraction and Amy and I both had a lot of fun.
In other news, at the beginning of April, my Mum and Dad came to visit! We did lots of stuff while they were here! We took a trip down to Busan in the south. It rained, but that was okay, because it was nice to get out of Bucheon for awhile. Dad found an entire baby octopus in his pasta and it put Mum off her dinner. We had a nice walk down around the beach the first evening, before we finally got to sleep in a proper soft bed (my bed here in my apartment, like most Korean beds, is rock hard, so this was heavenly). We took the KTX bullet train to get there, travelling at about 230km/hr. We made several stops all the way south, so the trip was about three hours, there and back, but it was great to see the scenery and take a look at Korea.
Sadly, a lot of Korea looks very similar. This does make sense, since it's a small country really, comparatively (I'm thinking U.S. now), and there are lots of people so the whole place is built up. As such, finding green space is rare, but very much appreciated when you do come across it. For the girl who doesn't usually tend to like nature, it's an interesting dynamic. I miss trees and plants and green things. I might buy myself a little potted plant. XD
Busan's built up too, but it's on the sea, and there are beaches where fireworks take place. The neon lights against the city are gorgeous, and there's actually a lot to see around there. We visited the museum, and also the United Nations cemetary on the second day, both of which were interesting and a nice change from regular day to day stuff.
Here are a bunch of photos from Busan!
My mum and dad in Busan
One of Busan's famous beaches, minus all the people who are usually there in tents, because it was raining that day
Busan beach at twilight
Busan beach and bridge all lit up
My mum and dad again
A couple of panorama shots of Busan's beach
For the NEXT POST: more of my Mum and Dad's visit!
-Til then! Sam-
For those of you who wondered why I did not post in March, I can only say this: terribly sorry. March was a month of birthdays (including my own, hello 23!), and so a lot happened, but not much that deserved a post about. We didn't visit anywhere particularly new, and we didn't do too many exciting new things, so despite having a full month, I had very little new to post about.
In the one week when there wasn't a birthday, Amy and I found ourselves in the middle of a Saint Patrick's Day celebration in Sindorim. I have never been so thrilled by the sheer number of people with blond hair. A band was playing jigs, and everyone was dancing and throwing beer about and drinking in the middle of the street at the bottom of the Sindorim mall, and it was completely by accident we ended up there. All in all, it made for a good distraction and Amy and I both had a lot of fun.
In other news, at the beginning of April, my Mum and Dad came to visit! We did lots of stuff while they were here! We took a trip down to Busan in the south. It rained, but that was okay, because it was nice to get out of Bucheon for awhile. Dad found an entire baby octopus in his pasta and it put Mum off her dinner. We had a nice walk down around the beach the first evening, before we finally got to sleep in a proper soft bed (my bed here in my apartment, like most Korean beds, is rock hard, so this was heavenly). We took the KTX bullet train to get there, travelling at about 230km/hr. We made several stops all the way south, so the trip was about three hours, there and back, but it was great to see the scenery and take a look at Korea.
Sadly, a lot of Korea looks very similar. This does make sense, since it's a small country really, comparatively (I'm thinking U.S. now), and there are lots of people so the whole place is built up. As such, finding green space is rare, but very much appreciated when you do come across it. For the girl who doesn't usually tend to like nature, it's an interesting dynamic. I miss trees and plants and green things. I might buy myself a little potted plant. XD
Busan's built up too, but it's on the sea, and there are beaches where fireworks take place. The neon lights against the city are gorgeous, and there's actually a lot to see around there. We visited the museum, and also the United Nations cemetary on the second day, both of which were interesting and a nice change from regular day to day stuff.
Here are a bunch of photos from Busan!
My mum and dad in Busan
One of Busan's famous beaches, minus all the people who are usually there in tents, because it was raining that day
Busan beach at twilight
Busan beach and bridge all lit up
My mum and dad again
A couple of panorama shots of Busan's beach
For the NEXT POST: more of my Mum and Dad's visit!
-Til then! Sam-
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