Blogs from Insadong, Seoul, South Korea, Asia - page 4

It was mid-week and a pretty average one at that, when my friends Amy and Austin told me that they were heading up to Seoul over the weekend for the long awaited Lotus Lantern Festival. I knew nothing about it, so looked up some information both to better understand and to decide whether or not to join them on this adventure. I was hesitant, because we'd be heading up very early Saturday morning on the 4 1/2 hour bus ride to Seoul, then coming back on the Sunday midnight bus, meaning we'd arrive back to Geoje at 4:30am Monday, then have to be at work a few hours later. Austin was particularly enthusiastic about this festival, saying he'd been looking forward to it since before even coming to Korea. The Lotus Lantern Festival is a celebration ... read more

Hello folks! First off, we would like to wish a big Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family celebrating back home this weekend! We will certainly be thinking of you this weekend and the delicious turkey we will be missing! Now, here in Korea, last weekend was their version of Thanksgiving, better known as Chuseok, or Harvest festival (it occurs on the full moon of the 8th lunar cycle). We decided to take advantage of a 4-day weekend and boarded the Soul train for a few days of exploration in the booming metropolis boasting a population of over 11 million! Let me start by saying that before our trip had even begun, we weren't sure it was going to happen, because Wednesday night, while playing volleyball at school with other teachers, Mike sprained his ankle. ... read more

We decided to try and experience some authentic Korean culture and made our way to the Gyeonbokgung Palace. the palace is filled with animal statues representing the different months and are said to protect the palace from evil spirits. we also had a tour through the national folk museum which highlighted the development of the Korean culture. we were able to try some Papbingso which is a mix of shaved ice, berries, cornflakes and icecream...and another other korean food which i dont know how to pronounce. we walked around the Art village area in Seoul and saw all the different and amazing Korean Style artwork. The Korean food vendors on the side of the round all had different and unusual foods so we couldnt help but stop to try and sample a variety of the side-walk ... read more

I have not had a chance to update in a few days but let me first say I'm feeling much much much better now. Last week it was St. Patrick's Day which is not really celebrated here by many Koreans. In school there wasn't any mention of it, no 4 leaf clovers cut out in art class, or green stickers to pass out. It was kind of sad! I went to Itaewon with Pam and met up with a few of her friends for a green beer at an Irish pub which was fun but it was mostly Westerners. I saw a huge group of rugby players (possibly New Zealanders..yum!) It was nice to see people wearing green and some even wearing those funny antlers of green clovers..sigh, I miss the kitchy western ways. Before the ... read more

In the last few weeks I have endeavoured to see some sights and take in some more culture and history - and Korea has plenty of both. Sightseeing is made a lot easier by the fact that I live less than an hour of Seoul, where there’s so much to see and do. I thought I’d share a few pictures of the places I’ve seen. Insadong is one of the best known attractions in Korea, both for foreigners and natives. You can wander around and see traditional Korean crafts, snacks, pottery, galleries, clothes, and street performances. The historical main street is like no other in Korea so you see a real contrast when you reach the end and rejoin modern day Korea - neon lights, shopping centres and high rise buildings. About 5 minutes from Insadong ... read more