Blogs from Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea, Asia

Gaemi Maeul means Ant Village, and is located in northern Seoul. The village is in the foothills of Inwangsan Mountain. It is very easy to get to. I took the subway to Hongje Station and came out of exit one. I walked along the street for about 5 minutes and came to the bus stop. This area of northern Seoul is more traditional, since it was a Saturday, loads of adjummas had set up stalls along the path, selling fruits, vegetables, and herbs. This neighbourhood is a contrast to the modern, polished areas of Gangnam and the like, south of the river. I waited a little while at the bus stop, there were plenty of buses coming and going, but not the number 07, which I needed. The journey on the minibus took about 10 to ... read more

After countless palaces and temples in S Korea, Japan, and Thailand, I wanted to see something different. After some research, I found Seodaemun Prison. This historical location was built during the Japanese occupation to control Korean activists. My research also suggested against younger visitors as it holds some gruesome reenactments of what happened during 1908-1945. I was meeting three friends in different areas of Incheon and Korea, so we had a few stops along the way. As a tip for anyone living in Incheon and wanting to get to Seoul quickly using the subway, get yourself to Bupyeong. From Bupyeong, you can grab an EXPRESS BUS to Yongsan. You go up to the Yongsan tracks and choose the side that has the electronic sign reading 급헹 (Express) 용산 (Yongsan). From Yongsan, we made a few transfers ... read more

I'm on my way! As my friend Jan, commented, I've been talking about this for such a long time that it's hard to comprehend that I am now on my way. I had a few tears as I waved goodbye to Bill and Sarah and I'm sure Customs wondered why I seemed so dazed but then it's not every day that one sets off on such an experience. My first port of call has been Seoul...what a great idea. If you need to fly to Europe a stopover here is a fabulous idea... luxury plus at the Hyatt and a good night's sleep before the next leg of the trip to London. And it's all included in the cost of the flight. It is very warm here.. a taste of summer with lots of cicadas, hot ... read more

Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. Today I had my first Korean cooking class! We made bibimbap and a jigae (stew). For the first hour of class we watch our sansangneem (teacher) prepare the two dishes and talk about them in Korean. It was like watching Julia Child in Korean. I was trying to keep track of what she was doing and the order of preparation, since our instruction sheet was also all in Korean and the only food words I know are rice (bap) and cucumber (oo-ee). Luckily my partner Angel, who's from Hong Kong, was paying attention too. We got right down to work like we were on Top Chef or something. There was chopping and salting and open flames and boiling and ingredient fetching and sauteing and tasting. I had a lot of ... read more

Today I had to bid farewell to the Hongs. I really enjoyed my two days with their family. But now it's time for the next adventure- dorm life on Yonsei's campus! Of course, I'm on the top floor. And there's no elevator. Luckily Chairman Hong and his driver carried my bag up the stairs for me. (When it's time to leave I'll just chuck it out the window.) I had trouble opening my door at first, and then it opened itself! I have a Korean roommate! Yay! Her name is Minyoung, and we've spoken maybe 10 sentences to each other so far. I usually have good relations with my roommates- flashbacks to high school and college- so this is the first time the language barrier has really prevented me from being as friendly as I could ... read more