It's All Hallows' Eve...

...and Mr. Bones wishes you a day full of tricks and treats!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Night of Frolic and Reason to Run Amok

The modern day ritual of Halloween has no historical significance anywhere but America (except for maybe in the old and modern day British Isles where it is believed to have originated). However, over here in the Far East, far from any place where witch trials were held (I wonder if there is even such a thing as a 'witch' in the Korean vernacular) the Koreans have adopted the rituals quite well. Since the holiday this year falls on Monday, parties were held on Saturday night throughout the city but primarily in Itaewon where the expat community can run amok in costume and feel right at home.

For weeks leading up to this Saturday, bars and clubs have been promoting their Halloween hoopla, much like we do in the States for New Years Eve: pay to get in (in some cases a price higher than you'd ever actually spend on drinks and get one free drink and MAYBE some appetizers). For the holiday having no historical significance to them, the Koreans certainly know how to celebrate. Below are some promo posters of of some of the Halloween bashes that were happening in and around Seoul this weekend, all of which  I found undeniably 'American' but with an added level of Korean enthusiasm and creativity...

...and my particular favorite?
"Crime Scene Sketch Night - Death Drawing Session" -- A drawing and painting session at Big Green Studio where models do death and nude poses. So creepy AND creative!

I love Halloween, mainly because it gives reason to scary movie marathons. We kicked the weekend off on Friday night by watching the disturbing flick Deliverance followed by Disney's Hocus Pocus. As for Saturday night, RCP and I chose not to partake in any of these organized Halloween bashes and instead decided to get some delicious French cuisine in Itaewon, enjoy other people's costumes and meet up with friends for drinks. We ALMOST dressed up though; RCP as Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future and myself as an '80's ultra preppy country clubber....but due to lack of planning we just couldn't make it work so we opted for normal and comfortable.

Viva la France!

French is my favorite cuisine. I don't eat it that often which makes it even more delicious, always special, and never boring. I miss L'Express in NYC, where you could get a superbly roasted chicken and mashed potatoes 24 hours a day. I especially miss their goat cheese salad. There are quite a few French restaurants here in Seoul, but we have found a little gem in Le Saint-Ex in Itaewon. A small establishment, with a Korean waitstaff that speaks perfect English, the menu boasts only about 3 options and changes daily. It was also full of French expats and rightfully so. It was fantastic!

 Le Saint-Ex in Itaewon

I've never known a whole lot about the baguette, except that the French

are very discerning about what makes a baguette a real baguette. Now I know and know

where to get them: Guillaume, a salon du thé, which happens to be right at

the bottom of the U.N. Village hill.

Sunday Brunch in a Hanok

On Sunday we met RCP's friend Larry and his fellow LG co-worker and family in Insa-dong for brunch. Insa-dong, if you remember from a previous post, is an area full of traditional Korean craft shops, traditional restaurants and tea houses. Most of these establishments are located in hanoks, traditional Korean houses. I don't have any pictures of inside the restaurant or of the food but I've never had anything, in my entire life, like what we had here. It was quite the experience and far from omelets, toast and orange juice. We sat on the floor, in our own private room and I lost count, but probably received about 10 courses of food. I don't remember everything we ate, but it included pumpkin porridge, acorn jelly with cucumbers, spicy squid, a single mulberry on a giant green leaf, mushroom soup, fish, chicken, raspberry liquor, tea that tasted like wheat. and many many other unidentifiable things. This description does the actual meal and experience absolutely no justice. Things like mushroom soup and chicken sound pretty normal but they weren't. The flavors and textures were completely unidentifiable and like nothing I've ever tasted. I think someone said that the food and ingredients literally come from the mountains, so it supposedly has incredible nutritional value, purity and all of the above. It was probably the most natural and organic meal I've ever eaten and one that I will probably never eat again. However, just for the experience, we'll take anyone who comes to visit! Then afterwards we'll go for waffles.

Not the typical neighborhood diner!

Go Rangers!

Stay Active, Move a Mountain

Today I moved a mountain....or at the very least left some footprints on it.

For the last two months Mt. Namsan has been calling me to a challenge: "Run to the top of me." Trade the flat, breezy Han River running path for a mountain's murderous incline and altitude? I've always considered myself a runner (since college anyway). I have never entered a race, mainly because I don't want to run in a mass of people or be committed to something I've signed up for weeks in advance that I may decide not to run come race day. I'd rather just run when I feel like it, in solitude, against my own self-imposed challenges. Lately the challenges have revolved around what bridge further down the river I should run to, as the bridges make great goal posts, especially when they're far off in the foggy distance, barely visible. But today I decided to not only accept the mountain's challenge, but move the mountain of internal doubt keeping me from attempting the challenge earlier. So I pretended I was on a regular run and just ran....straight up.

I've never run up a mountain before so the trip was not without some serious out-of-breath moments, muscles that were replaced with Jello, the downing of a whole bottle of water at the top, and lots of stares from the curious, elderly Koreans on their morning walks, decked out in their hiking gear, I'm sure wondering why someone was running when walking will get one to the top just as well. Since tasting sweet victory this morning, I have decided to try to move the mountain every Friday until the first snowfall comes or until it becomes too easy (the ultimate goal). And one last thing, it's just as hard running down a mountain as it is running up one.

 

A little encouragement, compliments of Nike...
....and a message to all the pedestrians everywhere who saunter along sidewalks,
that I always get stuck behind. Let's speed it up...

With the Touch of a Button

It's time to pull out the thermal running clothes, wool sweaters and Blistex! This week's temperatures have dropped to the winter-is-almost-here range: lows in the mid to upper 30's, highs in the mid to upper 50's. So, I thought this would be the perfect time to discuss our heating system in the apartment.

Going Barefoot

Instead of radiators or central heat, many Korean apartments have floor warming systems called ondols. When the system is turned on, hot water runs through the pipes underneath the floor, heating the wood and thus, heat is spread evenly throughout the house. The highest temperature ours goes to is 85 degrees Celcius (that's 185 degrees Fahrenheit!). Due to this week's weather we've used the system twice, being cautious just in case the use of too much heat has the same effects on the electric bill that too much air conditioning had. We're not sure, because normally heat doesn't rack up the bill, but since this uses heated water, it could. You see, we don't automatically have hot water when you turn on the hot water faucet. Before showering or using hot water in the sink, we have to turn on the heater to heat the water. With the touch of a button and  a couple minutes, the water is hot. It's not much of an inconvenience, but the problem is remembering to turn it off. We have been told to always make sure you turn the heater off when you're done showering, I guess so it doesn't heat all day, use electricity, and cause the bill to sky-rocket (RCP has heard many horror stories around the office). But the simple action of turning on and off the hot water to shower is going against a lifetime of hard-wired routine! However, after two months, we've been "re-wired" and now it's not that difficult to remember to turn of the hot water and having heat that radiates from the floor is so much nicer than a NYC steaming, whistling radiator.

 A major part of our daily routine.

On the left shows that the floor heat is on and set at 85 celcius and the 

right shows that the water is being heated for the faucets.

No Real Effort Required

Not only do we have the luxury of heated floors, but we also have a fireplace. Yes, a real fireplace; complete with a real plastic log, real flame graphics (with the option to choose wavy or still flames), real blowing heat, and a real on/off switch. Completely absurd, it's actually cozier than the floors and quite the piece de resistance of the whole apartment. We love it.

Oh, I forgot to mention that there's also a real laminate wood mantle.
(I actually think it's more like contact paper that looks like wood that covers the mantle.)

Looks nice and toasty, doesn't it?

The only special effect it's missing is that "cracking fire" sound....

...probably an easy button to add.

The Liveliest Kilometer in Seoul

It can be a little exhausting and stressful playing "Tour Guide" for a week because you start to really feel personally responsible for your tour group's vacation experience, but I think we topped a week off of palaces, shopping, and walking perfectly with a visit on Saturday to Seoul Tower and an area called Hongdae. Now that I've had some practice, my tour business is open! Tours are free! Come one come all!

Back to the Tower

After brunch on Saturday, no one seemed too keen on hiking up Mt. Namsam (I still don't think it's really a mountain bc I doing think it's really that tall) so we hopped in a cab and rode to the top; only after touring the fanciest hotel in Seoul, The Grand Hyatt, which is on the way. Grand Hyatt's in the U.S. are nice but not even remotely close to falling into the same category as this one. RCP has had a few evenings of entertainment at the Hyatt, before my arrival of course, and it's definitely a place ONLY for a very special occasions...or an expense account.

Just to give you an idea: Mixed drinks at the bar JJ's run around $40 a drink, 

while a pizza will set you back $80....

but according to RCP, the Long Island Ice Tea is fabulous...

fabulous enough to not remember the whole night. 

What's the point if you can't even remember the drink?

(And why he's drinking Long Island Ice Tea's, I'll never know).

View from the pool...at least there's a view with the drinks.

Now, THIS is worth an $80 pizza.

Non-guests aren't allowed to play, but I'm determined to play here so I'm going to have RCP call and work some magic. Everyone loves a "Samsung Man". I'm sure the pro needs something to do anyway.

Do not visit Seoul Tower on a Saturday Afternoon in the Fall

After our cab ride up the mountain, we learned it was an hour wait to go to the top of the tower. No thanks. So after getting a few similar views, just from couple hundred feet lower, and viewing some traditional Korean entertainment, we road the cable car down the other side of the mountain. 

Cotton candy is something you just don't pass up.

I love cotton candy. It reminds me of Astros games. 

View from the cable car. 

The cable car was less like a gondola and more like a standing room only subway car, but was a lot more fun than walking down the mountain.

Okay, I guess the mountain is really a mountain; it is pretty steep.

Dave and Agata, you get one pass, next time we're walking up AND down the mountain....

no cabs and cable cars.

 

Up and over the fall foliage of Mt. Namsam

Hongdae - A Kilometer of Excitement

We thought we'd spend our last night with Dave and Agata in an area called Hongdae, which I had heard a lot about but had yet to visit.....at night. I had been during the day looking for an art supply store, but as anyone knows, areas tend to transform once the sun sets. Hongdae is the area in front of Hongik University, a major art college in Korea. The area is a nexus of Korea's youthful nightlife and rock, techno, hop hop, and jazz enthusiasts gather in the area's many restaurants, cafes and bars to enjoy the lively atmosphere. Also, as in most areas in Korea, there is also shopping to your heart's desire. The main street is about a kilometer long and I have never ever seen a livelier, more energetic street. Nothing in New York comes close. It was as if a street festival was going on, but this was a normal Saturday night. So we wandered until we found some bbq, met up with RCP's good friend Larry, experienced some free entertainment, partook in Korea's "open container" policy, and ended with some drinks in a no-name, hidden gem far above the crowds. It was a great evening.

Everyone wants to be here!

There are young musicians everywhere, adding to the lively atmosphere.

We found a fantastic Korean bbq spot in a back alley. The best part was the private tables and that you had to take your shoes off before entering. Eating dinner, especially good beef, barefoot? Nothing better.

This bbq joint was a little different, in that they pit was not set into the table like most. They brought a giant iron pot filled with the coals and placed it on the wood block you see here. 

The sides were fantastic....even the kimchi.

Hot coals!

The restaurant didn't have an English menu, so the owner ordered the "sampler" for us.

This was Round One.....

...this was Round Two...

...and Round Three...

Korean's love pork and some bbq restaurants only serve pork....I also think they just love fat, because the pork cuts are always three quarters fat. 

The bbq restaurants also like to change out the grills quite often and usually for each different cut of meat. In this case, we had used the wrong grill and insisted that we didn't care, but they insisted on switching to the correct grill.

Basic Korean BBQ Rule #1: The girl at the table is the one in charge of cooking the meat....and in some cases cutting the meat....with scissors.

Rule #2: Cut the meat AFTER it's cooked; the scissors work better.

A great dinner.

After dinner, at Larry's suggestion, we went to the park across the street for some free entertainment.

I'm kind of a fan of Korean hip hop now.

Meet Larry, the expert on Korea! 

Larry was at Chicago with RCP and in the same class. 

He's been here for three years working for LG.

Thanks to Larry, we were introduced to Korea's "open container" law, or lack there of.

There's no law against having an open alcoholic beverage out on the public streets...and no one abuses it.

There are even trucks that sell pre-mixed drinks in ziploc bags that you just pop a straw into.

If this world existed in the America? Chaos. Drunken chaos.

It was such a great vibe....

The essence of Hongdae....

...from above.

Party on kids, party on.

A Palace, Art and Pickles

Thank goodness for this rainy, windy and cold Monday! This is true October weather at it's finest and thanks to the weather, I now have time to show you what we were up to last week. We had sight-seeing packed days, so I'm splitting up the posts because there are just too many pictures to post at once.

Enjoy the tour!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

I think when I last left you we had just had a dinner of some very delicious, Korea-fied chicken wings. The next day we headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace (Gee-ong-bok-goong). Gyeongbokgung is the oldest palace of the Joseon Dynasty and on it's grounds stands the National Folk Museum of Korea, throne halls and pavilions, all boasting exquisite architecture in a gorgeous garden landscape. I have never seen such gorgeous fall foliage! October is definitely the best time to visit the palace. There are grand gates that allow visitors to enter the palace grounds from multiple streets. The east gate opens onto Samcheongdong-gil Street (Sam-chong-dong-gil) which is home to many art galleries, clothing shops and cafes. At the northern gate lies Cheongwadae (Chong-wah-day) or the Blue House, which houses the executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea. The Korean name literally translates to "pavilion of blue tiles."

In front of the entrance to the throne hall, Geunjeongjeon.

Agata and I at the main entrance, Gwanghwamun Gate....smile!

A changing of the guard ceremony.

This ceremony dates back to the 15th century and was reinstated in the 90's.

 Standing in the past, looking to the present.

The paint job is colorful perfection.

These decorative paintings are on the underneath of all temple roofs. 

Dave and Agata.

The throne hall, Geunjeongjeon.

Inside the throne hall.

More detailed overhangs.

This is the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in a lotus pond...not sure what it was used for, 

but any structure with a moat is cool.

The stone, brick and woodwork is perfection.

In the maze of pavilions, trying to find the north gate.

I wonder how long it took to paint all of these roofs?

Perfect fit.

I don't remember the name of this little island or structure, but I do remember the information board saying an empress was assassinated here  by the Japanese.

How's that for some inspiration, Mom and Dad?

Yup, might need to put a lotus pond on the farm.

Reflection.

No caption needed.....

Fall foliage.

If the walls at Gyeongbokgung could talk.....

 

America has the White House, Korea has the Blue House.

I think this is a little prettier than D.C. Just a little.

Samcheongdong-gil

This is Samcheondong-gil.

This tree-lined street and neighborhood is a gorgeous, quiet little enclave at the foot of the mountains full of coffee shops, small restaurants, vintage clothing shops and many famous art galleries such as Gallery Hyandai, the Kumho Museum of Art and the Artsonje Center.

There are tons of really interesting restaurants.

 Picturesque.

Shopping :)

Coffee shop.

Some mannequins are just so cool they don't need clothes.

Ever seen a coffee shop like this?

Love these stairs.

A lot of the shops are in traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

 

Public canvas.

 One of many, many galleries on Samcheondong street.

Lego's are such a great sculpting medium.

A cool baby selling puffed rice.

 The "Jar-O-Pickles"

 RCP and I discovered this place and I took Dave and Agata because I'm addicted...

This pizza place brings them to your table while you wait for your pizza.

Yes, I can eat the whole jar and yes, they refill it. 

A complimentary, bottomless pickle jar. Genius.

The UUL National Art Museum, Seoul

This wasn't my first trip to Samcheongdong-gil. On my first visit a couple of weeks ago I came across the UUL, National Art Museum. The new branch of a national contemporary museum, which will open in 2013, will be called the UUL National Art Museum, Seoul. The “UUL” part of the new name comes from the Korean word meaning fence. The “UUL” also incorporates an abbreviation for the word “uri,” which means “us” or “our” in Korean. According the new museum's planning and construction department, "the UUL states that the National Art Museum, Seoul is ‘our’ museum, enclosed in the fence of art and culture. It also refers to the name of the city, Seoul.” The museum is being built on the site of the former headquarters of the Defense Security Command located between Gyeongbok Palace and Samcheong-dong.

While taking pictures I got interviewed by a Korean news station. I suppose this type of construction wall, with "Naked Museum" written all over it is subject to question, so they asked me what I thought of the wall and what I thought the building was that was being built. They asked me where I was from, I said I live here, then they filmed me taking pictures of the wall. They then filmed me walking away. I hope I appeared on the nightly news that evening....I don't ever watch regular Korean t.v.

I'm going to guess that the "naked" part alludes to the fact that anyone and everyone
will be able to see the art, "it's open for all". Using the word 'naked' is a great marketing tactic.

Naked David.

Yay!

Naked Van Gogh.

 Well said.

A very provocative Mona Lisa.

Sculpture on the roof of a gallery. 

My interpretation of this is that the white figure is the mold and the mold is holding a cast of itself. Normally you would think that the cast figure would be "alive" but in this case the mold is alive and the one with feelings....or it could be something along the lines that the mold has "given birth" to the pink figure, a cast of itself and is waiting for it to "come alive". Just my thoughts.

 Outside the front gate to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!