So happy my sissy is here! At the airport
Anyways, we went to White Castle Motel to get Mom & Dad a room. If you remember from a previous post, in which I locked myself out, the White Castle Motel is where I laid my head to rest after my first traumatizing korean experience. Of course, me saying that I wanted the room for 7 days blew their minds because, well, who stays in a love motel for 7 days? Why, my parents of course. They didn't have a room ready yet, so we went to get dinner and left mom & dad's luggage there.
So we headed to dongincheon station to try to find some kalbi. Finally found a kalbi place (after one mis-step where I took them to a restaurant that did NOT have what I wanted). Dinner was quite tasty, wang kalbi, kimchi, the whole nine yards, plus melly and I shared some mul nangmyeon to finish it off. Moms and Pops found the kimchi and the subdubu jjigae too hot to handle, and they did NOT like the nangmyeon. It was also at this first dinner that I realized just how non-adept my family is at using chopsticks.
So yesterday, my family and I headed into Seoul to see Gyeongbokgung (the largest of the five palaces in Seoul) and Insa-dong. We took the subway, which rocked mommy to sleep, helping her to fit right in amongst the other sleeping ajummas on the train. After getting off the subway, clearly I looked like enough of a local (??!!) that some Korean person visiting from elsewhere decided to ask me how to use the general one-way tickets. Score one for waegooks korea-wide as I patiently explained the process and the woman thanked me profusely.
Family loved the palace, in spite of the cold, windy weather. I had been there once before, but discovered whole previous unseen areas of the palace grounds. Went inside to the national folk museum, which was more fun the second time around. Pictures from the palace and the museum:
There are all these little statuettes of various animals. I liked this one, of a rooster/eagle. Right, Melly doing her thing with the fancy camera while I create grainy pictures with my point-and-shoot.
Left, someone's house, not the kings. Right, Melissa in front of what I continuously referred to as the dance hall.
Left, view from the garden area behind the Queen Dowager's house. Right, pretty painting and details of a home, I think the Queen's.
Towards the very back of the palace, this was built with heavy chinese architectural influence. It was built after a fire severely damaged much of the main palace area.
Melly giving kissies!
The left, and walked along that lovely area just ouside the folk museum with all the little boutiques and coffee houses. Moms and Pops were hungry and I told them we were looking for food, but I didn't really know where I was going, so I just kept following the road in hopes of eventually finding insa-dong. Luckily, I managed to get up to the traditional korean homes area in Jongno-gu. Really pretty look outs from traditional houses out to cityscapes. Then walked down to insadong area. Managed to follow random signs and a crappy map to find insadong.
The side of a building in Jongno-gu. So many crazy artsy things here. This is all metal, from cars.
Left, view from Jong-no traditional area. Right, doors on a house in this area.
I will chronicle our lunch/dinner experience in my next post, after I get to upload my video to youtube. It's going to be an instant classic, I think. Really, it's pretty awesome.
Went shopping. Mom & Pop got a spoon for their collection. Mel & I got coffee. We headed home.
Today I am at work, and the family will be heading out to Seoul to see Gwanghwamun plaza and Chonggyecheon stream. Then I will meet them and maybe we will go to dinner somewhere in Seoul and come back home. Who knows what the evening will have in store. Hopefully not a ridiculously expensive dinner (yes, that is foreshadowing for my next post).
xoxo,
A
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