Today at lunch I sat with three male teachers, and as usual, one of my co-teachers, David, brought up the subject of my eating habits.
David: "Tahleen, what are you eating these days? What did you eat for breakfast?"
Me: I told you, I eat cereal for breakfast. (I was a little annoyed because he asks this everyday)
David: Just cereal?!?
Me: Sometimes yogurt also, sometimes toast, it depends.
David seems to think that because I eat cereal for breakfast and pizza for dinner sometimes that I'm malnourished. After I assured him I was eating a balanced diet, he moved onto exercise. I told him I've been going to dance classes once a week, and it was very good exercise. The geography teacher chimed in that working out once a week wasn't enough, I needed to do it three times a week.
I said that I do a lot of walking here and climbing subway stairs. I told them that I had spent Sunday afternoon and evening walking around Seoul; a friend who lives in Daejon was in town and we were seeing the sights. Last weekend I was in Seoraksan hiking up mountains. I told them I thought that was enough exercise. The geography teacher said, not if I want to lose weight.
They talk about weight loss/calories all the time here, but I was still taken aback. I said, "Do you think I need to lose weight?" David must have realized I was somewhat offended, because he immediately started talking about how thin I was, and asked what my "secret" was.
I don't mind if my coworkers talk about health and weight loss in general, but telling me I need to work out more to lose weight is not really necessary. Especially since it's on most women's minds anyway.
I've heard from other (foreign) teachers that their coworkers make similar comments, and I've also experienced this when I lived abroad before. When my friends and I visited Tunisia in 2003, our tour guide told my two friends they looked like they were pregnant, and didn't understand why we found that so offensive.
I think our eagerness to be polite and not hurt people's feelings is something unique to the U.S. In Korea, it's perfectly okay to tell someone that they are chubby, or that they have a pig face. (One of my students got the nickname "Piglet" from her friends)
My Korean coworkers are always quick to comment on appearance in general. It's nice to be acknowledged on days when you put a little extra effort into your appearance, but on the flip side, they also tell you when you look awful. "You look so tired. You look sick," etc. I understand that this is a cultural thing, and I can handle being told I look tired, but I wasn't a fan of being told I need to exercise more. Maybe I'm overreacting, and it was just his segway into inviting me to play badminton with the teachers after school (as several teachers have done) but it rubbed me the wrong way, and I will be avoiding him in the lunchroom in the future. It's a shame too; he's one of the few teachers that can carry on a conversation with me at lunch. But I'd rather enjoy my squid surprise and chunks of tofu soup than feel like I have to jog it off later.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Total Immersion
These past few weeks, through song, dance, and attending my first professional soccer game, I think I've been officially been initiated into Korean culture.
Song- If you want to make friends with Koreans, go to noraebang with them. I think I mentioned noraebang in a previous post but never explained what it is. Noraebang literally means "singing room," and it's Korea's version of karaoke. It is HUGE here; Koreans love to sing, so you can find a noraebang on nearly every corner. You pay about 15,000 won (which today is sadly $10.38; the exchange rate is awful right now) an hour for a private room with a karaoke screen, usually a few tambourines, two microphones, and mini strobe lights and/or disco balls. I had gone several times with fellow foreigners, but a few weeks ago, I went for the first time with Koreans. A group of teachers from my school went out to dinner & noraebang after the midterms and invited me along. Noraebang with Koreans is something else. After a few glasses of Cass (the water-flavored beer they drink here) they really cut loose. They all sang Korean songs (very enthusiastically, see the pictures), and I did a few Abba tunes because they know Abba here. I was a smash hit; not that they didn't like me before, but teachers who had never spoken to me before made a point of saying hello the next morning. It seems to be the ultimate ice breaker; you're not friends until you noraebang.
Noraebang with my coworkers, 10/8/08
Me with the Chief of Academic Affairs, the principal, and In Young (biology teacher)
Dance- Before coming to Korea, I had been taking jazz/hip hop classes at my sister's dance studio in White Bear Lake, and it was the highlight of my week. I decided that I wanted to continue to take classes here in Korea, so I've been going to drop-in classes at POZ dance studio near my school. Not only do I pick up a few new words in Korean every time I go, but one week I learned the dance to the latest "Wonder Girls" hit. The Wonder Girls are one of the hottest pop groups in Korea, and I make references to them all the time when I'm modeling sentences or teaching new vocabulary to my students.
Knowing the "Nobody" dance has proven to be another cross-cultural bonding method. I've busted it out a few times in class and my students go nuts. I also hung out with another foreign teacher recently and her coteacher, who made me teach her the dance. Now my coteacher, Minjung, wants me to teach her the dance because she and her husband tried with little success to learn from the music video. I'll post a link at the bottom to the "Nobody" video on youtube, because it's pretty awesome.
Soccer- I have never cared about or paid any attention to soccer, and had never actually sat through an entire match before coming here. But when my friend Jamie had an extra ticket to the Asian World Cup Qualifiers, I thought it would be a good "cultural experience." I dressed up in red and bought devil horns for the occasion since Korea's mascot is the red devils, and I had a blast. I never knew soccer was so much fun! Everyone was decked out in the team's colors and waving flags and chanting; it was much more entertaining than sitting through a baseball or football game. Whenever Korea scored a goal, there was confetti and toilet paper sailing through the air; even a red hand-held flare at one point. By the end of the match, I was waving the South Korean flag and singing along to all the chants. One of our friend's Korean co-teachers was there, and he commented on how "Korean" I was.
South Korea vs. U.A.E., 10/15/08
In the two months I've been here, I think I've adjusted pretty well to life in Korea. There are a few things that I will never get used to, like how people, mostly men, will hock loogies all over the streets and sidewalks. I cringe every time I hear someone gargling the mucous in their throat; it's so gross.
I also HATE fish and seafood, which they serve nearly every day at my school. I get really excited when it's a "no fish day," and there's something I can eat besides rice and kimchi.
These are very minor complaints though. Overall I still love living here; I was lucky to be placed in a nice area and in a good school, I get a along with my students and coworkers, and there are always people in the S.M.O.E. family to hang out with in the evenings and on the weekends.
I do miss home a lot and sometimes wish I could fly home for just a week to visit and maybe eat some Chipotle and buy shoes that fit, but I have to remind myself that when I do go back home, I will miss the friends I've made here, noraebang, bibimbap, galbi and other Korean foods I love. I'll miss living in this massive city where I'm constantly discovering new little neighborhoods and restaurants and shopping areas, etc. So I'm trying to live in the moment and just enjoy myself, and not worry about whether or not I'm going to stay another year or what I'm going to do when I go back home, etc.
That being said, I'm going to go meet up with some friends now instead of worry about how to wrap up this post :)
*As promised, the link to "Nobody" by the Wonder Girls
Song- If you want to make friends with Koreans, go to noraebang with them. I think I mentioned noraebang in a previous post but never explained what it is. Noraebang literally means "singing room," and it's Korea's version of karaoke. It is HUGE here; Koreans love to sing, so you can find a noraebang on nearly every corner. You pay about 15,000 won (which today is sadly $10.38; the exchange rate is awful right now) an hour for a private room with a karaoke screen, usually a few tambourines, two microphones, and mini strobe lights and/or disco balls. I had gone several times with fellow foreigners, but a few weeks ago, I went for the first time with Koreans. A group of teachers from my school went out to dinner & noraebang after the midterms and invited me along. Noraebang with Koreans is something else. After a few glasses of Cass (the water-flavored beer they drink here) they really cut loose. They all sang Korean songs (very enthusiastically, see the pictures), and I did a few Abba tunes because they know Abba here. I was a smash hit; not that they didn't like me before, but teachers who had never spoken to me before made a point of saying hello the next morning. It seems to be the ultimate ice breaker; you're not friends until you noraebang.
Noraebang with my coworkers, 10/8/08
Me with the Chief of Academic Affairs, the principal, and In Young (biology teacher)
Dance- Before coming to Korea, I had been taking jazz/hip hop classes at my sister's dance studio in White Bear Lake, and it was the highlight of my week. I decided that I wanted to continue to take classes here in Korea, so I've been going to drop-in classes at POZ dance studio near my school. Not only do I pick up a few new words in Korean every time I go, but one week I learned the dance to the latest "Wonder Girls" hit. The Wonder Girls are one of the hottest pop groups in Korea, and I make references to them all the time when I'm modeling sentences or teaching new vocabulary to my students.
Knowing the "Nobody" dance has proven to be another cross-cultural bonding method. I've busted it out a few times in class and my students go nuts. I also hung out with another foreign teacher recently and her coteacher, who made me teach her the dance. Now my coteacher, Minjung, wants me to teach her the dance because she and her husband tried with little success to learn from the music video. I'll post a link at the bottom to the "Nobody" video on youtube, because it's pretty awesome.
Soccer- I have never cared about or paid any attention to soccer, and had never actually sat through an entire match before coming here. But when my friend Jamie had an extra ticket to the Asian World Cup Qualifiers, I thought it would be a good "cultural experience." I dressed up in red and bought devil horns for the occasion since Korea's mascot is the red devils, and I had a blast. I never knew soccer was so much fun! Everyone was decked out in the team's colors and waving flags and chanting; it was much more entertaining than sitting through a baseball or football game. Whenever Korea scored a goal, there was confetti and toilet paper sailing through the air; even a red hand-held flare at one point. By the end of the match, I was waving the South Korean flag and singing along to all the chants. One of our friend's Korean co-teachers was there, and he commented on how "Korean" I was.
South Korea vs. U.A.E., 10/15/08
In the two months I've been here, I think I've adjusted pretty well to life in Korea. There are a few things that I will never get used to, like how people, mostly men, will hock loogies all over the streets and sidewalks. I cringe every time I hear someone gargling the mucous in their throat; it's so gross.
I also HATE fish and seafood, which they serve nearly every day at my school. I get really excited when it's a "no fish day," and there's something I can eat besides rice and kimchi.
These are very minor complaints though. Overall I still love living here; I was lucky to be placed in a nice area and in a good school, I get a along with my students and coworkers, and there are always people in the S.M.O.E. family to hang out with in the evenings and on the weekends.
I do miss home a lot and sometimes wish I could fly home for just a week to visit and maybe eat some Chipotle and buy shoes that fit, but I have to remind myself that when I do go back home, I will miss the friends I've made here, noraebang, bibimbap, galbi and other Korean foods I love. I'll miss living in this massive city where I'm constantly discovering new little neighborhoods and restaurants and shopping areas, etc. So I'm trying to live in the moment and just enjoy myself, and not worry about whether or not I'm going to stay another year or what I'm going to do when I go back home, etc.
That being said, I'm going to go meet up with some friends now instead of worry about how to wrap up this post :)
*As promised, the link to "Nobody" by the Wonder Girls
The small face/peace sign phenomenon
(Written 10-24-08)
Recently I heard from a friend of mine back home who said he'd been looking at my picutres from Korea and didn't understand the peace sign phenomenon in Asia (while taking pictures). Perhaps I can shed some light:
Loyal readers may remember that when I first arrived here, everyone kept telling me I had a small face. I thought it was strange that they kept commenting on that; like I was some freak of nature. I would respond by showing them pictures of my dad and saying, "see, I get it from him, it's his fault."
I have since learned that Korean women all want a small face (or narrow face) because it is considered more beautiful. Usually when I take my camera out, the females will make a peace sign covering their cheeks or strike some other strategic pose to make their face appear smaller.
I didn't realize this until Wednesday, when we took a field trip to Olympic Park and a group of my students decided that they can't pose for pictures with me anymore because my face is "too small," making theirs look bigger. It's not just the students who make these comments either; the teachers all say the same thing when they pose for pictures with me.
I could be wrong. Maybe they're just all about peace and love here, but I think that the small face phenomenon and peace sign phenomeneon are closely related.
World Peace Gate, Olympic Park
Me with my "1st graders" (10th graders) who told me my face is too small
*You can see the rest of my pictures on my flickr page
Recently I heard from a friend of mine back home who said he'd been looking at my picutres from Korea and didn't understand the peace sign phenomenon in Asia (while taking pictures). Perhaps I can shed some light:
Loyal readers may remember that when I first arrived here, everyone kept telling me I had a small face. I thought it was strange that they kept commenting on that; like I was some freak of nature. I would respond by showing them pictures of my dad and saying, "see, I get it from him, it's his fault."
I have since learned that Korean women all want a small face (or narrow face) because it is considered more beautiful. Usually when I take my camera out, the females will make a peace sign covering their cheeks or strike some other strategic pose to make their face appear smaller.
I didn't realize this until Wednesday, when we took a field trip to Olympic Park and a group of my students decided that they can't pose for pictures with me anymore because my face is "too small," making theirs look bigger. It's not just the students who make these comments either; the teachers all say the same thing when they pose for pictures with me.
I could be wrong. Maybe they're just all about peace and love here, but I think that the small face phenomenon and peace sign phenomeneon are closely related.
World Peace Gate, Olympic Park
Me with my "1st graders" (10th graders) who told me my face is too small
*You can see the rest of my pictures on my flickr page
Friday, October 17, 2008
One-sentence stories
(Written 10-10-08)
This week I had my intermediate and advanced classes do a writing exercise where one student started a story by writing a sentence, and the next person in the row wrote the next sentence, and so on. From the stories in each row, they were to pick the best story and I would decide a winner for the class. I told them that the winning story would be the most creative, one that made sense, and was school appropriate.
The term "school appropriate" doesn't seem to exist here. Back home, I would tell my students they had to be "PG" or "school appropriate" in class activities and they knew what I was talking about. Here, I had to explain that means leave out the sex and violence. In spite of this warning, my students wrote all sorts of disturbing things, which completely surprised me. Most of them seem so sweet and innocent, yet here are snippets from some of the stories I received this week:
"I have a sexy girlfriend. She gave me AIDS. We suicided together."
"I was in love with my teacher, but he married my sister. So I got plastic surgery to flirt with him."
"I took a shit in the backyard."
"I hit his penis with a bat."
"My mother is more delicious than cow. She is very fat and salty and spicy." (from the "steak boy" class, this one did NOT surprise me)
"I like American girls because they are fat."
"My parents hit me, so I go to the hospital. Now I am so happy because I can pass the exam. Yeah!"
"He is too angry, so he shooted his mother brain bones."
Nearly every story had something about death or suicide. They are obsessed with it. I told one class I wanted nice stories and to leave out all the death; and one boy (who speaks English very well) said, "but this is art!"
Probably the strangest part of all this was the fact that my co-teachers were entirely unfazed, as if AIDS, suicide and murder are perfectly normal topics for students to write about in class.
My last class of the week, which is my best class behavior and participation wise, wrote this little gem:
"A foreign teacher came to our school. And she is taller than me. She is so popular in the boys' classes that I am jealous of her. So I kill her."
Hmm...I think we'll stick to vocabulary games and speaking exercises in the future.
This week I had my intermediate and advanced classes do a writing exercise where one student started a story by writing a sentence, and the next person in the row wrote the next sentence, and so on. From the stories in each row, they were to pick the best story and I would decide a winner for the class. I told them that the winning story would be the most creative, one that made sense, and was school appropriate.
The term "school appropriate" doesn't seem to exist here. Back home, I would tell my students they had to be "PG" or "school appropriate" in class activities and they knew what I was talking about. Here, I had to explain that means leave out the sex and violence. In spite of this warning, my students wrote all sorts of disturbing things, which completely surprised me. Most of them seem so sweet and innocent, yet here are snippets from some of the stories I received this week:
"I have a sexy girlfriend. She gave me AIDS. We suicided together."
"I was in love with my teacher, but he married my sister. So I got plastic surgery to flirt with him."
"I took a shit in the backyard."
"I hit his penis with a bat."
"My mother is more delicious than cow. She is very fat and salty and spicy." (from the "steak boy" class, this one did NOT surprise me)
"I like American girls because they are fat."
"My parents hit me, so I go to the hospital. Now I am so happy because I can pass the exam. Yeah!"
"He is too angry, so he shooted his mother brain bones."
Nearly every story had something about death or suicide. They are obsessed with it. I told one class I wanted nice stories and to leave out all the death; and one boy (who speaks English very well) said, "but this is art!"
Probably the strangest part of all this was the fact that my co-teachers were entirely unfazed, as if AIDS, suicide and murder are perfectly normal topics for students to write about in class.
My last class of the week, which is my best class behavior and participation wise, wrote this little gem:
"A foreign teacher came to our school. And she is taller than me. She is so popular in the boys' classes that I am jealous of her. So I kill her."
Hmm...I think we'll stick to vocabulary games and speaking exercises in the future.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Back in Seoul
Okay, this is going to sound like the lamest thing ever, but it’s good to be back in Seoul and back to work. Let me explain…
All of last week at school the students took midterms, so I didn’t teach at all, but I still had to be there and sit at my desk. What did I do all week? Good question. When I have a whole week of unstructured time and no looming deadline, I am physically incapable of productivity. I stalked a lot of my friends from home on Facebook, followed the Twins’ almost playoff run, and did a little research on Thailand. I also threw together a last minute trip to Busan, a port city on the southeast tip of Korea. This is all I got accomplished in a week’s worth of work. I felt like a huge slacker, so I welcomed the actual work I had to do at school this morning. Although when I go back to the States to teach, I’m sure I will fantasize about the days in Korea when I could e-mail and Facebook at work.
Like I said, I decided last Tuesday that we should use our day off on Friday (it was a National Holiday, but my co-teacher wasn’t even sure what it was for) and visit Busan. Other than the beach, there wasn’t anything in particular I wanted to see, it was just a chance to see another city in Korea. I didn’t have any luck finding an available hostel or budget hotel online, so my friend Vicky’s co-teacher looked into finding us a yeogwan. “Yeogwan” means guesthouse, and like hostels, I think they are hit or miss. I’m sure there are nice ones out there, but ours was pretty decrepit, which was fine since we are all on a budget. My only complaint was the fact that the three of us women were supposed to share a double mattress on the floor with pillows that felt like they were stuffed with bricks. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep very well. It also was located about 45 minutes away from the Haeundae Beach area by subway, so it took us an hour to meet up with the other groups of S.M.O.E. people that somehow found accommodations near the beach.
Other than the sleeping situation and the lack of planning, I loved Busan. People were extremely friendly in passing, unlike Seoul where everyone is in hurry and will knock you over if you get in their way on the subway. It’s probably pretty common in a beach town verses a huge city, but the vibe was really laid back. We also were in awe of the beach view from our friend Brian’s friend’s apartment; it was gorgeous. (See pic. below) A few of my teacher friends were like, why do we live in Seoul? I found myself defending my new home. In spite of the fact that it’s overcrowded and the rush hour traffic is horrendous, I love Seoul. I’m glad I picked Seoul over Busan or some other smaller town. The commute to and from work is kind of a pain, but city life suits me. I also love that while I’ve seen a lot of the sights, I still have a lengthy list of things I want to do in Seoul. There is so much here and I love that.
It’s funny how you come to appreciate a place once you leave it. Going to Busan made me realize how much I love Seoul, and coming to Korea made me realize how much I love Minnesota. My parents dragged me there kicking and screaming when I was 13, so I spent most of my teenage years hating it, but I’ve really come to appreciate it since I’ve been here. I’ve been educating Koreans about the wonder that is MN since the day I arrived. For example, when a neighbor lady took me to E-mart, I pointed out the 3M symbol on the tape and proudly told her it was a Minnesota based company. I guess this is one of the unforeseen benefits of coming here. Travel is not only about experiencing new places, it’s also about recognizing the good in where you came from, which I’m definitely doing.
Busan at night
Haeundae Beach
Jagalchi Fish Market
Titus pretending to eat live octopus
All of last week at school the students took midterms, so I didn’t teach at all, but I still had to be there and sit at my desk. What did I do all week? Good question. When I have a whole week of unstructured time and no looming deadline, I am physically incapable of productivity. I stalked a lot of my friends from home on Facebook, followed the Twins’ almost playoff run, and did a little research on Thailand. I also threw together a last minute trip to Busan, a port city on the southeast tip of Korea. This is all I got accomplished in a week’s worth of work. I felt like a huge slacker, so I welcomed the actual work I had to do at school this morning. Although when I go back to the States to teach, I’m sure I will fantasize about the days in Korea when I could e-mail and Facebook at work.
Like I said, I decided last Tuesday that we should use our day off on Friday (it was a National Holiday, but my co-teacher wasn’t even sure what it was for) and visit Busan. Other than the beach, there wasn’t anything in particular I wanted to see, it was just a chance to see another city in Korea. I didn’t have any luck finding an available hostel or budget hotel online, so my friend Vicky’s co-teacher looked into finding us a yeogwan. “Yeogwan” means guesthouse, and like hostels, I think they are hit or miss. I’m sure there are nice ones out there, but ours was pretty decrepit, which was fine since we are all on a budget. My only complaint was the fact that the three of us women were supposed to share a double mattress on the floor with pillows that felt like they were stuffed with bricks. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep very well. It also was located about 45 minutes away from the Haeundae Beach area by subway, so it took us an hour to meet up with the other groups of S.M.O.E. people that somehow found accommodations near the beach.
Other than the sleeping situation and the lack of planning, I loved Busan. People were extremely friendly in passing, unlike Seoul where everyone is in hurry and will knock you over if you get in their way on the subway. It’s probably pretty common in a beach town verses a huge city, but the vibe was really laid back. We also were in awe of the beach view from our friend Brian’s friend’s apartment; it was gorgeous. (See pic. below) A few of my teacher friends were like, why do we live in Seoul? I found myself defending my new home. In spite of the fact that it’s overcrowded and the rush hour traffic is horrendous, I love Seoul. I’m glad I picked Seoul over Busan or some other smaller town. The commute to and from work is kind of a pain, but city life suits me. I also love that while I’ve seen a lot of the sights, I still have a lengthy list of things I want to do in Seoul. There is so much here and I love that.
It’s funny how you come to appreciate a place once you leave it. Going to Busan made me realize how much I love Seoul, and coming to Korea made me realize how much I love Minnesota. My parents dragged me there kicking and screaming when I was 13, so I spent most of my teenage years hating it, but I’ve really come to appreciate it since I’ve been here. I’ve been educating Koreans about the wonder that is MN since the day I arrived. For example, when a neighbor lady took me to E-mart, I pointed out the 3M symbol on the tape and proudly told her it was a Minnesota based company. I guess this is one of the unforeseen benefits of coming here. Travel is not only about experiencing new places, it’s also about recognizing the good in where you came from, which I’m definitely doing.
Busan at night
Haeundae Beach
Jagalchi Fish Market
Titus pretending to eat live octopus
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Chuseok part 3
On Monday we met up in Dongdaemun, Holly's dong (neighborhood). Dongdaemun is famous for its shopping markets, which include everything from department stores to cheap knock offs on the street. Since I'm trying to save money, I've been trying to stay away from this area, but luckily most of the shops were closed for Chuseok.
At Cerestar Department store, we stumbled upon an impressive drumming/dancing show and watched it for awhile.
Then we headed over to the actual Dongdaemun, which means "Great East Gate." During the Joseon dynasty, it was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul. It is one of only two that are still standing; apparently in February of this year a cab driver went ape wall and burned down Namdaemun, the South Gate.
After that we hit up the tents for some street food and a peek at the merchandise. Another thing that cracks me up about Korea is all the clothing and accessories that sport random phrases in English that more often than not, don't make any sense.
What??
We also walked by a group of policemen who must have been bored because they were playing tag and frisbee in a parking lot. I've been told that Seoul is a very safe city, so they must not have enough to do.
I love Korea :)
At Cerestar Department store, we stumbled upon an impressive drumming/dancing show and watched it for awhile.
Then we headed over to the actual Dongdaemun, which means "Great East Gate." During the Joseon dynasty, it was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul. It is one of only two that are still standing; apparently in February of this year a cab driver went ape wall and burned down Namdaemun, the South Gate.
After that we hit up the tents for some street food and a peek at the merchandise. Another thing that cracks me up about Korea is all the clothing and accessories that sport random phrases in English that more often than not, don't make any sense.
What??
We also walked by a group of policemen who must have been bored because they were playing tag and frisbee in a parking lot. I've been told that Seoul is a very safe city, so they must not have enough to do.
I love Korea :)
Chuseok part 2
On Sunday, I met Josie, Hugh, and Josie's friend Makeeya at City Hall station to check out the Cheonggyecheon stream, a stream that was once covered with concrete to build an elevated highway, but was turned back into a stream in 2003 as part of an urban renewal project. Apparently there was controversy about the billions of dollars spent on this project and debate about whether it's actually doing anything for the city's eco-environment, but the Koreans seem to enjoy it now and so did we. I read that it's also supposed to be symbolic of Korea's progress in recent decades.
Cheonggyecheon stream
One thing that cracks me up about Korea is that people will nap anywhere: at their desks at work, in their trucks, and apparently in the middle of downtown. This guy was sleeping next to a giant cone sculpture near the stream:
After strolling along the Cheongyyecheon and admiring the artwork and some guy's pet monkey, we took the subway up to Gyeongbok Palace (or Gyeongbokgung), one of the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built in the Joseon Dynasty.
Makeeya strikes a pose at the entrance
Another building inside the gates
Lots of kids were dressed in traditional hanbok
Palace guards (just for show)
Cheonggyecheon stream
One thing that cracks me up about Korea is that people will nap anywhere: at their desks at work, in their trucks, and apparently in the middle of downtown. This guy was sleeping next to a giant cone sculpture near the stream:
After strolling along the Cheongyyecheon and admiring the artwork and some guy's pet monkey, we took the subway up to Gyeongbok Palace (or Gyeongbokgung), one of the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built in the Joseon Dynasty.
Makeeya strikes a pose at the entrance
Another building inside the gates
Lots of kids were dressed in traditional hanbok
Palace guards (just for show)
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