My weekend in Insadong

My best friend/boyfriend and I haven't had a chance to spend much time together alone, so we decided to pick a quiet spot in Seoul where we could just walk around and feel like we were on an actual date. Insadong may be a popular tourist spot, but it's not as crazy as Myeongdong and has just as much to see as Garosugil. It feels very traditional, as you'll see many tea shops as well as shops that sell brushes and ink for Korean calligraphy.


Ssamziegil is a shopping area halfway into Insadong. What's special about this little shopping center is that it is an outdoor strip mall that spirals up four or five stories. Each floor is filled with tiny art boutiques that sell anything from clothing to household items.

If you go to the very top of the mall, you will see an area for couples to write love messages that they can attach to a fence leading to a coffee shop where they can enjoy spending more time with each other. It's similar to the love locks in Namsan Tower, but I don't think as romantic.

There are plenty of restaurants in Insadong that offer traditional Korean dishes, like bibimbap ("mixed rice") or gooksoo (noodles). I went to a tiny restaurant tucked away on the first floor of Ssamziegil that offered the same traditional Korean food, but with a twist.

This restaurant has been featured in different Korean shows, for it's "Fire Chobap." It's basically raw Korean beef placed on a ball of rice, like sushi, but then seared with a blowtorch right at your table! It was so delicious...

The rest of Insadong is worth checking out, too. There are plenty of snack vendors putting on a show in the streets as well as an arcade filled with games that you and your significant other can play together.

You can even make a customized Korean style ink stamp. They can carve any design you want on it and it even comes in a cute pouch for you to carry it around in.

Another cool thing about Insadong is that it is home of the only Starbucks in the Korea that has "Starbucks" NOT written in English. Although, I hear Samcheongdong has one too now.

Even though the weather was unusually cold, it was a nice break away from the crazy city life.

St. Patrick's day in Seoul

I'm sure there's a deeper meaning behind this day we call St. Patrick's day, but from my experiences back at home in America, it's a day when people wear green to avoid getting pinched, drink a lot of alcohol, and even dye the rivers green. I thought this was one celebration that I would miss out on in Korea, but boy was I wrong.

Seoul annually hosts events to celebrate this ol' St. Patrick. Right outside of Sindorim station,  a crowd of foreigners were gathered in an amphitheater enjoying their booze and listening to live Irish music. The bands weren't only Irish. The first band performing was actually Korean!

the Korean Irish band

They don't dye the rivers here, but the sea of green shirts worn by hundreds of foreigners came close.

Irish Festival outside of Sindorim stn

The concert ended around 6pm, but that didn't mean the party was over. Many made their way to destined party areas in Seoul like Hongdae and Itaewon.

At Rocky Mountain Tavern with friends

I met up with a couple of my college friends and explored around Itaewon. We even bought bright green t-shirts that say "St. Patrick's day" in three different languages for only 5000won! 

If you are Irish or are into celebrating this day, you won't be missing out while you're in Korea. Even if Koreans don't celebrate certain holidays, you'll be sure to find a group of foreigners who do.

Trick Art Museum

There are plenty of places to choose from in Seoul when you don't have anything planned for the weekend. Now that I teach on Saturdays, it's pretty much impossible to travel anywhere far. The good news is that this is the perfect chance to explore Seoul even more. I decided to call up a couple of my friends and check out the famous Trick Art Museum.

Trick Art Museum is a museum full of optical illusion art. This is one place where you don't want to forget your camera. The art pieces are humorous and even put a twist to some classic art pieces. If you stand next to them, you can become part of the art!

Do you recognize any of these pieces?

I don't want to spoil the whole museum, but I do want to share one more picture:

There are staff walking around to help you with pictures so all of your friends can become part of the art!

When you are finished goofing around the museum, head over to the cafe area to enjoy a snack or as I did, create a masterpiece! You can buy these blank figures for 5000Won and you can decorate it any way you like. The museum provides you with markers and other tools, so all you have to do is color!

Trick Art Museum has many locations including Daegu and Jeju Island. The one in Seoul is located near HongIk University (also known as Hongdae). Just take the green line (Line 2) to Hongdae station and take exit 9. Link

If you are looking for a relaxing and creative weekend, I highly recommend you to check out this museum. DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!

Saying Goodbye

Coming to Korea can be a beautiful thing. You come to this foreign land knowing that you will experience a different culture, travel to many places, and teach some wonderful kids. What you don't know is that you will share all these experiences with people that become your closest friends.

I had my share of goodbyes my first year in Korea. Being one of the last to arrive among the group of people I spent most of my time with, I had to say many goodbyes. It's never an easy thing. It almost feels like summer camp, where you bond with people from different places and have to say goodbye and promise that you will see each other again, even though you know it might be unlikely. At one point, I was seriously depressed because I felt so lonely. I lost my appetite and wanted to desperately get out of there too.

What I didn't realize is that you are always making friends in Korea whether it's friends of friends or people new to the country. Now that it's my second year, I am having to say goodbye to people that have sent me off the first time.

Five of my friends have recently left Korea. The last few weeks have been full of celebrations, feasts, and promises. Here are some suggestions of how to send off your friends the right way:

1. Wonder Hour (COEX Intercontinental Hotel): From Monday to Saturday, you can enjoy all you can eat and drink (wine and beer) from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. It's a little bit of an upscale place, so you and your friends can have an excuse to dress up one last time. It costs roughly 34000Won, but worth every penny. Link

COEX Intercontinental Hotel Lobby

2. Big Rock (Gangnam): This bar is very spacious and can fit however many people you bring. They have towers of beer and many different drinks and dishes that will leave your friends with a lasting memory of Korea. Plus, the bartenders understand that it's a special moment and will treat you with different services like free drinks for the whole group. Link

Last hug at Big Rock

3. Rainbow (Gangnam): If you have a big group, be sure to make reservations. Rainbow is a chill, underground spot where you can smoke hookah and share buckets with your closest friends, while listening to trance or reggae music, depending on the night. The atmosphere is perfect for you to slouch back and reminisce the good times with your friends. Link

Rainbow

4. UlZzang (Gangnam): Sticker picture stores are everywhere in Korea. But if you're in the area, you might as well take one last picture with your friends before they leave. You can take pictures with different props and even edit the pictures with funny icons or messages. 

I'm sure I'll meet up with all my friends sometime in the future. The question is....where?