After a rough start to the week, I could not have been happier to see the weekend arrive. My last class on Friday was one of the best of the week and I was reminded by my awesome students why I love teaching high school.
I woke up this morning with the intention of spending several hours getting schoolwork done, then heading out to check out a new neighborhood. Unfortunately my body didn't want to cooperate and instead of schoolwork I found comfort in planning my spring break adventure to Venice--by early afternoon I had secured my plane ticket and hotel. If all goes well, I'll be taking part in a mosaic class at the only glass factory left in Venice where smalti glass, used for creating mosaics, is produced. As of yet the class is one person short of being confirmed so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some other creative soul finds their way to Orsoni too. Otherwise, I plan to split the week between Florence and Venice--it is high time I reunite with my Italian roots!
By mid-afternoon I was feeling much better so I packed up my day bag and set out to enjoy an incredible fall day in Seoul--it was the sunny, clear kind that required only a sweatshirt and I couldn't let it pass me by without a trip outside. On my walk down the hill I passed by a clever balancing act where a crane (yes, the huge kind that lifts stuff) was perched precariously on the side of the hill, propped up with sandbags and railroad ties for stability. It was one of those times where I scurried below and said to myself, "only in Korea." Had I not feared for my life, I actually would have stopped to snap a photo just so you could see the pure insanity of the set-up.
This trip I ended up with a talkative taxi driver. His English was limited, but I could tell he took great joy in coming up with questions to ask me. The driver had seen me cross the street with one of my students and help her find a taxi home. He asked me about my "friend" and I tried to explain that I was a teacher and the girl he had seen was my student. He laughed in disbelief and asked me how old I am. When I told him I'm 28 he almost drove us off the road (okay, not really but it was a pretty wild taxi ride as we weaved in and out between two lanes of traffic--this may be one of those things I never get used to no matter how long I live in Seoul and needless to say a great deal of praying occurs during each ride). "No, no, not 28! Twenty-one or twenty-two I think!" I'll take that as a compliment:). Regardless, my wonderful taxi driver delivered me safely right in front of Hongik University just as I had shown him on my map. "Bye bye miss, have fun day," he called as I exited the taxi and scoped out the surrounding neighborhood.
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The archway of Hongik University |
I didn't have to walk far to find myself in the middle of a crowded playground which is home to the Hongdae Free Market each Saturday afternoon. The market had been written up in one of the foreigner magazines as a fun place to find handmade, eclectic creations and I immediately knew I needed to check it out. There were all sorts of people meandering from one table to the next, looking for unique bargains and one-of-a kind items. I spent a total of an hour or so at the market, made a few purchases, and decided to explore some more of the neighborhood on my walk back toward the subway station.
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Part of the park where the Free Market is held |
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Talented artists sketch portraits in all sorts of styles--cartoon, realistic, stick drawings... |
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Some of the cool creations for sale at the market |
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You can't go far without finding a food stand, dutifully manned by an adjuma |
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The crowds made shopping a little difficult, but I managed to weave my way through. |
It is pretty unusual for me to go anywhere in the city without some sort of plan or map to follow. This particular afternoon I tucked the map back into my purse and followed the crowds to see where the locals go. I quickly discovered that Hongdae is home to a good number of nightclubs (I can only imagine how crowded the streets must be after the sun goes down!) and is one of the "arts districts" in the city.
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One of the many interesting pieces of graffiti that adorns mural alley--chicks rule! |
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Another fabulously artsy mural! |
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A cute little garden store tucked in amongst other "interesting" shops. |
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A couple of other cartoon finds...Charlie Brown, Hello Kitty, why not? |
As I reached one of the major intersections I noticed a large crowd of people gathered at the
base of a building. Naturally I was curious to see what was going on, and after a quick glance skyward I figured it out. Many cities have their street performers--you've seen them, the people who have some sort of nifty talent they can show you in return for some spare change. These performers were unlike any I had seen before...look below. Yes, that is the side of a fairly tall building, and Yes, those people are suspended on cables "dancing" on the side of the building. As I looked at the crowd around me I saw many people with their cameras out taking pictures, so I figured I would do the same. All I can say is, that was cool!
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Building performers |
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A close up of their acrobatic skills... |
During my walk I passed at least three Starbucks stores, a dozen other coffee houses (the Korean people love their caffeine--you'll be hard pressed to find decaf anywhere), funky clothing boutiques with clothes only a tiny Korean could wear, twenty cell phone shops, and one Condomania (yes, I did just write the word condom). No, I didn't go inside but as I passed by I couldn't help but notice the only customers in the shop were foreigners. Gosh some of us waygooks (Korean for foreigners) are ridiculous, although it's highly possible I'll be making a visit to this very shop for supplies in the future. Much to my surprise, I just learned that one part of my new science curriculum focuses on reproduction and includes an in depth lesson on contraception. Someone kill me now!
This may have been the first time since I arrived in Seoul that I went out into the city to explore on my own and it felt good to know that I can navigate this city of millions. Oftentimes you really don't notice how many people live in this one space...until you try enter the subway, then it becomes crystal clear how many bodies populate Seoul. If I hadn't been caught up in the wave moving below ground I would have whipped out my camera to capture a snapshot of what a largely populated city really looks and feels like. The sensation of being just one amongst so many is almost indescribable and the more I think about my life here the more I find it incomprehensible that I am a part of this city too. While I'll never look like a local or perfect the language, I am starting to feel like I belong. Korean people no longer look foreign to me, and for the first time on this adventure I actually enjoyed the smell of Korean food. In fact, I wish I could eat some right now!
