I Feel Like a Princess...

On Wednesday (1/8) I went to go see Changgyeonggung (창경궁) with Leslie. I was really excited because I have not really been to anywhere historical on a long long time. I think probably around midterms was the last time that I did something, so a while ago now. It was amazing to get back out in the city after being cooped up in the dorms for so long and being able to see some of the country's national treasures while I was at it!

We left the dorms around one ish and made it to the area in hardly no time. It was actually kind of funny because as we were walking down the side street to go to the main roadway, we kept telling ourselves that everything look familiar to us. We had chalked it up to the fact that Korea, Seoul especially, is overrun with cafes, small shopping boutiques and more make up stores than the world has need of. But as we kept walking farther and father down the road and seeing very familiar cafes and building placements, it hit us that we had in fact been in the area (Jongno) before way back when we first arrived in Seoul because it was part of the scavenger hunt that we had to do when we first arrived in Seoul back in the later half of August.I feel bad now that I did not recognize it because I have in fact been to that part of the city a few times now on my own and with my small group for the Seoul Mate program that I am in.

But we kept walking and enjoying being out side and seeing all the kids running to the National Science Center that is on the way to the palace. We walked a little farther to get to the main entrance; walking along the old wall, under the arched overhang that topped the stone blocks. We were met a few minutes later by the colorful traditional arching roofs that I have come to love here in Korea. Even now in the winter when everything is clouded in a grey haze and there is not that much color decorating the streets anymore, the roof of the palace was still beautifully decorated and vibrate against the asphalt of the main street and the white granite of the modern buildings right next to it.

The really cool thing about palaces, temples, and other historical places here in Seoul is that they are really inexpensive to get into. Usually you will not have to pay more than 1-2000 W ($1-2USD) to get the entrance ticket. In the case of 창경궁  it was only a 1000 won fee to get in.  But I would have paid more! It was so pretty and peaceful there.

We where the only ones there minus a few other older people and one group of a few families. Even though it was really col outside it was so cool walking around and seeing all the buildings and the juxtaposition between the historical areas with modern day Seoul int he background. But my favorite part of the palace was the gardens.

There was a huge pond in the middle that was frozen over with a small area that was left free of the ice. So we had a great time watching the ducks that were there jump into the ice free area only to swim over to the ice border and just chill out.

There was also a green house that was really warm and cozy. Leslie and I loved it there; just walking among the trees and hearing the water fountain going was just so relaxing. I really did not want to leave, one because it was warm and two because it was so peaceful. But we had to go.

After the palace, we ended up going to Namdaemun (남대문)  market to wander around and to get lunch/dinner. Namdaemun is the place to go for really cheap prices on anything you could imagine and is were most of the Koreans tend to shop. Like Leslie and I were one of the few foreigners there that I saw. But there were so many stands and you could literally buy anything!

We mostly just walked around and ate; no shopping for me, but it was still fun just strolling the different side streets and taking everything in. Unfortunately I was not able to take that many pictures because we got there pretty late in the afternoon and there was not that much light to take pictures with, but I promise to go back and properly document the market!

Solo Adventures in Seoul

So today was really fun and exciting because I got a chance to do something I have only ever done once before here in Seoul. I actually went out on my own and explored by myself. Now I know that may not sound super fun for everyone, but for me, as someone who do not go out on their own/ like to go out on their own all the time, it is very rare for me to go out by myself to do things (esp here in Korea, the very couple/group oriented country that I live in). But I did it, I went out by myself, actually last week I ate out by myself, so I guess I am getting to do a lot new stuff while on break....

Anyway, back to the story. Kaitlyn had messaged me about a pop up store for UKISS in Myeongdong that she wanted me to go check out for her. I also wanted to see it, because well it is UKISS (One of my top kpop groups) and I really needed to get out of the dorms and walk around.  I have been too much of a sloth lately.

So I went to the pop-up store and got a shirt box and two free posters then walked across the street into Myeongdong's heart and walked around. H&M was have a very big sale so I went in and got three tops and a hat/scarf set all for a little under $18 US. After getting the new clothes, I just wondered and people watched. Myeongdong is always an interesting place because the people are always changing. What I mean is that sometime when you go, there is an influx of foreigners, while other times the number of Koreans is far greater. It was one of those days where the Korean population was greater than the foreigners. I stood out, the lone foreigner taking photos of the shops with her camera all by herself. But for once I was ok standing out. I did not care that people were giving me weird looks because i was breaking out into a wide smile after I took a picture of a life sized preppy bear that would put the boys at my home university to shame.

After walking around Myeongdong, I took to the underground shopping areas just to wander around and to head back to the subway, but I accidentally went into the one that does not connect to the station, but instead I ended up walking from Myeongdong to City Hall via the underground tunnels.

Once I go to the split in the tunnel, one way going to line 1 (Itaewon) and line 2 (Sinchon), I had decided to go back to the dorm and maybe take a nap because I did not really sleep all that much last nigh (new roommate, different sleeping habits), but right before I went down the stairs to go to the gates leading to the platform, I suddenly had the urge to go above ground and to walk around. When I came up, I knew right where I was. It was the same place that I had been a few times before (see: Lantern Festival, Seoul Scavenger Hunt, Kyobo Bookstore, and Gyeongbokgung Palace) but never from this direction, so I just walked and took some pictures.

It actually turned out great because I had planned on going to the line of statues/Kyobo and then taking the subway home from there so I just kept walking straight. So as I was walking and got to Deoksu Palace, I came at the right time to watch the changing of the guard. I watched them until they left to do what ever they do after the show, and then continued on my way heading to the subway. But the funny thing was that I inavertally started to follow the parade, but from the other side of the street. So to sum it up, my day ended with me stalking a Chosun Dynasty marching band!

But something that really made my day was on the subway home, I felt like I belonged. I knew all the trick on how to not fall down when the car suddenly lurched and I was able to navigate the subway like it was my second home, just like the native "Seoululites". It was interesting to see some of the tourists stare at the map and look lost on the subway with the flurry of Korean that hits you as the speaker overhead announces the upcoming stop (they repeat it in English, Chinese, and Japanese, but not I tend to tune out after the Korean, unless the subway stop is something other than its English name).

This city is starting to become a part of me.