#jeonju station

[cosmosbeelover]

The History of Korean Male Soloists from the 20th Century: Episode 2/?

The second episode of 'The History of Korean Male Soloists from the 20th Century' focuses on notable Korean artists who gained recognition in the early 20th century, a time marked by Japanese occupation.

The documentation surrounding these artists is often inconsistent, primarily because their activities took place nearly a century ago, prior to the Korean War, which resulted in the loss or inaccessibility of historical records.

Lee Eun Sang (이은상; 李殷相)

Lee Eun-sang was initially referenced in Part 3 of 'The History of Korean Male Groups' for his contribution as a lyricist for the "Boat Song," which was performed by the Yonhui College Choir and composed by Hyun Je-myeong (현제명; 玄濟明). He also penned the lyrics for "Watermill" and "Jeolumbari," both of which were composed by Hyun Je-myeong as well.

Lee Eun Sang (이은상), born on October 22, 1903, and passing on September 18, 1982, hailed from Jeonju but spent much of his life in Masan, Gyeongnam. He was the second son of Lee Seung-gyu (이승규) and adopted several pen names, with Nosan (노산;鷺山) being the most prominent, alongside Namcheon (남천; 南川), Gangsan Yuin (강산유인; 江山遊人), and Duwooseong (두우성;斗牛星).

As a distinguished South Korean sijo poet, historian, and honorary doctor of literature, Lee Eun Sang produced significant works including the 'Nosan Sahwa Collection,' 'Nosan Sijo Collection,' 'Nosan Poetry Collection,' 'I Want to Go,' 'Night at Seongbulsa Temple,' and 'Climbing the Old Hill.' His contributions to the arts were recognized with several accolades, including the Arts Academy Merit Award, the 5/16 National Award, and honours from the Arts and Culture Division.

Life and Activities

He completed his secondary education at Masan Changshin School (昌信學校), an institution established by his father in 1918, and pursued studies in the liberal arts at Yonhui College (연세대학교; 延世大學校), although he is believed to have left the college in 1923. Between 1925 and 1927, he attended Waseda University (와세다 대학; 早稲田大学) in Japan, where he audited courses in the Department of History.

In 1931, Lee Eun Sang began his academic career as a professor at Ewha Womans College (이화여자대학교; 梨花女子大學校). He later took on leadership roles, including the presidency of Honam Shinmun in 1945, and continued to teach at various institutions such as Cheonggu University, Seoul National University (서울대학교), and Yeungnam University (영남대학교; 嶺南大學校) after 1950. Additionally, he held presidencies in several cultural organizations, including the Korean National Culture Association and the Korean Sijo Writers Association, as well as the Korean Mountaineering Club (한국산악회), which was founded in 1945.

Prior to Korea's liberation, he was an active participant in the National Literature Faction and was arrested during the Joseon Language Society Incident (조선어학회 사건; 朝鮮語學會事件), which involved the Japanese authorities detaining members of the Korean Language Society in 1942. His literary contributions began in the early days of the Joseon Literary World (조선문단) magazine, and despite being imprisoned at Hongwon Police Station and Hamheung Prison, he was released the following year. In 1945, he faced detention at Gwangyang Police Station under a preliminary arrest warrant for thought crimes but was freed following Korea's liberation.

Following his liberation, he produced a substantial body of work across journalism, academia, and historical writing. His explorations of the country resulted in numerous travelogues, and he gained recognition as a researcher of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (이순신; 李舜臣). In 1954, he was elected to the National Academy of Arts and subsequently became the president of the Chungmugong Admiral Yi Sun-sin Memorial Association in 1959. His leadership extended to the National Culture Association and the Ahn Jung-geun (안중근) Admiration Association in 1965, where he dedicated efforts to honour significant national figures. Notably, he contributed to the founding declaration of the Democratic Republican Party in 1963.

He earned both his master's and doctoral degrees in Korean language and literature from Kyunghee University (경희대학교; 慶熙大學校) in 1970, followed by an honorary doctorate in literature from Yonsei University in 1974. That same year, he assumed the role of chairman of the National Council for Total Security and became the lifetime chairman of the Sijo Writers Association. His accolades included being named a lifetime member of the National Academy of Arts in 1978 and serving on the National Advisory Committee on Government Administration in 1981. His contributions to the arts were recognized with several awards, including the National Academy of Arts' Merit Award and the May 16 National Award.

His literary legacy includes popular sijos such as “Gagopa” (가고파), “The Night of Seongbulsa Temple” (성불사의 밤), and “Going Up the Old Hill” (옛동산에 올라), alongside significant publications like “Nosan Sahwajip” (노산사화집), “Nosan Sijojip” (노산시조집), and “Yi Chungmu-gong Chronicles” (이충무공 일대기). Throughout his life, he was committed to the dual pursuits of sijo poetry and fostering national consciousness. In 1982, he was appointed as an advisory member of the State Affairs Advisory Council (Another link about this Council), but he passed away later that year, leaving behind a rich tapestry of cultural contributions.

He additionally composed the lyrics for the commemorative song dedicated to Mr. Kim Gu (김구) and President Park Chung-hee (박정희).

His Work

In 1921, the poem "Blood Tide" was published in the fourth issue of "Ahseong" (아성) under the pseudonym Du Woo-seong (두우성), marking the beginning of his literary career. However, it was not until the establishment of "Chosun Literature" in 1924 that he fully engaged in literary activities. Throughout this magazine, he contributed numerous critiques, essays, and poems, although he largely overlooked traditional national studies and sijo, favouring Western free verse instead. During this period, he produced approximately thirty free verse poems, in stark contrast to just one sijo.

His critical writings from this era include notable titles such as “A Study of Poet Whitman,” “Tennyson’s Four Poems,” and “Lectures on the History of British Poetry,” with significant contributions appearing in "Chosun Literature" and "Dong-A Ilbo." These works reflect the literary landscape of the time and his engagement with Western literary traditions. However, by the latter half of 1926, as discussions surrounding the revival of sijo gained momentum, there was a noticeable shift towards traditional literature and national studies.

Lee Eun Sang (이은상)– Nosanmunseon (노산문선)

Between 1929 and 1930, he published several poems that incorporated folk song rhythms, including “Sae Taryeong” (New Song), “Maehwadong” (Selling Flowers), and “Joseon’s Flower” (Flower of Joseon). In addition to his poetry, he also contributed to the field of criticism with works such as “A Brief Study of Cheongsang Folk Songs” and “The Life and Art of Hwang Jini.” This period marked a significant evolution in his literary focus, as he began to embrace traditional forms alongside his earlier Western influences.

The poet's sijo reflects a deep intertwining of admiration for his homeland, its natural landscapes, traditional Eastern sentiments, and the Buddhist notion of impermanence. His profound affection for his country and its people manifests with an intensity akin to religious fervour. The simplicity and authenticity of his language resonate with a broad audience, contributing significantly to the resurgence of the sijo form.

Initially, he regarded sijo as inferior to literature, only embracing it as a legitimate literary form following discussions surrounding its value. Despite this initial scepticism, he engaged in writing both free verse and sijo for a period, ultimately establishing himself as a prominent sijo poet by the late 1930s. His journey into this genre marked a significant evolution in his literary identity.

In addition to composing sijo, he also translated Tang poetry into this format, thereby enriching the genre and expanding its theoretical framework. His contributions not only enhanced the sijo tradition but also demonstrated the versatility and depth of this poetic form, bridging cultural and literary boundaries.

Lee Eun Sang (이은상) – Nosan Sijo Collection (노산시조집)

In his essays featured in the Dong-A Ilbo, including “The Problem of Sijo” (April 30–May 4, 1927), “A Brief Discussion of Sijo” (April 18–25, 1928), and “The Problem of Sijo Creation” (March 30–April 9, 1932), the author sought to clarify the standard structure of sijo through pitch rather than syllable count. His inaugural personal collection, “Nosan Sijo Collection,” released in 1932, embodies themes of nostalgia, appreciation, transience, and reverence for nature.

Notable pieces such as "Thinking of Hometown," "I Want to Go," and "Night at Seongbulsa Temple" have gained popularity as songs, reflecting the simple and melodious qualities of sijo. Following liberation, his focus shifted towards social themes, emphasizing national pride, the anguish of division, aspirations for reunification, and honouring patriots. This thematic evolution culminated in the 1958 collection, ‘Nosan Sijo Anjip’, particularly in works like 'The Meaning of the Blue Sky' (1970) and his final compilation, ‘Giwon’.

His approach to sijo included an attempt to simplify the form by experimenting with the two-chapter sijo (兩章時調), although later in his career, he tended to increase syllable counts. As a historian and essayist, he utilized his extensive historical knowledge to produce numerous travelogues and biographies aimed at fostering patriotism. Post-liberation, he prioritized social contributions over literary pursuits, leaving behind a substantial body of work, including poetry collections like ‘Nosanmunseon’ and ‘Nosansimunseon’, the essay collection ‘Musang’, and over 100 books, including his biographies such as ‘Journal of Tamna Traveling Hal’.

Awards and Remembrance

Lee Eun Sang's funeral took place as a public event, culminating in his interment at the national cemetery. A commemorative monument, known as 'Gagopa Songbi' (가고파 송비), was established in Masan to honour his ancestors. In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990.

[cxntslxxp]

hiya lovelies ! i'm lis (21+, est, she/her) and i'm excited to introduce you all to my part-time hooligan, full-time late night radio dj - ✨jesse ✨

i'm going to apologize in advance as i am a smidge rusty when it comes to roleplaying on tumblr so pls forgive me. but i promise to not make it super obvious kjnfskjnds so feel free to just ignore me as i figure everything out again but inevitably screw something up but! give this a like and i'll hop on over into your dm's for some plotting or if d*scord is more your speed we can do that too.

» anyways -- all my info about jesse can be found HERE on his page.. but a quick tldr; jesse is basically a hooligan who ran away from home he got kicked out with the hopes of being able to live out his dream of working in the music industry somehow. right now he works at a local radio station as their night time dj but has bigger aspirations to one day become a producer.

» jesse is a very friendly and out there kid, he can be a bit blunt and his freewheeling/impulsive ways probably rub some people the wrong way so while there are people out there that like him, there are probably others that don't. it's also highly likely he's a little bit of a fuck boy?? bc he just hasn't really cared about anything before now but with his new job he's taking super seriously? hey who knows man.

✨ as for some random wanted connections? ✨

› some random music industry friend/acquaintance? i'd love for jesse to have some friend he can be truly envious of (not in a malicious way, just some healthy jealously). whether they're an idol, a producer or even a dance/vocal coach of some sort? someone in the music industry that jesse can aspire to work with in the future. › a hooligan friend -- someone who would be down to do stupid shit with him, be the devil in his shoulder and encourage his general hooligan behavior › the angel on his shoulder -- basically the good influence and the polar opposite of above. someone who encourages him to stop acting like a teenage boy for the most part lmao › some sort of found family shit -- this boy needs some actual people who care about him, big time. › some hometown friend/acquaintance? -- someone also from jeonju maybe?? former friends or they're just vaguely aware of each other, someone who knew jesse when he was still just seunghwan. › also literally anything else, i love all plots

again, i'm sorry this is lowkey a hot mess but i am so excited to start plotting with all of you <3

[heonse]

231101 personnel file

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.​

full name : lim sehun​ referred to as : sehun, hun job assignment : temple guard, militia birthdate : 2000.12.17 gender : male birthplace : jeonju, south korea education : korean national police university professional history : jeonbuk provincial police agency (JBBPA)​

𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐀.

blood type : ab physical health : great condition, minor superficial scarring on face, right forearm and both hands. mental health : self-reported as "fine." see notes below. required medications : none.​

𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄.

weapons : 9/10 - demonstrates expertise in firearms and combat blades. shows preference for rifles and pistols. combat : 8/10 - with no history of serious injury, he is able to demonstrate his combat ability with no issue. survival : 6/10 - lone survival chances are average in a situation of extreme lack of resources. heavily lacks sense of direction in unexplored areas. trades : no other relevant trades to note at this time. other skills : no other relevant skills to note at this time.​

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄.

reason for arrival : rescued from the jeonju wansan police station location of last shelter : jeonju wansan police station (JBBPA) temperament : melancholic risk factors: possible presence of delusions noted during assessment. shows hesitance toward familiar faces who were turned. he is the lone survivor of his family.​

[cnopak]

Spots of Jeonju

전주의 장소

객사 (풍패지관)

Gaeksa (Pungpaejigwan)

조정 중앙 관리가 파견오면 사용하던 숙소 건물. 전주 시내(번화가)가 객사 주위로 형성되어서 '객사에 간다.'라는 뜻은 이 건물을 보러 간다는 뜻이 아니라 시내로 놀러간다는 뜻이다. 원래 일반 사람들에게 개방을 하여 자유롭게 드나들 수 있었는데 최근 복원 공사로 인해 폐쇄하였다.

풍남문

Pungnammun

전주 부성 남문. 다른 성벽이나 성문은 일제시대에 헐려 사라지고 남문인 풍남문만 남았다. 종루가 있어 새해맞이 행사를 하기도 한다. 남부 시장이 이 풍남문을 둘러싸면서 형성되어 있다.

경기전

Gyeonggijeon

조선을 건국한 이성계의 어진을 모시던 곳. 비록 일제시대에 많은 부분이 헐리긴 했지만 그래도 건물들이 많이 남아있다. 어진 박물관이 같이 있다.

전동성당

Jeongdong Cathedral

1914년 완공된 천주교 성당. 경기전 바로 앞에 있다.

향교

Hyanggyo

유교를 교육하고, 선현의 위패를 모신 곳. 비록 작지만 성균관과 구조를 비교해보면 재미있다.

전주 동물원

Jeonju Zoo

1978년 개원한 동물원. 동물뿐만 아니라 놀이기구도 있어서 주말마다 항상 사람들로 붐빈다. 또한 봄에 피는 벚�� 덕분에 인기가 많다.

덕진공원

Deokjin Park

전북대 옆에 있는 덕진호를 둘러싼 공원. 커다란 호수가 있기 때문에 가볍게 걷기 위해 온 사람들이 많다. 여름마다 피는 연꽃이 장관이다. 사진 속 다리는 노후화로 인해 철거되었고 대신 벽돌로 된 다리가 건설되었다. 밤에는 분수 공연을 한다.

ps.

전주역

Jeonju Station

전주역. 원래 일제시대까지 거슬러 올라가면 원래 전주역의 위치는 현 전주시청 자리이며 그 흔적은 아직도 간접적으로 남아있다. 그러다가 도심 정리의 일환으로 교통방해를 덜하는 전주 약간 가장자리로 이전하였다. 개인적으로 국내에서 한옥 스타일로 가장 아름답게 지은 역이라 생각한다. 전국 전체로 봐도 가장 잘 지은 역 중 하나라고 생각한다. 다만 겉보기와 다르게 내부는 좀 좁다.

[highsummonermercar]

날 데려가줘, 난 돌아가고 싶어

[humans-of-seoul]

[3/3] “전주에서 엄마를 만나기로 해서 터미널에 내렸어요. 저 멀리 낯선 아주머니가 서있었죠. 우리 가족하고 닮은 것 같기도 하고 아닌 것 같기도 한데 시선에 사연이 많아 보였어요. 다가가서 ‘혹시 엄마세요?’라고 물었어요. 꽉 안아주시더라고요. 엄마가 아빠랑 헤어지게 된 건 아빠에게 다른 여자가 생겨서였대요. 판소리를 하던 아빠가 가야금을 연주하던 여자랑 눈이 맞아 헤어지자는 말까지 꺼낸 거죠. 그런데 엄마는 아빠를 너무 사랑했었대요. 엄마는 공대를 나온 사람이었는데 혹시나 자기도 소리를 잘하게 되면 아빠가 다시 돌아올까봐 헤어지고나서 4년 동안 소리를 배우러 다녔대요. 그럼에도 아빠는 돌아오지 않았고, 시간이 지나 엄마는 마음을 정리하고 가게를 열었대요. 그런데 아빠가 찾아와서 저와 동생 사진을 보여주면서 ‘애들 보고 싶지 않냐?’라고 한 거예요. 아빠는 형편이 어려운데 엄마가 일이 잘되고 있는 것 같으니까 애들을 빌미로 돈을 빌리려고 한 거죠. 그때 엄마가 더이상 아빠와 엮이기 싫어서 재혼을 했고 애까지 생겼다고 거짓말을 했나봐요. 그렇게 말하고 나니 먼저 저를 찾아올 용기가 도무지 나지 않았고, 그렇게 20년이 흐른 거죠. 알고보니 저랑 동생이 너무 보고 싶어서 몰래 절에 찾아온 적도 있다고 하더라고요. 저한테 ‘학생, 여기 화장실이 어디예요?’라고 물어봤었대요. 저는 기억이 안나지만… 그 세월동안 엄마는 정말 열심히 살았대요. 나중에 딸들 보게될 때 힘없고 부끄러운 엄마가 되기 싫어서요. 들어보니 정말 악착같이 살아오셨고 지금은 어엿한 커리어를 이어오고 있더라고요. 강원도에서 처음 가족을 만났을 때 이모가 ‘너 엄마랑 엄청 닮았다'라고 했거든요. 그 말이 저에게 얼마나 큰 위로가 됐는지 몰라요. 제 성격이 정말 악바리거든요. 어려서부터 가장 역할을 해오면서도 반듯하게 살아올 수 있었던 이유죠. 그런데 악바리라서 이쁨을 받지는 못했어요. ‘너네 엄마는 화냥년이었다’라던 친할머니가 회초리를 들었을 때 내가 뭘 잘못했냐며 대들었던 기억도 있어요. 내 성격이 어디서 나왔나 싶었는데, 그 뿌리가 여기 있었구나...”

“I got off at Jeonju Station to go meet my mother. There was an unfamiliar middle-aged woman standing far away from me. To me she really looked like someone who might or might not have been from my family. I went up to her and asked, ‘Are you possibly my mother?’ She hugged me right away. My mom said she had left my father because he was seeing another woman. My dad made money through pansori performances, and he ended up falling for another woman who played the gayageum. But my mom really loved my dad. My mom had gone to engineering school but she thought that if she could improve her voice, maybe my dad would come back. She practiced for four years but he still didn’t come back. With time, my mother was able to sort her feelings out and opened up a store. Things were difficult for my dad, though. He’d go find her and, while showing her a picture of us, he’d say, ‘Don’t you miss your children?’ Since my mom seemed to be doing well, of course he’d use that as a pretext for trying to borrow money. At that time my mom became fed up with being entangled with my dad so she lied about getting remarried and having a kid. After saying that she didn’t have the courage to come seek me out first and we went on for 20 years like that. But at one point, she missed me and my younger sister so much that she found us at a temple and asked me, ‘Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?’ I don’t remember that happening… My mother said she worked really hard in those days. She wanted to look like she had something to offer, and she didn't want to be an embarrassment to her daughters when she saw us again. Listening to her story made me realize she must’ve had a lot of tenacity to create a full-fledged career for herself. When I first met her family in Gangwondo, my aunt said, ‘You look just like your mom.’ I don’t think she realized just how comforting those words were to me. I have a very tough personality, you see. Ever since I was young, because that’s how I had to be in order to make it this far. But I wasn’t loved by others because I had such a tough personality. I remember talking back to my grandma—she used to say my mother was a ‘slut’—and demanding to know what I’d done wrong whenever she’d hit me with her cane. I wanted to know where my personality came from, it must’ve been rooted in that….”

- HOS Remote Interview Series

[itslostfocus]

Vocabulary: Places

백화점: department store

극장: theater

시내: downtown

수영장: swimming pool

고궁: ancient palace

박물관: museum

미술관: art museum/gallery

운동장: playground, gym

서점: bookstore

세탁소: laundry

휴게실: lounge, rest area

체육관: gym (indoor exercise)

우체국: post office

회의실: conference room

지하철역: subway station

정류장: bus/taxi/etc stop

편의점: convenience store

음식점: restaurant (the same as 식당, but this last one is used by people when they want to eat out)

교회: church

대사관: embassy

섬: island

놀이공원: amusement/theme park

장소: place

시골: hometown, countryside

한옥마을: traditional village

대도시: metropolis

한국문화원: Korean Cultural Center

설악산: Seoraksan Mountain

서울: Seoul

경주: Gyeongyu

부산: Busan

제주도: Jejudo Island

남이섬: Nami Island

전주: Jeonju

source:  세종한국어어휘학습 (app)

[woossexyponytail]

Shadow Born Chapter 2 New beginnings.

Masterlist

We finally made it to Jeonju, the house we parked at was big, it was also very old, I looked over to Yunho he looked pale staring at the house.

"Oh how lovely, it hasn't change a bit" Auntie said looking up at the house, she undid the seatbelt and got out of the car grabbing stuff to bring in.

"Auntie? Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked walking up to her with a box in my hands, Yunho running up behind us holding Salem in his arms.

"It looks too old to be even liveable" Yunho said stopping in front of the giant black tree that was in the front garden, seeing a squirrel pop out of it, Yunho jumped back as Salem skatered out of his arms and both ran up to us.

"Of course it's the right place sillys" she said getting to the door, without lifting a finger the front door opened letting her in, I looked over at Yunho as we both grinned at each other.

Walking through the door in to the entrance infront of me was the spiraling stairs leading to the second floor, to the left was the kitchen and dining room, while to the right was the living room and a seating area.

"Hi, Hello there" someone said from the still opened door, turning around a woman was stood at the entrance smiling at myself and Yunho.

"Oh Hello, how can I help you?" Auntie said walking back from the kitchen, the woman gasped at auntie then brightened her smile.

"Jeong Bomi? Oh my goodness, how long has it been" she said walking up and hugging her, "Not long enough, apparently" she said looking over at Yunho and I, we both giggled looking away.

"Uh this is my niece and nephew-" auntie said pointing over at us, I smiled at the woman and Yunho waved at her.

"Oh I'm so sorry about your loss" she said walking up to us and hugging, I tensed up but thankfully she let go.

"So w..what are you doing here?" Auntie said looking around the place looking anxious.

"Your looking at the neighbourhood council, to welcome or in this case welcome back people, so welcome back! Anyway let me know if there is anything I could do for you" she said grabbing auntie hand and squeezing it.

"Thank you Haeun, well we've got a lot of unpacking to do" auntie said showing her to the door.

"Oh of course, I'll see you later" she said leaving, auntie shut the door sighing with relief she closed her eyes taking a breath then walking to the kitchen.

"Kang Haeun, satan how I hated her growing up, I forgot this town's so full of parasites. And not the good kind" she said opening up one of the boxes and taking out some plates.

"So it's not just because her name means God's grace?" I asked laughing Yunho chuckled as we helped unpack the kitchen.

After getting settled down stairs we all sat down in the living room. Auntie feed her spiders that were sitting in the corner, I looked at the time seeing that it was twelve o'clock.

"Right, I think it's time for you two to go upstairs and unpack, your rooms are still the same Yn on the left Yunho on the right" she giggled walking back in to the kitchen.

I walked up the stairs stopping at the top and turned left to look at the big door that lead to my new/old bedroom, Yunho doing the same.

I opened the door and was greeted by babe pink walls, the curtains white, my single bed put in the corner, dark wooden floors two huge windows that showed the neighbourhood.

The room fulled with boxes to unpack I walked over to the chest of draws seeing all the dust covering it, seeing three picture frames I picked the one nearest to me whipping the dust away.

Seeing a couple in the picture holding two baby's, it looked like mum and dad holding me and Yunho I put it back down looking over to the door to see Yunho standing at the doorway.

"I can't believe Auntie left so much behind" I told Yunho who nodded walking in to the room grinning at the colour of the walls.

"I can't believe it hasn't been vandalised or broken in to" Yunho said I nodded agreeing with him, there is something weird about the house, almost like it's alive.

After an hour the time showed one o clock in the afternoon, my room was all done and looked cozy, I smiled at the room liking it, but definitely have to change the colour of the wall soon.

"Oh you two are done, do you wanna take a stroll around town?" Auntie asked I nodded agreeing while Yunho sighed but nodded anyway.

The streets weren't that busy only a few people walking around shopping, auntie stopped looking up at a flower shop call Mystic Flowers, gesturing for us to follow her in to the building.

The walls where white, the floors a light wooden colour the flowers arranged in colour coordination all around the room.

A young male walked out of the back smiling at us he was very slender and tall, but not as tall as Yunho, his hair was black with red stripes through his strands, he wore a black shirt that was tucked in to his black jeans and black boots.

"Hi! I'm San welcome to Mystic Flowers, were you can get any flower your heart desire" he grins at us, he looked at me then pouted, "To cheesy?" He asked.

"Yes" both Yunho and I said at the same time, causing him to scratch the back of his neck, "What no it was adorable" auntie said giggling.

"Uh can I help you with anything?" He asked I caught him looking over at me again, raising an eyebrow at him, he blushed and looked down at the floor. Yunho watched our interaction and snorted.

"Oh no I was wondering if the place was still owned by the choi family?" Auntie said smiling sweetly at him.

"Oh yeah my mum still owns it, are you an old friend?" San asked eyes brightening up, auntie nodded while San quickly left to grab his mum.

I walked around the room looking at the different flowers stopping at a group of gorgeous purple flowers, I felt someone stand next to me, looking up San was standing there looking at the same flower.

"Ah the Ipomoea the flower represents love or death, It's one of my favourites mostly because it's purple" he said chuckling, I couldn't take my eyes off of him, he was stunning, shaking my head I smiled at him when his eyes connected with mine.

I noticed a bunch of gold roses behind him, walking over to them San followed me. I looked up seeing another woman talking to auntie, most probably San's mum, Yunho was looking at his phone uninterested to the things around him.

"You've got golden roses?" I asked carefully picking one up and lifting it to my face to get a smell of the odd flower.

"Yeah we just got them in this morning, beautiful aren't they? Did you know that they represents-"

"Sacrifice." I interrupted him as I touch the petals feeling how soft it was to the touch. "Uh yeah you know your flowers huh" he chuckled.

"I just like knowing the meaning and symbolism of things mountain" I said smirking at him, San chuckled blushing again I looked down smiling softly.

Looking back up at him as he was watching me with the flower, the noise around us stopped as I got lost in his eyes, a tap on my shoulder got me back to the present, looking behind me Yunho was smirking at me.

"We're going now Yn, didn't you hear?" He asked trying to stop himself from laughing, I rolled my eyes at him wanting him to be quiet and hoping I wasn't blushing.

"Hey San, we'll see you at school yeah?" Yunho said smiling at him, San looked confused at what he was saying.

"Your mum said you and I are in the same year, and since we just moved here we will see you at school on Monday" Yunho explained, San nodded now understanding what he ment.

"Oh yeah, see you on Monday then" he smiled down at me, I put the golden rose back and waved goodbye as we walked out of the building.

"Oh someone's interested" Yunho giggled as we walked down the street again following behind auntie, I elbowed him in the ribs as I quickened my pace.

"Ok you two wanna get some lunch somewhere?" She asked turning back to us, we both nodded then stopped at a small coffee shop that auntie said was alway her go to place when she was younger.

Standing in line auntie was going on and on about the sandwiches that they had and hoped that they were still made the same.

I decided what I wanted and zoned out looking around the room, it was very busy but people where getting take away instead of taking a seat, I looked at the staff that was behind the barrister station.

I caught the eye of a barrister he was about the same age as San, he had black hair parted in the middle, he had thick glasses on, he had a beauty mark just below his left eye.

Our eyes connected he smirks at me, tilts his head to the side and then gives me a little wave, the action made me blush so I turned away quickly.

Hearing a high pitch laugh I looked over to see him laughing a bright smile on his face, then another male about the same age with light brown hair one side laying over his eye while the other half slicked back, he had a large birth mark at the side of his eye.

He punched the other who was laughing, it looked like he was scolding the other, for some reason it brought a smile to my face.

We got to the counter auntie quickly turned around asking us what we wanted, we told her as the young male who hit the other walked up to us smiling.

"Hi I'm Yeosang, what can I get you?" He asked, auntie told him our order and paid for our lunch, Yeosang told us to sit down and Wooyoung that other barista would bring us our food.

We sat down near the window looking out at the street, auntie looked around at the place saying how the interior hasn't change.

The barista Wooyoung walked over to bring the drinks and food, he placed them down on the table, we thanked him but he didn't leave, looking up at him be was staring down at me a smile on his face.

"I'm wooyoung, you new here? I haven't seen you before" he said I nodded but Yunho pushed his hand out to shake Wooyoung's while auntie winked at me.

"Newish, we were born here but moved away with our aunt Bomi here, I'm Yunho this is my older sister Yn" he said he's cheerful personality coming out.

"Well, let me be the first to welcome you back, I'm the first right?" He asked, I shocked my head no but auntie quickly interrupted.

"Aw thank you sweety, that's very kind of you isn't it my little doves" she smiled, Yunho nodded then looked over at me, I felt Wooyoung's eyes on me.

"Uh yeah it is" I said a small smile on my face Wooyoung giggled at my reaction, I brushed my hair behind my ear looking down at the table.

"Enjoy your food" he said pushing a napkin towards me giving me a wink then walked away, I picked up my food then looked at the napkin seeing a number on it saying 'call me' with a winking face.

Yunho picked it up reading it then laughed, I quickly grabbed at the napkin taking it out of his hands, he then told auntie what was writen on it.

I blushed and sunk down in my seat wanting to leave and go home, this town is ridiculous, I'm like the new meat for some of these guys, Satan only knows what's going to happen on Monday.

[missguomeiyun]

I’m back from Korea

I feel like October didn’t happen at all .. but at the same time, it happened & it happened too quickly =/

I was away for 2.5 weeks in Korea, & then when I came back, it was a mini series of night shifts so I practically did nothing. .. & by the time I realized it, it was Halloween & I was working evening shifts so I didn’t go out. O_O it has been 1 crazy month. But November is here now, & things are returning back to normal: my vacation withdrawal is over, & I have some “normal” combo of shifts, & it’s time to say bye-bye to the hot weather. It’s gonna be great~

Okay, let’s be real: I’m never “over” a Korea trip lol the other day, I was really craving that budae jjigae. The struggle was real. So I made it for lunch ^^

For my 1st return post, I’ve decided to keep things simple & just share a brief summary of my 2.5 week-long trip with you!

Day 1-4: I stayed at my usual Seoul home, Namsan Hill Hotel. I was unable to book a longer stay at this place =( These 1st few days, I revisited some places in Seoul: Namdaemun (for hand-cut noodles called “kalguksu”); Sinchon/Ewha Womens Univ area/Hongik Univ area for shopping & ; Gyeongbokgung area for Tongin Market & some art museums; Insadong/Samcheongdong/Bukchon Hanok Village for some relaxing strolls around traditional Korean housing. Some new places I went to include:

- a cafe called “Kopi Han-yak-bang” (lit. trans.: “coffee Korean pharmacy”). Look it up! It’s super cool! The owner believes coffee has a healing power, just like traditional herbal medicine, so the cafe is like a vintage herbal medicine shop/pharmacy. It feels as if you’re entering a movie set rather than a cafe.

- The Skyfarm for brunch! Pretty place with amazing view of Seoul.

- Seongsu area for industrial warehouse cafes. It was a valuable & memorable experience bcos Seongsu used to be an area for large factories (making of leather products & shoes, & car-fixing shops), but it’s revitalizing & the large factory spaces are now being converted to hip coffeeshops. Many of which do collabs with local/emerging artists & fashion designers so there’s lots of artsy things to see in these coffeeshops.

- Seoul Forest. There’s like a picnic area, some basketball & tennis courts, walking trails, etc. .. I had a convenience store goods dinner in the picnic area, & watched the sunset there.

Day 5-8: I moved over to Savoy Hotel located in the heart of Myeongdong. It’s ~15min walk away from Namsan Hill Hotel. Great location but also quite loud. My options were slim when I was booking stuff, & I needed to stay close to Seoul Station bcos I arranged 4x 1-day trips! I didn’t realize it at first but then I was like, “I have 4 back-to-back day trips right now.” I was essentially out every day from like 0700h to 2100h.

Trip 1: Paju~ for Heyri Art Village & Provence. I have been to these places before & really liked it so I went back, esp Heyri Art Village. After the day trip, I met up with 2 of my coworkers for K-BBQ in the Hapjeong area.

Trip 2: Jeonju~ I only went to 1 place in Jeonju & that was the Jeonju Hanok Village. It was raining all day that day. However, it was still very enjoyable. The village was a beautiful place, & under the rain, it looked even more picturesque.

Trip 3: Incheon~ for Incheon Chinatown & Wolmido, which is an island connected to Incheon via a highway. Due to its close proximity to China, Incheon became a major port for trades back in the day, & the Chinese immigrants basically settled here, hence it’s the largest Chinatown in Korea. I met up with my friend Ji Yoon in Chinatown & we spent some time catching up.

Trip 4: Gangneung~ For the annual Gangneung Coffee Festival; its title was “Voices of Coffee” this year! It was held at the Gangneung Olympic Ice Arena. I can’t recall how many shots of coffee samples I had that day, but it was a lot. I also went to the Anmok Coffee Street, which is a line of cafes along Anmok Beach - all the cafes face the beach so the view is pretty. Even more so on the day I went bcos it was cloudy =]

Day 9: remained in Seoul today. Went to the Seoul Botanic Garden, which opened its doors in May 2019. Very pretty displays~ Huuuuuge space too. It was like Telus World x Muttart Conservatory x Devonian Botanic Garden. Lots to see, & if you go, allot more time for yourself here. & then in the evening, I camped out by Yeouido Hangang Park for the annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which was named “Life is Colourful” this year. So many ppl! I was expecting that before going but it was beyond my imagination. It was truly an experience- the streets were blocked off for pedestrian traffic & literally, it took like 10mins to move 5meters after the show as over! Then at the subway station nearby, there was a bottleneck, where apparently the capacity inside the underground station was reached so we needed to wait outside the exit.. . still, it was fun!

Day 10-12: 1 way train ticket to Busan. Yes, train to Busan ;) I was safe though hehe Busan was beautiful! In hindsight, I should’ve spent more time here but . .. NEXT TIME! I went to BIFF Square & Gukje Market, which was like across from my hotel, Stanford Inn Busan. Gamcheon Cultural Village was super cute; although I would hate being a resident there =/ The Busan Int’l Film Festival was happening then, & I visited the Expo & Convention Centre for the film market. Can’t go into the exhibition, but that whole area was filled with ads/posters of BIFF - it was a big deal! It was cool to witness such a big event & to experience the sheer scale of it. I then went to Shinsegae Centum City, which is the largest shopping complex in the world.  Haeundae Beach was also cool. I went on a cloudy day & it was awesome! That same evening/night, I checked out the Jagalchi Fish Market, which is the largest seafood market in Korea. It has 7 floors total, with 3 underground parking levels :O On the last day, bcos I only had the morning available to do stuff, I had Busan fish cake for breakfast & strolled in BIFF Square again.

*Note: I actually hit all the things on my itinerary EXCEPT for the Busan Museum of Art, which was closed on Mondays =( but the security guy let me in to see the lobby bcos he knew I was a tourist. Thank you!

Day 13-17: Flew from Busan Airport to Jeju Airport. I used more time than needed for the whole process- turned out foreigners have their own line at the Busan Airport, so it’s faster than locals. There’s also a domestic terminal & international terminal, so from arrival to being checked in & through security.. . it took less than 25mins. It was great! In regards to Jeju, I did the following:

- stayed in Jeju City for the arrival afternoon/evening, with my hotel being Astar Hotel. Had a street food dinner at Dongmun Market; they were having this night market/festival event so a bunch of street food stalls were open from 7pm-midnight. Smelled like heaven haha

- I did my 1st hike ever on Hallasan Mountain, specifically the Gwaneunsa Trail, & I reached the peak. It was.. . hard. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it; however, it has proven to me that I am a land person, & I belong in museums, cafes, & street walking lol. Look up the details of the trail! Was it ambitious of me to go on this for my 1st hike ever. .. without any hiking gear? I went with what some ppl would consider gym shoes, a hoodie, leggings, & a backpack with water, juice, kimbaps, 2 bananas, 6 mandarins, & some snacks (cheese crisps & pineapple cream-flavoured crackers).

- The day after the hike, my legs were still okay. But it was my glut that was starting to get sore XD I went to Osulloc Tea Museum & Innisfree Jeju House. The aesthetics <3

- Went to Black Pig Street for black pig bbq. I was hoping a restaurant or two was taking solo-diners & thankfully, the 2nd restaurant I asked did! I ordered pork neck instead of pork belly - it was quite tender & kinda chewy, actually. Later that evening, I went to the Tamra Cultural Festival 2019. It was neat~ There was an outdoor night market, as well as a stage for cultural dance/play/music.

- Jeju Island is actually quite small, & it takes approx. an hour from 1 side of the island to the other side. Thus, for my 3rd (full) day, I went to the Jungmun (Jeju City is north of the island; Jungmun is south coast) & visited the Yellow Cafe, Chocolate Land, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, & Yeomiji Botanical Garden.

- From Jungmun, I took a local bus to Lee Jong Seop Street in Seogwipo, the next city over. The street is very pleasant & chill, with artwork along the street, coffeeshops & eateries, as well as little gift shops. Totally my thing! It reminds me Bukchon Hanok Village in terms of vibe, but minus the traditional housing look. The Seogwipo Olle Market is nearby, & is a great place to buy Jeju souvenirs. The pricing, I heard/read, is cheaper than Dongmun Market in Jeju City - it is true! There are also less tourists here, which was what made it enjoyable for me, personally.

- Only the morning on my last day was free for activities bcos my flight to Seoul was early afternoon. I visited the area around Jeju City Hall, which was ~20min walk from my hotel. It was a very leisurely morning, where I sat down & enjoyed coffee at Coffee Finder & had a build-your-own-ramen bowl at a place nearby. The architecture of Coffee Finder was unique; it used to be a 2-floor house, with like a driveway/sidewalk. But the ummm first floor ceiling/second floor flooring was knocked down so there’s a “hole” in the middle of the cafe. The cafe has very homely vibes as the placement of tables/chairs are in what was (at one point) rooms of the house. It’s open but also you can get some privacy at the same time.

Day 17-18: Back to Seoul, & stayed at Namsan Hill Hotel~ Itaewon is a must! I need to go to Passion 5 every time lol. & I also revisited the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art bcos I like it. & then I had my last day as a “free” day, where I didn’t plan ANYTHING. I’m a very intense planner & when I go on trips, I literally plan to the minute haha & guess what, I ended up in Hongdae. Honestly, it’s my kinda place. Sadly, the transportation situation there isn’t convenient for the rest of my itinerary, or else I would choose a hotel that’s in the vicinity. I nearly spent 2.5 hrs at Coin Su Noraebang haha I realized that if you score high enough, time gets added to your paid time :O I can’t let that go to waste =P

There ya go, Korea 2019!

PS: I haven’t decided what/how I’m gonna go about posting my trip. .. There are wayyyy too many photos & it will take me a million yrs to write/upload. Perhaps expect unexpected Korea posts scattered between my regular posts :P I will, however, share with you the coffees I’ve had in Korea. I tried diff ones, from franchise to small local cafes, adventurous flavours & the typical black Americano. I didn’t have any poor experiences but there was 1 particular one that I will likely never order again - tbh, I should’ve expected it but I still went for it anyway *shrugs* so I guess it was all my fault haha ok, I’ll ttyl~!

[dannychoo]

Taking in some of the more traditional sights of Korea at Hanok Village at Jeonju. Take the train from City Hall or Yongsan but do book early. Once you get to Jeonju station, take a taxi and say to the driver “Hanok Maul” (한억마을). Hanok village is a composed of many traditional Korean houses. Folks can rent traditional Korean garments to wear for the day and is generally a nice relaxed day out away from the city. #korea #smartdoll #dollstagram #design #travel #dollphotography (at Hanok Village, Jeonju City) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Ti2EigCPP/?igshid=1uqku99oxnbz6

[atroubledbison]

the labyrinth house

미로의 집

역과 연결된 지하상가로 들어가 팔 번 출구로 나온 다음 그대로 오 분 정도 걸어오면 전주 회관이 나오고 그 건물을 끼고 우측으로 더 걸어오면 안경원이 나오는데 거기서 길을 건너 두번째 골목으로 들어오면 내가 살고 있는 붉은 벽돌집이 있다 그 집의 오전에는 해가 들고 오후에는 아무도 오지 않는다

- 박준, 우리가 함께 장마를 볼 수도 있겠습니다

the labyrinth house

go to the underground shopping district connected to the station and come out of exit eight and walk straight for about five minutes you’ll see the restaurant Jeonju Hoegwan and if you walk to the right of that building you’ll see an eyeglass store cross the road there and walk into the second alleyway and you’ll arrive at the red brick house where I live in that house the sun shines in the mornings and no one arrives in the afternoons

- by Park Jun, from Perhaps We Will Watch the Monsoons Together

[kohzart-blog]

Jeonju Station

[stacylaughs]

Bye, Korea

I taught English in Busan, Korea for a year, ending June 2011. I remember the dread I felt flying to Portland then. I left Portland again and returned to Korea February 2013. I felt like I was home. Since then, I’ve quit teaching and I’ve been working remotely for almost four years. When I flew back to Portland in August 2017, without any intention of coming back to South Korea, butterflies (different from before) filled my stomach.

I love Korea and it’s been a great experience living there. I love learning more about where I come from and improving on the language. I also know in my heart that I’m American and that I want to create my home in the U.S.

For the last month in Korea, I walked around as if in a trance. I can’t believe how much time has passed and how much life has changed. I miss singing along with my appliances (i.e. rice cooker and washing machine) and waking up with tinfoil in my bed because I fell asleep eating kimbap. 

I feel nostalgic for a time, as well as places, which is an overwhelming feeling. It’s scary to think of returning to Korea, and think of the last time I left, as if no time had passed at all. Time goes fast, life is short, and the impermanence of things is hitting me harder than it ever has.

I did SO much in Korea, met amazing people, ate all the things, and had amazing experiences. But, still, I know I can’t do everything I wanted to do or do things again. There are so many places to go in this world, but maybe I’ll be back. Because I obsessively make lists, here’s a list of places I wanted to experience but didn’t make the time for:

Andong Traditional Folk Village - Rural Korea is a sharp contrast from the fast-paced neon and concrete cityscapes. I never went to the mask festival at the end of September and beginning of October each year. Apparently this is the town for some awesome chicken, as well.

Anyang Art Park (안양예술공원) - This a cool park in Anyang City that's free and a photo dream. You can get off at Anyang Station (Line 1) and take bus number 2 to the park. It's a very large place and it might be a bit confusing, but so many photo worthy spots. Definitely wear walking shoes and bring water in this heat! 

Beopgi basin - Nestled in the mountains just 45 minutes north of Busan. Renting a car and visiting Hongryong Falls (홍룡폭포) would be a great way to spend a day.

Beopjusa temple stay - Literally “Mountain Removed from Worldliness,” Songnisan is where the 7th-century Buddhist Beopjusa temple is still located. It has the largest buddha in Korea. 

Bukchon Village - I’ve been here before but really wanted to visit this picturesque neighborhood again. It’s flanked by two palaces —Gyeongbok Palace to the west and Changdeok Palace to the east— this village has the largest cluster of privately owned traditional Korean wooden homes or hanok in Seoul. The easiest way to get to Bukchon in Seoul is to go out Anguk Station (subway line 3) Exit 3.

Cheongdo - I probably couldn’t stomach the bull fights but I always wanted to see the Wine Tunnel (와인 터널).

I really wanted to go to Chuncheon/Gapyeong again just to eat the Dak Galbi (닭갈비). I could eat dalkkalbi every day, and it really is the best where it was invented. The two best places are “Tong Na Mu Jip” and “1.5.″

I’ve been to Geoje several times, but, yeah, I want to go again. I’d love to hike up Mt. Daegumsan, take a short boat ride to Oedo Island, and ride the zipline at Deokpo Beach.

I visited my friend Anne in Suwon when she was teaching a camp there, but I didn’t have the time to explore the Hwaseong Fortress (수원 화성) or Toilet Museum.

Jeonju - I’d like to try the bibimbap and visit the Hanok Village (전주 한옥마을). 

Jirisan - What a shame that I never made it to the top of this mountain. I’ll always cherish the lovely trips I’ve had out there and only wish I could have spent more time there.

Kimchi Museum - I walked by this place so many times in Insadong but never went. Where else in the world will you be able to go to a museum solely dedicated to the Korean staple, kimchi? Kimchi, or seasoned fermented vegetables, is at the heart of Korean culture and its food and is usually eaten with every meal. There are 187 different documented types, ranging from kimchi of different ripeness levels to water kimchi, cucumber kimchi, and radish kimchi varieties. In addition, it is not uncommon for Korean households to have refrigerators solely dedicated for the storage of kimchi. At the museum, you can taste 7-8 different types of kimchi, view bacteria found in kimchi under a microscope, and even learn how to make kimchi in the education room. 

Oh, to see Kyeongju again. Korea used to be divided into three major kingdoms (Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo) until the Silla kingdom conquered the other kingdoms and made Gyeongju the capital. Gyeongju remained the capital of this region for approximately 1000 years, leading to the creation of a number of archaeological treasures that are well worth your time.

On several visits to Seoul, I missed out visiting a Hanbok Cafe in Insadong or the Princess Diary Cafe outside Exit 3 of the Ehwa Women’s University subway station. These dress cafes give you the opportunity to wear a Korean traditional dress or wedding dress at rental prices of 15,000₩ ~ 40,000₩ an hour. 

The Robo Life Museum in Pohang does require a reservation but looks pretty awesome. Some are miniature robots programmed to be Psy back up dancers, some are robotic fish that swim, and some are robotic seals designed for therapy. 

Seonyudo sits off the west coast of the peninsula, 90 minutes from Gunsan by boat.

Seoraksan again. It was so lovely in the fall --but I see endless beauty in every season.

Seoul Fortress Trail, the Naksan section covers an enjoyable scenic route from Hansung University Station and the Hyehwa Gate traveling south alongside Naksan Park and Ihwa Mural Village until you arrive in the crowded, neon streets of Dongdaemun with the landmark Dongdaemun Gate at the foot of the pathway. The route itself doesn’t take too long to cover with sunset a recommended time to visit so as to enjoy the spectacular views across the city at their finest. Accessible from Hansung University Station, Seoul Subway Line 4 Exit 4.

Seoul Palaces - There are a lot of them (e.g. Gyeonghui Palace. Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeongbokgung) and many are near each other. I always planned to see them all but ultimately got a distracted or bored. 

Seoul Forest - This park was opened in 2005 and features absolute beauty. It’s a bit of a trip from downtown Seoul, but I’ve heard it has five connected parks and it’s possible to see deer Located outside Seoul Forest Station (Subway Bundang Line) Exit 3. 

Ujeon Beach in “Slow City”

Controversy aside, I wanna see Ulleungdo + Dokdo.

Uponeup (우포늪) is the largest and oldest wetland area in Korea, a protected area that dates back to times when dinosaurs ruled the world. A favouite with Korean photographers due to the unspoiled setting and views that the wetlands offer up, it sounds like a romantic weekend.

Yeosu is a port city on South Korea’s East China Sea coast. I haven’t researched what to do there but I’ve always wanted to visit.

I don’t know much about the city of Yulpo but when my friend Allison went, she couldn’t wait to share: “I just spent three days there and visited the big tea plantation ten minutes away (TWICE!). It's a tiny farm village next to an empty beach. And there is a green tea spa on the beach. It was heaven.”

Alright, Korea, maybe next time.

[bertbetripping]

On Wednesday we checked out at Ibis Styles Ambassador Myeongdong and left for Seoul Station where we were going to catch the KTX High speed train to Jeonju. We booked the ticket the day before so we arrived right on time. When we got to the station we only bought some food. Withdrew some cash for spending along the way and sweated our asses off, because its 30 degrees and really really humid! I bought some kimbap from the CVS at the station and of course Chilsung Cider, which is in every way superior to 7Up.

This blog we also visit Gwangju, which is one of the cities some people advised us not to visit. We still went, for the reason that we want to experience a Korean city like this as well.

Boarding the KTX, at first we couldn’t find a place to put the giant suitcase I took to Korea. However, the cart next to ours had extra storage available so the day was saved. The ride to Jeonju takes about 1,5 hours. I was surprised to see so many new real estate developments along the route. Sometimes whole forests of high rise residential buildings being built. At some places, new buildings are already finished. Yet, still newer construction in the way! Arriving at Jeonju Station we immediately noticed that although it was still 30 degrees, it was more the laser beams from the sky kind of heat instead of the humidity in Seoul, where it felt like getting steamed alive. We checked where to take the bus and found that the bus stop has a hat. Yes. A Hat. We waited while all the others there took busses and after about 20 minutes our bus showed up. We put our suitcases on the baggage racks and on the way we drove a good 30 minutes through Jeonju. The city had a lot of low/medium rise buildings and in the distance some high rise. Its quite a car centric place, there is a lot of waiting for cars involved. Later we noticed that off the main streets the city become a lot more walkable. After half an our on the bus we got to our stop at Kama Hotel.

There were already people for us at the front desk even though we were a bit early. We got a card key without problem and went to our room. The double room was amazing, with two beds, a tv, a steam thing that looks like a fridge, but it is not. There was a very fancy bathroom, with the most aggressive sounding toilet ever, the flush is like a dragon roaring. The bathroom also has a rain shower. Our neighbor hotels in the area are mostly love hotels which adds to the cute atmosphere. After catching our breath at the hotel we went out to eat dinner. We walked for about 30 minutes along the road the bus had traveled, back towards the city center and found a place along the way called ‘Cafe Slok’, which we both found hilarious… but we couldn’t figure out the revolving door they have…

Along the same road were bus stops that look like traditional gates. There was also a similar gate with traffic lights there! While exploring we stumbled upon a place to eat, almost all the restaurant were empty. So we had some Jeonju bibimbap at a small completely empty restaurant. After we were full we explored for a bit found and came across an area with hanok and then a bit later the old City Gate! From there its only a little bit til the square and we were in hanok village without even realizing it. All the big sights were closing, so we just walked around the main street and took pictures. We ate some icecream at and empty Café and then walked back to the hotel.

The next day we set out for Hanok Village and finally realized we had already been there. We saw some larger sights in the city, got grilled by the sun, and walked a bit… We ate a beansprout soup with rice and kimchi-jeon. I had some lemonade, and we decided to walk back to the hotel along the local stream, to refresh and return later to the hanok village in the evening to eat some snacks/streetfood.

When we returned late that evening it was really quiet, most placed has closed and only a few placed looked crowded. But post places were already doing a last call within 10 minutes, there wasn’t a whole lot of choice of streetfoods either. In the end we searched and found a place to eat in the bar district… some fries, fried shrimps, a friend cheese souffle… it was an experience.

Jeonju is definetely one of my favorite places we visited, it’s gorgeous. Lots to see. The city is green and walkable and it feels so pleasant to be there with the limited highrise. This city feels very livable.  From there we left to the Hotel and closed off our last day in Jeonju. The next day we left for the Gwangju, we took an express bus which was relatively convenient. From the Bus Terminal in Gwangju it took a little while to get to Yaja Hotel. It was similar in a lot of ways to our Jeonju hotel. There we relaxed a little and then went out for dinner, cause it was already late. We settled on a Korean BBQ and had some samgyeopsal, galbi, kimchi jjigae. We were helped by a lady, but we had a bit of trouble understanding her questions, so the manager came over to help. He said he spoke English and helped grill the meat a bit… later he asked were we were from, and after we told him we were Dutch he asked if we also spoke German… turns out his English wasn’t so good, but he spoke German because he studied in cologne for 4 years.

From that moment on I spoke with him several times in German and it was so funny to be speaking German in South Korea hahaha. Its shameful in a way, cause I feel like I ought to know more Korean, but this was so much fun! He said this was the most fun he had had in a long time and even didn’t add my drinks to the bill

After this we went to the hotel and the next day we went to Memorial Park in Gwangju. On the way there we were getting more sunburn, so we quickly bought sunscreen. This city is so car centric, the roads are 5 by 5 lanes! Such wide roads! Waiting to cross takes forever! There are a bunch of pedestrian bridges as well, by it feels like the car is king in Gwangju.

After we went to the memorial park we went to eat somewhere in the centre, had lunch and even ate bingsu there at a chain we ate at before in 2012 in Seoul(but none of those remain). There was also a pretty stream where we walked for a bit to cool down and afterwards we went back to the hotel to refresh. Not before we spotted some of the most unique buildings in Gwangju!

That evening we wanted to see some markets and we had found a couple that would be open late on Saturday, but one after the other were disappointing as the vast majority of places were closed and no one else was there. Sadea did buy a waffle so she didn’t leave empty handed. We went back to the hotel and tomorrow we will travel to Mokpo by KTX.

[elleiam]

Reconnecting in Jeonju

My final outside-of-Cheongju trip of 2018 was incredibly fun! I took the 8am train down to Jeonju to meet up with Amy (birthday girl, pictured), Milan, and Jess. Honestly, the night before I was not looking forward to waking up at 6am to make this long trek, but the second I saw my friends it was so worth it, especially Amy who I don’t think I had seen since we left orientation. In AUGUST. 

That morning was super fun. We got coffee, ate some breakfast, then Milan and Jess left for the bus station. Amy and I caught up over some bibimbap before she had to go too. Amy is the kind of friend with whom you can sort of just pick up where you left off, like you didn’t just spend four months exchanging maybe five text messages after knowing each other for just a few weeks. It was so nice to talk seriously with someone about host family troubles that aren’t really troubles and what being in Korea has truly been like for us. I appreciate her for her openness and propensity to have real conversations. 

After she left I got to spend some time reconnecting with myself. Other than the times I’m walking alone to Home Plus or shut up in my room, I never get to spend time just with myself to think about things. For the three hours I was in Jeonju alone, that’s all I did, and it was fantastic. I got to enjoy the day without noise, explore new places, take a long long walk (6 kilometers, lol why), and just be with myself. 

I walked through the Hanok village, walked the length of the city, and visited this cute lil’ park that was absolutely empty except one couple trying to get a good shot amidst the wheat (they gave up but it was cuute). I also pretended I was a vlogger oh my gosh. No one will ever see that footage but I had a blast and that’s all that matters, right? I’ll try to put my random videos together though so that I at least have a memory of Jeonju for myself.

All right, that’s all for now! Happy new year!

[invisibleivn]

2 Days 1 Night Rural Fam Tour in Jeollabukdo Province

Jeollabuk-do Province or North Jeolla Province is located in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula and borders the Yellow Sea on the west. It is about 2 and a half hours from Seoul by bus or an hour and a half by KTX. The western part of the province is on the coast and the East side of the province sits amongst the mountainous ranges of Sobaek, the Noryung Mountains and the Jinan basin. The province is known for its abundance of merchants who sell jewelry, ceramics, woodenware and bamboo fans. the capital of Jeollabukdo is jeonju. Located in the middle, it is very easy to go to another cities in Jeollabukdo such as Iksan, Gunsan, Jeongeup, Gimjae, and Namwon. jeollabukdo is also famous for its pristine rural areas. 

Luckily, I got the opportunity to experience the rural feeling of Jeollabukdo this month. This opportunity was given from Jeonbuk Farming and Fishing Village Support Center of Jeollabukdo. With the tagline of”feel the local Korea” we experience the 2 days 1 night tour in Namwon and Imsil. The journey to namwon is about 45 minutes from downtown Jeonju. This is also my first time going to Namwon. The first time I arrived, it felt completely different from what people imagine about Korea. Namwon is really calm and there are still many rice fields. It's like being in a tropical place. A perfect getaway from a busy city. 

Our first stop is Seodo Station. Seodo Station is located in Nobong Honbul Literature Village and is the main background of the novel Honbul. It was built in 1932 and is now a closed station where trains do not operate. The resident of Honbul Village began to focus on the development of the village with residents, farmers, and village artists to revive the collapsed areas. During our visit in Seodo Station we also tried the school uniform during Japanese occupation until the 1980s. These uniforms are different with the current uniform that Korean students wear today. After that we had lunch at a famous restaurant nearby. We ate bulgogi with soy sauce and bean paste stew. There were a lot of healthy side dishes too. After that, we made calligraphy on a Korean traditional fan. The characteristic of Korean fan is that it is made around large and traditional Korean paper. Namwon’s fan is the most famous specialty product nationwide. After that we also experience making a wooden cutting board. First, we make our own cutting board using sandpaper. Second, we shake off the wood powder. Third, we need to apply the oil to the cutting board. We use chamomile oil. Last, we can use it when the oil is already dry. And the last places before we leave Namwon is Honbul Literature Museum. The novel “Honbul” is a great novel written by Choi Myung-hee for 17 years from 1980 to 1996. The museum was established in  Nobong Village to widely promote, transmit, and preserve the literary spirit of Choi Myung-Hee. Inside the museum, various panorama of Korean traditional ceremonies and activities in the past are displayed. There was alo the manuscript, fountain pen, and Choi Myung-hee’s writing room. 

After that we moved to Imsil Cheese Village. This village was built when Ji Jeong-hwan, a Belgian pastor, chose Korea for his missionary destination. After a long hard work, pastor Ji Jeong-hwan met Shin Tae-geun, who was also a catholic priest. He raised goats and made cheese together from the beginning, trusted the priest and waited. The two men’s hard work and faith served as a decisive opportunity for Imsil to gain a reputation as a native of Korean cheese. Until now, it has continued in the name of Imsil Cheese Agricultural Cooperative. This village continues to grow and establish Imsil Cheese Village. Here, we made a cauldron cheese rice for our dinner and had a campfire. The next day, we did a cultivator experience. It was raining the whole day at that time. Our plan to Cheese Theme Park was canceled because the rain didn’t stop. After that, we made mozzarella cheese. This was very interesting for me because I love cheese and I got the chance to make my own cheese and bring it home. The cheese is also fresh and does not contain preservatives. It will expire in three days so I must eat it soon. After that, we experienced making a cheese pizza for our lunch. We sprinkle a lot of cheese on the pizza, it looks so tasty and I can't wait to eat it. Turns out, it tasted really good so much cheese melted in my mouth. I highly recommend this pizza-making experience if you plan to come to Imsil Cheese Village. 

After our lunch is finished, we head back to Jeonju because our trip is done. It was a fun weekend during my stay in Korea. I enjoy a lot of new things I haven't experienced before. If you read this, I really recommend you to visit Namwon and Imsil and experience the rural side of Korea. Spending a weekend here after a busy week will heal you before you return to work on monday. 

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