Seoul: hanging out with Dr. Park

Yesterday, we met up with one of Sue's old professors, Dr. Park, at the Flying Bird teahouse in Insadong. The teahouse was tiny, with uneven stools, fishtank tables, and chatty songbirds flying freely around the room. I had some hydrangea tea, which has an interesting sweet aftertaste. We sat and chatted with Dr. Park for awhile. He is an extremely small man, at maybe 5'. He teaches at one of the universities and was a lot of fun to hang out with.

He treated us to lunch at a vegetarian place, where you take off your shoes at the door, sit down at the low tables on a mat, and watch as the server brings out 17 small dishes of banchan. I love banchan, so it was nice to try out so many different kinds. For example: apple-egg-potato salad, several kinds of slightly bitter spring greens, glass noodle stir-fry, marinated mushrooms, pickled bamboo, bean sprouts, and of course, kimchee.

After the healthy, filling lunch, we went to Changdokgung (昌德宫), one of the five great palaces built during the Josean Dynasty. I was sad to hear that only 30% of the buildings remain, since a lot of it was destroyed and looted during the Japanese occupation, but it was still a beautiful place. It's easy to see the Chinese influences on the architecture, but it's very different. Korean traditional architecture is much more understated and on a smaller scale, with more big, open spaces. The color schemes are also more muted and layouts of living spaces a little different. We went to the Secret Garden area, which is nothing like Chinese gardens. I'm not sure what traditional Korean gardens are like, but it was extremely peaceful and beautiful. The weather was gorgeous and families were out with their children (no one-child policy here, although low birth rates has become a problem).

Afterwards, we grabbed some coffee and then walked around Namdameng (南大门). Next, Dr. Park took us through back alleys and the vegetable stands, something most tourists probably skip. Next he took us over to Myeung Dong, which is a shopping district full of young people, street food, and international brands. The Myeung Dong cathedral is also there, which is a beautiful Gothic cathedral that has been outfitted with speakers and tv screens on the inside for all the people who go to the services. Dr. Park talked a little about the history of the museum and how it was a focal point during the democracy movements and the only place where police didn't dare go inside.

Dr. Park remained on as our tour guide...taking us to Lotte department store, which is 12 stories of luxury brands. There was a huge line waiting to go into Louis Vuitton. The duty free floor was packed with visiting Japanese tourists. Rich women trying on stiletto heels while boyfriends toted their Chanel bags behind them. Korea is incredibly consumerist. Also, Seoul has its share of ugly skyscrapers. Bad architecture isn't just a Chinese thing.

Dinner was at an Indian place, since Sophie doesn't like Korean food much, but everyone likes Indian food. After some good conversation and tasty curry, we parted with Dr. Park and went back to the hostel with sore feet.

It was a good day and we saw a lot of the city. Today was also busy, but will update on that later.