A Love Like This

I traveled alone in NYC for about 10 days. Sometimes, I was with others whom I had met in the hostel or during the trip. However, just for a day, I wanted to walk along the Hudson River with just with a camera.

I walked from the Battery Park, near my hostel, northwards along the river. I felt more at leisure and comfort than when I had previously walked along the Han River in Seoul. There were people walking dogs, jogging stripped to the waist, having a meal at the outdoor restaurants, and so on, so I never felt loneliness when I walked along the Hudson River.

Whilst I walked in that mood, I caught an old couple clinging to each other tightly on the bench and staring at the sunset. This couple made me think that I want to get married soon, and that I wanted to talk about love with my future wife when we got old. While I was falling for this old couple’s charms, they got up from their seat and they walked hand in hand towards the path I had come.

If I could have this kind of love I would be so happy.

종로 굴보쌈 Jongno Gul-bossam

A bossam restaurant near Jongno-3ga station

Bossam - Boiled pork eaten with a salty sauce and bossam kimchi wrapped in greens

I went to a bossam restaurant located in Bossam golmok (street). All the places on the street sell bossam, but kinds of banchans (side-dishes) and taste are different. Actually, there is a most famous restaurant there, but I decided to get into the first restaurant of the street.

Menu is here. Menu's Korean name is Chalimpyo 차림표, but it is okay if you call it as menu. My friend who treated me ordered 굴보쌈 Gul-bossam which is a main food of the restaurants on the street. Gul-bossam is added gul on bossam plate. Gul is oyster in Korean.

There are Chinese characters next to the price. They mean large-medium-small from the top. Usually, it was enough medium size for 3 people.

This is 감자탕 Gamja-tang which is Pork-on-the-Bone Soup according to Korean-English dictionary. Koreans usually eat this food as a hangover food. In this restaurant, it is a basic served food.

There are basic banchans in this restaurant. The taste of them are so-so for me. However...

This food was awesome! It is 오징어볶음 Ojing-a Bokkeum which is stir-fried squid. It wasn't so spicy but sweet. It was so good for me. So, I ate twice. Again, getting more food is free for some food especially, for basic banchans in Korea.

There is a gul-bossam for 3 people. It was my first time to eat this food because I had eatten bossam without gul till that time. It was little fishy, but it wan't too bad. 

The main menu of the restaurant is Gul-bossam, but the best one is Ojing-a Bokkeum (stir-fried squid) for me. However, it was nice challenge. 

Subway. Jongno-3ga Station line #1, Exit 15.

The Paper Rose

There are many ways to make paper rose, but I learnt the hardest method.  Making lines by folding and unfolding a piece of paper dozens of times repeatedly, and then making the paper rose with these lines. The reason why I started to make this paper rose is not because of my girlfriend. I leant how to make a paper rose during the military service. One of my predecessors let me make the paper rose for his girlfriend. It wasn’t so good at first, but it was fun to make. Whenever I did night duty, I spent time with it.

Making paper roses became useful when I went to Myanmar as a volunteering activity. Since we couldn’t predict the local situation, the plans we made went up in smoke. So, I tried to teach students how to make the paper rose. They showed interest in it, so we had survived the worst situation. I gave the students paper roses whenever I made them during my spare time, but I don’t know if they've kept them.

If one day I have a girlfriend who really loves me, I hope to make it as a bouquet of roses for her.

Treasure Hunt in Books

Winter 2008, my friend suggested that I work for an online, used book, bookstore where I was to find and send out books if I've got an online order. It felt like I was playing a treasurehunt game, where I found the books amongst many disordered books covered with dust. A few minutes later, I wished the time would move faster. It was really cold since the heater was terrible.

These days there are many clean, used book, bookstores in Korea. However, there are lots of books that I can't see in the recent used book bookstores compared to in the bookstore I used to work at. Normally, the price of used books is cheaper than new ones. Sometimes, however, the price of used books increases if it is valuable. Many of these were in the bookstore, and many people wanted to buy these books at high prices.

Occasionally, I came upon a book I had read when I was little. I was so happy to see that book again. So, I skimmed through the book for a while.

I really wanted to brush off the dust and arrange the books, but I gave up since there were so many books in the store. Actually, I quit the job in the end because the owner experienced some health problems.

Sometimes, I miss the time that I worked at the bookstore. Hope the books get to meet a new nice reader.

[Seoul] 뚝섬 한강공원 오리보트 Duck Boat at Hangang Park Ttukseom Area

My friends, who came from England, wanted to take Duck Boat, so we went to Hangang (Han River) Park Ttukseom Area. There are so many Hangang Park areas along the Han River. Every area has various kinds of water leisure sports managed by Hangang Project Headquarters. However, Duck Boat is included in Arirang restaurant which is the big ship on Hangang.

Actually, I didn't want to take a boat. But I changed my mind for my friends. Also, it had been so long taking that kind of boat, so I decided to ride. We have to wear life vest for our safety.

I took the white one. It works with pedal, and the other one works automatically. I wanted to ride on the right one, but it is little more expensive than white one.

We have only 40 minutes as soon as  we got a ticket. But 40 min. is not short ever. Too tough to pedal.

Hangang is not clean. I don't want to fall into the water.

There are many things to do near Hangang such as swimming, camping, riding a bike, and so on. Just check it before you go there.

But I think the best thing to do near Hangang, drinking beer with delivered chicken. It is awesome. Just try it!!


More Info. (Hangang) http://hangang.seoul.go.kr/eng/index.html
                  (Duck Boat) http://www.arirangrestaurant.co.kr/Boat_intro.html

[Seoul] 경회루 Gyeonghoeru Pavilion

Its official name is Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, but we just say it as Gyeonghoeru.

Gyeongbok-gung which is a royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty is the most biggest palace in Korea. I think the most beautiful part of Gyeongbok-gung is Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. As you can guess from its name it was the place for banquet on a special day when the ambassador came during the Joseon Dynasty.

As you can see the picture, the exterior of this building is very beautiful. However, it is awesome if you get in this building. Until 10 years ago, it was banned to get in this pavilion to protect cultural assets.

As soon as Yoo Hongjoon got an appointment as a head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, he permitted to use Gyeonghoeru as a party place. It was quite big issue in Korea, and he was blamed a lot. For traditional Korean building, however, it is better when people live in. It is restrictively open except winter season now with that reason.

Outermost pillars are squared, and the other are circular columns. 

Ceiling is painted with beautiful pattern.

Usually, 80 people get in here as a group.

I thought that it is not that big when I saw it outside of this building. But I was wrong.

Using the things that open toward upper side, it is possible to make the wall. Depend of the number of people, they could decide the size of space.

There is a pattern on the ceiling as well. Every room has different pattern and shape on the ceiling. 

I hope to be here with my girlfriend in some day.

Yoo Hongjoon, who is the former head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, gave a question in a TV show. "There is a wonderful picture in this room. Where is it?"

The answer is that the view from the inside of Gyeonhoeru. All the scenes look pretty as a picture. You can see the mountains, forests, dense tiled roof, and modernized skyscrapers.

I had watched this pavilion at there, the other side of pond.

The kings may allay their concern here.

I wish I could ice skating here during the winter someday. Do you think it is possible?

Location. 161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.

Enterance Fee. 3,000 KRW for Gyeongbok-gung

Open Hours. Closed on every Tuesday. Check the website.

More info. http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng/data/data_03_08.jsp?dep1=3&dep2=3

T.G.I. Friday's Konkuk Univ. branch in Seoul, Korea

T.G.I Friday's Konkuk Univ. branch street view from NAVER

I went to T.G.I. Friday's Konkuk Univ. branch since my brother bought a coupon with low price on the internet.

Because of a long line, I thought that I have to wait for a long time. However, my brother asked to a desk clerk about providing bar seats. Although it was little bit noisy when the bartenders made cocktail, it was not bad to enjoy the meal.

50% off coupon

My brother bought it on the internet, so he showed it when he ordered. To get this coupon we have to pay for the food with 50% off price. As a result, we don't need to pay when we get out the restaurant. This kind of coupon is quite popular in Korea.

After we ate the food, we just got out from the restaurant without payment. I felt weird since it is normal to pay when you get out in Korea.

Address. Star City youngzone 3rd floor, 4-20, Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea. 서울특별시 광진구 화양동 4-20 스타시티영존 3층.

Phone. 82-2-2218-4535

Subway. Konkun Univ. station line #2 and #7, exit 3.

토속촌 강마루 Tosokchon Gangmaru

A Korean restaurant near Achasan Station

I went to this restaurant on my friend's birthday. Since it is located near the Children's Grand Park, it might good place to eat Korean foods after visiting the park.

Menu

Whenever I came here, I usually ordered normal meal with the price from 5,000KRW to 6,000KRW. However, I ordered Jeongsik (정식) because it's a special day. Jeongsik means a kind of combinations of foods like McDonalds' set menu. So, I ordered Gangmaru Jeongsik (강마루 정식) 12,000KRW and Jeyuk Jeongsik (제육정식) 10,000KRW.

There are so much food here. It isn't possible to take a picture all of food at a time.

There are two kinds of Jjigae which is stew; Doenjang Jjigae and Cheonggukjang. Doenjang Jjigae is little bit stronger than Japanese soup miso, and Cheonggukjang is stronger than Doenjang Jjigae and sticky. However, both foods are good for health.

Even though there were many basic banchans which are side-dishes, we ordered more banchans for free. (Fish and Jjigaes are in Jeongsik, not basic banchans here.) In many other Korean restaurants, we can get more banchans for free. 

제육볶음 Jeyuk Bokeum (Stir-fried Spicy Pork)

불고기 Bulgogi

Although I am on a diet, I ate too much because it was really delicious and my friend's birthday. In this restaurant, there are Korean BBQ, Samkyumsal (Pork Belly), and various kinds of foods with duck. If I have more money, then I will try that food, too.


Address. 53-3, Guui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea. 서울특별시 광진구 구의동 53-3.
Phone. 82-2-447-1174
Subway. Achasan Station line #5, Exit 2.