Seoul is a vibrant city of roughly 10 million people and bustling with personality, passion, and variety. From the visor-wearing aunties in their colorful track suits lugging their carts full of goodies to the suited office workers trying not to fall asleep on the subway, the high-fashion youth with perfectly powdered visages and the burly workmen doing construction, it's as vivacious and nuanced a big city as one could hope or imagine with all the fashion, art and entertainment to boot. All the activity and bustling energy translate to a lot of creative energy, too, and there is no shortage of craftsmen and artisans in Seoul. Luckily, South Koreans are very proud of their culture AND their creations, so crafts fairs and historic traditional arts flourish and coincide in peace.
Ssamziegil, a spiral walking path that works its way through four floors of artisan shops and little restaurants, was one of the several locations I would draw at while living in Korea. Our little shop for Fun Caricature was right on the ground floor near the entryway, a prime location for catching curious tourists on their way to grab some Dongppang (poop bread). Rest assured, there's no actual poo used in the bread! It's a griddle cake with sweet filling pressed into the shape of the poop emoji...a bit silly or juvenile, perhaps, but it's a hit with travelers who would form long lines waiting for a chance at their own selfie with the peculiar treat, even in the freezing cold! The building for Ssamzi (what we called it) is located in the heart of Insadong, in the Jongno-Gu area of Seoul proper. That was, without a doubt, one of my absolute favorite areas in Seoul as there are so many cultural important monuments and so many things of note to see within a readily accessible walking distance of each other. To get to Insadong proper, take exit 6 from Anguk station and you'll be right around the corner. Insadong, in particular, is rife with crafts and art, alongside the Kimchi museum. There are many places you can rent a Hanbok to wear and friendly guides proliferate in the area, eager to lend aid to a confused traveler. It was always a fun location to work at! 
The photos in this post are going to be from one particular day when a craft fair happened to pop up inside the open courtyard of Ssamziegil. I couldn't help but to be curious and poke my head over for a look when business at the booth was slow. Please enjoy this glimpse into what daily life was kind of like when I was working in Seoul! Plenty more photos below~
After work my coworkers and I grabbed a quick bite to eat~ the noodle dish is Jjajangmyun, a tasty combination of savory black bean sauce and veggies with chewy noodles while the second image is tang su yuk, or Korean style sweet and sour pork. So yummy! You might recognize these as the same items we ordered when Antho and I went to Island Style... what can I say, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and good food!
Until next time!
🍜
XOXO,
NAU
No comments:
Post a Comment