Seattle: Visit to MoPOP, part one!

If you happen to find yourself in the city of Seattle and feel like you're lacking in necessary immersion into modern pop cultural awareness, appreciation, and knowledge, you might want to add the Museum of Pop Culture to your list of places to visit. The building is hard to miss, as it's a psychedelic mash-up of molten steel, unexpected angles, accents, and edges along with bold pops of color...not to mention the iconic Space Needle peering out or looming over depending on your mood or angle of approach. Our initial arrival was a little frantic, as we forgot the camera in the car in our hurry to catch our ride-share, and had to cancel the original ride and then get back to the car. In the end, I'm grateful that we went back to grab the camera, as it allowed us to capture some seriously awesome shots (in my ever-so-humble opinion) and commemorate our visit. The Marvel exhibit we went to see, specifically, was a limited run and given the cost of admission makes this sort of outing something we reserve for special occasions and not every weekend, so if we had missed our chance to get photos on this visit the chances of going back before our window of opportunity expired were minimal. We had already procrastinated until near the end of the run, so it was now or never! 

MoPOP is well worth visiting any time, though, as there is a multitude of different exhibits - some long term and enduring, other's passing through for a limited show, but all are excellent.  Given our stumbling over the camera and running in circles for a moment, we lost out on precious time and found that we were remiss when the closing time arrived. The employees and volunteers were gracious enough, but when it's time to close it up they'll make sure you're aware! MoPOP is a non-profit founded by Paul Allen in 2000, so many of the people keeping it running are doing so as a kindness due to their own personal passions, so be polite and courteous when visiting.  There's a lot to see and take in, after all, and as I said- the exhibits change often, so if you've visited in the past you'll find new and exciting things to see and experience upon repeated visits, and the additional time can always allow you to delve deeper into the permanent showcases. Seriously, folks, there's a lot to see and do inside this place, so if you're going to be around for a minute you may want to consider investing in a membership.   

Seoul: Dongdaemun views

View from the Dongdaemun building we had a Fun Caricature location in. Not the worst view of the city, eh? I discovered this scenic spot in the stairwell, as I strove to hit my step count for the day and stay active. Some days it was a bit less colorful, with the winter grey skies coming in heavy but inconsistently by this point. There was definitely more need for steaming hot cauldrons of bubbling stews and soups, of which the surrounding neighborhood was ready to supply. Not only were there a coffee shop and several restaurants inside the building itself, but the neighborhood of Dongdaemun is a bustling hub of commerce that has a steady influx of humans coming through needing to eat at some point in their long days. Just look at all those multistoried buildings! It's always something of a novelty to me, as skyscrapers are still relatively few and far between in my hometown of Vegas. I mean, sure, we have the Stratosphere and some gleaming monoliths on the Strip, but the majority of the valley is limited to 6 stories or less for the vast majority of structures, and the residential sprawl typically only sees second story buildings unless you're in the part of towns with mansions... Anyway, I especially found that clusterf**k of air conditioning units fascinating to see. It's kind of an interesting visual symmetry to the buildings beyond. 

On top of food, of course, there are plenty of entertainment options! That's where the Fun Caricature location came into play, as we had recently opened this new spot near a Van Gogh art exhibition. It seemed only proper for a caricature spot to cozy up to this beautiful Van Gogh exhibit, no? That was the premise, anyway. It wasn't a very busy location compared to some of the more bustling ones, at least while I was there, as most people were more focused on the stunning art inside the showroom rather than us, though we did get the occasional client. There was a cafe in the same area, but it was infrequently open. The other floors of the building were primarily fashion oriented, with the floors divided into Men's, Women's, accessories, but there was also a gym, indoor putting range, and the aforementioned restaurants and cafes. I imagine the other buildings nearby were similar, packed with busy workstations and shops, then restaurants and things catering to their needs.  Dongdaemun is essentially a working fashion hub, the actual business behind and retail shops side of things, but there are museums and other culturally beneficial activities to enjoy aplenty.

  

I didn't take any photos inside the exhibit, but I did take plenty of photos of the view from the building as I enjoy the urban scenery. Check those out below!

Korea: Bukchon hanok village part two

If you tire of admiring the traditional architecture and cobblestone streets, you can always make your way to one of the busier streets back towards the major streets. You'll find these areas a lot more populated and bustling, and also filled with an additional bounty of shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and snack-stands ready to fill the gaping void in your gastrointestinal tract. When my belly demons started piping up from their slumber, I opted to grab a cup of goguma matang or Korean sweet potatoes that have been deep fried then glazed with a sweet and sticky sauce that makes them glisten like candy. I have to say; TOTALLY delicious! SO good! I had to make them when I came back from Korea and forced them upon Antho, who had to admit that even with my amateur recreation were pretty craveable. They're SO MUCH BETTER when freshly made on the spot and the thick, syrupy glaze is borderline hardening.  It's something so deceptively simple that is undeniably comforting and homey....something I think the Korean cuisine does exceedingly well. 

There's no shortage of delicious things to try while wandering the streets of Seoul, to be sure. 

There's also a lot of charm and innovation to catch here. If you can make your way through the throngs of tourists ambling through the bigger streets, you might find yourself stumbling upon the Chicken Museum... well, let's be clear; this is the Ginseng Chicken Soup museum or Samgyetang museum. Samgyetang, if you've never had it, is a quintessential summer food during the doggiest of dog days during the unrelenting heat waves of peak-summer. Summer in Seoul is hot, swampy, humid and oppressive. Eating a hot, steamy bowl of the light but flavorful and rejuvenating soup can help power you through it. Typically made with a whole chicken (ideally a younger, smaller, bird) stuffed with medicinal herbs and sweet, sticky rice, samgyetang is absolutely delicious, and a must try when you're in Korea. You can absolutely check out the museum here and try their version, or more specifially you could head towards Tosokchon, which is one of the most prolific names in Samgyetang, and not far from here.  Personally, I ate samgyetang for the first time at a tiny restaurant just across the street from the apartment I lived in out in Hwajeong, where the ahjummas running the joint were bemused by my presence and the food was cheap, delicious, and absolutely felt like homemade. But to each their own, my friends. 

Many more photos below!

Korea: Bukchon Hanok village part one

If you want to experience the beauty of an earlier time in Seoul's history, Bukchon Hanok Village is a great spot to do so! The buildings lining the streets of this lovely little enclave are meticulously and lovingly preserved over the decades. The style of buildings dates back all the way to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) and they're absolutely stunning! It's an easily accessible area, too, a short walk from Anguk station. The streets themselves can be quite steep, so be prepared for a bit of a hike, but it's well worth it. There are many shops, restaurants, museums and cultural centers throughout the area and it would be a shame to miss out on any. I spent several hours walking up and down the hills, checking out all the buildings and marveling at the intersection of modern and historic. While many of the buildings have been converted for public use, I believe some are still privately owned. I touched the edge of this area on my first visit to Seoul, but didn't venture too far in. I didn't know what I was missing then, but I'm glad I made the time to go while living there!

This area is close to SO MANY different areas that are worth checking out while in Seoul! There's Insadong for the arts and crafts, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Jongmyo shrine immediately nearby but if you're willing to walk a little bit you're also quite close to Gwangjang and Dongdaemun markets. The trains and busses in Seoul are also exceptionally handy in getting around, so while you are certainly welcome to hop in a taxi it's not really necessary (in my humble opinion, but Antho and I did walk across San Francisco once). I found Seoul to be an excellent city for taking in via walking, even when I found my way into some dark and shuttered corners. There's a lot of beauty in Seoul and sometimes it's best to just slow it down and take it in by walking, and Bukchon Hanok Village is an especially ideal locale for this. Everyone I encountered was pleasant and respectful, even the random kitty cat who forced his affections on me (despite my severe allergy, I didn't protest it). 

There are plenty of places to grab a cool, refreshing beverage while here, too, in case you visit during the warmer months. Towards the end of my walk I even spotted a couple of bars and things, but that's as I got closer to the main roads where modern Seoul resumes it's ppari-ppari pace. I highly recommend taking an afternoon to pound the streets... there are even especially marked locations for ideal Instagram photos!   

Korea: Garak market part two

Garak market is an established agricultural and fish wholesale market open to the public. In recent years it's come under the wave of modernization, as many markets have, and been updated with a shiny new shopping center to replace the original warehouses. The new building is air-conditioned, bright, and clean- all good things, right? And there's parking available on each of the floors, of which there are three, each tailored to a particular need. The ground floor comprises the majority of the photos I took as I found it the most interesting of the three. The second floor was more or less a Costco-style store with vast quantities of a wide array of foodstuffs available, and the third floor was all restaurants. I didn't make any purchases, partly because I'd already been out and about all morning and was growing tired, but also because the trek home was going to be quite long and I wasn't sure if I could eat any substantial meal without summarily falling asleep on the train....then waking up in some far off train station confused. 

The move for modernization was pushed as being an unavoidable necessity as the surrounding neighborhood itself grows more modern and affluent. Whether that is true or not is debatable, but residents are probably grateful to have a cleaner market to do their shopping in. I felt a bit underwhelmed by the experience, but this could also have been in part due to my getting there later in the day. I've read that if you arrive early the market is more lively as the butchers prepare their cuts for the day and fishermen have their latest goods being carved or tanked for the day, but other blogs have said that they arrived early only to find the place as desolate as I found it. Perhaps the newer building has priced out vendors with higher rent, as was the case for many vendors who resisted the move to the New Noryangjin building. 

Still, as tired as I was, I wanted to make the best of it and get as many photos as I could before heading towards home. Even though they're not as exciting, there is a certain charm to catching places like this during the slow periods. 

More photos below!

Korea: Garak Market part one

Garak market is something of a legend for me; it was the FIRST agricultural wholesale market open to the public of Seoul and facilitates one-third of the overall agricultural and fishing trade. The original buildings went up in 1985, so they had been in operation for decades! The photos I encountered on the Visit Korea website promised warehouses full of vendors with an old school feel and I was excited to find another market to check out, one I hadn't gotten to previously. Other websites, too, show a vibrant and lively market, not unlike Gwangjang market... 

What I found, however, was the Garak Mall, which felt more or less like any other mall, unfortunately.  I mean, they had the fish markets with bubbling tanks and live critters were even swimming in some, and there were many small butchers stands with their chilled displays of fresh meat, but it was quiet during my visit and the spacious, air-conditioned halls echoed with the sounds of my footsteps as I explored. The second floor of the three-storied building was something else, though, like a Costco. An expansive shopping market with towering shelves of bulk product, from cheeses to pickles, dried snacks and processed meats. I didn't make my way to the third floor of the building as it was primarily restaurants where you would take your purchases to be cooked, and I didn't make any purchases. By this point in the day I was already pretty worn out, having tackled the Seoul Fortress wall early in the day. Making the trek out to Garak market alone would be quite the journey, as I was staying in the more suburban area of Hwajeong, so it made sense to hit several spots in one day. 

It took me a bit of wandering around before I found the right place, too. My hangul comprehension got better the longer I was in Seoul, but I didn't (and still don't) have an extensive vocabulary to process (and add meaning to) what I was reading. I may have made a lap around a restaurant before realizing I'd gone in the wrong doors...oops! Overall, though, I was glad to have gone and made the trek to Garak mall at least the once, if just so I could cross one more location off of my to-do list. I'm sure it'd be well worth visiting again in the future, especially with someone who's fluent in Korean and can make more use of all the amenities and things available in the market. 

I've split the photos from this trip in to two posts so as not to overload anyone! Enjoy!  

Korea: Noryangjin New Fish Market Fall 2016

Now that I've feasted on the flesh of still squirming shrimp and sampled the infamous slithering octopus tentacles of sannakji once more, it's time I set aside my unease and explore the newest Noryangjin building. In my previous visit to Seoul in 2014, Noryangjin was one of my favourite destinations! It was so raw, quite literally, and seeing so much seafood bubbling in tanks or still twitching it's last throes on the icy tables while the bright-apron-clad aunties climbed up the tanks to wrangle out a massive lobster, crab, or other delicacy was fascinating. The old building, which is still operational next to the new market, has been in it's current location for over 40 years and feels like an established, and invariably older, market.  The new building still offers plenty of seafood, yes...but it's in a much more sterile environment. The floors, while still prone to being slick, are a lacquered linoleum reflecting the bright florescent lights from above. Instead of feeling like a wet market, it's more of a department store gone super fishy. Some people will indubitably prefer this, and I suppose that's okay. I don't despise shopping malls, after all...I can see how the clean, austere, controlled environment and crisp appearance would appeal. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on the matter, and everyone's tastes are different.  Seoul is a city that strives to perfect itself and strive towards modernisation whenever and wherever possible and their old, established markets are not immune. To me, though, it feels like a shadow of the former market. If I came to Seoul for the very first time and had never visited the older market, maybe I'd have swooned over this one. From what I've read, the new building costs more for the vendors to rent their stalls, which means that their prices are typically higher to account for that, but it's also a sticking point for many of the vendors who site the higher rent as prohibitive. Roughly half the vendors have refused to move into the new building, so the new market still feels a bit unfinished and empty as a result. You'll still find people diligently breaking down fish for various methods of consumption and various uncles and aunties mostly eager to sell their goods (when not in the midst of an afternoon nap, of course), and there are restaurants upstairs you can take your choices to, should you opt to purchase anything while here. If you find yourself in Seoul, check it out and decide for yourself. For now, here are my photos.

Korea: Noryangjin Old Fish Market part one

Seoul, much like my hometown of Las Vegas, is a city constantly striving to improve upon itself and renovate the old in the hopes it will bring in brighter, better futures along with more visitors and more money, so I can't be surprised that things will have changed since my previous visit in 2014. However, with Vegas we're a fairly young city, having only been founded in 1905, so our history, and even our culture as Americans, is still rather new when compared to a city and culture as old as Seoul and Korea's so tradition hasn't really had time to set roots..I mean, seriously, guys, have you considered just how ancient the Korean culture is? The United States of America was established on the 4th of July in 1776, a measly 242 years. That's not even three centuries yet. In contrast, it's believed that the ancient precursor to what is now known-as Seoul (Baekje) was established in 18 BCE. That's right, 18 years BEFORE we even started this whole 0-to-2000 countdown thing, so that'd be 2036 years ago. That's seriously OLD, guys. 

What all this means is that for Vegas, I think we have a bit more wiggle room to tear down and rebuild because the history, culture and traditions of the city of Las Vegas, while important to the region, are so young and still fomenting. With Seoul, they have to be mindful that sometimes the endless pursuit of modernisation and improvement must be tempered by appreciation and respect for their past and the ways that have been established over their many centuries. There are ancient Temple buildings peppered all throughout Seoul, neighbourhoods where traditional Bukchon style homes and old-school streets are kept in pristine condition, and the ancient Fortress Wall (first built in 1396) still stands it's somber vigil like a spine crawling atop the back of a massive, slumbering dragon. Soldiers still walk the wall, too, and you'll need to sign in and be alert of the no-photography zones because they're quite serious about enforcing them. This same fierceness has been brought to the desire to renew and rejuvenate, and at some expense. 

The old Noryangjin market has been in operation since 1927 before settling in to it's current location for over 40 years. It's a bit old, nostalgic, and funky, but these are all part and parcel of the reasons I loved it so much! It was real, gritty, slippery, fishy work and the people working the stalls true blue-collar hard working Koreans trying to make their livelihood the best way they know how. There's little to no pretence, no glossy K-pop idol wannabe's patta-patt-patting their perfectly coiffed faces or checking that their bangs maintain the perfect arch in their compacts, at least not working the floor. You will find guy's like this friendly fellow to the left, who was here during my previous visit, too! I gave him a hug both times. Thank you for what you do, dude. Motorbikes and heavy-duty carts roll through, beeping or honking to alert photo-focused photogs and awestruck tourists alike. The new building, shown in part above, is absolutely nothing like it. And, to be totally honest, I didn't like it. This post, however, is going to focus on the old market, the part I love so dearly. Thank glob.

More photos below!

Korea: Journey through Hongdae

On this particular day, I had to head in to Hongdae station for a visit at a medical clinic. I was getting a routine check up done, but I also wanted to follow up on some dizzy spells I'd been experiencing. After getting to Korea I found I quickly started to lose weight with the more active lifestyle, and having control over my food choices again was really empowering after living in a household with four very different food preferences where meat would often be cooked unseasoned, you know, because you can add whatever sauce you like when it's been boiled to submission...but I digress... once I was living more or less independently in the apartment, I'd gotten into a routine of eating scrambled eggs for breakfast, a packed lunch and salads for dinner...which was all well and good, but I was stretching out the duration between meals too long. My commute to work was over three hours on some days, so there were nights were I wouldn't get home until well after 8 or 9pm, and I wanted my lunch to be in the middle of my day, around 3pm, so I'd go without food for over 7 hours somedays...which with all my walking around left me drained. Luckily the clinic visit was all good news and I left feeling optimistic and hungry! In Hongdae station I stopped and grabbed a little pastry from a stand inside the secure area, which was super tasty! Cream and sweet bean, yum. I love all the little shops and stalls in every transit station, you never have to search far for a fresh coffee or a snack to tide you over, which makes it all the sillier that I would go so long without indulging myself. Korea has such an abundance of tasty foods available and conveniently, I definitely had no problem regaining some of the weight I'd lost once I stopped feeling intimidated. Same sort of thing happened when I first moved to Japan...the first couple months I find myself adjusting and still reeling from the move and culture change, and as a result I find myself mildly trepidatious about trying to order from any restaurants or stands, especially since my ability to speak Korean is abysmal at best. Thankfully most people I interacted with were patient and amicable! 

These photos are all about capturing that commuter life vibe I was talking about a bit in my previous post. With the short walk from the apartment, most of Seoul was readily available! I can't talk up their public transportation enough, it's really good at doing what it needs to do. It serves it's purpose well, and I am immensely grateful for it's existence. 

Enjoy the photos!

Korea: Hwajeong Grocery Store Fall 2016

This post is a bit late in coming, as I lived in Korea during the latter half of 2016 up until the 25th of December, so almost to 2017. Hard to believe it's already gotten into 2018 now, doesn't feel like the time has gone by at all, as contrite as that sounds. I guess it makes sense, though... when I was actively living in Korea I was so busy working, eating, taking photos and exploring or just trying to stay connected with Antho (that long distance relationship life is rough, but worth it) that by the end of the day I barely had the time or energy to try to blog about it all. I did make a little announcement post to let it be known, officially, where I'd gone and give some sort of justification as to why posts might be slow, though I'd had a lot more optimism in my ability to blog about it back then. But here we are, getting into the third month of this year already, so it's high time I dust off the backlog of photos here and trot them out.

This post might not be inherently interesting to some people, and that's okay. These photos are all going to be from the grocery store inside Hwajeong Station that I'd often pop into after work and to me these places are a nostalgic icon of the lifestyle I had at the time, living precisely where I was at that time, and the little differences between how things are now that I'm back home. Little station-attached shops like this are abundant throughout South Korea and Japan, and they make commuter life so much easier and convenient. If you have to take the train to and from work, chances are you're going to need to run errands along the way, and stores like this have little independent vendors mingling with larger chains to capitalise on space. This means there's also a plethora of food stalls and vendors dishing up an array of delicious things, often bustling with business and billowing with dense plumes of steam or scent to tempt you away from your errands to satiate your rapidly growing appetite. It's a true one-stop-shop, with bakeries, fried chicken stands, clothes, kitchen goods, a Daiso 1,000₩ store, fresh fish and meats, produce, liquor, vitamins, skincare...essentially damn near anything you could possibly need, and to add to that my walk home from the station often saw me going along the main street of Hwajeong, which itself was packed with restaurants and shops beckoning for my money and time, from fashion to macarons. It's one of the things I love most about living in Korea! They manage to fit so much into their spaces and there's so many options, you have so many things available to you right outside your front door. While some destinations do take some effort and time, most things for daily life and casual recreation were pleasantly accessible. There was a park right across the street from where I was staying, but I could also spend a peaceful afternoon feeding the fish at the Seoul Citizen's forest as easily as I could swing over to Hongdae to get my ear pierced and indulge in street foods and fast fashion. Seoul isn't a hugely expansive city but they maximise their usage of space and it shows. I think it works out pretty well, though I'm sure there are growing pains, especially when trying to transition some of their older institutions towards newer methods. Compared to my lifestyle in the US, I have to put a lot more distance, effort and time into finding the same amount of options I had within 5 blocks of the apartment in Hwajeong... but such is life, and given the vast difference in size between the countries it's not a surprise. Little things like this are a fun reminder.

More photos below!