Seoul Friendship Fair 2012

Today was the last day of the Seoul Friendship Fair. This annual event is a two-day event is to promote multi-cultural awareness in Korea. The venue is usually the same; tent booths from all the Embassies in Korea (where you can try on traditional costumes or buy crafts), food from each country, and mini performances throughout the day. It always takes place near Seoul Plaza, the street of Mugyo-dong and Cheonggyecheon.

What I loved about the Seoul Friendship Fair was that you get exposed to different ethnicity's, cultures, and languages without leaving Korea. The best part is the food! Korea is very much like Hawaii where you can find almost any type of food desired, but the tricky part is finding where you can buy/eat your desired food. But thanks to the Seoul Friendship Fair you can easily find food from any country!

Ya that's me!

You can try on costumes from different countries

Each tent has food from their own country

Most vendors had samples of their countries alcohol

Mt. Bukhansan: Hiking to the Highest Peak

Today I hiked up to the top of the highest peak of Mt. Bukhansan.

Mt. Bukhansan is an iconic landmark, which can be seen from numerous parts of the city. The name itself is roughly translated to "The north of the Han," which refers to the Han River. Mt. Bukhansan is a national park and one of the best places to hike, bird-watch, rock climb, or have a picnic. Mt. Bukhansan itself has hundreds of different paths each leading up to various peaks, but this weekend my goal was to go the highest peak! The highest peak is 836.5m which is about 2744 ft! This hike varies from 2-4 hours going up. I went along with the Yonsei hiking club and we had breakfast and lunch (picnic style) and took about 7 hours in total.

People having lunch on a rock

On your way down you can see people sleeping/resting

Gwanghwamun Palace: Changing of the Guards

Today I had the chance to stop by Gwanghwamun Palace. I've been really meaning to visit this place for a long time but I never seemed to find time to come here. Gwanghwamun is the main gate of Gyeongbukgung Palace. Literally translated, its name means “may the light of enlightenment blanket the world.” Or so I was told.

For me, I found the changing of the guards to be the most fascinating. Passing through the main gate is free but there's a certain point where you need to pay. I found it sufficient to just go to the main gate and see inside the main courtyard. The lucky thing is that you don't need to pay to see the guards and you're welcome to take pictures with them!

A little interesting fact I overheard from a private tour guide was that there are these statues called “Haetae,” looking southward. Haetae's are a mythical creature that is said to protect the palace from fire. In order to protect the palace from any fire, these fire-eating Haetaes was put beside the gate.

Gwanghwamun Palace and the changing of the guards

Gwanghwamun Changing of the guards

Haetae

Studying at the Hello Kitty Cafe in Sinchon

One of the main pastimes of University students is going to cafes to study. Today I studied at one of the most unusual cafes (which I would never go to back home), but I found it quite...interesting. The cafe I visited was  the Hello Kitty Cafe in Sinchon. 

As you all know, Hello Kitty has become an iconic symbol to young girls, teens, and women all over the world. It was just a matter of time before the company branched off into food and drinks. 

Inside the cafe contains a variety of Hello Kitty furniture. As one may expect, the entire store is decorated with Hello Kitty; the wallpaper, the tables, the pictures, you name it!

Being a Hello Kitty Cafe you can expect to find a variety of Hello Kitty related goods to buy. Here at the cafe they sold plushies, Korean themed dolls, stationary items, and even coffee.

But the BEST part about the cafe was the food. When you order a coffee/hot tea beverage, their's a design of Hello Kitty herself right in your cup! It may be a bit cliche, but coffee art is form of art I respect! Just imagine making that yourself. In addition to coffee/tea beverages they have waffles, honey toast, and cakes all resembling Hello Kitty. 

***How to get to the Hello Kitty Cafe in Sinchon***

Below is a link of a map on how to the Hello Kitty Cafe located in Sinchon. It is in Korean but if you exit Sinchon (line 2 Green line) and exit towards the U-Plex (look for the red mirror tube) and head towards nature republic, you should find it on an alley on your right hand side. Just follow the map!

http://www.hellokittycafe.co.kr/store/p_store.html?n=4