Insadong and Cheongju

Whew. . .well that was quite a week! My dad leaves Korea today to return to the States after coming to visit Seoul for the past six days and what interesting adventures we had! Before diving into our fun filled week however let me try to catch up by starting where I left off, at last weekend.

Again, working all week and having soccer games on Sunday leaves Nate and I only Saturday to explore the city. So what we've been doing is simply picking a destination or area highlighted in LP (or recommended to us by others), hoping on the subway and going to check it out!

Last Saturday we settled on Insadong, a small foot-traffic only neighborhood nestled in the heart of downtown Seoul. From what I understand, Insadong has long been an arts and cultural center for Korea. The area also incubated the largest independence movement against Japanese colonization of the peninsula during the early 20th century.

To get to Insadong we took the subway, three lines in all, to the Jongno 3-ga Station. We wandered the area around the station for a short while checking out the numerous movie theaters in the area. We concluded that Piccadilly Cinemas was by far the nicest and it seemed to have the greatest selection of English movies. . .although none to our liking at the time. I think we'll wait until the new Bond comes out in November before testing the waters of a Korean cinema!

From Jongno we wandered towards the sun and in to Tapgol Park. This small green area is surround by what look like ancient walls and entrance is granted only through a grand gate facing a busy four lane street. Inside the park all the outside noise seems to subside as we were immersed in a beautiful landscape of sculptures, trees and walkways. The centerpiece of the park is a giant pagoda like building that seems to offer no purpose other than shade!

Pagoda Park

Just behind the pagoda in the back of the park is a massive class structure that towers at least 50 feet into the air. Contained within is a giant stone tower, known as the Monument of Wongaksa, that dates back almost 600 years. The base of this monument is made of solid granite while the tower itself is carved from marble! It truly is an impressive structure that had both foreigners and Koreans clicking their shutters.

Wongaksa Stone Pagoda

Noticing a solo guitarist taking a load off in the park's grounds, I inquired as to where we could find the Nakwon Music Arcade. He suggested exiting the park, taking a left at the intersection and looking for a building that went over the road. This sounded easy enough so we set off in search of this supposedly massive music warehouse. We tried to exit Tapgol from the North side but soon realized that traffic was regulated by the one open gate through which we entered.

Back out on the street we managed to find the arcade with little problem. Just as the man suggested, we encountered a giant building that created a bridge over a small back road. Even though the description fit perfectly, as the surrounding buildings were all seemingly packed with instruments, the 'arcade' that we were looking at showed no signs of life or vibrancy one would expect to see at a large music store. Instead, the building was of the 'big block' variety with very few windows and no markings other than dirt on the sides of it's white exterior. Even so, we decided to check it out and wandered up the few flights of outdoor stairs to what apparently was an entrance.

Inside there was no question that we had arrived at our destination. The long building was literally filled to the brim with any and all types of musical instruments and supplies that once could imagine. On each side of the building were shops that couldn't have been bigger than 15'x15'. In the middle passage were more 'stalls' lined with musical equipment, staked to the ceiling, leaving only two narrow walkways, one on each side. We wandered the arcade for a half an hour or so just checking out the different displays from afar. The whole atmosphere is really overwhelming and I wouldn't know where to begin when purchasing anything as it seems as though one's options are literally endless. No clue how the middle stalls really demarcate their boundaries, or, if there are any!

Nagwon Music Arcade

From Nagwon we headed towards Insadonggil, the main road running through Insadong on which the majority of its famous tea shops and art galleries are situated. We knew we had arrived as we stepped out of a narrow alleyway into a bustling street just teeming with people. We wandered up and down the pedestrian only passage, checking out the vast array of Korean 'knick-knacks' on display by the numerous vendors as we went.

Noticing a large crowd of people gathered around, we pushed our way to the front to see what was happening. Just kidding, no need to push past Koreans as we can simply stand in the back and observe all that is going on. It turns out that the crowd had gathered around two ice cream vendors who put on a hilarious show of tricks in distributing their goods. Having watched for at least a few minutes I decided that a) I needed ice cream and b) we needed a video of the hilarity. So, I handed my camera to Nate and stepped in line. . . .check out the result below! Needless to say the ice cream was fantastic and the show was well worth 2,000won.

I-Scream!

As we were standing around watching the ice cream demo, Nate was approached by a woman who was ushering her husband to stand next to him, holding the couple's newborn in arms. At first Nate was confused, believing that he was in the way of a picture, only to realize that he was in fact the picture. The man posed for a few snapshots next to Nate for reasons that we're quite unaware of but somehow justifiable for Koreans!

Nate with Korean Robot!

We continued to wander the main drag dipping in to plazas here and there to see the different sights. In one open court yard we saw a large stage set up for a performance that people had begun to gather for. Kids stood around playing a game that remind me of pogs where they slammed a piece of something on their friends' something in hopes that the second something would flip over. . .looked fun! Here's a picture!

Korean 'Pogs'

Recycled Art in Insadong

At another small plaza there was a group of people painted blue performing something on a small stage. Not quite the blue man group but it held our attention for a minute or two. More interesting however was the man in the back of the plaza who was pounding out some sort of treat with a giant mallet that left a resounding 'CRACK' echoing throughout the plaza.

When a Mortar and Pestle Just Won't Do!

As we made it to the Northernmost end of Insadonggil we emerged into a large plaza covered in bright colors. It turns out there was a sidewalk chalk competition going on for both professionals and amatures. One part of the plaza was roped off for professional use only and some of the drawings were truly impressive, taking on three dimensional picturesque qualities. . .and to think, with only chalk! The other side of the plaza, centered around a large statue of a paintbrush was the 'amature' area where anyone could pick up some chalk and leave their mark. While I was tempted to engage, I didn't feel like trying to find a clean slate to begin with as almost every inch of canvass was already filled in!

Chalk Art Day!

About halfway up Insadonggil, which runs for no more than three-quarters of a mile, we stopped at an Information office. Inside we were given a great map of the area and a larger one of all of Seoul. Nearing dinner time we asked the women at the help counter if they could suggest a place to eat. Of course the quickest one responded with "there's a MacDonald's down the street!" Ha, sounds tempting, but no thanks, we've heard Insadong in the place for a traditional Korean mean. That being the case, they directed us, on our newly acquired map, to a small back alleyway where three different restaurants were located. We thanked them and took off in search of food.


Finding this hidden corner we did in fact have a selection between three restaurants. We decided to go with the one that looked the most traditional in its design perhaps for this reason but really just because! We were asked to take our shoes off while entering the restaurant but were fortunate enough to be seated at a table with chairs rather than having to deal with sitting on the floor (which really just doesn't work for me). We spent a great deal of time mulling over the menu, which had quasi-English descriptions, before settling on the Hanjeongsik, a feast of traditional side dishes that offer a sampling of all that is Korean!

Our Dining Venue in Insadong

American v. Korean Shoe

We waited for no longer than a few minutes before dishes began to be brought out. Every few seconds we would be brought another small steaming hot plate with some unidentifiable food item on it. All in all we had around 20 or so dishes each with a unique item. The picture below was taken before we had everything as I was unaware that more food was yet to come.

Dinner. . .with more dishes to come!

We gingerly picked out way through the strange dishes and stopped only once our hunger had subsided but before we had finished everything. . . .not because we were too full but because a few of the dishes were too. . . well. . .unpalatable! It was a great overall experience and something that we can at least say we've done now, though I doubt I'll ever return for another helping of Hanjeongsik. I'll stick to the more recognizable main courses rather than a barrage of partially satisfying side dishes!

Give this place a try for 'interesting' Hanjeongsik

More Public Art in Insadong

After dinner we headed towards the enormous Jongo Tower on the Southwest corner of Insadong. Although someone told us that it was simply a large corporate headquarters, LP seemed to imply that they had a World Food court worth checking out. We did in fact find the food court but only as it was just closing up.

We crossed the street drawn by the lights from a large temple like structure that turned out to be Bosingak, a pavilion that houses the large city bell rung only on special occasions. From here we followed the crowds, and a number of police officers standing ready with riot gear, to a more lively area that seemed to be filled with restaurants, bars and boutiques.

The City Bell at Bosingak

We slid into a 'trendy' looking place called blue room only after we were assured that we didn't have to pay cover for a place that looked like they might demand 20,000 once you were part way inside. It ended up to be more of a restaurant than anything else so we took a seat and enjoyed some refreshments while people watching both the crowded setting and the street below.

All of a sudden out of no where the Blue Room erupted in lights and sounds. It turned out to be a techno-Korean version of Happy Birthday played over the loud speakers as a cake was brought to the table of some young women sitting near us. We applauded along with them as the music died down which, of course, they found absolutely hilarious. No sooner had we turned our attention away did the birthday girl come over with an enormous piece of cake, almost a quarter of their whole thing, to give to us.

Birthday Girl!

We thanked her profusely and dug in. Heck, it would have been rude not to right!? In exchange we sent her a birthday drink at which point we were beckoned over to take pictures with the birthday crew. We again thanked them for the cake, wished the birthday girl (at least we think it was her birthday) a happy day, and went about on our way! The Korean birthday song and shared celebration was a fantastic way to end our day of exploring Korean culture. . .kind of a melding of the past and present wouldn't you say!?

We retired rather early a) so that we could catch the subway home (which closes around midnight or before) and b) because I had to wake up early Sunday to get to my soccer game in Cheongju, a good two hour bus ride away.

Saturday morning I managed to drag myself out of bed by 9:00am, shoveling a bowl of 'frosted flakes' down my throat for sustenance before packing up my soccer gear and heading downstairs. I had intended on hoping in a cab but stopped to grab a bowl of ramyeon on the way out. . .just in case I didn't get another chance to eat before my 2:00pm game. I made it Hagye Station in due time and managed to ride Line 7 directly to the Express Bus Terminal, arriving no later than 10:30am. This I had planned on, allowing myself a solid half an hour to find the ticket booth for Cheongju.

As I arrived at my destination, I realized that there were in fact two separate terminals, both seemingly bearing the name, 'Express Bus Terminal.' Luckily, I had double checked our Han River Harriers message board the night before to find more specific directions posted by a fellow teammate, Nikki. Aside from being an excellent soccer player, Nikki has been extremely helpful in offering direction and guidance, although primarily soccer related. It was interesting too to find out that he had attended Tufts only a year or so before I did (for a semester only, thank goodness) which explains his near flawless English.

Anyways. . .Nikki noted the skepticism about finding the Cheonju ticket booth in my message board posting and kindly posted these more thorough directions....

Adam,

The Chungju ticket office is across from the huge bus complex (where the buses are sitting outside). There are 2 bus complexes at Express Bus Terminal. You have to go to the one that is NOT next to Shinsaegae.

If you get lost, just ask someone that you want to go to Cheongju and they will guide you to the correct ticket booth.

if you have any problems, call me at 010 5040 6916.
Thanks

Alas, when I arrived at the bus terminal the first thing I noticed is that I was scanning a board for destinations direction next to a sign reading 'Shinsaegae,' the place where I was not supposed to be! Even so, I found a Cheongju ticketbooth and the corresponding bus just outside. This caused my great anxiety as I was instructed to meet at 11:00am sharp so I didn't want to miss anyone or be waiting in vain in the incorrect location. With time to spare, I ran out through a couple of parking lots and across a small road to the second bus terminal where I managed to find another ticket booth for Cheongju. At this point I figured I was just plum outta luck!

A great idea then struck me; why couldn't I just continue to run back and forth between the two waiting for someone to show? It only took about two minutes to make the trip so worst comes to worse I'll meet somebody by 10:58am or so, I figured! I immediately implemented this plan and took off back towards my original station. Once again coming to the Cheongju booth and noticing the 'Shinsaegae' sign in plain sight, I started to think that this was not the place I should be waiting. . . .so I took back off across the parking lot for the second terminal, a second time!

Luckily, as I burst through the front door I was blinded by the neon teal glow of our uniform, worn proudly in full by team manager and star sweeper, Ammar! Ammar was accompanied by Martin, the bloke who introduced me to the team and then subsequently made a swift departure from DYB! The three of us waited a few more minutes for others and then decided it was time to head towards the 'gate,' or whatever you call the area that a bus leaves from!

The Han River Spitfires!
(Thanks Todd's Dad)
(P.S. Joseph to my left is on his toes and in no way is taller than I)

Coming up to the ticketbooth we found Nikki already waiting with Craig and Alex, two of our loyal Cannuk teammates. As this game required extraneous travel, the team agreed to cover players' travel costs who were willing to make the trip. In turn, Nikki, a strong leader, decided it would be best if we saved on bus fare and crowded as many people as possible in to cars. Turns out, one of the cars going had three free seats. . . uh oh! Don't get me wrong, I'm a team player but I'd much rather ride on a bus, even a dirty crowded bus (which this was not) then in a car jammed between two other players!

Nikki decided that the two shortest guys, Alex and Craig, would automatically get in the car while Martin and I were left to rock, paper, scissors it. . .the way all important decisions are made in Korea. They don't mess around with any of that silly 'best of' crap here either. . .it's simply one, two, shoot and that's that! Turn out Martin was quick on the draw and I sulkily headed off behind Nikki and the others! Luckily, just as I turned to leave, one more of the 'short guys' showed up! Nikki turned around, tossed his bag to me, and told me to wait at the ticket booth! What great timing!! Thanks to whoever that late comer was, and for my Kuhnmuench genes!

The bus ride turned out to be a great deal as I hopped on, put my headphones in and passed out! Others had warned against such a strategy as sleeping before the game could lead to lethargy but I am a sure believer otherwise. . .especially when I had to wake hours early just to get a taxi. . .to get to the station. . .to get to the buses. . . to get to Cheongju. . . to get a taxi. . . .to get to the pitch!

I awoke two hours later to find myself in the beautiful town of Cheongju. . .which looked exactly like any smaller, overdeveloped city, bursting at the seems with everything but arts and culture. . . .not quite like a stroll through Insadong! Nikki hailed a cab and the four of us bussers climbed in. . .or tried to at least!

I was the last one in the cab and apparently the driver miscounted as he lurched the car into gear and took off down a hill just as I stuck my left leg in the door. At this point instinct took over and I somehow managed to hang on to the room with one hand and the door with the other, just barely pulling myself into the cab before he lurched to a stop suddenly enough to fling me from the vehicle had I not managed to wrangle my way in. . . .that was my warm up for the day!

It had been rumored that the Cheongju field was full sized and oh how happy I was to see such a grand pitch as we pulled up to the stadium. . .yes stadium! Now I'm not talking Old Trafford here but the field was located in the center of a rather large, yet run down, stadium. The infrastructure actually reminded me more of Turkish ruins than anywhere else I've been but that might have just been because of the concrete slab seating. This actually stood in stark contrast to the relatively new looking press box area at half field that we took up as our changing room!

Cheongju Stadium from the Grandstand
(Thanks Alex)

I couldn't wait to get out on to a real sized field after a couple weeks of playing on our home pitch in Apgujeong which couldn't have been more than half the size! Although the field was turf, yes my knee through upper thigh area are still angry at me, it felt amazing to be able to just run in an open field again! Playing in Apgujeong just feels so constrained as it is almost akin to packing a full 11 v 11 match into an indoor field! I had been planning on the full field and hoped that my endurance from days of yore would prove to be a valuable asset!

75 minutes or so of playing time later (I think I only rested for the first 15 min of the game) I walked off the field content with our 1-0 victory against one of the top teams in the league! Well I didn't get the goal I had hoped for (as no non-Korean has scored yet for our team) I did put in what I felt to be a solid performance playing primarily center midfield, a position that I am notoriously bad at! I had a great time though making run after run up the middle and of course, always dropping back to cover my man on defense. I don't think I stopped running the whole game and only began to collapse with a few minutes left.

It was a great feeling to have eked out a victory, especially after traveling so far to play the game! It would have been a muuuuch longer day however if the score had been reveresed!

On the return, our bus crew managed to almost double in size as noone wanted to cram into a car, especially post game! Having 'opted out' of a free ride we had to buy our own tickets but for 6,000won, I'll take a reclining individual seat any day! We had a few minutes at the bus station before heading back so I dove into the Subway. . .as in sandwhich shop, not transportion! Now the win was great but slamming a foot long down in about five minutes was perhaps the most satisfying part of the day. . . .especially when followed by fountain Pepsi. . . with refill. . . .mmmmmmmm! It doesn't get much better than this in Korea!

I was on the bus no more than five minutes before I was again out like a light, only waking briefly during the trip to find my neighbor equally asleep but uncomfortably close. . . I though about moving him but figured the closer he got the worse I had to smell and that he would be moving in no time. . .this happened almost immediately after I thought it!

I was kindly wakend two hours later by my teammates as we pulled into the Express Bus Terminal from which I found my way in to the subway and back up Line 7 to Hagye Station, arriving at around 8:00pm. I had a great time over all and to be honest, the win was definintely worth the 11 hour journey!

After each of our games, Martin kindly takes the time to offer a full game recap on our message board that is followed by a poll on which the team selects the "Man of the Match." Well, it sure felt great to check the message board a few days later to find that I had received top honors for my Sunday performance (and no, I did not cast myself the deciding vote)!! As I said, I didn't get that goal but I sure played solid and ran my little (or half, to be more precise) heart out! Guess that just goes to show that hard work can get ya something at least! I'm still holding out for the first way-guk goal though. . .my odds are 5-1. . .second highest on the team! I'll let you know how that goes!

Man O' the Match!

And so. . .that was last weekend's adventure. . . now. . .to get to the week that followed. . .and oh. . .what a week it was!