Insadong

The other day I met my friend Jude in Itaewon in Seoul. We had a lovely brunch (which is a real rarity in Korea) then we went to Insadong. Now, Insadong is the most historical/touristy part of Seoul. I'd never been, but it was quite a nice place to go. So, here are some nice snap shots of the area. I hope you enjoy.

Here is a guy pounding on rice to make rice cake. Now, these cakes all look nice, but the taste ranges from nothing to God awful. Well, enjoy.

Here is a street vendor selling little sweet cakes with sweet bean paste inside. They're quite tastey. If you visit, I'll get you some.

We walked around this strange little mall. The whole thing was one giant ramp that went around and around, up several stories. The shops all sold artsy handi-crafts and boutique stuff. Nothing I'd buy, but it was fun to look around. They also had lots of Korean hanbok (traditional dress) hanging up in the court yard. So, here's some shots of that.

Here's a strange sign that was in the mall. What does this mean exactly? I love it when Koreans try to get creative with English and it just doesn't come off quite right.

Now is the year of the pig. Well, here's a calendar that was on sale. It was a bit pricey, otherwise I would have bought it. I love the catch phrase of the calendar, "the friendly fatty of the Korean subconscious."

Now, lastly, in Insadong I bought a "love stick." That is the Korean name for it. It's a bambook stick that is for hitting children and students. Isn't that precious? On it is burned the phrase "I love you so I hit you" in Korean.