Early Thanksgiving

-A street in Hongdae-

  Chuseok is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. Just about every culture has a harvest festival, as it is a very important time of year. Its not something developed cultures have to worry about now, with our GMOs and factory farms, but it used to be that a poor crop would be devastating to a community. This brings to mind a common Korean greeting I've heard a few times now-- "Have you eaten today?" Sometimes it is changed to "Have you eaten rice today?" on account of traditionally eating rice with every meal, but it is a reminder of a time when people used to ask another had they eaten, because some would have answered no. I think that I am most thankful for never needing to experience the true meaning of Hunger.

  I had quite a long weekend, and used it to meet up with some friends I have made in the last few weeks. Before I go into the specifics of which, I will briefly mention how I have completely come around on the idea social media the past week or so. In college, when I had to walk outside to see someone who I could speak the same language with, I never really understood the use of having a Facebook account. It's a way of keeping in constant contact with friends, which is why I've kept it until now. Its supposed to be a way of meeting new people, but that's seemed absurd to me because the only people I've 'met' before on Facebook are spambots.

-I don't even know-

  Now, though, I am in a place where I do not speak the language, and I would have no idea how to do much of anything without completely abusing the generosity of the English speakers who employ me. It's pretty neat how friendly foreigners are here, and willing to meet up to do random things.

-The Supposed 'Bear Fucker'-

  Back on topic, this weekend I was quite busy. Before heading out, I had a Bear Fucker, which I thought sounded more manly than it ended up being. After looking it up, I'm pretty sure they did it entirely wrong and I'm pretty sure they just gave me wine. I'm not looking anything about it up on Google because, well, you can imagine.

-Wishes tied to this monument will be burned for luck. Korean Folk Village-

  I went to Insadong again, which is a classic attraction in Seoul, with a lot of neat shops and a really weird take on ice cream cones. One thing I'm continually on the lookout for is getting some wooden masks as a souvenir. I really find masks fascinating, but I've seen the same designs in different places, which tells me the ones I am seeing are mass-produced. That's pretty much to be expected, but the problem is that I'm sure they mark it up for those who think they are genuinely handmade. If I'm going to pay that price, I'd like the real thing. At another market, I took a tour of some of the more out-there foods. I'm not sure I'll ever sit down at a place that has a deflated pigs face sitting on its counter. I'll pass on eating cheeks and eyes, thank you. When we settled into a booth all I could really manage was to eat the egg-covered zucchini slices. It's not quite The Jungle, but I couldn't hold back a chuckle when the lady serving us gave us an open water bottle with bits of greasy food all over the upper half of it. At least she trusted us enough to hand us hers.

  There was also an old district of Seoul I visited, with many traditional houses, or hanok. Most similar areas have been demolished, especially in Seoul, and it was very impressive seeing this old and beautiful architecture all crammed together, and there were some nice views. We also went to a noraebong, a karaoke bar where you rent your own private room and share your love of singing and probably drinking. It was quite a high-class place, so walking through the hallways and listening to the tortured, boozed-up singing ringing off the walls made me think I was in a deleted scene of The Shining.

-Jongmyo-

  The last stop on Friday was Jongmyo. This royal shrine was really awe-inspiring, for the fact that the main shrine is massive. There would be food offerings laid at the top of the steps for the royal ancestors, and that would have been a sight to see. It is much larger in person than as it looks in the picture. Leading up to each of the shrines were stone pathways, which guests were not supposed to walk on, as they were meant for the spirits. Of course, people did it anyways. I wonder if there was any sort of punishment for people who did this when it was first built.

-Silkworm cocoons!!-

  The next day I returned to Yongin and went to the Korean Folk Village. This was absolutely the most fun I've had in Korea so far. For only about $15 there was a myriad of things to do and see. Of course it is pretty touristy, as something with that name can only be. However there was a nice, informative (and most importantly in English) museum that led visitors through the holidays and everyday life of a Korean village. I saw silkworm cocoon threading for the first time, and I badly want to go back and shamelessly ask, can I touch it, please please please?

  The main attraction of the place is the many traditional houses from all over Korea, and each has a little information about how the people who built it lived. The clothing looked coarse as sandpaper, and each region had their own unique materials for roofing, from stone to bark. There were also a number of other things, like a tightrope artist, an impressive routine of dancing and music that I can't even describe, and too many other things to fit here. I can't wait to go back and see other things that I missed. There is some traditional tea which interests me, and what is called the 'Korean B-Boy Experience' which we missed by just two days. I am certain that there will be many fascinating insights into these traditional B-Boys and their culture...

  Hypothetical readership, is there any thing you would like to see me do or learn about in Korea? I don't have an excess of free time, but I'd like to see as much of Korea as I can, or at least do something creative while I'm here. I'm thinking of going to a jimjebong, even though it terrifies me, mostly because it seems like an experience I won't get anywhere else.

  This is the cutest puppy I've ever seen, and he greets me from a nearby apartment just about every day when I go to work and when I come home. No idea if he's supposed to be here or not.