One of the most interesting cultural observations of this trip, however, was the amount of interracial couples relaxing on the grass, listening to live music, and shading their faces from the sun.
In terms of architecture, this park was clearly built with awareness of effects of the industrial age, and can only be reached via an impressive arched walking bridge.
I enjoyed finishing up the palaces tours as well. One of my favorite palaces was the Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon. Huwon means "secret garden," and is a huge expanse of land located behind the main palace buildings. Although Christina and I missed the english speaking tour of the Huwon, we toured the area with about fifty or so Koreans (the only way to view the garden is via tour).
Once in the garden I completely forgot that I was in the middle of a bustling city. Inside the palaces walls and within the forest there are no sounds of the city to be heard. The mirrored pools reflect the trees, whose leaves rustle with the wind. When in Huwon, it was easy for me to imagine what it must have been like for the royal families of Korea a thousand years ago.
The picture to the left is the main throne/receiving room of changdeokgung Palace.
Once in the garden I completely forgot that I was in the middle of a bustling city. Inside the palaces walls and within the forest there are no sounds of the city to be heard. The mirrored pools reflect the trees, whose leaves rustle with the wind. When in Huwon, it was easy for me to imagine what it must have been like for the royal families of Korea a thousand years ago.
The picture to the left is the main throne/receiving room of changdeokgung Palace.
I don't remember what this soup was called… which, surprisingly, really bothers me, as it was by far the most delicious food I have had in korea yet. It was a perfect combination of flavor when combined with kimchi and salad. I'm actually becoming hungry while writing this…
We went and got dinner in Itaewon after spending time figuring out how to transfer subway lines from line 2 to line 6. I didn't find Itaewon as interesting as I had hoped, however there were many foreigners!
Perhaps sunday night isn't the best time to visit… I'll have to go back sometime with in the next three months!
We went and got dinner in Itaewon after spending time figuring out how to transfer subway lines from line 2 to line 6. I didn't find Itaewon as interesting as I had hoped, however there were many foreigners!
Perhaps sunday night isn't the best time to visit… I'll have to go back sometime with in the next three months!
Last weekend working with Kee San was interesting! However, I'm looking forward to working with Jae Hak this upcoming week and finally starting on water striders! Today we learned how to catch and feed them, however… I'll finish this thought in a separate research post.
That's it for this week! Happy reading!
That's it for this week! Happy reading!