Day 1: Gyeongbok Palace & Dongdaemun Market
Posing with the Palace Guards.
Switching of the guards ceremony.
I can’t help but think of that part of the The Wizard of Oz
The King’s throne.
- Snake (1989) & Dragons (1988)
- 1960’s Korea
- Children’s museum
The Harems’ Quarters at the Secret Garden.
Shamanistic prayer rocks and wooden sculpture to fend off bad spirits.
Approaching The Blue House, where the Korean presidents live.
- Dongdaemun, The North Gate
- Cheonggyecheon Stream
To market.
I can’t use metal chopsticks. I need the wooden ones. More friction to hold on to all the slimy food.
Hansu reloading his subway card.
- Safety walls
Culture Shocks of the Day:
1. Underground shopping malls in the subway!
2. Designated NONsmoking areas of shops and restaurants
3. People recharge their metro cards diligently rather than buying one each trip
4. Subway stations have a fixed wall to keep passengers from doing things like this
5. Not many conveniences for the disabled (wheel chair accessibility etc.) you have to walk at least one story to get on an elevator
6. “Free Size” (00) is the standard clothing size for women and often the only size in the store
