May 22nd - Palace and Museum

Because we were out late last night, today was a bit shorter and less intensive with the walking. We got lunch at one of the restaurants run by they Jogyesa temple people, so it was completely vegetarian (monks have to eat it too). It was good though, the soy bulgogi looked and tasted like real meat, so I appreciated that.

We also painted mandaras with one of the monks and had tea with another. I painted a flower and it was green, yellow, and blue. The monk came up to us and interpreted our paintings and styles for us. She told me that by looking at my painting I am a calm, passive, non-aggressive person, which I'd agree with. She also told me I lack direction in my life, which I feel like is also true, but true for everyone in some sense. She also told me I should become a monk. I don't want to become a monk.

painting mandaras

The same monk had tea with us, which was very interesting. She showed us how to drink the tea, what to do with our hands, and how to sit properly at the tea table. I have bad posture, so I feel like I lacked in that department. She said normally monks drink three cups of tea, but every time I finished, she kept pouring more, so I ended up drinking a lot even though I don't even really like tea, because I think it tastes almost like water, though that's beside the point. After infinite cups of tea, we headed to the lunch I described earlier, then walked to Gyeongbokgung palace.

where we had tea

The palace was quite lively, considering that it's very artificial. The site has a history, though. The old palace that was actually built in the Joseon Dynasty did exist, but it was eventually destroyed by burning. This newer palace is built to look like Joseon-style palaces, though, and it was still very beautiful. We sat for a while looking at the architecture, but there wasn't much to see really once you finished appreciating the history and architecture.

behind is bugak mountain, which we climbed before

When we left, we saw the changing of the guard ceremony outside the tower. I would upload a short video I took, but my computer is too slow, so you'll have to settle for a picture instead. The guards were very colorful and sported fake goatees, because many Asian men don't really grow out their facial hair. The ceremonial motions were accompanied by a large, booming drum, and men in colorful robes with leaves and branches sticking out of their hats. The ceremony went as you'd imagine. Some guards left the front gate, other guards came in through another, and four were dropped off at the front of the palace to stand motionless in the heat for a few hours.

changing the guards

We also had a very funny experience in the palace. There were many tour groups, including students and Chinese tourists. We were pretty tired, so we were just sitting, but we also tried talking to some of the people around us, and before long, the Chinese tourists were kind of swarming us, along with the middle-school age Korean boys and girls practicing their English and complementing one of us on our looks. If there was ever a time to pretend to be a celebrity, that was it.

their "mission" was to practice english

After we left, we went to the Seoul National History Museum, which had exhibits on Seoul and its development from past to present. It was interesting to see the panoramic shots of the city before and after Seoul's rabid urban development. Some landmarks that were easily visible, like Myeongdong Cathedral, were easily hidden in the jungle of skyscrapers post-development. I personally like the various tiny models of different styles of architecture and landmarks around Korea. There were a lot of dollhouse-esque models that I find really appealing to look at.

seoul - before and after

I split off with Spencer and Nadia and we went to Myeongdong to do some shopping, then we ended the day eating some pasta at Blacksmith's, a popular Italian restaurant around here. It was delicious. In the late evening, we walked around Samcheongdong, which is another area popular for dates and couples. It's filled with quaint cafes and flower shops, cobblestone roads and benches. There are also places to just grab food with friends, too. We also got to walk through a residential area and see the style of houses there, which are older in an architectural sense, but still nice looking and in a nice neighborhood. We also dropped by the Hello Kitty cafe, which is very pink. The coffees people ordered had hello kitty drawn in the foam, and the waffe Adjanni ordered was shaped like Hello Kitty's head. It was a bit of a cuteness overload, to be honest, and cute things don't normally bother me.

chairs, table, decor - all hello kitty

Now, it's almost 1AM and I need to sleep because we have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Good night!