Buses in Seoul

There are some type of bus in Seoul. If you want to get around Seoul or want go to other suburban area or maybe you want to explore some of metropolitan satelite cities near Seoul area, you may know this info. Seoul bus can be devided with different kinds of colors, they are :

Green Bus operates in downtown of Seoul. You can find this kind of bus and it connects you to residential areas, subway lines and bus terminals. The green color stands for the mountains surrounding the city.


                         

Blue Bus will connect from downtown of Seoul to suburban area. The blue color represents Seoul’s skyline and Hangang (River) to symbolize security and freedom.


                         

Red Bus or can be said as an express bus, is a convenient bus which connects people who live in neighboring cities. This bus serves routes between major areas (downtown, Gangnam, Yeongdeungpo, etc) and metropolitan satellite cities (Ilsan, Bundang, Uijeongbu, etc). The color red exudes energy of speed.

                       

Yellow Bus operates in downtown of Seoul and will connect you to tourist spots, shopping and business area. Yellow simbolize for dynamic and friendly image.

                       

Gift Wrapping with Bojagi !

Image by Youngmin Lee

Bojagi Artist

www.youngminlee.com

What did Korean moms usually do in their spare time ? in the past times, Korean moms like to make a bojagi. Bojagi is one of Korean traditional craft, made from pieces of unused fabrics usually in small cutting pieces and sewing them one by one into one layered useful things. This activities still continue until now and many people are interesting to learn how to make a bojagi. I can say Bojagi is one of Korean beauty made from mommy’s love.
Bojagi usually used as a daily household equipment or as a gift wrapping. Bojagi also can be used for a gift wrapping from a groom to the bride on the wedding day with special accessories or as a gift wrapping for friends, relatives or inlaws.
                                         

Eastern Asia including Japan, Korea and other countries usually use this kind of gift wrapping method. Using fabric as a wrapping is ecologically friendly and can be used frequently.

If you come to Korea and getting around at the tourist spots, there are some galleries in Insadong which provide the workshop of Bojagi or Bojagi gift wrapping workshop.

The oldest stone bridge in Seoul, the Geumcheongyo bridge

                             
                                        The oldest stone bridge in Seoul, the Geumcheongyo bridge

Geumcheongyo (Bridge) located in Changdeokgung Palace was built over the stream that sprang from the north and encircled "Oedang" which means the outer buildings of the palace. The bridge, 12.9m/42.3 ft long and 12.5m/41 ft wide, was constructed in 1411. The banks of the stream are made up of long rectangular stones.

                                         

Geumcheongyo is one of the oldest stone bridge to remain in Seoul today. The structure of bridges is as follows: two arches, and a mythical carved animal called "Haetae" to the south and a turtle statue called "Hyeonmu" to the north, in the middle of the arches.

"Haetae"

                             

Behind these statues, a monster, which is said to ward off evil spirits, is carved on the lateral side of the base where the two arches meet. On the both sides of the bridge have balustrades. The balustrades are composed of stone pillars with animal-shaped figures on the top, balusters, and flat stones with wind holes.

Especially the lotus petal design on the balusterades, the statues in the shape of animal heads at the foot of each baluster, and a mighty mythical animal statue, called "Haetae", on top of the last baluster is very charming. This bridge is arched with the rise in the middle.

                       

Hongdae Free Market

                                                            Hongdae Free Market !

                           

The market was established in 2002 as a cultural event during the Korea-Japan World Cup and has been held continuously thereafter.One of Seoul’s popular area for the young, hip,artistic and cultural hubs, Hongdae (Hongik University) offers more than a vibrant nightlife, nice restaurants and cozy coffee shops. Every Saturday, Hongdae’s ‘Playground’ (the recreation ground in front of the main entrance to Hongik University) becomes a marketplace where young artists display their creative artwork and a performance venue for Korean indie bands.

                             

Looking for a unique souvenir or gift, the 'Hongdae Free Market' is definitely one of the best places to visit. Items displayed at the free market are all handmade original creations. Thus, most of them are very unique items that are not readily available in other places. Some of the creations on display at the market include hand-painted shoes, bags, hats and t-shirts; silver jewelry and ceramic accessories, postcards and many more.

                               
                               
To presenting handmade creations, the free market also offers creative workshops and free live performances on different corners of the recreation ground. The creative workshops allow visitors to learn arts and crafts, including drawing and sewing among others; while the open stage program, called ‘Afternoon  Stage’, includes dance shows, live gigs and performance art.

If you are interested in participating: take a look around the market first to grasp a feel of what the atmosphere is like, judge whether your work is appropriate or not, and then contact the organizers for registration. Registration is for the participant and the products to be sold, so you must have a portfolio or samples to present. The organizers hold the right to deny registrations if they decide the products are unfit for the event.

For more info visit http://www.freemarket.or.kr

What to gift on Korean Cultural Ceremony's

What to gift on Korean Cultural Ceremony's

Buying gifts in any part of the world is always hard. Luckily, you don’t have to think too much when you’re in Korea. Korean culture will tell you what presents to buy for Korean weddings, house warmings, birthdays, and traditional Korean holidays. These traditional Korean gifts will impress your friends and family, and also make them happy.

**Gifts for Korean Weddings**

Just like most countries in Asia, when you go to a wedding in Korea, cash is the expected gift.Traditionally, gifts for Korean weddings are not of even numbers. Cash gifts for Korean newly weds typically come in odd numbers (30,000, 50,000, 70,000 won) as odd numbers represent good luck. The whole odd/even thing don’t matter so much once you reach a nice round number of 100,000 won!

축의금 (Chukuigeum) – Congratulatory money 




**Korean House Warming Gifts** 

Housewarmings in Korea, called jibdeuli (집들이), are nice fun little gatherings with friends, family, food and of course gifts. The traditional gifts to bring to housewarmings in Korea are rolls of toilet paper and laundry detergent. Back in the day when Korea was pretty dang poor, toilet paper and detergent were pricy items that not every household could afford. In addition to that, the bubbles produced by the detergent and the length of the sheets of toilet paper represented prosperity. This is a bit old school though. Some chic and trendy Korean peeps might like a bottle of wine instead.

**First Birthday Party Gifts** 

Baby’s first birthday party, called doljanchi.Although these days, parents are totally cool if you bring clothes or toys for their kid, the traditional gift for a baby’s first birthday party in Korea are tiny cute baby gold rings for cute little baby fingers. If you’re fashion savvy, gold anything would be extremely appreciated.if you can’t afford the bling, just go with cash.
(금반지 Gold Ring)

**Seollal and Chuseok Gifts **

Seollal (설날) is the lunar new year.

On Seollal lots of people drink alcohol to bring in the good luck (called 음복술/eumboksul). Although it’s not necessarily a traditional gift, your Korean hosts would appreciate some traditional Korean alcohols.

Chuseok (추석) is the celebration of the harvest. So the old school Korean gift to give is good food! Fruit is a common gift, but we aiin’t talking no 1,000 won apples off a back of a truck here. Get the big box of Korean pears or the mega apples. If you want to get them beef, Korean hanu (한우) beef is a common gift.

Gyeongchip : Day of Awakening from Hibernation

[경칩 /Gyeongchip : Day of Awakening from Hibernation]
Today, March 6th is Gyeongchip, the day that Koreans believe frogs awaken from their winter sleep. Also, known as “Day of Awakening from Hibernation” and is the 3rd out of the 24 solar terms in the Jeolgi Calendar. Gyeongchip is on the 74th day after the winter solstice, when the sun is at the ecliptic longitude of 345 degrees and indicates the start of spring.

The two characters “gyeong” and “chip” mean “surprise” and “hiding,” referring to the term of the time of year when the frogs, snakes, and insects begin singing, chirping, and peeping again. The “hiding” refers to the fact that the insects hide in the ground throughout the winter, and the “surprise” comes from the traditional idea that the first thunder of the year peals on this day and the insects come out from the ground in surprise at the noise.

A custom associated with Gyeongchip was hunting for frog or salamander eggs in rice paddy fields, ponds, and ditches. There was a belief that consuming those eggs would keep one healthy throughout the year. Gyeongchip was also considered a day on which all work associated with dirt could be done successfully so people repaired walls in their mud-plastered houses or built mud fences, even if there was no real need to do so, as this repair work was believed to eliminate bedbugs from the house. 

On Gyeongchip Koreans also tried to predict the success of farming in the year ahead by looking at how well barley had germinated by this day.Another related custom was drinking sap from the trunks of maple trees as this was believed to have healing benefits for gastric disorders and intestinal diseases. The maple sap had to be collected on a clear day because, according to a popular belief, cloudy or windy weather would spoil the positive energy of this day. Past Gyeongchip, the amount of sap available in a maple tree dwindles sharply and the sap was thought to lose its healing quality. Therefore it was critical to collect the sap on the day of Gyeongchip.

Korean Traditional Table Settings

                                         Korean Traditional Table Settings

The most basic table setting of a traditional Korean Food table is called space development table. This setting is where all the food is placed on top of the table all at once. According to the staple food, a table can be divided into many different groups. bansang, is a table consisting mainly of rice and side dishes, juksang, is a table composed of soups, myunsang, is a table with noodles, jooansang, is a table designed especially to drink alcohol with appetizer, dagwasang, which is a table for deserts, and gyojasang, which is a very large table for dining.

1-Bansang Table Setting
Bansang is the most basic table setting of Korean Food. It is mainly composed of rice and the side dishes are placed according to the recipes, ingredients, color, temperature, and other factors. There are also different types of bansang, according to how many plates, or ‘cheop’ in korean, are placed on the table. There can be a 3 cheop-bansang, 5 cheop-bansang, 7 cheop-bansang, 9 cheop-bansang, and 12 cheop-bansang.

                         

2-Juksang Table Setting
Juksang is when the staple food is soups. This table setting should consist of side dishes which are not spicy or salty. Nabak kimchi (radish water kimchi), small slices of dried pollack, and Jeotguk jjigae (salted-fish soup) would be good side dishes to place on a juksang.



                             

3-Myungsang Table Setting
Noodles, tteokguk, mandu are the staple foods for this table setting. It is used when eating simple lunch or dinner.
   
                               


4-Jooansang Table Setting
This table setting is placed to serve alcohol. Yuk po, Uh po, and other dry snacks, such as:　jeon, pyeonyuk, jjim, jeongol, saengchae, kimchi, fruits, tteok, and Korean biscuits.

5-Dagwasang Table Setting

       

This table setting is used when drinking tea or other beverages. Side dishes such as : yumil, yugwa, dasik (a patterned candy made of sesame, chestnut, greenpea flour, and honey), suksilgwa (stewed fruits), and fruits.

6-Gyojsang Table Setting

This table setting is done during traditional holidays, when there are a lot of people that have to eat.

Korean Spring Festivals You Shouldn’t Miss!

                                           Korean Spring Festival's You Shouldn't Miss !
         
                         

Spring is coming! Spring is coming! As the end of winter approaches and people across Korea start to shed their many warm layers in favor of lighter brightly colored pieces of clothing, the streets start to fill up with everyone who had hidden away and the search begins for outdoor events to enjoy. There are certainly plenty of things to see from flowers blooming to miraculous seas parting. Where will you go this spring?

                    Gurye Sansuyu Festival 구례산수유축제                                                                                    MARCH 22, 2014 – MARCH 30, 2014
           

The beautiful yellow Sansuyu, or Japanese Dogwood, flowers blanket the Jirisan mountain range and visitors to the area in the spring can partake in sansuyu makkoli tasting while watching traditional dances, rites and musical performances. If Gurye is a bit too far for you, there is a smaller, but no less fun,Sansuyu Festival. Try some sansuyu pancakes, makkoli and soup and play some traditional Korean games with a beautiful yellow backdrop.

           Jindo Miracle Sea Road 진도 신비의 바닷 축제                                  MARCH 30, 2014 – APRIL 2, 2014
                 
This is not the festival for those looking for an easy weekend getaway but for those that choose the trek, it is definitely worth it. Set down in the southwest corner of the country, Jindo offers up a spectacular event centered on what some call a miracle akin to the Moses sea parting. The waves part and on the muddy road that connects the mainland to an island 2.8 kilometers off the coast spectators don thigh high galoshes and head out to scrounge for shellfish, find star fish and just enjoy the generally awesome event. Concerts and good eats on the shore keep visitors busy while the path is wet.

                    Cherry Blossom Festivals  

              

Spring would not be complete without cherry blossom festivals and there is sure to be one near you. Here are just a few, find the nearest one near you! but expect to see these flowers blooming in April.

1. 

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival : (April 1, 2014 – April 10, 2014): This is the largest cherry blossom festival in the country and not only celebrates the blossoming of spring but also celebrates the Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

2. Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival : ‘The 10ri Cherry Blossom Road’ is the draw for this festival. 10 ri equals approximately 4.5 kilometers of cherry blossoms to enjoy and it is said if lovers walk down this road holding hands they will live happily together forever.

3. Gyeongpo Cherry Blossom Festival : Gyeongpo has a 4.3 kilometer long walk around a gorgeous lake that is lined with cherry blossoms and that’s not the only thing worth a visit, the beach that sits just beyond the lake is gorgeous as well. There are various cultural events and flower exhibitions

4. Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival : If you have no time to get out of the city, a popular place to head to welcome the spring with cherry blossom festivals is Yeouido. Around 1,500 cherry blossom trees bloom and the roads are blocked to traffic to allow visitors full access. An added bonus is that these flowers are lit up at night, so enjoy the flowers from day into night this spring.

                           Nonsan Strawberry Festival 논산딸기축제

                                                        APRIL 2, 2014 – APRIL 6, 2014

Who doesn’t like filling their bellies with delicious strawberries? The Nonsan Strawberry festival is the place to do that and more. Sculptures of strawberries and strawberry displays greet visitors to fair grounds where they can buy strawberry jams, strawberry hot sauce, strawberry pancakes and many more delicious strawberry delicacies as well as partake in mask making, painting and more, but the highlight by far is hopping aboard one of the shuttle buses and heading out to the strawberry fields where you can pick and eat strawberries to your bellies content.

                                   Gijisi Juldarigi Festival 기지시 줄다리기축제

                                                   

Have you ever wanted to participate ina massive tug-of-war? If your answer is yes then you should head to Dangjin this spring. From February 1st of the Lunar calendar the rope for the festivities begins to be spun from straw. The main rope measures in at 200 meters in length and 1.8cm in diameter and weighs up to 40 tons. When I said massive, I meant it! Anyone can take part in this festival that wishes for a good harvest and prosperity

                            Gwangalli Eobang Festival 광안리 어방축제

                                                      

                                                   

Not that you need an excuse to head down to Busan, but if you want a fun festival while you’re there, here’s one. The Gwangalli Eobang Festival celebrates the coming of spring and the ocean with bare-hand fishing, cooking contests and lots of good food to eat. Be sure to visit the nearby fish market where you can choose your own fish to eat for dinner and then head back to the beach to watch the bridges light up the night sky.

                                      Chuncheon International Mime Festival
                                                           춘천 국제마임축제

                                         
This festival that takes place just a hop, skip and a jump outside of Seoul is eight days of performances by Korean and international teams. There is not only miming, but also music, dance, installation art and short films for the enjoying pleasure of visitors. This festival is the perfect way to head into the summer music and art festival fun that is sure to come.

                                     So Which Festival You Would Like to Enjoy !!

Table Manners in Korea Culture

                                                   Table Manners in Korea Culture
                                                                                                                                                                                            

 Table Manners in Korea Culture means respecting the elderly & Cherishing the food served !

The following information on table manners is from an excerpt of a document, written in the 1700s, by Lee Duk Moo. Table manners are divide into three parts: before eating, during eating, and after eating.

It is best to consume the foo, immediately after it is presented. This is because the food can lose its heat and cool down. Also, dust can rest on the food if it is not eaten right away. Thus, even if you are busy, try to consume the food right away. There is a Korean saying that expresses the fact that you do not eat your food right away. It is ‘your soft-boiled bap is made for you.’ Also, a table where the food is not consumed immediately is called a “table without incense.” You should also never let someone wait for you before eating.

Even if you are angry, you should never thump your spoon or chopsticks on the table. You should not sigh, while eating. Also, even if the rice or soup is hot, you should never blow on it. Never beat your chopsticks on the table and the spoon should not make any sound when it touches a plate.

Once you are done eating, you must organize your spoon and chopsticks so that they do not go over the boundaries of the table. This is done to prevent the falling of the spoon and chopsticks, when taking the table away. You should always keep in hand a toothpick, to take out the food that is stuck between your teeth. This can also prevent bad smell from your mouth.

                                              *************Happy Eating *************

Woosoo - spring rains in Korea

우수 : 24 Jeolgi’s Woosoo

                                                    
The Korean Lunar Calendar incorporates seasonal divisions of 24 절기 (Jeolgi), or the “turning points of the season” which lasts for 15 days for each term. Jeolgi is seasonal cycle became a timetable for agriculture created by the ancient Koreans to help take care of crops at the right time throughout the year.

Today is February 19, 2014, which marks the day of “우수” or Woosoo on the 24 Jeolgi term. Woosoo is in-between Ipchun, “the beginning of spring” and Gyungchip, which is the season when frogs wake up from their winter sleep. 봄비 내리고 싹이 틈 (bom-bee nae-ri-go ssak-ee teum) or “spring rains fall and the buds break in” is a saying for the Woosoo term which means that the spring rains on Wosoo encourages the plants to start growing again.

우수 뒤에 얼음같이 (woosoo dwee-ae uh-reum-gat-ee) or “Behind Woosoo is like Ice” is a proverb to describe Woosoo. This means that whatever is behind “Woosoo” will slowly start to melt even though it feels like it is freezing because of the spring frot. There is also another proverb “우수 경칩에 대동강 풀린다” (woosoo gyungchip-ae daedongkang pul-lean-da) means that after Woosoo and Gyungchip pass no matter how cold the weather may be, spring is coming and begin softening the ground for planting.