Hanboks for Chusok!!

For Chusok, the Korean Thanksgiving we wore traditional clothes to work called Hanboks. All of our pre-school kids were dressed up too, and we spent the whole morning with them playing traditional games, making rice cakes (Songpyeon) and learning more about this fabulous holiday. It was so much fun!! :)

Itaewon - Friend or Foe?

Itaewon is an area of Seoul where most foreigners feel the need to visit from time to time. The reason for this is it's filled with lots of foreign restaurants, foreign shops and of course foreigners!! I view this touristy part of the city as sort of a necessary evil because when you are craving ANYTHING other than kimchi and rice.....it definitely hits the spot!! We had an awesome Indian dinner and bought some things from home that we have been really missing.

p.s. The photo above was not taken in Itaewon. It's from the park on our way to the subway :)

Traditonal Korean Folk Museum

To get my cultural fix, I met Miky at the Traditional Folk Museum in Seoul. We had a wonderful lunch together then walked along a seemingly endless fortress wall to find the entrance to the museum. Inside the main gates, there were beautiful views of Gyeongbokgung palace, the mountains and an ancient temple.

Once we were inside the museum, we watched a traditional Korean folk dance in a small theater. Several performers danced and played music on stage in vibrant costumes. After the performance, we wandered through several exhibit halls filled with life size displays from years past. Some of them dated back as far as the Joseon dynasty over 500 years ago! It was a fascinating way to bring Korean history to life and to see the evolution of traditions to present day.

Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Seoul ^_^//

Enjoy the photos......more to come soon!! :)