The fall here has been beautiful. Everyone said that we would love the fall here, and they were right. The colors are gorgeous and the rain fall is light, thus more often than not you can bundle up and venture outside to enjoy the cold sunshine through the leaves.
I'm thankful for the beauty of my area.
A few weekends ago we wander across Seoul with some friends to explore new areas and foods. We started with subway food. Though I can't remember the name, I can say that the custard-filled balls of dough were a tasty treat after our subway ride to Anguk St.
In a neighborhood near Insadong, another neighborhood that is a popular tourist spot, we found great shopping, little alleyways, lots of street food, and beautiful buildings. Everything felt crisp, clean, and busy.
We even found a free art studio open to the public. They were featuring the works of a Dutch artist. Alex found them quite interesting. Here is one example.
At times Alex and I felt we were wandering throughout the Pearl District of Portland. It didn't exactly look like the Pearl, and naturally there were many differences, but we felt happy nonetheless. Perhaps we are still a little homesick for Portland.
We found strange art everywhere, I suppose. Alex liked all of it.
We saw this tiny restaurant and had a take a picture. Consider that the past four months has felt like an experiment in both life and food, I'd say this is more than appropriate (despite the name spelling).
Later on in our evening we found a marvelous, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that took us quite a while to locate. But once we did, it proved to be a delicious way to warm our hands after our cold afternoon.
Then we found dinner. I regret to say that I have forgotten the name of this dish as well, but it was absolutely amazing! We have had only a few such experiences with food since our arrival.
Then we walked along the stream in the middle of Seoul where the Lantern Festival was located. For many city blocks these lanterns were set up and lit on top of stands in the stream as a way of celebrating both the tradition of lanterns and the history of Korea. It was pretty amazing.
At the end of our night, on our way to Itaewon, Magpie Brewery, and a round of Portland-style beer, we walked past the new Seoul City Hall. The building you see in front is the old building. The glass building behind it was recently finished. Look closely at the right side - the entire wall is curved.
I love cities.
