April Trip to Seoul

[Sorry to anyone who received any random emails from spicyfishy the other day.  Was a test gone wrong Please forgive me.. ]

Two weekends ago Kate and I went to Seoul for a Gustav Klimt Exhibit.  We left Friday night after school and headed off to the big city for 2 nights.  We packed a lot into our time and here are a few pictures from our adventures.  

We met up with some friends in Itaewon for a farewell dinner as they headed off for new adventures the next day.   Got there a lot later than we wanted to due to a longer than usual bus ride and some misread subway signs, but we made it nonetheless.  Luckily we had no plans for Saturday so we got to sleep in and recover from the long week at school and travels.   

We had a few goals for the weekend – Go to the Klimt exhibit, look at prices on DSLR cameras, Shop for some new clothes, and maybe go to see a show or ballet.  We accomplished all this and more!

Saturday was spent shopping like crazy in Myeong-dong and Namdaemoon.  We had never been to this area but really loved it!  Lots of great stores and interesting clothes as well as some standards like the Gap, Forever 21 (for Kate), Nike, Addidas, and an unexpected American Apparel.  Aside from American Apparel we ended up getting most of our new swag at korean stores, but it was fun to go to familiar stores.  From there we headed over to Namdaemoon for some Camera Shopping.  Enter the pictures…. – right after I bought my Canon Kiss F (Japanese model of the Rebel Xti/400D)!!!  I got a great deal on a used model – got him to throw in a stabilized lens, a case, screen/lens protectors, extra battery and a 4gb memory card!  I’m really happy with it.  Here is what it can do … and be sure to checkout all the pictures from the trip here.

This is the shop where I bought my camera.  It’s part of this mega camera mall with lots of small shops.  Fun to browse – a pain to actually buy though, as everyone is trying to get your business and trying to undersell each other.  I probably could have gotten an even better deal, but didn’t feel like dealing with other people. :) 

 

First shot with the Camera.. Natural lighting with the sunset right behind me.  Looks like a bright flash but there wasn’t. 

 

More test shots.. and pretty Kate :) 

 

 

Like the lens flare? Hah 

  

more… I was excited!

 

Fountain Square north of Namdaemoon Market in Seoul. 

 

Random Subway stop (trying some indoor shots)

 

 

A cultural center near our hostel near the Anguk Station in Insadong. 

 

This is my spy shot of the Ballet, La Bayadère on Saturday night.  It was at the Seoul Arts Center and was a lot of fun.  Shortly after this shot I got told not to take any more.. hence why it’s blurry.  

Check out Kate’s new blog for her review of the performance!

 

The foyer of the Opera Hall at the Seoul Arts Center

 

more… me playing with my camera :) 

 

The exterior.. 

 

I like these… :) 

 

That family thought I was pretty weird. :) 

 

Kate and I went to a really upclass area of Seoul after the Ballet (only appropriate right?) and had dinner (a snack really) at a really swanky place called “the Gorilla in the Kitchen” (I don’t know either…).  

It was interesting.. but quite a nice wind-down from the day.  

 

You can see the modern design of the restaurant and the 10,000 won house red.

 

 

Me pretending to be swanky.  Kate trying to get a shot of my wine glass and the blood pressure testing machine behind me.  It was a health concious swanky restaurant… I think :) 

 

 

Kate had some sort of secret… 

 

 

This is our … pizza.  wait what?!

 

 

and again.. what?!  Luckily it tasted pretty good…

 

 

The bottle cork and more of me playing with my new camera :) 

 

The next day we headed back to Myeong-dong for more shopping… :) 

 

The Blues Brothers made it to Seoul!!

 

Whoa American Apparel in Seoul… and yes it’s just as hipster here.

 

 

Myeong-dong!

 

 

Requisite subway shot…

 

 

The weirdest/best store we found.  The first floor was new interesting clothes, the second floor, was nicknacks shoes and other accesories, the downstairs was purses, hats, and other girl items, and on the top floor  -  a “flea market”.  

This basically consisted of specific styles of clothes all from American thrift stores like Goodwill or Family Store.  Wow it was weird.

 

 

Some stuff still had the price tags from America… (and I bought this shirt.. :) 

 

 

All from America….

 

Finally we made it to the Klimt exhibit… 

 

This is our reinactment of “The Kiss” by Gustov Klimt!  

I think they put this in the gift shop to make up for the fact that the painting was no in the collection on display.    This one’s better anyways…

 

More on Kate’s Birthday and future travels soon.

-Chad