Sites in Seoul
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Making “Framily” with Seoul International Hikers Club
When we considered what it would be like to move to a large city in a new country, especially in the middle of a global pandemic, it was impossible to know what it would be like. Would social activities be allowed? Would we find other people willing to meet strangers during a pandemic? Would we make friends? Even though we had some ideas about how we might meet people, I think we were semi-prepared to spend a lot of time alone. Within a month of our arrival in Seoul, I found the Facebook group for the Seoul International Hikers Club (SIHC). The introduction to the group says, “We are a…
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Korea Winter Trekking in a Nutshell: Seoul
Now that spring has sprung in South Korea, it feels as though the winter flew by in a blur. Many months ago, we were determined that we would not lose our whole winter in Seoul just sitting inside. And with COVID restrictions, being indoors in public spaces often was not an option. Having been warned about the low temperatures and cold winds that are common in this mountainous country, we brought along our warmest layers and prepared to spend time outside no matter the weather. Small groups of intrepid hiking friends joined together to tackle often icy, snowy trails, often comparing how many layers of thermal underwear each person had…
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What is Seollal? How We Spent Our Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year, the first day of the year on the lunar calendar, is celebrated in many Asian countries. The date usually falls in January or February, this year falling in mid-February. In Korea, the day is called Seollal (설날). Although Seollal itself is just one day, in Korea typically the day before and the day after also are public holidays. This is one of the most important holidays of the year, and traditionally families travel to their hometown to be together for this day. As with all holidays over the past year, Seollal traditions were disrupted in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. Many fewer Koreans traveled to be with…
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The Great Wall of… South Korea? Namhansanseong Fortress
The Korean Peninsula’s strategic position between China and Japan has increased its risk of military invasion for centuries. Vestiges of this history remain in the form of protective fortress walls in Seoul and beyond, many of which are now maintained and utilized as hiking trails. The ease of accessing these trails, as well as their tendency to be well-maintained, have made them a go-to for our hiking adventures since we arrived in Seoul. In addition to trekking the Seoul city walls, we have visited Namhansanseong Fortress just outside of Seoul, and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. Each is worth the trip from the city and provided very different opportunities for exploration.…
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Good Grief! What’s so Shocking about Culture Shock?
If you’ve ever traveled outside of your hometown, you probably are familiar with the highs and lows of experiencing a culture different from your own. Traveling (even to another state or city) can be exciting, challenging, and full of learning opportunities. It also can be scary, frustrating, and overwhelming. Add a worldwide pandemic into this mix, and you have a recipe for lots of potential stress. The term culture shock describes the mixed emotions and sense of disorientation that are commonly felt by travelers to a culture different from their own. As I’ve spent my social work career helping people coping with grief and loss, I find it helpful to…
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Artful Seoul: More Sites in the City and Around (Part 2)
In this winter season, many museums and similar sites are closed due to the current coronavirus restrictions. The South Korean government has been pretty organized about how it sets restrictions when COVID numbers start to rise. Consequently, as soon as business re-open, we know we’d better get our visits in before they may be closed again! Fortunately, I was able to visit several art exhibits with friends before the current closures began. You may have read about my visits to the very cool exhibits at Museum SAN (Space, Art, Nature) and teamLab: LIFE in Part 1 of this post. As promised, here is Part 2 of our artful adventures in…
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Royal Scandal and Tragedy at Changgyeonggung Palace
There are many beautiful places to experience autumn in and around Seoul. I’d read that Changgyeonggung Palace was such a spot, and since we hadn’t visited it yet we put it on our list. We were able to take a free guided tour here and so were able to learn more of the history of this palace. In addition to being very scenic, it also has hosted some strange and tragic moments in Korean history. King Sejong, the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, first built this palace in the mid-15 century. Its original purpose was to house his father, King Taejong, and his wives and concubines. It’s located east…
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A Night to Remember at Gyeongbokgung Palace
If you’ve been following along with our adventures, you might recall that we have visited Gyeongbokgung Palace twice already: once in the summer and then in the fall. Well, the third time may be the charm! We visited in December for a special nighttime, winter walk. Thanks to one of Peter’s SNU colleagues, we learned that Gyeongbokgung is open several times a year at night. We were told that Koreans often have to book tickets for these evenings months in advance, but luckily for us a certain number of tickets are set aside for foreigners to purchase on-site. We presented our Alien Registration Cards at the gate and were allowed…
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Have Yourself a Merry, Distanced Christmas!
Learning how another culture celebrates a big holiday such as Christmas is one of the most exciting and also one of the more challenging elements of living in a different country. Somehow, in years past the chemist and I always have managed to be with at least most of our families at Christmas. Ah, memories of Christmases pre-social distancing! This year, the presence of COVID and the need to quarantine when traveling made it impossible to consider returning to the U.S. for the holidays. Not to mention, even if we were in the U.S. we would be staying put at home, as we know many of you are doing. We…
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Artful Seoul: Sites in the City and Around
It’s hard to believe that autumn is long gone and Christmas is upon us! In this season when we especially are missing family and friends back home, it is a comfort to realize that in a few short months, we have made friends in Seoul who are fellow explorers. We feel really grateful for the opportunity to meet and learn from this international community. As a bonus, it’s always great to have a network of people who know about places we otherwise would never have thought to visit! While Peter is at the lab during the week, I’ve had the privilege of sight-seeing with new friends. As it happens, for…
