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We packed our bags this weekend and headed to Myogak-sa Temple, just 2 stops, and one transfer from our station in Hyehwa…a new home away from home for the evening. I have been dying from a cold (a customary tradition Mother Nature gifts me with every time I travel…not sure how to tell her I’d like a gift receipt next time), so I was reluctant to join, but decided to try out this once in a lifetime experience of staying in a Buddhist temple and learning about what the religion and culture is like.

First though? The most aesthetically-pleasing breakfast/outfit combo I’ve ever laid eyes on….

(photo courtesy of @fancyfreb)

Hyehwa is full of these hole-in-the-wall food stands and tiny eateries managed by senior ladies who know how to make good food. This was from a toast stand, where the lady in charge made toast, bulgogi patties, egg, cabbage, and of course, American cheese, pieced them together, and sprinkled them with just the right amount of special sauce. It’s a s(e)o(u)lely Korean take on the familiar American breakfast sandwich. Korea used to not be super into breakfast foods, and like many other cultures worldwide, breakfast was just another meal where you ate foods similar to lunch or dinner. With recent times, the industry for breakfast foods has become a booming market for people looking for the next big food craze, and I will say, the result is way better than an Egg McMuffin.

After eating our fill, we headed to the temple for the evening, greeted by hundreds of lanterns, and temple adorned with intricate designs.

We then learned a bit about Korean Buddhism, and partook in a challenge where we were to bow in a complicated way 108 times. We were told Buddhist practitioners do this to atone for their daily unholy thoughts, like greed, anger, and ignorance. With each bow, we placed a bead on a string until the bag of beads was empty. It was much harder than it sounds… Now doing 5 sets of squats at the gym doesn’t sound so bad. We were also given advice on how to clear one’s mind, which seem pretty universal; relax, don’t rush, live in the now.

Afterwards, we went to the rooftop where we rang the bell for 5pm, similar to the bells in Catholic churches and other religious establishments. Our guide, one of the sunim (senior monk/nun) of the temple helped us ring this bell for the town, as it reverberated in our skulls and throughout the city.

She was quite peaceful and pensive, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use her as my subject for some candid silhouettes…

There was also a lot of interesting buildings in this section of town with unique architecture mixing old and new, which was worth noting.

#aesthetic

Then after we had a wonderful vegetarian dinner, and some meditation time (which was much less my thing than eating was), we waited for the sun to set to see Seoul by night from the perch of the golden Buddha who looks over the city from atop the mountain, passing the stone Buddha carved out of the rock itself along the way.

The views were worth every penny it took to fly to Seoul….

I also made a friend on the way down…. just a little camera shy

On our first site visit, we were greeted by the staff at Smartium, a company that specializes in all things futuristic, planning for a greener and more efficient tomorrow. Things started off pretty mundane and commonplace, with a rooftop full of sun panels, and a pretty nice view of Seoul. The juxtaposition of urban sprawl and tastefully overgrown foliage was actually a good pair.

We got a look at some of the fixtures they had up on the rooftop that powered the building using cutting-edge renewable resource technology. I found this whirligig-looking thing to be the coolest to take photos of with the fluffy clouds looming in the sky….I have no idea what it does.

After that, we made our way down each floor, treated to a menagerie of unique technologies Smartium had at their disposal. Things like….

A screen that can help you shop for outfits without actually trying them on (I think purple was definitely our guide’s color)

Kitchen lighting that can automatically change colors to fit the mood of the room

Urban housing apartments that are both chic, energy efficient, and spacious, AND under $60/month to rent. Yeah, $60 A MONTH…. Jealous?

#aesthetic

Finally, the grand reveal was a room that looked like something out of Minority Report or Avatar… a city-planning room used to show how Smartium projects cities will function in the future.

We definitely weren’t expecting Smartium to hold so many amazing secrets, and this site visit was absolutely amazing. Quite excited for what’s to come!

After a whole day of slushing around in Mumbai-during-Monsoon-worthy rain, we were able to spend some well-needed time indoors the following day. First stop was the National Assembly and Library (essentially South Korea’s Congress and Library of Congress). The architecture here is some of the most beautiful and futuristic we have ever seen.

(Shout out to this cool spy movie-esque hallway that leads to different parts of the buildings underground)

Our guide showed us around the grand expanse of the library which is open to the public at their leisure. She made point to stop us at a stand of fact books, one of which relating to the U.S. 2016 Election.

(If you can read Hangul, the characters in black spell out “Teuleompeu.” If you can’t, then sound out that Anglicized version quite fast and it’ll translate to the Korean equivalent of the name of the United States’ current Covfefer and Chief.)

After the Library, we went to the Assembly Hall of the National Assembly, which was quite interesting as well. Here, things are a bit difference than in our Congress. The Speaker does not keep their party affiliation to act as a neutral tie-breaker, and the high-ranking senior officials sit in the back rather than up front because they have earned the right to sit back and watch the rookie officials duke it out like the infantry.

The overhead light uses cutting-edge technology to be best suited for lighting the way for change, even into the middle of the night as some meetings go. Koreans are very efficient in their bill-passing system, and the Assembly has on occasion, passed over 100 bills in one day/late night.

Here a haechi (Korean foo dog/lion guard) watches over the National Assembly as a proud symbol of Seoul.

To continue on the theme of Korean National Pride, we went to the National Museum to explore Korea’s ancient to modern history. The view of North Seoul Tower was stunning.

As well as the view of the rest of Seoul….Boxed in like a diorama, it’s still hard to believe it’s real.

The museum had some extravagant antiquities, like the giant pagoda that sits in the lobby, and an iron Buddha shrouded in mysterious lighting….

And that was the extent of our travels through Korean history. We ended the evening in Itaewon, the expat district known for its American food and goods at shockingly American prices. Needless to say, I spend over $20 on 2 tacos and a margarita the size of my head with very little tequila in it….Sounds about right.

We were lucky enough to enjoy Seoul during Korea’s independence day, celebrating liberation from Japanese occupation in August 15, 1948. The holiday is known as 광복절 (Gwangbokjeol), which translates to “The Day the Light Returned.” Ironically, on a day of celebration of peace and light in Korea, we were greeted by thunderstorms and an all-day torrential downpour that even the locals found to be bit much to handle. Still, in true Seoul spirit, we powered through.

First on the list was Changdeokgung Palace, essentially, the vacation home of the kings of the Joseon Dynasty who ruled from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. It’s Korea’s equivalent of Windsor Castle. The Palace was dripping with rain, yet this made it even more wonderful to behold with architecture that looks so intricate and well-cared for, you’d think it was designed yesterday. Even our local tour guide was a bit at a loss for words at the monsoon we faced crossing the grounds. “I’ll never forget this tour,” he said with a look of apprehension as he tried to decide which way to step to each spot without ruining his shoes.

(see above as the King checks his cell phone in the rain…..everyone is always locked in on their electronics in Korea, even in the Joseon Period apparently)

While excited to see some staff dressed in traditional garb, we were all a bit disappointed we didn’t see any women there in the traditional Hanbok, beautiful ballgown-shaped dresses worn by Korean women in the olden days that are now most commonly seen during traditional weddings or holidays. Since the 15th was the latter, we assumed we’d see quite a few of the intricate, brightly-colored dresses during our visit. Of course, we got our fill as we were about to exit the palace, as a group of about 10 tourists who rented their own Hanbok were having a photoshoot on the ideal date, with less-than-ideal weather. One of them caught my eye instantly….a woman with a gorgeous lilac skirt, her entire outfit covered in golden butterflies.

Pause for a “Wizard of Oz” effect….

She was particularly helpful as a photographer despite her regal appearance….as a strange juxtaposition of traditional and technological Korea.

Of course, there were many other beautiful Hanbok…well worth the wait to get some candid photos of.

Finally, after a long, cold, and muddy visit to the palace, we went out to explore Seoul’s favorite shopping districts among tourists and locals alike.

First was Insa-dong, a stretch of shops with traditional craft items such as name chops (personal stamps), ceramics, Hanbok, and of course, the more kitschy variety of items as well. Who can leave any major city without an “I <3 (insert city name here)” shirt? Personally, I was most interested in visiting the local Starbucks, the only one in the world whose marquee has the name written in a language other than English. Its sign spells “Seutabeogseu Keopi,” in Hangul, which when sounded out, is pretty self explanatory, regardless of your Korean language proficiency.

(shoutout to this girl’s stylish outfit that makes up for the fact the first part of the Starbucks sign is cut out of the shot)

This trip ended for me in Myeongdong, the most magical Mecca for makeup lovers I’ve ever seen. Myeongdong-The Most Magical Mecca for Makeup Lovers….Say that 5 times fast…

This place was lined with street food vendors with strange eats, ice cream stands with sweet treats, and some of the most quality makeup on the planet at the cheapest price. Stores like Innisfree, TonyMoly, and Etude House are more obscure than your average Sephora or Mac in the states, but they offer the same type of products, and then some for a fraction of the price. The best part?  Half the stuff you go home with you get for free. They hand you beauty mask samples to get you to go in the store, which of course always works, then when you buy something, they give you even more free products to keep you coming back. It’s a vicious marketing cycle that I sure wished would catch on in stingy American stores….