Thematic Tour
British Editor Gareth¡¯s November Family Trip¨ç
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Meet Gareth¡¯s Family!
 Hi, everyone! My name is Gareth Davies and I am really glad to host this month¡¯s journey to find out the treasure troves in Seoul. Before we start this journey, let me introduce my family. I met my Korean wife Misha while studying at university in Nottingham, UK. When Misha needed to come back to Korea in 2002, I did not want us to be apart, so I jumped on the plane too. We got married in 2003 in a wonderful traditional Korean wedding ceremony and now have two children. Our 4-year-old daughter Meghan is a real little firebrand and I want my baby son Owen to be the first Korean on the Welsh rugby team when he grows up. I work at the Korean branch of a major international publisher as an English language teaching book editor, and Misha works at the British Embassy in Seoul. Now, I believe this journey about to begin will be a series of revisits for my family to bring back good old memories. But at the same time, it will offer visitors to Seoul a good chance to catch a glimpse into the wonderful attractions of this city. Insa-dong: Mecca for Korean Traditional Culture
 This is the most famous souvenir shopping street in Korea. It is absolutely jammed full of shops selling trinkets, to art galleries showcasing art pieces of Korea¡¯s very talented modern artists. Occasionally you¡¯ll be lucky to see one of the traditional parades that pass along the street. Meghan loved bouncing to the music of a marching band of traditional Korean instruments including drums, gongs, horns and conch shells, and to see the king in his palanquin trailed by his loyal troupe of advisors and court attendants. In the little alleys that dart off from the main street are some wonderful special tea shops and great restaurants. The peaceful and tranquil atmosphere of the restaurant we selected made it quite hard to believe that we were smack bang in the middle of a metropolis, and the whitewashed brick walls gave it a Southern European feel. I found that it was an excellent place to enjoy a delicious meal and decided to visit again¡¦ without the kids! Ssamji-gil: Cultural Landmark of Insa-dong
 Just short of the northern end of the street, you¡¯ll find the Ssamji-gil shopping arcade. Well¡¦ not really an arcade in the traditional sense, but a cool piece of architecture that spirals up four floors, taking you past shops that run the gamut - jewellery and accessories, hand-dyed textiles, ceramics and glassware, traditional Korean musical instruments, and clothes are all on offer here – and the spiral culminates in a roof top garden café and restaurant. The courtyard of the building is used an art exhibition space and there is always something noisy and interesting going on. It is an odd place where old art forms meet with up-to-date modern design and I love it. Namsangol Hanok Village: Arena to Experience Traditional Culture  Located in the northern foothills of Namsan (Mt.), this traditional village is a collection of restored traditional Korean folk houses where you can see how people from all walks of life lived in the past. Scattered around the village are traditional Korean games (for example, think throwing horseshoes but with sticks going through standing rings instead) and other pastimes. Meghan¡¯s favourite was hoisting the long wooden mallet used for pounding rice dough to make Tteok or rice cakes, a version of which we had eaten earlier. Namsangol Hanok Village is often used as a place for exhibitions of other traditional art forms, and on the day of our visit traditional music performances and a traditional liquor-sampling event were presented. In the ¡®main square¡¯ of the village, high school students performed a competition of samul nori, a Korean music form that incorporates dance and a lot of drumming. It was energetic and fun, and I was truly impressed that the kids put together such well polished performances. N Seoul Tower: Symbolic Structure of the City
 For Misha and I, this place was a great opportunity to reminisce our memories because it had been one of the first places we had gone to on a date during my first trip to Seoul in 1998. For visitors to Seoul it is probably the most memorable night time landmark, as it really stands out from most parts of Seoul on a clear night, and particularly from north of and along the Hangang (River). But since our first visit, so much had changed. Opened in 2005 after extensive refurbishing, now the outside of the tower is a small plaza used for events and art and design displays, and all along the ground viewing platform, couples are invited to write down messages to each other on padlocks and to attach them to the chain link fence that runs around the edge. The tower itself is 237 meters high and the elevator ride takes about 40 seconds to reach the top. At the top of the tower is a revolving grill restaurant, a café and the observatory. In my opinion, Seoul really shows itself off best when lit up at night, and the beautiful view from the observatory will not disappoint you. Along with a visit to Insa-dong, N Seoul Tower is a must see and well worth it to see the city at it¡¯s best.  |
