I've officially been 28 for a week now. And again, feels about the same as 27. Ho hum.
This last weekend was a lot less crazy than the one prior- but then again, just about any weekend would be. Though really, by some standards, I'm downright boring. Some folks I know make it a point to party 'til sunrise every day on the weekend...which isn't something that I could do, or would even want to, y'know? I mean, if there's something super rad to do, I'm game, but every night can't be that super rad. Or...something.
But yeah, weekend report! Hit up the expat bar on Friday (as I haven't been there in awhile), and then spent Saturday just goofing off. Did some reading, went for a stroll, hit up the grocery store, nothing too fancy. I did pick up some duck at the grocery store, however, as it was on sale. I wasn't quite sure how to cook it, so I sauteed it in olive oil, threw on a bunch of Italian seasoning, and made some noodles to go with it. Turned out surprisingly well!
Sunday was a little more eventful, as I went to Gyeongbokgung Palace with my cousin. I've been meaning to hit the place up ever since I realized it was pretty close (ish) to me, so woo. Though in retrospect, I kinda wish I went the day before, as there was a big ceremony/event to commemorate the return of a bunch of royal Korean documents.
If you're too lazy to check out that wikipedia link, the basic gist of it is that Gyeongbokgung Palace was the home of the Korean kings (later Emperors) of the Joseon dynasty. I'm a sucker for history and big castles and such, and so I've been meaning to go there for quite some time.
The royal throne (I think).
The palace was burnt down during the (first) Japanese occupation in the 16th century, rebuilt in 1867, burnt down again in the 1900's during the (second) Japanese occupation, and then rebuilt in 1994. Is it horrible that relating this vaguely reminds me of a Monty Python bit?
Even if it is a reconstruction, the palace is pretty interesting. For one, it's HUGE. My cousin and I roamed the grounds for a good hour and a half, and we only saw a little bit of the place. The palace is very picturesque, and it was a very nice day- even if it was a little hot. The heat was kind of a bonus, though, as the crowds were a bit thinner than I expected. As a result, it was easy to find out of the way corners of the palace that weren't swarming with other sightseers.
This said, I will say that a lot of the palace got a bit...repetitive. Maybe it's just the style, or maybe it's because it's a reconstruction...but a lot of the buildings looked a lot alike. Really, the palace seems to be broken up into various houses arranged about the place. So obviously, the Emperor has the biggest pad, and then you've got some for the royal family, the courtiers, the concubines, and so on. Even still, the architecture was very nice looking, and the gardens are absolutely gorgeous.
There's some museums on the complex as well- but I didn't get the chance to visit them. I'm sure they're really interesting too, as they're where the actual cultural artifacts are. No matter, I'm sure I'll find an occasion to go back!
Modern Korea is just outside the main gate. It's a metaphor or something.
After that, my cousin and I went to a friend of ours' place and grilled some seafood- nothing too fancy, but a pleasant way to spend an evening, nonetheless! And now we're back to the workaday week. Same old, same old. Though I keep hearing on the radio that monsoon season is approaching, and that Seoul summers are ridiculously wet. Hmm. Still, I've got waterproof boots and a gore-tex jacket, so hopefully it won't be TOO bad. That's me, being the optimist!
No comments:
Post a Comment