North Seoul Tower

North Seoul Tower. Seoul, South Korea.

After a delicious dinner at Jung Sik Dang, Ceddy and I headed to North Seoul Tower.  The observation deck has awesome views of the city.

Seoul, South Korea.

We rode on the cable car, which took us up Namsan Mountain.

Seoul, South Korea.

View from the cable car.

Seoul, South Korea.

Pathway up to the tower.

Seoul, South Korea.

Christmas display in the courtyard.

Seoul, South Korea.

Closeup of North Seoul Tower.

Seoul, South Korea.

We rode an elevator up to the observation deck.

Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul at night.

Seoul, South Korea.

Jung Sik Dang – an amazing contemporary Korean restaurant

On our last night in Seoul, Ceddy and I ventured to Gangnam to try an amazing contemporary Korean restaurant called Jung Sik Dang.

Jung Sik Dang.

There were only five tables inside the upscale restaurant.

Fancy table setting.

The table settings were fancy and changed for each of the many courses.

Fried chicken, rice ball, & tofu.

Before appetizers, we had three amuse bouches.

Bread & butter.

There was also fresh baked bread & butter.

Clam soup with zucchini.

As well as clam soup.

Salad course.

Fried oysters in squid ink.

Appetizers.

Deconstructed bibimbap.

Pork belly over rice with a spicy broth.

Bulgogi tartare with crispy rice.

First courses.

Pan-seared cod with spicy vegetables.

Poached cod with cheese, corn, & spicy peppers.

Second courses.

Ginseng duck with cabbage.

Beef with vegetables.

Third courses.

Coconut smoothie with kiwi.

Pre-dessert.

Coconut mousse & passion fruit mousse.

Chocolate hazelnut pots with roasted cocoa, honey, & edible flowers.

Desserts.

Chrysanthemum tea.

Sesame tea.

Teas.

Green tea muffin, toffee caramel, orange peel with chocolate & peanuts.

Tea course.

Ceddy & me outside the restaurant.

We thoroughly enjoyed the food & ambiance at Jung Sik Dang.

Seoul City Hall

Seoul City Hall. Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul City Hall was one of my favorite sights. Aside from housing the administrative offices for the city, Seoul City Hall also had art and history exhibits. It also had a bookstore and other resources for Seoul residents.

Seoul, South Korea.

The indoor vertical garden was amazing. It was installed to create humidity and better air quality within the building.

Seoul, South Korea.

There were paper “citizens” hanging from the walls inside.

Seoul, South Korea.

The sculptures of snails moving slowly over time was one of the coolest sections.

Seoul, South Korea.

Though, the sculptures of kids flying on different animals were great, too.

Seoul, South Korea.

This exhibit showed the history of Seoul Plaza.

Seoul, South Korea.

Upstairs, there was a “sky hall” exhibit with a timeline of the other Seoul City Halls.

Seoul, South Korea.

Downstairs, there was an information desk, tourist pamphlets, and other resources.

Seoul, South Korea.

There were various photography, audio, and sculpture exhibits, as well.

Seoul, South Korea.

If you want to learn more about Seoul’s history and enjoy wandering museums, you should definitely check out Seoul City Hall. (Another bonus: admission is free!)

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seoul, South Korea.

King Sejong the Great statue

King Sejong the Great. Seoul, South Korea.

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square. Seoul, South Korea.

Admiral Yi Sun Shin statue

Admiral Yi Sun Shin statue. Seoul, South Korea.

With a peaceful protestor in front of the statue.

Cheonggye Plaza

Seoul, South Korea.

One afternoon, Ceddy and I met up during his lunch. Before getting conveyor belt sushi, we met at the Gwanghwamun metro stop and walked along the Cheonggye Plaza.

Seoul, South Korea.

Though it was windy, the Cheonggyecheon stream was peaceful.

Seoul, South Korea.

After crossing the stepping stones to the other side of the stream, we headed to lunch.

Seoul, South Korea.

Gangnam: the Beverly Hills of Seoul

Gangnam Tourist Information Center. Seoul, Korea.

After the weekend in Tokyo, Ceddy and I headed to Seoul. While he was at work, I explored the city. The first area I went to was Gangnam.

The Gangnam Tourist Information Center had exhibitions with k-pop music, k-pop band members’ costumes and photos. It also had a “medical tourism” section, which had recommendations for the best places to get cosmetic surgeries or dermatological procedures done.

Exhibit A: a complex of plastic surgeon & dermatologist offices. Seoul, South Korea.

Every street had plastic surgery and dermatology procedure ads, offices, and high fashion stores.

Exhibit B: a huge plastic surgeon complex. Seoul, South Korea.

Boutiques. Seoul, South, Korea.

The Galleria. Seoul, South Korea.

Another fancy mall. Seoul, South Korea.

There was a great paintings exhibit at Gallery Yeh.

Gallery Yeh. Seoul, South Korea.

My boyfriend left for Seoul this afternoon.

My boyfriend left for Seoul this afternoon. He will be there on a work assignment for the rest of the fiscal quarter. I didn’t cry at the airport (or yet). Then again, it’s been less than twelve hours since I saw him off at the security gate (and he hasn’t even arrived in South Korea).

Our little one bedroom apartment seems bigger. It seems quieter, too — although, Ceddy is only loud when he’s playing FIFA on Xbox. His desk is still a mess from his hurried packing this morning. I’ve got my laptop and extra pillows on his side of the bed, so his absence is less obvious (not that it works).

On the bright side, I can drink Jim Beam on the rocks and Ceddy won’t say it tastes horrible — like college and disappointment.

There are many things I want to express, but there’s an inverse relationship between the ratio of bourbon consumed to number of phrases I can articulate.