Chuseok in Seoul--Day 3

Friday, September 20^th

There was no determined plan set for our third day in Seoul, so we proceeded to come up with one when we all had managed to drag ourselves out of bed. We also found some breakfast at the convenience store next to the guest house, which is a popular spot to hang out and grab drinks for all the young people who visit the area. As I sat there at those dirty tables, still littered with the previous nights' cigarettes and red bull cans, I realized how much I missed a home cooked breakfast—eaten at home.

There were some conflicting interests amongst the 18 of us, so we broke up into even smaller groups so that we could all, more or less, do the things we wanted. I had no set idea of what I felt like doing, so I tagged along with three of my friends to go on a walk around the area we were staying in. One of the girls wanted to see a particular building that is the headquarters of one of her favorite companies, so we took a nice walk to a nearby neighborhood.

After seeing the building we decided to explore another famous part of Seoul known as Itaewon. As I stepped into the sunlight out of the subway tunnel, I felt a little like I had left Korea. Itaewon is famous for the incredibly diverse, international mix of dining, shopping and entertainment that all coexists in that city. I saw a large population of Middle-Eastern inhabitants in particular. If I had the time and money, I would have loved to try every single ethnic restaurant.

We decided to search for lunch, and although there were so many options it seemed we could not quite agree on what seemed best. Despite the many cultures represented in Itaewon, I found myself eating Taco Bell. Well, it tasted just about the same as it does in the states! Refreshing and familiar.

After lunch we decided to head back to the guest house where we rested a bit and caught up on what the other groups were doing. Then I went with another friend to meet up with one of our groups in an area known as Dongdaemun. This is yet another place known for its markets and shopping. As night descended we strolled around the area and took a look at all the interesting street vendors.

Once we were done we hopped on the subway and rode it back to Hongdae, our home base. It was getting later in the evening at that point which meant that the night life was creeping back to the surface of Seoul with all of the noises and smells that are similar, yet different, from those of the day time.

At that point I accompanied my friends to another peculiar attraction—the Hello Kitty Cafe. I am not sure I have ever seen that much pink in my life. I drank a sweet potato latte surrounded by an overwhelming atmosphere of cute, pink décor. It was a little bit strange to me but certainly fun.

After the Hello Kitty Cafe, we wandered the busy streets again with no particular goal other than just to see what there was to see. Then we met up with a friend from school and went out to get some patbingsu, which is Korean shaved ice. It is very fine ice, like snow, topped with various things like fruit or chocolate. Very tasty, and a fun time with friends to end the day.

Thanks for reading! Hoping to be done with Seoul and move onto other things very soon.