Korea & Its Cafes: Animal Edition

Do you miss your pet(s) from home? Do you enjoy looking at sheep? Do you have calloused feet? I know these questions might seem a little odd, but read on.

Cafe culture in Korea is serious business -- I can't spit without hitting a cafe in my neighborhood. In addition to your run of the mill coffee shops, cafes with specific themes abound. In my time in Korea, I've visited a board game cafe and the Mustoy cafe, but I have to admit, I've always been the most excited about the availability of a completely different cafe theme: animals. And now that it's starting to get cold here in Korea, it's the perfect time to hang out indoors! 

Here are the four animal-themed cafes I've visited so far, listed in order of my least to most favorite.

Sheep Cafe

This cafe, which is actually called Thanks Nature Cafe, is located in Hongdae, Seoul. It's cute, with sheep-related paintings and decorations hanging inside the cafe. We tried coffee, some ades, and a dessert while we were there, and all were decent.

The draw of this cafe, as I'm sure you've guessed, is their sheep. Don't expect a flock -- to my knowledge they only have two. They don't seem to typically be wandering around freely, either. Instead, they're in a small pen on the patio outside the actual coffee shop. You can snap pictures and watch them, but that's about it. Overall: so-so. The novelty is fun for a few minutes, then it wears off.

Information: Check their Facebook page for more info. The cafe is located in the basement of its building, so when you go looking for it, keep an eye out for the sign in the photo above. 

Dr. Fish Cafe

Sometimes, your feet are just gnarly and you need a bunch of little fish to munch on the dead skin.

The sensation is a strange one -- it kind of tickles, but it also doesn't. I didn't notice a huge change in the softness of my feet after letting the fish have at it, but that was probably because I couldn't stand to keep my feet in the pool for very long at a time. I also opted for the much smaller fish, as the larger ones (as seen in the photo on the left) just freaked me out.

You do need to order a drink to do Dr. Fish, and then the cost for Dr. Fish is just a couple thousand won per 15 minutes. These cafes also seem to always offer a bread buffet (baguette slices, cake-like bread, butter, and jam), complete with toasters to warm up the slices. Overall: weird, but cool. Definitely one to check out, even if the feeling (or general concept) of the fish freaks you out.

Information: Of the two Dr. Fish cafes I've been to, the one in Gangnam is the nicest. To get there, walk straight from exit 10 of Gangnam station. You'll walk for about 5 minutes, then the cafe is on the second floor of a building on your left. 

Cat Cafe

I'm not lacking in cat snuggles personally, since my boyfriend adopted a cat from a shelter outside of Seoul, but a cafe full of cats still got my attention.

Before you can pet and cuddle all the cats in these cafes, you're required to purchase a drink, which essentially serves as your admission fee. Drinks are pricier here, usually closer to 8,000 won or so, but it's worth it. 

I was impressed with how clean this particular cat cafe was, so I feel like they take good care of the cats. You can buy a can of food or little treats for the cats, which will make them swarm you, which is basically heaven for cat lovers. Overall: awesome. Cats are so weird.

Information: Cat cafes seem to be everywhere, so instead of providing detailed directions, I will point you in the direction of these blogs. In popular areas of Seoul, such as Myeongdong or Hongdae, just keep an eye out for someone in a Garfield costume -- they work for a cat cafe and can easily point you in the right direction!

Dog Cafe

The best for last -- because I do believe that dog cafes are magical places. I'm a dog lover to a possibly neurotic degree, and when I moved to Korea, I had to leave my darling miniature schnauzer with my parents. Spending time at the dog cafe helps fill the canine-shaped hole in my heart.

While smaller dog cafes seem to be popping up more and more, the most well known dog cafe would be the Bau House in the Hongdae area of Seoul. This cafe operates by the same rules as cat cafes: buy a drink, play with animals. There's also a variety of treats to buy, which will make you quite popular with the dogs.

Some dogs only want to hang out with you for the treats you have, but others seem to just enjoy the attention. There are usually a few dogs happy to curl up next to you and have their head scratched. The only off-putting part of this cafe is that it is dirtier, as dogs are wont to be, but the staff is quick to swoop in and clean up. Overall: THE BEST. Because dogs. Obviously.

Information: Bau House is located near exit 3 of Hapjeong Station. Make a right as you leave the exit, then walk down the nearest alley to the left, keeping an eye out for the sign to your right. There are also other dog cafes in Seoul, but I haven't checked any of them out yet. For more of my ramblings about my love for dog cafes, check out this entry from 2012.

Have you visited any of the animal cafes in Korea? Do you know of any that I didn't mention? Leave a comment below! 

Getting Lost in the Ihwa Mural Village

UPDATE: The mural village has been permanently closed, due to tourist traffic disrupting the community. I'll leave this entry up, as it's full of photos and the history of the neighborhood, but its murals have been painted over. :( 

After nearly three years in Korea, I feel like I've managed to see a lot of stuff. Loads of the touristy spots, tons of festivals, and even a fair amount of the quirkier activities. Overall, I feel pretty accomplished. 

I now have about three months left in Korea and... well, the "Korea To-Do" note on my phone is absurdly and intimidatingly lengthy... [Seriously, what you see on my Bucket List is just a handful of the mess that is the disorganized list of things I've jotted down in my phone...]

I've been quite proactive lately, checking out new places weekly. Recently, I was able to cross a slightly-less-well-known spot off of the list in my phone by visiting the Ihwa Mural Village. 

My friends and I had decided to head to the Ihwa Mural Village after reading about it online. Murals scattered on the walls of houses in a neighborhood? Sounds awesome. That was basically all we knew as we set out for our sightseeing. Since then, while researching the area for this blog, I've learned quite a bit about its history, and it's pretty cool.

As Seoul has grown over the years, certain neighborhoods have been forgotten in the rapid development. The ones situated on the sides of mountains remained somewhat untouched for a long time due to their undesirable location and poorer demographic. They're called dal dongnae, or moon villages, since being on a mountain puts them closer to the moon. While many have been demolished in recent years in favor of fancy, modern architecture, a few have survived. 

The neighborhood of Ihwa-dong is one of these moon villages, situated on Naksan ("san" meaning mountain), and it houses the murals we went to see. Stepping foot into this area is like a time warp. Steep hills, narrow alleys, and surprising silence. There are no cars or delivery bikes zooming along, and the area is devoid of neon signs, making it feel like you aren't even in Seoul anymore, much less the 21st century. While I do think that the typical row after row of high-rise apartment buildings looks cool (and also makes me think of this), these smaller, old-fashioned homes all stacked right next to each other are far more picturesque and charming. 

The beautification of Ihwa-dong is similar to the project undertaken in 2010 to save Hongje-dong, or the "Ant Village," as well as other areas in Korea. Over sixty murals fill Ihwa-dong, painted as part of the "ART in the City 2006" campaign by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a way to rejuvenate the image of these smaller, older neighborhoods. To quote the Seoul Metropolitan Government's website about Ihwa-dong, the idea behind this project was to "improve living conditions through practical and financial help and support, as well as giving the area an artistic and cultural makeover." 

Artists were hired, murals were mapped out, and now it's a tourist destination. Some of the houses have even been converted into restaurants and cafes, seizing the opportunity for revenue from all the wandering tourists. We spotted a lot of other tourists and photographers as we walked around, and we even stumbled (quite literally) onto the set of what looked like a new drama... No clue which drama, but we stopped to watch as one of the actors had a very pensive moment at someone's rooftop door, struggling internally over whether or not he should knock. 

While we wandered, we got distracted by finding part of the old Seoul City Wall, so mural-hunting was abandoned for the day as we decided to hike up Naksan instead to catch a view of the city at sunset. But! I'm planning to head back to Ihwa-dong soon so I can get lost in its tiny alleys as I search for the murals that I missed. 

Words of advice:

• Much like the Bukchon Hanok Village, this is a real neighborhood, so be respectful of the residents. Luckily, the majority of the murals are on walls that line the common areas, so you won't feel like a creep/intruder when you take pictures. 
• Lots and lots of stairs and some areas have uneven pavement (it's on a mountain, after all), so keep that in mind when choosing your footwear for the day! 
• While it's called "Ihwa Mural Village," don't confuse it with the area near Ewha Women's University! Very different areas, so follow the directions below so you can get their easily.
• While you're there, check out the Daehangno area that surrounds Hyehwa station -- it seemed like a really hip and interesting area, and one that I definitely want to revisit. 

Directions:

• Hyehwa Station, Seoul Metro Line 4, Exit 2.
• Go straight for 200m, then turn left onto the street called Dongsung-gil.  
• Walk straight until you get to the Lock Museum.  
• After about 50 meters, turn right onto the street called Naksan Gongson-gil and walk towards Naksan Park.  
• Keep an eye out for signs -- there will be some for Naksan Park, including maps that show you the different paths to take around Ihwa-dong. 

Seodaemun Prison

Always one for exploring museums and learning about history, I finally checked out a spot I'd really been interested in visiting: Seodaemun Prison History Hall. During my time in Korea, I've been very interested in any opportunity to learn more about the country's past, and friends have told me this museum was not to be missed. Now that spring has sprung, it seemed like the prime time to walk around the prison's grounds in Seoul and take in the history of the place. 

The first building you'll come to upon entering -- start here! Lots of basic information of the prison's history is in this building, which will help you understand everything else.

To give a brief history lesson to contextualize the photos I took, Seodaemun Prison was opened in 1908 under the name Gyeongseong Gamok. As you may know from your history lessons, Japan invaded Korea, and at this point in time, Korea was considered a protectorate of Japan. 1910 marked the official annexation of Korea by Japan, an occupation that lasted until the end of the World War II in 1945.   

Original layout and size of the prison.

Seodaemun, being operated by the Japanese, was a prison reserved primarily for Korean independence and freedom fighters. At the time the prison was built, it was the largest in Korea, with cells to house 500 people. However, over the course of Japan's occupation and the resistance movements by Korean activists, the number of people interned reached more than 3,000 around the time of the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919.   

One of the buildings, looking foreboding.

After Korea's liberation in 1945, the prison remained in use until 1987. Then, in 1998, Seodaemun Prison History Hall was opened to commemorate dark history of the prison and its prisoners. 7 of the 15 buildings have been restored and all contain information for visitors about their historical significance.   

It was fascinating, while also saddening, to learn about life in the prison. We were able to see not only an average cell but also look into the cells for solitary confinement. The basement of the main building was the area designated for interrogation and torture, so scenes depicting these have been recreated for visitors.   

Solitary confinement cells.

Mannequin in one of the cells, showing how inmates would tap on the cell walls to communicate with each other.

Photos of prisoners line the walls of a room in the main history building.

Box torture: prisoners were put into the box, which has spikes sticking into the inside, and then the guards would shake the box around.

A mannequin Japanese guard oversees the cell block.

As the prison's history is irrevocably tied to Japan's presence in Korea, much of the museum focused on the history of the two countries during the prison's operation. Exhibits detail the struggle Korea faced during the time of its occupation, detailing the brave acts of the men and women who dared to stand up for Korea's freedom and independence.

Overall, it was a very interesting, albeit somber, experience, and definitely one of the better museums I've seen while in Korea. The organization was tasteful and informative, and we left with a much greater understanding of Korea's history in the first half of the twentieth century. I highly recommend spending an afternoon exploring the prison and soaking up the history while you're in Korea!

Directions and information: 

• Dongnimmun Station, Seoul Metro Line 3, Exit 5. 
• Admission cost: 3,000 won. 
• Hours: March-October 9:30am-6pm, November-February 9:30am-5pm.
• Closed on Mondays, national holidays.
• Official website: Seodaemun Prison
• Trazy website with more information

Indoor Activities to Survive Summertime in Korea

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea! The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots for sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. 

While Korea's hottest days are still a month or so away, we also have the rainy season, which technically has already begun. So what to do on those weekends when you want to go explore and be social, but between the rain and/or the heat, you don't want to spend time outside? Well, check out this handy list of the top air-conditioned activities to check out in Seoul this summer! 

Last summer, I wrote a basic how-to for beating the heat during a Korean summer. This summer, I'm thinking of finding more indoor activities. When it comes to staying indoors as much as possible, I automatically think of museums. Luckily, Seoul has quite an array of museums to offer to those of us who are looking to enjoy the things Korea has to offer, but also would prefer to limit our time under the hot summer sun. 

Here are the activities I'm planning to check off my list over the coming weekends: 

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

I recently revisited this awesome building and allowed myself to get completely lost wandering around inside. Some shopping was done in its quirky, creative stores and delicious food was eaten at one of the Western-style restaurants in the food court. Even better, the DDP has various exhibits running throughout the summer that are worth checking out. 

We wandered through the Weta Workshop Fantasy Exhibition and had a good time. Weta is well-known for being the special effects/makeup/costumers/etc. for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The exhibit features much more than pieces of Middle Earth -- it has sculptures and dioramas and conceptual artwork for many of their other fantastical projects.

For more information, check out the DDP's official website and Trazy's DDP page.

Art museums

I've seen some really great art exhibits come to Korea in the past, so I typically keep my eye on what's happening in the museums at all times. Luckily, this summer looks to be a good one for art lovers. 

Seoul Arts Center has two exhibits that just recently started -- The Great Artists: Renoir to Damien Hirst, and Edvard Munch and the Modern Soul. I'll definitely be visiting both of these soon and probably writing a full review. The exhibits I've caught at the SAC in the past have been excellent, so I'm looking forward to these too. 

There is also the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art that's right next to Gyeongbokgung in Seoul. Since the last time I was there, the exhibits have changed over, which means I'll be planning a trip there sometime soon as well. 

The War Memorial of Korea

The best part of this museum is that it's totally free. Who can argue with wandering around a huge museum, enjoying the nice air conditioning, and being able to save the money that would typically be spent on admission fees? 

This museum is really quite well-organized and presented. Informative, huge, and really quite cool. Check out some previous Aclipse blogger write-ups of the museum here and here. And, should you feel like venturing outside, a sizeable portion of the museum is on the grounds in the form of wartime vehicles. You can even climb inside some of them to look around, so I would recommend saving this museum for a hot day rather than a rainy day.  

The War Memorial's official website and Trazy's info page have everything you'll need to plan your visit.

Trick Eye Museum

If art and history aren't quite your thing and you're looking for something a little more whimsical, definitely check out one of the many trick eye museums around Seoul (and Korea!). An optical illusion technique makes the paintings on the walls three-dimensional, and the best part is they're designed so that you can jump into the middle of them! Expect countless photo ops and make sure your phone's batteries are charged up.

We went to the Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae, which actually has the freezing cold Ice Museum -- and in the summertime, this might be just what you need. If you're in other parts of Seoul, check out the locations of the Alive Museum, which includes the same kind of illusions. 

More information for the Hongdae location: KTO site and Trazy site (and a coupon here!), including the Ice Museum, and for the Alive Museum here, here, orrrr here.

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Any museums or exhibits to add to this list? I'm sure there's so much more to do on the weekends that would otherwise be lost to rain or gross humidity. Leave a comment below with your recommendations! 

Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park

Next to Dongdaemun Gate is an area of Seoul famous for its countless markets. From clothing to textiles to craft supplies -- it has literally everything you might ever want. Ever. Now, in the middle of these more traditional markets and hip shopping malls, a structure that looks like something out of a futuristic landscape has been added to this area's massive to-do list. This spaceship-like building is the new Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and it's really, really cool.

Spaceship? Or building?!

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, or DDP, opened its doors on March 21st of this year, after over five years of planning and construction. According to the Seoul Design Foundation's website, the DDP is "the biggest three-dimensional atypical building in the world." 

Just looking at it from the outside is a trip -- all the curves and silvery panels are just aesthetically pleasing. I'd noticed it being built during previous trips into Dongdaemun, wondering what on earth the giant alien structure was going to be, so I was quite eager to finally take a look around.

So photogenic!

The idea behind the DDP is that it will be a center for everything creative in the design community. Not only is it set up to feature exhibits from artists all over the world in its museum and exhibition halls, but it's full of little spots for these artists to actually sell their products. We were a little overwhelmed by the structure and didn't know where to start exactly with exploring the inside. Luckily, a map is posted at each entrance, explaining how the building is organized. Technically, it's kind of three buildings, which have been connected into one giant, curvy structure. Here's the map we found that was immensely helpful:

Keep an eye out for these on the walls by all the doors!

As you can kinda tell from the above map, the DDP is divided into three sections that are actually three buildings, connected by all the curvy, fancy architecture. The sections are split into zones that cover six floors. To help explain some of what we saw, I'll use the following pictures and their captions: 

This is a photo from the Design Market, which features various retail shops, many of which are chains that you'll see elsewhere in Korea, and a decent selection of restaurants in a food court. This area in particular is open 24 hours a day! Which is pretty perfect if you happen to be in the area to see Dongdaemun's night markets.

A couple shops in the Design Lab section. This was my favorite -- so many cool little stores selling products featuring up and coming designers. I feel like this would be a really, really good gift shopping spot. A lot of stationery items, gorgeous art prints, and other decorative items. I had to resist the urge to buy almost everything I saw.

Aerial shot of a different part of the Design Lab. 

Even the coffee shop looks all space age! The information desks scattered throughout the building also have bizarre designs, but this little pod cafe was my favorite.

We found little cubby holes! Perfect for children, and us, because we couldn't resist. Nearly everyone was stopping to take photos sitting in these little holes.

Everyone hanging out along the weird cubby-bench-wall. 

No clue why there was a room full of balloons, but no one could go in, and the struggle was real for these little kids. (And me too.)

Outside (and under?) the building is a large park area, called Oullim Square. While we were walking around, we caught sight of a suspicious number of girls in poofy-skirted dresses. Wondering if we might catch a flashmob, we stuck around, only to see not only an impromptu dance performance but also a magic show! 

From its stunning architecture to everything it offers inside, you could easily spend hours upon hours wandering around. In fact, despite the hours we spent there, we didn't see everything! I'm looking forward to going back soon to explore it more and see the building at night. As impressive as it looks during the day, in the evenings the panels light up, making it look even more like a spaceship from another world. 

So, after a day of wandering around the markets, or if you're looking to kill time before going to the late night markets, definitely make a stop by the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Great shopping, random performances, lots of restaurants, and countless photo ops! 

Directions & information: 

• Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, Seoul Metro Lines 2, 4, and 5, Exit 1. As soon as you go out of exit 1, you'll be in Oullim Square.
• Hours: Art Hall - 9am-7pm, Museum - 10am-7pm, Design Lab - 10am-10pm, Oullim Square & Design Market - 24 hours! 

Springtime in Korea = Cherry Blossoms

My favorite season in Korea is a toss up between spring and fall. Both feel rewarding because they're such stark contrasts to the preceding season's extremes. Springtime, however, might have a slight edge over fall simply because with spring comes the cherry blossoms.

To me, the cherry blossoms officially herald the beginning of sunny, warm days, and making time to see them is always on the top of my spring to-do list. I completely missed them last spring while I was home in the U.S., so this year, being as it's my last Korean spring, I was determined to get my fill.

 

This year, I'd hoped to head down south to Jinhae for their huge festival, but I learned the hard way that tickets for the train need to be booked far in advance. However, it was for the best because the warm winter caused the trees in Seoul to bloom earlier than estimated this year. The annual Yeouido Spring Flower Festival was set to kick off the weekend of April 12th, but it got bumped up one week, beginning instead on the 4th. Since I wasn't going down to Jinhae, the timing was perfect to make the (much, much shorter) journey into Seoul.

Entrance to the festival at one end of the street.

I've been to this festival before so I was really looking forward to going again this year. Last time, though, I stuck to the area around the Han River. The park that lies between Mapo, Yeouido, and Yeouinaru stations and the river is just lousy with cherry blossoms. Last weekend I spent some time soaking up the sun at the park along the Han River and we saw some beautiful cherry blossoms while we wandered around.

The Han River and the park.

While that area itself is beautiful, I didn't realize until this year that I was completely missing a more picturesque part of the festival. If you wander away from the river a bit, you'll find a street, Yeouiseo-ro (or Yunjung-no), behind the National Assembly Building that is completely lined with hundreds of trees. The trees form a tunnel in some areas along the sidewalk, which is just gorgeous.

Canopy of white and pink.

The bright blue sky really makes the branches of blossoms pop.

The festival was packed when we arrived, with everyone moving at a leisurely pace down the street. Families, couples, bicycles, photographers -- everyone seemed to be out to enjoy the cherry blossoms and spring weather. Luckily, they have the street blocked off to cars, making it easy to wander and pause to take pictures.

Lots of booths were also set up, ranging from boutiques selling jewelry to demos of 3-D printers. There were some arts and crafts areas, all charging a low price to make bracelets, paint a fan, or just draw a picture. You could even have your portrait (slash caricature) drawn. One of the more entertaining areas was a stretch of tents full of musical instruments. It was too crowded for us to find out why all the instruments were out on display, so we just watched from afar as kids ran around playing on the drum kits and xylophones.

One of the rows of booths.

Portraits.

New favorite drummer.

This magician was a big hit with the kids.

Some musical performances were happening as well, from impromptu busking to a band playing on a full stage. The only performance we stopped to watch is one that always catches my attention whenever I see it -- pungmul (which historically has been known as nongak, meaning "farmers' music"), which is a traditional Korean folk music drumline. The dancing and swirling ribbons attached to the hats is mesmerizing.

Pungmul in action.

Perched in a tree, watching the performance.

Sadly, the cherry blossoms are all gone now. They never last long, which I hate, simply because I want the trees to look like that all the time. 

For future reference, since it's an annual thing, here's the information for how to get to the festival: 

Directions:

• National Assembly Station, Seoul Metro Line 9, Exit 1. After leaving the station, cross the street, walking towards to National Assembly Building. The cherry blossoms are along the u-shaped road that wraps around the grounds of the government buildings. This map can help as a reference of the layout of the street around the buildings: