Five things I’ve noticed during my two week stay in Seoul. Oh, plus food photos.
If you didn’t know, we’re in Seoul. Not all of us, just the little one and myself. It was a whirlwind of Korean food, shopping and Frozen 2 (which was mind blowing) and it was so good. We still have a few weeks left, and I’m already sad it’s slowly coming to an end.
It’s so different traveling with the little one now. She’s very attentive and never misses anything. Oh and she’s super talkative so she’ll talk about everything from what people are wearing to the persimmons hanging from the trees.
And of course, all the food. Now that I don’t live in Seoul, it’s tricky to find the hippest places, but thanks to some friends and instagram, I’ve managed to try out some new places. Like PS Cafe. Gorgeous and yummy, maybe a wee bit loud during the weekends. But it was just so pretty and lively (not something you find very easily in Stuttgart, I have to say.), the staff were nice, pretty attentive and all so polished up. Such a fancy staff.
I prefer to shop for toddler clothes when I’m in Seoul for various reasons. First, it can get cheaper if you know where to go and what to look. The designs are more fun (I noticed that these frilly things on the front and around the torso is a trend right now) and the quality is just SO much better. Like, you can machine wash them and they’ll still feel and look good, unlike many other brands that I know in Europe. (I like to go to nearby places to shop, mostly COEX, Hyundai Department store, NC Department store, Lotte Department store etc.)
Lucky duck got to experience her first Kimjang session. It’s when families all get together to make kimchi for the year and it’s quite a gruesome day of work but still fun. I wrote more about it here, and we were so happy to be there when it happened.
Living so far away has its perks, and one thing is that I quickly notice things that are new and different. A breath of fresh air, at least for me. And of course, I had to share them somewhere.
White shoes are in.
Seoul is quite trendy when it comes to fashion, meaning there’s always a trend everyone like to follow. It comes in different genres; once it was ice cream, last year it was a spicy seafood bibimbap and very orange-y, reddish sparkly eye shadow. This winter I’ve noticed white shoes, especially heels and boots, something I’ve never seen so much before. Wouldn’t be preferable if you have to walk a lot on cobblestone like in Europe, but here, everyone drives, takes taxis and buses, so white shoes actually stay white.
The puffier the jacket, the better.
Thanks to the very windy and icy cold winter, everyone in Korea has at least one long (at least ankle length), puffy winter jacket. Most of them tend to be black because it’s the easier choice, but there are variations. And now, according to trend experts, the puffier, the better. Although I do think this is an international thing as well. Retro is back.
Sweet, sweet, sweet, except for prices.
When G and I were dating, he mentioned that everything in Seoul was sweet. A loaf of bread, pre-made pasta sauces, even the savory chips and crackers were all sweet, according to him. I never agreed, but after living in Europe for several years, I have to admit it’s true. Everything is so sugary. And the sugary things are SO sugary.
Another thing is that everything (at least to me) seems to be so overpriced. I’m sure I paid full amount for coffee and desserts back in the day, but a slice of cake in a bakery is now almost 7,000 won, which is like EUR 6,7. Not an entire cake, but one single slice. WHAT. Coffees start from EUR 5 everywhere (espressos are around EUR 3 to 4) and some complicated ones are almost EUR 10. Wowza.
Uncomfortable emotions.
Another famous K-pop star committed suicide a few weeks back and it’s just very sad and depressing. I don’t want to delve too much into the world of K-pop stars and the industry, but it’s evident that it’s a harsh environment, and in a country where basically everyone has a say on everyone and everything, it can get really bad.
Even some television programs; some dig a bit too much for my personal liking, exposing a bit too much uncomfortable, sad and sometimes violent content. I’m not quite sure if these exposures bring a positive effect on anything, maybe television ratings? I’m not saying we should be ignorant but it seems too many subjects are just laid out in the open, devoured by hungry viewers like me and you, and that’s it. It was sad and uncomfortable, what’s next? Something MORE sad and uncomfortable. I feel like we’ve become numb when it comes to these issues.
(Again, I don’t live in Seoul anymore and don’t really get to talk a lot about these issues with Koreans so this is more of an observation.)
YouTube is in.
Anyone who is anybody does YouTube. Anyone who isn’t anybody does YouTube. Which means, everyone does YouTube. Even celebrities. I’ve had some friends and family suggest even I do YouTube, but I don’t know. Would any watch that? Not sure about the whole exposing my world to the world thing, just yet. And I personally don’t watch things like that, mostly just travel or interior related videos (My favs are Kara and Nate and Chris loves Julia).
Very excited for the next few weeks, which includes a trip to the amusement park (first for A) and a short trip to Da Nang, Vietnam. And, of course, some more eating.
All photos by rachelsanghee. November, 2019.