It's All in the Family

During our time in Seoul, we stayed with our close family friends.  My late grandfather and their family's patriarch were best friends back in the day and even today, our families remain close.  They were such gracious hosts and fed us the most amazing spread of food for breakfast every morning.  Tons of baked goods, fruit, and fresh juice.  In the photo below - standing: my Momma and their eldest son; seated: my Grandma and me, sandwiched between our adorable hosts.

The couple owns a famous silk shop, on the first floor of their apartment building.  They sell beautiful silk scarves, ties, and clothing.  The store also creates handmade hanboks, traditional Korean gowns that are worn at special events like weddings.  Everything was so beautiful.  I was lucky to get a few scarves to take home with me!  Can't wait to wear them soon.  Apparently, this store is pretty famous.  Even the Queen of Denmark came and got a custom-made hanbok to take home as a souvenir!

After the Suwon Folk Village, we started heading back to Gangnam-gu.  But first, we stopped at an amazing indoor flower market.  Ever since I studied abroad in the Netherlands and visited Keukenhof Gardens, I've been obsessed with flowers.  This market surely didn't disappoint.  Each of the vendors specialized in one type of flower and had their own partitioned space to sell them.  We didn't buy anything but we had a lot of fun, wandering around and "eye-shopping," as native Koreans would say.

Outside, there were even more flower stands.  Tons of colorful chrysanthemums were lined up in perfect rows.  Of course, we had to stop and take photos.  I mean, what else would you expect from us?

For dinner, we went to Ebishura, a notable buffet restaurant in Gangnam-gu.  While it's advertised as a seafood buffet, there were so many different selections that even a non-seafood eater, like me, had no trouble filling up a plate (or two or three).  I had an absolute field day!  It was actually overwhelming to walk around and try to narrow down the immense selection.  I was most excited by the salad bar and dessert spread.  Koreans eat a lot of vegetables but they're usually pickled, salty, or drenched in some thick sauce.  So I took advantage of this meal to stock up on fresh salads and steamed veggies.  Ahh, it was heaven!

Somehow, I managed to save room for dessert and consume more little tartes, cakes, pies, and mousses than I'd like to admit.  The meal was a little pricy but totally worth it!  The next time I'm in Seoul, I'll definitely return with friends.  Afterwards, I changed into elastic waistband pants, fell into a food coma, and promptly passed out.

On Tuesday, October 11th, we slept in and then headed off to Insa-dong, my favorite neighborhood in Seoul.  Some of you dedicated readers will recall my earlier adventures in Ssamziegil.  But it was really special to experience it again with my family.  We spent hours just wandering around, peering into the cute little boutiques, and ogling over all the quirky crafts.

After a while, we worked up an appetite and stopped for lunch on the top floor of Ssamziegil.  We opted for the 5,000 won (less than $5) lunch special, consisting of some spicy tofu soup and bibimbap, one of my absolute favorite Korean dishes.  In the afternoon, we continued exploring the streets of Insa-dong.  Everything there is handmade, artsy, and adorable.  In other words, it's perfect for me. ^^

Next, we continued our afternoon stroll along Samcheong-ro, a road on the opposite side of Gyeongbukgung Palace, where one can also find charming little cafes, galleries, and boutiques.  Overtime, I've learned the importance of wandering and actually soaking in the culture of a new city.  While visiting museums is a fine way to spend the day, I so much more enjoy being outside, avoiding crowded touristy areas, and spending quality time in areas that locals actually hang out in.

Eventually, we ended up in a quaint coffee shop located in a perfectly preserved historic building.  There, we sipped on iced americanos and snacked on a delicious waffle, while we chatted and reminisced about the past few days.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye.  Momma and Gramma's flight back to America was booked for early Wednesday morning so I decided to head back to Daejeon on Tuesday night.  After 3 straight days together, it was bittersweet to go our separate ways.  They had an amazing trip in Korea, visiting all the stunning landmarks, reuniting with family and friends, and seeing ME!

It's unbelievable how much Korean I've learned in 3 1/2 months.  It was so rewarding to be able to converse with them in Korean.  More than anything, their visit reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a supportive family and how important it is to keep up my Korean studies.  My family's the absolute best and I can't wait to see them again for Christmas!  ♥♥♥