My dearest M, I’d been looking forward to our trip to Singapore for about a year. I’d pictured nineteen-month-old you seeing up close all those animals you’d only seen in your picture books — the elephants, giraffes, lions. I’d wanted to see you gleefully running around in open spaces, which is quite rare in our… Continue reading An open letter to my one-year-old, on the occasion of his first trip abroad
In Yoshino By the mountains, the flowering Cherry blossoms: Simply for snow I did mistake them! Ki no Tomonori, from the Kokin Wakashū (c. 905) Of course I use “endless” in hyperbole, but looking at Mt. Yoshino from certain viewpoints would give you the impression that the crowds of cherry trees go on and on, down the other… Continue reading Visiting Mt. Yoshino and its endless cherry trees
Just a little ways off Kyoto is a small city called Uji, whose claim to fame is its green tea. More than the green tea, though, Uji has important cultural and historical significance. Being situated just south of Kyoto and north of Nara, Uji itself rose as a cultural center especially during the Heian period (794–1185)… Continue reading A Morning in Uji City
On our fourth day in Seoul, we slept for as long as we could and took our time with breakfast. Our goal was to visit nearby areas — the Jongmyo Shrine, Unhyeongung, the War Memorial, and whichever other place struck our (read: my) fancy. Unhyeongung used to be where the crown prince Gojong stayed before… Continue reading We (unintentionally) gatecrashed a wedding in Unhyeongung
This is probably Getting Old Me talking — I could pull all-nighters in college, but now, in my early 30s, I’m finding it more difficult to stay up beyond 10 PM — but I have mentioned before that you should stay in Insa-dong when you are in Seoul. Why? Let’s recap: First, many sights are… Continue reading Why Insa-dong should be your base in Seoul
Changdeokgung, built in the 1400s, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung was also burnt down during the 1592 Japanese invasion — not by the Japanese, but by citizens angry at their king for abandoning them — but it was the first palace to be rebuilt, in 1610. The royal court was thus moved here. Now,… Continue reading Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung (Hint: Visit the Secret Garden!)
Here’s how we described the Garden of Morning Calm upon seeing it: “This is a place our mothers would love.” We loved it too, of course, but in seeing all the flora, we also felt somewhat nostalgic for home. This pair of city-dwellers appreciated, once again, our moms’ green thumbs and other varied and… Continue reading What does the Garden of Morning Calm look like in the afternoon?
We were in the Gapyeong Tour Bus after having come from Nami Island. The tour guide was telling us all about our next stop. “Do you know who Do Min-Joon is? Because Do Min-Joon is waiting for you!” Oh hell, of course I know who Do Min-Joon is. But I suppressed a giggle because Husband… Continue reading Do Min-Joon is waiting for you in Petite France
Notes on visiting Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm in one day from Seoul: Preparations Reserve your ITX-Cheongchun tickets here. Print out your reservation form. This is not your ticket; more on this later. Print out a discount coupon (1 for each person) for Petite France here. This gives international tourists… Continue reading An Autumn Morning on Nami Island
…and by this, I don’t mean getting a brochure on course requirements or inquiring on enrollment for foreign nationals (although of course, you can totally do that). I mean, go to a university and sightsee, and envy the students a bit because they’re young and their school is lovely. As for us, we (I) decided to… Continue reading You should visit a university when you’re in Seoul
Ang Lakwatserang Guro 