Day 92: Celine's last day in Korea!

Today was Celine's last day in Korea and I believe we spent it really well.

When I came back from my first class, Celine asked if I wanted to go to Insadong with her to eat 만두국 (manduguk = dumpling soup). We got ready and set out for adventures!

I don't know why but the old people in the subway were really aggressive today!
From the moment we stepped into the cart, we had to keep moving because the old people kept walking into us or shuffling around so that we couldn't stand comfortably anywhere. I really don't know why they acted like this but after that, we made it a joke of the day to not walk too close to old people and especially not get in their way!

I don't remember if we were at Euljiro 3-ga or Anguk station when we noticed that the walls down in the subway had been decorated with colourful paintings.

There was also a big model of the Dokdo islands enclosed in glass. Dokdo islands are a point of dispute between Korea and Japan as both countries claim that Dokdo belong to them.

I was going to say that I found it pretty ballsy to include a Japanese version of the description as well but then I re-read the sign and realized that they don't actually say who it belongs to.

On our way to the restaurant, we noticed a map, showing the immediate area and palaces, etched into the pavement.

I also got quite surprised when I looked up and noticed that someone had put a yellow beanie on a statue sitting on top of one of the nearby stores.

The area is wildly popular with tourists and there are a bunch of places where you can rent a hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) and thus get into the palaces for free. Celine and I tried it short after arriving in Korea! We were a bit shocked to see this kind of banner though. When I think of hanboks, I think of a very prude society.

Celine had her manduguk at a place we ate at last time we were in Korea (January 2016) with an elder man from Busan. She had been talking about this food for days and eating it was one of the few things she absolutely wanted to do before going back home.
As we were walking back towards the station, I realized that getting to the restaurant and eating had taken longer than expected and that it was way too late for me to make it back to Yonsei in time for Korean class. Since it was Celine's last day here, I figured it wouldn't be worth the stress to show up for the second half f class and instead told Celine that we should spend some more time relaxing in Insadong.

We slowly made our way towards the main street of Insadong since where we'd been until now wasn't actually Insadong but an area close to.

On our way we saw this earthquake evacuation zone sign. I don't know if it's always been there or if it's been put up after the earthquake in Pohang the other day since I've been told that Korea usually doesn't really experience earthquakes.

We also passed a café that had this sign out saying that you can get a 500₩ discount off your Americano if you are wearing a hanbok. It's not the first time I've seen this kind of sign around Insadong or the palaces but I think it's a really good idea!

We actually saw a group of people clad in hanboks when we first arrived at Anguk station but I forgot to take pictures of them. I did catch this couple on our way to Insadong-gil AND this very interesting looking man, though!

He had to most majestically long hair and the beard was actually real as well. It's not often we see people with beards here and especially not that long! 

Celine mentioned how he walked in this typical old-man fashion.

When we'd gotten to Insadong and walked around a little, we decided to go for a cup of tea. The first time I went to Korea, Camilla, Cindy, Alexander and I went to this beautiful traditional tea place that I really wanted to show Celine!

There was just one problem; I didn't remember where it was!

What I did remember was that it was a side road to the main street so it should be fairly close by. We checked out to nearby side roads before walking into the 쌈지길 (Ssamziegil) complex to get a better view and possibly locate the tea place.

We passed this restaurant that we'd eaten at last time we went to Korea as well.

We walked around the ssamziegil and looked at the little shops - also walking into some of the stores we'd been in last January. In one shop, we found this BEAUTIFUL glow world map that I'm strongly considering bringing home.

Our plan actually worked! Once at the top of the complex, I was able to point out a building that looked like where I'd been.

We spent a couple more minutes at the roof, taking pictures, before going down.

We caught a couple wearing couple clothes inside the 사랑의 담장 (fence of love). Here we see Celine being a total creep, trying to get closer for a picture.

We also found this enclosure protecting us and other people from this very dangerous small hole.

Alright it was time to go down and find the tea house!

There were actually a bunch of people here at that time and even more came the more time we spent there. Outside were elder people, a photographer taking portrait pictures of some important looking men, and a whole bunch of young guys in gray uniforms. I  believe they were some sort of police or a section of the military but I haven't seen their kind of clothes before (and sadly didn't get a picture) so I really don't know.

Celine ordered 매실차 (maesilcha = plum tea), which I'd had last time I went here and loved(!), and I ordered 대추차 (daechucha = jujube tea) just so we could try two different things.

The tea made for great aesthetics but mine was really weird. I drank maybe half before giving up. The consistency was grainy and it tasted like something that was originally bitter but had had a lot of sweetness added to it. Celine's tea, on the other hand, tasted like red Haribo gummy bears.

The entire time we were there, soothing music was playing in the background.

 It was pretty windy outside today and sitting cozily inside like this made for an amazing experience when looking out and watching people through the big window we were sitting by.

 As people passed, we made little stories about their lives or why they were here at the tea house.

As soon as we left, a couple came in and took over our previous spot. When we'd come, there were a lot of people outside but as time had passed, most had come inside probably due to the weather.

A picturesque place indeed.

Tonight we were going to eat with Wonjun so we slowly made our way back to Sinchon. Celine wanted chicken for her last day here.

On our way back, we found a sign saying 'stay'. We'd been joking all day (and the day before if I'm not mistaken) that Korea was trying to hold her back from leaving since the suneung also had been postphoned, possibly causing delays to flights. We also used this as the explanation for why the old people were so aggressive today. They were mad at her for leaving!

We arrived early back in Sinchon and decided to take picture and go into a few stores to pass the time while waiting for Wonjun. I tried taking pictures of Celine in front of the giant fake tree here but she was being a total (admittedly cute) derp.

We were standing near redtube while deciding where to go next when a man ran up to us, handed us these big flyers, and walked away. The flyers were for signing up for a choir here! I'd actually really like to join a choir (especially a Korean one!) but the application due date is December 12th or so so my guess is that they won't be coming together before next year. We joked that this was yet a way to persuade Celine to stay in Korea.

Yet another danger in the otherwise so safe Korea!! This time we found a bucket collecting water dripping from the overhang outside U-Plex.

Soon after, Wonjun showed up but I have no more pictures from today since I hadn't expected a long day out and thus hadn't charged my phone before heading out in the morning.

We brought Wonjun to our usual chicken place where Wonjun treated us as a going away present for Celine. When we left, the man working there, who always serves us, told us to come back again soon but Wonjun told him that Celine was going home so the man changed his greeted to a 'return safely.'

We spent a good couple of hours with Wonjun going to both a noraebang, eating ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, and Celine and Wonjun playing Tekken in one of the many arcades here.
Wonjun followed us back home and we made plans for how we'd help Celine to get to the airport in the morning.