Weekend 6 of 52.

Taco Amigo, Bangsan Baking Market, attempt at Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, National Assembly Building, Doota, Loving Hut Buffet, Children's Grand Park, Daiso

So this weekend marked our first South Korea fail. We wanted to go see cherry blossoms in Yeouido for their festival, but the cherry blossoms had not yet bloomed, and we didn't even end up finding the festival (we didn't go far enough toward the river). So we resorted to wandering around Yeouido, which was sort of peaceful and nice, but not what we had intended. Earlier that day, Dan and I had ventured to the Bangsan Baking Market in Dongdaemun, and we went back to Dongdaemun after our festival attempt in order to go to the mall, Doota, and buy some shoes and eat food court food.

Sunday, Dan and I commuted to the Achasan station, forty minutes away, to go eat at the Loving Hut Buffet. We got there around 5:30, and dinner didn't start until 6, so we walked across the street and found ourselves in Children's Grand Park, a huge park that includes a zoo, a botanical garden and an amusement park. We hit up the arcade in the amusement park and played Tetris and a thrilling timed game of air hockey (I won). I thought we were only going out for dinner, so I left my camera at home, but I think we will go back.

We ended our weekend at Daiso, a type of dollar store. Amazing. So amazing that we almost decided to live here forever on account of its ability to amaze us.



For Friday night dinner, we went to Itaewon for Mexican food at Taco Amigo with a group of teachers from the school.


Taco. Mexico.


Cheer up, Dan. Viva Mexico!


A sparkly sombrero and watchful teddy bear. They have a refined appreciation of the stuffed bear in this country.


Dan got a burrito. He was very excited about chips and salsa. We actually got corn flour at the baking market so we can try to bake our own corn chips. We'll see how that goes.


I got a chimichanga with cilantro and a horchata to drink. Maybe sometimes asking for no cheese in Korea means they accidentally put cheese in and then tried to scrape it out? I can't be sure, but I think that's what happened.


Across the street.


Baskin and Donuts: Happy Together. And the picture on the right validates our frequent "Only in Itaewon" opining. Only in Itaewon would the American fly in equality and solidarity with the Korean flag.


So here began our hopeful Saturday with cherry blossoms all down our street.


We saw this in the subway and were too embarrassed to try for a less blurry shot. Haha.


On our walk to Bangsan Baking Market, we passed the yarn district and the tool district, also the sewing machine district and what looked like huge laminating machines.


This is Cheonggyecheon Stream on a day with no yellow dust.


This was a much warmer day than our first trip to Dongdaemun so we got to explore the markets a little better. We happened upon this toy/costume store with a the Mask mask and what is either an Osama or Saddam Santa mask...we think.


In the middle of one of the streets was a covered market area. We ate lunch on one of these benches. We were walking around wondering what to do about lunch when a lady at one of the stalls beckoned us over. Lucky she did, because we never would have attempted it strictly of our own volition.


We got 2 huge bowls of freshly made knife noodles in soup, banchan on the side, for W8000.


Seaweed and mandu, dumplings.


We met up with Korrine in the afternoon to make our way to Yeouido for the festival. We saw an advert for a Sushi Buftet. We'll have to try that next time.


We passed through Yeouido Park. Everyone was on wheels. It all seemed very whimsical.


All the cool kids.


It seems like we're on the right track, right? Korrine stopped these marching band girls to ask for a picture. Marching bands are festival fixtures.


I continue to fail at un-aimed photography. And these were the only cherry blossoms we saw in Yeouido.


So, we were still trying to find the festival and instead we found the National Assembly Building.


With fancy topiagraphy (topiaries+topography makes me a neologist).


The tree line.


Magnolias in bloom. We went so far as to almost crash a wedding, and we still couldn't find the festival. It turns out that we stopped just short of it, just short of the river. We are going to try again to go see some cherry blossoms this weekend. Hopefully they'll still be around.


Part of our Plan B included "hot dog potatoes", corn dogs covered in french fries. All-American.


Then at Doota, I found some sneakers to wear and this was Dan's pretty bento dinner. I had a Whopper Jr, because, to me, it is a happy meal.


This is all of our Daiso loot. We got all of this and mascara and eye liner that I forgot to get in the picture for just over $30. Top L, Clockwise: Pretty apron, pot holder, jute bag, robot hooks, vegetable slicer, dish rack, tambourine, lint roller, chalkboard and two chalk pens, nail polish, two packs of gum, two sheep gift boxes, two pairs of cool socks, and ping pong paddles. There might be more that I am forgetting. The Daiso we went to was three stories, and it was a fantastic experience, but I think we might be easy to please.

-Serenity