Weekend 28 of 52.

Hongdae Free Market, Seoul Wow Book Festival, "Smart Donuts" at Dunkin Donuts

Dan and I (as the Bell & the Hammer) got to play at the Afternoon Stage of the Hongdae Free Market. The Free Market is an artist run flea market where you can buy handicrafts and hear some music. It's held every Saturday at the Hongdae Playground. Saturday's weather forecast called for pretty much 100% chance of rain at all times, but it managed to lessen to just sprinkling for a couple afternoon hours. That made us glad.

On our way home from the Free Market, as the rain picked up, we walked through the Seoul Wow Book Festival.

On Sunday we had our second Korean hit of Taco Bell and ate some "Smart Donuts" (made with soy milk!) at Dunkin Donuts.



That second checkmark is us! 벨 엔더 해머.


The show was postponed about half an hour, so we killed time looking around the playground and walking through the market.


A road past the trees.


Pretending to ponder.


A Seoul Best Toilet. A prestigious award, to be sure.


Booths. Handmade hats.


Some jewels.


The playground proper.


For real.


There were portraitists and caricature artists. I had a caricature done in high school. My teen-aged self was so shamed by its grotesqueness that I have never had one since, but I think I'm probably more mature by now.


The act before us (죄다거플). He had a thing about couples. I think he's had some bad Valentine's Days.


But he was very friendly to us as we set up. Photos by Rachel Lee. (Thanks again, Rachel!)


Singing. Photos by Rachel Lee.


Under an umbrella. Photos by Rachel Lee.


Tip box with thousands of won! Right photo by Rachel Lee.


Maya and her friend Rick. Photo by Rachel Lee.


Starting the wave. Photo by Rachel Lee.


The band after us. The Sorry People (미안한 사람들).


A dinosaur at the book fair. There were a lot of really cool pop-up books.


Book fair, lending a booky smell to Hongdae's streets. (Aside: that man is carrying his own purse, not his lady's.)


Hanging out at the Dunkin Donuts. High on smart ones.


Back-lit.


Rain in Itaewon. We had gone to Itaewon to go to a certain bake sale, but we failed to find it.


Waiting for our train home. Dan made himself comfortable.

Next week is Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), so we have four weekdays off! We're going to try to do Lotte World while Koreans are visiting their families and hometowns. We'll see if we are as clever as we think.

-Serenity