seoulmates

(Genius wordplay courtesy of Jaimes)

Last set of photos from August. This was our second weekend trip to Seoul, during which we checked out Myeongdong (shopping galore), Hongdae (round two), and the nightlife in Itaewon (the foreigner district). Needless to say, this was another good weekend.

First, Myeondong. After going to a Nanta performance with the entire TaLK group, we were let loose to do our own thing. Most of the scholars chose to stay in Seoul for the weekend.

Will I be this small one day?

Little China?

We were given an allowance of 10 000 won for lunch. A couple of us chose to check out the Lotte Department Store food court - I've never seen anything like it! Even the new Eatery at the Toronto Eaton Centre has nothing on the food courts here in Korea.

I opted for the seafood bibimbap. It wasn't the best I've had but it was pretty.

We then set off towards our hostel in Hongdae.

So much to say about this place! As our plans for the weekend were pretty last minute, most of the hostels were completely booked up...  so we made reservations at Seoul Base Camp with no real expectations. Little did we know how cool the space would be! Discreetly located above a questionable bar near Hongdae, you would never know how nice this place was from the exterior or from the stairs that lead up to it. Super friendly and accommodating staff, bright and clean, overall good vibes, and just plain good design. From the cool bathroom (awesome showers) to the cubicle beds (actually really comfy) to the tent "walls" (surprisingly private), I thoroughly enjoyed our short stay here and its simple but utilitarian aesthetic. Recommended 100% - check out their website here: http://seoulbasecamphostel.com/

Hostel owners Jake & Min

Hostel entrance - how cool are these doors?

The view from the hostel's rooftop!

After checking in and dropping off our stuff, we set out to find dinner.

Matte black awesomeness. Want.

We left the restaurant full bellied and content, and walked around Hongdae to explore.

Some cute Korean boyz

Stopped by Uniqlo

More neon signs

In our search for a place to grab some drinks, we stumbled upon a quirky hotel lobby with some very interesting seating.

After exhausting our options, we migrated to Itaewon to check out the scene there. By night, Itaewon is a little slimy - watch out for the slew of shady men here. Nevertheless, there was a lot of see and take in, including a drink bar/window vendor which served alcohol in IV bags! We ended up dancing at a lounge/club that Nathan wanted to check out because of the Aussie DJ who was spinning that evening.

We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning the next day. Jaimie, being her sweet self, had grabbed us some breakfast during her sunrise stroll. We soaked in some hot rays on the rooftop at Base Camp while munching on baked goods.

Interesting finds below

Coolcat

Em's crumpled bills hahaha

After a relaxed morning, we made our way to the Plateau gallery to check out their Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibit.

Quite the grip Erick's got on Jaimie's backpack lol

Crossing the street in style

Plateau Gallery & the top of Rodin's Gates of Hell

 

“Untitled” (Placebo)

Grabbing some candy to go.

 

Gallery lady and “Untitled” (Rossmore II)

Before heading back to the train station, we stopped for another solid meal of soups and stews and noodles.

Kimchi stew (김치찌개)

Korea's equivalent of the Queen's Guard?

This corny photo had to happen. A good crew we've got here.

Glad to finally wrap up the photos from orientation. Still to come are images from my week-long POE orientation at the DMZ, weekends in Gwangju, Boseong, and Daegu, and my most recent trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo! x