Hi-Seoul Festival Closing Ceremony with Fireworks!

Deoksugung & Seoul Museum of History

So my fabulous Taiwanese friends have made plans for a full afternoon of activities followed by the viewing of the closing ceremony of HiSeoul Festival @ Hangang.

First, we headed to Deoksugung at Gwanhwamun area and roamed about in the vicinity including the Seoul Museum of History.

 There are always guard-changing ceremonies in palaces. (Or at least it seems like it)

I particularly like this palace cos it's in the middle of town, but it's a really small Palace with a Museum inside. 

Go only if you have limited time.

(I'd still suggest going to Gyeongbokgung for a better Palace experience.

 Love the horses - and i saw them up close and personal! YAY!

Weird to see ancient dresscodes mixed with modern ones.

It's pretty comical. And the guards are crossing the road!

 

Upon entering the palace, you will see this modern museum.They exhibit art paintings from all over the world.

Exhibitions are seasonal.

After that we headed for the highlight of the day!

Fireworks @ Hangang!

Imagine the big hoo-ha in Singapore when we have a firework-display lasting 3 minutes.

THEN imagine that duration multipled by 40times! 2 FULL hours....

There was serious human jam whilst making our way there. 

The train was packed with people, it's almost nose-to-nose.

It was like a mass gathering. Families, friends, couples all spread their pinic mats at any possible open grass spot. 

So full that i couldn't see the grass anymore.

63 building 육삼 빌딩

Then the host came up and the fireworks started. I expected it to stop but it just went on and on and on and my camera was working so hard that it went out of battery before the end of the show.

The whole time, we were just watching the fireworks and enjoying the ambience... it was awesome!

An unforgettable memory!

Hi-Seoul Festival @ Hangang

So, there is this festival that lasts for about 7 - 10 days in Seoul called the Hi-Seoul Festival. This festival is like a platform where all artists who are in love with arts and performing arts can display their work and talent...

There is a structured schedule for all sorts of performances and art showcases at selected areas, mostly Hangang and The Cheonggyecheon Stream...

Cause all the events are running con-currently, my buddy randomly suggested to go for the Hangang exhibition (Yeido entrance). The arts gallery was nice, but the performances were minimal and not as interesting as i has expected...

Neverthless, the ambience was good and it was a nice experience...

Those images on the top left-hand side is a showcase of my buddy's very own performing arts! Using shadows and hand signs!

 

A very blur photo of a Korean Drama film... it looks like a scene from Playful Kiss, but i m not absolutely sure - got banned from taking pictures... :(

Hangang Park 한강공원

Dangsan Station, Lines 2 

Accessible via many subway stops as well.


It all started  because i fell asleep on the subway  -  i exceeded my usual stop and ended up having to get off 2 stops from my supposed-stop.

When i woke up (finally) i was a little lost cause i dont remember seeing scenery outside the train window; I usually get off the train while i am still in the tunnel so i knew that i had exceeded my destination.

Funny thing is, the scenery outside the window was really nice! Then i realised it was a part of Hangang.

So, the adventurer in me appeared and i got off at the next stop - Dangsan, destination in mind - "Hangang"

Like i said before, how can things always just "happen" to be... somehow, I know God is watching me....

The moment i exit from the station, there was a bicycle rental kiosk, so i got a bike and went scooting around.

Stumbled into some martial art public display...

Amazing right? Looks like a nice venue to date!

The clouds where unbelievebly beautiful - just like cotton candies in the sky!

The more i explored on my own, the more i appreciate this time i have here... 

 It's hard to describe that sense of freedom....

Lo and behold - upon getting home, I even got to eat home-made Bibimbap prepared by my housemate. 

I feel blessed! Very blessed!

Museum of Literacy & Cheonggyecheon - Our first field trip as a class

1st Field Trip to Museum of Literacy? (cant recall the name)

So, we went for our first field trip to some Museum showcasing how hanguel came about.

To be frank, it was really boring! (to me)

Seems like we went thery only to fulfil out "field trip time"... cos all we did as a group was to take pictures!

It was like the objective of the field trip was to take pictures! Each time we went somewhere, the teacher would say "Ok, everyone please gather and take pictures..." then they'd leave you to do your own thing.
 

This is the evidence of our group photo - funny how the teachers tried squeezing everyone in but none of our faces can be seen in here!

The weather was so good, and going to the outdoors was so much better! 

Shot taken at the Gwaghwamun field. My second visit here.

There was a festival happening so the stream was filled with people working up the decorations. 

I must say that this stream is a super nice place to hangout for a walk.And the best part is that you can walk via this bridge to connect you from Dongdaemun, to Myeondong, to Gwanhwamun. 

Namsan Hanok Village

Chungmuro Station, Lines 3 & 4, Exit 3

Last Thursday, i headed for the Namsangol Hanok Village.

As i have found out from the kind-hearted people at M-Plaza, Chuseok is a big affair here, but that does not mean all attractions are closed for the PH. In fact, most palaces are opened and they even give you FREE admission into the palaces just because it is a special day.

This will never happen in Singapore, because  in Singapore, the opposite happens. When it's PH, everything will just get more expensive!

As per my earlier update, Changgyeonggung was one of them.

Namsangol Hanok Village not only has free admission, they also provide free food (traditional rice cakes) as well as free handicrafts.

I didn't expect a big crowd cause usually, in Singapore, people tend to like staying home to "jade-away".... but the situation is vastly different here.

Once i exit the train station - WHOA! PEOPLE and more people!

There was a PH atmosphere and even though i was there alone, the festive fever hit my head the moment i entered... There was dance and performance, people showcasing the folk-style lifestyle... where they used cane and straws to construct their everyday neccessities like clothes, shoes, bed, pots, bags etc etc

And there is more to it than those... 

The village is really like a little world of its own with its very own huge park and "spring"... they have so much open spaces that families just bring their mat along for a pinic! 

This is one of my favourite and self-proclaimed "best-shot"...

Luckily i did not intend to go there to do handicraft... They are meant for CHILDREN! DUH!

I have been asking random "kind-looking" people to help me take pictures of myself and one of them actually offered me a corn.

 Just as i thanked them and walked away, this little girl just came up to me and gave me this corn you see on the right-hand corner....So sweet right? So, i really believe angels are with me, everywhere i go....

This marks the end of the Chuseok Holidays for me.

Don't depend on others to be happy

Once upon a time, long time ago... i was in a situation where i get extremely happy when someone pays me a compliment and to that same degree, i get extremely sad when someone judges me and tells me something less postitive about myself.

This is called being insecure.

I was dependent on what others thought of me.

Because of that, i wanted the approval and recognition of others. I relied on what people say to give me "happiness" and in so doing i lived my life thinking how people will look at me, say about me etc...

I became really exhausted trying to live my life as though i had to please everyone.

That was not living at all, cause all i had in me is merely one goal - to please.

The light bulb came on for me one day 2,000 years agao, that i AM actually playing the lead characterof my OWN life.

So i should be LEADING my life, MY way.

Who cares what people say or think?

Are they that significant or important in your life?

Usually, people who only have bad things to say are somehow unimportant people who usually talk bad about everything under the sun and 2 days later, they would have forgotten all about you and moved on talking about someone else.

These are what you call worthless opinions.

You cannot control what someone says, but you can control how you think.

You do have a choice.

1. To choose to brood over it and be upset; OR
2. To choose ignore the negatives and to believe in yourself; OR
3. To choose to assess that opinion/action, take whatever valid in it and change for the better

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but the reality is, no one is subject to everyone's opinion.

Being hurt, upset, angry, disasppointed is all but a choice... Your emotions are not "enforced" on you. They are all part of you and can be managed and controlled by you.

Once upon a time, someone told me something so profound that i still remember it till today...

He said
"You sometimes react as if you have no control over your emotions and let what you can control, control you."

This really changed my mindset about my bad temper.

I hate it when i have no control over myself when i obviously knew i had.

Why did i have to let something control me when i have the power to control it in the first place?

So whenever you feel angry at someone for making you upset...

Think first.

Was it he/she who made you upset? Or is it just you choosing to get upset?

At the end of the day - you are uniquely you and nobody else can be EXACTLY like you.

You are the only barrier to being happy... because there is always a choice.

Whenever you are in a situation where "so-and-so did this/did not do this, so i am upset!" just remember that you have a choice. If so-and-so wants to and chooses to do what he/she does... let them be. You can choose not to be affected by them cause you are the lead performer on your own stage called "life".

Insecure women tend to fall prey to men who sweet-talk because they "feed" on those "sweet-talk" and like hearing them. Once they stop receiving those "sweet talk", they do all they can to "earn" it and usually, it has diastrous endings!

(Next time you hear someone "sweet-talking" you; Think. Did you take it seriously? Were you overjoyed with it? If you are, then could it be that you are tipping over soon?)

On the same note, "sweet-talkers" are you doing it to gain approval as well. Because one only starts "sweet-talking" when they want to please another... It displays nothing but insecurity and insincerity...

So, don't depend on others to be happy. Just be happy. Truly.