I have already written more here than I wrote the entire year I was in London.

Do I need to cut back, or is it simply that more things are happening to me in Seoul?

Over the weekend, Young-Kyeong took me to meet one of her fellow Korean English teacher friends, who teaches at a rich high school in Seocho, in the same district as my school. We had dduk-bogi (similar to bulgogi, for those of you with a working knowledge of Korean food, but with long white dduk fried in the red pepper paste instead of pork/beef, often fried along with various vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and somewhat tasteless thin fish patties). Ddukbogi is really spicy, and Young-Kyeong was really concerned that I wouldn't be okay with it, but I swear, if you saw me now, you would never know that I used to avoid spicy food. I loved it.

Then, they took me on a tour of Namsangol Hanok village, one of the traditional-style villages that are open for tourists, and afterwards, Young-Kyeong took me to Namsan (Nam Mountain) Tower (the aforementioned phallic symbol, which doubles as a lookout tower). Here's a sampling:

I am peeking through a Gisaeng (gee-sayng) cutout, Korea's version of geisha.

Young-Kyeong, in queen's garb.

In-Jeong, I think? In "nice lady" clothes.

Portrait view of Namsan Tower.

Chonggyecheon (Chonggye Stream), which makes a semi-circle around downtown Seoul and deadends in the Hangang (Han River). It's an old (OLD) highway, I think, that was unearthed and converted into a stream about 10 years ago in an effort to make the city greener.

Trees, then skyscrapers, then trees on top of skyscrapers. (@andmyfeetare it's okay if you replace "trees" with "buildings," as long as you don't replace trees with buildings.)

In Namsan Tower viewing deck, @bird_esque. You can tell we're doing a touristy thing because I was not the only Caucasian person there.

@warmandbarky, Buenos Aires was behind the candy machines.

Young-Kyeong, next to the window looking towards her hometown, Busan (on the southern/southeastern coast of Korea).

Hello, U.S.A. How are things?

Y'know, tevs.

Horizontal lines of yellow lights = bridges across the Hangang; vertical lines of light = lights lining the river docks. I <3 the river at night.