Namsangol Traditional Garden in Seoul

We visited my in-laws and my father in law invited us to go to Namsangol Traditional Garden which is just close to his place. It's just three stops using the subway so we didn't bring any car and used the subway instead.

Namsangol has the beautiful view of Namsan Tower.

The ancient name of Namsan (Mt. Nam), a symbol of Seoul and the Korean people is Mokmyeoksan. The mountain has been called Namsan (Southern Mountain) as it is located in the South of the capital, taking advantage of Namsan's picturesque, a leisurely life in harmony with the nature as they wrote poems, draw paintings and played games.

In building Namsangol Traditional Garden, original terrain shape and pavilions and ponds were restored. Native trees and grasses were planted and the valley was built to enable natural flow of water.

Because it was holiday, there were lots of people visiting the famous garden.

It was thanksgiving day so it's not surprising to see some cameras shooting the events of that particular occasion like the YTN News, the korean news TV program.

There were also lots of traditional games prepared for the visitors.

There's also a time capsule at the South of the traditional garden. The time capsule commemorating the 600th anniversary of Seoul as the new capital. It was buried 15 meters underground on November 29th, 1994. The time capsule which is shape like the Bell of Bosingak (Belfry), contains 600 artifacts that represent the urban landscape of Seoul, the life of Korean citizens, and the society and culture of Korea. The time capsule will be unearthed on November 29, 2394.

Five authentic Hanok (Traditional Korean Houses) that were scattered in the city were moved to the northeast of the garden. To help visitors understand Korean life, furniture that reflects the status of the people who lived in these houses were place inside the buildings.

The houses showed how people lived long time ago, although there are still some people living like it in the countryside. As you can see, they burn woods to heat the floor of the houses which is called ondol.

Namsangol Traditional Garden in Seoul is also the best place to see the full moon on thanksgiving day.

Early Bird Korean Mother In Law

Korean mother-in-laws get up so early. It's the reason why we can't live with my mother in law because she gets up too early but me and my hubby sleep late. My mother in law is an early bird but we are night owls. Last night, my mother in law sent me a text at 2:00 a.m. She asked if we were still awake so I called her. She said she has just got up but we were still awake. She was telling us to sleep early but we can't. It's not easy to sleep early when we always get up late. We get up so late so we also sleep late. But my mother in law sleep so early that's why she gets up early. She sleeps around 9:00p.m. and gets up around 3:00-5:00 a.m. In our case, we usually sleep around 5:00 a.m. and get up at noon and sometimes 2:00 p.m.

Most mother in laws are like my mother in law. They sleep early and get up so early. I heard from my students who live with their grandparents said the same thing. Some of them even complain because they can't make any noise at night. Also, they are force to sleep early because of their sleeping grandparents. They also complain that their grandparents wake up so early and clean the house so they make noise in the morning. I understand how they feel because when we sleep in my mother in law's house she makes noise so my hubby hugs me and covers my ears in order not to hear her noises. I could hear her cooking, cleaning the house and doing the dishes.

Korean mother-in-laws are early birds so if you're living with them, you will be forced to get up early, too because there are mother-in-laws who want their daughter-in-laws to get up early so that they can help them with the household chores.

Want To Marry a Korean Guy?

My father in law asked me to find a Philippine woman to get married a korean guy. He said, find someone who's as kind as me (I was happy to hear that but would be happier if he said as pretty as me ^-^). The guy is over 40 years old. I was willing to find a Filipina when my father in law said that the guy was his nephew (his sister's son) and my hubby's cousin. Later on, I found out that the guy is a farmer living in the countryside. My husband is against it. He said the filipina will be very pitiful. She can't have some money and will have a hard time living in the country. She will live without friends and work in the farm even in the cold weather. Not to mention the language barrier, the weather and homesickness. I agree with him.

The next day, my father in law invited us to visit his sister. His nephew's (looking for a filipina wife) mom. We went to their house. It's an old house in the countryside. It was too cold so we stayed in one room with old, dirty and cracked wall. It was grandma's (my hubby's aunt's mother in law) room. I couldn't go out of the room because it was too cold. The living room, the kitchen and the bathroom were too cold. I was freezing. The living room doesn't look like one because of lots of stuffs stocked that are mostly crops. The small dirty kitchen has lots of big old pots. The cold bathroom has also lots of stuffs that I couldn't imagine if someone could take a bath there. There is no shower and bathtub, just faucet and bucket under it. There are lots of basins and washing machine is also there. It is too stuffy. I'm not sure if there's hot water to use. My hubby was too sleepy so they told us to use the other room and sleep. But my hubby's cousin's niece was there using the computer. Beside the two tables was a quilt and heavy blankets. We lay down but we couldn't sleep because it was too cold. So, do you want to get married this guy and live there?

I don't know why people from the Philippines think that once you got married to a foreigner, you are lying in the bed of roses. There are so many women out there dreaming of coming to Korea and get married to a korean guy. Don't you know that those who are looking for Filipinas are those who got divorce or old guys who couldn't get married to Korea because Korean women don't like them? Most of them are farmers or fishermen living in the countryside.

Do you still think that all filipinas who got married to korean have good lives here in Korea? I'm telling you. You are definitely wrong! You don't know how hard their lives are, living with someone they don't know well. You don't know how they suffer specially to those who live with their parents-in-law. (Most of them are living with their parents in law. Another reason why Korean women don't like them (korean guy married to foreigner) because Korean women can't live with their in-laws.) Don't envy those filipinas because they are married to korean guys. You are luckier than them. Living in the Philippines is more fun with friends and family. Nothing can compare to the happiness when you talk in your own language and eat filipino dishes. I think most of you have even better house than the other filipinas here in Korea.

There are some who live well but don't expect that you will also do, specially if the married is just a match. For those who got married because of love (courted in the Philippines), some of them still face some problems here in Korea because of the against parents because if the korean has good education, young and live well in Korea.

Christmas in Korea

Christmas in Korea is just like a normal holiday. There's nothing special to do specially when there's no white christmas. This Christmas, it was just very cold. It didn't snow. When I asked what most of the kids did on Christmas day, some of them said they went skating, saw a movie, and most of them just stayed home playing computer or cellphone games. Too bad that it didn't snow that's why kids didn't have much fun.

In my case, I went to my mother in law on Christmas eve. We brought the ice cream cake that my sister in law gave us and had the chicken that my hubby ordered. We stayed there until almost midnight. When we arrived home, I called my family back home. It was nice to hear all their voices but I was so homesick because they were all in my dad's house except me.

We slept at 5:00a.m. and woke up at around 2:00p.m. After having some chocolate cake (our anniversary cake left over), I called my mother in law and told her to come over to my house. We dine together at 6:00p.m. (that's our lunch and my mother in law's dinner).

When my mother in law left, we slept again and woke up around 10:00 p.m. And that's how I spent my Christmas day. I was too homesick and didn't want to do anything so I just slept in order not to miss my home and my family. Eventhough my hubby was asking me to go out, I didn't want to, because it was too cold and going out is not fun anymore. I've been to many beautiful places in Korea and I think once you've seen one, it seems like you already saw everything. I even stayed in Jeju Island for almost a year and saw most of the island so I can't enjoy the nature in the mainland anymore.

Anyway, that's how I spent Christmas here in Korea and I guess most people did the same thing specially office workers who spend most of the weekdays at work and Christmas holiday is just a time for rest like a normal holiday.

I Hate Winter

Fall was too short. It is too cold from November and this December, it snows a lot. I think it has snowed in other part of the country since November. I guess we'll also have a White Christmas. Good for the kids and too bad for us adult specially to those who are afraid of cold like me.

In winter, I wear layers of clothes. I wear five layers to be exact, except underwears of course. But still I am cold. I even wear two layers of socks, a scarf, and gloves. I used to wear a hat, too but not anymore.

I hate being cold all day. I hate wearing layers of clothes. I hate walking in the snow. In short, I hate winter!

Let's Pick Baseballs

We found lots of baseball balls in Namhae Sports Park the last time that we went there. We were finding the parking lot when we saw that there are players playing baseball at the park. My hubby who loves baseball told me to watch them playing so after parking his car, we headed to the baseball park. On our way to the park, I saw a ball lying on the grass. A few steps away, I saw another one. Then, another one! And another one! My hubby was so happy with the baseballs so I told him to find balls, instead. He laughed and because of those smiles and happiness that I saw, I was encouraged to search more balls and after a few minutes, I have lots of balls in my bag. The balls that the player made homerun and went out of the park. Here are the balls.

I can find more if we stay there longer and if I have a bigger bag. haha... But my hubby told me that we can't bring them. Some players will go out later and find for the balls so I told him to leave the area so we can have the balls. Am I bad? hahaha... Hey, players! Just give them to us. I'm just so happy to see my hubby's smiles because of your balls. We'll just keep them as a remembrance from you. I'll wish you goodluck and hope someday I can see you in the baseball field and receive autographs from you.

See? My hubby was so happy while driving because of the balls. He said we can't bring those balls but still he was so glad that he has them. He hugged me, he held my hands from time to time while driving and when we are at the stop lights, he looked at the balls and laughed. Some balls are still new.

Look! My dog is also interested with the balls.

New Baseball Stadium in Namhae

The last time that we went to Namhae Sports Park, they were constructing the Baseball Stadium so my hubby who loves sports told me that he would go back there to see the new baseball park and so we did last weekend.

After a few months, here's how the park changed.

It's not only the baseball park has been changed but also lots of development has been made. Here's another new built playground for kids.

It's also my first time to see the giant parasol.

And they are still improving it. It's still under construction. I think this one is a fountain.

Namhae Sports Complex is really wonderful no wonder why I usually see some tourist buses whenever I visit the famous park.

Look how The Sports Park changed since I first saw it a few years ago.

Seomjin-gang in Gurye

We visited Persimmon Village or Damurak Village in Gurye and before we headed home, we dropped by to the Seomjin River which is just across the Village. Unlike the Seomjin River in Hadong, this Seomjin Gang in Gurye has also wonder view of the mountain, the sky and the river. There are even people go fishing which I think the perfect place for a picnic in summer for the whole family.

Look at the view of the river. Isn't it wonderful? My hubby told me to come back here in Spring and set our tent. What a nice idea!

The river became more beautiful with the colorful leaves in the mountain.

I think it's a fun place to play in the water for kids.

The river reminds me of my childhood when there were not many gadgets to use and most kids enjoy playing with the nature like splashing in the water with friends, climbing up trees, playing sports games under the sun, etc.

Persimmons Village in Gurye

My hubby searched on the net and Damurak Village caught his attention and we were not disappointed of what we've seen. I don't know where it got its name but I think the village is more popular with Persimmons Village than Damurak Maeul because of the Persimmon trees planted all over the village. Damurak Village is located in Jeollanamdo Province Gurye-geun Gurye-eup Gyesan-li Yugok.

Before you reach the village, there are lots of street vendors selling persimmons. I was amazed of what I've seen because the side road is full of persimmon trees.

It amazed me more when we reached our destination because the village is surrounded by persimmon trees. We walked for more than an hour and from the entrance of the village until we gave up walking, the trees were all around us. The view of the persimmons are breathtaking. The persimmons are in both side of the street so I don't know which way I look. If on the left or right because everything are persimmons.

There are some people harvesting persimmons.

They are all persimmon trees down there.

Persimmons are fruits in autumn so going to Persimmon Village is also like visiting the falling leaves. It's like two birds in one stone, huh? Persimmons plantation and colorful leaves in one!

The village is not yet famous but I think a few years later, it will be very famous for its persimmons. Look at this mountain! It will be a persimmon plantation soon. They planted lots of persimmons in the mountain. I can't wait to see that again.

It will be one of the best places in Korea specially for a picnic. There's also this place for dabbling in the water for children in the summer.

We are now on the way to the parking lot. We didn't realize how far we've gone. The village is mountainous but it doesn't make you tired because of the wonderful site of the persimmons. We kept walking and didn't realize the time. We can still go far but we were afraid to reach the dark.

There aren't so many houses in the village and there are even big houses. The place is like the walking course in Jeju Island but instead of Tangerines in Jeju, they are Persimmons in Damurak Village.

There are also persimmons factory in the village.

Seomjin River in Hadong

It's now autumn in Korea and it's getting cold everyday. My hubby has been waiting for this season because he can eat his favorite; the seafoods! My hubby loves seafoods but he doesn't want to eat it in the summer. And now that it's fall, we went to Namhae to eat seafoods. We went back to the restaurant that we've been to, to eat Rawfish in Cold Water.

On our way home, we decided to go to Seomjin Kang (Seomjin-gang) or Seomjin River which literally means "toad ferry". It is believed that 1590s during the Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, a swarm of toads blocked the Japanese army from crossing the Seomjin into Northern Jeolla.

Seomjin-gang drains southeastern Jeollabuk-do as well as eastern Jeollanam-do and western Gyeongsannam-do provinces, and flows into the Korea Strait. The river rises from Palgongsan and flows for 212.3 km. before it reaches its final destination to Gwangyang Bay.

Our navigation brought us to Hadong County. Here's the map of Tourists sites in Hadong-gun.

The river doesn't have much water. It's dry maybe because it didn't rain for a long time. I want to go back there again in the summer.

I think there are many people swimming in the summer because there are tubes near the benches.

Eventhough we couldn't enjoy the river, there's a trekking course that takes 4km to Seobon Park. We are planning to go back there and go trekking. I can't wait!

Here's the trekking course.

There's also a bridge to cross the river.

I think there's also a temple across the river on top of this mountain. I couldn't see it well but my hubby said it seems like a temple specially when we heard a sound of the bell.