I enjoy quirky, and I enjoy silly. Living in Korea, I've had countless opportunities to embrace both of these, but I've found the grandest display of ridiculous to definitely be in the form of the "trick" art museums. I've visited two different ones, and I must say -- if you enjoy acting like a kid and posing for outrageous photos, then this is a place for you.
Tags: Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach in Asia, what to do on the weekend, fun days in korea, art, museums in Korea, Activities to do in Korea, tourist attractions in Korea, trick eye, sight-seeing
Given the amount of time I've been in Korea, I feel like I've managed to see a lot of the touristy spots and yet, I'm always looking for something new. As of late, I've also been looking for spots that are off the beaten path, which I usually find through reading blogs from other expats. This past weekend I was able to cross one of these slightly-less-well-known spots off of my Korea Bucket List by visiting the Ihwa Mural Village.
Tags: a year in Korea, seoul, things to see in korea, art, things to do on the weekends, ihwa mural village, naksan park, Activities to do in Korea, Weekend activities in Korea
Spring!! Sweet Spring! Our salvation. The white of winter melts away, and we are left with so much! So much … free time. Sure, you had plenty of free time in winter, but it was cold outside. Now that excuse is thankfully not excusable. So what’s an expat to do? Here are five happenings in South Korea during the next month.
Tags: festival, festivals, things to do, events in Korea, art, expats, exploring korea
Near the end of 2013, years of construction finally came to a close and the Seoul branch of Korea's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opened. Located next to Gyeongbok Palace in my favorite area of Seoul, this new museum offers excellent exhibits that range from sculptures, paintings, and interactive installations. I happily spent a few hours there recently and I highly recommend checking it out while you're in Seoul!
Tags: tourist spots in Korea, museum, things to do in Korea, things to do on the weekend, seoul, art, museums, art gallery in korea, museums in Korea, tourist attraction in korea, mmca, mmca seoul, museum of modern and contemporary art, Activities to do in Korea
Imagine a warehouse with tiny booths packed so full of beads and yarn and fabrics they look ready to explode. Then imagine narrow little aisles sprawling out into an impossible maze. Multiply this by a thousand and put it into six floors of a building. Voila, you have Seoul's Dongdaemun Fabric and Craft Market. It's a total sensory overload of colors and textures and people, but for the crafty DIYer, it's basically heaven.
Tags: seoul, Korea, shopping in Korea, markets, traditional market, art, tourist attraction, tourist attraction in korea, dongdaemun, crafts
As a kid, I was fortunate to live in a city with impressive art museums, theater, and ballet. Coming to Korea, I remember hoping I would be able to continue to see great art exhibits and ballet performances. Luckily, living near Seoul has kept these diversions available to me, which has been, for lack of more descriptive word, awesome. This past Saturday, some friends and I decided to head to Seoul Arts Center to check out two art exhibits currently on display: Studio Ghibli and Alphonse Mucha.
Tags: museum, things to do on the weekend, seoul, what to do on the weekend, art, museums, art gallery in korea, museums in Korea, Activities to do in Korea, Seoul Arts Center, hangaram art museum, Weekend activities in Korea
Sure. If you leave the United States, or Canada, or the UK, or South Africa, or wherever else you may be from, you're going to lose a year of your family, and friends, and favorite foods, and favorite what have you. But if you don't leave, you'll lose so much more. The worst thing about not leaving your home for even a brief blip is that you won't even know what you're missing. That's a fact of life. A fact I was reminded of when I made a last minute decision to join some friends at the Seoul Arts Center this past weekend. Originally, I had decided I would vegetate at home and save some money, but I changed my mind for various reasons. I am glad I did. Seoul Arts Center is a massive, impressive, and completely enjoyable complex of fine architecture and art. I almost missed it. I'm glad I left home this weekend.
Tags: a year in Korea, seoul, what to do on the weekend, living in Korea, what to do in korea, what to see, art, art gallery in korea, Activities to do in Korea, Seoul Arts Center, Hayao Miyazaki
Right now, Korea is smack in the middle of the infamous monsoon season. While it can make walking to work a little less than pleasant, you can’t let it hamper your free time, especially your weekends. Since the out of doors is particularly damp, hot, and muggy, finding indoors activities is a top priority. Luckily, Seoul has a wide range of things to keep you both dry and busy. You can go the normal route like museums and movies, or you can track down some of the more unusual activities. This weekend’s diversion? The Mustoy Café in Seoul...
Tags: English teachers in Korea, things to do in Korea, things to do on the weekend, free time in korea, what to do in korea, hongdae, art, cafes in Korea, Cafe, Weekend activities in Korea
It's not every day you experience an art exhibit where it all seems to make sense to you. I found one while teaching English in Korea.
Tags: seoul, Asia, art, art gallery in korea, Activities to do in Korea, Anish Kapoor, Leeum Samsung Museum of Art
A few months ago and few English teachers and I were walking around Hondae, lost and waiting for the rest of our group to find us. While we were trying to find a major landmark so everyone could find us I happened to see a group of billboards. I wandered over. Upon closer inspection, this maze of billboards was actually one of the many displays of public art! Each was a different display and clearly from a different artist. Korea is covered with public art in a way I have never seen before.
Tags: teaching in Korea, Korea, art