"Trick of the Eye" Trompeloeil Museum

Cyndi and I met up with Heng this weekend and she took us to the "Trick Eye" Trompeloeil Museum in Hongdae (nearish Exit 9). It was a shame that I was dressed like a granny and hadn't brushed my hair because we took tons of photos! The Tromepleil Museum features paintings using trompe l'oeil, a technique in which 2D art is made to look 3D.

Optical illusions + Photo Op = a yupgi girl's dream come true.

If you ever wondered what sort of underwear the screaming creature is wearing in Edward Munch's painting or wanted to ddong chim a cherubic masterpiece, then this is the place for you.



















They even have a couple of those holographic paintings featuring a woman in various states of dress. Look at it from one angle and she's dressed in 18th century garb. Step a few centimeters to the left, and she's in her knickers. Step a little more, oh, look at it that. She's nekkid.
This place is a safe zone for silliness and juvenility.

The Trompeloeil museum is located in the 서교프라자 (basement, second floor). It's part of "Santorini Seoul" which as far as I could tell, is a hodgepodge of various "art" exhibits including the cat art gallery, a large "Where's Willy (Waldo)?" poster, and an exhibit featuring ugly dresses covered in ribbons (or something like that. I didn't really get the "concept"). Your 10,000 won admissions fee to the Trompeloeil Museum gains you access to all of the featured exhibits in "Santorini Seoul." As you can probably guess by the name, "Santorini Seoul" is meant to look like Santorini, Greece, which means there are lots of blue doors and blue skies. Are you in Hongdae or on the set of Mama Mia? No one will be able to tell.



















Admissions is 10,000 won. Tickets are 8,000 won if you come in a group of 20 or more, but please don't come in a group of 20. The place is not big enough. 20 people will only mean that you'll always get a wayward elbow in your photo.

Hold onto your tickets, because admissions is 2,000 won less for each successive return. E.g., 2nd re-entry = 8,000 won, 3rd re-entry = 6,000 won, and so forth.

Hours of Operation: 10 Am to 10 PM (must buy your tickets by 9 PM)
Phone: 02.3144.6300
For for more information about the museum, check out their website
http://www.trickeye.co.kr/

There's also a Trompeloeil Museum in Jejudo. They're aiming to expand the Jeju location to a massive Santoriniesque complex, at least that's what they've envisioned in their playdough model (you can see this model at the Hongdae location).

Side note: I think it's fascinating how Korean museum owners are weirdly focused on seemingly unrelated interests. The Trompeloeil people for example are into optical illusions, Santorini, and colorful paintings of cats. You got the butterfly museums in Jeju and Paju City featuring some rich guy's obsession with making "art" out of dead, expensive butterflies. You can't forget the Teddy Bear Museum and their creepy re-enactments of random moments in history/pop culture. Don't even get me started on the Jeju Sex Museum (which if you're curious is a cross between a College Campus Health Center and an otaku's hoard of Japanese hentai and figurines.)

Moving on... time for some photos! Keep in mind: Heng, Cyndi, and I are 3D. Everything else is 2D!



























헹언니, 고마워요!

Sangsangmadang in Hongdae

I met up with Heng this weekend in her new neighborhood, just around the corner from Hongdae. It's been a while since I've trekked over to the Hongdae area. I had almost forgotten how cool it is. I'm especially drawn to all the quirky little cafes, which is strange, because I'm not big on coffee.















After sharing a bowl of super-sized ramen, Heng and I went to check out the new (at least new to me) multi-story SangSangMadang building. I don't think I've got a handle on everything that SangSangMadang has to offer, but it seems to be an intersection point for art and commerce.















I may have my facts a little mixed up, but here's the breakdown of the facilities, from what Heng and I could determine:

Basement: Cinema (indie Korean & Foreign films, I think) + Live Performance Hall
First Floor: Stationery Shop and handmade crafts
Second Floor: Gallery (This part was still under construction when we went)
Third Floor and Up: Recording Studio, Film School, Record Shop, Photo Studio, and Cafe.

If you sign up for a membership with Sangsangmadang, Heng says that you can access the gallery for free. I'm sure there are other perks, but Korean membership cards still tend to baffle me.

Heng and I spent a couple of hours at the record store, Label Market 2 (I presume that there's another Label Market somewhere else in Seoul). This is all conjecture, but I think the store is named Label Market because the albums are arranged according to record label. (Just call me Sherlock Holmes!).

You're not going to find any Wonder Girls or Big Bang at this shop. By virtue of the fact that I've never seen most (if not all) of these bands on MNet, I'm assuming that the featured bands belong to the Korean indie music scene.

With colorful CD Walkman spread throughout the store, you're invited to sample any album at your leisure. You can essentially listen to every album in the store. It's pretty awesome. I only listened to a small handful of albums, but I already found a number of bands that sounded interesting. I was particularly interested in a band called Sugarbowl and another one called, Funny People. They both have a bit of an Maroon 5 kind of vibe.















Label Market also features music from artists around the world. [Cyndi they have all the albums for Mocca and Olivia. Want anything?] I, for example, got to skim through the entire She & Him album, and as a result, have decided to purchase it off itunes (because I have a bum CD player). I also picked up an album for my sister by a band called Sunshine State.

I have no problems admitting that I love me some k-Pop, but the genre can get a little tiresome, so if you're looking to explore the diversity of the Korean music scene, you should definitely take a trip to Label Market.


See the red stage behind me?














Label Market also boasts a calendar of in-store performances by many of its featured artists. On the day we were there, we were treated to a free(!) performance by an indie band called, Achtung (악퉁). I do not mean this as a slight at all, but the band kind of reminded me of Hanson. I quite enjoyed their performance (even though I found the lead vocalist's pama and glasses distracting).














This intimate, non-bar venue is a great way to experience live music in Korea. You just have to put up with all the amateur photogs. I swear, everyone and their mother in Hongdae has a DSLR camera. Nah, I'm just jealous...

I did momentarily take out my little snap-n-shoot to record a bit of Achtung Live at the Label Market. Take a look if you're curious.


Achtung - Live Performance in Hongdae from Annalog on Vimeo.

Edit: I forgot to mention that Sangsangmadang is right next to Su Luxury Noraebang, the one with the windows. I'm terrible with directions, so that's the best I can give you.

Pasta Hut

When I first returned to Korea, my cousin mentioned that Pizza Hut was changing its name to Pasta Hut. I thought she was joking until I saw a Pasta Hut commercial on the terebi. Then, while passing through Hongdae, I spotted an actual Pasta Hut.

It turns out that Pizza Hut is "re-branding" three of its 330 stores in Korea as "Pasta Hut", in order to bring attention to the fact that Pizza Hut now offers a revamped, "mid-range" pasta menu in addition to pizzas loaded with cream and potatoes.

Source

I'm not sure if I want to eat pasta at Pizza Hut, even if its now refers to itself as "Pasta Hut." The thought of eating pasta in a hut is just not very appetizing.

Interview with Ian Oppa

As I mentioned previously, Ian Oppa came to Seoul for a two-week vacation. Given the fact that he was in Korea for a longer period, knows a little more Korean, and is generally more amiable than my sister, I thought he'd offer a different take on his time in Korea.

He's currently compiling his photos, but you can check out his interview below. My comments are in purple.



What was your first impression of Seoul?
Seoul??? I thought I landed in Los Angeles with the smell and the
haze of smog. Other than that, Seoul is like your typical "big city"
with lots of cars and people.

Given your Korean skills, was it easy to get around?

I was surprised that so many people spoke English (or at least
understood it). However, if you don't know how to read or speak some
of the language I would say that it could be pretty difficult to get
around. Because I spoke some Korean, everyone automatically assumed
that I was fluent (which I am nowhere near). I think it would be
better to feign ignorance and just speak English.

Were there any Korean phrases that you wish you knew how to say?
"Hey ajumma, why are you cutting in front of me?"

"Another bottle of beer/soju please." Oh wait, I do know THAT one!

What are a few sights that all first-time visitors should check out?

Everyone should check out Gyeongbokgung Palace because it's really
like going back in time. The changing of the palace guards is a must
see.

Bongeunsa (Buddhist temple - near the Coex, across from the Intercontinental) was very spiritually uplifting. So much so that I now am studying Buddhism. I really lucked out that it was the weekend of Buddha's birthday as the temple was adorned with lanterns and the monks were busy chanting. (On Thursdays @ 2pm, for 10,000 won you can go on an English tour, meditate, and experience a tea ceremony).

What's also so neat about these places is that they are located smack
in the middle of the city amongst the highrises. You can truly see
how time has passed by in history.

How did you like your accommodations?

The Best Western Gangnam was very nice. I had a large single room
with an excellent view of the city toward Seoul (Namsan) Tower. The
restaraunt and bar staff were really friendly (I even made a friend)
as well as the ajummas who cleaned my room. However, that being said,
the front desk people were robotic and emotionless. I would still
recommend this place though because of the location. I just wish that
it was closer to the subway and not up that treacherous hill (my legs
hurt just thinking about it). Me too.

If you had more time, what would you have liked to done?
I would have loved to see the country outside of Seoul. I also would
have gone to the DMZ to look toward North Korea. Oh well, there's
always a next time!

If you had more money, what else would you have liked to buy?

Another suitcase full of UNIQLO!!!

How did it feel to be in the Motherland (or in your case, the Grandmotherland)?
I felt welcomed in Korea. I felt like I somehow belonged there. I
though that I would have experienced more of a "culture shock" but I
just blended in (well almost). Yup, extensive arm tattoos will get you a second glance. Props to you for being tolerant of the gawking.

Seoul versus Bundang? Thoughts?
Bundang (ha ha Bun Dang) was interesting because it has that big city
feel with a lot less people. I can see how people want to live there
because you get to escape the city while still having all the perks of
the city like restaurants galore and the shopping (except no UNIQLO).
Seoul can be daunting with all the people. We may not have a UNIQLO (yet), but we're getting a Din Tai Fong!

Any tips for dudes visiting Seoul?

The more metrosexual you are, the better.

What surprised you about Seoul or Koreans?

Most Koreans are really friendly and polite and I say most because you
will definitely encounter some rude ones. You just have to break
through the exterior of some people and they turn into the nicest
people.

As far as Seoul is concerned, where are the frigging trash cans? I
must have seen about three of them the whole time I was there. I was
shocked to see all the trash on the ground everywhere I went.

What was your favorite neighborhood and why?

I felt comfortable in Gangnam because it seemed central to everywhere
I needed to go. There was shopping (a UNIQLO) and lots of places to
eat and drink. It is also a great place to people watch and see what
people are wearing and how they do their hair. When I would have to
wait for people (cough cough) (미안!), I would just park myself on the side
and watch people pass by. Gangnam has a good mix of people.

What did you think of Korean food?

In Korea, the taste of food is more simple and fresher tasting.
Korean food in Hawaii seems saltier and "thrown together". Except for
those noodles we ate in Hongdae (thanks Cindy) I found the food to be
less spicy than what I'm used to.

Try not to eat "American" food in Korea (i.e. McDonald's, Burger
King), you WILL be dissapointed.

What's with the sweet pickles??? Seriously, what's the deal?

What is your opinion of Korean fashion?

Where do I start? For the most part I think that Koreans are very
well put together. I hardly saw sloppy looking people (sorry to say
this but sloppy as in American sloppy). You can tell that by all the
people staring at themselves in any reflective surfaces, that most
Koreans care about the way they look. But...the dudes need some help.
As Anna says, those shiny business suits are REALLY shiny, almost
disco shiny if you know what I mean. You really have to see it in
person to appreciate what we mean. Unless I was crazy (which some of
you think that I am), I would not be caught DEAD in one of those
suits. As for the ladies, high heels are the norm and that
dumbfounds me. Seoul is not a flat city. Some of the hills and long
blocks give me an asthma attack and yet, there are women in high heels
EVERYWHERE. No wonder all the girls are skinny with killer calves (and corns).

Do you think you would have enjoyed Seoul if you didn't know anyone?

Hanging out with you guys was AWESOME, to say the least, and made my
trip the trip of a lifetime. I think that if I didn't know anyone I
still would have enjoyed the sightseeing , food, and shopping
(UNIQLO). You guys being there was just the icing on the cake. Yay! We were so happy that you could come out and visit!

What will you miss about Seoul?

I will miss hanging out with you guys first of all. There's nothing
like visiting a foreign country and having your friends there. I will
also miss UNIQLO very much (ha ha, I'm not kidding) and the sunglass
vendor in Gangnam. I'm sure that he misses you too. Now, he'll just have to stare at himself in the mirror to console himself.

Any other tips for travelers?

Korea is a country full of culture and a very rich heritage. Leave
your country's thinking behind and think "Korean". Study the language
and the culture because it will make your time there more enjoyable.

Get a T-money card as soon as you can. It is the utmost in
transportation convenience.

Any other comments?
The largest Korean won bill is 10000 ($10) so bring a really fat wallet.



Ian Oppa's Top Ten Highlights:

1. Hanging out with friends (old and new...Piggy included)
2. Bongeunsa temple
3. Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung palace
4. Watching drunk salarymen try to kiss and hug each other
5. Shopping!!!
6. Namsan Tower
7. Going to my first "pro" baseball game (our team lost)
8. Eating at "Imo chib" (Insadong)
9. Having my fortune read at a saju cafe
10. Korean Airlines (it really is a great airline)

The Lowlights:

1. The pollution in Seoul (on the streets and in the air)
2. Pushy ajummas
3. Eating beondegi (could also be considered a highlight)
4. Passing by a bosintang restaraunt in Hongdae
5. The men's room of some restauraunts (oh the SMELL!)

Hongdae: Where You Get Your Eyelashes Did

Another day spent in Hongdae...I know what you're thinking. Hongdae? Again? Yes, it's true. I enjoy that little neighborhood, but there's a reason for our frequent excursions to Hongdae -- eyelash extensions!

Eyelash extensions are different from those fake, spidery eyelashes that you find at the drugstore. Individual lash pieces are glued to your lash line to create longer, fuller lashes. The end results are basically what'd you get with your favorite mascara (but better), without any smudging or raccoon eyes.

Like the need for a straight perm, eyelash extensions may sound rather silly, but in my personal experience, they're well worth it. Eyelash extensions make me look like I put some effort into my makeup, when in reality, I only spent a minute on my face. Eyelash extensions are ideal for folks who want longer, fuller lashes, but do not wear a lot of additional eye makeup, particularly eyeliner. The constant application of other eye makeup may cause the lash extensions to fall out sooner.

Thanks to EK & HY, we met an 언니 who just got into the lash extension business. Since she's just starting out, she offered us a very generous discounted rate for the time being. The regular price is 50,000 won, which is still significantly cheaper than salons in the U.S. I've heard that the lashes last around six weeks.

If you're interested and in the Seoul area, then you should definitely check out Seum Therapy in Hongdae (Call 02-322-7472). Just ask for Summer 언니. Summer also does nail art. She speaks a bit of English, though prefers to speak in Korean.

Here's a pic of Cyndi with the lash extensions. The difference is not evident in this photo, but it looks great in person.














After we got our lashes on, we headed a few doors down to Yogi for a little snack. There always appears to be a line, so it must be quite popular. It kind of reminded me of Santa Ramen.














거짓말! Why did you keep pushing us outside, mister!














Before I move on to the food. Check out this guy's haircut.














The place is very cozy. It could probably seat thirty people at most. The food was decent and cheap, and I enjoyed all of the sketches posted throughout the restaurant.




























The menu is simple and casual, just how I like it.














Here's Cyndi & HY looking gangsta. Do you think they're getting tired of all my photos? Maybe some folks can drop some compliments in the comments section, so that they don't punch me the next time I snap a photo? Gracias.














This is where all the frying happens; adeptly executed by the ajumma to the left.














Open kitchen. That's what I like to see. It makes me believe that they have nothing to hide.














Yogi is most famous for their thin, handmade noodles. I forgot what this dish is called. It may look harmless, but it definitely packs some heat.














We also tried the 납작만두 (flat mandoo). These pan fried mandoo are stuffed with noodles and nothing else. A little plain, but still interesting. Almost like eating a very oily tortilla. But not really.














My favorite was the jumbo rice cakes, boiled in broth. Overall, the food was all a bit bland, but much tastier once you dipped it in the house sauce, a blend of shoyu and chili paste.














If they use a machine to cut out the noodles, are they still considered handmade? In any case, the noodles are made fresh. That's cool.














After the noodles, I dragged Cyndi and HY to Vinyl Robot, also a block or two from Seum Therapy. We passed by this place previously, and I thought it was a juice bar, until I saw it featured on a TV program. Turns out that it's a bar that serves cocktails in vinyl bags.


















Not only that, you see that little window? You can take your cocktail to go! You definitely don't see this in the States.















This bar totally fit my aesthetic. It was bright, colorful, and full of magazines and an eclectic assortment of posters and knickknacks. As most interesting places are in Hongdae (and Seoul at large), the bar was quite small. But that's not a problem since you can take your cocktail to go!


















The bar's proprietor also serves as the resident DJ, mixing some jazzy, hipster tunes.














Cocktails are around 4000 won per bag. They feature an interesting assortment of mixed drinks, but they are mostly fruity and girly. You can also order appetizers or beer.














Do you think that alcohol in a bag would be popular back home? Someone should tell Randy to consider the possibility.














I wonder if bags are better or worse for the enviroment?














Holla.














Cyndi's drink, Peach something or other was really good. I ordered a drink called "Jungle Juice", but there wasn't enough juice. HY ordered something with cranberry juice.

It's almost like drinking a super-sized Capri Sun. All I need are some graham crackers, and I'm set for snack time.














Open container laws prohibit drinking on public streets in America, so I was surprised to learn that it's kosher in Korea.














Public drunkenness is also not allowed in America.














(When I asked HY & Cyndi to look drunk, that's what I got. This totally would not have been acceptable on America's Next Top Model.)