Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
It has been an amazing ride, but the time has come for me to move on. I know it is kind of a cliché, but it really is NOT you, and it really IS me (well, mostly). You have been lovely for the last four years, but I just want to try something new. I know these break up letters are usually filled with lies to ‘let you down easy’ and not ‘hurt you further,’ but I think you deserve the truth.
Size does Matter Read more
Visited: Mar 2011, Sept 2012, Apr 2013, Oct 2013
Site Type: Cultural
Inscribed: 1997
Background and Opinion:
Changdeokgung was built in the early 1400s (like 1411 or 12, I forget) as a secondary palace to my absolute favorite place in all of Korea, Gyeongbok Palace. It was totally a back-up place to stuff the in-laws when the king was just not having it or was in a generally bad mood. Read more
“Our country has four seasons, and that is what makes Korea special.” This is one of the first facts a Korean child learns about their own country. Over the last few years though, I had grown a little suspicious. This so called “spring” lasted a few weeks at most, and this “autumn” seemed either too cold or too hot. Something wasn’t right.
I decided to do a little investigating. Surely, there were many more seasons than the four described in an almost robotic fashion. Korean adults were concealing something, something BIG, and I intended to find out what it was. After hiding in alleys, digging in trash cans, and listening in on private conversations, I found out about the secret, unspoken “Seasons of Korea.”
This is Julio reporting, live from Seoul.
This season comes hidden deep in the hot summer. Swarms of cicadas pop out of the ground, cling on to dear life on trees, and make normal conversations in the streets only possible if you time it right.
One of my favorite things about living in Korea has been the plethora of festivals available on a weekly basis. In fact, many festivals land on the same weekend, like the amazing Andong Mask Festival and the unbearably overcrowded International Fireworks Festival.
From April 25th-May 11th, Korea celebrated Buddha’s 2556 th birthday with its annual lantern festivities. Many places around Seoul and the rest of the country were decorated with amazing lanterns for the event. Bongeunsa is one of Korea’s oldest, largest, and most important temples. They seem to go all out for the event. Read more
“…Back again, Shady’s back, tell a friend… ” I still enjoy that Eminem song from time to time. Anyways, I am back in Korea! It is difficult to explain my attraction to this country and my only regret is not having more people from back home visit to show them around my second home. Yes, this is one of those rare ‘personal posts’ so excuse the scatteredbrainessessess…oops.
Blogging, duh! No seriously. For the first time, I entered Korea as a full blown tourist. No cozy apartment awaited me, and I actually stayed in a guesthouse for the first time! I am using the following months prior to THE BIG Read more