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its a crisp and stunning day in seoul. expansive, virtually smogless blue skies reveal rolling peaks clad in autumn colors. two concentric rings of mountains embrace much of what is one of the worlds largest cities (ranked anywhere from 1st to 10th depending on the source). the name 'seoul' comes from seorabeol ( 서라벌 ), an ancient word meaning 'capital', which it has been since 1394.

the view from gangnam

ive been here 4 times. i first came at age 10 for the olympics. after a 17-year hiatus, ive been back 3 times since last november. seoul feels very comfortable for some reason. given my virtually non-existent korean, that comfort is probably more about how foreign everywhere else has felt over the past several weeks than my familiarity with the place. this time around im less compelled to sightsee, preferring to hang out, stroll around gangnam, or eat yummy frozen yogurt with chopped fruit at red mango. two notable exceptions have been walking along cheonggyecheon ( 청계천 ) and visiting the insadong ( 인사동 ) neighborhood.

urban renewal

cheonggyecheon
covered by concrete and a highway for nearly 50 years, an extinct stream was restored in 2003 thanks to $1 billion and the creativity of seouls former mayor, lee myung-bak. as one of this ambitious citys very few (but growing) green spaces, the 5.8 km stretch of cheonggyecheon is flanked by sunken walkways, creating a sense of natural serenity by obstructing the frenetic city above. among the 90,000 people who visit this world-reknown urban renewal project daily are the ubiquitous groups of ahjummas sporting bright pink warmup suits and exaggerated sun visors.

ssamzie complex courtyard

insadong
this historic and artsy neighborhood extends past tapgol park in seouls gwanghwamun district. traditional restaurants and shops along small narrow alleys mix with over 50 galleries featuring provocative modern art. i was especially taken by the new multi-storied ssamzie complex. sporting an andy warhol theme, ssamzie obliterated my japanese pop art envy and reminded me how art makes me feel and that special moment back in the vancouver book store when i realized that whatevers next must be arts-related.

i enjoy seoul more each time im here. no doubt ill be back soon, maybe the next time ill call it home.
more 2006 korea photos here.
more 2005 korea photos here.