hangang

the day we went cycling by the river was very cold, windy and grey - not a great day for cycling or for taking photos, but the scenery was still very lovely, in a grey, cloudy way. also, how cute are those turquoise birdhouses?

the weather's getting colder now, which is very exciting for me, because this is my first time experiencing autumn. i can't wait for the leaves to turn brilliant shades of red and yellow and to wear cosy winter clothes!

gyeongbokgong

last friday i visited gyeongbok palace, a restored royal palace. unfortunately i didn't have a guide and missed out on hearing all about the history of the place, but it was lovely just walking around the place. i love how it's located in the heart of Seoul, sitting in the midst of modern skyscrapers.

today is chuseok (추석), Korea's thanksgiving festival and the 2nd biggest holiday here, after the lunar new year. shops close and people reunite with their families to eat rice cakes and to pay respects to their elders.

i am going to celebrate chuseok (and three days off school, yay!) by going cycling along the han river with some friends.

happy chuseok everyone!

korea: food

good food abounds in korea! from the top: 1)kimbap, which is quickly becoming a staple of my diet, 2)street food and 3)cold noodles (the bits in the soup are ice!). most of the food here contains LOTS of vegetables, which is good, and can be really spicy!

i've been busy settling into school but things are gradually falling into place. i'll be taking korean classes everyday while i'm here, which is exciting and a little scary.

summer blues

test roll from the olympus xa, taken before i came over to korea.
i love this camera already!