Performer of the Season: Mr. Ham, the Magician

If you were at the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival last month, you must have seen him in the middle of a huge crowd doing magic tricks. That's where I bumped into his performance.

       

Since it's a festival, it was just proper to have street performers to entertain the crowds visiting from all over Seoul, and from other countries as well. 

And while some visitors were happy enough to be dazzled with the cherry blossoms and the flowers displayed along Yeouido's most popular lane, most visitors were surprised that the festival didn't only welcome them with petals and plants, they were entertained with street performances!

                              (Mr. Ham breathes fire!)

            (Hundreds encircle Mr. Ham to watch his show
                     in the middle of the Yeouido street)

Yes, live street performances are usually the ones that make a festival more exciting as these actually engage the audience. 

And one performer is the artist, Mr. Ham, who brought his The Happening Show to the festival and performed for the crowds. The kids, who I presumed would have been bored just watching the cherry blossoms and having photos with their parents, were especially mesmerized by Mr. Ham's magic tricks! How often would you bump into a magic show along a street in Seoul, anyway?

                 (Mr. Ham poses with a fan after the show)

As he doesn't just perform during festivals, you may bump into one of Mr. Ham's street performances on any park or street in Seoul.

Here's The Happening Show's Facebook page. Give it a 'Like' and you may see him do his magic tricks while you're walking around Seoul one day.

https://www.facebook.com/thehappeningshow?fref=ts

Persons of the Week: The Florists and Horticulturists of the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival

If you're heading to see the blooms of the cherry blossoms at Yeouido in Seoul this weekend, these are the hardworking people who are making the welcome arch the most photogenic man-made structure at the festival.

Since I am avoiding the chaos at the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend, I ran to the site late last night after work to take a hike, literally!  My legs needed stretching and my mind needed relaxing. So, a kilometer or two of strolling along the cherry blossom lane was what I did. 

Once I got at the start of the Festival's cherry blossom lane, I noticed these group of people working overtime placing the colorful flower patches around and on the welcome arch. And even though they're not finished yet, people were already posing next to it.

And with the use of a crane, which levitated them to the top corners of the arch, they plugged in more flowers to complete the whole design. 

I wonder what time they finished last night, or whether they were able to complete the task. But for this work alone that will bring more enjoyment, and probably millions of memorable photographs, these florists and horticulturists are my persons of the week!

PS. I was told by the Korea Tourism Organization hotline operator that the colored lights on the cherry blossom trees will be turned off at 11PM each night during the festival. I hope the organizers can extend it as people will probably stroll around the cherry blossom lane even until midnight.

Spring Time in Seoul! All Roads Lead To Yeouido...Again!

It's spring time again in Korea, when everyone wants to go outdoors to smell the flowers. Literally.

And this year, the cherry blossoms are already starting to bloom and this weekend, a million people will gather again in Yeouido to enjoy the flowers, the festivities and the fun that go with this celebration of spring time in Seoul. 

On my first spring time in Korea, my good friend Jeeho, who used to work in the Yeouido area, told me to meet up with him at Yeouido Station one Friday night during the festival, so he could show me what it was all about. When we got there, at the area lined up with cherry blossoms which were all lighted with different colors, I was surprised that the place was already crowded with couples, families, people with pets and of course, office workers like Jeeho and me.

And as we navigated the five kilometer route behind Korea's National Assembly, I was glad I switched shoes before coming over. Walking the whole route in rubber shoes would be more comfortable, especially if the purpose of your visit to Yeouido is to enjoy the blooms and bring home nice photographs, and not bring home an aching pair of feet.

But if you want to avoid the crazy traffic of both vehicles and people during the weekend, you can always stop by during the week. On weekends, going there by car will be a challenge and finding a parking slot near the festival site will be a problem.

The National Assembly Station (Line 9, Exit 1) and the Yeouinaru Station (Line 5, Exits 1 and 2) are the nearest subway stations to the site. Once you get out from these exits, you can always follow the crowds, or the scent of the flowers, whichever works for you.

When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, they are like white wedding bouquets hanging up those trees, and they fall off a few days after, especially during a windy or rainy day.

If you're planning to bring your whole family, you can always bring a mat and picnic basket with you, and just park your car at the park near the 63 City Building, that tall golden brown building that used to be the tallest in South Korea when it was completed in 1985. From there, you can stroll and find a spot closer to the Yeouido Park.

At Yeouido Park, expect a lot of families, couples and bikers who would all be competing for space on the grass with a nice view of the Han River and the cherry blossom lane.

Although there are restaurants and cafes on the floating vessel parked at the Yeouido Park, expect long lines of people queuing to get some food, drinks or coffee. Also expect long lines at the toilet.

But once you're settled and have found a cool spot, you can just relax and enjoy the day under the sun and spring weather. And don't forget to dispose of your litter properly. There are huge designated waste disposal areas.

But for those who just want to stroll around, make sure your cameras and smartphones have enough battery charge as they might run out of energy as you won't stop clicking away having 'selfies' or taking photographs of the flowers and blossoms.

And if you get hungry along the way, there are always these food stalls where you can buy cheap snacks, or in my case, dako-yaki, which is one of my favorites. Luckily, I stumbled upon a dako-yaki food truck, which made my visit to Yeouido even more enjoyable. This was the first time in years that I have tried dako-yaki again, after my favorite dako-yaki stall at the Lotte Department Store food court closed shop.

               (My favorite dako-yaki! For only KRW5,000)

So, you better hurry up to Yeouido this week when the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom!  And please have some dako-yaki for me in case you see this food truck along the way.

Enjoy!

How To Enjoy The Yeouido Fireworks Festival!

It's the time of the year again that when the cool breezes finally blow over Seoul and the Han River, and the Hanwha Group celebrates the onset of autumn with dazzling fireworks that light up the skies over Yeouido for a colorful (and explosive!) night! I have enjoyed this festival many times before, and the fireworks just keep better, more colorful, louder and more exciting than the preceding year's.

       (Others have claimed their spot early during the day)

Although, I may miss this year's fireworks as I will be out of the country when Yeouido becomes the most popular spot in Seoul that night, I am reliving the memories of last year's experience so that others can pick up a tip or two on what I usually do to make my trip to Yeouido (along with a million other people!) hassle-free and enjoyable!

First, is the route plan: Although the Yeouinaru Station is the closest the festival site, this station is usually shut down that day and is not accessible to avoid overcrowding. I'm not sure if this is the case again next Saturday. To confirm this, you can just call 02-1330 (Korea Tourism Organization hotline) to confirm this. But I would suggest you avoid this station, even if it's accessible.

             (A live TV broadcast at the fireworks festival)

So, I take a bus going to Sinnonhyeon Station (Line 9) to get Saetgang Station, which is about 300 meters away from 63 KLI Building. Getting out from Saetgang Station's Exit 3, I just walk towards towards the site, like everyone else. Not all roads going to the venue will be open to vehicular traffic.

(The crowd awaiting the fireworks)

Second, grab an early dinner at one of the restaurants in the buildings behind the 63 KLI. My friends Andrew, his wifey and I usually grab our buddae-jiggae dinner there. We make sure our tummies are full as it will be about 4 hours again before we can grab our next bite. Also, make sure you visit the restroom before heading out. Your bladder may ruin the night's excitement if you don't unload what has to be unloaded. Ha-ha-ha!

Third, wearing your comfortable walking shoes, bringing your cameras with fully charged batteries and spare memory cards, and wearing a warm sweater, you're now ready to head out to the site and join a million other people, who have already claimed their spots. You don't need to get down to the banks of the Han River to enjoy the show. If you're in front of the 63 KLI Building, like we always were, you can see the display and hear the loud music accompanying the fireworks comfortably. All you need is a spot where you can sit or stand. But be prepared to stand for about 3 hours. Why? If there are 3 participating teams and each team's fireworks last 30 minutes, the whole show may last until 9:30PM or later.

                   (Photos from last year's fireworks!)

                         (My favorite photo of the night!)

And immediately right after the last KABOOM!, we usually rush to the coffee shop at the 63 KLI Building so that we can get seats ahead of other people. But now, since I'm sharing this tip, I am worried next year, I will all be seeing you there ahead of us. Ha-ha-ha!

At the cafe, we take our time resting our tired legs and enjoy our cold drinks, while watching thousands of people made their way to the bus stops, nearby subway stations and their parked cars somewhere. I always didn't rush myself going back to the Saetgang Station as the queues outside the station are sure to be very long. The police always had to control the crowd (which is good), preventing commuters to go inside the station if it's overcrowded.

                              (Waffle and a cold drink)

                 (A long line outside the Saetgang Station)

    (The crowd awaiting the train inside the Saetgang Station)

So, hopefully, next year, I will be in Seoul when the fireworks light up the Yeouido skies again. But in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the festival this year!

KA-BOOM!!!