Yes, the song Windmills Of Your Mind came to mind when I saw these colorful windmills at a corner of that street where you find the Korea Tourism Organization headquarters, just across the Cheonggye Stream.
Although they're not round like a circle in a spiral, but just 'like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning in an ever spinning reel'. But since it wasn't windy, they weren't spinning 'like the circles that you find...in the windmills of your mind', and our photo of the day.
Today is another Friday of the Lenten season. For Catholics around the world, it's a day to abstain from eating meat. When I was growing up, it was a strict diet at home during a lenten Friday; no meat, no pork, no chicken, and not even sausages. It was either fried fish, sardines, eggs, or fried rice with fresh mangoes. I actually liked the pair of fried rice with fresh mangoes. The taste of salty, oily fried rice mixing with the sweetness and pulpy ripe mangoes was enjoyable. I miss it!
So, if you're a devout Catholic adhering to the practice of abstinence today, fish be with you!
I wonder if she was running to....or running away from...her wedding? Ha-ha-ha!
That was the question that immediately popped on my mind when I saw her get off a car (and not a bridal car!), crossed the street and on towards the I-Park Mall with an assistant dutifully carrying her train.
Was she rushing to the electronics mall to shop for some discounted home appliance?
Was she rushing to catch a KTX train at the Yongsan Station?
Or was she running away from her in-laws? Ha-ha-ha!
It was a funny sight, just like a scene out of Julia Robert's movie, Runaway Bride. But then I realized something. She was not a runaway bride; she was just a bride running. Why? There's a wedding hall on the 7th floor of I-Park Mall just above the electronics shops. She must have been late and didn't want to keep her guests and of course, her groom, waiting! She might have been worried he would change his mind. Ha-ha-ha!
Well, I didn't know if she actually made it to her wedding and lived happily ever after with her groom. But what I knew was that she provided some amusement to her fellow pedestrians crossing the street with her. (I didn't hear anyone congratulating her, by the way.)
And of course, she provided the photo of the day.
The color is still brown as spring has yet to awaken these small trees along the Han River. But as I walked around the area on the banks of the Han River, what caught my eye was the reflection of the brown plants and the Banpo Bridge on the very still waters. The body of water was actually surrounded by some man-made mounds. That's why it was still and quiet.
For now, it is. Quiet and serene, that is.
But not for long; spring is here.
Hazy days are here again. It's spring but the the sun still wants to hide behind the clouds, and the atmosphere is littered with haze and smog, and on bad days, yellow dust!
But looking at the bright (how ironic!) side of a hazy day, looking around to figure out the silhouettes you see from afar, the view of some recognizable landmarks looks more interesting.
On this very hazy spring day in Seoul, the silhouette of the Seoul Tower as seen from the Naksan neighborhood provides our photo of the day.
Since it's the season of strawberries in Korea, almost every fruit stand is now selling boxes of fresh, locally grown strawberries.
So, if you're walking around Myeongdong these days, or any busy area in Seoul, you will always find stalls selling cups of ready-to-enjoy fresh strawberries!
This one I stumbled upon on the very busy Myeongdong alley. The stall sells these strawberries topped with choices of dark chocolate, white chocolate and other flavors. A cup costs KRW4,000 each, but the only problem is, since it's cold, the flavored topping hardens immediately. And you will have to eat by piercing each slice with a small stick.
These enticing rows of fresh strawberries in cups deserve to be the photo of the day.
Gwangjang Market is one of Korea's oldest markets. Although I pass by this market most of the time either on my way to Hyewha-dong or to Dongdaemun, I never had the chance to savor the bindaetteok this market is famous for. My binddaetteok usually came from Namdaemun Market as it's closer.
So, when my friend, Sasa's nephew Neil came to Seoul for his research, a chance came up! I invited my other two friends, Joonho and Hyunsung, to join me and Neil at the Gwangjang Market.
We went there on a cold Thursday night, and were surprised that most restaurants and stalls were full! We couldn't even get a table at a restaurant; we had to wait!
(A crowded night at the market)
(Flaglets adorning the ceiling of the market;
no Philippine though)
But after checking other bindaetteok places, we finally got lucky; we got a table on the second floor on one of the more popular restaurants.
Bindae-tteok, or mung bean pancakes, are like hash browns in texture, and are made by grinding those beans and frying them in round shapes. I saw a Korean ajumma downstairs frying those binddae-tteoks. I wondered how many of these did she actually fry in a day. Must be hundreds!
We ordered a binddae-tteok and a haemul pajeon, or seafood pancake, which was a mix of seafood, onions and other ingredients held up in a batter and also fried. The haemul pajeon usually needed a sauce dip.
And with bindae-tteok and haemul pajeon as our dinner, we introduced Neil to Korean cuisine at one of the oldest markets in Seoul. But the introductory lesson for Neil didn't stop with these dishes.
After cleaning up both plates, we went around the market and decided to eat some more! This time, soondae!
(Mung beans being ground)
(Haemul pajeon)
(Bindaetteok on a plate)
I would usually enjoy soondae in a hot stone pot with rice, but this Korean delicacy is usually enjoyed as street food served in slices on a plate coupled with slices of cooked liver. Yes, liver!
As if our Korean dinner at Gwangjang Market wasn't interesting enough, the Korean lady at the soondae stall told us she had been working at the market for about 50 years; she was in her 70s. She must know a lot of about the market's history! If only the stall could talk! Ha-ha-ha!
(Bindaetteok: frying and cooked)
(Whole soondae)
(Soondae slices topped with liver slices)
I have always enjoyed patronizing these markets in Seoul, where their delicacies could match those of pricey restaurants. Their dishes are not only better tasting; they're cheaper!
So, on a cold week night, our dinner of bindaetteok, haemul pajeon and soondae was served at one of Korea's oldest markets! I hope Neil enjoyed his introduction to Korean cuisine... with a piece of Korean history.
(The Korean lady's soondae stall number;
I plan to visit again)
PS. When in Seoul, Gwangjang Market is a few meters out of Exit 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1). Just follow the smell of deep-fried bindae-tteok.
