Seoul of the City at Chu-Sok

First of all, Chu-sok, which is this weekend, is bigger than the American Thanksgiving. Perhaps 60% of the peninsula's population of 50 million brave rail and road to parents', grandparents' and ancestral homes. The picture above is Google-Korea's logo for the day.

Second, this post records a 13-mile urban hike today. I wanted to see, on this most-family-of-Korean-holidays, how much this cultural expectation of "family" was being played out ... or not. I was curious.

I began 2.5 hours before my church home had its 11:00 worship, and traveled my inner map of the city I first wrote back in 1979-1981 when I lived in Korea and drove a lot in Seoul. 

East to Seoul Train Station, South past the USO to Samgakji (Three cornered intersection), then East past Yongsan Army Base, through Itaewon (big shopping area for foreigners), to the church. 

Here are some of the scenes from that portion of the walk: 

First, good to know it was a good day for outdoor activities! Air quality seems much better than when I was here in 2006.

Around Ewha is a large section of stores devoted to weddings and special celebration clothes, for both genders, though women's fashions dominate. 

 I have omitted - as in "did not take" - pictures of the heavy military figures I walked past. A HUGE War Memorial has been built across from the Yongsan Military Base. But as I got towards Itaewon, I found this fanciful sign.

I don't do "Konglish" pictures that much. They are funny because they essentially make fun, and to turn the tables (Koreans in the USA making fun of our attempts to render Korean) puts things into perspective. I did find the sign below strange, because it is on a footbridge over a major road that, in a moderate wind, DOES sway. (The bridge, not the road). The sign below assures its users of the bridge's fundamental safety ... right?

After the church services, I walked back to the Train Station but continued North instead of West to Ewha, to take in more public areas of downtown. 

First, a memorial, politically motivated by conservatives interested in yet more public awareness of national security.  

This being the Chusok holiday, when "family" is front and center, I noticed lots of that...

And there were folks alone. This guy wore a helmet with the Korean vowels printed on it. I noticed him coming quietly, observing the crowds, and leaving the same way.

Don't like to show homeless men and women, but I did notice them on this day. An obscure walkway in Seoul Train Station was one haven. I was going to show two pictures, but thought better. Chu-Sok is not universally celebrated.

I did more walking this day, but that's another post.

Almanac: 
Temperature; 75 degrees
Podcast Playlist while walking: NPR's "Science Friday," "Most E-mailed Stories," "On Being," 
Number of Steps recorded by iPod's Fitness Feature: 31,160
Number of Calories this Feature says I burned: 1,442

Try walking your city; hope you have as much fun as I did. Just add some curiosity to your routine.

Marc