Category Archives: Attractions

Sarah Ventures to Children’s Grand Park

I have been so blessed and thankful to have been meeting so many fantastic new friends while we are living in South Korea! I was invited to spend the day at the Children’s Grand Park located in Seoul. We took the train line 1 from Dongducheon to the Children’s Grand Park. The trip was rather easy and we only had to deal with one line transfer station on line 7.

Children’s Grand Park was originally opened on May 5th, 1973, and covers over 138 acres all geared towards children. Right when we got inside of the main entrance a park attendant approached us and provided us with a nice park guide and tried his best to tell us a little about the park.

The original area was the grave of the wife of King Sunjong, the very last emperor to the Joseon Dynasty. The tomb was relocated in 1926 and then later used as a golf field before being sold off to the city of Seoul Government to be renovated into what we know as the Children’s Grand Park.

The park offers tons of green grass and paved areas for a child to run free and burn off energy! There is a zoo, some vendors and eateries, a music fountain, outdoor concert center, fairyland, roots garden, an environmental pond, animal school, adventure land, design Seoul gallery, a botanical garden, a kids auto park, marine animal house, parrot village (where you can hand feed the birds), a small animal village, the world of ferocious animals, a water playground, an animal show theater, amusement park, and tons more! Curious to know the cost? Get ready for this…. FREE! This place is absolutely FREE! The only thing that you would have to pay for is if you purchase food to feed the animals, yourself, or souvenirs. The Park opens at 5:00AM daily all year and closes at 10:00PM. Just another reason why I absolutely love this place!!

The group all snapped tons of pictures and I wanted to get mine posted so that they could take whatever ones they liked as well. In some of the pictures you will see get to see “flat Stanley”. Today was my first day learning about Stanley from Stephanie and I thought I’d share what I learned on here too.

The flat Stanley project was created in 1994, by Mr. Hubert, a third grade teacher. The flat Stanley project supports the international literacy and community building activity for students of all ages, teachers and families.

The Project allows opportunity for students to make connections with students from other schools who’ve signed up with the project. Students begin by reading the book and becoming acquainted with the story. Then they make paper “Flat Stanley” and keep a journal for a few days, documenting the places and activities in which Flat Stanley is involved. The Flat Stanley and the journal are mailed to other people who are asked to treat the figure as a visiting guest and add to his journal, then return them both after a period of time.

If you want to know more or want to get your class or child involved check out the website http://flatterworld.com/?nav=home – While you are there view the live map of where Flat Stanley is located.

Sarah Buzzes by Time Square Mall

 

Today I was invited to go to Time Square Mall located in Seoul’s Youngdeungpo neighborhood. It was the first time I have used the train in South Korea. Luckily I met a wonderful sweet friend from church that showed me where to go once inside the train station, and where to purchase and load my T-Money (a rechargeable “smart” card for paying public transportation fares in cabs, trains, and busses instead of having to use money or credit cards).

The trip was about an hour and a half and all we did was stay on line 1 until reaching the Yeongdeungpo Station that connects an underground shopping market to the mall. It’s wonderful because once we got on the train in Dongducheon we never had to go back outside until we arrived back in Dongducheon to get back off the train.

The Time Square Mall features five main level shopping floors as well as one basement level with an E-Mart and a few restaurants. I was super excited to see that there is such a variety of stores available all within the mall. Plus if you are longing for something sweet from back home without a Korean influence there is, Annie Annes Pretzels, Smoothie King, Krispy Kreme, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone, Quiznos, and Dunkin Doughnuts this place has it all!

For lunch we ate at a mexican chain restaurant called On The Border- Pretty delish! The chips and salsa is awesome and is endless!

Some other things I pulled from the brochure that the mall offers:

* Shinsegae department store: Louis Vuitton, BVLGARI, Cartier, Gucci and other luxury goods and high-end local products

* CGV: 12 multiplex movie theaters, STARIUM with the world’s largest screen, multiple performance centers and Beerhouse

* Kyobo Bookstore: 4,000 ㎡ (Don’t fear – they feature an english section)

* Courtyard by Marriott Hotel

* AMORIS, Wedding Hall

* E-Mart, Kolonsporex, I Like Dalki, Modern House

* Restaurants: Hanilgwan (70 year-old bulgogi restaurant), Jien (Japanese Restuarant), Star China (Traditional Chinese Restaurant)

What’s the verdict? I had a blast! Loved getting to meet new people, and cannot wait to take Larry back to check it out!

Changwon Cherry Blossom Festival

This weekend one backpack bee packed up and headed to the Changwon’s Jinhae Gunhang Je (known as the Cherry Blossom Festival) with friends (Mr. B was under the weather). We took a private bus trip departing in Dongducheon at 6AM to Changwon. Our guide joking stated the best comparison she could provide distance wise is like when you are in the states heading through the four southern states to get to Miami Florida. The trip down was about 5 ½ hours South including three rest/ stretch stops along the way.

We enjoyed the bus ride and traffic was fantastic right up until we were nearing the festival location. Our friends packed food for an army so of course we munched on snacks, talked, relaxed to tunes, and munched more. We celebrated Hectors birthday with a cake, candle blowing, and song, along with an anniversary.

Changwon’s cherry blossom festival is the oldest known festival beginning in the year 1952 and is held annually April 1st to April 10th. This year marked the 49th year of the festival celebration! The town is best known as the world’s largest number of flowering beotkkot namu (cherry trees). The festival commemorates Korea’s famous naval hero, Admiral Yi Sun Shin. Closer smaller celebrations near Dongducheon will take place around Seoul later in the month when the blossoms start to open.

Last year over 2 million tourists came from all over the world to attend and walk along the beautifully tree-lined streets and take in the picturesque mountain views. At some points when the wind would blow it would look as if it was raining pink petals. Words really cannot express just how beautiful the sights were.

I snapped as many pictures to try to capture what the town and festival looked like to share with all of our bloggers. In the pictures you will notice that a new friend Mary and I tried beondaegi, or known as boiled silkworm larve. Yes, ewww! Ha-ha! It was something I said I was going to try and blog about once I had done so. The taste I can’t even put in words. It is definitely something that I have gotten out of my system and do not feel the need to try again….well until I make my way to Taiwan where I hear they are actually pretty tasty.

I snapped a few pictures of the various food vendors to include the little beans that one vendor was selling. Suk grabbed the sampling plate and told our group to try them out that they were very good. Surprisingly I really thought they were good! Suke went on to tell us that these beans were a local thing that the area prided themselves on. The beans are said to provide your body with a cancer fighting preventative factor. Next year if we go back I will definitely purchase a box or so because they were so yummy!

Okay, enough rambling! Go check out the pictures!

Special Korean Treats

We picked up some fun little treats from a local Korean grocery and market to send to class Mrs. Sylar’s class. The package includes (as shown left to right in photo) Korean traditional pan-fried cake (peanut flavored) but you also can get it in sea laver (seaweed), or ginger flavor, Roasted seaweed, a big bag of assorted candy, two bags of assorted cakes including monaka, Glutinous rice monaka, Chestnut monaka, Green tea monaka, pancakes, manjoo cookies, filled cookies, and three packs of almond pepero sticks (not shown).

Our favorites from the package are the almond pepero sticks, the peanut flavored pan-fried cake, some of the assorted candy flavors to include coffee and pineapple, and the round little manjoo cookies.

Of course Bean had to check out what we were sending and wanted to try to chew on the plastic packaging. After telling her no a million times she headed off to her kitty bed to sulk.

Walking Around Dongducheon & New City Area

We have had many request from Mrs. Sylar’s class and friends to show them pictures of various things such as, what local schools look like, Korean houses/ apartment buildings, the local markets on a busy day, Miss Bean, what the area looks like, etc. Enjoy the various snapshots and feel free to request somethings that you might like us to capture.

Ohhhhh and I almost forgot – We found a pretty neat little coffee and tea spot in downtown Dongducheon too! At first I am thinking hmmm coffee and hotdogs(look at the sign)?? However, Koreans really love their hotdogs and we thought we would just try the place out. 

Check out the Cafe. at pictures located in the 04-05-2011 “Walk through Market and Dongducheon”. They have a really nice coffee bean roaster located in the front window of the cafe, seating inside and out, and just a  really neat and inviting  atmosphere! Everything offered on the little menu above the cash register was really reasonably priced. What’s the verdict on the place and most importantly how’s the coffee? Mr. B really liked his coffee and I enjoyed a green tea latte. We Bee’s will be definitely making this one of our regular stops on our walks.

Soyosan (Mountain)

Today we Bee’s buzzed by the Soyosan Mountain located on the outskirts of Dongducheon City. The term Soyosan means, “walking” and walking is what we did! This mountain is relatively small standing 587m tall but boast lush forest, hiking paths, stone bridges, Korean style restaurants/ Inn’s, waterfalls, Caves, and Jajaeam (small Buddhist temple). Don’t let the size statement fool you because this mountain can be steep and narrow at times on the way up. We started to refer to the Korean hikers as billy goats because no matter what the age they just keep passing you effortlessly.

Non- Dongducheon visitors must pay an admission fee of 1,000 won. This fee helps to preserve and maintain Soyosans upkeep. Unlike the states we quickly took notice that there is no litter on the ground, no graffiti to be found anywhere, all of the flower beds and paths are weeded nicely, restrooms are kept up with, and they provide high pressure air machines to blow the dirt off the bottom of your hiking boots or shoes.

On the mountain we meet a little Korean boy hiking with his family who was very very eager to tell us An-nyung-ha-se-yo, a formal hello in Korean, that he kept saying it repeatedly awaiting for our responses. We also had the chance to meet two great new American friends that are teaching English in the area at one of the International public schools. We wanted to say thank you again for taking our picture for our blog! We look forward to bumping into them again too!

Larry bought me a wooden prayer bead bracelet at a vendor near the buddhist temple to remember our trip. The vendor stand had prayer candles for purchase, various wooden prayer bead bracelets, necklaces, and cast iron stones to write prayers on.

Stay tuned for more pictures, as we are planning another trip back to Soyosan with friends to picnic, check out the spring leaves and flowers, and finish hiking our way to the top.

 

Open Air Market in Dongducheon

Tonight we decided to take a trip to the Open Air Market located in Dongducheon. It was a really unique experience! The feeling of the Open Air Market was almost like going to the flea-market with my Grandparents only everything here was obviously written in Korean. In the states markets are where you purchase local fruits, vegetables, baked goods, clothing, sometimes even meat. This market was actually very similar to that experience except for in the states you don’t typically get to see and purchase live eel, fried squid, different variations of Kimchi, rice, seaweed, and mandu (Korean dumplings). Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Dad- Please note the picture of me getting ready to try my fried squid! I said to Larry that you would be dry heaving the whole time walking through the marketplace. : )

Korean Elevator Moving Trucks….They Really Do Exist!

Today at lunch I could hear some commotion outside so of course I had to see what was going on. I was SUPER excited when I finally got to see the Korean elevator moving truck moving the neighbors stuff out of their place. Larry had told me about these and I thought it was some sort of joke not really believing him….(Sorry Lar!). Much to my surprise these trucks really do exist and really do elevate your items into your place instead of having to climb endless stairs or cram into the elevator.

Sorry the video quality isn’t the best. I just quickly grabbed my iphone to shoot some footage. We will definitely post what it’s like when we obtain our shipment in a few months so stay tuned.

On a side note: Family & Friends who have helped us move in the past… where the heck were these in the states when we needed one?!