Ice Skating - Seoul Plaza

The Dunnagan clan went ice skating today.  The Koreans erected an ice skating rink in downtown Seoul Plaza.  It's open from December 14 until early February 2013.  It's a great deal too ~ 1,000 Won (less than $1).

Here's a little video of the girls (trying to) skating.  They should be pros by the Spring.  Enjoy.

2012 Dunnagan Christmas Card

In case we omitted you from our Christmas card circulation list, here it is.  This is the 2012 Dunnagan family annual report.

This year has certainly seen its share of momentous events, the biggest of which was moving half-way around the world.  Our 6 month adventure in Seoul has thus far been fantastic.  The Korean culture is a fascinating one, and we can only hope that the next couple of years will be as exciting as the first six months.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. 

A Peek Inside North Korea

Today, we set out to see our northern neighbors.  I’ve become fascinated over the past couple of years with North Korea.  I’ve watched several documentaries on the hermit country, and read a few books that tell the plight of the North Korean people.  (See here  and here for two of my favorite documentaries)  My heart goes out to the millions of innocent men, women, and children who suffer untold horrors at the hand of the Kim family.


The Korean War, which began when the North invaded the South in the summer of 1950, ended in an armistice in July 1953.  At the conclusion of the fighting, the two countries were divided along the 38^th parallel.

This demilitarized zone or DMZ is the most heavily armed border in the world.  About 20,000 U.S. troops are stationed along the border acting a deterrent against the North.

On Saturday, our target toward the north was Odu Mountain Unification Observatory.  It’s located at the confluence of the Han and Imjin rivers.  At the nearest point, we were less than 1.5 miles from North Korea.  Very cool (for us!)

Honestly, I was surprised my camera possessed the zoom horsepower to take these pictures.  While they aren't professional by any standard, I was able to capture some interesting shots.  As you flip through the photos, the buildings and surrounding landscape may seem like any ordinary village, but look closer.  It's what you don't see that's strange.  You don't see cars, trucks, or any kind of machinery.  You don't see paved roads (if you don't have cars, no need for blacktop).  You don't see electric wires or telephone poles.  It's really a facade.  It's highly probable that people don't even live here.  It's all for show.

The North Koreans are famous for building fake towns and villages to portray an image of normality to the outside world.  If folks on the outside looking in thought everything was normal, we'd have no reason for alarm.  And this probably worked for a while.  But now we have Google satellite and hiding the true North Korea has become all but impossible.

Enjoy the photos!

Welcome to our Blog

Welcome to our new blog.  Here we will (try to!) keep family and friends updated on the Dunnagan adventure in Asia.  We’ve been in Seoul for about 3 months now and love it.  We never thought we’d end up in Korea – Germany maybe, but definitely not the Far East.  Seoul has not disappointed us though.  On the contrary, this mega-city boasting a population of around 20+ million offers something for everyone, especially – shopping!

 

If there’s one thing Koreans love, it’s shopping and Seoul is a shopping mecca.  Just outside our apartment lies two of the oldest and largest markets in Seoul – Namdaemun (pronounced naam-day-moon) and Myeong-dong (pronounced me-yong-dong).  Below are some maps to help with locations:

 Zooming in a little...

 

Namdaemun is a sprawling outdoor market offering everything from fresh fruit and nuts, to men’s socks, to traditional Korean food, to knock-off Dooney & Bourke handbags and more.  On any given day, thousands crowd the market looking for deals and daily essentials.  It’s not uncommon to see spontaneous eruptions of “super-sales” of who-knows-what with tens of Koreans crowded around a small cart combing through merchandise with a man hovering over them shouting in Korean.  It reminds me of that scene from Trading Places where Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd are trading orange juice futures in the Chicago Board of Trade.  Ha!  On a busy day, expect to get pushed around while wondering through the market, but don't take it personal.  With this many people crammed into such a small space, bumping and gentle shoving come with the territory. 

 

Below is a picture of a typical day in Namdaemun. 

 

Here’s a shot of a flower market we stumbled upon on the third floor of a random building in Namdaemun.  We picked up ten long-stem roses for less than $5!

 

Myeongdong, another market just outside our doorstep, has a very different feel.  Most of the shopping takes place inside stores and most of the apparel is name brand, very much like you would find in America.  Prices are clearly marked and haggling is much more difficult.  Here you will find the most of the latest fashions, but expect to pay handsomely for them.

 

While Namdaemun and Meyong-dong are two great markets, they represent only a tiny fraction that Seoul has to offer.  Seoul is full of other shopping venues, including the huge COEX Mall, dozens of Shinsegae and Lotte department stores, Itaewon and Dongdaemun shopping district, and countless underground shopping areas like Hoehyeon.   One could truly shop themselves to death here.

 

Well, I’ve rambled on long enough.  We welcome your comments and questions.  And, of course, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, please stop by. 

 

Additionally, Amanda will continue to post photos to her Facebook account, so be sure to visit there often as well. 

 

Have a blessed day!