Tuesday, October 19, 2010

추석와 난타! (Chuseok and Nanta!)

A few weeks ago was the Korean harvest holiday, Chuseok, which probably should be a post on its own, but I didn't actually do anything really "Chuseoky" except make 성편 with the nuggets at school. However, I did manage to harvest (not sure that's exactly the right word here) a visit from my little brother! More details of our week to follow in another post, but one of the highlights was definitely seeing "Nanta" in Myeongdong.

Nanta is a non-verbal comedy cooking performance. Seoul has several of these tourist friendly shows each housed in their own theatre ("Jump" is another one). I'd never seen any of them, so when brother expressed an interest, we couldn't miss it.

The show was energetic, exciting, and hilarious. Korean drum rhythms coupled with chopping knives and very showy culinary tricks are the staples of the show. Participation of the audience and jokes played at the their expense make it unforgettable.

The tickets are a bit pricey at 50 000 won per person, but if you can get into one of the open rehearsals where the tickets are cheaper, it's not so bad. If you've got the money to spare or a special reason to spend it (relative visiting), it's a pretty good way to spend 50 bucks.

Photography wasn't allowed, so all I've got is this crappy shot of the stage before the show. Please check this show out if you need a good laugh.


Oh yeah! And then we ate awesome french fry coated hot dogs after! I'm thinking about doing my top streetfood countdown soon. Stay tuned...



Ashu


Saturday, October 16, 2010

고양이 카페 (Cat Cafe)

I love cats. A lot. If Boyfriend and I didn't have a strict no cat no smoking deal in our relationship, I would probably have about 300 cats. Or maybe just two. I don't think I can accurately explain the joy that kittens bring to my life, so here are some photos to help:


So yeah, I like cats.

Anyway, Boyfriend, knowing my love for the feline, took me to a cat cafe here in Seoul. You pay about 8 bucks to get in and there are about 25 cats just roaming around being adorable. You get a drink and you can snuggle, play, and photograph to your little heart's content!

I was basically in heaven. Boyfriend is not such a big fan, but one little outcast took quite the liking to him.


Isn't he mangy but nonetheless adorable?

If you want you snuggle adorable kittens too, cat cafes can be found all around Seoul, but the one we went to was in Hongdae.

Ashu