Hello Kitty

July started with a to-do list, being that I leave Korea at the start of September there were certain things I wanted to 'check off' before leaving and many of these things were set for the summer months. One of the first things was the rather silly trip to the 'Hello Kitty' cafe located in Hongdae, Seoul. Hello Kitty, is an asian phenomenon hated by feminists due to her lack of 'mouth' and thus inability to 'speak'.... created by Japanese toymaker Sanrio, the cute little Kitty is just as popular in Korea as with their neighbours. Having spent the past year collecting all manner of werid Hello Kitty memorabillia and consumables, everything from Hello Kitty floss and toothpaste, to earrings. I had somewhat of a yearning to visit the eyecatching cafe.

The company has gone full wack with all things Kitty and indeed all things pink, everything is emblazoned with the logo from the mugs, glasses and sandwich wrappers to the awesome Japanese robot toilet! A sea of pink and fluff, the food and beverages on offer are simple cafe food; smoothies and cafe to sandwiches and ice cream sundaes. The cafe also sells a wide range of merchandise. Thus our morning in Hongdae started well, with sandwiches pink lemonade, I left have photographed the building to within an inch of its life and having purchased both handmade cookies (obviously in the shape of Hello Kitty and friends) and a bag of fresh coffee...

South Korea vs Greece

The World Cup was always going to a big deal for Korea, we bought t-shirts, attempted to learn football songs and headed out with some Korean friends to a tiny bar in Hongdae (which sold a speaciality drink of Rose Soju... complete with petals) The atmosphere was great, similar to that of watching it in your sitting room with close friends a big screen and waiting staff. The score was 2 nil with number 14 Jingsoo scoring the first goal and Manchester United's Park Jisung scoring the second. After the Korea game, I hung around to watch England and USA draw in a packed bar in Itaewon. The kickoff was at 330 am Sunday morning, a better score would have been most appreciated. (Rob Green take note!)

NYE

We spent New Year's Eve in Hongdae, a bunch of us foreign teacher's getting merry, eating random bits of streetfood and attempting to climb through hole's in wall's of bars (not me) My NYE outfit was scarily low key compared to every other new year's eve event I have ever attended, mainly because it was about minus 50 and Korea was still covered in Snow that had now turned to ICE!

The day after we decided we would definitely head down south to Busan for the weekend. I have a whole mass of photo's and stories from the weekend, it was amazingly perfect and the much needed break we oh so desperately required. The Busan posts will those be small sweet and simple and arriving over the next couple of days I PROMISE!.....

Korea Now.

'Sun Mu' is an escaped North Korean Artist whose solo exhibition 'Korea Now' is currently being held at Art Space in Hongdae. Its intriguing viewing... as close as contemporary North Korean Propaganda Art as I will probably get...