When the stomach growls and the blood sugar level plummets, a triangle kimbap will handily squash the hunger.
Seaweed wrapped around rice wrapped around something. You can stare at the tiny label. Squid? Chicken? Uncertain Korean language skills are rewarded with certain surprise.
One of my favourites is the chicken nugget variety. Uncannily like the real thing, dipped in mustard and stuck in a ball of carbs. A morsel of America within a rice cake of Korea. Read into it what you will -- and then eat it.
But follow the instructions! 1, 2, 3. Fail and you will have to contend with a thin sheet plastic left behind in your snack, still keeping the seaweed from absorbing moisture from the rice, but also keeping you from mindlessly sinking your teeth in without eating packaging.
1, 2, 3!
Big city equals big parade. Buddha's birthday is coming up and this is the warm up party. Lanterns to infinity.
The Prada Transformer is now open to the public. Currently on show is a retrospective of Prada skirts called Waist Down.
There are some beautiful pieces on display and each has an informative description provided in both English and Korean. If that's not enough, the exhibition staff are super-knowledgeable and helpful.
A lot of thought went into the displays themselves: skirts are illuminated, spun around (at speeds individually calibrated to show off each skirt's ideal shape), magnified, and sashayed side-to-side by windshield-wiper motors.
Also included is a set of skirts designed by various Korean schools. Each inspired by a traditional Korean elements (palace roofs, Korean origami, traditional windows, etc.)
There is of course the Transformer itself. Designed by OMA and Rem Koolhaas, the venue will be lifted by four cranes and turned onto a different side for each upcoming event: a film festival (co-curated by Alejandro González Iñárritu, an art exhibit, and a "Special Event" (fashion show?).
Waist Down will be in Seoul for a month. Admission is free. Reservations are apparently required, although we did not make any.
PS. popseoul has photos of celebs at the Transformer.
Directions: Line 5 / Seodaemun Station / Exit 4
View Map: 'B' marks the spot
We went to the GoGo Star gig at the Sangsang Madang Live Music Hall. We actually missed all five openers and almost didn't catch the main act!
What we did catch was a young Korean crowd jumping around to some dancey, disco-not-disco rock. Big, sweaty, loud fun. The band has a great look too.
I hope they play Pentaport.
We went to the Nam June Paik Art Center about an hour outside of Seoul. Their current exhibition The First Stop on the Super Highway is well worth the bus trip, as is their permanent collection of work by Nam June Paik and other Fluxus artists.
It was a lot of art to absorb.
Coincidentally, Sato Yukie was there setting up for a performance. (Bulgasari I think?) No purple poncho this time though.
This is Sato Yukie performing at the Yogiga gallery this past Saturday.
In short: dark basement, energetic acoustic guitar, purple poncho (!), an actual Korean hippie going buckwild (!!), a fine evening.
We went to Bukhansan again. It's still pretty.
Remember this puppy? He's all grown up, sort of.
This guy is definitely grown.
We went to Lotte World, an amusement park in Seoul. Fun times. Jenna has photos over at Harrow Kimchi. Have a look at the couple-look photos too!
Line-ups were short early in the day. I think we packed in five rides within the first hour -- in Korea even the amusements rides are quick and efficient. I was all wobbly-legs and dizzy-brain. Watch it!
On the swing ride, a Korean boy in front of me looked back, got out of his seat, walked over, and buckled me in properly. Thanks kiddo.
Here's this watercraft scooting around the Han River. I call it a dolphin mobile, but that seems slightly insulting to dolphins. Dolphins, you're much cooler.
What were we doing at the Han River? Checking out some cherry blossoms which is weird because there are perfectly nice blossoms right in our neighbourhood and this was just much more crowded. But I did get to photograph these two seniors. (They're a couple, I think.) 
I'm still fascinated by old Koreans. They're so tiny, wizened and wrinkly, but so out-and-about and put-together too.
Then we just sat in a big pile of dried up leaves and joked around and it was fun but somehow I got leaves all down my pants and it got crazy itchy but okay that was fun too.
Then, cops.
Just the usual pimple-faced mob, sitting around as an intimidating presence. There must have been some activists activating nearby.
Then, skates and bicycles! More fun than cops.
We took a random turn in Seoul and walked through some alleys and the sun was setting pretty and we grabbed some drinks and had some fun around the cheonggyecheon and were happy to see a sprinkling of Korean public drinking.
And, Nana still loves you.
Dove?
Pop-up menu, salami sandwich and broccoli soup.
This place.
Then we watched a movie that taught us a Korean cuss word and Vin Diesel was alright but it would have been funner if you were there.