Korean Job Discussion Forums

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

My husband is coming to visit me in Korea for a very short time (I'm here studying and have been here about 2 and a half months, and will be going back to the U.S. in less than a month).

He's coming because it's our first-year wedding anniversary. He'll be pretty tired but we'll have all of Sunday, Monday, and most of Tuesday together (like I said, it's a really short time!).

I'm trying to think of romantic ideas for the weekend, and fun things to do with a tired person who's never been here before. On Sunday I was thinking of going to Suwon to the castle IF it's not too hot and humid and IF it's not rainy and stormy (that's a pretty big if, right?). I was thinking of going there during the day and then either eating there or returning to Seoul for dinner, then going to the 63 building to enjoy the night view. On Monday, I'm not sure...Insadong with breaks from the heat/rain at teahouses? One of the palaces? The new stream area (what's it called? Chongechong?) or Hangang park?

Tuesday will mostly be relaxing around Shinchon (where we're staying) since he leaves that evening.

Any ideas? Also, as a side note, I looked up the gift for 1st year anniversaries and I guess it's "paper"! If I were to follow that tradition then what the heck could I give that's paper? A card seems kind of cheap!

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Atavistic · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:53 am Post subject: Re: romantic weekend ideas?

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Racetraitor-

What do you mean: don't forget Namsan? I think I've been there before but not for long (is it the one near SNU?). Is it just for hiking (which is something we normally do together, but I think he'll be too tired)? Or are there cute places to hang out there as well? (Will it be too flooded with people on a Sunday?) I've spent a fair amount of time in Seoul but there's a lot of areas I haven't explored.

Altavistic- That's a cute gift idea! How much do those photo albums normally cost?

Atavistic · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:34 am Post subject:

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

I agree with going up to Seoul Tower, but I recommend taking the bus from Chungmuro Station instead of the cable car. Buying a cable car ticket and a ticket to go up to the top of the tower is expensive when you add the two together, and the bus only takes about 10 minutes anyway.

guido · Joined: 13 Sep 2006

w hotel...col corner room...great view, beautiful room...cant be beaten...expensive but hey its ur husband

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Sadly, the hotel is already booked...and just it's a yeokwan (just booked to be safe). There are slim pickings around Shinchon since it's such a student-y place. Every place I looked at is pretty much the same. Westin would be nice and romantic, but I think we'll spend our money mostly on going out and doing things rather than the room. (Where is the hotel you're talking about by the way?)

Does anyone know of a cool traditional kind of place with a nice atmosphere where we can enjoy dongdongju or something? Are all those good places in Insadong or are there others?

To the person who said that there are good restaurants in Suwon: do you have any particular recommendations? I am thinking something like dalk kalbi or samgyetang might be nice that night, but is there something Suwon is famous for? Could also go for some sashimi (hoe 희)...

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Less than three full days? The forecast calls rain or good chance of rain from now till Tuesday, your husband's coming off a long flight, he'll be jet-lagged, and it's your anniversary.

He's coming because of you, not because his lifelong passion is to experience the sights & culinary splendours of southern Gyeonggi-do. No disrespect to Suwon, its castle or its dalk-kalbi, but I vote for a radical under-planning of your itinerary, and for confining your excursions to Seoul. It's not so small or uninteresting a city that you need to drag his poor, tired butt down to Suwon for dalk-kalbi & sushi. In the rain. Were he staying a week, then sure. As it is, you'll have little enough time to see much of Seoul without tiring yourselves out. And I presume you'll want to save some energy for the evenings, ahem, rather than collapsing in a dead heap.

Dongdong-ju places certainly aren't limited to Insadong, but since you'll be shopping and browsing and tea-drinking in Insadong anyway, it makes sense to look for one there.

zappadelta · Joined: 31 Aug 2004

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Jongnoguru-

You're probably right. My husband tends to be the type to WANT to go here and there and try to fit everything in in a short time, but after we rush around he always tends to say, "Maybe we should have relaxed more." Thinking back on my own jetlag (and even without the jetlag, it's a brutal 17-hour flight) I think that his tiredness will probably keep him from overextending himself.

There is plenty in Seoul. Yeoido, various romantic towers, Insadong, Namsan, even just the university area of Shinchon where we're staying. If he's sore from the flight we may go to a jimjjilbang. If it rains a lot, maybe a museum. Any other romantic/easygoing activities you all would recommend, particulary for rainy or stormy days?

Atavistic · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject:

Thunderstorms and rain are romantic.

Stay in your room and have lots of sex.

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

That is indeed part of the plan! (And if that's all we do that's okay too....!)
Only five hours to go...

Oh, and sorry for getting your name wrong!

Atavistic · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:27 pm Post subject: