Namdaesunrise, Seoul Friendship Fair 2013, and other spring classics

To me, this week-end marks the true beginning of Spring in Seoul.

Yes, we've had lovely days so far in 2013, but at times, it felt like February never stopped, and nowadays, I feel glad to inhale fresh lilac instead of toxic nanoparticles or lethal macropoliticles*. Furthermore, I've been bracing for two events:

• the reopening of Sungnyemun to the public (Sunday), five long years after "Namdaemonium". I bet the signboard will be more carefully finished than that of Gwanghwamun a couple of years ago...
• the reopening of international food stalls for my favorite festival, Seoul Friendship Fair (Saturday and Sunday). As usual**, I'll shamelessly come for the food, but there's a lot to see around City Hall: Seoul Plaza, Mugyo-dong, Cheonggyecheon - check out the program and international performances: seoulfriendshipfair.org.

Caught in the Seoul traffic with Sungnyemun. That's not a k-pop star: she's much cuter, has better conversation pic.twitter.com/J1n5wC6LKk - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/329023620355596289

If you're in town Sunday, there's also the Jongmyo Jerye and a collection of events around Children's Day. KMA announces 20 celcius and sun for both days. So everything is set, including Admiral Yi and King Sejong, who took their yearly shower yesterday:

Also met Yi Sun-sin on the way. He was about to take his yearly shower on Gwanghwamun Square. #jongno #seoul pic.twitter.com/ZKlUqV0aTa - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/329034058321506305

Enjoy Seoul to the fullest!

Seoul Village 2013
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* see for instance "Air Pollution: New Measures, Please" and "Dear Japan, Please Say No To Abeignomics"
** see "Seoul Friendship Fair 2012, Global Seoul Mates", "Seoul Friendship Fair 2011", "Seoul Friendship Fair" 2010)

Seoul Friendship Fair 2012, Global Seoul Mates

My favorite fair is back*! And this year, we may have the perfect weather to enjoy the program.

If you're a newbie, Seoul Friendship Fair proposes a week end of performances from foreign troops (dance, music) around City Hall and Mugyo-dong, but I confess I mostly come for the food, another festival from all horizons. After all, cuisine should be considered a major performing art, shouldn't it?

The full program for this edition (May 5-6) is on the website seoulfriendshipfair.org, along with, this year, food recipes from all over the world. Great initiative... even if the recipes are only available in Korean. Fair enough: I should read Korean, shouldn't I?

By the way: I've just been officially appointed a Global Seoul-Mate thanks to you, Dear Readers, who've been visiting from over 220 countries and territories over the past 5 years. The aim of this program is to help global audiences know more about the city, and that happens to be part of the collateral damage caused by this excuse for a blog. Don't worry, Seoul Village will remain totally independent, nonsensical, and poorly written.

Seoul-ly yours,

Seoul Village 2012
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* see "Seoul Friendship Fair 2011", "Seoul Friendship Fair" (2010)...

UPDATED 20120512

Seoul Friendship Fair 2011

My favorite Seoul festival* is back. Seoul Friendship Fair will just like last year be held around Seoul Plaza and Mugyodong-gil, at the feet of the new City Hall.

By the way, that building looks scarier than ever : from the beginning, this towering steel and glass wave reminded me of a tsunami about to crash over Seoul Plaza, but these days, without its final touches, the new exoskeleton structure around the old carcass from the Japanese era looks like a gigantic eagle claw. Yet, just like for Gwanghwamun Square, I'm rather confident : beyond the look, it's mostly about reopening a crucial area to pedestrians, and if Seoul City Hall used to be a hurdle for traffic, it has a great potential as a vital hub once it cracks open like say the Sony Center in Berlin. I'm anxious to see the final result and often have a peek at the working site (the other day, I could enjoy a dramatic view from above, at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club).

But enough chit-chat about architectural projects, let's talk about food.

Yes, the friendship fair is about bringing Korean and Foreign communities together, discovering new cultures, listening to music, or attending dance shows from all over the world, but to me it's mostly about food and roaming all day long from booth to booth to try the most exotic specialities. And for certain cuisines which don't even boast a restaurant in Seoul, the dishes can be of the genuinely home made variety (sometimes even served by the ambassador himself).

It's good, it's fun, and it's a fantastic opportunity to see how international Seoul has become**.

You don't want to miss this.

Seoul Friendship Fair 2011 ("Meeting and sharing of the world, and unity")
Organizers : Seoul Metropolitan Government
Date: May 7 and 8, 2011 (Saturday - Sunday)
Location : downtown around Seoul Plaza and Mugyodong-gil.

Seoul Village 2011

* "Friendship Fair"
** see also "In 2050, almost 10% of Korea's population will not be Korean" - note that Yonhap disclosed two statistics today that confirm the trend : elderly citizens in Seoul reach 1 M, foreigners living in Seoul after marrying a Korean spouse 41,000.

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ADDENDUM 20110501 - SFF website and map

More details and updates about the events on the official website : seoulfriendshipfair.org.

Friendship Fair

I confess : this is definitely one of my favorite Seoul festivals. So this week-end, I'll be strolling downtown, enjoying food from 56 countries, zapping from one booth to the other. An Uzbek entree ? A Mexican snack ? An Hungarian cabbage ? A Turkish ice cream ? I've got two days to try whichever combo I fancy.

Even if the May 2010 Hi Seoul Festival has been postponed to this Autumn, the 15th Friendship Fair will be held this Saturday and Sunday (8-9 May from 13:00 to 19:00), simultaneously and in the same area as the 2010 Information Fair.

This year again, the party is centered on Mugyo-dong, Jung-gu, with extensions to Cheonggyecheon (North) and Seoul Plaza (South).

Yeah yeah, there's also food for your eyes and ears : beyond the joyful atmosphere (in very deed, friendship radiates on all faces), you can enjoy cultural events, performances from 17 foreign troupes (Seoul sister cities like Moscow or Bangkok), and even a clash of titans between Korean B-Boys and traditional dancers.

But don't count on me for the belly dance.

Seoul Village 2010