I think we’re past the tourist phase of our trip. Grace arranged a spa treatment for my mom in the morning. Liv loved shopping in Hongdae, so she and Grace went back there in the morning. Lucas and I stayed at the hotel and had a Lightroom training session.
We were having dinner with the Rhee side of the family in Gangnam, so we went in that direction for lunch. We went to the Hyundai department store and had a very nice Japanese lunch. The main thing left on Liv and Lucas’s list of things to do was to go to the Stüssy store in Seoul, which was walking distance. There was of course a line to enter and merchandise and sizes were very limited once inside. It’s crazy how popular it is again.
We met up with two of my three cousins on the Rhee side. Jiyong’s kids were able to join us, but Hyeyeon’s son is in Japan and her daughter wasn’t feeling well. The last time the kids met up, they were too young and shy to get to know one another, but now they have so much to talk about. My dad’s cousin also joined us. She remembers him so fondly and she also reminds me a lot of my grandmother.
Jiyong’s daughter, Kiwon, will be studying in NY for a year, so we hope he and Gina will come and visit her (and us). I’m really glad Liv and Lucas feel a new connection to their 2nd cousins and hope they stay in touch.
Yeonoo, Jiyong’s son, suggested that Hannam-dong was a popular neighborhood in Seoul for young people. We went there the following day and found it to be really cute. We were briefly in Itaewon, but Liv wanted to go back to Insadong to shop. We went to a restaurant Jaehong had pointed out as Clarence’s favorite place for Bindae-tteok. It should be noted that I haven’t once been hungry on this trip.
Saturday evening we met my cousins on my mom’s (Im) side of the family. Two of my uncle’s three daughters live in Seoul and took us to dinner. Seock-Ah and her husband visited us a couple years ago, so the kids remember them, but they don’t remember meeting Jeanah. We had a beautiful dinner inside the Kukje Gallery, which is just outside the palace.
Of all the things the Liv and Lucas have experienced on this trip, I hope it is the kindness of family they didn’t even know they had that will be the most memorable. All of my cousins are very sweet and thoughtful. I’ve only met them a handful of times myself in my life.
Despite being out the latest so far on this trip, Lucas wanted to go out and shoot after we got back. He is just recently showing an interest in photography so I was happy to oblige. He had been shooting my other (perhaps favorite?) camera this trip and I had to assure him it was not necessarily lesser than the camera I have been using.
We experimented with some long exposures and low-light pictures. Seoul at nighttime is stunning especially after the rain. This was our last night and we were out pretty late. I’m glad we went.