Scarfs

The autumn has arrived and even it seems like the winter's coming soon. Some shops in Insadong are selling scarfs and a number of people are very much interested in them. My colleague and I also bought scarfs today. :) How are you getting yourself ready for the cold climate?

Home Pus

Please take a look at the neon sign on the far right. When I was about to take this photo, I intuitively knew 'pus' would mean something. And later by looking it up in a dictionary, finally found its meaning: a thick yellowish liquid that forms in wounds when they are infected. 'Homep us'... This home must have a pain or a problem.:)

FYI, Samsung Tesco Homeplus is a Joint Venture between Samsung Corp and Tesco.

Cholesterol Day

Today is 'Cholesterol Day' in Korea, held by fat and arteriosclerosis society for the purpose of letting public be well aware of cholesterol and take care of it thus lead to healthy lives. What you see is a pharmacy in my neighbourhood. '약(yak: 藥),' the white word in the red box on the lest is a sign for the shop.

People Reading

For voting on October's theme, I chose 'people reading' which got the second biggest number of supports eventually. The reason why I voted for this theme was, in Korea, the autumn is called 'the season of reading' besides other nicknames like 'the season of high sky and plump horses(天高馬肥)' and 'the season of men.' This is a reading place at Jamsil branch of Kyobo Book Centre and it would have been excellent if they had more comfortable chairs.

Autumn in the Show Window

Though the hot weather still continues on this peninsula, some people are already getting ready for autumn.

Closed

Fusion, or even dare I say it, hybrid. English characters written with Chinese ink on Korean paper.

* Place: a craftwork shop in Insadong

Motorway Snack Bar

This afternoon I was coming back from my short stay (how can I even call two-day off as summer holidays?) in my hometown, Geojedo, and the bus stopped at a motorway snack bar. I'm not sure about the precise English word for this place where drivers and passengers take a rest, fill their stomachs as well as their cars. Anyway, in Korea, these places have various types of food, ranging from real snacks to full menu. However, a sad thing is that not many places have their own specialties.

Pama

Can you guess how this hair salon got its name, 'PAMA'?

I'll explain it tomorrow but, before that, would like to hear your guess.

I know it's easy for Koreans so I'd appreciate if you would not say the answer.

Wish you all a good weekend.

Ssamziegil

What I think takes to become a great company is how much it gives something valuable back to the community. Ssamzie that started its business of leather bags and shoes has contributed to cultural variety in the main stream art in Korea i.e. by supporting indie music bands and young artists. Ssamziegil, located in Insadong, is full of unique shops and sometimes decorates itself with various art figures.

* I'll be going to Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival for three days and two nights, where The Chemical Brothers, Damien Rice, Muse, Fantastic Plastic Machine and other dozens of bands, singers and DJs will perform. During my absence, my brother will keep posting. I will come back on Monday with photos from the gigs and also get back to lovely comments I haven't replied to yet. Have a fantabulous weekend!

Kyobo Book Centre

Always being crowded during weekend, Kyobo Book Centre now has more customers because of college students' summer vacation. During the next two months, when primary and secondary schools have a summer break, you will hardly have a chance to move in the store freely. It's a pity that a book store becomes a place that makes you tired, not a restful place.

교보문고는 주말에는 늘 붐비는데 대학생들 방학이 시작되어 더 복잡해졌다. 초등학교와 중고등학교 방학 기간이 다음 두 달 동안에는 서점 안에서 자유롭게 움직이는 것조차 어렵게 될 것이다. 서점이 편안하게 쉴 수 있는 장소가 아닌, 피곤하게 만드는 장소가 되는 것이 애석하다.

SSAMZIE MARKET

Think Green! at a Pink Store.

Just looking at this photo, the shop doesn't seem to be in Seoul, rather somewhere in English-speaking countries. Though 'ssamzie' is a Korean word meaning 'pouch', for a typographic purpose I guess, they wrote it in English in parallel with 'market.'

분홍색 가게에서 초록색 생각을 하라.

이 사진만 보면 서울에 있는 가게 같지가 않다. 영어를 쓰는 어느 나라께쯤 있는 가게 같다. '쌈지'는 순우리말이지만, 타이포그래피의 관점에서, 'market'과 어울리게 하려고 영어로 쓴 건가 보다.

Architecture 건축

What I think distinguishes architecture from other types of art is it penetrates into our daily lives: every moment we walk on, sit on, lean on, lie on objects built.

I took this photo at Shinsegae Department Store main branch in Namdaemun.

내 생각에, 다른 예술 분야와 건축을 구분짓는 가장 큰 차이는

건축은 우리의 일상에 깊이 침투해있다라는 것이다.

매 순간 우리는 지어진 건축물 위에서 걷고, 그 위에 앉고, 기대고, 눕는다.

사진은 남대문에 있는 신세계 백화점 본점에서 찍었다.

Mobile Phone Shop 핸드폰 가게

This is a mobile phone shop at Jongno. The sign '휴대폰(hyudae phone)' literally means 'portable/mobile phone', but we more frequently use an equivalent, 'hand phone.' Wikipedia says the term, handphone, came from Singapore/Malaysia, which I'm not sure. I just wanted to show how terribly the shop displayed advertisements.

사진에 보이는 곳은 종로에 있는 한 핸드폰 가게다.

간판에 보이는 '휴대폰'이라는 글자는 한국에서 mobile을 가리키는 말인데,

우리는 '핸드폰(hand phone)'을 더 많이 쓴다.

Wikipedia에는 핸드폰이란 말이 싱가폴 내지는 말레이시아에서 왔다고 하는데

실제인지 잘 모르겠다.

이 가게가 광고물을 얼마나 지저분하게 붙였는지 보여주고 싶었다.

E-Mart 이마트

The USA has Wal-Mart, France has Carrefour, and Korea has E-Mart.

Hypermarket is a concept of large supermarkets imported from Western countries, but Korea local markets put lots of various efforts to fulfill picky Korean customers' demands.

In contrast with this, adhering to their global standards, multinational companies failed to meet Korean customers' taste and eventually Wal-Mart and Carrefour sold their stores to E-Mart and Homever respectively in 2006.

미국에 월마트, 프랑스에 까르푸가 있다면, 한국에는 이마트가 있다.

하이퍼마켓은 원래 서양에서 들어온 대형 유통 매장이지만,

한국의 기업들은 까다로운 한국의 소비자들에게

만족을 안겨주기 위해 다각도의 노력을 기울였다.

이에 비해 글로벌 스탠더드를 앞세워

한국 소비자들만의 특별한 구미를 적절히 맞추지 못한 외국계 할인점들은

결국 한국 기업들에게 잠식당했고.

2006년에 월마트는 이마트에, 까르푸는 홈에버에 각각 매각되었다.

Summer in the City 도심 속의 여름

'Vacances Mobiles' hanging from the ceiling at Lotte Department Store main branch. Looking at the windsurf boards at one of the most crowded places in the city, I think they don't encourage the desire to go to the sea, rather console the city dwellers who can't (or who find difficult to) go to the sea.

롯데백화점 본점의 지하 천정에 매달린 '바캉스 모빌'.

도시에서 사람이 가장 붐비는 곳 중 하나인 이 곳에서 윈드 서핑 보드를 보니

바다로 향해 가고 싶다는 열망을 자극한다기 보다는

바다로 가지 못하는(혹은 가기 어려운) 도시인들을 위로한다는 생각이 든다.