Seoul Much To Do: Chapter 3 - The Flaming Lips Are Really Awesome

"Yes, yes, yes, YES!!" was my response when somebody told me the Flaming Lips would be putting on a show in Seoul on November 20th.  I had seen the Flaming Lips once before at the Wakarusa Music Festival in the summer of 2008.  Before that show I would have called myself a casual fan of the Lips.  I had heard their more popular songs and some hearsay about their live performances.  When I saw them at the Wakarusa festival I was blown away.  It was an experience to behold.  Besides some great music, there were two dozen Teletubbies dancing on the stage for about the whole show, a giant caterpillar, the infamous space bubble, plenty of obscene projections, and two confetti canons that made it snow confetti over the whole crowd.  From that moment I decided to become a fan of the Lips and vowed to see them when ever a chance came. 

Well my second chance came in Korea and I took it.  I over looked the hundred dollar ticket price and the three and a half hour road trip to Seoul from Gwangju.  It was worth it.  Instead of the giant venue of the main stage of a music festival, the show took place in a concert hall made for about two thousand people.  We were close to the action this time. 

Walking on the crowd in the Space Bubble

Before the show the lead singer, Wayne Coyne, came out to make a few "serious" announcements.  With the office accountant like Korean translator standing stiffly by his side, Wayne announced, "We have strobe lights in our show and they're really f**king bright."  He would then hand the microphone to the translator who had to translate the words of the famous American rock star.  "Um, so some people may have a bad reaction.  I also want you to be aware that I'm going to walk out here in my space bubble,"  Wayne kept on advising the good people of Korea.  After about five minutes of hilarious announcements with translations it was time for the show to start.
 

Confetti!!

The players of the band came out on stage from the projection of a woman's private arena.  I guess she was giving birth.  Then Wayne came out in his infamous space bubble and walked on top of the crowd's hands.  Confetti started spraying out of the canons and huge balloons were dropped from the ceiling on to the show goers.  It was like a New Year's celebration in the land of Oz.  The show went on for two glorious hours with all the makings of a great Lips concert.  There were "really f**king bright" strobe lights, giant inflatable animals, some dancers, some serious gong banging, obscene projections, and of course, a bottomless supply of confetti.  It was like an acid trip but without the acid.  So it doesn't matter where I am, if I'm on the other side of the planet I'm going to the Flaming Lips show.

Singing on a Bear

 

Announcements Before the Show

Awesome Flaming Lips Music Video

Wolchulsan: Bad Ass Mountain

Fall Colors

The word Wolchulsan translates to "the mountain that the moon rises from". With Gwangju only being an hour away from the moon's launching pad, it was a good idea to visit it for a weekend. We knew we were going to hike up and back down the mountain, but I don't think any of us knew that what ideas the mountain had for us. We woke up Saturday morning and departed from our motel (or possible love motel?) with the enthusiasm that expatriate backpackers typically have.

The first thing that the mountain did was create a dense fog with about 40 feet of visibility. We arrived at the trail head and took group photos before the six hour "hike" that awaited us. "Let's do this thing!" some one yelled and we were on our way up the trail head. The fog lingered and no one really knew what this thing looked like further than 40 feet up the trail head. "Look at the color of the leaves, they're glorious!" some one mused. "What a day for a hike!" some one boasted. "Hey I think I can see the sun, now we should be able to get a view," I said with a smile. Then a few hundred feet up the trail we emerged from the fog.

Getting Ready at the Trail Head

Caroline is concerned as she looks through the fog.

"Wow...the mountain is really big," some one said with surprise. "Is that the top? And is that where we're going?" I asked as I pointed to something next to a cloud. A little shocked, we continued on the trail and it suddenly took a sharp turn in the vertical sense. We were soon climbing up large rocks and Caroline was soon panting and falling behind. "You probably shouldn't have put so much in your pack," I advised her with my best Captain Hindsight impression. "I'm going to rip your face off of your face," she replied.

This continued for about an hour until we reached Korea's most heart stopping bridge, properly named Cloud Bridge. It's an orange suspension bridge that hangs between two lofty ridges. We crawl-walked across the bridge and tried not to look down to the 400 foot gap of air with a rocky bottom. "I'm not really scared of the height as much as I am the fall that would end in death", Caroline stated during the crossing. On the other side of the bridge we continued on our ascent but by narrow steel stairways. The path up started to bottle neck and I was suddenly starting to feel the effects of claustrophobia. This may have been because I was suddenly surrounded by Koreans with nowhere to go but up the stairs or off the side of the mountain.

Cloud Bridge

Ah, there's the mountain.

Let's take a moment to discuss Korean hiking culture. My usual hiking experience has consisted of wearing somewhat acceptable footwear, carrying a pack with some liquid and snacks, and taking in the scenery with nowhere to go but where I am at that moment. I like to call it a leisurely activity and I have always thought this to be everyone's point of view. No sir, not in Korea. The Koreans have turned hiking in to a full on sport. They must all shop at the same store or from the same catalog because they're definitely wearing the same uniform. It consists of black form-fitting pants and your choice of a neon yellow, neon red, neon green, or neon pink long sleeve shirt. The uniform also requires you to use two hiking sticks that look similar to something I would use when I'm skiing down a mountain in Winter Park, Colorado. The pace that they hike is more of the pace one takes during a half marathon. The English word for hiking must translate to "running around a mountain in matching outfits." The Koreans have some weird cultural differences but this one is definitely in the top three. I think it would be like if a poor Chinese farmer stumbled upon the Tour de France. "They do WHAT with bikes?" the poor Chinese farmer would think.

Ski Poles

During the hike up, at least a hundred of these Korean Lance Armstrongs passed us by. Young or old, it didn't matter. Most were polite and even said "hello". Occasionally one person would laugh and shake his head as he flew up the mountain. "Is there like some f**king pot of gold at the top of this mountain?" I though to myself. We were soon done with most of the hike to the peak and realized we were at a very high elevation. That's when we found the best place for a picnic ever. I'm being seriously here.

We had come prepared with crunchy peanut butter, jelly, Nutella, bread, an assortment of delicious fruits, and tasty chips. Our lunch took place on an over hanging cliff where you could see miles in to the distance, thousands of fall colored trees, and the Wolchulsan peak. Just perfect. After the rejuvenation of the food we made the last push to the peak which involved several more steep inclines, steel stairways, and crowds of neon colored Koreans. The peak of Wolchulsan in one of the most beautiful sights in Korea. At the top I caught my breath and realized why I had just spent three hours almost climbing straight up a mountain. I think it was definitely worth it. Luckily the next three hours were mostly at a downward angle where we sometimes encountered steep inclines and one large penis shaped rock. (Hey, they are the ones that made a sign to point it out, I'm just passing it along.) Overall, Wolchulsan was a great experience. 

Last Push to the Peak

View from the Peak

Chris and Caroline enjoying lunch

For Your Information

Seoul Much To Do: Chapter 2 - N Seoul Tower is for Lovers

Thinking of that place to celebrate an anniversary, impress a girl on a first date, or get that spark back.  How about a picnic by a lake?  Or a fancy Italian restaurant?  Maybe an observation tower?  If you happen to be in Seoul, South Korea, the obvious pick is observation tower.  The N Seoul Tower is only 777 feet tall.  Not too tall by comparison to other observation towers, but put that on top of a 798 foot mountain and you're 1,574 feet above the great city of Seoul!  It's sure to take your relationship to new heights.

Thrilling Cable Car Ride

Sweep her of her feet by beginning your evening with a romantic and exciting cable car ride to the top of the mountain.  At the base of the tower you'll find a number of places to solidify your love.  Buy a "lover's lock" and find the perfect spot to tell her that she's found the combination to your heart.  You can then lock up your love together on a lock tree or lock railing where it will remain forever.

Love Lock Trees

Lock up your love

Take the evening to the next level at the top of the tower.  Light up her smile with a panoramic view of Seoul's dazzling night skyline.  It's sure to brighten up the mood.  Then complete your evening with a dizzying meal at the revolving restaurant at the tower's peak.  Show her that you're a man of high taste.  N Seoul Tower: Rise Above the Rest (and get a pretty cool view).

There's a bright smile!

Night View