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

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

Seoul Much To Do: Chapter 1 - The Secret Garden

Seoul, South Korea is big. Really big. Half of the country's population big. So I'm breaking up my experiences in to several chapters. One big description would take hours of writing and dozens of pictures. And who ever reads this wouldn't appreciate it either. So here is the first of many.

The Secret Garden is only a secret if you don't read any guidebooks, look at any maps, or ask some one in Seoul what there is to do on a perfectly good afternoon. The Secret Garden can be found behind the Changdeokgung palace complex. Built in 1405, the garden was a place where the king could roam around in general freedom, ponder the day, read a book, and think about the best ways to kill Japanese soldiers. Apparently the king should have spent more time in the garden since the palace was virtually burned to the ground several times by Japanese invaders, rebuilt several times, and then burnt to the ground again by those Japanese arsonists. Only 30% of the palace remains today.

So the lady friend and I headed to the palace one afternoon during our time in Seoul. We roamed the palace grounds for a while until we "found" the Secret Garden. It turns out only tour groups and those who joined tour groups were granted entry on to the sacred grounds. After paying a small fee, the next group to be given this privilege was a Japanese tour group and we found our ticket in. (It was only appropriate to venture in to the garden the same way it was done in the 1600's, with a large group of Japanese people.) After pretending to be interested in what ever the tour guide was talking about we began making our own commentary and snapping pictures here and there. "I'm going to say that this pagoda was used for royal foot rubs." "Yes, we better take a picture." "That Asian baby is a pretty cute baby." "Yes, we better take a picture."

So here are some of the best pictures from the glorious Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden. An ideal place to spend an afternoon roaming around and exploring.