Paul saw Sting here. The Seol Olympic Stadium was built for the 1988 summer olympics and the 10th Asian Games. It is now the centre piece of Jamsil Sports Complex in the Songpa-gu district, south east of the city south of the Han river.
Did I mention Paul, a boss from Dad's work saw Sting here?! Anyway, apparently, the lines of the stadium's profile imitate the elegant curves of a Korean Joseon Dynasty porcelain vase. Now it is the home of Seoul United FC in the Challengers League.
Let me see who's played here? Besides Sting, back in February, when Paul saw him, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, someone with a z in his name, you name it, . . . .
Listed in it's facilities as a sports complex is a ping-pong table. Just the one.
Phoenix Entertainment produced Grease in Korean after bringing the original show here and receiving overwhelming crowd response.
How restrained is the audience here in Seoul? I noticed the clapping is short lived so you have to be on your marks for that so you don't end up being the noisy loner. On the website I saw a photo of a pretty girl cast member singing to a soldier and the rest of the army where hands up to faces and looking as if they were giggling!
The songs were the same they just started with the English title and then carried on in Korean, which sounds so fast that the show should have finished at half time ! The costumes were not of the time, with leggings and modern sneakers unless Korea was ahead of it's time back then !
The names where the same and you could get the gist of the happy and sad parts. Frenchy was really good with lots of cute actions and there was one who I diddn't catch the name of but she would go from a high sing songy Asian voice to a Yorkshire pitman's grow ! Really funny!
I was rocking in my seat but in a restrained fashion because no one else seemed to be moving and then all of a sudden the audience went wild at the end with two extra songs thrown in for good measure !
With a first go on the underground and a lovely walk home in the hot steamy atmosphere, after the early evening downpour, it was a good night out.
Sorry pictures are not co-operating this morning.
Mum/Mil/Hil
Showing posts with label Seoul;Lotte;Jump;Grease;Myeong-dong Cathedral;. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seoul;Lotte;Jump;Grease;Myeong-dong Cathedral;. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
S E O U L M A M A
Sorry about the cheesy title but I couldn't pass it up now could I ? !
Since arriving in Seoul, Friday morning, Dad has shown me some of the sights. I'm not a very good traveller so I've been walking around with a head full of cotton wool till now. Luckily, we are staying in downtown Seoul so I'm hoping to re-visit these places over the next two weeks.
My first impressions are of a modern city with friendly citizens. It seems quite cosmopolitan with voices and faces from around the globe but predominantly Asian. English isn't spoken universally though it hasn't really been a stumbling block. We have a city map with a dozen or so phrases to help us out and I imagine as with anywhere, people smile to see us trying.
Dad's apartment has all mod cons, however, we think the kitchen is merely for fixing your g&t in ! Having said that, Dad did cook a mean beef stew on Sunday which we finally finished up tonight ! It was almost Korean, in fact, being more of a broth! We had our evening cuppa, afterwards, with something sweet. Or so we thought ! They looked like oblong croissants with a sugar glaze on top that was kind of green and speckledy ? ! They smelled of garlic. I tried my best but I'm left staring at the remains and now badly craving something sweet ! ! !
Tonight's shopping expedition was to Lotte, a large swish department store with big price labels. In the basement foodhall, the fresh food departments were shouting their wares ! Most bizarre ! We paid £4.00 for a lettuce which I shall extract every fiber of till there's just the memory of it for a sandwich.
Dad came home tonight with tickets to see a show called 'Jump', on Thursday night and 'Grease' on Sunday. Hopefully to be followed by some Korean cuisine ! I think there will be lots to keep us busy until I leave.
Two items to remember each time we step outside; bottled water and an umbrella. The air is very clammy but I keep telling myself it's good for the skin ! Some people have those filter masks on but not always up around their mouths and noses. Maybe it's the heat?!
The flora and fauna are exotic looking but we hear bird scaring devices a lot which means not much in the way of wildlife yet. Tonight we spotted four tiny kittens lying in the ridges of a small building's roof tiles. Maybe they love the heat. No Pol, they're still there !
Dad is very well appointed. Well, you knew that ! His office block is a five minute walk;
church, which is Myeong-dong Cathedral, twenty minutes; downtown shopping centres and markets ten minutes; a cooling walk along a river, ten minutes;
an historical site, which is actualy National Treasure No. 43 (they love their numbers) and includes the delightfully named Coquetry Chamber (more of this another time)ten minutes and a temple just next door. No need for any form of transport so far.
I knew nothing before I came here. I was actually expecting rickshaws or something similar ! As in any city, the car is Lord, with a few scooters thrown in for the effect. To cross the roads you wait for the silent green man, no helpful beeping and you'd better be fleet of foot ! I haven't been mown down yet but I've felt the scooters swish around me !!
Strangely, when making a transaction, they ask for a signature, no pin numbers ! Dad wonders if credit card fraud isn't a biggy here?! Since being here I have heard sirens maybe four times and we're in downtown Seoul ! No accidents? No crime?
People make a slight bow from the waist in greeting and offer you're change as they did in South Africa, with open palm that is offered to you, not thrust at you ala well, you name it? !
I would recommend Seoul to anybody, from everything I have experienced so far. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks.
Now, if only I can get this blog to behave ? !
Mum/Mil/Hil xxx
Since arriving in Seoul, Friday morning, Dad has shown me some of the sights. I'm not a very good traveller so I've been walking around with a head full of cotton wool till now. Luckily, we are staying in downtown Seoul so I'm hoping to re-visit these places over the next two weeks.
My first impressions are of a modern city with friendly citizens. It seems quite cosmopolitan with voices and faces from around the globe but predominantly Asian. English isn't spoken universally though it hasn't really been a stumbling block. We have a city map with a dozen or so phrases to help us out and I imagine as with anywhere, people smile to see us trying.
Dad's apartment has all mod cons, however, we think the kitchen is merely for fixing your g&t in ! Having said that, Dad did cook a mean beef stew on Sunday which we finally finished up tonight ! It was almost Korean, in fact, being more of a broth! We had our evening cuppa, afterwards, with something sweet. Or so we thought ! They looked like oblong croissants with a sugar glaze on top that was kind of green and speckledy ? ! They smelled of garlic. I tried my best but I'm left staring at the remains and now badly craving something sweet ! ! !
Tonight's shopping expedition was to Lotte, a large swish department store with big price labels. In the basement foodhall, the fresh food departments were shouting their wares ! Most bizarre ! We paid £4.00 for a lettuce which I shall extract every fiber of till there's just the memory of it for a sandwich.
Dad came home tonight with tickets to see a show called 'Jump', on Thursday night and 'Grease' on Sunday. Hopefully to be followed by some Korean cuisine ! I think there will be lots to keep us busy until I leave.
Two items to remember each time we step outside; bottled water and an umbrella. The air is very clammy but I keep telling myself it's good for the skin ! Some people have those filter masks on but not always up around their mouths and noses. Maybe it's the heat?!
The flora and fauna are exotic looking but we hear bird scaring devices a lot which means not much in the way of wildlife yet. Tonight we spotted four tiny kittens lying in the ridges of a small building's roof tiles. Maybe they love the heat. No Pol, they're still there !
Dad is very well appointed. Well, you knew that !
church, which is Myeong-dong Cathedral, twenty minutes; downtown shopping centres and markets ten minutes; a cooling walk along a river, ten minutes;
an historical site, which is actualy National Treasure No. 43 (they love their numbers) and includes the delightfully named Coquetry Chamber (more of this another time)ten minutes and a temple just next door. No need for any form of transport so far.
I knew nothing before I came here. I was actually expecting rickshaws or something similar ! As in any city, the car is Lord, with a few scooters thrown in for the effect. To cross the roads you wait for the silent green man, no helpful beeping and you'd better be fleet of foot ! I haven't been mown down yet but I've felt the scooters swish around me !!
Strangely, when making a transaction, they ask for a signature, no pin numbers ! Dad wonders if credit card fraud isn't a biggy here?! Since being here I have heard sirens maybe four times and we're in downtown Seoul ! No accidents? No crime?
People make a slight bow from the waist in greeting and offer you're change as they did in South Africa, with open palm that is offered to you, not thrust at you ala well, you name it? !
I would recommend Seoul to anybody, from everything I have experienced so far. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks.
Now, if only I can get this blog to behave ? !
Mum/Mil/Hil xxx
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