Where else in Seoul can you sample Chilean wine, buy Russian vodka, bite into Egyptian bread, wear an Indian or Malaysian dress, or even tie on a Vietnamese tie – all in one day? The Friendship Fair offers those things from over 50 countries, and balances out the Hi Seoul Festival as well. Both are over now, but the memories – and the pictures – will live on.
Some fun performances in the Seoul Plaza.
Walk around to the corner and an interesting hourglass figure awaits you. Not sure of its purpose or theme, but imagining the world dripping down on Seoul is… interesting….
Fountains!! I’m always tempted to come in, full clothing and all…
Some wonderful student art – most students go to international schools, from the looks of the names.
And thus begins the Seoul Friendship Fair, located on the street behind the Seoul Plaza. With 50+ countries represented, it seems the entire international community came out for the event. While Koreans were still the majority, hearing languages other than Korean and English was different to say the least.
A few Nepalese items for sale and a display of some currency.
Mmm… tasty….
The highlight of the day: Maytree, a Korean acapella group. If you’re familiar with Rockapella (“Where is the World is Carmen Sandiego”, anyone?), these guys were better.
The Turkish kebab – classic and tasty, without being too spicy.
Now here was a fun sight – some Middle Eastern gentlemen dancing on the sidewalk.
Continuing on to Cheonggyecheon and we come to a cute little water show… that’s usually there, but this isn’t:
OK… big Korean coins lined up around the Cheonggyecheon plaza… what’s going on?
Going around to the other side and we see some volunteers counting coins for World Vision in a change-collecting effort. The odd chef costumes and the heavy duty coin-cointing machines definitely seemed a bit odd…
This Hi Seoul Festival’s theme: hot pink. Wow. Combine that with the ultra-bright neon orange and you’ve almost got sensory overload…
The walking trail along Cheonggyecheon had a number of scenes from Korean life in the past, albeit with a splash of color. The hairdresser never looked so good…
A comic book bookstore?
Not sure who this character is, but it’s tall… and has a small head…
Further down the way were Koreans wearing shirts with every year since 1946. According to the booklet, “each of the 62 performances will express an aspect of Seoul life for one of years [sic] from 1946 to the present with dance.”
An ‘awww, how cute’ moment: Get a pink button and borrow a permanent marker, write or draw on it then pin it up for the world to see.
One of the Seoul Street Artists showing off their skills – this guy moves the basketball about as well as a Globetrotter.
Back to the Friendship Fair – complete with Turkish ice cream. If you’ve never seen this before, the guy reaches in with a long metal rod and a flat end to grab the ice cream, then spades it in and onto a cone. To further add to the fun, he enjoyed handing it to the kids upside down or flipping it around before eventually handing it over.
India’s table – full of all sorts of authentic stuff.
Bebe & band – a great band from Hungary and Budapest that had the entire crowd – including the old guy in the lower left corner – listening and dancing.
A rockin’ bass guitar solo that mere mortals can only stand and gawk at.
As usual, the Hi Seoul Festival presents an almost overwhelming array of interesting but odd / surreal sights. You really never know what to expect. The Friendship Fair had plenty of food and things to buy – I only wish I had brought more money…
