Instagramy-y Post October 2014

Isn't it odd that one can chit chat in detail about the events of the day with someone you see or contact on a daily basis but when you haven't seen someone in a long time you end up summarizing like  - yeah, haven't been up to much really, got married you know whatever. 

I kind of feel like that right now but I thought I would share a few tidbits of my trip to Korea and Japan anyway.

The main highlight of September was my trip to Kyoto, Japan.

This path in the bamboo forest was a place that I had been wanting to visit for a few years so I decided to visit it as it is only an hour and a half flight from Seoul.  ( Crouching tiger, hidden dragon wasn't filmed here in case you were wondering.)

I love certain things about Japan like this special red/orange pigment they use on special buildings mostly Shinto shrines. 
This specific one was in the Kyoto Imperial Villa that is now vacated as the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo a couple of hundred years ago.

I love paper and all paper products particularly from Japan with their graphic prints.

 Believe it or not, I didn't get any of these boxes because I already had so much luggage.


Japan also does cutesy wutesy/weird or the otherwise known as  
wabi sabi well.

 These figurines were cute and terrifying all at once.

The Japanese can integrate Hello Kitty into anything - 
in this case curry rice.


Kyoto was the capital of Japan for a thousand years so there was plenty to keep us busy but my friend and I did take a day trip to Nara which was the capital before Kyoto.

I felt sorry for Nara for not only being the forgotten city 
but due to its close proximity to Kyoto 
it often gets forgotten by tourists.  
If it were further away it would get visitors on its own merit for 
its history, its tame deer, and the largest hand carved wood sculptures in the world.

There were two of these and they were carved in two months and they are as high as a four story high building.

But I also indulged in more mainstream tourist pursuits in Japan which was spotting the geishas!
I loved them so much I think I will be devoting one post to them.

I had green tea every single day and had different types of the drink which is grown in the Kyoto area.
 
This one was the most expensive one I tasted. It was about ten pounds a cup and was as thick and richly pigmented as oil paint.

But I got a second cup with the remains of the first cup so it averaged out. It could have been the placebo effect but I felt very healthy afterwards.

One of my best friends also visited me in Korea and we did a few crafty things there too.
 
 We went to the traditional and preserved part of Seoul and did a few fun crafts.

  We sat on the floor which was like yoga in itself and did a Buddhist form of meditation which is outlining and tracing art on paper.
 
 This was my peony flower in gold paint which I dared not waste.

We also did a special knotting class where we made bracelets.
There was a special good luck tassle made by the masters hanging outside of the room.

I would have shown you my bracelet but left it in Seoul but it consisted of 8 of these knotted balls.

In Korea this skill of knotting is used in many adornments and 
you may have seen it in this form below.

My friend and I were going to do an embroidery class but we ran out of time.  But I would have loved to have stitched something like the traditional pillows seen below.

In fact embroidery is so entrenched in Korean handicrafts that even traditional shoes had embroidery.

 
Did you know that signatures still aren't widely used in Korea and some other countries in east Asia?
There is mistrust in signatures that can be widely copied so people tend to have their own stamp/insignia which is used for most and very important official documents.

As it is used often, people tend to have elaborate and ornate stamps like this selection of jade ones.

Speaking of culture, I went to the museum and admired all the ancient artefacts that have managed to remain through the wars and other violent events Korea has had.

This vase is from the 12th century and I don't think will ever go out of fashion.

I miss the expanse of space in London. Even though Seoul is considered a busier and cramped city, there are open spaces.

And my relatives like most Koreans like to grow food and my aunt would go to the roof terrace and pick veggies.

I miss my uncle's little doggie with the biggest eyes.  I have a soft spot for her especially as she was originally my grandmother's pet and is somehow a living link to her still. 

I must say that I am glad to be back home and get back to my routine!  Hope everything is well on your end x