Nina Gangnam Style!

Today is a holiday in Korea (Children's Day), and somehow this mood has reached me too. So before classes start tomorrow, we wasted the whole morning, snacked on a few Mandu from yesterday for breakfast - and then we were off.

Fun fact: The time difference between Germany and South Korea is +7 hours, which means I'm 7 hours ahead of you in the future. (Don't worry, I'll let you know if something crazy happens.)

Since the weather today was just as bad as yesterday, only colder, I had planned to explore Gangnam a bit, so I took the train for about half an hour across the river to the wealthiest area in all of Korea.

Fun fact: The Gangnam district and the money-consuming behavior of its residents were parodied by Psy in his song “Gangnam Style.” Even if you have nothing to do with Korea, you probably know this song. It held the record for the most liked YouTube video for several years, the iconic “horse” dance was imitated around the world - and it was a major accelerating factor in the second Korean wave (Hallyu), which brought Korean (pop) culture to the world.

My first stop in Gangnam was the COEX Mall, in front of which a sculpture was erected to commemorate Psy and his song (incidentally, without him wanting this, if the internet is to be believed).

In addition to a cinema and an aquarium (which I will not visit on principle), the mall also has the impressive Starfield Library - a popular photo subject, as the crowds in the photo (above in the gallery) suggest. But today I was specifically looking for two clothing brands in the mall.

The fact that the COEX Mall is the largest underground mall in Asia became apparent when I tried to leave it: I walked in circles three times without finding the exit, and then got on the wrong subway and went back to the other side of the river... 🫣

But finally it worked out and I was able to meet a friend for a late lunch. We treated ourselves to a delicious beef soup in the quieter back streets of Gangnam. I've been hungry for this for sooo long because I haven't been able to find a good (Korean) one in Germany!

So, what does it all include? Of course, the soup (black pot) with beef ribs, glass noodles, egg, leek, jujube (Chinese date), ginkgo seeds and more. Plus a whole range of side dishes (ban-tschan): spiced spinach, fried mushrooms, pickled quail eggs, radish kimchi, kimchi and a kind of glass noodle salad with vegetables (jap-tsche).

There is also rice (pot with silver lid) which sticks a little to the bottom of the pot because the pot is very hot. You then take the rice out and pour hot water over the stuck-on remains. The whole thing dissolves and becomes a kind of simple but aromatic porridge, very well tolerated especially by seniors or people with a hangover, as someone with a hangover explained to me. 😅

Afterwards we walked around a bit, drank lemonade and chatted in the café and then said goodbye.

After all, tomorrow things will start again - the serious side of life begins! I'm really excited about school and lessons. 😊