Hanbok-in-Style

What could be more entertaining and visually self-reflecting than being able to put on the real hanbok in style. It was our first time to put on hanbok  all together--the whole family. Well, Eyra and Freya have their own hanbok at home, but not me. It never occurred to me that I would have one at home. Well, maybe I will. But, in the meantime..this picture of me with the whole family clad in hanbok is sufficient to officially  recall that I have been in hanbok.

Now..let's take a look at the red dots put on the girls!! Good thing I didn't have to have those on my cheek. :-) 

This has been the 'side-effect' of being at Goyang International Flower*-*

Goyang International Flower Festival (Finale)

Before we went home, we took some more group pictures since we knew that it would be a long way for us to think and consider coming back here again unless....there is another better or greater exhibition.^^ 

The whole group. Om Wawan and his wife, me and my family.

May 4, 2013. Goyang City. 

This one, a vertical-shaped size pic. 

One more pic. of tulip fields which somewhat became the pseudo-symbol of national flower here.^^ of course, I am just kidding...but judging from the mere fact that similar tulip festivals being held simultaneously across the peninsula....has somewhat given me a vague idea as to whether it is time to call tulip as one of Korea's national flower.^^ 

On our way back home on subway. Look how deserted the subway was. Well..we were taking the wrong subway....and that's the reason as to why it was deserted. oh well..it's a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong story.

Goyang International Flower Festival (Part 10): Indonesia Pavilion

We came to Indonesia pavilion where the main attraction was the splendor of Indonesia's rarest flora of all. 

No wonder...lots of people would take their time and anticipation to see what Indonesia had to offer. Was it really worth-waiting and worth-looking at? Hmmm... 

Even the booth itself was named "Rare Plants Pavilion" where Indonesia occupied the main entrance which undoubtedly gave it a boost of interests and curiosity...(including me myself) *chuckles* Well, I never see it before my own eyes...because who would've been into the dense tropical forest of Sumatra to deliberately see this Carrion Flower or Titan Arum....which I thought it was Raflesia Arnoldi: dubbed to be the biggest flower in the world, and wait....it also boasts itself to be the most-oh-Nooooo-smelling flower in the world. But, no...the on being displayed here was Carrion Flower or gosh...what is it? Amorphophallus titanum . yeah right..it's so phallic in appearance.^^

That's why It indeed intrigued a lot of queues just to see the rarest flower of all. 

Okay...we got to say goodbye to the Goyang International Flower Festival. 

Before that..let's take another picture, girls!!! 

Goyang Flower Center complex that hosted this year's celebration.

Till we meet again next year? ^^ or in between?

Thanks for having hosted this wonderful event in Spring 2013.

Goyang International Flower Festival (Part 9): Inside the Pavilion

It was a bit warm and bright outside that we needed to soothe ourselves with the cooling breeze of indoor pavilion. Like many other exhibitions, we were ushered into the supposedly attractive-looking displays of flowers and flowers...even those in neon bulbs.  

The pavilion was sure huge enough to accommodate hundreds of contestants both domestic and international ones.  

Flower-airium (aquarium^-^) I mean...it was such a cool way to dazzle the first-timers. 

Oh, they have a term for it: ecopot!!!!!   e-copot!^^ 

Had I taken the picture with a better digital camera, I would've been able to capture the flickering effect emitting from the posted artificial flowers. 

Eyra was trying to wake up the chirping birds nested on the perch of (another) artificial flower and tree.^^ 

Ecuador, India,....and other participatory countries showed off their best of agricultural ..er..I mean...flora diversities to the visitors.  

Not a good angle to take the picture...but at least I got a glimpse of what ASEAN-KOREA CENTER had to offer to its visitors.

Each ASEAN member country showed off her characteristic flower in an educational booth that occupied a large amount of space inside the pavilion.

Goyang International Flower Festival (Part 8)

It would not have been a stereotypical Korean Festival without the presence of samulnori performance. So, here it was. The un-mistakenly loud-banging sound indeed lured people and spectators to gather around the performers. 

It was one of those lively performances where people would surely be hooked onto this ear-splitting sounds (especially for first timers), but for those who have got so accustomed to the rhythm of samulnori, it would definitely and easily be associated with the sounds of vibrant and lively dynamism. 

Goyang International Flower Festival (Part 7)

Another parasols (this time the red ones!! remember the purple ones on way in right before entering the main gate?) dotted the landscape near the lake. Beyond: lots of people in life-jackets were waiting for their turn to take on a lake-bicycle (that's how I describe it).

Lunch time. No wonder...lots of people crammed into this area.  

Found one! 

These ones, too. Found the gems tucked into the bushes of the scattered gardens.

Little cute wooden hedgehog family!!!~.~ 

Back to lake jetty where people were about to board the lake bicycle. If only it were not over-priced, we'd take the challenge. ^^ 

Oh, well..at least we could see it from afar.^^ 

The Goyang-ers must be so proud of having a lake within its downtown. 

Goyang's celebration of its 600th year of what? ..gee I should have known.

(choices to select from: a) independence  b) being founded  c) foundation 

d) establishment e) setting up  d) ... you name it.

Goyang City Museum

Not so much to tell about it here except the fact that it was well decorated and nicely put. 

I mean..who would've thought that these boxes actually tell stories of what Goyang City sees itself and how it evolves. I only got the phrases like 'Goyang City being the city of the future.

Goyang International Flower Festival (Part 6)

Sure it looked like summer already. It's still Spring but the temperature was like 22 degrees..so much so that it tempted us to take a shelter on a gazebo perched on one side of the boulevard within the expo venue. 

Wish we had one of these at home.^^ 

One angle of the facade where one huge pavilion was located. We'd definitely go there on our way home...(more stories on other entries) 

Then we were walking through the wall of peaceful wishes* Guess..that's how I pretty much describe it" based on the inscriptions written on the countless round wooden plates posted on each side of the barbed wires. 

..which led us to the first garden of tulips. 

If only I had a good camera, instead of this 5MP phone camera.^-^ 

Opps...Freyas' hat was just a 'garnish' on this pic.^^ 

The white tulips: an eye-opener in the bright daylight. 

Eyra: "Are these painted?" Yes, Dear..you watched too much of Alice in Wonderland:) 

What would be a tulip garden without its windmill adjacent to it? 

I am sure that this was not intended for exhibition, for they were more of a..well...er... crumpled flowers tossed into the rocks....*which turned out to be too nice to overlook* 

A commotion!!!! People were squeezing in not-that-wide-alley leading to one of the pavilion just to see..... 

.. prerecorded picture of themselves. 

We did it, too!`.~

Goyang International Flower Festival (part 4)

Judging from the venue of the exhibition which looked like in the middle of the town--as  seen from the office complex that surrounded the venue--I could say that this is actually a good venue for the city even when no festivals of such grandeur exist, simply because it boasts itself with a huge park for anyone to go to. 

Flowers with mini statues and decorations in between were the main attraction of the outdoor pavilion. 

I know it's hot and bright, dear. But, let's take the pic. first....^^ 

It's all artificially created of course..but, that's the main catch of the festival. With some creativity, it attracted lots of people, just like us. 

Take a pose, Freya... 

Goyang..Goyangi.....^^ 

and I was not making fun of the city when even the city itself admits it. 고양 고양이.

Goyang's cat. (goyangi happens to mean 'cat' in English). so...goyang goyangi simply means 'The cat of Goyang'^^