Youido Viewed from Saetgang Bridge

With my camera ready on my shoulder, I was walking through the bridge....

..and managed to take lots of snapshots of Youido from the bridge where I was standing.

Yup, this pedestrian bridge really helps commuters or everyone working in Youido area to come back-and-forth from the business district to Singil subway station.

A look of an early evening in winter...Jan.'16.

I thought this was supposed to be for pedestrians...but I guess people with their bikes are also allowed to use the bridge. hmm, well...I think that's okay.

No one was there. I mean..not many people. Wonder why...

The view of Seoul I've never seen before, though I'm sort of ..working nearby.

From afar, I always thought that this bridge was small and not that worth-visiting.

But, I guess I was wrong....since from here..I could see a different angle of Youido island.

It's a good start spot to see the rush hour on the highways underneath the bridge.

...or simply walking back-and-forth to feel the sensation of this bridge...which for some height-thrill-seekers, it's worth-trying.

All in all, I spent a good time..walking pass this bridge...

Bye-bye^^ See you when I'll be there.

On The Way Home

It's hot. And...as usual I take this path... 

..from work to home.

...and this thirst-quenching mango juice helped me through the day.^^ 

....and still had enough time to stop to admire nature around me

Spring @ Yeouido Park& Hangang Park (part 2)

Sunday, April 6, 2014. 

The man-made creek overflowing into the Han river is one of the must-see facilities around Hangang Park @ Yeouido. 

With never-stop-changing business district as its background, this facility is a famous spot for blue & white-collar workers as well as commoners, including visitors visiting the Manhattan of Seoul--Yeouido, be it in Spring or in Summer--which comes sooner.^^ 

The freshly inviting clear water seemed to lure tired feet to plunge into it. 

and why NOT? 

As for the kids, they preferred to keep on cycling their bikes along the riverbank. Gosh..I couldn't stop admiring the BLUE sky above. What a day! 

Far beyond, with zoomed in feature, we could see some people indeed were coming closer to the river to check what it must've felt like being there with the rather-cold wind so strong--at that time--that I myself wouldn't dare being there, especially with the kids tagging along. 

What about taking some picnic on spread-out lawn that stretches along the riverbank? 

Why not? Lots of people DID! 

Hangang with its numerous bridges over it ...is a perfect blend of nature and technology that captures the essence of Seoul: Seoul would be No-SOUL without it. 

An arched-building beyond is a riverbank outdoor stage where weekly performances are held--so I learned. Though never watched or been there myself. 

Take a pose... 

and...Have a great day, kids. I am sure you did enjoy your weekend at the park.

*Remember this moment as you are growing.*

That's why I am always writing down all of the activities we do together.

It's part of our diary.

Spring @ Yeouido Park & Yeouido Hangang Park (part 1)

Sunday, April 6, 2014. What could be a better way to spend a weekend economically? Go to the nearest park and enjoy the rest of the day..especially in Spring time like this ( at least a few weeks ago!) 

We promised the kids to take them to the park and let them roam the park on rented bicycles--which turned out to be quite a rare treat that time--considering the crowds and the fame of the park during spring time. 

Luckily, we managed to rent three bikes enough for us to go around the park and enjoy the blissful moment of Spring time. 

People thronged the park in groups or couples..which pretty much summed up what people were actually doing to taste the buds of spring. 

Off we went through the tunnel connecting the park and Han River park. 

Da..da....and as I expected...lots of people were making the best of their time in one Saturday morning. It's unbelievably impressive...^^I mean, we could just the whole day being there and being thankful for the blessing we had to enjoy such a nice day.

Just look at the SKY! 

Hangang Riverbank Park was truly a remarkable place to be...when it's not hot:), of course.  

Eyra finally could let herself roam freely on her 'dream' bike:) 

As for Freya, she became somewhat attached to her newly found yellow four-wheeled bike^^

Bike Bike Biking @ Youido Park & Hangang

What could be more tempting than......enjoying the coming of Spring with friends ...OUTDOOR! yes!. for someone who comes from a tropical country like me,....the idea of going outdoor in the Spring was like an idea too good to waive. I won't let that chance slip away. That was exactly what I did, or we did to be precise.

Having a slice or two: donuts! that our teacher bought for us.

The whole class came out to the park just to enjoy the beautiful Spring and sun light-studded (?) ^^ --I know there is no such thing as a sun-studded (imagine: star-studded) term..^^ 

But, the mere idea of being exposed to the sunlight alone...was more than enough to make me gleefully smiling and cheerful.

So were my friends.

(intermezzo: I snapped a cool sight of this child-cart. Well, that's how I describe it. As many as 6 children clad or somewhat thrown into a small cart--that was physically pushed by a woman. What a ride, indeed. 

The time came for us to just relax, have some donuts, and do nothing but play.  The office or business complex at the back was the most likely sight that we would encounter in Youido (the so-called Manhattan of Seoul). Well, it is actually a small island in the middle of Han River. How cool is that. 

Then, off we went to take a stroll along the park and off we went to a bike rental where we decided to spend the rest of the day ...biking. It cost us only 3000 Won for one-hour ride along the whole area of Youido and Hangang Area. 

So...here are my classmates with their own bikes. Some are tandem bikes that we can share with others.  Since I was the one taking the pic.......automatically I am only immortally captured as the man behind the camera. ^^ (figuratively speaking: the memory creator!!)

We were at the Riverside. Han Riverside bike lanes that dotted the river. Seoul government has been successful in maintaining the preservation of the Han river as one of the main attractions for its local community and foreigners alike. I was easily absorbed into the modesty, yet the functionality of the bike lanes as well as other facilities provided along the riverbank. 

Igyeol, Martha, Jennely, and me....!

Igyeol, Marta, Jennely, Chanmi, & Jon-gi ssi.^^ some of my 6B classmates

I think it was one of the floating theater and public spaces that were scattered along the riverbanks. Never been there, though. But, nice to try, though. 

Since it was not a holiday, in fact...it was Friday morning. So, most people were working and ...us? we were enjoying the early Spring in Han river. What could be more exciting than that? Han river was persistently and somewhat calmly flowing dashingly along the course of Seoul. Beyond ( if you could see it) is....a Seoul Tower, barely visible at the back.

me & Chanmi. Just realized that we were riding the same color bikes. 

Then, this was the opposite scenery of the river. See the Sakura flowers at the back. That was the very place where I went to the other day. 

Another spectacle along the river. The lonely barren tree (well, wait till it is fully grown with leaves on it). I guess it would look just fine. But, as for now, the tree had to be quite contented with what it got: budding leaves.

Another sight from the Han River. Office buildings built in the midst of open space and parks were the typical sight in Youido business district. Well, no wonder lots of companies set up their branches or headquarters right in the heart of this complex.

This is the bike lane that I was writing about. See the course? We can follow this seemingly never-ending courses along the river and end up ourselves outside Seoul. True. So, we can just bike ourselves and enjoy the endless possibilities that the Han river has to offer.

 

Oh, I should have put this picture in the middle of this entry:) ^^ well, simple really. I got to put this picture right here because there is our Lee Young-Ju sonsaengnim, who also took a bike with her.  Can you spot & guess which one?

This is awesome. We were making a circle with our bikes. we were like...going round and round so as to make us dizzy. No, just to make the fun of biking.--that's all. 

On our way back home to the Park where we rented the bike. I think it was 10 minutes or so before we got to have the bikes returned...or else...we would need to pay additional 500 won per additional 10 minutes or so. ^^ what a system. :)

But...we still managed to take a picture, anyway. Aha!

That's why we were rushing^^