Insadong

One the places I like to visit when I have some free time is Insadong. It's a touristy spot, yes, but it's also home to many small art galleries and restaurants that serve 한식/Hanshik/Korean food. It's fun to go with friends (especially those visiting from abroad) but it's also fun when you're alone, since there's so much to do, see and eat. I like taking pictures, so I usually carry around my dica (digital camera).
Here are some pictures I took on two trips to Insadong during the summer:

antique road show

i have a thing for taking pictures of alleyways

떡/ddeok/rice cakes

one of the many shops that sell various "Korean" products

핸드폰 걸이/ handphone geori/ cell phone accessories. I've bought butterfly ones for all of my girl friends.

삼겹살/samgyeopsal/pork belly & 대나무통밥/ daenamu-tongbab/rice cooked in bamboo cups.
the bamboo rice is so delish. they put rice, a jujube, a chestnut, some nuts and some gingko berries in a bamboo cup and then steam it.

many restaurants deliver food no matter where you are. it's common to see street vendors eating food delivered by someone [in this case an 아줌마/ajumma/(older) woman] from a nearby restaurant. then the trays, dishes and utensils are picked up by the delivery person and returned to the restaurant. good for the environment, tough on the ajumma.

Hwang Jini on a card

tea cups and pots

my only fans. haha

raspberries and mulberries

these masks kind of scare me.

one of the many kiosks that line the main strip of insadong. you might be able to haggle well, but in my experience, most of the jewelry sold in insadong is overpriced.

pigs really do fly. wait, does that mean hell has frozen over? i like that some of the pigs are wearing undies :)

한지/hanji/korean paper. you can use hanji as wall-paper and for various arts and crafts (the window a few pix up is covered in hanji). i like to use it as wrapping paper.

호떡/hoddeok/fried dough stuffed with sugar and cinnamon, and sometimes pine nuts. this hoddeok stand is really popular and there's usually a long line of people waiting for this not-for-those-on-a-diet treat. warning: the cinnamon/sugar liquid center is often ridiculously hot. i've burned my tongue on several occassions because i usually want to devour the whole thing as quickly as possible.

some more ddeok. this is totally froufrou ddeok, but it is delicious. i like simple ddeok without all of the nuts and berries. my favorite is 무지게 떡/moojige ddeok/rainbow ddeok, which you can see on the far right. it is subtly sweet and maybe a bit boring to some, but i like vanilla ice cream... so there you go.

novelty pens. not very traditional, but very korean and very cute.

무궁화/moogoonghwa/rose of sharon a.k.a. hibiscus: the national flower of korea.