Souvenirs.

For Christmas each year I've gone into Insa-dong and picked up some Korean-ish souvineers for the family back home. Yes, there are some stores in Gwangju that sell the same things, but it's nice to get into Seoul when I can. The family enjoys the gifts and they make nice decorations around the house. Over the last four years, though, I haven't really picked up anything for myself because I've considered myself living out of a suitcase. Or living to go back into one. I mean, after my first two contracts I was off to some other place, and in the back of my mind I always knew I'd be moving on somewhere, so knowing that I'd eventually have to pack all this [makes sweeping movement with arm] has made me wary of buying much.

But, as I'm getting closer to heading back home, I'm thinking about Korean-ish things that I'd like to have. And, it's about quittin' time for many public school teachers, who finish their contracts on August 20th. Insa-dong is always an option for buying stuff to take home, but I've always been disappointed that there are few local specialties, few souvineers specific to, say, Suncheon, or Yeosu, or wherever. Food is the one exception, but it doesn't travel well.

I've posted about this before, but one option for interesting things to take home is the Gwangyang Traditional Knife Museum (광양장도박물관). You can browse exhibits here, and take a look at some other pictures via this Naver cafe. I've received a couple very nice items as gifts from here, and would like to make a trip in person if I get the time. From Suncheon it's accessible via buses 77, 777, 99, and 99-1, and is a three-minute walk from Gwangyang Girls' High School.

I've thought about picking up some pieces of celadon pottery---a product for which Gangjin county is well-known---but I'm almost convinced I wouldn't be able to get it home without breaking. If I do decide to try, though, there's a nice selection at Suncheon's Nagan Folk Village. I did pick up some smaller stuff here---some cute turtle figurines---that made it safely to Pittsburgh, and I'm debating whether to attempt anything bigger.



Some of the selection at Nagan Folk Village.

Nagan Folk Village is accessible via city buses 16, 61, 63, and 68. When you get off the bus, check at the timetable posted on the convenience store door to find out when the buses go back to town.

But that's really all that I can think of. In the men's room at the Yeosu bus terminal there are some neat little paintings of places around Yeosu. The next time I'm, um, in the bathroom with my camera I'll take some pictures, but something like that would be neat to take home.

Photos are another option, and there are a couple local photographers I can think of who do nice work. Simon Bond, of 369 Photography and Korea Herald contributor, has prints for sale. Kelsey from Living Life Frame by Frame, and formerly in Jindo, also has prints for sale. She's recently moved back to the US, though, so I'm not sure what that'll do for potential customers in Korea. If there are other photographers selling reasonably-price Korea prints, feel free to post their links.

You could probably also just print out your own photos. There are developers on practically every street corner who will print off your cellphone or your memory card for a low price. Though my photos are nowhere near professional quality, I'm thinking of getting an album made of some of my favorites before I leave. Just be careful, though. I told you about how places will retouch passport photos, and from what I've seen Photoshop is a hobby among these shopkeepers. I had an album made last month as a present for my fiance (shut up), and they switched around the order, played with the sizing, and inexplicably flipped about half the photos vertically. Needless to say should I ever do it again I'll specificy exactly what I do and do not want.

Another option is clothing. My first year I sent home some ridiculous Engrish, but most people don't want clothes that say "I'm a skinny bitch" on it, but unfortunately there aren't many options for shirts with Korean writing. I walked by Basic House the other day and saw they had some shirts with smileys made from Korean letters, but I could't find any on their nightmare of a webpage.


Korean fashion is a fountain of youth.

They put together some neat shirts using Hangeul for last year's Olympics, but I don't know if they're still available.




Ben of Jeonnam Life has a large catalogue of stuff, sometimes of local interest, sometimes quirky.







I bought a Suncheon shirt for my brother a couple years ago, and it looks good. I've already suggested to Ben that he try and make the logos bigger on the shirts, so we'll see what happens there. If anyone else has any good gift ideas, please pass them along.