Another one for my back pocket

The music emporium- it's a magical place. I don't actually know what this place is called. Heaven is close. To look at it from the outside, it looks like it grew over the underpassing street bit by bit until it was a giant warehouse on stilts. There are several floors that seem to be neverending packed with guitars, amplifiers, stringed, brass, and electric instruments, pianos, mics, drums, whistles, recording and mixing devices, pedals, and the coolest collection of harmonicas I've ever seen.

The prices for all of these things are extremely reasonable as well and we had to learn some serious restraint to not come back with something every time we visited. Brian has a dream of one day coming here when it is completely empty of salespeople, quiet and getting to try everything in sight without worrying about getting someone's hopes up you're going to buy it. You could set up a studio right there on the floor with every piece of equipment you can dream of.

Korea is known for producing some high quality instruments- particularly stringed instruments and there are a number of shops with the actual artisans in their shops. We met an amazing guy who makes violins who studied in New Jersey, has traveled all over to obtain special instruments and had so much amazing information to share with us.

The musical mecca is also right in Insadong which I adore. It's the art district I mentioned before with shops with beautiful Korean crafts, art galleries and art supply shops. I especially love the shops that sell the ink and calligraphy brushes. The antique stone carved ink reservoirs and shelves of carved handles and ink blocks make you feel like you've stepped back in time a bit. There is a tea shop I love to stop at as we pass. The dried herbs, mushrooms, bark, berries and stems smell good enough to faint. They look great loaded in big clear bags.

There are always yummy treats on the street as you go.  I discovered the dragon bun- it's a bun cooked on the wall of an oven- similar to naan, but it's round and is filled with bulgogi meat and vegetables, or sweet potato. I ate one while Brian hit some balls at the batting cage that popped out of nowhere.

Last of all, I had to share this photo of hydroponic lettuce in the grocery store! This way you know it's fresh and I imagine is therapeutic for the checkout people right behind it. What a great idea. Well, that's it for my back pocket right now. I don't think I can fit anything else.