The trend hanok village

Thanks to the Korean Wave, my sons are very proud to be Korean.

"Korean people are smart, they make great music, dramas, and movies, and it's cool that I have a Korean name. Mom, let's go to Korea with the whole family."

We got married in the U.S. and didn't register our marriage in Korea. Of course, we didn't register our children in Korea either. I had the children while my husband was a permanent resident, so they became dual citizens under the Hong Jun-pyo law (which is a shitty law). Worse, because of their Korean name, they could be taken to the army if they are caught. 

"I don't care if I go to the army, I want to go to Korea"

Encouraged by their words, I told them to make an itinerary. Of course, my husband would pay for the entire trip. 

On our first day in Seoul, we unpacked at our hotel in Insadong, Jongno 3, and went out for dinner. It's a wild night. It's full of young people. Even with so many people milling around, drinking and getting drunk, there was not a single cop in sight. They are the descendants of the Bureau of Oriental Courtesy, enjoying the nightlife lively and without incident.

At dawn the next day, my husband and I went out to find a place to eat hangover soup. Perhaps because many of the food stalls in front of the restaurants had taken down their packaging, it looked like a completely different street. It didn't feel real that I was walking through my quiet homeland, where street sweepers were clearing away the trash left by people the day before. I went into a cozy 60-year-old soup restaurant and had makgeolli and soup. It's cheap and quite delicious.

I walked with my kids towards Bukchon Hanok Village. After turning into an alley, they went to a bakery and I went into a kimbap restaurant next to it. My husband, who doesn't like kimbap, shook his head with a pathetic expression, 

"Did you come to Korea to eat kimbap?". 

"Yes, I came to Korea to eat kimbap, oden, and tteokbokki, so what?"

My husband, who was standing outside, slipped in and sat down next to me. 

"Is it really that good?" 

He tried the oden and ate some kimbap. The kids joined in. They kept ordering more. 

"You must have two sons, I have three."

The restaurant owner asked. Her three trusty sons greeted us while working in the kitchen and hall. They made a good impression. 

In the evening, we walked through the hip Iksun-dong alley in front of the hotel. Iksun-dong was a quiet hanok village of less than 15 square meters built for the common people 100 years ago. Since 2010, small cafes and shops in converted hanoks have been lining the streets, making it a popular date spot for young people. I looked at them with envy and wondered what older people like us were doing at this hour. I wondered.