견딜 수 없는 더위

Thick rain clouds hanged lowly in the sky. It rained from time to time throughout the day. Some was heavy and some was light. The weather should be kinda cooling right? Wrong! Neither the rain clouds nor the rain are bringing the much-needed reprieve from the midsummer heat. The air is constantly warm and wind or no wind, doesn't really matter much. 삼복더위 is not coined for nothing. It is the hottest month of summer that starts in mid Jul and ends in mid August. 삼복더위 comprises 초복, 중복 and 말복. It is 중복 now and there are only two words to describe it: "So Hot!"

The heat is the only minus, the rest are pluses. For the first time, I ate the most famous dish of Andong, the 안동찜닭 or Andong Stewed Chicken. The restaurant which I had 안동찜닭 is located somewhere in Jongno district. The 찜닭 came with a handsome serving of chicken meats in a very large plate. The rest of the ingredients include potato, cucumber and glass noodles. The glass noodles were as chewy as gum but very flavourful and spicy. They were lip-smacking good except that the tongue-burning spiciness prevented me from eating too much. A medium-plate 찜닭 costs 24,000won (~S$30). It's serving is large enough for four Singaporeans but two Koreans can probably polish it up together with another bowl of rice. Sometimes I just wonder where do Koreans find their stomach?

안동찜닭 - chicken meats in savoury and spicy sauce stewed to perfection.

A slow walk from Jongno to Gyeongbok Palace was very helpful in reducing my bloated stomach. But walking in the open when the summer heat is at its peak is definitely not a good idea. It was fortunate that the admission into the National Palace Museum of Korea (located beside the exit of Gyeongbokgung station) is free until December 2008. What that meant was I didn't have to pay to enjoy free aircon inside the museum.

The National Palace Museum has just completed its renovation not too long ago. Everything looks spanking new except the artifacts on display. I had this deja-vu feeling when I saw the imperial vehicles on display. I thought I saw them previously in Deoksu Palace or somewhere else. Anyway, I need to mention that the museum cafe, Gogungddurak (고궁뜨락), looks neat and inviting. A very nice place to spend a quiet and inspired Saturday afternoon in.

The National Palace Museum of Korea. Admission is free until Dec 08.

The cafe museum - Gogungddurak looks neat and inviting.

When I left the museum, it was raining heavily. It stopped when I was walking back from Hoegi station to my accommodation. In the evening, it rained again but yet the heat stubbornly lingered on in the air. The fan in my room was made to spin at its max and all windows and door were opened to fight the heat. I know it is going to be a losing battle. I guess when I cannot beat it or eat it, I just have to live with it.