December's things to do

During the early ‘70s, this place was a rice mill, and in 1990, it was storage space. This past May, CO:LUMN opened as a gallery/café without any changes being made to the building’s exterior. This old, red-brick building has its own unique vibe. As you enter through the large, heavy doors, you’ll pass by Yang Jeong-uk’s works that look like the skeletons of huge animals from the ice age, after which you’ll step into a wide open space. The ceiling beams are exposed and the hall, which is always packed with people, is surrounded by rough, grey walls. The sunlight that streams down from above combined with the trees planted inside make the whole space feel rather surreal. I recommend that you soak in the ambiance whilst enjoying a cup of coffee or a pint of beer. On weekends, there’s an entrance fee of 10,000, which includes one drink.

This vintage flea market is located near Dongmyo, a shrine built in honor of Guan Yu, a Chinese military commander. Exit Dongmyo Station exit 3 and walk straight for about 30 seconds until you reach the entrance of this bustling market. Hundreds of street stalls open up along the stone walls of the shrine, all the way to Cheonggyecheon Stream. This flea  market literally has everything you need— from second-hand clothes to antiques, vinyl records and miscellaneous goods. Clothes are only 1,000 won a piece, with leather jackets in the autumn and faux fur in the winter. This traditional market has become an unusual hot spot in Seoul, with people carrying around their newly purchased items in black plastic bags and sellers pushing around carts full of antiques. We advise that you bring a lot of 1,000 won bills with you, as it makes bargaining easier. Another tip is to go early when the market opens in order to dig through the piles to find the best items. Dongmyo Flea Market opens at 2pm on weekdays and 10am on weekends. They close before sundown and on every 2nd and 4th Tuesday.

Remember the scene in the romantic comedy About Time, when a girl and a boy first encounter each other in complete darkness. A similar total-darkness experience is available in Seoul, unfortunately, its concept is not about finding your one true love. Rather, Dialogue in the Dark (located in Bukchon) is an awareness raising exhibition. It was created in 1988 by Andreas Heinecke as a result of a life-long search for answers to the question, “On what ground do we judge people and feel inferior or superior?” Interestingly, it was an acquaintance who had lost his eyesight in a car accident that helped Heinecke realize not only the answers to his question but also his fascination of the world of blind people. In order to confront this prejudice about blindness, Dialogue in the Dark was started, in a small warehouse. Now, this exhibition has over 130 locations in 20 different countries with over 9 million visitors. Once inside, you will be stripped of all possible lighting devices (phones, watches, etc.) and will be ‘blind’ for 100 minutes. You will listen to the directions of the ‘road master’ and utilize a white cane to navigate rooms of different themes; leaves, forest, using wind to rotate a sailboat in the right direction, matching smell and touch with places and objects, etc. Dialogue in the Dark isn’t just about being blind; it’s an experience that will indulge yourself in all your other senses. For safety issues, only visitors between the age of 9 to 70 are allowed, with...