[Well-curated] Posters, seeds and carbonated cocktails to lift your spirits

If you want a new look for your house, but don’t have many ideas how to go about it, visit Postershop located near Hongik University Station for inspiration.

A 7 to 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit No.9 on Subway Line No. 2, following the road at Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, a glass covered building with a red-colored sushi restaurant on the ground floor can be easily spotted.

Postershop, on the third floor, sells posters whose subjects range from beautiful landscapes to mesmerizing ocean views and calm night views.

The posters come in different sizes, ranging from A3 and A2 to larger sizes. Four different types of posters are available -- fabric, woven blanket, chiffon fabric and mirror.

Aluminum frames can be purchased separately as well.

Delivery is available and the posters can also be seen on Postershop’s official website at www.postershop.kr.

Postershop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

Seed Library at Seoul Botanic Park

Inside the Seoul Botanic Park is a place where you can borrow seeds like borrowing books at a library.

At Seed Library, anyone can get an envelope of three to 10 seeds after filling out a “seed loan register” at the information desk.

It’s okay if you don’t know which seeds to choose. The library provides a list of loanable seeds with recommendations of seeds that are in season for planting and according to the level of difficulty in growing.

For July and August, cockscomb, buckwheat, Korean mint, and common cosmos are some of the easy-to-grow plants, while cucumber and oriental melon are considered the more difficult ones to grow.

Detailed information on how to grow each plant is available at the library or on its official website, so even a beginner can easily grow a plant with the right amount of water and sunlight. Green thumbs are not required!

Books on plants and gardening are also available at the library if you want to know more about different kinds of seeds and plants.

Unlike other libraries, returning what you checked out is not obligatory at Seed Library. Re-loaning is also possible if you show photos of the plants that you are growing, or failed to gather seeds. If you were successful in harvesting seeds, keep them in a dry and cool area. When you do return the seeds, you can borrow an additional envelope of seeds you submit.

Seeds of about 400 indigenous crops, wild and garden plants are exhibited around the walls.

Located on the first floor of Horticulture Center, Seed Library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, excluding national holidays.

For further information, visit the official website at botanicpark.seoul.go.kr.

Carbonic Bar and art in Hannam-dong

If you are on a look out for an unusual bar, visit Carbonic Bar this weekend, a small and quiet drinking hole located in an ally in the Hannam-dong neighborhood of Yongsan-gu, northern Seoul. The glowing green light from fizzy water that surrounds the bar gives off a fun atmosphere, as if you were having drinks at an aquarium.

Taking the theme of carbonated water, the bar has a special menu that features eight carbonic cocktails, including “Hola,” “Lime tree,” “Carbonic Martini” and “Sushiya” made with carbonated water or champagne. If you want s special carbonated cocktail of your own, ask for one -- the bartender will create a special fizzy cocktail to your taste.

Finger foods such as cheese platters and cheese fries are available along with a menu that includes miniburgers, green pasta and Chinese spicy crab noodles. If you want to visit the bar with a group of people, there is a private room that can accommodate up to 12 people.

Leeum Museum of Art is only a few minutes away on foot. A visit to the museum followed by drinks at the bar may just be the thing to chase away the gloom of the monsoon season.

(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)

(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)

(yunapark@heraldcorp.com)

By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)