Why would we go to a bookstore?
Buy a book, read a book, attend a lecture, or buy a gift for a friend who likes "birds"?
The last reason sounds very special, but it was actually an unexpected solo trip to Seoul. Although I have a Naver membership and a mobile phone number, I still cannot buy bookstore merchandise online because I don't have a Korean bank account. But~ doesn't this open up an opportunity for me to go to the bookstore in person? Fortunately, it is not far from Seoul to Suwon by taking the Mugunghwa train, and I can book tickets in advance. On a clear winter day, I went to Suwon, Kingi Province, and said to the bird watching bookstore "새Hi! (Say hi!)"
The " Bird Watching Study " is located in Seoho Hwasan Park (서호꽃뫼공원). The entrance to the park is next to Exit 6 of Hwaseo Subway Station (화서역). It is a pleasant walk and you can see jogging athletes and small fruit and vegetable stalls along the way. Walk past the parking lot and go up to the second floor of the Farmers' Hall to arrive.
Even though it was a cold February day, the atmosphere in the store was very lively. The bookstore owner (박임자), who could be called a bird doctor, noticed me when I first entered the bookstore even though she was holding a workshop in the store. She greeted me warmly and patiently listened to my answers in broken Korean about the reason for my visit and how I knew about the bookstore. She even shared with the workshop participants that I was a traveler from Taiwan.
We talked about the annual calendar made by Birdwatching Bookstore, the story and works of the creator, Grandma 정맹순, and whether they have plans to participate in book fairs in the future. The boss told me: "I want to go to the Taipei Book Fair next year. Even if I'm not participating in the exhibition, I want to go shopping!" I felt very happy at the moment. It turns out that after the epidemic, Taiwan is no longer just a tourist attraction in South Korea, but also international literary and artistic activities have been lit up. I told her: "In addition to the book fair, there are many independent bookstores worth visiting in Taipei."
Although I came here to buy calendars, when the boss asked me if I had any experience in bird watching in Taiwan, I could only frankly admit that I was not even a beginner. However, because my friend likes birds and I like to go to bookstores, I got to know the Bird Watching Book Room. The boss laughed and said to me, "This is very touching! Bring your friends here in the future. The cherry blossoms here are very beautiful!"
On the way back from the bird-watching bookstore, I discovered that independent bookstores are not only concentrated in Seoul, but there are also as many as 20 independent bookstores in Suwon, Kingi Province. Among them, the bird-themed bird-watching bookstore is unique. It updates the community's bird-watching tour itineraries and activities every month, and both adults and children can participate.
I walked around the store and found that there were not only bird illustrations, conservation-related books and picture books, but also cute crochet knittings of sparrows, white-crowned sparrows and white-eyes. If you can't stand the cuteness, there are workshops for you to DIY one. If you are like me, you like to visit local bookstores every time you travel to a city, then take the Seoul Subway Line 1 to visit the bird-watching bookstore next time! Maybe you will pay attention to the water birds playing in the West Lake, or the cormorants flying low over the lake waiting for an opportunity to catch fish. It is interesting to be a bird watcher in the natural environment.
Postscript: After receiving the calendar as a gift, my friend shared with me the picture of it hanging in her room. I told her that it was a painting by a grandmother in her 80s. She was very surprised and moved and said that she would like to come to the bird-watching library if she has the chance. The birds living in Suwon feel very free and happy. And she liked the baby bird stickers on the card the most, just like the appearance of her white-headed bird Bubu when he was a child.
