DIY perfume making + Hangeul Day

Today is Hangeul Day, a national holiday in Korea, which has given me a joyous three-day weekend to catch up on work, play, and cooking.

Hangeul Day (한글날) is observed on October 9th each year, and commemorates the invention of the Korean alphabet in 1446. King Sejong the Great, who was the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, along with fellow scholars, invented the Korean alphabet in 1443, and it’s one of the only writing systems whose inventors and inception date are known.

I celebrated a bit yesterday by walking down Jong-ro (Bell Street), one of the oldest neighborhoods of Daegu, on my way to a perfume-making workshop at the Daegu Modern History Museum. Jong-ro forms part of a series of walking paths that lead through an area steeped in history.

Most recently, Jong-ro was at the heart of Daegu’s Chinatown which was established in the early 20th century. The Chinese had a big impact on the city’s economy, including its famed linen production. In the last 30 years, though, many Chinese merchants have moved away, but not all the traces of their economic authority have disappeared; some of the best Chinese food and traditional medicine in the city can be found here, and it’s also home to the Chinese Residents Association Building, an elementary school, and a church. I love wandering down side-streets and finding traces of the past.

Before moving on to my class at the Daegu Modern History Museum, I stopped to have a quiet moment at Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park. Although the park is small, it is charming and features a number of old government buildings, including a belfry and a 500-year old Zelkova tree.

The main event of my Sunday morning was a free perfume-making workshop generously hosted by the City of Daegu, and taught by a master perfumer from Osenco. Since the Covid era has receded, the city is coming back with some of its programs to promote tourism and city pride, and this is one of a series of cultural and educational events held throughout the year. I was thrilled to find out about the return of these programs that I so appreciate as a foreigner.

I’d never tried making my own perfume before, but the process was made simple and fun with an organized 90-minute class that showed us how to create a 4-note eau de parfum, with a top note, two middle notes, and a base note. I learned a lot about how scents go together and the importance of mixing. We started by choosing two middle-note scents, which form the heart of the perfume, and then mixed with a base note, and finally a top note.

I finally settled on an eau de parfum with a green floral and woodsy heart, a base note of amber, and a top note of fig. I recently made fig preserves, and it seemed right to bring these autumn scents together. I’ll have to wait about two weeks before I can wear the scent in its best form, though – it takes that long for it to fix the scent fully.

After saying goodbye to my new friends, I had a look around the fascinating Daegu Modern History Museum. Entry is free to the public. It’s housed in the Joseon Siksan Bank Building, which was a Japanese office during the occupation. Since then it has emerged from being a symbol of repression, to a center for learning about Daegu’s 20th century colonial past, its architecture, literary heritage, and contributions to democracy. Some aspects of the building remain original, including its beautiful wood parquet flooring. Near the entrance is a diorama of the area as it looked a century ago, with today’s streets overlayed to show how the neighborhood has changed.

In crafting news, I’m working on two sweaters at the moment, and they’ve taken me much longer than I expected. One I’ve had to frog (unravel) a little and re-do, and for both, I needed to get more yarn. All that mailing (waiting…) time puts me behind. I’ve bulked up my yarn stash, though, which is always fun! I took the opportunity to buy chenille for some plush toys, and a few colors of cotton thread for flower-making.

My talented friend who dyes yarns also brought me a sample as a thank-you for watching her dog. I have plenty of material now to keep me busy through fall and winter.

Thanks for checking in! I’ll be back soon with an update on sweater progress and a winter trip plan. Until then, be well!