Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Hello!
This is the Tawawa store manager.
This second trip is a bit different from the first whirlwind trip in May.
(For details, please see the Day 1 blog ^ ^)
Although there were more Korean pot visits than succulent visits,
on the second day in Korea, I went to a succulent farm!
I visited Changhee Farm, which I also visited last time. This farm produces many popular and cute plants, even in Japan, and continues to create original hybrid seedlings.
(For a detailed explanation of Changhee-san, please see the blog from the previous trip.
I left the hotel with souvenirs brought from Japan!
The rain from the day before had somehow stopped, and the sky was cloudy.
I transferred subway lines and went to the bus terminal.
I departed from the southern bus terminal on an intercity bus.
When you buy a ticket at the terminal, your seat is assigned.
This time, I was in the very front.
Immediately after leaving the southern bus terminal, we got on the highway.
I may have written this before, but the bus drivers' driving is rough...
Speeding and sudden braking are commonplace.
Being in the front seat is good for the view, but it's nerve-wracking lol
And it makes you nauseous...
The next day was a holiday weekend in Korea.
It's customary to go back home and spend time with family during this holiday, so I thought there might be traffic jams starting from the day before the holiday.
However, the roads were not crowded at all, and traffic was smooth.
Furthermore, buses have dedicated bus lanes, so traffic was even smoother.
It seems that it's okay to drive outside the bus lane with the hazard lights on, so perhaps not getting enough speed, the bus was speeding with the hazard lights continuously flashing...
After transferring buses once,
I arrived safely at a bus stop near Changhee Farm on a local bus.
The white greenhouse is Changhee Farm's greenhouse.
The surrounding rice fields are almost ready for harvest.
This is my second visit, after four months.
I successfully delivered the souvenirs I brought from Japan,
(For this, please see the video reel on Tawawa's Instagram lol)
Then I was shown the seedlings I had ordered!
New product, Magenta.
And this is the Shine Muscat that triggered this event sale.
So glossy~
The first time I came in May, I did an Instagram LIVE from the greenhouse, and this time I did an Instagram LIVE again.
Thank you to everyone who watched the broadcast, even though I didn't announce it much!
This time I came with two smartphones, so I was able to ask Changhee-san questions using a translation app even during the LIVE broadcast!
The live broadcast can be found on this Instagram Reel ✭
Please excuse the somewhat disorganized parts ^^;
I was able to hear wonderful and passionate thoughts about how to grow the seedlings for sale!
When I came last time in May, the autumn foliage hadn't yet started, but this time, after enduring the summer, the succulents are finally starting to cool down, so I took some photos of their current state.
The root-bound seedlings have a beautiful color ♡︎
Cute~
New product, Novarain. A variegated seedling.
I wandered around the large greenhouse, thinking about which seedling to get next.
The seedlings for me to take home were skillfully packed into boxes, and then I went to lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Changhee!
It's a restaurant famous for grilled fish.
It was incredibly crowded.
They ordered mackerel (left) and yellowtail (right) for me,
and I ate them with wasabi and soy sauce.
Delicious ♡︎
We chatted while enjoying the delicious food lol
Here are a few things from our many conversations:↓↓
Due to global warming, seed propagation has become increasingly difficult.
Since Changhee Farm primarily grows seedlings from seed,
he seemed sad that the number of seedlings available for sale might decrease in the future.
Apparently, there are surprisingly few farms like Changhee's that produce hybrid seedlings in Korea.
And apparently, there are also few trustworthy farms in Korea.
Therefore, although it is her husband who creates the hybrid seedlings,
the original parent plants used for hybridization are bought from Japan and America.
I spontaneously mentioned some famous Japanese succulent farmers lol
Please respond if they contact you!
(No, they probably won't see this blog... lol)
And then, I explained the reason for ordering and picking up the seedlings this time,
and strongly recommended "Tsuchi to Mi," a grape farm in Yamanashi where we'll be holding an event sale.
The quiet husband showed great interest! lol
Changhee might even come to Yamanashi!?
There were fun conversations and serious discussions.
The conversation never stopped, and even after finishing our meal, we moved to an outdoor table set
and continued chatting over after-dinner drinks.
I'm sorry there aren't many pictures ^^;
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye.
I had ridden in the Changhee couple's car to the restaurant with the seedlings I was taking home, but from here, I had to return to Seoul with two cardboard boxes full of seedlings.
I couldn't take a bus, so I used the Kakao Taxi app to call a taxi, and
returned to Seoul amidst some traffic.
By the way, the cost of living in Korea is now higher than in Japan.
However, transportation costs, including taxis, subways, and buses, are cheaper than in Japan. (Oh, Shine Muscat grapes are also cheaper in Korea!)
This taxi ride was about an hour long, covering about 42 kilometers.
The fare was about 6,000 yen (Japanese currency).
I arrived safely back at the hotel, and the room was packed with two cardboard boxes of Korean pots I had brought back the day before, and
two cardboard boxes of Changhee's seedlings.
My small single room was bursting at the seams lol
Day 2 continues after this, but
since my visit to Changhee Farm is over,
I'll pause here and write about what happened next in the next blog!
Please find the Korean Succulent Journey Series below.
- Korean Succulent Journey, Part 2 ~Day 1~
- Korean Succulent Journey, Part 2 ~Day 2, Morning~ ← You are here
