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I Hear Your Voice: Musicians and Actors Collide
This week, the number one drama across the country for the past six weeks, I Hear Your Voice (너의목소리가들려) wrapped up production and aired the final episode. The after party for the very popular show was probably as you would expect: very famous people with lesser famous people with a bunch of staff that wanted photos with each one of the famous people. I was in attendance with the music team and let’s be honest, the show would not have been nearly as great without the amazing musical talents of Sung-nam Moon and Jae-oo Jeong of Every Single Day, Sung-hoon Choi of Romantisco, Cha-sik Jung of Rainy Sun, Hee-chan Kang…
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Paris In Seoul? No, It’s Just a Park
One of my favorite things about Seoul is how many parks there are scattered throughout the city. Big parks and small parks can pop up out of nowhere and once a path leading in is taken suddenly the sounds of cars and honking horns and construction is hidden by birds chirping and cicadas or other bugs buzzing. Some parks cater to kids and feature swings and slides and they’re usually not nearly as large or as far from the road. Some parks sit a flight of steps or more above the street below and can be more difficult to discern. Most of them have some built in outdoor exercise equipment…
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Korean Cooking: Sesame Bean Sprout Side Dish
The women at the market are always filling my bags to overflowing and of course the idea that bigger is better leaves me departing satisfied until I get home and realize we have way too much food than we will be able to devour before it goes bad. Of course, we always end up eating it all or inviting friends over to eat with us so nothing goes to waste. But, every week as soon as I get home with my grocery bags full it’s inevitable that my brain goes blank and I have no idea what I could possibly make with all of this food. This week I had…
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ESD Making a New Music Video
Every Single Day, the Korean band responsible for the music on such dramas as Pasta, Golden Time, My Princess and Cheongdamdong Alice are just about to wrap up working on the current very popular SBS drama I Hear Your Voice. To celebrate another very successful drama, ranking number 1 across the country for the last six weeks, they have not only been in the studio recording for the OST, but they’ve also been in front of the camera preparing a brand new music video. They haven’t made a music video in quite awhile and it’s certainly time for a visual reminder of just how great these guys are. Here’s a…
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Korean Cooking: Southern Mother Style Bean Sprout Soup
Bean sprout soup, or kongnamulguk (콩나물국), is a simple broth soup that you will find at restaurants around the country, a specialty of Jeonju, and in homes too. It’s a meal that is pretty easy for most people to eat, and since soybean sprouts are a staple Korean vegetable, you can eat it and find it year round without fail. We use bean sprouts for all kinds of things with the most popular being the sesame bean sprout side dish. Suffice to say, I’ve eaten in and outside of the home so many times, I was shocked to create a boisterous hubbub at the farmer’s market this week when I…
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How To Visit The The Cheorwon DMZ Area From Seoul, Korea
Most tourists that visit Seoul, Korea wonder if they can fit in a trip to the DMZ at some point. The areas that are open to tourists are centered around the tunnels that the North Koreans built as they tried to sneak into South Korea some decades ago. The most often visited by tourists and easiest to access is the DMZ area in the Paju region. While this is an easy spot to get to, it’s a bit too touristy for my liking. Though the trek to get to Cheorwon, Korea is a bit more tough, there is a completely different experience. Want to know how to visit the DMZ…
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Korean Cooking: How To Cook Eggplant Korean Style
When you visit a market in Korea, you’ll be able to see easily what is in season and what isn’t. You won’t wonder at all why there is a plethora of garlic side dishes at certain times at restaurants or why there is eggplant, for example. When eggplant is in season you can get bags of the good stuff and after you’ve made eggplant parmesan or something, take the rest and whip up some delicious Korean sesame eggplant (가지무침). This Korean side dish is delicious and a nice treat when eggplant are readily available. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if…
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Things To Do In Mullae-dong: A Guide To The Street Art and Culinary Scene
Want to get off the beaten path in Seoul and find something a little different? A little noisy? A little colorful? Definitely cool? Head to Mullae-dong. An area built around metalworks factories and popularized in recent years by artists that moved south from Hongdae when it got too expensive. You won’t know what you’ll find around every corner but there are plenty of murals, regenerated cafes, and restaurants to hang out in. Here’s one neighborhood in Seoul you won’t find a lot of information about online, but that just means it’s up to you to explore it. Find out more about Mullae-dong in Seoul, Korea: (This post contains affiliate links,…
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Korean Cooking: How To Make Pumpkin Porridge
Pumpkin porridge, or hobak-juk (호박죽) in Korean, is one of those meals I’ve found people either love or hate. It’s not pumpkin soup like my Australian and European friends expect, it’s thicker and more of a porridge. I never had anything except pumpkin pie growing up, so I didn’t try the dish the first time with many expectations at all. Having a daughter now who loves the stuff, I can say I really do too. It can be a bit sweet or even salty depending on how you like it. Pumpkin porridge makes a great breakfast in Korea, or you might see it as a Korean dessert option in a…
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Korean Eating: Don’t Throw Away the Pig Skin!
No part of the pig should be thrown away! The Mapo district of Seoul is known for its pig skin restaurants and now I understand why there are so many here. There’s hardly a night out for pork on the grill that doesn’t end with some chewy, but also crackled at the beginning if done just right, pig skin, or dwaeji ggupdaegi (돼지 껍데기). (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.) Where to eat pig skin in Korea Pig skin is called dwaeji ggupdaegi (돼지껍데기), “dwaeji” being…
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The War and Women’s Human Rights Museum: Learn About The Comfort Women In Seoul
Just over two years ago I headed to the House of Sharing in Seoul to learn more about the “comfort women” and their history and cause here in Korea. Hearing completely honest and horrific testimonies from the sex slaves during WWII left me wondering why these women are still not recognized in Japanese history. If you spend any time in Seoul, you should plan to make a visit to this museum. While you may learn about the Korean war and other wars on the peninsula, the comfort women is a topic that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should. Learn more now. Plan a trip to the War…
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Gyeongpo Beach: The Most Popular Beach On The East Coast Of Korea
When it’s summer in Seoul, it sometimes seems that the population in the city doubles with the arrival. People that had hidden inside from the cold are out and about and places that seemed like hidden gems are swarming with people. The entire city changes and comes to life and as it does, people also begin to travel far and wide to find places to cool off in Korea. Gangneung on the east coast of Korea in Gangwondo is one of those hot places that everyone wants to head to. This week a friend and I headed to Gyeongpo Beach (강릉 경포수욕장) in Gangneung, Korea to find a beach, eat…
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Korean Cooking: A Spicy Stuffed Cucumber Side Dish
Are you trying to learn how to make Korean side dishes? Try a side dish at a restaurant and wonder how you can make it? Well, I’m in the same boat. On a mission to learn how to prepare more Korean side dishes as I have a Korean husband, I found a recipe for one of my favorite kimchis often found on the restaurant table in the summer. Get ready to make some Korean cucumber kimchi (오이소박이). This is a pretty easy recipe. I’ve noticed that a lot of Korean side dishes are pretty straight forward to make and it’s more about adjusting to find the taste that suits you.…
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Jingwansa Temple: A Beautiful Temple In Seoul
When it comes to visiting a Buddhist temple in Seoul, Korea, there are plenty to choose from. Jingwansa Temple (진관사) in Bukhansan National Park is a gorgeous temple complex that is just beyond the Eunpyeong Hanok Village. It is the western most of the four major temples in the suburbs of Seoul, along with Bulamsa to the east, Sammaksa to the south and Seunggasa to the north. You could easily visit Jogyesa Temple or Bongeunsa Temple in downtown Seoul, but if you want a more serene experience, find Jingwansa Buddhist Temple. Plan your trip to Jingwansa Temple in Seoul, Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a…
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My Korean Mother-In-Law’s First Visit
On my way home from work this afternoon, my husband called and told me his father would be coming to the city to go to a tax office and may possibly be staying the night at our house. Our house? Possibly? Of course, my husband is currently in a van on his way out of the city for a concert, so just me and his dad. This scenario reminded me of the one and only time his mother visited us just before we got married. There are a lot of stories about mother-in-law’s and when it comes to Korean mother-in-law’s, well, the stories aren’t usually that good. To be honest,…
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Korean Cooking: Dried Anchovy Side Dish
Dried anchovies have not always been one of my favorite Korean side dishes, but they have become a staple of my mother-in-law’s side dish shipments and have inched up the likability scale for me. I can’t ever remember my mother cooking with anchovies, so the first time I saw them on the table I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about them. Slowly but surely though, this dried anchovy side dish (멸치볶음) has become one that I look forward to seeing on the table, so I learned how to cook them myself. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase…
