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The Korean Words You Won’t Learn In Class: Onomatopoeia & Mimetic Words
Onomatopoeia, or words that represent sounds, are really common in children’s stories obviously, and make the story all the more fun to listen to. Most people that come to Korea to teach English probably hear these words from their students in class and don’t realize what they are. Children mimic the sounds we make but as a teacher, we might say ‘meow’ and then our students will deduce what we’re referring to and then respond with the ‘yaong’ which is what Koreans think cats sound like. Did you know, there is also a whole other set of words that we don’t even have words for in English? Mimetic words are…
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Urang: Four Ampoules Four Reviews
If those Urang bottles don’t attract your attention, I don’t know what will. I won a bottle of the Yuja Vita Ampoule to try many months ago and after that was incredibly interested in this Korean beauty brand. Since, I’ve been able to try the Urang Yuja Vita Ampoule, Urang Cica Soothing Ampoule, Urang Pink Everlasting Ampoule, and the Urang Blue Power Ampoule. Which ones do you think I loved, liked, and could do without? Here is what you should know about Urang: (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…
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Sinduri Beach & Sand Dunes: Where You Have To Go In Taean-gun, Korea
This past weekend I was ready for adventure and found myself in Taean-gun. Taean-gun is one of those easy getaways from Seoul in my opinion. I’ve been a few times because there is plenty to do and see but it’s not too far that it necessitates much effort in planning. That said, I surprised even myself with how beautiful Sinduri Beach (신두리해수욕장) and the sand dunes there were. While there are often crowds and busy hot spots all over Seoul to be seen, I relish finding places where the view is more vast landscape than people and that’s exactly what we found in Chungcheongnam-do on this trip. There is much…
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The Thunderous Hello: An English/Korean Children’s Story
After so much great feedback and interest in my bilingual bedtime story The Sun & The Moon Story, I jumped right back in to write another and worked with Raquel Cruz to illustrate a second book in the series titled The Thunderous Hello. I am so excited to introduce this bilingual Korean and English story. I love that my daughter is bilingual and I want to continue to foster that by giving her every opportunity to use both English and Korean with me and her daddy. What started as a one off experience to write a story for my daughter has turned into something very meaningful and I’m so thrilled…
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How To Get A Driver’s License In Korea
South Korea has one of the most convenient and reliable transportation systems in the world. Good for both locals and tourists, the Seoul Subway System is amazing, there are buses, city tour buses, and taxis will get you where you need to go in a moment’s notice. If you want to get on the road and find some of those awesome hidden gems in Korea or hit the coast whenever you feel like it though, you’ll need to know how to get a driver’s license in Korea and then go and do it! Or maybe you just want to get a car and move around the country whenever you feel…
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The Latin American Museum To Visit Near Seoul
We have started homeschooling and with that comes the hunt for educational and fun things to do. An advantage of living here in Seoul means there are a ton of awesome museums and centers to visit to learn and have fun. Recently, I stumbled upon the Latin American Cultural Center-Museum (중남미문화원 병설 박물관) in Goyang and was surprised because there wasn’t much information online but it seemed right up our alley. Off we went. There are so many cool things to do with kids in and around Seoul but so much of it isn’t really promoted to foreigners so here is the info if you’re interesting in adding another great…
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Seodaemun Natural History Museum: Educational Fun In Seoul
Looking for a cool thing to do with kids in Seoul? Seodaemun Natural History Museum (서대문자연사박물관) is definitely up there on the list. This is a great museum which is in a bit of a hidden spot on Ansan Mountain. This makes it a great daytrip option because you can combine a stop at the museum with a nice walk on the mountain. Here is what to expect when you visit Seodaemun Natural History Museum in Seoul. Take a trip to the Seodaemun Naturan History Museum: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to…
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Iksan, Korea: A Guide For What To See & Do
When’s the last time you took a trip on the KTX in Korea? While you could easily hop on in Seoul and hop off in Busan, there are so many awesome places in between to visit. You could also take a road trip into Jeolla and see some amazing places like the Jeonju Hanok Village in one go. Iksan is an interesting area with some off the beaten path places to see. Go for a weekend or go for longer and visit nearby Gunsan or Jeonju too. Here are the things to do in Iksan and how to get there. Are you ready to take an adventure to Iksan in…
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Bar 81: The Largest Champagne Collection In Asia Is HERE In Seoul!
Looking for a unique experience in Seoul? Want to plan the best date night? Looking for where to celebrate an anniversary in Seoul? Bar 81 in SIGNIEL Seoul, the tallest hotel in Korea, is the experience you need to have this year. Bar 81 is an upscale champagne bar in the tallest building in Korea that features the largest champagne collection in Asia. Not only is SIGNIEL Seoul the tallest hotel in Korea, but it’s second tallest hotel in the world! Take in a breathtaking view out over the Han River and all the way to Namsan Tower and beyond while you sip and sup in style. Live it up…
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How To File Taxes While Abroad: Taxes For American Expats
It’s tax season… or is it? Fun fact, in Korea, if you’re working for a company, your taxes will be filed in December. However, if you’re a freelancer like me, they won’t be filed by you until May. Oh, and you have to make sure you do your American taxes somewhere in there too! Yes, you MUST file your American taxes every year. A lot of Americans move to Korea and seem surprised to learn they must file taxes every year. The US is one of just two countries that enforces citizen-based taxation. Since you’re abroad, you actually get an extension on filing, but you absolutely still need to file…
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Online Shopping In Korea With iHerb
Shopping online in Korea is pretty easy (if you have a Korean bank account and card) and with fast shipping and all that jazz, it’s great. That said, I’ve never really jumped on that bandwagon until COVID hit. Grocery shopping in Korea is a whole new experience and shopping online can be overwhelming especially when everything is in Korean and I just want to get on and get off real quick. I did tap sites that are tried and true and easy to get the essentials, like iHerb, though. This post is sponsored by iHerb but all opinions on the service and products are my own. Seriously, iHerb is one…
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The Agricultural Museum: A FREE Thing To Do In Seoul
We are always on the hunt for awesome things to do with kids in Seoul so we pretty much have every museum, small or large, on our list to check out. Doesn’t matter what subject the museum is devoted to, we are there to learn something new and inevitably do. Right downtown near Seodaemun Subway Station is the small but interesting Agricultural Museum (농업박물관) and on top of being a learning opportunity, it’s great for the budget because it’s FREE! There isn’t a lot of English information, but there is enough to get by and if you have some knowledge of agriculture yourself, you’ll be able to help the kiddos…
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To All The Boys: Always and Forever & Where They Went In Seoul
The third and final installment of ‘To All The Boys’ went live last night, February 12th, and of course I was watching. The film titled ‘To All The Boys: Always And Forever’ kicks off with Lara Jean’s family traveling to Seoul, Korea and of course as someone who lives here, I was stoked to see so many places I recognized. Their whirlwind trip to the capital of Korea will make anyone who hasn’t visited want to come, and anyone who has been want to revisit. Want to follow in Lara Jean’s footsteps, see Seoul and be inspired by travel? Here are the places in Seoul shown in the movie ‘To…
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Bucheon EcoPark: A Fun Thing To Do With Kids In Korea
Ever on the lookout for parks, gardens and outdoor spaces near Seoul, I drove by Bucheon EcoPark (부천자연생태공원) some time ago as I was on the way to see the beautiful azaleas that cover Wonmisan Mountain in the spring and made sure to mark it on our map for another trip to Bucheon. Bucheon has some really interesting things to see, with or without kids, like the B39 Art and Culture Space and there’s also an aquarium in Bucheon to check out. For this trip though, we were ready to get outside, see some bugs, some flowers, and enjoy the scenery and the Bucheon EcoPark was great for that. Looking…
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Kada:Kudu: Shopping For Shoes In Korea Just Got Easier
Shopping in Korea can be so so fun, if you can fit into the clothes. While the streets of Hongdae and the roads of Myeongdong are lined with store after store of chic, fun, and quirky items, they’re often only available in a select (read: small) size and that just doesn’t cut it for many people. Fashionable clothing is one thing, but when it comes to shoes, it’s an even more difficult endeavor to find shoes in Korea for anyone with a size 9 or higher. Actually, I should say, a size 250 or higher. I remember the first time I went shopping for shoes in Korea, I wondered what…
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The BEST Things To Do With Kids In Seoul
Raising a kid in Seoul, Korea, or even just visiting with them, is pretty amazing. There is a TON of things to do with kids in Seoul, Korea. Seoul is a massive city with everything from science museums, kids cafes, and parks that cater to those little people among us to experience spots and more. There is something for every kid’s interest. After receiving a slew of questions from parents around the world now living in Korea, I decided to try and cull together a list of some awesome places to take those kiddos with us. To be honest, I take my kid juuust about everywhere and from my experience,…
