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Kahina Eye Serum: The Best Eye Serum I’ve Tried
My daughter’s favorite thing to tell me is that I have “panda eyes”. I’m not sure how that started, but suffice to say, I’ve tried my fair share of eye serums. I’ve tried the COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream and the Wonjin Effect Medi Hydro Vial Eye Cream but the Kahina Giving Beauty Eye Serum has been my favorite by far. It’s definitely more costly than the others I’ve tried, but in the case of eye serums, it apparently makes quite the difference. Having tried more than enough eye serums now, my opinion is that the Kahina Giving Beauty Eye Serum is the best eye serum out there and…
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KoreLimited: Review Of An Awesome Korean Streetwear Brand
Do you love Korean style? Maybe want some of your own Korean street style or want some clothing that pays homage to your time in Korea but says a bit more than just “KOREA!”. Look no further than Korelimited. Korelimited is a really cool brand with some great people making cool clothes. Want to make a statement? Let Korelimited help you as they produce clothing that celebrates Korean culture and lifestyle while being eye catching too. Here’s what you should know about Korelimited: (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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The Best Places To See The Sunset In Seoul
One summer, as part of the Global Seoul Mates there was a mission to showcase Seoul’s gorgeous sunsets and oh how many beautiful sunsets did I enjoy. We were sharing sunsets for the whole month of August and this summer as August rolled around again, I was thinking back to some of the best places to see the sunset in Seoul. Do you want to see pink and orange skies over skyscrapers? Or want to see the sunset while you picnic along the Han River? Ever wondered where the best places to see the sunset in Seoul are? Well, let me tell you, I’ve lived here since 2006, and chasing…
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Quarantine In Korea: What To Expect
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we go about our daily lives and how we travel… or maybe don’t travel. Things are opening back up again and a lot of people are looking to travel to Korea. The government recently made an announcement that more people would not have to go through quarantine in Korea. That said, if you’re just coming here to travel, you didn’t quite make the cut yet. Currently, the only people that won’t have to go through quarantine are residents and resident’s family members that have been vaccinated. If you’re a tourist looking to travel through, you’ll still have to go through the 2 week…
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Best Korean Instant Coffee: The Complete Guide to Korea’s Most Popular Brands
If you’ve watched Korean dramas, you’ve seen it, that small paper cup of instant coffee, stirred quickly, sipped between scenes of office drama or late-night convenience store visits. Korean instant coffee is everywhere: in office break rooms, university common areas, hospital waiting rooms, subway station vending machines, and the bottom drawer of basically every Korean grandmother’s kitchen. What most visitors don’t realize is that Korea didn’t just adopt instant coffee, Korea invented the modern instant coffee mix packet. In 1976, a Korean company created the sachet format that combines coffee, sugar, and powdered milk in one tear-and-pour packet. That single invention changed how the country drinks coffee and spawned an…
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The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul: A Family Friendly Stay In The Heart Of Seoul
What is the best hotel in downtown Seoul? It is most certainly the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul (포시즌스호텔서울). With impressive views out over Gyeongbokgung Palace and within walking distance of all of the historic must-sees in the city, this luxury hotel is the best place to stay in the heart of Seoul. When it comes to finding a hotel in Seoul, there are plenty to choose from. It really comes down to what you want to see and choosing a place near the sights you’re interested in. I love heading downtown and even as a resident, I still go to see the palaces at least once a year, walk along…
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How To Get To Jeju Island in Korea
Called the Hawaii of Korea, Jeju Island has the palm trees, the beaches, and plenty to do if you want but also plenty of natural scenery for relaxing. A popular destination for locals looking to get away, the flight route between Seoul and Jeju is actually the most flown in the world, meaning it’s easy to get to! Knowing that may make you think the island is way too crowded, and yet it isn’t. Planning a trip to Jeju Island can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve never been, but it’s actually super easy to make the trip. I’ve already got a guide for where to stay on Jeju Island…
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Yeouido: A Guide For The Must See Island In Seoul
Yeouido Island shows up on a lot of Seoul lists, and when I first started exploring the city I couldn’t quite figure out why. It’s a business district on an island in the Han River, not the most obvious tourist destination. But once you know where to go, it turns out to be worth a full day or even a whole weekend. Cherry blossoms in spring, a moon-shaped balloon 130 meters in the air, yacht rides on the Han River, an underground art bunker found by accident during bus station renovations, and the Pompidou Center inside a 1985 skyscraper, once the tallest building in the country. Yeouido keeps changing, and…
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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: Korea’s Only Sand Dunes in Taean-gun
I was ready for an easy adventure out of Seoul, and Taean-gun delivered again. I’ve visited several times now because there’s enough to see without requiring much planning effort. Even so, Sinduri Beach (신두리해수욕장) and its sand dunes surprised me all over again on this trip. Seoul has its crowds and its hot spots, but there’s a real pleasure in finding places where the view is more landscape than people. That’s exactly what this stretch of Chungcheongnam-do offers. This was my first visit to the northern part of Taean-gun, which splits into two distinct areas: a northern peninsula with inlets and rocky shoreline, and a narrower southern peninsula separated from…
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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 Korean Driver’s License: Three Ways for Foreigners and Residents
Korea’s public transportation system is absolutely excellent, the Seoul subway alone covers more ground than most tourists ever need, buses connect virtually everywhere, and taxis are reliable. But once you start wanting to see the parts of the country that buses don’t reach, the coastline, the hidden valleys, the places that require a car and a willingness to turn off the main road, you’ll need to know how to get behind the wheel legally. There are three ways to drive in Korea as a foreigner, and which one applies to you depends on how long you’re staying and whether you already have a license from home. There are three ways…
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The Latin American Museum is Probably Not What You Would Expect To Find Near Seoul
Seoul, Korea is home to an impressive number 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, to uncover this fantastic hidden gem of cultural education just west of Seoul. 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 place to your list of things to do…
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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…
