-
Ansan Mountain In Seoul Is A Cherry Blossom Best Kept Secret
If you’re looking for a beautiful cherry blossom spot in Seoul you might not have heard about, here it is: Ansan Mountain. When the cherry blossoms begin to bloom in Seoul, the city awakens from the winter and it is gorgeous. There are some really popular cherry blossom hot spots to find like Yeouido Island, Seokchon Lake or Namsan Mountain where Namsan Tower/N Seoul Tower sits, but there are also just cherry blossoms cherry blossoms cherry blossoms everywhere you look. It’s actually really common for people to walk out their front doors only to realize that their street was lined with cherry blossom trees all year but they didn’t realize…
-
An Amazing Bamboo Forest on Geoje Island
On a recent trip to Geoje Island in Korea for a business meeting, my host took me to a bamboo theme park or the Maengjongjuk Theme Park (맹종죽테마파크). I was pleasantly surprised when we came upon the natural 90,000 square meter bamboo forest on the side of a hill. If you’re looking to enjoy the beautiful nature of Geoje Island, definitely check out this bamboo forest. Get ready to find this bamboo forest on Geoje Island in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking. Thank you for your support.) Basic Info Address: 700 Geojebuk-ro, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do…
-
Painting With Babies: Art Exploration
At this point with the little one we’ve realized that almost anything will undoubtedly now be a messy endeavor which has caused me to step out of a very clean box I put myself in awhile back. It can be anything really; eating, sitting, sleeping, reading. It doesn’t matter. There’s pee, drool, poo, crumbs, food from breakfast, lunch or/and dinner inevitably stashed away in some fold, crease or in the hair… it never ends. Because everything is already messy, when faced with the prospect of doing an art project I was both excited and daunted. Luckily, a friend who teaches art to little ones made her way over and really…
-
Scavenging For S(e)oul
Here is an event you won’t want to miss! Come for some fun. With clues in hand, teams will race to find as many locations as possible from cultural hot spots to traditional architecture and even some friendly local eateries too. They’re all in the mix. How much do you know about Seoul? Come test your knowledge with some great people and if you have the stuff, you can even win some fabulous prizes. The event will kick-off in the famous Gwanghwamun Square and will culminate at Beer O’Clock a local expat owned pizza pub in Sinchon where we will tally the points while you sit back and relax to…
-
Funny Stories From Dating A Korean Man
When you watch Korean dramas or get into K-pop, you might start to think that Korean men are really romantic. The stories in dramas have made women the world over swoon and it seems now women are literally traveling to Korea to find love. It’s easy to start to believe that Koreans in general are super romantic. Did you know, for example, that there are 15 couple related unofficial holidays in Korea? With pictures that flood the internet of couple dressed in couple’s clothing and the Hallyu Wave that has swept the world, Korean men are now romanticized but should you fall for this storyline? They say Korean men are…
-
Every Single Day: Nothing Of It & An Interview
The Korean indie band Every Single Day has released their 6th full length album titled Nothing Of It. Nothing Of It features new songs and also some old favorites that have been re-done or collaborated on. “Tick Tock”, originally from the drama Pasta, the first drama the band wrote and produced music for back in 2010, was reworked with the female vocal styling’s of Lee Sang Yu (이상유) of Rocket Tree (로켓트리). When discussing how they chose the songs to pull from their past, Sung Nam explained that “on the original Pasta OST we thought “Tick Tock” didn’t sound as good as it could so that’s why we chose to give it a make-over on…
-
Crazy Multiply Art Collective: Malaise in Seoul
The Crazy Multiply Art Collective was at it again this past weekend with an intriguing show titled Malaise. While I had previously been a curator and worked with the ever impressive Amy Smith for Crazy Multiply, I had decided to take some time off as my schedule has been filled with lots of baby time. The babe wouldn’t stop me from supporting the lovely, now, foursome that has taken the reigns though. Current curators for the collective include Amy Smith, Unmaru, Kaleena Carter, and Miss Baik and boy did they put on a show. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase…
-
Bongeunsa Temple: The Must See Korean Temple In Gangnam
Bongeunsa Temple (봉은사) is definitely one of the most popular Korean temples in Seoul along with Jogyesa temple. The popular temple sits in the ritzy Gangnam-gu area and tourists from near and far stop by as it’s an easy temple to find while out and about. While most of Korea’s Buddhist temples are set up in mountains entailing at least a short walk or hike into a forest, Bongeunsa is one of a few temples in Seoul that sprawls over an expanse that sits just beyond a major thoroughfare, though of course it wasn’t planned to be that way. While I would direct tourists to take the time to hike…
-
Korean Temples: Art, Architecture, and History by Dale Quarrington
If you’ve ever wanted more information about some statue, artistic work or just the architecture of a Buddhist temple you passed along the way in Korea, chances are you stumbled upon Dale Quarrington’s website. It’s one of the few sites with such information available in English. Dale Quarrington recently published his second book on the religious sites that have captured his curiosity and intrigue while living in South Korea. Much like his website, the book aims to provide information little known to English speaking foreigners and hopefully will give people the oomph to get up and out and see the religious relics and sites that have caught his attention. For…
-
Housewarming Parties In Korea: A Gifting Guide
When my husband and I moved a couple years back, I decided it was high time we had a housewarming party or a jipdeuri (집들이) in Korean. We invited friends and on the day of the get-together I was confused when my husband said we had to go get this food or that drink. Had I under prepared? Wouldn’t our friends be bringing food and it’s Korea, so probably drinks, or flowers and plants? As Emily Post had taught me, guests, though it’s not a rule, often bring drinks, say a bottle of wine, perhaps some bread and the odd plant or two. No, this is not the case in…
-
A Baby’s First Birthday in Korea: How To Prepare a Doljanchi
Celebrating the first birthday of a child is a joyous occasion in any culture. The American and Korean cultures are quite different in how they celebrate birthdays, especially the first, so I jumped in head first with my Korean husband to learn more about the Korean dol and doljabi. If you’re wondering what a Korean first birthday party is like, get ready to learn about a doljanchi, how you can find out what your child will be in the future, and more. From Hanboks to rice cakes and the other things you’ll need to prepare for your baby’s first birthday Korean style. Feel free to skip around. Here’s what you…
-
My Top Ten Adventures of 2015!
Much like 2014, not all of the adventures I undertook this year involved traveling yet this year managed to be extremely adventurous and full of first time experiences. I love looking back at my year and appreciating everything that I’ve done. It’s always fun to reminisce and be thankful for the experiences, events, people and more that I have had, gone to and met. I hope that everyone takes the time to recall their year as we near the end and I hope that everyone has at least a few moments to smile upon and be grateful for. Here are my top ten adventures of 2015! (This post contains affiliate…
-
How To Celebrate The Winter Solstice In Korea
Like many holidays, unofficial or not, in Korea, there’s something that should be eaten on the upcoming winter solstice, or Dongji (동지), so get your spoons ready! The winter solstice is celebrated on the day of the year with the shortest daylight hours and the longest night and it usually falls on or around December 22nd each year. If you’re in Korea and want to celebrate the winter solstice Korean style, then this is what you should know. Here’s what you need to know about Dongji in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no…
-
Valentine’s Day, White Day & The 13 Other Romantic Holidays In Korea
Did you know there are fifteen couples holidays in Korea? If you’re dating in Korea or get into a relationship with a Korean, you might just want to know when to get all romantic. Valentine’s Day is the day that people around the world know about, but there are plenty of other days on the calendars of Korean couples where they can profess their love, smooch it up, or just do something together. From the official celebrations to the unofficial Korean holidays, here’s when they are and what you should do if you want to celebrate in Korea… or just Korean style. Here are the unofficial (and some official) holidays…
-
A List of Winter Festivals in Korea To Get Out For
Winter doesn’t have to mean hibernation for months while the temperatures become frigid. In a country where there’s no end in sight to festivals, of course there is plenty to partake in from December to February. From snow festivals to sunrise festivals and more, get out, stay warm, but get out and about and enjoy the winter season! From celebrations of snow, ice and lights lights lights, there’s plenty to see and do! Don’t miss out and plan ahead to enjoy this winter at some great festivals. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost…
-
Why Koreans Say Have You Eaten Instead of How Are You
Recently in a conversation with four Korean women, the topic of etiquette and manners came up. We were discussing differences from the west compared to Korea. I brought up how endearing, although strange at first, that Koreans consistently ask if I've eaten and if I respond that I haven't, inevitably food shows up.
