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Hongdae & The Street Art To Find There
Blank walls and boring shutters are just asking to be painted when theyโre near a university known for art students. Ask anyone about Hongik University in Seoul and theyโll be sure to mention art. The surrounding area, Hongdae, is generally known as the go to place for a good time in the evening and an ideal place to find live music, but another highlight of the neighborhood is that there is street art and graffiti all over the walls and it is constantly being redone so it never really has time to get old. While it’s not as popular as the Ihwa Mural Village but a bit more known than…
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Hongdae… After The Party Is Over
Have you ever wondered what Hongdae looks like after the party is over and everyone has gone? The smell of food trash and alcohol mingles with the smell of early morning dew drops on trees and benches. Sounds of birds chirping and brooms being swept on sidewalks clash with the drunken laughter and yelling from basement hofs and songs being sung out of tune spill out of noraebongs. There are a ton of things to do in Hongdae and plenty of really nice places to stay in Hongdae too which makes it popular with both tourists and locals. Even though it’s well known for nightlife, there are people awake in…
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Bruise Cure = Egg?
“Put an egg on your bruise. You know an egg can suck out the bruise.” I eyed him skeptically and then cracked up. (How fitting is that idiom right now?) Do eggs cure bruises? I had never heard of this bruise remedy before and didn’t know if it was a my husband thing, a Korean thing, a his mother thing, or just a thing I’d never heard before. He wondered why I was laughing so much and I said I’d only ever heard of putting raw meat on bruises to cure them… though I’ve also never tried that “cure”. I’ve learned a lot about holistic medicine while living in Korea,…
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Korean Eating: A Fishy Feast Called Haemultang
As I’ve mentioned before, living on a peninsula has given me the opportunity to try shellfish everything, fish there aren’t English names for aside from the biological terms, and everything in between. Haemultang (ํด๋ฌผํ), or a Korean fish stew is a dish that puts all of them together into one deliciously spicy fishy stew.ย Haemultang is a fish stew you’ll often find on the coasts of Korea. If you’re headed down to Busan, Jeju Island, or some other coastal region and need a spicy warm-up, definitely seek out some seafood soup like haemultang. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you…
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Korean Cooking: A Korean Potato Side Dish
Growing up in the American Midwest with a family of English and German descent means my starch of choice is almost always potatoes. With that in mind when we head to the market I stock up on potatoes like my mother did. She always had one of those big mesh bags in the cupboard with about fifty potatoes on hand at all times. I don’t really buy that many at a time, due to the fact that we have to carry everything home without a car, but there’s sure to be a good amount of potatoes in my house so I’ve learned a few Korean recipes for them. I tasted…
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Oedo Island: How To Get There From Geoje & What To See
There are some pretty amazing islands to visit around Korea like Nami Island and Ulleung-do Island and Oedo Botanica is another one of them. Oedo Island is the first island in Korea to be owned and developed privately and is a marine botanical garden that is a part of the Hallyeo Maritime National Park. The island is only accessible from nearby Geoje Island which sits off the coast of Busan. If you want to take an adventure in Korea, this is a good place to shoot for. The entire island is a stunning example of labor and creativity with manicured gardens, flowers everywhere and some gaudy sculptures too. Plan your…
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My First Press Tour
I’m pretty jazzed about my first press tour experience: two days all expenses paid down to two places in Korea I hadn’t been to yet with reporters from Russia, China and Korea traveling with diplomats from Venezuela, the Czech Republic, Russia and the head of the Korean Tourism Organization, Charm Lee. The other reporters weren’t the competitive paparazzi type, but low key, eager to share their stories and contact information type and the diplomats were important political types but with down to earth smiles and were clearly used to and even gracious with so many people taking their pictures at every stop we went to. I hadn’t realized we’d be…
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The Sancheong World Traditional Medicine Fair & Festival
Dongui Bogam Village in Sancheong-gun is surrounded by Mt. Jirisan, Mt. Jarakwangsan, and Mt. Palbongsan, a spot widely known to be highly spiritual and full of energy in Korea. Because of this, it was chosen as the perfect location for the World Traditional Medicine Fair and Festival. If you’re interested in Korean holistic medicine and herbal remedies, like learning about traditional Korean culture, or just want a new place to visit with a festival at the same time, definitely check out this healing expo and the experiences you can have there. If you’re interested in holistic and herbal medicine in Korea, don’t miss the Sancheong World Traditional Medicine Expo: (This…
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The POW Camp on Geoje Island
Goeje Island, off the southern coast of Korea, is a popular destination for visitors from Busan and all over Korea, really. There’s a lot to see on Geoje Island. Though Geoje Island offers spectacular views of the ocean, rocks jutting up in the sky and beaches, there is also another darker side to the island. That is the POW Camp from the Korean War era (๊ฑฐ์ ๋ ํฌ๋ก์์ฉ์ ์ ์ ๊ณต์). If you’re interested in some of the more historical parts of Korea and learning about how the Korean War affected the peninsula, this is a spot to check out. Here’s what to know: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive…
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The Sea Diamond: Haegeumgang Off The Coast Of Geoje Island in Korea
Headed to Geoje Island in Korea and wondering what there is to do? You NEED to take the ferry off the coast to see Haegeumgang and that’s all I’ll say. Nah, that’s obviously not all I’ll say… Haegeumgang (ํด๊ธ๊ฐ) is aptly named the Sea Diamond and it’s gorgeous. Visiting islands in Korea is definitely a must if you’re staying here for any amount of time and visiting Haegeumgang is a fun ferry ride out that includes a stop at another island called Oedo Botania. What to know about Haegeumgang to plan a trip: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you…
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Korean Cooking: How To Make A Pickled Garlic Side Dish
When you eat out in Korea there is never a shortage of side dishes. Well, some dreadful monsoon rainy summers there have been shortages on kimchi, but that aside, eating out provides an opportunity to try oh so many Korean side dishes, or banchan, and one that quickly became a favorite for me was pickled garlic (๋ง๋์ฅ์์ฐ). Not having learned the art of pickling or fermenting prior to coming to Korea, when I decided to delve into making my own banchan, I decided pickled ginger was going to be one of the first side dishes I’d make. With the help of my Korean mother-in-law, her recipe in fact, I’ve now…
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Mom, why can’t I understand them?
I met my husband’s family early on in our relationship. Only a few months into the courtship he was headed down to Busan for something or other and he was going to stay at his sister’s house. I asked if I could go to meet his family and he took me and didn’t mention until we were at the door that Korean families don’t usually meet girlfriends and that his conservative family would probably ask if we were going to get married soon. We met and as my Korean conversational skills were pretty low at the time I played with my husband’s one year old nephew for most of the…
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Every Single Day Covers “I Don’t Care”
Back in 2010 Every Single Day played a concert at Club ta in Hongdae and a cover of the 2NE1 song “I Don’t Care” made it onto the set list. [wpvideo SQONbhGW]
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Korean Eating: Pig’s Trotters or Jokbal Is What’s For Dinner
Want to have a picnic on the Han River and do it Korean style? There are a few Korean delicacies that often grace a Korean picnic blanket. You might be surprised to find out that braised pig’s feet, or pig’s trotters, called jokbal (์กฑ๋ฐ) is one of them. This rich and savory meal can be picked up in traditional markets or restaurants easily to go and makes for a delicious lunch or dinner treat. Want to learn more about jokbal? Korean pig’s trotters? You’ve come to the right place.ย Get ready to eat pigs feet in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of…
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ESD ~ Echo
If you enjoyed the drama I Hear Your Voice and want to have a quick four minute reminder of the show while listening to Every Single Day‘s song “Echo”, this is the perfect music video for you. The video splices together the band and all of the ups and downs in the relationship between the two main characters of the show played by actors Bo Young Lee and Jong Suk Lee. Every Single Dayย has a busy month ahead of them with concerts around Korea and also in Japan. Check out their facebook page to find a concert near you to see them live playing their music from not only this…
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ESD: Yes, I’m in love
Coinciding with the recent release of their EP Sky Bridge the band Every Single Day also released a new music video for the title track on the album “Yes, I’m in love”. It’s been two years since the release of a CD from this group and even longer for a music video. Their last music video was for “Lucky Day” the title track on their album The Bright Side back in 2008. Their new music video features the guys at a campsite grilling out, swimming and enjoying a weekend away and if you’ve ever wondered what they were like offstage, this is exactly what they’re like. Check it out. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIGZfcskpRM&w=640&h=480]…
