sans borders

And another date

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000+09:00

...but this time with my best friend. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning that Jamie so kindly accompanied me to. Then, we got breakfast. Then, we decided to walk around. Then, we decided to explore. And what started as just a boring ol' doctor's visit turned into a full day of exploring Korea. Don't you just love that?

[19/366]

The photo above was taken at this beautiful furniture store we stumbled upon. In terms of aura, I'd rank it up there with Anthropologie. Everything had a French farm-feel to it. Wood, old books, vintage bottles, mint greens, worn copper...it was all so gorgeous.

[Our delicious breakfast.]

[And end the day with a little dessert!]

Date Night

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000+09:00

With our busy schedules, sometimes it's hard for me and Mark to get a date night in. When we're together, it's often with a group of people or we're together but we're doing work. We try to set apart one day out of the week to just hang out.

This was an impromptu date night. And it was fantastic.

[18/366]

I love this guy!

Go back to bed

2012-02-05T09:00:00.000+09:00

There's not much to say about this photo. It was a beautiful morning. The sunlight was soft. The bed was warm. And all I could hear was the bed calling my name.

[17/366]

Loner

2012-02-04T09:00:00.000+09:00

I've mentioned this before, but because I'm traveling all over Seoul for various jobs, it's easier for me to hang out at a cafe or restaurant than to go home for just an hour. I've been having my fair share of alone time and, I have to say, it's amazing. I guess it's making me more of an introvert, though, since I now prefer to just chill out and read a book by myself rather than get dinner with friends.

This was one particular Monday night after work. A roll of kimbap, a nice hot bowl of soup and a good book. I was one happy camper.

[16/366]

Saving Money

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000+09:00

I'm learning a lot about saving money, like how you can't do everything and expect the figure in your savings account to grow. As simple as it sounds, it's a tough realization to come to. I can't go on as many coffee dates or eat at the amazing restaurants here in Seoul.

Instead, I have to have ramen nights. And it makes me feel like a college student all over again, except that I ate better than this in college. Sigh.

[15/366]

Talented friends, part II

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000+09:00

Next up in my list of talented friends (which is in no ranking order) is Hannah. She and I purchased the same camera around the same time, and it's been nice discovering our new toy together. Not only are her photos amazing, but her videos are too! Here's her January video:

Michael Holmes, another dear friend of mine, has a huge collection of great videos he's made. He has kinda served as our teacher throughout this whole process because he just has a lot of knowledge on photography and videography. One of my favorites isn't really so much about the editing as much as it's just a window into how incredible and fun he is as a teacher.

Could you imagine having Michael Holmes as your teacher in middle school? It would have been awesome!

Talented friends, part I

2012-02-02T11:00:00.000+09:00

I have really talented friends. Take, for example, my future hubby, Mark Ratto. Ever since he got his camera for his birthday last year, he's been honing his craft of filming and editing. One of my favorite videos he's made so far is this one. But this next one is quickly becoming my favorite (a tribute to our little goof):

I've been missing her a lot lately, so when Mark presented this little video he made of her, I was so happy. I think it captures her personality beautifully.

Next up is my love, Jamie. She, too, got a new camera recently and it hasn't taken long for her to discover yet another gift. Here's her amazing video of her month (but really our's) of January.

(Watch in HD.)

As you can tell, I'm in it a lot...and I'm perfectly OK with that hehehe. When she's back home, I'll be watching this over and over again, reminiscing on these beautiful days.

Part II coming soon...

Meet the Baker

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000+09:00

Jamie and I have been on a baking kick this winter season. I purchased a toaster oven last spring in hopes that it would inspire me to bake more this winter...I think it's working!

I think it's safe to say that neither of us are "naturals" in the kitchen...in fact, after our first baking experiment (peanut butter & nutella cookies), it looked like a flour bomb went off in my kitchen. But as we've been making new goodies almost weekly, we're becoming more comfortable and smooth in my tiny lil' kitchen.

At first, Mark protested our baking dates because it meant more tempting, unhealthy food for him. But as soon as he takes that first bite (he's usually our taste-tester), he seems to forget why he opposed it in the first place :) Despite our inexperience, I'm happy to report that everything we've made has come out delicious.

[14/366]

These are pumpkin-spiced cookies that literally melt in your mouth. The drizzle of cinnamon frosting puts it over the edge on the scale of divine-ness. We found the recipe on Pinterest, which is where we find all of our baking recipes. It starts with us drooling over the picture, then clicking the link, then examining the ingredients to see if we can even get it in Korea. If it can, then it's a go!

I can't help but feel like this is perfect training for my future wife duties. What man doesn't love to come home to the smell of yummy cookies?

Busan

2012-02-01T11:04:00.000+09:00

Just after the clock struck 12 on New Years, I dropped by phone face down and the screen cracked really badly. But it was still usable, so I taped an old iPhone screen cover onto it to protect me from getting shards of glass in my fingers. It was pretty ghetto. But I kept using it for another couple weeks or so because replacing my phone would require me to take a 3-hour train ride to Busan, where my pops lives, because the phone is under my his name.

I finally made my way down there for a night and replaced my phone (yay!). Even though it was a huge hassle, going down to Busan is always relaxing. Maybe it's the ocean or maybe it's simply because the weather is warmer there than in Seoul. Or maybe it's because my dad's beautifully-designed office has such a peaceful aura about it. I don't know but there's something about Busan that's just nice.

[13/366]

This is the entrance to my dad's office (looking out). That red thing hanging is a wreath of over 1,500 paper airplanes that he and his staff made for their annual Christmas concert. It's an art installation in and of itself.

Just one of those days

2012-02-01T10:55:00.002+09:00

We've all had these days...your head feels like it's in a fog no matter how much coffee you consume, your slow to get moving on any task in front of you, all you can think about is a Snickers bar and a hamburger even though you're not a huge chocolate or burger fan (OK, maybe that's just me). Anyway, I had one of those days not too long ago and before heading to a meeting, I just had to get a burger. I sat by myself, put my phone away and just ate. Each bite was savory and amazing. I don't think I even thought of anything except the next bite I was going to take. Don't judge me.

[12/366]

Good food, good friends, good times

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000+09:00

Mark, Hannah and I went to our friend Peter's house for a home-cooked meal. With all the ingredients we brought, we made a delicious dinner consisting of pasta, pork chops, salad, hummus, bread and zucchini. I think we were all kind of surprised at how good it turned out :)

[11/366]

Not only did the evening consist of delicious food, it was also filled with amazing conversations, new friends and fantastic stories. Nights like these make me feel very close to home, almost forgetting that I'm in a foreign country.

Until next time...bisous xoxo

Gravy

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000+09:00

Mark and I went to a new Creole restaurant in the French Village called Shy Bana. Although a little suspicious, Mark convinced me to try it. I got a chicken po' boy, which was bleh, and Mark got a country fried steak with A LOT of gravy. At the time, the gravy was a delicious addition, but as we were walking out, we could feel the regret immediately settle in. As we sat on the bus, our eyelids started to droop and my stomach started to turn...let's just say, my tummy was not happy later that night.

[10/366]

Green

2012-01-24T15:10:00.000+09:00

Because of my work schedule, I have a lot of one- to two-hour breaks throughout the week. That's not enough time to go home, so what I usually do is find a cafe near my next destination and get some work done.

On this particular day, rather than getting my usual coffee, I decided to go for a healthier option: green tea. And while it may seem obvious, this green tea was particularly green. Huh. Go figure.

[9/366]

Documentary Night

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000+09:00

For the last few Sunday nights, my friends, Michael & Lee Ann, have hosted documentary night at their lovely apartment. Wonderful friends + delicious food (last week was build-your-own-burrito night!) + insightful documentaries is the recipe for a perfect night.

[8/366]

Although this isn't the most focused photo, I just love the expressions.

A prolonged goodbye

2012-01-17T20:11:00.001+09:00

One of my dearest & closest friends, Jamie, is returning home at the end of February. When Mark and I arrived in Korea, she was the one who welcomed us with open arms and happily showed us all the cool spots that she had discovered for the entire month before. Since then, we've grown closer than we ever imagined, which, apparently, is reflected in our physical appearance as well...I can't tell you how many people have asked us if we're sisters just in the last month.

I've known that her departure was approaching, but with only a month and a half left, it seems like that time is already here. So lately, I've made sure to cherish every moment with her, which isn't hard to do quite frankly. She has that ability to just bring you into the moment.

Last week was a perfect example of how we hang out (and how beautiful it is). Before our photo club was scheduled to meet, Jamie and I got lunch and just wandered around Hongdae. We kept saying, "Wow, we have a lot of time." Then, we'd giggle and then, dance. No joke, that's what we did on three different occasions. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, we were out of time! Here's a few snapshots of our shenanigans.

[Korean cafes have the most random names.]

[A clever sign.]

[Fell + Cole Ice Cream: a gastronomic ice cream shop owned by a San Franciscan :)

What's better are the flavors: honey lavender (l) and burnt caramel (r).]

[Drawing pictures in the guestbook.]

[Winter.]

[A breathtaking dress we stumbled upon.
Wouldn't this be the perfect dress for a Gastby-inspired wedding?]

Hopefully this prolonged goodbye means the actual one won't be so bad. Ehhh, who am I kidding? ;)

Breakfast with the family

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000+09:00

Two weekends ago, Mark & I decided to devote Saturday to do nothing. That may seem silly to some of you, to intentionally work to do nothing...a paradox perhaps. But for all you busies out there, you know what I mean. It takes work to do nothing. You've got to say "no" to tempting cafe dates or dinner dates. You've got to get past the cabin fever and anxiousness of staying indoors all day. But once you do, it's heavenly & rewarding, especially when you realize you saved money (hoorah!).

Mark came over early in the morning. We cooked breakfast: cinnamon whole wheat pancakes, eggs, hash browns and coffee. Then, we video chatted with his sister and it felt like she was sitting right there at the table with us. Oh the joys of technology!

[7/366]

As much fun as it is to have breakfast via Skype, I'd much rather do it in person. Just a few more months :)

Seoul Photo Club

2012-01-16T22:04:00.000+09:00

One day, Mark had the ingenious idea of creating a photo club, where we'd go on special photo shoot outings with some of our photographer friends. One friend in particular, Michael, knows a lot about photography and he's always open to new adventures, so his contribution to the group has been invaluable with tons of amazing tips & suggestions that we wouldn't be able to receive from a regular class.

Also, three of us (myself included) got brand new cameras, which has given the photo outings more significance since we can devote entire days to playing with our cameras. So far, we've had two meetings and they've been so much fun. Although I'm usually exhausted at the end of the night, I find myself eagerly anticipating the next one.

[This was taken at the beginning of our night, over a rail, on top of a mall, looking over the city.

It was dangerous, thrilling and a beautiful moment...a perfect way to start our adventure!]

[6/366]

At first, I was hesitant to climb over that rail...the idea of voluntarily putting myself in a situation where I accidentally plunge to my death (especially with only 5 months left 'til the wedding) seemed less than ideal. But the worry was quickly forgotten. Moments after I took this picture, I climbed over. Mark, on the other hand, remained worried and was sure to hold on to all of our coattails...just in case.

[Inconspicuously making our way to the rooftop of the shopping mall.]

[Jamie & her G12]

[Our challenge for the night was to take a portrait of a stranger.
It was intimidating to ask complete strangers, but the result was fantastic.]

[My favorite of the night.]

I know I haven't listed all of my 2012 resolutions, but one of them was to be creative in as many ways as possible. So far, so good.

Cute Boys

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000+09:00

Meet Cassandra. She's tall, blonde and beautiful. And she's hilarious. She has a heart of gold and a passion for justice. She's down to earth and so easy to talk to. I could go on and on about how much I love Cassandra. But the best part of her is the fact that when she blushes (which is only around cute boys), her ears, and her ears only, turn red. So every time a cute boy walks her way, this is what she does.

[5/366]

Friends & Cafes

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000+09:00

It was a random Wednesday afternoon. The weather was dropping rapidly. People were at work. I could have stayed in my apartment to save money and get some work done...but instead, I went to a cafe to hang out with a few friends and play with my new camera. I may have not written that article like I should have, but it was a lot of fun just hanging out and being silly in the overcrowded cafe.

We giggled, took self-portraits, made fake mustaches, took turns getting massages & told fun stories about who knows what. And it was perfect.

I caught Melody capturing a cute photo of herself. You can catch more of her cuteness here.

[4/366]

Days like these are numbered, so I might as well appreciate the heck out of them now.

Sky

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000+09:00

Sky, who is like a mentor to me, is, simply put, amazing. She's creative, gifted, goofy, kind, wise and recently married (!). Thus, she's busy. But every once in awhile, I have the privilege of getting dinner with her or meeting up with her for some one-on-one time, which I cherish dearly. She's got a lot of important advice for me (like what to expect as a newlywed), but more importantly, she's just a good friend to talk to.

[3/366]

And isn't she gorgeous? :)

"Oh my God"

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000+09:00

Among the smorgasbord of jobs I have, one of them is to teach English to 5th graders at an English library. I have three students: Amy, who is studious, sweet and eager to learn; Joseph, who is slower than the rest and a little lazy, but a good kid overall; and John, who is smarter than the rest but huffs and puffs at every assignment that comes his way. His worst habit, which I am trying my best to break, is to say, "Oh my God" every time I give him some more work to do. I can't really blame him, though. They meet with me on Monday nights from 7-10 and from 3-6 during their holiday vacation.

Even though I know teaching is not my gift, I have a lot of fun with these kids. It's entertaining to watch their reactions as I do my very best to act out new vocabulary words and enthusiastically show them new TED videos. Sometimes, though, they've got to have a quiz from big, bad Liz Teacher every now and then :)

[2/366]

welcoming 2012

2012-01-09T09:10:00.001+09:00

To welcome the new year, a group of us went to Times Square (a mall) for the concert of all concerts. On five separate floors of the mall, a dj or band was performing all night. It was tons of fun going up and down the escalator, running from one performance to the next. But I think my favorite part was the 2012 countdown with my closest friends & the love of my life! You can catch a glimpse of it on this video, which also happens to be the first entry of my 366-day project...yay!

Like I mentioned for my last video, watching it in high-definition is so much better. You can do that by clicking here.

[1/366]

366-Day Project

2012-01-05T11:19:00.000+09:00

Happy New Year all! 2012 is going to be an amazing year. And not just for me, but for all of you too! Personally, 2011 ended on a crummy note, which makes me that much more excited for this year. Some of the things I get to look forward to are: our wedding (!!!), soaking it up in the Caribbean, experiencing marriage, being with family & friends, creative projects, developing business plans, and the list goes on.

I don't know about you, but I feel like the start of this year brought a shift in the environment. The air is mixed with hope, creativity and passionate dreaming. And because of this, my new year's resolutions are more specific, each letter packed with confidence, just itching to be fulfilled. But we'll talk about all of that at a later date.

For now, I want to share with you just one of those resolutions. The 366-day project. I originally read about it here, but my friends Jamie and Hannah are the ones that really encouraged me to do it (they're doing it too!). And if you haven't figured it out yet, this project requires me to take one photo a day for the next year (366 because it's leap year)...but not just a photo of anything; rather, a photo of something that brought me joy that day. The unofficial name for it is, "Documenting Delight."

Rather than sticking to just photography, I'll be mixing in a few videos too. Now, you may be thinking to yourselves, "Elysabeth, it's already January 5th and there's nothing on here. You already failed." But I assure you, I've been documenting each day since the start of the year...I just haven't blogged about it yet. So keep your eyes peeled :)

Already, I've noticed a change in how I view the world around me. Rather than averting my eyes forward and allowing my mind to wander as it usually does, I'm observing the people and places around me. I'm constantly asking myself, "What's bringing me joy today?" Do you know how much of a difference that question makes for your ordinary day? HUGE.

So...perhaps you'll join me?

Busan + a new toy

2011-12-31T14:37:00.000+09:00

Mark and I were in Busan for a couple days this past week to spend some quality time with my dad and brother. Most of it was spent relaxing, which is exactly what we needed after a hectic two weeks.

I also got a new DSLR (thanks mom and dad and Mark!), which has HD video on it, so I took this as an opportunity to make my first video. Enjoy!

[To watch it in high-def, click on "HD" on the video and it will direct you to the Vimeo website.]

Until next time...bisous~

RIP Molly

2011-12-28T18:27:00.000+09:00

Last Friday, our beloved dog, Molly, passed away from a mistake during her spaying surgery. I'm still coming to terms with it, especially since Mark and I had very much included her in our future plans. I can't fully express how much I miss her, but it's hard. And I know all of you dog lovers out there know what I mean. It's just hard.

She was simply and purely amazing, bringing so much joy and laughter into our lives. So, regardless of how much it hurts to talk about her, I think she deserves a blog post.

Molly, I love you so much & I miss you dearly.

Birthday Fun!

2011-12-21T13:41:00.000+09:00

Last month, I celebrated my last birthday as a "single" (in the legal, file-your-taxes term)! And while that has nothing to do with what I did for my birthday, I just thought it would be fun to share :)

This birthday was the mellowest (and most fun) birthdays I've had since high school; I think this means I'm growing up. We started with a late lunch at Vatos Tacos, my friend's new restaurant in Itaewon. After a margarita, numerous tacos, taquitos and kimchi-carne-asada fries, we made our way to the lantern festival on the Cheongyecheong River. It was extremely packed with people for miles and miles, but we had a lot of fun oohing and aahing at all the beautiful lanterns.

Finally, we ended the evening with dinner at an old traditional makgeolli restaurant, which is supposedly owned by a famous actor (I couldn't tell you who though). My birthday was perfect and just want I wanted: a relaxing and intimate day spent with good company.

[Let's start with the food.]

[Carne Asada Tacos]

[Galbi Tacos]

[Quesadillas]

[Now, let's get to the people who made it special.]

[Charlotte]

[Hannah]

[Lee Ann & Jamie]

[And last but not least, Michael & Mark!]

[Vatos, baby]

[We made it on the wall of fame!]

[On our way to the lantern festival.]

[And ending at the makgeolli restaurant.]

Like I said, a great night. Unfortunately, Mark's videos of our shenanigans were deleted when the memory card got damaged, so you can't see just what we were up to. But to give you a glimpse of us goofs, we spent the entire time at the makgeolli place trying to move a piece of paper by slapping ourselves. Yeah, it works.

By the way, I never responded to all the birthday love on my Facebook wall, but if you were one of those people, THANK YOU! By the time I had a chance to reply, it was already a week later, so I decided to forego it. But seriously, thank you for all the love, even from the other side of the world.

Gwangju

2011-12-13T10:43:00.001+09:00

Right after I got back from the States, a group of friends and I went on a small overnight adventure to Gwangju, which is about three hours south of Seoul by bus. The night we arrived, we explored the "downtown" area, which looks like all the hotspots of Seoul: bars, karaoke rooms, restaurants, neon lights galore.

The next morning, we woke up early and went on an all-day hike on Mudeungsan (무등산) Mountain. Although it was forecasted to rain, it didn't; in fact, the weather was just perfect. There's not much else to say other than it was beautiful and just the perfect way to ease back into life in Korea.

Pause & Resume

2011-12-09T12:00:00.001+09:00

Since returning to Korea, I've been learning a lot of things about myself and life's transitions, which required a lot more thinking and self-analyzing than I would have liked. It required me to reflect, shift my mind from negative to positive and find peace again. Unfortunately for sans borders, that left little time or desire to update this blog. But now, with new revelations, more growth and a fresh perspective, I'm excited to share with you again...and what better timing than the end of another year?

The end of this year, however, isn't like any other. If I could give 2011 a name, it would be called "Transition." For this was the first full year out of college, where I learned what it's like to live as a freelancer and why it's important to open your mind when an opportunity you would've never thought of before presents itself. It's the year I learned that saying "yes" to other opportunities other than writing can be just as beneficial, if not more, as a writing gig. Working with children, being on the radio, editing other people's work, taking a stand against sex trafficking...these are all things that took me outside of my "I must be a writer and nothing else" mode, and taught me just how important it is to grow and experience other areas of life.

And the most obvious transition is changing my Facebook relationship status from "In a relationship" to "Engaged." I kid, I kid...But in all seriousness, 2011 marks the year where I went from being my best friend's girlfriend to my best friend's fiance. It's the year where I went from wearing no nice jewelry to wearing one very nice rock on my finger in a matter of seconds. And most importantly, it's the year where I got hit with a lot of realizations - I'll no longer be living for myself anymore, chasing my own dreams, living my own life; no, instead, we'll be living our life (singular on purpose) and chasing our dreams. I've had to challenge my previous way of thinking (selfish) to prepare myself for how I need to be living (selfless). It's a lot to take in but I welcome the challenge with excitement!!! (<----- That's THREE exclamation points!)

Anyway, I didn't intend for this post to be a reflection of 2011, but I'll just let it happen. But keep your eyes open for exciting pictures of all the things I failed to blog about in the last month and a half: an overnight trip to Gwangju, my birthday, Thanksgiving and my best friends visiting!

Until then, ciao <3

Videos of Home

2011-11-07T22:40:00.000+09:00

Just wanted to let ya'll know that my fantastic fiancé, Mark, made some amazing videos of our time home. You can check 'em out here.

He's talented, isn't he?

Family time

2011-10-28T14:05:00.000+09:00

This trip to New York was much different than past trips. Not only were we in the city longer than usual, but we also spent most of our time hanging out with the Ratto clan, which I can never complain about.

The week consisted of first and foremost beautiful weather, celebrating Kaylen and Martin's engagement, seeing the musical "Newsies" in Jersey, relaxing (& listening to the amazing Bluebrain Central Park app) in the park, cooking at home, visiting the 9/11 memorial, meeting the USA soccer team at the memorial and then, navigating the terrible directions given to us to get to the USA vs. Ecuador soccer game at the Red Bull Stadium in Jersey. Twas a fulfilling & eventful trip to the city.

[We were pretty sick of flying at this point, but that view made it worthwhile.]

[Hello again, Central Park. I've missed you!]

[We got 7 glorious days of sunshine :)]

[Picnic in Bryant Park]

[Delicious french toast for breakfast almost every morning]

[On our way to the engagement party]

[Mark & Pops]

[The view from Kaylen & Martin's party]

[On our way to the 9/11 Memorial]

[USA Soccer Team]

[Sam with the coaches]

[Mark and Oguchi Onyewu go way back ;)]

[At the game]

As you can tell by the pictures, we did a lot. And although we were exhausted by the end of it, the trip was so satisfying in so many ways. Not only did we get in lots of family time, but I also got to check out four potential grad schools. Through those visits, I eliminated all but one. And I would not have known that I didn't like the other schools had I not visited, so thank God we did!

Feeling productive, satisfied and truly content, we boarded our FIFTH and final plane to California (minus the return flight to Seoul), where we spent time the next two weeks catching up with friends, hanging out with family and lots of wedding planning.

Up next: California...

Pups, chocolate and Workaholics

2011-10-28T13:40:00.000+09:00

After Tennessee, we hopped on a plane to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit Sam & Starr for four fun days of food and family time.

Sam and Starr are opening a chocolate factory, Videri, slated for a December opening, so between eating pesto (lots of it but delicious), sleeping and playing with Ruth the dog, we helped them tear walls down, pull nails out and clean the space. But...none of my photos show that part haha. Those can be found on Mark's blog (eventually).

[Our first day in Raleigh: naps & food]

[Starr came home with the most basil I've ever seen, so, naturally, we made a load of pesto!]

[Independent bookstores & coffee=a perfect afternoon]

[Breakfast at Sweet n Savory in Wilmington]

[Riding bikes throughout Raleigh]

[The homes were just so beautiful]

[Actually, Raleigh is just so beautiful!]

Sam and Starr were amazing hosts (thanks guys!). Not only did they let us borrow their car for a day trip to Wilmington, they took us to the best restaurants, showed us the best TV show (Workaholics) and they didn't make fun of us for falling asleep at 8 p.m. every night...they're just rad people. Not to mention their dog, Ruthie. The biggest sweetheart you'll ever meet.

Up next: New York...

Caitlin + Nathan

2011-10-25T16:00:00.000+09:00

The trip kicked off in Tennessee for my good friend Caitlin's wedding. It was such a beautiful few days in an unexpectedly beautiful state. And the wedding was absolutely breathtaking. Congrats, Cait and Nate! You two are wonderful :)

[The wedding took place on an amazing farm in Joelton, TN.]

[The rehearsal]

[The beautiful bride getting her hair and makeup done on the big day.]

[Gorgeous! Look at that dress...]

[It was so relaxing and peaceful to get ready in such a beautiful home.]

Great wedding, great people and a fantastic way to start off our vacation.

Up next: North Carolina...

Oopsies

2011-10-12T22:57:00.000+09:00

It has been one full month since my last post...I'm sorry.

I've been in the States since September 27th and it has been nothing short of a whirlwind. I was in California for 2 nights before taking off to Nashville for my old friend Caitlin's wedding. After 3 days in Tennessee, Mark and I went to Raleigh, North Carolina for 4 days to visit his brother and wife, Sam & Starr. Then, we flew to New York for 6 days, which is where I'm currently at until tonight, where I'll be flying back to good ol' California for another 2 weeks.

The trip has been amazing, fun and wonderful, but I think I'm ready to get home! This Saturday will be my dress-shopping day, which I can't wait for. But more details on that later :)

The plan is to load the hundreds of photos from these trips onto my computer tonight on the plane, and post them tomorrow. Then, we'll be back in action.

Thanks for understanding...until then, bisous!

Bridesmaid Boxes

2011-09-14T01:05:00.000+09:00

Some bloggers, who get engaged, make it a priority to keep their blog from turning into a wedding blog. Not me. I can't help it...I'm excited about getting married to my best friend and I'm going to talk about it as much as my little heart pleases! Hope that's ok with you :)

First on the list is the bridesmaid boxes I made for my special ladies. Because I'm on the other side of the world, it wasn't feasible for me to take out my girlfriends for lunch and personally ask them to be in my wedding. But email just wouldn't cut it...it just seemed too impersonal for such an important day of my life.

So, instead (with the help of lots of inspiration from wedding blogs) I put together a little box of goodies to mail to the ladies. The small square cardboard box featured a handwritten "be my bridesmaid?" inside the lid with some goodies to get their creative wheels spinning :) It included: my color palette, photos for bridesmaid dress inspiration, fabric samples and some notes to emphasize just how special they are to me.

It was a lot of fun to make albeit slightly tedious. But the hours of cutting and pasting were all worth it when I received each of their reactions. They were thrilled and excited to start planning the big day, which is exactly what I was shooting for.

Here's a little snippet of the boxes. Hope you enjoy...

[I personalized it by hand-stitching the first letter of their first name]

So there you have it. Wedding project #1: crossed off the list. And it feels oh. so. good. Can't wait for more...

Until then, bisous xoxo.

Through the eyes of an iPhone

2011-09-02T00:56:00.000+09:00

On a daily basis, my iPhone reminds me of its convenience. But I think most importantly, it's there to capture moments of devouring divine food, being goofy with friends or discovering yet another exquisitely cute cafe. Unfortunately, more often than not, I'm too lazy to lug around my huge camera. But thankfully, Apple has my back, so I can have a small inconspicuous phone with cool settings to capture those oh-I-wish-I-had-my-camera moments.

Here's what she has seen in the last few weeks (yes, she's a she).

[All you can eat Korean BEEF BBQ...a rare finding here. What's affordable is usually pork.]

[A separate post on this soon, but here's Jamie reading the bridesmaid box I made for her :)]

[Although overpriced, Korean cafes sure know how to make their coffees look good.]

[My little family on our way to Busan!]

[Morning walk in Busan]

[Coffee date with my lovely friend Clara, who went back to Canada :(]

[This is what happens when Jamie & I are homesick together: we order hamburgers and taco salads.]

[Friday night date at Poly Cafe]

[This was at the Sadang Flea Market. One flower bloomed and
locals were taking pictures like it was nobody's business.]

[Who can have a bad day when you wake up to this every morning?!]

[Hey.]

[At Clara's going-away extravaganza.]

[Flirting.]

[As I was riding my bike, I passed by this spontaneous drum performance under Hangang bridge!]

[My new favorite food: galbijim. Now, if only it wasn't so expensive...]

[And my new favorite cafe in the French Village: Square Garden]

[Square Garden has the best pabingsoo. This had blueberries, granola, blueberry smoothie, oh my...]

So there you have it. My life through the eyes of my iPhone. Until next time...

bisous xoxo

Summer

2011-08-30T15:58:00.000+09:00

From what I'm told, Korea's weather has been pretty wacky all year. First, it was the long winter. Then, it was the almost nonexistent spring. Now, it's the incessant rain. And yeah, while it's lame to have weeks on end of torrential downpour, I am so relieved that the heat hasn't been as bad as my childhood summers spent here. Sure, it's muggier, but at very least, the heat is bearable.

Thankfully though, the weather has been truly beautiful for the past two weeks (like California standards "beautiful). The mornings are crisp, the sun is always bright and there are only white fluffy clouds in the sky--you know, the ones you always wished you could just jump into. So, as you can imagine, it's impossible to not want to be outside. In fact, just the other day, Mark and I rode our bikes along the river for the first time in awhile and the sunset was uh-mazing! It just confirmed to us that every moment we're not working indoors, we need to be outside. This nice weather, I'm learning, is a rarity, so I need to take advantage of it as much as I can.

And here's how I've done just that in the last few weeks. Enjoy...

[This was taken at the beginning of summer.

An impromptu picnic along the river is always perfect.]

[Puppies! The one on the left is my friend Kenny's. Her name is Chichi.
The one on the right is Molly after a bad haircut.]

[And this is me practicing my inner dog-whisperer. It wasn't working out too well.]

[Regardless, cuddling with Molly is THE best!]

[Nothing beats a Sunday morning coffee date with Charlotte :)]

[Afternoon walks throughout the city, behind fiery grandmas]

[This is my definition of a good day: outdoors with a coffee and gossip magazines. Oh yeah.]

[This Vespa shop is right near my place and I'm always swooning over the
vintage-style and fun colors.]

[An intersection on one amazingly beautiful summer night.]

[The sky looks like God's canvas!]

[On the ride home from Dongjak Bridge.]

[My favorite part of the day is coming home to this little goofball.]

By the way, most of these photos were taken on a film camera, which I've been getting into lately. My dad gave me an old Canon SLR that he doesn't use anymore, so just a few days ago, I finally worked up the courage to experiment with it. It's a big clunky thing and quite intimidating, but I think I did pretty well for my first film SLR try! What do you think?

More pictures and stories coming soon. Until then, bisous xoxo

Thailand: Part IV

2011-08-17T21:51:00.001+09:00

And, finally, Bangkok. I'm still unsure how I should write about Bangkok. A lot of factors come into play when reflecting on how I feel about that city.

Factor number one: we began our trip on paradise, on an island where the word "beauty" was possibly birthed. Time did not exist and people floated (literally) through life without a care in the world. Then, to go to Bangkok, where the reality of a big city smacked us in the face like a huge brown coconut was not easy, to say the least.

Factor number two: we got sick! The day we left Koh Chang, Charlotte and I both felt a little tickle in our throats. And without saying anything in fear that saying it will confirm it, we secretly prayed that this was nothing but a tickle. Unfortunately, that was not the case. And even more unfortunate, Charlotte got much sicker than I did. On the 5-more-like-6-hour bus ride to Bangkok, she was shivering, then sweating, then tired, then coughing, then sneezing, then shivering again :( I felt so bad for her!

Factor number three: we weren't going to party. We wanted to relaaaaax. I guess if our intention to go to Bangkok was to get belligerent and join the other foreigners in the streets until four in the morning, I'd have raver reviews for you. But that wasn't our deal and it was unsettling to be woken up by our neighbors, quite literally, falling into their rooms and barfing their brains out at five in the morning.

Factor number four: we were intimidated. I don't think Charlotte and I prepared ourselves mentally for how busy, big and chaotic Bangkok can be. It's a big city. There's a lot of people and not everyone is there to cater to the tourists' needs. I'm proud to call myself a budget-traveler and I know how to travel low maintenance, but my mentality that week was to be on vacation. Had I been ready for adventures and exploring, Bangkok would have been perfect. But I wasn't.

Now, with all that said, I enjoyed Bangkok. It was overwhelming at times, but there's no denying that there's a lot of culture there. Eating $1 pad thai and then chasing it down with $1 fresh blended juice and then getting $1 mangoes for dessert is just hard to beat, I don't care who you are. Wouldn't you agree?

Another highlight of Bangkok was our day trip to Ayutthaya, which was Thailand's ancient capital city. Tons of ruined temples hide behind these tall trees and lush green fields, but up close, they're not inconspicuous at all. They're tall, bright and full of history.

And without further adieu, Bangkok. Oh, but I should warn you, some of these photos aren't very good quality. While editing the photos, I accidentally deleted the originals. The only way to salvage them was to take a screen shot of the photos in the editing program. Totally lame, but totally my fault. If you squint a little, they look clear :)

[On Kao San Road, where our hotel was. "We're never close."]

[My new Thai pants. Don't hate. I got three pairs.]

[Enjoying cheap but delicious pad thai!]

[The first temple in Ayutthaya]

[Charlotte and her friendly stray :)]

[Lunch was included in our day trip. Got to enjoy some authentic Thai food
next to this beautiful brown river.]

[A cute road near our hotel]

[One last juice before we go!]

Recently, I was told I didn't do Thailand right. Instead of seeing all the touristy stuff, I should have gone to a couple of other places. Even though I didn't have a chance to experience these "other" places, I'm glad they're there...it gives me something to look forward to next time. But then again, why go to Bangkok when you have the islands?!

To see all the photos from Thailand, visit my Flickr page here. Until next time, bisous xoxo.

Thailand: Part III

2011-08-15T23:17:00.000+09:00

Aside from lounging on the beach and eating delicious food, one of my favorite things we did in Koh Chang was...wait for it...ride elephants! Charlotte and I took a one-hour elephant ride through the jungle, seeing all kinds of beautiful plants, lakes and nasty bugs you'd only find in the jungle or in your nightmares.

When we first walked up to the elephant, I thought we were going to each ride our own. But in actuality, we sat on this bench that came across the elephant's back while a local villager guided the elephant through the jungle. Although that's probably much safer, I was kind of bummed I didn't get to ride my own. But, thankfully, about 3/4 of the way through our trek, he jumped off and asked if one of us wanted to guide the elephant! I jumped at the opportunity and next thing I knew, I was sitting on the elephant's head with its floppy ears whacking my legs while Charlotte stayed on the bench (for safety measures). It was so amazing!

Our elephant was quite a character too...on multiple occasions, he stopped and got himself a snack. Despite the guide's multiple elephant calls (which sounded like a bunch of umphs, moos and eeehhhh?[yes, with a question mark because his intonation went up at least 3 octaves higher than his original voice]), the elephant wouldn't budge...he needed his afternoon snack. We were cool with it since it gave us a slightly longer jungle trek :)

[Little babe just chillin]

[Into the jungle we go...]

[Our awesome guide!]

[Elephant crossing.]

[Another elephant encounter. This was tricky because the path was narrow & the mud was thick and slippery. But thankfully, our elephant was a trooper & got us up the mountain safely.]

[Our guide was pulling leaves and sticks from trees as we went along
and this is what he made for us!]

[Posing as he takes another snack break :)]

[The scenery was breathtaking.]

[Into the lake we go for a little refreshment!]

[Look, Ma, no hands!]

[Then, we fed him a basketful of bananas for all the hard work he did.]

The pictures don't do any justice, but it provides a sliver of how beautiful the elephant trek was. And our elephant was gorgeous too--look at those orange spots! His skin was very different than what I imagined an elephant to feel like...he was very rough and there were these straight, course black hairs sticking straight up as if he had the worst bedhead ever. What a cutie!

Part IV of Thailand will come soon, I promise! Until then, bisous xoxo

Thailand: Part II

2011-08-06T16:44:00.000+09:00

In addition to lounging and eating, Charlotte and I did quite a bit of exploring on the island. Koh Chang's west side has most of the developed beaches while there's really nothing on the east side. Aside from exploring Kai Bae (the beach we stayed at), we went to White Sands Beach (the most developed and party-central of the island), Lonely Beach (the backpacker's paradise) and Bangbae (a local fishing village). Each were very unique and fun to explore, but at the end of the day, we were so thrilled to have chosen Kai Bae. It suited us perfectly.

Here are some photos of the other beaches. Despite the differing vibes, each were spectacular to the eye!

[In Lonely Beach at sunset]

[When I think of the perfect location to read a book, this is it.]

[Orchids growing out of an old coconut!]

My favorite spot other than Kai Bae was Bangbae, the fishing village. All the houses, shops and restaurants were connected by long, skinny piers with funky and colorful docked boats lining them. As we walked to the very end of the main pier, the sun was setting and there were local children jumping into the water. On one side of me, there were houses and boats of all shapes and colors. And on the other side, there were gorgeous green mountains protecting the most beautiful ocean I've ever seen. It was one of those moments where you just knew that this was going to become a memory in which you'd look back on whenever you needed to "escape." I could almost hear my brain's photographic shutter go off. Click.

[A restaurant on the water, who served fresh seafood.]

Bangbae, and Koh Chang in general, was such a photogenic place. I couldn't stop snapping photos, and even though I felt kind of bad because I wasn't letting myself just be in the present, I'm so glad I have these photos to look back on. And to think these pictures don't even capture the real beauty!

I'll leave you with this for now. The next part has to do with elephants and trekking! Yeeeee!

Until then, bisous xoxo

Thailand: Part I

2011-08-05T16:28:00.001+09:00

Where do I even begin? Last week in Thailand was a smorgasbord of contradictions--relaxation, chaos, confidence, uncertainty, love, hate, joy and anger. One thing is for certain: I went with an amazing travel buddy and I am so thankful I had her at my side through this wild adventure.

We arrived in Bangkok on Saturday night (July 23) at around 11:30 p.m. Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as that previous sentence lets on. First, we took Air China. BIG mistake. Not only were we slightly delayed departing from Seoul, we were also delayed in Beijing, where our layover was. But what made it worse was that as we sat in our seats ready for take-off, we were told on multiple occasions to take out our ticket stubs to check our seats. As everyone eagerly waited for their tickets to be checked so that we could get this show on the road, flight attendants were running up and down the aisles, looking like chickens with their heads cut off. They didn't stop to look at anyone's tickets and anytime anyone tried to ask a question, they yelled with a very sharp, very unfriendly, "One moment!"

After about 45 minutes of this, Charlotte and I were actually amused at how terrible they were at their job. It was like a magnetic force field disallowed them to get their act together. It was quite impressive.

After another 30 minutes, the issue was magically solved (with no explanation, of course) because next thing we knew, we were taking off.

But the flight didn't get much better after that. There was this terrible movie resembling soft porn about a woman whose boyfriend kept beating her. And yet, she kept going back. Every single scene was some illicit "love" scene, then he'd push her here, shove her there, maybe throw in a punch for good showmanship, and then it was right back to the lovemaking. Now, you may be saying, "Why didn't you just look away?" but the problem was, the 1993-style television was right in front of us and as hard as we tried to look away, we couldn't escape it. It was the most awful, self-destructive thing I've ever seen.

In addition to that, the Chinese flight attendant, who was assigned to our row, spoke to me in Chinese every. single. time. When I'd say, "I'm sorry. I don't understand," she'd reply in Korean. Same lady, every time, for five hours. Even as I left the plane, she said bye to me in Chinese while Charlotte got a proper "Goodbye."

Fortunately for us (and for you!), the story gets better from here. Much better. Once we arrived in Bangkok, we stayed at a hotel near the airport for the night because we had an early bus ride to Koh Chang, the island we were going to stay at for the first half of our week. The hotel proved to be clean and convenient--they picked us up from the airport and dropped us off, all for free! The minibus we took to Koh Chang had 2 couples in it, who were all teaching at a university near Bangkok. Over the next four hours, they provided us with great advice on where to go, where to eat and how to not get ripped off in Bangkok. It was great.

Then, at around lunchtime on Sunday, we arrived in Koh Chang, Thailand's 2nd largest island. Charlotte and I didn't book any hotel reservations, hoping to just find a great one once we got there. And that's exactly what happened. We made a spur-of-the-moment decision to get dropped off at Kai Bae Beach, one of the quieter beaches on Koh Chang. With our giant backpacks and exhausted, over-traveled bodies, we walked along the beach and approached a French couple. We asked what hotel they were staying at and if they liked it. They highly recommended it, so we made our way to the office. Although we didn't want to get our hopes up, the hotel was beautiful: beach bungalows, an infinity pool, a private beach, a lush garden and quite a few families...it was practically screaming our name.

Once we learned it would be $60 total for 3 nights, breakfast included, for each of us, it was a no-brainer. This was going to be our paradise for three days. And that's exactly what it was.

[Our bed]

[Our shower with a beautiful sun roof]

[Our garden view]

[The double infinity pool; this picture was taken from the 2nd floor]

[Our bungalow!]

[Where I read and journaled every morning]

Each day started with a delicious and giant breakfast, then a dip in the ocean followed with laying out by the pool. Somewhere in between switching from pool to beach to pool to beach again, we'd go to the local restaurant for some authentic Thai cuisine. And somewhere in between that, we napped and got Thai massages.

I had not anticipated how beautiful and perfect and cheap everything would be, so you can imagine my joy all three days. It was amazing.

[See? That's the definition of happiness right there.]

[The History of Love and an empty beach. What more can you ask for?]

[Charlotte on an open-ended taxi to get lunch]

[Welcome to Koh Chang]

[It began to rain, so Charlotte and I picked up these very sexy ponchos,
which were really just colored garbage bags]

[Seafood Tom Yum...yummmm!]

[Dessert: mango and sweet sticky rice]

[We're on vacation!]

[And it's back to the pool again...]

There's so much ground to cover, but I'll keep it short for now. Part II will be coming shortly~

Until then, bisous xoxo

The Proposal

2011-07-17T22:47:00.000+09:00

On Thursday, July 14, 2011, I met up with Mark for a very casual Korean BBQ dinner (so casual, in fact, that I didn't wear any makeup, do my hair or wear a cute outfit). Regardless, the food was delicious and I was looking forward to an evening of relaxation, watching So You Think You Can Dance with my boyfriend and my dog on each side.

After dinner, Mark casually mentioned that the owners of his apartment building opened up the rooftop and decorated it. "It's a beautiful view of Isu (his area)...wanna check it out?" Not thinking too much of it, I said "sure" and headed up the stairs.

But about two steps from the top, I spotted rose petals on the steps and heard music playing outside. I turned around to Mark and said, "Oh no, someone's having a moment. We're going to ruin it", thinking some other couple got dibs on the rooftop before we did. But he didn't seem to care. Instead, Mark just urged me to go up, so, shrugging my shoulders, I did just that.

What I found was a plethora of candles and floating flowers in wine glasses everywhere.

"What is this?" I asked. "Is it for me?" "Did you do this?" "What is this?" (I wouldn't shut up).

"Isn't it beautiful?" Mark asked. "Look around, it's gorgeous."

At that point, I spotted the portable speakers that were pouring out the calm and serene melody over the entire rooftop. On top of the speakers was an iPhone. Not Mark's iPhone and not mine. Thinking it belonged to the couple that was having a romantic date in which we were intruding on, I turned around to head downstairs but Mark stopped me and pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind the door.

"These are for you, love."

Then, I finally realized that all of this was for me. I thought, wow! what a sweet and romantic date. After giving me the flowers, he asked me to go up one more set of stairs to a tiny little platform that can hold no more than 2 people. From there, you could see his entire neighborhood and all the rooftops of his neighbors' houses. I kept saying to myself, This is so amazing. Mark is so romantic. But even then, I thought this was nothing more than a date (a really sweet one, of course).

When we both made our way to the itty bitty platform, he looked at me and told me how much he loved and cared for me. How we've become best friends. How he wants to spend the rest of his life with me.

"I do too," I said. In my head, I was asking, Why is he saying all of this? He knows I feel the same...

And that's when it happened.

Mark got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. In shock, in happiness, in love and in absolute hysteria, I managed to blubber out a yes. I mean, c'mon, of course I said yes!

Then, I proceeded to slip on the wet steps (from the rain) and fall down three steps before he caught me just as my bum was about to land in the candles. Yep, classic Elysabeth move. Aside from my ring, I have a huge bruise on my right butt cheek to commemorate how special July 14th was ;-)

[I'm clearly excited]

In between laughing uncontrollably, smiling without regard, foolishly falling and asking "Are you serious?!?" at least 25 times, I couldn't help but realize how perfect the timing was. He completely surprised me! In fact, until now, marriage has always been some "thing" to look forward to two or three years from now. But, Mark and I are approaching our five-year anniversary in September and although young, we're in love and we've stayed in love and fallen deeper in love for all of college and our adult life.

There's no denying that it took work. A lot of it. But we're really enjoying the fruit of all that work now. And what we've experienced in these last few months here in Korea is too powerful to be explained through words. It has solidified us in a way we never thought possible. And his proposal on Thursday night only cemented that solidification.

Once the shock dissipated, I bombarded Mark with questions. How long have you been planning this? How did you decorate the roof while we were at dinner? How did you hide all of this? Who else knows?

And what I found out is this: Mark has been plotting the proposal for the last couple of months. He was going to do it last Thursday but at the very last minute, he didn't feel like it was the right timing. When he decided to do it the following Thursday, he coordinated with Jamie, one of my best friends, and Charlotte, another dear friend, to decorate the rooftop while we were at dinner. When they finished decorating, they gave him the cue (a text) that all was good to go. And that's when the magic began :)

[Before]

[The finished product]

[My bouquet :)]

[The two that made it happen: Jamie and Charlotte]

[The finishing touches]

Since Thursday, the outpouring of love has been absolutely amazing and overwhelming. Although thousands of miles from friends and family, through Skype and email and Facebook, it seems like we're close enough to laugh and cry together. No, it will never compare to a proper hug, but it will have to do until I come home in October. And I have my best friends in Seoul and my New Philly family showing me just as much love in the meantime!

Thank you for everyone's love, blessings and genuine happiness for us. We're so excited for what the future holds! We love you <3

An update on my life, part II.

2011-07-13T09:19:00.001+09:00

To relieve some of the lameness of this consistent downpour/humidity/gray-yuckiness, I took Molly to Bau Haus, a dog cafe in Hongdae. Jamie and her friend, Richie, joined me and the moment we walked in, we ran into our other friends, Kenny and Jeena, who I've been trying to set up a doggie date with for the last month or so. It was an awesome coincidence! We sat at their table and spent the next 2 hours just laughing and giggling at all the cute and funny-looking dogs. I quickly realized, however, that Molly thinks she is a person. She's the sweetest dog with any human, but when it comes to other dogs, this little tiny thing puffs up her chest like she's the lion king. As Kenny and Jeena like to say, "Molly's old school."

Here's a snippet of what the dog cafe is like. Lots of dogs just laying around, wrestling, or like Molly, crawling up my leg to get away.

Took Molly to Bau Haus Dog Cafe in Hongdae, Seoul. 'Twas an interesting experience.

Then, later in the week, my friend, Sky, had a bachelorette party at her house. She's getting married in just about a month, so some of her girlfriends gathered together for one last hurrah :) It was an intimate time--just 6 or 7 of us girls--of goofing around, dancing like madmen and stuffing our faces with spaghetti and red velvet cake. *drool*

[Crafting time!]

[Sexy pose]

[Sexy pose attempt #1]

[Sky: this is how you do it.]

[Sexy pose attempt #2]

[Mourning over the fact that they failed miserably at a sexy pose]

A couple days later, I hopped on a train to Busan for 2 days to visit my dad. But I was able to meet up with some friends, who were exploring in Busan at the same time! While there has been a consistent downpour in Seoul, Busan was filled with sunshine, warmth and lots of giddy people. Rather than explore the city, my friends Judy, Clara, Peter, Justin and I just hung out on the beach, took tons of pictures and relaxed. Although the beaches aren't as breathtaking as California beaches (what can I say? I'm spoiled!), it's just nice to be near a body of water with fresh air and the sound of seagulls. It's nostalgic.

The next set of photos is from Clara. She's amazing, isn't she?

[Judy, me and Clara]

[Peter, Judy and me]

[Illustrating how I must cool my armpits off in this humid weather.]

[Yay :D]

[Haeundae Beach, Busan]

Last week was quite the week with parties and Busan and all. BUT this week has turned out to be quite the surprise. I'll explain more later ;-)

An update on my life, part I.

2011-07-13T00:08:00.000+09:00

Bad bloggers would neglect their blogs for a month. But if you check my last post, it was June 23rd, which is...3 weeks ago, which means I'm not a bad blogger, which means you shouldn't be mad, which means you should continue reading/supporting this blog, which means I promise to deliver more consistently in the future. Deal?

Quite a lot has happened since June 23rd. You see, the thing with blogs is, if there aren't any posts from me in awhile, it's probably because I'm busy, which is a good thing. Being busy means I'm getting things done, exploring the city, living life, etc. Unfortunately, it's bad for you because that means I'm home less, therefore, unlikely to sit in front of my computer, upload photos, remember recent events and such. But that's all irrelevant now because I'm here now and I've got lots of great things to share with you!

About three weeks ago, Mark and I met up with Jamie and some close friends for her 24th birthday! We had dinner at a Peruvian restaurant (where the three of us went for Thanksgiving) and then, we headed to one of our favorite spots in Hongdae for some good music and dancing. The group was intimate--about 10 people--but the vibe was just perfect. Everyone was happy and in a fun mood to celebrate the birth of one of our favorite people! Yay Jamie!

[Arroz con pollo...mmmm!]

[Poor JP. He asked for a vegetarian option and they gave him a bowl of peas -_-]

[Birthday girl <3]

[A mini cheesecake on top of a delicious fluffy white one. *drool*]

>.<

[This girl loves me!]

[When we realized we have very similar smiles]

[Trying not to smile w/ our teeth...so awkward.]

[Some people can dance real funky around here...]

The night was such a blast. I remember thinking on my way home, "Wow, that was a lot of fun." Most nights with Jamie are fun, but it was one of those times where the people, the vibes and the atmosphere just meshed really well. And I'm glad it did because I think Jamie had a really amazing time too.

The following week, on July 3, I went to a Filipino concert for a potential project that I can't yet share with you guys. But I promise you it's something pretty great and I'm really passionate about it. I hope I can share what it is with you guys very soon though! Anyway, the concert was out of this world...I only caught the tail end of it, but from what I saw, those Filipinos can sing! Apparently, there was this really famous band performing (it's a family of 6 or 7 people) and the main singer was singing like it was nobody's business. She sang "Listen" by Beyonce and I honestly think she did a better job than Beyonce. It was crazy!

A few days later, I met up with a few friends to shoot some photos around Hongdae. We ended up just playing on the roof of Hongik University and then going to Peter's place for some hamburgers! It was a really fun time though and I made some new friends in the meantime.

[Peter, Emy (the dog) and Judy take a moment to soak in the gorgeous view]

[Judy C., Judy K. and Peter]

[My legs were shaking so much...I guess you don't really know
if you're afraid of heights until you go up high]

[Judy's yelling supportive words to me, so that I can make it across :)]

[Phew! Made it...]

[Me and Judy Booty Kim!]

[Emy!]

[A student hard at work in one of the studios at the university.]

[At Peter's]

Summer really kicked off on an awesome start...I've been meeting so many great people, getting more involved at church, exploring the city more and, of course, enjoying Molly's company :) Although the weather has been really crummy, it hasn't been as bad as I expected, but I'm told the worst is yet to come. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Perhaps I've spoken too soon.

There's much more to what I've been up to in the last few weeks, but I'll post part II later. I gotta head to work now.

Have a great day everyone! Miss you tons...bisous xoxo

Discouraged.

2011-06-23T22:33:00.000+09:00

When life throws you a lemon, sometimes you just gotta take it.

It has been one of those days...actually, it has been two of those days. Yesterday, I lost my iPhone. And just like I lost my wallet in February, I have no idea how. I wasn't being irresponsible, I wasn't absent-minded, I wasn't in a rush...it just disappeared.

This is how yesterday morning went: Before I left for work, I called Mark to ask him to check if my umbrella was at school. He said "yes," so I packed up my purse, tossed my phone in my bag (or so I thought) and headed out the door. Then, on my way to the subway, I took the trash out and went on my merry way.

Now, usually I take out my phone while I'm on the subway to read news, check email or play games. But yesterday morning in particular, I pulled out a new book to start reading. It wasn't until I was on my way out of the subway station that I realized I left Mark's keys at home. So I reached in my purse to call him, but I couldn't find my phone. No big deal, I thought. I probably left it at home.

When I got off of work, I went home expecting to find my phone on the desk. Huh, not there. In the kitchen? Nope. In the bathroom? Nope. That's weird.

At that point, I proceeded to turn my apartment upside down, looking high and low for that darn thing. I called it on Skype and it rang, but I couldn't hear the ring tone! Then, I thought, maybe I accidentally threw it in the trash bag, which I tossed in the dumpster this morning....

Yep. If you guessed that I unashamedly went to the dumpster to dig my trash bag out, you're right. And to no success either.

Since then, I've refreshed the lost & found page of the subway metro website every hour or so and I've called my phone at least a gajillion times. It's still ringing, which leads me to believe that it wasn't stolen. But 36 hours later, I still have no idea where it's at.

Things like this--losing things when I wasn't being stupid--really throws me off. I try to stay organized and on top of it for the most part, and the last two things I've lost in Korea (which happen to be arguably two of the most important things), I just can't track back, which is highly frustrating.

I'm not jumping the gun yet, though. I have a feeling that it's going to just show up magically, or more accurately by the grace of God :) I mean, really, where could it be?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

It's getting hot in hurrr!

2011-06-20T10:15:00.000+09:00

It's official. Korea's weather sucks. Winter was brutal. Summer is brutal. And while spring is beautiful, I've learned that it only lasts for a total of 4 days.

In eight months worth of blog posts, I whined and complained about how cold it was. Now, out of nowhere, it's hot. Uncomfortably hot. Unbearably hot. Stinkin' hot. And the best part of it all? It's just the beginning! (insert sarcastic smile here)

I know it's going to get much, much worse, so it's kind of pointless to start complaining about it now. But I just can't help it. When I take Molly out for a bathroom break, I'm sticky and oily within minutes.

Thankfully though, the nights are beautiful. It's warm but not hot and everyone's just...happier. Last weekend, Mark said, "Who knew Seoul would become a completely different city in the summer?" And he's absolutely right--everyone's smiling, wearing tank tops, having fun, running around...it's just better.

So I guess the point is this: sure, the weather stinks but if it lifts the city's spirits even just a little bit, I'm willing to grin and bear it :) Wouldn't you?

Here's what I mean...

As the weather heats up, more and more people hang out at the infamous park in Hongdae. That means awesome people watching, more street performances and spontaneous flute solos :)

Jeonju Funjoo

2011-06-15T07:48:00.000+09:00

Last week, my friend Judy invited me on a day trip out of Seoul to Jeonju, which is about 3 hours out of Seoul by bus. So, on Wednesday, I packed up my camera and jumped on a free bus there with Judy, her mom and her mom's friend.

I didn't know what to expect since I've never really heard of Jeonju. The only thing I knew about Jeonju was that there's a type of bibimbap named Jeonju Bibimbap, which is rice and veggies mixed in a large metal bowl. And while I've only had it once and it was good, I prefer the bibimbap that comes in the hot stone bowls (dolsot bibimbap), where everything is sizzling and kinda burning while you're eating it.

We left Seoul around 8 a.m. and made it to Jeonju by 11. The weather has significantly warmed in the last few weeks, so by late morning, it was already pretty hot. We met up with Judy's mom's other friend, who is originally from Jeonju, for lunch. She took us to this great restaurant that only served Jeonju Bibimbap and this time, it was very delicious! Rather than being piping hot, everything was cool, which was perfectly refreshing. And the side dishes were delicious! ^^

[My partner in crime, Judy Kim.]

[Pan chan--side dishes--galore!]

[Jeonju Bibimbap]

After lunch, we walked around, going in and out of various shops and monuments. Jeonju's not very big at all, but it's filled with a lot of culture. The city is famous for its traditional paper, or hanji, which is made from the inner bark of a certain Korean tree called Paper Mulberry. So all throughout the shops, there were paper fans, pretty stationary and large colorful sheets of this special paper to buy...it was very tempting!

[Random entryway with a very traditional-looking man!]

[Making hanji]

[The end product...colorful paper]

Since Jeonju is a lot more traditional-looking than Seoul, there were tons of great photo opportunities. I think I took about 200 photos that day! And I brought 2 different cameras too (one of them is film, which I haven't developed yet, so those photos will come later). I was snapping photos left and right--as we climbed a mountain, went down a mountain, sat at a cafe, watched people making hanji, went to the bathroom...just kidding. I didn't go that far.

[Unfinished.]

[Trying to figure out what this game is...getting the sticks in the tiny pot is hard!]

[My halfhearted attempt]

[Love the vibrancy of these ceilings!]

[Such a tourist haha]

And here are some iPhone pictures...

[A gorgeous light made with hanji]

But anyway, around 3:30, we headed towards this tea house, where Judy's mom's friend signed us up for a tea ceremony (how nice of her, huh?). We learned all about different types of Korean teas; how you're supposed to look a person in the eye when you say "hello" and then bow, rather than doing it at the same time, which is what we all do now; how to properly serve tea to your guests; etc. My dad has been wanting me to do a tea ceremony for awhile because it's a wonderful cultural lesson on traditional Korean values that aren't as apparent in today's society as they should be.

[In front of the tea house]

[Ready!]

[Mimicking the teacher's every move...]

[Trying to sit straight like a lady]

[This photo kills me...look at the teacher's face. She's so bummed out haha]

It requires a very graceful person to master the act of serving tea in this Korean way. And I think it goes without saying I'm not exactly the most graceful person here. So, you can put the two together. By the end of my turn at pouring and serving tea, the little table was filled with droplets of spilled tea. Sigh.

[More tea in the cup or out?]

After that, with about an hour to spare before it was time to get back on the bus, Judy and I went to the cultural center, where we made mirrors with hanji paper. It took me back to my elementary school days, when paper-mache projects were the best thing that ever happened to me. This, however, was a little more traditional: the glue was made out of smashed rice and water. So, friends and family, if you're ever in a bind and you need glue immediately, just smash some white rice, add water and voila, you've got yourself some glue!

Once we finished, we all got on the bus and passed out before you could even say, "Jeonju." In fact, everyone on that bus did...it was, by far, the quietest drive I've ever been on.

When we arrived in Seoul, Judy and I squeezed out the last ounce of energy we had by walking around Gwanghwamun Square. It was quite the evening to do so too--corners were filled with various protests and tons of people were out and about. Unfortunately, our night was cut short by a sudden thunderstorm. But it was an adventure-filled day and we were exhausted, so we took it as our cue to go home :)

[Gwanghwamun]

[New versus Old]

[Protest regarding education, we think.]

[Cheonggyecheon Stream]

This was my first day trip out of Seoul since being here and I really loved it. It's nice to get out of Seoul every once in awhile...this city can exhaust you :) And tourism organizations make it so easy and cheap (or, in this case, free!) to travel around Korea, there's really no excuse not to go!

Like I mentioned before, I took TONS of photos, so if you'd like to see the rest, go to my Flickr page here.

Until next time, bisous xoxo!

Three Day Weekend, Sorta.

2011-06-08T22:06:00.001+09:00

Let me just start off by saying, I was very tempted to write yet another post about Molly. But I figured I'd start losing readers if all my blog postings turned into photo collages of Molly sitting, staring, eating, peeing and sleeping. Then, I'd have to change my blog name from sans borders to sans a life (without a life). Man, I crack myself up when I'm delirious and running on only a few hours of sleep.

Anyway, last weekend was a three-day weekend for most people, with Monday being Memorial Day here in Korea. Although I work on Saturday and Sunday morning, the amount of work I'm actually required to do makes it wrong to even call it "work." And I think this goes for any country, but when there's a three-day weekend coming up, you can just feel it in the air. People are chirpier and the sun's a bit brighter.

Mark and I decided to use the holiday as an opportunity to ride our bikes along the river. First, we took Molly to the vet to get her vaccines and then, we got some lunch with our new friend, Charlotte. I don't think I've mentioned Charlotte on here before, but she's a good friend of Mark's sister, who came out here to teach English at Mark's kindergarten! She's been here for a month already, and her bubbly personality and semi-permanent smile makes it almost impossible to have a bad day. She's awesome. In fact, she's so awesome that we're actually planning on traveling to Thailand together in July. Pretty awesome, huh?

[Bibim Neng-myeun is so good in the summer time!]

After lunch, Mark and I left Molly at home to rest (the vet told us she wasn't allowed to walk for a day because of her vaccinations...have you ever heard of such a thing?) and then, we took off with our bikes. We rode all over, but my favorite spot was Ttukseom Resort, which is this big area right by the river to hang out, have a picnic, play games and just enjoy the day off. We got a little snack, parked ourselves at a little old picnic table and watched some old grandmas and grandpas playing croquet.

[This is how we travel with Molly when we ride bikes.]

[You should hear how many people say, "Ahhh kee-oh-woh!!", which means "how cute!!"
Mark thinks they're talking about him. tee hee hee.]

[The weather was perfect, so lots of people were out and about.]

[A small part of Ttukseom Park.]

[Mark and his new stache.]

[This man had good form, and good style ;)]

After 20 minutes or so of that, we jumped back onto our bikes and rode to Oksu station, where we rode the subway to the radio station because I had to report on international news that evening. Then, just 10 minutes later, we were back at Oksu, jumping on our bikes to return home.

[On our way back!]

I have to admit, it was a bit exhausting especially with the wind on the way back, but I couldn't have been more satisfied with the day. It was adventurous yet relaxing and best of all, I got to spend it with my best friend and love. Who could ask for anything more?!

Who can blame me?

2011-05-31T22:38:00.001+09:00

I was trying to avoid writing another post about Molly, which just resulted in another week w/o a blog post. So why not? Heck, she's cute anyway :)

I took her to Busan last week to visit my dad and the rest of the gang. I have a plastic crate for her but it's so big and the seats on the KTX train are so tight, I figured it would be more convenient to just carry her in a bag. She isn't exactly accustomed to being in small spaces (but it's getting better), so it's always a bit of a struggle to get her to sit properly in my messenger bag (she's too big to fit in a normal purse). Her legs always go haywire and she tries to hop out any chance she gets. But after a few minutes or so, she gives up in defeat.

She was good for most of the train ride there. It's about 2 1/2 hours give or take, and for an hour of it, she slept, which meant I got to sleep to (with my finger around her collar, of course). But then, the other hour and a half, she was just itching to jump into the lap of the man sitting next to me, who didn't seem to be much of a dog fan considering the look of disgust on his face.

Which, by the way, deserves an entirely different blog post in and of itself...why are so many Koreans afraid of dogs? Do they think they're dirty? Or vicious? I can't tell you many times I've walked Molly, who is a whopping 6 lbs., when grown women in their 50s and 60s recoil in absolute horror. Last week, as I was taking Molly out for a potty break, a mother picked up her 10-year-old son to protect him from my vicious canine. But then, there are so many people who just adore Molly...they'll talk to her and bow as if they're having a normal conversation with a human being. It's the oddest thing.

Anyway, back to my train ride to Busan. Molly was fidgety but all of that was easily forgivable UNTIL...

She farted! It was a silent but deadly one too. And believe me, I got looks. Lots of them. And they were mean ones too.

I could have said something to try and save face, I guess, but what good would that have done? They would have thought I was just lying and blaming the dog. So instead, I decided to say nothing and hang my head in shame. Then, I secretly cursed Molly while she happily wagged her tail and contemplated how to get into my neighbor's lap.

During our 2-night stay in Busan, I got a proper dog bag, so the way back wasn't as hectic. She did paw at the door for half the time, but at least she wasn't farting in everyone's faces. Overall, she was a very good traveler.

Here's some pictures taken over the course of the last week. She's a cutie huh? ;-)

[She always wanted to ride in the driver's seat for some reason]

[Then, she fell asleep on the wheel...literally.]

[This was taken a couple days ago while I was working.
She wanted me to stop and pay attention to her instead.]

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Consistency

2011-05-24T11:47:00.000+09:00

Since adopting Molly last week, I've thought a lot about consistency. She has been shuffled around from place to place (on the streets to foster homes to her now permanent home), so it's understandable that she was pretty weirded out for the first couple of days with me. She didn't really know what to do with herself, so she'd just lay there...all day. But now, as she's getting used to things and realizing that I'm her permanent mama, she has relaxed a lot more.

Only a week has gone by but already her personality is shining through. For example, when I'm about to take her for a walk, she stands up on her back legs to help me put her collar on. When she gets excited, she jumps in circles like a ballet dancer. And when she just wants to be loved, she won't wait for you to come to her...she'll go directly to you and sit on your lap and roll over, so that you can rub her tummy.

[My heart squeezes]

Mark often tells her, "You're not going anywhere...we're gonna love you so much, you're going to get tired of us." And even though he's only talking to Molly and she's just a dog, we operate the same way. As much as I love new adventures and doing new things all the time, a little consistency is nice. A consistent job, consistent warm weather, consistent runs along the river, consistent meals...these are all things that make our life enjoyable, but we often take it for granted because we tend to focus on the negative (yes, a consistent job, but also a boring job; yes, warm weather, but now it's getting too hot; etc.).

I've been very busy, especially on the weekends, but I feel so comfortable with where I'm at. Every month, I write an article. Every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday I tutor. Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I work at the radio station. Every Sunday, I go to church. Every morning, I have my hot cup of coffee and breakfast. And even if this sounds boring to you, it's thrilling in the sense that I've managed to create a very "normal" life in what used to be a very, very foreign environment. I'm not sure if I'm articulating it right, but the simple juxtaposition of that previous sentence is what makes life interesting.

And the special moments, the not-so-regular ones, that are interspersed with the very regular day-to-day things is what brings a smile to my face. Because it is in those moments that I realize I have the best boyfriend, friends and family in the world.

[The bridge I live near...en route to meet Mark for a night ride]

[This is after I told him that his camera smile didn't look genuine...sorry, Mark!]

[At Yeoido Park]

Until next time, ciao.

Meet Molly.

2011-05-20T08:57:00.000+09:00

I adopted her from Animal Rescue Korea, which is this great website with listings of animals who need to be adopted in Korea. I wrote an article about them...you can read it here if you'd like.

But anyway, getting back to Molly, she's adorable, a sweetheart and extremely mellow. I'm completely smitten over her. Because she's a rescue dog, we're not 100% sure what mix of breeds she is, but just by the looks of it, we're guessing she's a mix of Maltese and Terrier (just look at those ears). She's between 2-3 years old and she's very healthy!

Because she's not a pup, her temperament is very relaxed and she appears to be completely house-trained (she hasn't had an accident inside yet!). And best of all, she's full of surprises. For example, she stands and sits on her hind legs only. She also pees on her front legs only, like she's doing a headstand. It's the oddest thing. To be honest, I didn't find the peeing on the front legs thing cute at all, just weird. When people walked by while she was tinkling, I'd get embarrassed. But now, I just think it's hilarious! Mark and I joke that she was in the circus before I adopted her. One of these days, I'll take a picture of her in action.

[You can kind of see her sitting on her hind legs in this video]

Molly from Elysabeth on Vimeo.

A lot of people discouraged me from getting a dog because they were afraid I'd be stuck at home taking care of her instead of exploring Korea. Although I appreciate the concern, we couldn't be happier. My dad, who lives in Busan, has happily volunteered to dog sit her if I ever go on vacation. If it's a day-trip thing, I can just leave her at home, or even better, take her with me!

[Eating some kind of doggy gum]

[She likes this spot; unfortunately, it isn't conducive to my productivity]

You'll be seeing and hearing more of her in the coming days, weeks and months. I'm just getting used to this whole being-responsible-for-something/someone-else-other-than-myself thing ;)

Until next time, bisous <3

At first, and now.

2011-05-17T11:25:00.000+09:00

At first, I...
...would get so angry at how Koreans pushed and elbowed their way through crowds, rather than say "Excuse me."

...hated how there was no word/expression for "Excuse me."

...couldn't stand how every native Korean over the age of 50 felt like it was acceptable to lecture me on the importance of knowing the language and my heritage.

...didn't understand why manners meant so little in Korea.

...didn't see a distinct cultural identity among Koreans.

Now, I...
...laugh every time I get elbowed or pushed because of how ridiculous it is. But I don't mind when the elderly do it. In fact, I quietly step aside and applaud their fiery boldness. One time on the subway, I was going towards an empty seat, when all of a sudden, a grandma grabbed the back of my jacket, pulled me back and sat down. Then, when I looked at her in shock, she just smiled back, toothless.

...still don't understand why "Excuse me" doesn't exist in the Korean language.

...try a little harder to speak Korean instead of resorting to the "I can't speak Korean at all" approach. As a result, I receive more appreciative responses and laughs rather than the finger-wagging you-should's...

...see that manners mean a lot, but in a different way. Manners among strangers and passers-by are nonexistent. When you live in a big city like Seoul, I guess you can't bother with moving out of the way or saying "Excuse me." But manners between families and friends are very important and very evident. If you go to someone's house, they will feed you until your stomach explodes. And even then, they will probably give you some more food to ease that explosive stomach of yours.

...finally understand the most important and distinctive character of Korean cultural identity: community. On the surface, it looks like everyone is doing their own thing, unconcerned with anyone else. But if you look a little deeper, you'll find that people are more than willing to help each other out because that sense of community is what makes this culture so alive. Last week, when I was walking to a bus stop, I approached an old woman, who stood no taller than 4 feet and 7 inches because of the 90-degree angle her body took as a result of decades of back-breaking work. As I neared her, I noticed she was just standing in front of a curb with her wobbly cane, looking down, then looking up, hoping to make eye contact with anyone who passed by. As I walked by her, I looked at her and our eyes met. Without a word, she held out her hand and I grabbed it, knowing exactly what she needed. Squeezing tightly to my hand, she found all the strength she could to step up onto that curb. As she slowly hopped up, she released my hand and went on her way.

Had this occurred a few months ago, I might have grumbled to myself, "Psht, you're welcome" since she didn't thank me. But when it happened, my heart leapt for joy because I finally understood something I've been missing this entire time. I understood that the reason she didn't thank me was because once upon a time, that would have been a common and expected gesture among the community. Helping each other out was normal, not a special occurrence that deserved recognition.

But the next realization made my heart sink, which is how times have radically changed through the generations. Before I came along her side, 10 or 15 Koreans walked right past her, unconcerned with what was happening outside their own world. Had they taken a second to step out of their tunnel-vision life, they would have seen an 80-something woman in need of a hand (literally).

On another occasion, I was leaving the subway station and as I was stepping onto the escalator, I saw an old woman (probably in her 80s as well and just as small as the other lady) on her way down to the subway. She was clearly confused as she walked in circles, not knowing which platform to go to. Suddenly, from all corners of the station, three or four equally-old men and women wobbled to her, eager to help her find the right platform. It sounded like they were all yelling at each other, but considering their age, they were most likely just talking and trying to figure out where to go. At that point, I was so curious that I went back down on the escalator to see if everything was alright. Sure enough, the "helpers" were slowly making their way back to wherever they came from and the little old lady was standing at the right platform.

How can you not fall in love with Seoul when moments such as these occur in your daily life? It's exciting to know that I have a lot to learn about Korea and its people, or shall I say, my people :)

A new season, a new love.

2011-05-15T21:50:00.000+09:00

Don't you love it when just a little time away makes you appreciate your surroundings so much more? The first time I acknowledged that was during my 6-week road trip around the country with my family last summer. As much as I enjoyed visiting every one of our 24 destinations, most importantly, it confirmed how much I truly, truly love California. The nice weather, the easy-going people, the beaches, the mountains, it's so easily taken for granted.

Well, the same exact thing happened upon my return to Seoul. Being in California was wonderful, but I missed the convenience and the "there's-always-something-to-do-at-all-hours-of-the-day" that only exists in big cities like Seoul. I missed having the convenience of the subway, or even just walking everywhere. I missed the endless rows of restaurants and cafes with their neon signs that light up the streets until the wee hours of the morning. Case in point, I missed my new home.

But I'm not gonna beat around the bush either. I'm absolutely positive that 94.3% of my new appreciation for Seoul has everything to do with the warmer weather. We've been hit with rainy days but it has still remained above 65 degrees. And for the days that aren't rainy, we have breathtakingly beautiful days, which is when I am constantly telling myself, "This is what everyone means when they say spring weather makes it all worth it!" Because seriously, people, when it was March and still 20-30 degrees, I was experiencing some major depression and I thought I'd never see the sun again (and that I'd always look like a walking ghost). In fact, I talked to Mark's sister a few days ago, who lives in NYC and has been listening to our grumbling about the cold winter with a very understanding ear (did I mention she lives in NYC?), and I told her that I had no idea whatsoever that emotions and weather were linked so closely together, which she agreed with, with a big "Oh yeah!"

All that to say, gloomy days are officially gone, my lovely friends :) And that means more bike rides at night, more day-exploring and more smiles all around, which is exactly what I've been doing. For the last three weeks, I have been more spontaneous in my adventures and have had a constant longing to be outdoors in the morning, throughout the day and at night. I just can't help it!

And here are the photos to prove it!

[Last weekend, I went to Namhae with my dad. Although a little boring since my dad just golfed, the scenery was beautiful. By the way, this isn't my dad, just a bystander.]

[Dinner w/ Jamie at a yummy donburi hole-in-the-wall spot in Hongdae]

[Crafting time w/ Jamie @ Cafe Bene]

[...and long night rides along the Han River. *side note: sorry for the blur, bike seats don't work too well as replacement tripods ;)]

So, there you have it. I've fallen in love with Seoul all over again, in a much warmer, more agreeable environment. I can't wait for the hot, muggy summers to come...not!

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Lotus Lantern Festival

2011-05-12T11:09:00.000+09:00

Tuesday, May 10th marked Buddha's Birthday, which is a huge celebration and national holiday here in Korea. Of the 49 million people in South Korea, 10 million are Buddhists (8.6 million are Protestants and 5.1 million are Catholics, just in case you're wondering), so you can imagine how big the festivities were over the weekend. Not to mention, Children's Day and Parents' Day were on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, so it was a big weekend of celebrations indeed.

Saturday evening, I met up with some friends (Jamie, Hallie, Phil & two of his friends) near the Jonggak station exit, where the entire street was closed off for a parade. Thankfully, Jamie and Hallie secured a few prime spots in the front row, so by the time we all met up, we had a great view. I couldn't tell you how long the parade went for because we left a little early to beat the crowds. But it was definitely longer & bigger than any parade I've ever experienced. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun to see all the beautiful lantern floats and to wave and high-five those who marched in the parade. Most of the time, their attention would go to the white people sitting next to us (pardon my not being pc) and ignore us (meaning me and Jamie) altogether.

At one point, as I was violently waving my hand back and forth to be high-fived or even slightly acknowledged, a girl in the parade ran up to Phil's friend, who is white, and said, "I love you!!!!!!!!" and walked right past me. I'm telling you, if you're white and you want to feel exotic and be celebrated purely for the color of your skin, come to Korea. You will be asked to take pictures with teenage girls and you'll regularly be told "I love you" by complete strangers. One time when Mark and I were in a taxi, the driver told Mark he was very handsome, not once, not twice, but FIVE times. And he said Mark was like Nicholas Cage...I'm not sure if Mark took that as a compliment or not. His smile went away pretty quickly.

Anyway, here are some photos I took throughout the parade. You can view the rest here:

[Phil with his new toy]

[Some floats got really fancy...this one was spewing fire]

[Jamie's face the whole time :)]

Looks beautiful, huh? It was! All the lit up lanterns were magical and it was fun to be a kid again, waving at each and every person that went by.

Until next time, bisous <3

A new season, a new bike

2011-05-04T16:31:00.000+09:00

One of the first things on my agenda upon returning was to purchase a new bike. Mark has one, Jamie has one and two of my other friends--Michael and Lee Ann--each have one. It was time. To my dismay, I found nothing on Craigslist, but with a little help from Michael and Mark, I went to a few bike shops around Seoul to compare prices and see how far they were willing to negotiate :)

My first evening of shopping around, I found a bike that was calling my name. But I didn't want to buy it impulsively, so I waited a couple days, looked at some others, and eventually went back. To my delight, they dropped the price to fit my budget, so by Monday night, I walked away with a brand spankin' new (and may I say beautiful) bike. Since then, I've taken that thing all along the Han River and back. And just yesterday, a few others and I rode all the way to Anyang to play at an art sculpture park, which was as fun as it sounds!

[These are taken from my solo trip along the Han]

[The 63 Building up close and from afar]

[At Dongjak station. I think the grittiness of these stairs are wonderful.]

The next set of photos are from yesterday's adventure with Michael, Lee Ann, JP and Jamie. It was Children's Day, so most people had the day off (except Mark!). We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went on a three-and-a-half hour bike ride to Anyang, where there is this really neat sculpture park in the middle of a forest of trees. Jamie and I left early to go to a Cinco de Mayo BBQ, but I'm definitely making my way back soon.

[Michael & JP discussing the perils of color coordinating outfits]

[Trying to be inconspicuous w/ an over-the-shoulder photo of Jamie & JP]

[Taking a break to smell the lilacs]

[A bouquet of lilacs in Jamie's hair]

[JP adds a nice touch to his otherwise masculine backpack]

[And we're off!]

[A medieval-looking bridge]

[The first art installation we came upon]

[A reflection or reality? Or both?]

[We're just big kids at heart]

[My favorite installation. The proportions of the statue made it look like a reflection,
as if there was a giant mirror in the middle of the forest.]

[No, we didn't ride back...we took the train :)]

So there you go! This is only the beginning of my biking adventures in and around Seoul. Until next time, gros bisous xoxo

2011-05-03T09:29:00.000+09:00

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Home

2011-04-28T15:40:00.000+09:00

What's beautiful about home is that no matter how long I've been gone or how many miles I've been away, comfort, love, joy and peace resume its place in my life and my family and friends will be there, welcoming me with open arms.

After three months in Washington D.C., after four months in France and now, after six months in Korea, I now know that when I return home, I never have to worry about feeling out of place. I'm never uncomfortable or anxious. I become a daughter again. I become Sissy again. I become Liz again.

And there's something very beautiful about that.

On my first day back, when the kids got home from school, I fell asleep in my dad's La-Z-Boy chair with Mary tucked into my left side, while my mom checked her email nearby and the boys sat to her left, playing their video games. I didn't have to catch up or earn the kids' affection...it was just another day in the life.

The same goes for each friend I caught up with. There was never a moment of awkwardness. We simply picked up where we left off, laughing and goofing off as always.

The week before I was to return home, I was a little anxious. What if everyone changed while I was away? What if we had nothing in common? Nothing to talk about? Sure, it was only six months, but a lot can happen in six months. But literally within hours of being home, I knew instantly that no matter how much life changes, there's an unconditional love that I exists between me and my family and friends, which will never change nor will it ever be replaced, regardless of how long I am gone.

[Two of my favorite things: our backyard and our incredibly emotional dog Max]

[Our other dog, Koda, who is more like a rambunctious 2-year-old than a dog.]

[After calling me out one morning, I finally took Mary to get her ears pierced]

After a whirlwind week with friends, I spent the last few days with my family in Mammoth and I couldn't have asked for a better way to conclude my trip home. It was filled with lots of food, TV-watching, Scrabble-playing (and making up our own words!), skiing and Easter egg-hunting.

[They were waiting for me outside the door, snowballs in hand]

[That's a mischievous look on Robert's face...]

[Hit!]

[They wouldn't stop...]

[But then, I retaliated...and that's Mary running for her life]

[These kids are ruthless...]

[But magically, I convinced Robert that the giant snowball
would be better to pose with than to throw at Sissy]

[Our failed attempt at a jumping picture...did Robert even try?!]

[What happens when Aunt Mary comes to Mammoth: gourmet food for breakfast, lunch and dinner; this is home-made jajangmyun, orange chicken and candied walnut shrimp ]

[Watching a Korean drama; they said it was a comedy,
but they don't look very happy...]

[Lunch break from skiing; a nice shot of Robert's food in his mouth.]

[My first steak in 6 months! DELICIOUS]

[Easter morning...where are all the eggs?]

And I even squeezed in a short but much-needed visit with Mark's mom. She even fed me an Easter dinner, which was so, so, so delicious. Thanks, Sharon!

On the flight back to Korea, rather than feeling homesick or sad, I was filled with such love and happiness. I am so blessed to have a life filled with such amazing people, who support me in all that I'm doing. I really can't ask for more. And even though it's inevitable to feel moments of homesickness as I look back at pictures from the last two weeks, more than anything, my trip home rejuvenated me for what I have to look forward to here. My time in Korea isn't permanent, so I need to do all that I can to take advantage of every experience while it lasts.

Thank you once again to everyone who made an effort to see me during the two short weeks I was back. And for those I didn't have a chance to see, I plan on being back in October, so I better see you then! Until next time, bisous xoxo...

Coachella, my desert fête

2011-04-24T09:25:00.000+09:00

Currently listening to "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons for the first time since Coachella. In fact, before Coachella, I knew very little of them...I never even listened to a song of theirs. But after a live performance that brought me to tears (literally!), I bought their album quicker than you can say "Coachella."

Going into Mumford & Sons' set, I figured I'd see what all the "hype" was about. I heard they were good, I heard people loved them, I heard they had songs on the radio. And most importantly, there were no other bands I wanted to see at the same time.

By the third song, I was in tears. At one point, one of the guys (I don't know their names yet haha) said, "We're a little intimated...this is by far the largest crowd we've performed in front of" or something to that effect. And that's when it just hit me: for many of these artists, Coachella is the biggest performance of their lives and we get to be there to experience it.

What blows my mind even more, though, is that Mumford & Sons wasn't the only band who had such a profound effect on me. Arcade Fire, Empire of the Sun, Freelance Whales, Broken Social Scene, Ellie Goulding, Erykah Badu, Chromeo, they all mastered what Coachella is supposed to be: a three-day celebration of music.

Like last year's Coachella, I'm at a loss for words. I don't want to devalue its importance, its effect and its beauty with meaningless words. So instead, I'll give you a brief rundown and then let the photos do the rest of the talking.

For starters, we camped! Five of us stuffed into a four-person tent for four nights like a can of sardines, while two slept in a car and another two slept in a separate small tent. And let me tell you, 95+ degree weather at 7 a.m. in a hot tent with four equally smelly people (myself included) is not the business. Everyday, from the moment we woke until about 3 p.m., we spent most of our time and energy looking for shade...between cars, under canopies, near trees, anywhere we could find. At one point, I ended up underneath the trailer of public showers because that was the only shade I could fine.

Secondly, this year's Coachella was a reunion of sorts for me, Jamie and the rest of our best friends. Although I had been home for a couple of days, Jamie literally stepped off the plane from Korea and into my friend Maria's car to go to Indio. Another friend, Nick, also just got off the plane, flying from Germany the day before. With exhaustion running through our blood, we depended on each other for support, energy and good vibes all weekend long. I couldn't have done it without them.

This brings me to my next point. Whereas last year's Coachella was all about new experiences, this year's was very different. If I could sum it up in one word, I'd say "personal." Not only was I with some of the most important people in my life (there was one very special person missing though!), many of the artists' performances transported me to some of my most personal memories and/or transitions in life. For example, Arcade Fire took me back to a few months ago, when I thought transitioning to life in Korea was all but impossible. Ellie Goulding transported me to the days I'd run along the Han River, listening to her album, Bright Lights, filled with joy at the thought of spring's arrival. And the beautiful Lauryn Hill took me back to my high school days, when 16-year-old Elysabeth thought she knew what love was :-P

In summary, it was perfection. Hot, sweaty, musical perfection.

---------------

These photos were taken by Alvin and Nick. I stole them (thanks, guys).

[At the campsite, trying to cool off]

[Maria's permanent spot for the weekend]

[Our bathrooms all weekend...uh, yeah.]

[Met up with Tanya on Day 3!]

[love]

[My girls]

[Empire of the Sun...no words.]

[Oh Kanye...some things are better left unsaid.]

----------

The next set of photos were taken by me with my new Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim remake by Superheadz (made in Tokyo). It's a fun and easy toy camera that I wish I utilized more!

Ok, that is all. Thank you for reading my rambling thoughts, or if you didn't, thank you for scrolling to the bottom of the page. Either way, I love you.

Until next time, bisous.

so far, soooo good.

2011-04-22T02:33:00.000+09:00

I told you I'd be MIA! This last week and a half has gone by in a half-blink of an eye. I arrived on Tuesday morning and spent the next two days resting and enjoying family time.

[A typical afternoon at home: pooper-scooping, happy dogs and climbing kids]

[Our not-so-smart but adorable dog Koda]

[Lunch w/ my mama @ Veronese Cafe]

On Thursday, I took off for what will go down as the best Coachella yet (until next year). Although this will get an entire blog post to itself, for three days, I experienced epic music with beautiful company in the most stripped down & dirty accommodation possible: camping.

97 degree weather + limited shade + six cases of water + jet lag + crazy people + mind-blowing performances + an infinite amount of PB & J, Star Wars fruit snacks and Quaker Oaks granola bars = a really good time.

[The Coachella 2011 Crew]

The last few days have consisted of wonderful breakfasts, lunches and dinners with my loving friends, some even driving all the way from Pasadena to see me (Thanks, Emily!). I'm so touched by people's effort to cut out a little portion of their busy lives to spend time with me...I can't wait to carry these moments with me back to Korea.

Last night, a friend of mine, Aubrey, and his band, 80 Proof, performed at Slide Bar in downtown Fullerton. Almost everyone who was a part of the Coachella crew made it out, and it was so neat to get together one last time before Jamie and I head back to Korea. It's so interesting to see how strong our connection is after the long and exhausting weekend we had together. Although nothing has to be said aloud, we all know that we shared one of the best experiences of our lives together, which is a pretty solid thing to claim, don't you think?

But more importantly, 80 Proof killed it last night! They were soooooo amazing live and their energy and musicality is going to bring them a lot of success...I have a feeling. At one point, I looked around the entire venue and every single person was either dancing or had the biggest smile across their face. 80 Proof definitely knows how to make people feel good. Well done, guys!

Today, the entire family is going up to Mammoth for a few days, which I'm really looking forward to. Although I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone and going nonstop like the Energizer Bunny, I'm definitely ready for some r & r with my favorite people: my family. My plan is to ski, read, sleep, eat and sit in the jacuzzi. Sounds relaxing right? And what better way to spend my last few days in the States than with my family!

Thank you, again, to everyone who has made an effort to see me during this very short visit. You all mean the world to me <3

Keep your eyes peeled for my next post about Coachella. You won't wanna miss it! ;) Until then, bisous xoxo

It's time!

2011-04-12T00:40:00.000+09:00

In a short 7 hours, I'll be making my way to Incheon Airport for a very long 14-hour journey back home! Naturally, I left everything for the last minute, so I haven't been able to stop and think about it until now (at 12:41 a.m.). But now that I can, I am so excited!! I can't wait to give my family many, many hugs! I can't wait to see the kids and receive their tiny little hugs. I can't wait to see how excited they are for 3 minutes before they get distracted and continue on with their day ;)

I can't wait to eat a protein-style burger with grilled onions and animal-style fries at In-n-Out, followed by a grilled chicken burrito bowl with extra corn salsa and black beans from Chipotle. My mouth is watering as I write.

Then, after some quality time with my beautiful family, I'll be making my way to Coachella for 3 fantastic days under the beating sun, listening to wonderful music and making memories with my closest friends. Who can ask for a better vacation than that?!

BUT it gets even better! After Coachella, I'll be spending my last weekend in Mammoth with my family, eating delicious food made by my aunt and soaking in every moment before I head back to Seoul.

Now, that's a vacation...don't ya think?

I'm trying to stay up all night, so I can knock out on the plane and beat the jet lag as much as possible. I just had some coffee, but honestly, I'm pretty sure the anticipation would have been enough to keep me up.

I will keep my blog as updated as possible, but I hope you understand that if I have to choose between sitting in front of the computer or spending time with my loved ones, I'm gonna go w/ the latter!

I hope all of you have a beautiful day and I will see you in sunny California :-D Until then, bisous xoxo

A full week

2011-04-08T10:48:00.001+09:00

No matter how much I try to prepare beforehand, the last few days before a big trip is always chaotic for me. Is that for everyone else too?

Although this week has been chaotic, to say the least, it's been really fun as well. As mentioned before, Mark's friend, Davis, & his girlfriend, Susie, were visiting for a few days. They left Friday morning, so the last five evenings have been spent hosting and showing them around the beautiful city that we love oh-so-much. During the day, they explored on their own while Mark and I worked (or more like ran errands and wrote articles...that's "working" right?)

[Wednesday night dinner]

[On the bus to Gangnam]

[Mark's delicious home-cooked meal for Thursday night]

[A feast...thanks Mark!]

On Wednesday, Jamie and I went to Dongdaemun on a mission: we're making something for our friends for our weekend at Coachella and we needed to buy all the materials for it (I can't tell you what it is because it's a surprise, but after next week, I'll post some pictures of it). But, of course, with Jamie, any day together becomes a day of exploring, so aside from Dongdaemun, we went shopping at this AMAZING warehouse-like area, filled with secondhand clothes and best of all, with secondhand prices :)

[Spring=great fruit]

[Mid-day snack]

On Thursday, I went over to Jamie's place to start making what we're making. Although the process was quite tedious, watching episodes of Doug and the movie Hot Rod made it a perfect remedy for a rainy day and lots of sewing (that's the only hint!). And we're happy to say, the end result of our secret project is turning out wonderfully! I even tested mine out last night at dinner ;)

Anyway, I can't believe it's already Sunday. Suddenly, I have a huge (and growing) list of things to do before I take off on Tuesday. I doubt I'll accomplish everything, but it's going to be a heck of a time trying!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend...soon, I'll be seeing you in person :-D Until then, bisous xoxo

Scenes from an iPhone

2011-04-06T00:27:00.000+09:00

As mentioned before, I've been getting back into running since the sun's been out, which has been sooooo nice! Just ask Mark, in the dead of winter, I would pile on layers upon layers of clothes just to be out. I needed to move around. I was tired of being cooped up. Well, that time has finally come :)

Most of these photos are taken during runs through the city. Most of the beautiful corners of Seoul are found while I'm running. It's always a fun discovery, but unfortunately, I never have my dslr on me to take some great shots. Hope you enjoy!

[Taken under a bridge; the sound of cars and trucks zooming by overhead and the sound of water slapping the rocks below :) A nice juxtaposition]

[A creepy clown trying to advertise for some phone company]

[And my favorite...whoever was flying this kite was extremely talented.
I stood there mesmerized for 10 minutes]

I just want to be outside.

2011-04-05T23:49:00.000+09:00

When the sun's out and everyone starts crawling out of their bat caves, I just want to be outside. I don't want to blog...so...that's the excuse I'm going with :)

But I can only not blog for so long. Sooner or later, I get this nagging feeling in the back of my head like I've let someone down, which is interesting because I'm pretty sure I can count all my readers on one hand.

Needless to say, I've missed you and I've missed this. But I'm happy to report that I've been taking full advantage of the sun. Mark left his bike at my place, so I've been riding it all week, which has been amazing. Amazing, I tell you. I had no idea a simple cruise along the river could lift my spirits so drastically.

Last week, my stay in Busan was a teaser for just how glorious the weather is going to be when I visit California in just ONE WEEK! I was a tad too early to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, but their little buds were there, waiting to pop when it was time. Unfortunately, I think I'll be missing the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival too. It takes place during my vacation. Oh well, next year.

[In Busan, taken during a morning run]

[Love is in the air! For my reason why, continue reading...]

[Yours truly]

It has been an exciting two weeks. Three of my friends--Caitlin, Sky and Diego--all got engaged last week! And I've been very busy with work while simultaneously trying to prepare for my trip home. The weekdays are filled with writing and tutoring while the weekends are filled with radio and more tutoring.

Unfortunately, my free-but-sporadic schedule happens to conflict with others, so I haven't seen much of anyone lately. On Sunday, however, I went for a bike ride with Jamie, which was really nice and needed. We munched on chips and cookies while catching up and getting ourselves worked up for Coachella (which I can't even begin to talk about or else I'll get too excited to fall asleep; hence, the lack of posts on what will be an incredible and epic weekend).

[And it begins...]

[Mark's bike that I've officially adopted without his knowledge]

[The moment the sun comes out, the people gather]

[There's that Seoul sun we've been waiting for!]

Today, I went on a four-mile bike ride followed with a four-mile run, which felt so incredibly good. Don't you just love the feeling of your body being completely exhausted but because of physical activity, not because of a long day at work? Anyway, today's run solidified that winter is definitely gone and spring has officially arrived. I know I said it before and was quickly corrected, but I just know now. I actually stepped outside with a short-sleeve shirt today. And last weekend, I wore shorts! My arms and legs haven't seen the sun in over three months!

I've been told by numerous people who actually experience seasons (*ahem* Kaylen) that no matter how harsh the winters are, spring makes it worth it. Since this is my first real winter ever, I can confidently attest to that. Suddenly, with just a little sunshine, I can't remember how sad, angry and depressed I was at how bitterly cold Seoul got. Thank God for that...next winter, I'll know that there's a very bright light at the end of the loooong tunnel.

Anyway, I should get to bed, or perhaps sneak in an episode of Mad Men hehehe. Until next time, which I promise won't be so long, ciao!

Busan

2011-04-01T12:39:00.000+09:00

I'm about to head back to Seoul, but it was yet another wonderful and relaxing trip to Busan. Even though I was only here for 2 1/2 days, it's always so nice spending time with my dad (and soaking in the rays along the beach ain't too bad either!).

The photo below was taken during a morning jog along the beach. Although I'm a week too early to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, there are still buds just waiting to pop.

It's so beautiful to see the change of seasons so clearly. Yes, I've been anticipating the arrival of spring for many months now, but there's no question that it's finally here. New leaves, new flowers, new weather, new opportunities...Happy Spring everybody!

Tuesday Smoozeday

2011-03-29T09:47:00.000+09:00

I've come to the conclusion that Tuesdays are the new Mondays. For some reason, I always get the Tuesday blues!

Well, I have a solution for it this morning. Watch this, and I'm sure it will cheer up the saddest of souls:

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Welp...

2011-03-24T18:59:00.001+09:00

...it looks like I jinxed it.

It's snowing!

Gr.

[Feeling defeated...]

I think...but I don't want to jinx it.

2011-03-22T22:20:00.000+09:00

Shhhhhhhhhh...I don't want Mr. Korean Weather to hear me...but I think the time has come....I think, I hope, I pray... Spring is here.

And I think it's lifting my spirits more than I ever thought possible. Because when it's Spring, I get to do this:

Instead of this:

[This was taken in February, at the peak of my delirium from being indoors all day]

I have about three weeks until I visit home for two weeks. I've picked up two people with tutoring, so most of my week is taken up with one- or two-hour sessions. I've also started a new show for TBS. The host I worked with on the Evening Show moved to a morning weekend show, so he invited me to do the in-depth news for both days. Last weekend was the first and although there were a few bumps in the road, I was fairly pleased with the outcome. Hopefully, I get around to posting another sound clip for you guys. Everyone was so encouraging last time, so maybe I'll do it when I need a boost in morale ;)

I'm extremely excited about my visit home! But I have so many things to do before then, I doubt I'll have much time to think about it until I'm actually on the plane. Until April 12, I have two articles to turn in, the weekend shows, tutoring in between, family time in Busan and showing Mark's visiting friends a good time at the beginning of the month. Phew! It makes me tired just thinking about it...

Regardless, life is good and I'm really beginning to feel like Korea is home. My six-month mark is this Saturday and I can't believe how much growth I've experienced already. Living on my own, making career decisions, having financial responsibilities are all part of growing up, but I'm really enjoying every part of it. It's not easy and I'll be the first to tell you that I have my days (a lot of bad ones too), but I'm learning to embrace the bad with the good because in the end, what I cherish most is the journey, the growth and the struggles it took to get from point A to point B.

The language barrier is still an issue but oddly, after my mom's visit, my confidence grew and I've found myself taking more risks with it. If I'm with friends who are better than me, I still depend on them completely. But when I'm with Mark or by myself, I'll venture into the unknown--asking questions, trying new phrases, etc. It's rewarding too because when they see you opening up, they're sure to open up as well.

As I said (quietly), Spring is here and I've got a really good feeling about it. It's the season of change, warm weather, new flowers and smiling people...what's not to love?!

I hope you're all having a beautiful week so far and that it's filled with many blessings. Until next time...

Priscilla Ahn

2011-03-19T12:35:00.000+09:00

One of my favorite artists, Priscilla Ahn, wrote and dedicated this song to all the people of Japan and around the world, who have been affected by this great tragedy. I've had the opportunity to meet and see her live, and she's incredibly poised & down-to-earth, not to mention her voice is simply angelic.

I hope you're touched just like I was.

Have a beautiful day!

The worst disaster since WWII.

2011-03-15T09:33:00.000+09:00

It seems as though everyone around the world has been fixed in front of their T.V. or computer as more information regarding Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami continues to be released. The pictures are horrifying, the articles are depressing and it seems as though the bad news never stops.

My heart breaks for the victims. Every news site has a photo slide that reveals absolute devastation. The pictures say it all: cold hands belonging to dead bodies are desperately reaching for help under layers upon layers of rubble, displaced children are frantically searching for their parents, old women who should be retired and resting are mourning over their families and flattened homes.

But what hurts more is the increasing lack of character and sympathy I'm observing from a community who should be standing together to pray, to help and to encourage. In the last two days, as the news continues to deliver more horrific photos of devastation, our attention is directed to an ignorant female from UCLA who "rants" about Asians in the library. During a time when everyone should be joined together to encourage Japan (regardless if it's finals week or not), we have to listen to an embarrassing video that promotes stereotypes and racism.

Further, I've seen numerous examples where Christians are taking this opportunity to say that the end times are near. However, if that's you, I urge you to choose your words wisely before you say something, post something or Tweet something because grieving people do not want to hear, nor will they understand, people praising the devastation because it's a sign of the end times. It sounds insensitive and it furthers people's pain.

In a society where social media is becoming the way of life--to gather news, to communicate, to spend free time, to protest, to complain, etc--I'm saddened by the growing lack of discretion. Facebook, YouTube, blogs and the like are not journals. They're not private. They're accessible to virtually anyone and it's important to remember that stupidity has consequences.

If you're like me, you'd love to drop everything and fly over to Japan to help out in anyway possible. Unfortunately, for many of us, that's just unfeasible right now. But do remember that there are ways to help, even from the comfort of your own home.

- American Red Cross: those who want to help can go to www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. People can text REDCROSS to 90999 and make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

- Global Giving: Global Giving is working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children and other organizations on the ground. Go to www.globalgiving.org to make a one-time or monthly donation.

- Salvation Army: go to donate.salvationarmyusa.org to donate online or text the words "Japan" or "Quake" to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

- Go to the NY Times page for more ways to donate.

Thanks for listening and I'm sorry for taking such a serious tone today. But these issues were really pressing at me and I thought it was important to share. Hope you all have a beautiful day.
Bisous xoxo

Mom, Part II

2011-03-11T09:40:00.000+09:00

And just like that, it's over! After 9 days of endless fun and bonding, I'm longing for more. You see, naturally, I'm an independent, always-on-the move type of person. But her visit here forced me to stop and appreciate everything Seoul has to offer that I often take for granted--the food, the convenience, the people, the transportation, the buildings, everything. Her excitement for me and my life in Korea rubbed off on me, making me view Korea in an entirely different light.

I also got to act like her child again. She totally stepped into mom-mode the moment she stepped off that plane, helping me clean my apartment, cooking, doing my laundry, grocery shopping, signing me up for a cash-back point card and the like. She's just an awesome mom...I'm sure if you've met her even once, you'd agree.

When I dropped her off at the train station, I started to feel that lump in my throat, so I quickly said, "Thanks, love you, see you later" and ran off. I think she felt it too because her "goodbye" was equally short ;-) But there's no reason to be sad because I'm returning to California for a couple of weeks in April, so it really is a see-you-later kind of thing.

Anyway, enough with the mushy gushy, let's get to the fun stuff...pictures! I believe Mom, Part I ended with Monday. So on Tuesday, we spent most of our day walking around in Samcheong-dong and Bukcheon-dong. It was a little cold but the sun was out, making it a beautiful day to be outside. We spent a lot of time weaving in and out of the cute little alleys with even cuter shops and walking up and down the quiet hills of Bukcheon filled with hanoks (old traditional Korean homes). What we noticed about Bukcheon is that even though it is known for its old, traditional homes, it's really a town of contrasts (old hanoks next to new buildings, or a Mercedes Benz, or with a modern concrete garage). For lunch, we went to this mom-and-pop shop that had delicious sujebi (soup w/ wide, flat noodles) and pajeon (savory pancake thingy).

[Looks like a little street in Europe, doesn't it?]

[Hanoks]

[Here's what I mean by contrasts]

[One of my favorites...the pine trees were beautiful]

[Another contrast]

[Itty bitty doors!]

[Self-timer shot haha]

[Isn't it funny how the backdrop of these hanoks is Seoul's towering skyline?]

[Ending the night with dessert!]

The following day, we met up with my cousins for lunch and some coffee in Gangnam. It was really relaxing but unfortunately, my cousin Jimmy had to go to work at 1, so we had to cut it short. After we said our goodbyes (and made them promise to visit the U.S.), mom and I walked to Express Bus Terminal, which is an underground mall filled to the ceiling with everything you can imagine--clothes, shoes, kitchenware, plants, furniture, the list goes on. After mom purchased a few souvenirs, we headed back to my apartment for some r&r.

[Jimmy, Ji-hye and me]

[On the subway]

[This is what we spent the entire subway ride talking about:
how 7 out of 10 Korean women get plastic surgery]

Around 6 pm, we headed out again to meet up with Jamie and Mark for dinner. After stuffing our faces with Korean BBQ, we stuffed our faces with papingsoo (red bean and shaved ice and fruit) at Ti Amo Cafe. There, we laughed and laughed as Mark recounted his experiences teaching English to 3-year-olds ("It's like herding cattle. They'll pay attention for a second and slowly, they start looking at other things and moving to the walls" hahaha).

[Jamie's not mad, I promise you haha]

We kept Thursday pretty mellow since my mom's flight was later that afternoon. She bought me some necessary items for my house (like paper towels, an extension cord, trash bags...you know, the stuff you don't want to spend your money on but you just have to). For our last meal together, we ate delicious bibimpap and chachang myeon. By the way, the reason I'm describing each meal is because my mom's visit could also be called "The Korean Food Tour." Most of our time was spent eating or thinking about our next meal. The times we didn't think about food, we were sleeping.

The last couple of days since her departure have been a little sad. I've had random bouts of homesickness but thankfully, I have a wonderful boyfriend and best friend to bring me up! Plus, how can I stay sad when Spring is right around the corner (today was 50 degrees...wowza!)?

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I know I will...my plans are to rest, read and enjoy the sun. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? :-)

Mom, Part I

2011-03-07T23:27:00.000+09:00

As you may know, my mom is visiting me for 9 days. Tonight is the end of day 6 and it makes me sad to think that our time together will be ending shortly. I'm sure many of you have experienced the fun yet exhausting task of being a host/entertainer to a visitor. You always have to be "on" and energetic.

BUT with my mom, she is so easy-going and mellow that no part of her visit has been a burden to me. We wake up leisurely, drink our cups of coffee, read some of our books, watch a couple movies and then, when we feel ready, we head out. There's no pressure to do all the touristy things (she has seen it all...or most), so we just walk around, talk, eat, talk some more and continue walking around.

[Walking along the Han River]

[Getting some street mandoo]

[Dessert time in Itaewon!]

[@ What the Book in Itaewon]

That's not to say we haven't been tourists though :) Over the weekend, we went to Busan and stayed at a very nice beachfront hotel. We napped to our hearts' content and went to the hotel's natural springs, hot tubs and pool for the rest of the afternoon. We ate like kings (or shall I say queens)--Korean BBQ, grilled fish, international cuisine buffet, etc. And then, on Saturday night, we headed back to Seoul.

[Our view during Friday brunch]

[Reading as we listened to the crashing waves and felt the nice cool breeze flow
into our oceanfront room at Paradise Hotel in Busan]

[Drying her hands so she can take a picture of me haha]

As much as I would've loved to drop all my commitments to play with my mom, that's just impossible. But instead of feeling bad for leaving my mom at home while I work, she has been more than happy to tag along and even help me out! Last Thursday, she came to the station with me and snapped photos during my entire segment (how embarrassing...kidding!) and on Sunday, while I was tutoring a kid, she was helping the kid's mom with her conversational English. How awesome is that?!

Today was a pretty action-packed day. We woke up, drank some coffee, ate some breakfast, watched True Grit and finally stepped out of the house around 11. We went to Myeong-dong, where she did a little souvenir shopping for the family and then we walked to Namdaemun Market, where we had some yummy kalguksu. After that, we headed to the iPark Electronics Mall, where my mom stepped into total mom-mode and bought me a much needed microwave. By the way, she bought one for Mark too. I'm telling you, she never ceases to amaze me :)

[First stop of the day: Myeong-dong. Mom's face: I'll smile for the camera but get me out of here]

[Kalguksu!]

[A woman delivering food at Namdaemun Market]

[As we wait for the subway...]

[Looking very stylish in Gangnam]

[A cafe with tons of delicious-looking pastries. I didn't get to try any. Oh well. Next time...]

Soon after, we headed to Gangnam, where we walked around Kyobo bookstore and purchased 3 of the 4 GQ Anniversary magazines that my aunt specifically requested (don't worry, Aunt Mary, we're still on the hunt for the 4th one!). We ended the night with some cheap yet delicious tofu soup and kimbap.

Now, I'm here, mom's snoring in the back (shhhh, don't tell her I said that!) and I'm hoping that the next couple days with her go by verrrryyy slowly :) Although unrealistic, that would be absolutely ideal! I probably won't have a chance to blog until after she leaves, so until then, ciao!

Sorry but...

2011-03-06T00:55:00.001+09:00

My mom's visiting and I'm having the time of my life.

Updates will come soon, I promise! For now, here are a few pics of what we've been up to (which looks like a whole lotta nothing but believe me, it's amazing!):

[@ the radio station]

[Street food :)]

[Some R&R in Busan]

More to come later :) Enjoy...

I'm thankful...

2011-02-28T19:38:00.000+09:00

...for a boyfriend/best friend who can make me feel like a kid again despite a dumpy week.

This was recorded last week. Enjoy my mad bball skills.

H-O-R-S-E from Elysabeth on Vimeo.

:-)

Thrown off but back on track

2011-02-28T09:25:00.000+09:00

Last week was supposed to be productive: I had an interview with a blacksmith-turned-pizza-maker for an article I am working on, I was supposed to begin my intensive Korean-language studying, I had many fun blog posts lined up and I had an entire list of things to do before my mom arrives Wednesday!

Well, all that went down the drain when I lost my wallet on Monday. I spent the day with Jamie in Hongdae as we walked around, window shopped and ate in the beautiful (& warm!) weather. But sometime after dinner and before I reached into my purse to grab my wallet at the convenience store did my wallet meet its doomed fate. By the time I realized it was gone, it was already 9:30 p.m. and too late for me to go back to Hongdae before everything closed. I called the restaurant that night with no luck, so the next day, I decided I'd retrace my every step after work.

[Jamie's attempt at giving the decal a new head]

[In Hongdae when all was good, aka before I lost my wallet]

[The sun was beautiful that day!]

[The last place I used/saw my wallet]

[That yellow stuff isn't mustard; it's delicious egg oozing over :)]

With high hopes the next day, I set off, determined I'd find my wallet. What encouraged me more was everyone telling me that it's highly unlikely someone stole it. If it's lost, I should expect it in the mail.

Let me just tell you, it has been a week since then and I'm still walletless and my mailbox is empty -___-

Anywho, after about 2 hours of searching, I went to the visitor information office, where a nice woman offered to call the local police station to see if anyone turned it in there. The station was closed, so she asked me to come back the next day. Meanwhile, I called every subway station's lost & found office, but nada.

The next day (Wednesday), I went back to Hongdae only to be told they do not have my wallet. By Thursday, I was so exhausted from all the dead-ends and sulking that I finally decided to do something about it. I went to the bank to get a replacement card, so that I could access my account, but then, they informed me that I needed my identification card to do so. I explained to them that my ID was also in my wallet and in order to get a new one, I'd need money, which I can only access with a new bank card. They kind of shrugged me off and said "tough luck." By the way, is it just me or are all banks around the world just impossible??

[Sometimes the best remedy to a bad day is an evening at a cafe with your love, a good book and some ice cream]

[Or if that doesn't work, you can always go to the local park to blow off some steam]

Generously, Mark lent me some money to do everything I needed to do and on Friday, I went to the immigration office to get my replacement ID card. I had to wait a few hours (the experience is comparable to a day at the DMV, except the employees are much more pleasant) but as soon as I got my new ID, I rushed over to the nearest KB Star bank. Unfortunately, it was 4:10 by the time I reached one and they closed at 4 p.m.

To avoid getting extremely frustrated, I kept reminding myself that at least I got my ID card because that requires the longest process anyway.

It's Monday now, my mom is due in two days and I've not prepped at all, still no wallet, interview for my article was canceled, no new bank card yet and I haven't had access to my account in order to buy a Korean book.

But it's a new week and sometimes all we need is a new start. Cheers to another Monday!

PS- As you can see, no matter how bad the week is, it's not going to stop me from playing! :D

A sudden turn

2011-02-22T15:42:00.001+09:00

No matter how beautiful the day is or how bright the sun shines, any day can take a sudden turn for the worst when you've lost you're wallet in a foreign country.

So tonight begins my retracing of steps...

Wish me luck!

Seoul scene

2011-02-15T22:29:00.000+09:00

Sometimes words aren't necessary to capture what a cool city I live in. Enjoy...

Birthday Boy!

2011-02-14T14:27:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Mark's 24th birthday was this past Saturday and it turned out to be really, really great! On Saturday morning, he video chatted with his family while opening his birthday gift, which was a combined effort of his parents, siblings, me and Jamie: the Panasonic Lumix GF1. He's been wanting it for awhile now but hasn't had the extra funds to purchase it. In fact, he was planning on using whatever birthday money he could get to buy the camera, so it worked out perfectly. He had absolutely no idea and his reaction was priceless. Here's the video below:

Mark's Reaction from Elysabeth on Vimeo.

He finished chatting with them around 11, so we headed to Bukcheon-dong for some delicious pizza. We ended up eating, sitting and talking for 2 1/2 hours, bringing me back to my days in France where 4-hour meals were the norm. After that, we walked around the area, looking at all the wonderful hanoks (traditional Korean houses) and then, we headed to Insadong, which is touristy but a great place to walk around and people watch.

[His delicious birthday cake courtesy of Jamie!]

[On the way to lunch, we spotted people playing the Korean traditional game Yut!]

[Mark loves his camera!]

[Our DELICIOUS Gorgonzola cheese pizza served with honey..mmmm!]

[Introducing the new street photographer: Mark Ratto]

[Yep, that's right, that's a poop-shaped red bean pastry]

[Ssamzie-gil in Insadong]

[Marking our territory]

For dinner, we met up with his Korean co-teachers for some delicious Korean BBQ. They were all so sweet and wonderful...it was really neat to see what kind of people Mark works with everyday. There was Sue Teacher, Goldie Teacher, Judy Teacher, Flora Teacher and his vice principal Kay Teacher. They all love Mark so much that even though they had a 9-hour workday on a Saturday no less, they still came out to celebrate :)

When asked why they came out, they said they did it because "Mark is so wonderful" and "we love him." They love him so much they even got him some hand cream, lip balm and face wash from Etude House, a frilly, as-girly-as-you-can-get pink cosmetic store.

[@ Wara Wara with his coworkers]

Although nothing is better than spending a birthday with your friends and family from home, we had a very jam-packed, fun-filled day spent with great people. I think Mark was beyond satisfied with his birthday celebration!

Until next time, bisous xoxo

PS- Here are the rest of the pics from Mark's bday!

Lunar New Year

2011-02-09T21:16:00.000+09:00

Last week was Lunar New Year, so my dad and brother came up from Busan to spend time with the family. I had to work, which was kind of a bummer (but not really since I only work twice a week for 2 hours), but everyone had work off after Tuesday. Jamie flew off to Japan just a few days after returning from Thailand and Mark was using his time off by doing absolutely nothing. Just kidding, he did do something...he watched some ESPN online. ;)

The week was beautiful. Warmer weather graced Seoul with a very short presence (it's already cold again), which allowed me to go on a few runs along the river...something I've been dying to do since winter started. I'm beginning to feel like a hamster in one of those balls at the gym. On Wednesday and Thursday, I went to my grandma's house. Wednesday was the day of preparation while Thursday was when everyone (all my aunts, uncles and cousins) came over. I was bummed that I had to leave early to start researching the night's news, but I was thankful to get some of that delicious food in my tummy before I left. And it's always fun hanging out with the family...they're all characters!

[30 degree weather isn't stopping me from running around!
By the way, that's ice at the bottom of the photo -___-]

[Mealtime with half of the family on Thursday morning]

On Friday, dad and bro went back to Busan while Mark and I welcomed Jamie home from Japan. That evening, we went out to Hongdae with one of Jamie's college friends, Jason, who travels to Korea often for business. We all hung out together when Mark and I first got here, so it was really cool to see him again four months later. Reminiscing about our first weekend in Seoul made me feel like I'm a completely different person from just four months ago...weird huh?

[Jamie and Jason deciding what we're going to eat]

[Jamie's laughing at Mark. Mark's scowling at Jamie. Jason's tired. Typical Friday night.]

The rest of the weekend was just as pleasant. I spent most of Saturday watching movies at home until I met up with Mark to go ice skating in Gwanghwamun, which was an interesting experience to say the least. The city builds an outdoor skating rink every winter near city hall; there's no admission fee, only a $1 rental fee. The rental skates were literally roller skates with rusty butter knives as blades...no joke. Mark thought I was going to bust out all of my Michelle Kwan moves but I was just as much of a beginner as anyone else that night!

[Itaewon at night]

And Sunday was special because it was my first day tutoring a 10-year-old boy in English! It went really well and I'll be seeing him twice a week until April, which is when he goes to Germany for international school. He's really small and cute and gets bored really quickly, reminding me a lot of my youngest brother Robert. Tee hee hee ;)

All in all, a very relaxing weekend, which can only mean a very refreshing start of the week! And that has most definitely been the case so far.

I hope all of you have had a great first half of the week. Until next time, bisous xoxo...

Look what I have!

2011-02-08T21:07:00.000+09:00

After many requests from friends and family and an equal amount of refusals on my part, I finally caved in and posted a sound clip of what I do at the radio station.

For those of you who don't know, I report on international news on TBS eFM's The Evening Show every Tuesday and Thursday. I just started doing the news segment a couple weeks ago. But before that, I co-hosted a segment every night on the same show called "The Bigger Picture."

This clip is from Tuesday night's show. Enjoy! (and remember: be nice...tee hee hee)

2.8.11 International News by elysabeth8

I can see!

2011-02-07T15:17:00.000+09:00

I know, I know what you're thinking. "Can they get any bigger!? ;) Oh, and excuse the sour face, I was extremely bored from being indoors all weekend and I missed the 3-2-1 count on Photobooth. haha

I've been needing a new pair of glasses for about a year now, but I never got around to it in California. Well, little did I know that in Korea, you can walk in, buy glasses, take an eye exam and walk out with a new pair in 30 minutes for $20. Not bad, eh?

I may just have to get myself a pair for every day of the week....

Kidding.

...kinda.

Some new hobbies of 2011

2011-02-06T22:23:00.001+09:00

Now that I'm only at the radio station twice a week as opposed to every night, I have even more time on my hands. Rather than sitting in front of my computer or window-shopping (two of my vices), I've devoted more time to being creative. Not only am I trying to write more frequently (I'm shooting for every day!), I'm also exploring other creative outlets like music and art. Art has never been a strength of mine...I managed to keep my drawing abilities looking "average" until middle school, where people really began honing in on their natural talents. Rather than embarrass myself by trying to draw something more than a fancy stick figure, I decided to completely neglect any forms of drawing or painting...until now that is.

My love, Mark, is working on a really neat project and the other evening when it was too cold to be outside, we decided to get some pastels, paper and sketch away. It was a lot of fun too! We probably spent a few hours just acting like kids again and getting our hands dirty. By the end of it, we were relatively pleased with our masterpieces :)

Remember around Christmas time when I told you I got a used guitar? Well, when Mark and I snagged it at the Dongmyo market for $50, I was more ambitious than ever to master it. I pictured the two of us playing on the street or at the local venue in no time...ha! Yeah right. Everyday I'd look at that thing sadly sitting near my window collecting dust. Every once in awhile I'd pick it up, pluck a few strings and in a bout of frustration, put it back where it looked better as a piece of decoration than an actual instrument.

Then, a couple weekends ago when we were in Busan, my dad and I met up with Mark for some brunch and what does he walk up with? Yep! A brand spankin' new guitar...for me! My dad was pretty impressed ;)

The back story is that the night before, when Mark was with his friend in Busan, they went to a live show. Their tickets also served as raffle tickets, which they didn't think much of. But right before the second act was about to go on, one of the band members got on stage and announced that it they had an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar to give away. Now, usually when something like this happens, most of us think, "Eh, whatever, I'm not gonna win anyway." But apparently, for Mark, he just had a feeling. And that feeling proved to be right because he won the acoustic guitar!

[Me practicing; courtesy of Mark]

And like the sweet, sweet guy that he is, he gave it to me. He said he knew that the reason why I wasn't practicing the guitar was because it wasn't a very good guitar. The thought never occurred to me, but I have to admit, the sound of this new guitar is so much more beautiful than the first one. And, in fact, I've been practicing a lot more. It's just much easier to see and appreciate the fruits of your labor with a guitar that sounds beautifully naturally :)

I'm also trying to learn how to cook more Korean dishes, which I've mentioned here before. It's hard to do since I can eat out for so cheap, but I'd really love to learn now so I can perfect it as I get older (like my aunt...btw, she's coming out with a recipe blog soon. I'll keep you posted on when, but I guarantee you there will be something for everyone on there. Keep your eyes peeled!). I tried making daengjang jjigae, which is soybean paste soup, earlier this week. It is SO easy to make but my first try turned out just ok. It was definitely missing some kind of punch. So I tried again a couple days later except this time, I added more garlic, more peppers and more paste and it was delicious!

[My perfected daengjang...mmmm!]

[As much as I love Korean food, sometimes a nice juicy grilled chicken breast hits the spot!]

Another thing I'd really love to pick up is knitting. Every once in awhile I see women on the subway knitting away and it looks so peaceful. I once learned and I remember it being a really fun past time hobby because once you get the hang of it, it's just this thoughtless motion that you do. And before you know it, voila! you've got yourself a nice scarf :) Plus, with how cold it gets here in the winter, I should get started on making myself a good collection of scarves.

In fact, I might head to Dongdaemun Market this week to pick up the supplies to get started!

So those are my newest activities so far. It has been fun discovering new hobbies that give me a break from discovering Korea, which can be very time consuming and exhausting.

Have you discovered any new hobbies this year? I hope so because we're never too old to learn and try new things :)

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Bits of my week(end)

2011-01-31T11:03:00.000+09:00

By the time the weekend rolls around, I get pretty restless. A combination of staying indoors because of the cold and the fact that the majority of the day is spent with myself and myself alone, by Friday, I'm itching to meet up with people and explore the city.

Last week, I met up with Jamie after not seeing her for a couple weeks, which is the longest we've been apart since being in Korea. She traveled to Thailand and Malaysia the week before and captured her entire experience with a toy film camera. By Wednesday, she was dying to get the photos developed, so we met up in Chungmuro, which is a neighborhood known for its camera stores. We dropped off her FIVE rolls of film and decided to walk around for a bit to kill some time. Right as we were passing the subway station, we ran into two friends who were planning on shooting around town (take photos). Instead, the four of us sat in a small cafe, catching up on life, reminiscing about college (we all went to the same school) and discussing what our plans are after this year.

[Jungle and Phil laughing at the ridiculous amount of cameras the four of us have put together]

[See?]

We then shopped at a toy camera store before going back to the film developer, where we played a self-created memory game in which we all wrote down as many of the 50 states we could remember (Phil came in first, me second, Jamie third and Jungle fourth, just in case you were wondering). Phil and I took it a step further by trying to memorize all the African countries, which we failed at miserably. Then, we headed to Myeong-dong for some delicious kalguksu, which is the perfect soup for terribly cold days.

[Toy cameras galore!]

On Friday, Jamie and I met up again to walk and talk around Hongdae, our favorite neighborhood. These pictures will illustrate exactly why we love Hongdae. Despite going there almost every weekend, we're constantly discovering new places. In fact, I don't think I've been to the same place twice because there are just that many cafes, restaurants and shops that make it impossible to ever get sick of Hongdae.

[Charlie Brown Cafe]

[My cappuccino]

[An adorable cosmetics store]

[Lomography, another toy camera shop]

[An impromptu visit to the optometrist]

[And new glasses!]

[Shortly after, we met up with Mark at a snowboarding competition
smack dab in the middle of Hongdae]

[Although Mark looks like he's freezing, it was one of the warmer nights in Seoul]

[We headed to Vinyl, where they serve drinks in bags!]

[And the perfect way to end the night? Eating BBQ of course!]

So a fun weekend all in all. This upcoming week will be filled with various festivities as it is the Chinese New Year. Jamie's back on the road in Japan, Mark has the week off after Tuesday and although I work on Tues. & Thurs., I'll be spending some quality time with family.

Hope you all had a restful weekend. Until next time, bisous xoxo

The joys (or mishaps) of miscommunication

2011-01-28T14:29:00.000+09:00

Learning a new language isn't fun. But what's even more not fun is learning a language in a country where everyone expects and assumes you know the language. Although there's a Korean word for Korean-Americans (gyopos), it doesn't cause people to sympathize. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Saying you're a "gyopo" only gives older people a sense of utter responsibility to tell you how disappointed they are. Then, they shake their head as they walk away. Unless, of course, I'm being lectured by the taxi driver; then, I just get an earful until we've reached the destination. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? ;)

Now, I'm not complaining. I knew this was what I was getting myself into before I came here. (Sure, it can get annoying at times but it isn't so hard to just ignore). You see, since people assume I'm Korean and I'm tired of saying "I can't speak Korean very well," anything goes. Mark can tell you. Anytime I'm with him, everyone always directs their attention to me, not because I'm the better-looking one ;), but because I'm supposed to be his translator. This is how most situations go down:

_____________

Woman: Something, something, something

Me: (shakes head) Ah-nee-yo (which means "no")

Mark and I walk away, confused because we didn't get what we wanted

Mark: What did she say?

Me: I don't know...

Mark: (feeling defeated) Ok

5 minutes later...

Mark: You know, I think you should really learn Korean.
____________

I've been learning but it's a slow process so in the meantime, I've just decided to go with it. Rather than saying "Hangul-mal chal moh-teh-yo" every 5 minutes, which means "I can't speak Korean very well," I just take a risk and either say yes or no. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But each time is highly frustrating for Mark. Poor guy.

Another joy of miscommunication is the terrible English translations that people come up with here. I've posted this pic before, but just to remind you of how bad translations are, here it is again:

And if that wasn't bad enough, here's an ad for some fashion label gone terribly wrong:

Anyway, you get the picture. So because of these "translations," I can't always trust what I read out here. Take, for example, the day before yesterday when I was at the local grocery store E-Mart. I wanted to buy free range eggs, which was harder than I thought. They had every type of egg imaginable: garlic-fed chicken eggs, ginseng-fed chicken eggs, hormone-free eggs, etc. But what shocked me most was this:

I know people eat fertilized eggs, but I didn't know it was such a common thing...well, at least common enough to have shelves upon shelves of fertilized eggs with images of happy chicks smiling at you on the egg carton. Maybe I'm just being over sensitive since my family owns somewhere between 10 and 14 chickens (it seems to change every week). I admit, it had to take some getting used to to eat the eggs that I saw coming out of the hens' behinds, but the rich taste of fresh eggs was enough to get over that. But the thought of eating a fertilized egg is just beyond me.

Speaking of which, I went to a bake sale/fundraiser for Animal Rescue Korea at a cafe very far away because 1) my next piece is on Animal Rescue Korea and 2) one of the bloggers I follow was the main baker for the event. She's a vegan and she often recreates Korean dishes so that they're vegan. Anyway, the days leading up to the fundraiser, she'd post pictures of all the goodies she was baking for the fundraiser, which got me soooo excited (I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I am pretty health-conscious, so I tend to gravitate towards those types of food naturally). Although the event was a success in that I got in contact with the head of Animal Rescue, it was a total failure because all the goodies were gone by the time we got there :( womp womp.

Actually, I'm being dramatic. We ended up buying some brownies that the owner was saving for a special friend. But she felt so bad they ran out so quickly that she put them up for sale, which we snatched up right away! And they were delicious. I also got to meet the blogger in person in addition to many other nice people who love dogs just as much as I do :)

Most of the people who showed up were dog-lovers or vegans (or both!), so it was a very eclectic group of people that gathered at the cafe. Some of the conversations that took place had to do with different vegetables and herbs that can/cannot be found in Korea, the excitement of being a foster home for dogs in need, how vegan brownies come out so sticky despite not using butter, etc. One of the organizers of the event had a t-shirt of cute chickens, cows and pigs with the words "What do you eat again?"

I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel a tinge of guilt when I was there. And although I've toyed with the idea of being a vegetarian more than once in my life, living a vegan life is beyond my understanding. It takes a level of commitment that I'd compare to religion. Every aspect of your life, including the people you spend time with, revolve around that decision.

Anyway, if any of you are vegetarians or vegans, tell me: why are you doing it? Is it hard? Do you find that your circle of friends are mostly vegetarians/vegans too?

Blog? What blog?

2011-01-28T09:11:00.000+09:00

You caught me. Time got the best of me and I've contributed a lot less to this blog than I would have liked to admit.

Thankfully, "blog more" is at the top of my 2011 resolutions list, so that's exactly what I'll be doing! Rather than just depending on my phone's camera, I'll start carrying my Nikon around more often to capture the ever mysterious and never-sleeping Seoul.

I've also wanted to do some film photography for awhile now, but I never knew where to start. Recently though, my friend Jamie got a mini Diana, which is a toy camera with detachable lenses and a flash, and I think that's a great starting point. I don't want to invest in an SLR until I familiarize myself again with film photography.

Nor do I have an excuse for blogging less. Just recently, a few crucial changes at my job made my schedule a lot freer and made me a lot happier :) In short, I was able to convince my producer to move me to the international news segment twice a week rather than the Bigger Picture segment every night. Now, I have more time to explore and freelance while doing a segment I'm much more interested in. Granted, it's a pay cut since I'm working much less, but sometimes you gotta sacrifice a little to do what you love, right? :)

On another note, I have a lot of great things to look forward to in the near future. My mama is coming the first week of March, which I am soooooo excited about! I've been making a tentative list of all the things we're going to do, all the food we're going to eat and all the places we'll explore. The list is entirely too long for the 8 days she'll be here, but I get so excited when I find a new place that I have to put it on the "list." If I can't show my mom, I'm sure I'll be able to share it with another visitor!

Then, in April, I'm going back to the States for 2 weeks to go to Coachella, hang out with friends and spend time with my family, whom I miss oh-so-much! I'v been dreaming of the beautiful weather and fun times ever since I booked my flights last week. So the countdown begins!

Anyway, because I put my goal to blog more on here, I hope you can help me stay accountable. Please feel free to leave a comment, question or concern and I'll be sure to address it. Plus, it's nice to get a note every once in awhile...it reminds me that this isn't just a vain attempt to write about my experiences ;)

I miss all of you terribly. I hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather and if the weather isn't so beautiful (ahem, East Coasters), know that I feel your pain.

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Resolution # 6

2011-01-20T17:42:00.000+09:00

Do you see what #6 says? It says, "Cook Korean food 3x a week." Do you know how many times I've done that since I created my NY resolutions, which was a week ago? Zero.

And here's why. It's not because I'm lazy or because I'm to afraid to cook. It's just the food is so cheap and so good here. It doesn't make sense to lug a bunch of groceries home in freezing cold weather when I can just go here:

Each of those plates, which is filled with pot stickers or steamed buns, is anywhere from $1-2. I know, big-spender right? I mean, seriously people, for how easy it is to just go here every meal of the day, I don't know if I'll ever cook again. And I know for a fact I won't be successful at fulfilling resolution #6. Oh well, there's 14 other ones I need to work at, so I guess it's forgivable ;)