I’d like to take a moment and highlight what I believe to be two of the greatest hidden treasures of the glorious Hongdae. For those who aren’t in the know, Hongdae is a very lively part of Seoul with a really great art university, and some of the cutest coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques around. It’s also where a lot of dignity goes to die every Friday and Saturday night at places like Zen 1 & 3, “The Park” and Papa or Mama Gorilla…. if you’re really feeling like making some mistakes.
Of course I love a good solid night of awful 1,500won tequila shooting and dancing to the same songs over and over again, weekend in and weekend out, but I do enjoy a change of pace every now and then. Well, I recently discovered the bar Myoungwolgwan (MWG) which holds a Shindig night once a month, where all they play are tunes from the 50s and 60s. And let me tell you, that tiny little wood paneled bar gets all kinds of dirty dancing up in thurrrr! I don’t think I’ve had more fun during a night out in Hongdae than I have the past two times I’ve gone to Shindig! Hatches new visions of Richard Simmons’ sweatin to the oldies.
The first time I literally stumbled on it because my friend Dustin, who recently came back into town for the summer, had a friend DJ’ing. We went, we sang jovially, and we got way down with our bad selves.
This last one in June was a Tiki/Beach theme (perfect opportunity to rock my dress adorned with palm trees), and was their first foray into live music with a girl group called The Barberettes, and a little Korean man who tried desperately to imitate Johnny Cash. They played some jams to kick off the night, and then the tunes started bumping and the dancing got underway!
For those who are looking for a way to boogie down and can’t get enough oldies in their life, MWG’s Shindig is located just behind Hongdae Park. When you walk out past the bathrooms, keep going straight and pass Exit and it’s just past it with a lotus sign. It’s 8,000~10,000won cover, and that gets you a free beverage as well as lots of burned calories once you start shakin your groove thang.
My other favorite hidden gem of Hongdae is a poppin retro bar called Gopchang Jeongol. Andria, Jee and I started our birthday celebration here earlier this year, since we are ajummas and all. It was only suiting we spent an evening celebrating our long lives to the tune of Korean rock n roll from decades past.
This place has the coolest vibe and is decked out with hundreds of records, photos of old groups, vintage radios and clocks covering the walls. Granted I can’t sing the songs that play because they’re all in Korean, but they still have that awesome oldies retro vibe that I totally crave in my life. But then there’s that glimmering moment when I recognize an American song redone in Korean and belt it out in my own English bubble. Assa!
This last time I went before Shindig with Josh, Andria and a few of Andria’s friends, for an evening of retro. There was this one table of 2 Korean couples who were so out-of-this-world jammin’ along to every song that came on. They were having the best time (and as we found out later, smashed out of their minds!) At some point in the night, they got up and came over to our table, where Josh and I put on our ever-present dancing shoes, and started jumping and awkward dancing and singing right along with them.
Here we are all happy-faced out with our new friends of 15 minutes, before the girl in black irked Josh out and fell off her chair. Oopsie daisies!
We have tried to find this place a few other times, and Josh and I always got lost. But, should you chose to navigate Hongdae and treat yourself to a feel-good evening (which you totally should), here’s how to orient your internal compass. Go out exit 4 of Hongik Station and walk towards the main street. Turn left down the street and make your first left. Keep going to the end of the road and take a left and walk until you come to a roundabout. Take the first right, and keep walking down that street until you almost come to the end of the road. It’ll be on your left down a little staircase. You have to order some food too, along with your drinks, but that’s pretty standard for most Korean bars/hofs.
I seriously hope you go, boogie down and enjoy both as much as I do!
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but my luck has GREATLY increased over the past few weeks. Why? You ask? Well, because according to Korean thought, if one lands on the island of Dokdo, you are a very lucky person. And well, I am of the less than 1% of the Korean population to have stepped foot on the sacred and prized and heavily disputed over island of Dokdo in the East Sea or Sea of Japan. It’s all relative depending on your location in the east, or the map you chose to peruse, I suppose.
SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ~ my employer) was generous enough to take 36 of the almost 700 native English teachers in Seoul, on an all-inclusive 4 day 3 night trip to Samcheok, Ulleungdo, and the mighty Dokdo. Dokdo is comprised of 2 islands that have been in heavy dispute with Japan for many years over who’s territory it actually is. So, we knew that in signing up for this trip we were in for a weekend fueled by propaganda and many a botched map to take many ganders at. And it was and we did.
I actually didn’t know much about Dokdo prior to my trip to Japan back in September, when Josh decided to jokingly shout “TAKESHIMI TAKESHIMI” everywhere we went. TakeshimA is actually the Japanese name for Dokdo, so of course this was a controversial stance for a giant white man to make whilst being employed by the Korean government! 😉 Both Joshua and I, and our friend Art, ended up being part of the lucky (highly weird) few to go on this trip, so I was very happy to be in extra FUN company on a long weekend to Takeshimi. 🙂
Our first stop on the trip was Samcheok, where we struggled to listen to the translation of the first propaganda lecture regarding “the correct understanding of Dokdo for peace in East Asia”. We ogled at some artifacts from the Joseon remains and General Isabu’s time, and took a walking tour down by the water, which was really beautiful. I felt like I wasn’t in Korea which was amazing on my peepers and lungs. Being stuck in a concrete jungle can really wear on you. We also visited a temple which is said to be the coolest (in temperature) place in Samcheok. Many people would come here to pray before traveling to Dokdo because they didn’t know if they would return to the mainland alive due to the roughness of the water. Many also used to walk through this rock in hopes of being impregnated with a son, so I took the liberty of forging my way through (without falling) said rock.
Looks like I’m having a boy guys!
When we finally checked into our pension for the night, we were shafted to the one next door to the “nice” hotel we were originally scheduled for. This place gave me and one other interesting fella bed bug bites for days! I also got cursed with a ridiculously bitchy roommate who got an overdose spoonful of the “Schaeff’s-not-listening-to-you-sideways-up turned-head-tilt”.
Bright and early the next morning, we had Korean breakfast of gamjatang, AKA pork spine soup, and kimchi. My breakfast therefore consisted of rice and the few bits of kimchi I struggled to shove into my mouth that early in the morning. With an awful taste in our mouths, we were off to the Sunflower 2, our ferry over to the beautiful island of Ulleungdo. This journey was about 3.5 hours.
My first thought after landing on Ulleungdo was that it was so strikingly lush and gorgeous. The abundance of green had me feeling like I was in Jurassic Park. We were taken on a tour of the entire island and heard many age-old myths about the different rock formations, the volcanic origin and the people who call the island their home. Currently, less than 7,500 people live on Ulleungdo, and it houses 3 (if I remember correctly) elementary schools, 1 high school and oddly enough, 3 universities. It’s special delicacies include dried squid (sold in Dokdo packaging), and a sweet pumpkin type bread and pumpkin candy similar to taffy. Brought some of that goodness back for my Principal and Vice Principal.
Here’s me, Josh and Art Turtle Rocking out. This rock is said to have many tiny formations that look like little turtles climbing all over it.
The walk up to our pension overlooking the ocean. Seriously beautiful and nothin’ but fresh air for days!
We went to this temple where we heard an old Korean myth about a young boy and girl who were left behind by their families. They never came back for them and both ended up dying here. Or so the tale goes.
And we walked along these massive cliffs overlooking the sea. Super gorge!
The next day was the BIG day! After all the praying we were told to do, we guzzled down our seasickness drugs, filled out our tickets and hopped aboard our righteous boat to the beloved Dokdo! We took one of the 45 journeys per year that the boat makes, and got inducted into the tribe of the lucky.
Here’s an aerial shot of the islands that make up Dokdo. The eastern island is where we went, and the western island is home to the two people who actually call Dokdo their home.
2.5 hours and no seasickness later, we made the arrival of a lifetime. We were ushered off the boat and told we had 30 minutes to take pictures with the Liancourt Rocks, signs and guards that protect the land. I’m not quite sure why our stay on the island is so short, but let me tell you, Josh and I with our “DOKDO IS OUR LAND” signs made fantastic use of it! If two grown adults could run around an island like kids in a candy store, that is what we looked like.
We gained some enemies along the way when Joshy “bali bali’d” an old Korean woman to hurry up and take her photo in this exact place.
We also acquired a fan club of Korean women who wanted to hop in every photo with us. Here is the sign mandating that this here is Korean territory. We saw nothing indicating it was otherwise Japan’s. Questionable I tell ya!
These are the guards who live on Dokdo. The only time they have other human interaction is when a boat reaches Dokdo. So, any of the less than 45 days a year the boat actually docks. You can also see stairs behind us which we weren’t allowed to climb up. I’m not sure what is on the other side, maybe something Japanese?
And with that we were off, but not without bidding some fond farewells.
The 3 of us were the last ones to get back on the boat, as we kept getting whistles blown on us to hurry up! Round trip, the entire journey consisted of 9 hours spent on a bus, 7 hours on a ferry and 5 hours on a boat, so we definitely make that 30 minutes count! That night we met up with our groups to think up a speech to give on our final day. Josh and I must have been sipping happy water, because when we told our group members that we had so much fun on Dokdo, they looked at us like we were crazy faces from another planet. Sour puss foreigner freaks.
Later we celebrated our new found fortune by noraebanging our hearts out. We bonded with a few others on the trip and shoved ourselves into a massive VIP room for what seemed like 3 hours. I broke a glass, there was table dancing, and no shortage of mic hogging on my part, per the usual.
The next day we were forced to eat fish and tofu soup for breakfast (awful to begin with, more awful when you’re hungover), and then were given a tour of a South Korean Coast Guard ship where we learned that they do not skimp on their entertainment, event whilst at sea protecting Korea’s oceans. This ship was fully equipped with a jjimjilbang (sauna) and a noraebang (karaoke room).
Our last stop was to a little ocean side town. We stopped to look at some more historical Isabu sites, but we opted to check out the ocean view and vibrant murals instead. I really find myself appreciating how beautiful Korea is whenever I get out of Seoul and visit places so tranquil and remote like this. I don’t know why I don’t do it more often.
The trip was really wonderful, and I’m extremely grateful that SMOE was so generous in offering such an opportunity to a group of us foreigners. I know we look at the island of Dokdo much differently and with less seriousness than Koreans do, and mostly viewed this as a chance to A) get out of teaching for 2 days, B) take a free trip out of Seoul to a couple islands that we probably would never seek out on our own, and C) a weekend filled with propaganda. However, seeing as so few Koreans actually have the chance to make this journey, I’m very grateful to say that during my time in Korea I got to check off such a huge cultural experience from my list. As far as who’s territory it actually is, I don’t know. I think there has to be something more than fishing rights and lines being drawn on a map, but I think Koreans are so passionate about it because the Japanese have been so awful to them. So, they want the right to that land. Or there’s oil. Who knows.
Here’s a video that Jon Pak, the SMOE head coordinator, made of the trip. See if you can spot me for the smattering of nanoseconds that I make an appearance.
And just for good measure so you can see how serious Koreans are about this island, and because who doesn’t love a flash mob set to the Dokdo song.
The 4th of July is arguably one of my favorite holidays. It’s been mine and MayMay’s *special day* since we spent it together in Zoo Bar with Sammy, his homies and a bunch of Brits in London on Eurotrip 2006. Ironic place to fall in love with such a holiday, doncha think?! Well, whether we were in London, San Francisco, Newport Beach or Manhattan Beach, we’ve spent each together up until last year. Needless to say, I miss my MayMay tremendously more today than the usual huge amount that I always miss her (and everyone else for that matter).
The holidays are always a bit odd while living abroad. While I find myself to be the happiest version of Danielle since transplanting into Korean society and traveling my face off, I do get a teency bit homesick on days like the 4th of July. It’s weird knowing that back in the states it’s a long weekend where all my friends are together with fireworks and beer bottles popping everywhere, and here I show up to work wearing my red white and blue and it’s just any other day. While teaching yesterday, I actually looked around my classroom and so many of my students were decked out in red white and blue. Totally unintentional, but it made me smile and think “AMERICA, FUCK YEA!” Despite noticing their wardrobe, I completely forgot to tell my kids that it was American Independence Day. There went that little cultural lesson. I blame it on the humidity and the AC Nazis.
There are tons of times when I am totally made aware of my Americanness while living overseas, and one major way came when my co-teacher and I were leaving school. I’m in the midst of getting ready to move from my current apartment in “North Korea” to somewhere more central. While I’m sitting here not stressing about being able to find an apartment, my Vice Principal has relayed countless times through Jin, and then this time directly to me, how I should “hurry up and find a place”. Most Koreans live at home until they get married, or have never made a big move across the world, so the idea of finding an apartment on your own is a big process and takes time and figuring out. After my VP told me I better hurry up, all I responded with was “I’m fine. My Korean friend is helping me. I’ll move when I get back from vacation”, and that was that. When we left, Jin had told me how well I handled that. It made me very aware of my Americanness and how I’m so used to being independent, moving around (and across the globe!) and handling things on my own in the real world. While Americans are typically out of their parent’s house and figuring things out for themselves at 18 years old, many Koreans live at home into their 30s.
The rest of my 4th of July consisted of teaching all day and meeting up for some bomb burgers and a Root Beer float at Salt & Butter in Apgujeong Rodeo with Tim and our funny friend Brian. Joshua, our *AMERICAN*, and our token Chinese PandaLin were supposed to come as well, but work and rain interfered with that fun. Sadface.
Now to flashback in honor of one of my favorite holidays, and to celebrate the greatest nation on the planet, here are some of my favorite 4th of Julys past spent with some of my greatest loves in the sun!
San Jose with the Baller & MayMay. 2007 was the year I learned that Bretty gets his *unique* dance moves from his awesome mother.
Puppy time in Newport with my MayMay in 2008.
Fanny Packs & sunkissed whistle blowing with my JeanellyBellyBluJ in Manhattan Beach 2011.
Shenanigans in Manhattan Beach with DeBarros and a very patriotic Chizzy.
Happy Birthday America! Even though you’re sometimes really messed up and I have no desire to live on your soil for a very very VERY long time, you are by far the best country in the world, and home is always where the heart is! Cheers to 237+ more years of beautifully celebrated diversity and freeeeedom!
Hi everyone! This is a day late on my clock, but according to the rest of the Western world it’s still WTF?! Wednesday!
I had an old friend, Robyn, and her new husband stop into Seoul on a layover on their return home from honeymooning in Thailand, so we went to dinner and ice cream and I showed them around my favorite area of Seoul, Jongno.
So, my (I think) 12th and 13th visitors to Seoul are my excuse for being tardy!
Now onto the weird!
Earlier this week I went to Namdaemun Market looking for a travel pack backback for my upcoming trip to Bali in August. Namdaemun is a very traditional Korean market where you can buy souvenirs and trinkets, and pretty much anything, and bargain bargain bargain (if you have cash).
Well, I didn’t find a pack I liked, but I did find this gypsy drag fella/heShe selling scarves with a new twist. This is SO bizarre for Korea, and I just started cracking up when I saw him standing in the middle of massive piles of scarves shaking her hips and groping his breasts. I stopped to take the photo, he posed, and asked me where I was from. All I could slam back was “Where are YOU from?!”
HI guys! Another week, another WTF?! Wednesday! It totally crept up on me this week because my weekend all blended together. I was chosen to go on a 4 day trip with the Seoul Office of Education to the island of Dokdo along with 35 other native English teachers, so the weekend and the week have flown! That being said, a post about Dokdo will be coming shortly because that is a very special island to the people of Korea, so you’ll want to hear a little bit about it. You’ll also want to know why I’ve since acquired a new sense of good luck now that I’ve been there.
ANYWAYS, for this week’s WTF?! Wednesday I’m presenting you with something phallic. I think it’s absolutely odd that Korea has parks and sculptures enshrined all over the country dedicated to the male member, when anything related to sex is so taboo. Many Koreans when asked don’t even know the scientific words for penis or vagina. It’s BIZARRO.
While in Samcheok this weekend, we were walking up to the top of a mountain to pray (for the millionth time) for good weather so that we’d be able to reach Dokdo’s holy soil. As we were walking, we passed this row of glorified penises. The boys I was with walked right past them at first, but I of course caught wind of them and lept at the photographic opportunity.
I know, I know. This is beyond tardy. It has taken me a year and a day to post about mine and Stephanie’s jaunt to the beautiful cities of Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang back in February, but I am finally getting around to doing it. Holy moly, I can’t believe it’s been that long. Shame on me!!!
This time, instead of doing my typical posty post about the entire vaca, what we ate, who we ate with and at what time, I’m going to chronicle my favorite moments of the trip. So buckle up peeps!
1. Our 16 Hour Train Ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Instead of flying directly to Chiang Mai, we flew into Bangkok and opted to indulge in the journey of getting to Chiang Mai. And what reeks more of wanderlusting travel than the huff and puff of a locomotive train? We stocked up on snacks, including an accidental choosing of PICKLED mango on Miss Stephanie Anne’s part, ordered a surprisingly delicious dinner on board, got our train bunks turned down by the train maid, tucked ourselves in with a good book (50 Shades of Grey anyone?), and then buckled ourselves into bed for the night. At least I did in my coffin of a top bunk. We rolled into Chiang Mai bright and early the next morning.
2. Our guest house in Chiang Mai ~ Finlay’s Cottage.
Steph and I hadn’t booked a place for our first night in Chiang Mai, and since we were meeting Abby for a night we asked her to book us 1 night at Finlay’s Cottage, the place where she was staying. We loved this place so much that we ended up cancelling our previous reservations and it ended up being our home base for our entire stay in Chiang Mai, both before and after Laos. We loved it that much! The man and woman who run the guest house are a couple of unlikely friends, but are somehow fantastically hilarious. The woman helped us book all our day trips, got us a great tuk tuk driver, made us delicious breakfasts every morning, woke us up to make sure we ate our breakfasts every morning, cancelled our prior reservations for us and made great sarcastic conversation with us when necessary. The man is from Australia and just never returned, and the woman lived on Koh Phi Phi for 37 years as a masseuse, but when the tsunami hit she broke nearly all her bones and chose to relocate up north, and has been there ever since. They were top NOTCH!
3. Thai Cooking Class With Beery.
I love cooking but it’s something that I just don’t really have the patience or timing for. I like to think of myself as more of a “throw together whatever I have kinda chef” and it always works. I’ve always wanted to take a cooking class in Thailand since I saw MayMay took one on her trip! I figured Steph and Abby were the perfect people to do this with since they are both chef masters. We signed up for a wonderful cooking class at Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School and had a fabulously flamboyant instructor named Beery, who was just the cherry on top! It was boot camp in the most fun way possible. We started with a trip to the local market, then went to the school’s garden to smell the herbs and plants native to Thai cuisine that we’d be cooking with, and then got down to cooking! I made Pad See Ew (because it reminds me of Jessie), Kow Soi Curry and curry paste (the native curry to Chiang Mai which came recommended by MayMay), and Mango sticky rice.
4. When I Discovered That Friendship Is Hoisting Your Friend Atop An Elephant.
We went on an all-day Mahout elephant trekking course through the jungle, atop the most gorgeous and friendly and massive animal in the world. We learned key commands to “drive” them, fed them endless amounts of sugar cane and bananas, struggled to hoist ourselves atop their massive bodies, struggled yet again to steer our still hormonal lady thru a jungle trek, squealed with glee whilst sliding down her trunk, and then took the most glorious bath in the world with her even though it was filled with piles of shit, I’m sure. This is my favorite photo from the trip. I really made an ass out of myself, but at least I know who’s got me from all angles as I migrate through this world of ours.
5. Taking This Photo For National Geographic While Sitting In Tiger Pee.
We didn’t really take it for National Geographic, but we might as well have. We spent an afternoon at the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai posing with a 3 month old tiger, a 5 month old tiger, and then this full grown tiger. We even saw this guy snap at someone. OPEN WIDE and guard your life!
6. Getting Annoyed By Chinese Tourists While Trying to Observe the Long Neck Karan Tribe.
The Long Neck Karan tribe native to Chiang Mai is a bit of a circus detour, but I really wanted to see it since this tribe is the one thing that I’ve always remembered since going to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! as a child. We went, it was awkward and fascinating, and then we got annoyed by the Chinese tourists that always come in loud like they own the place with zero respect.
7. When Steph Walked Like An Ajumma Up The Massive Stairway to Wat Doi Suthep.
The greatest Wat (temple) in Chiang Mai is Wat Doi Suthep, and it’s located at the tippy top of a massive mountain. To get there you have to take a tuk tuk, to a red jeep and then walk up the insane stairway. Here is Steph getting back to her Korean roots en route to the top.
8. Riding In The Back Of A Pick Up Truck While Crossing The Laos Border.
We decided to take the slow boat journey from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. This consisted of a 7 hour minibus to the border, where our small group was greeted by a pick up truck, and we were instructed to hop into the bed of it and stand. Obediently we did so. FEELIN LIKE A CHOLA.
9. A Dramatic Reading Of 50 Shades of Grey In French In The Middle Of Nowhere, Laos.
We spent the night in creepy cabins in the middle of nowhere Laos as we awaited our boat ride along the Mekong the next morning. Our fellow companions were a Swiss couple and our newly made travel companion, French lassie Audrey. Their common language was French, and having never heard of the epic 50 Shades of Grey before, our new friend decided to translate the novel for his lady. It was oh so sexy.
10. The Sweetest Sendoff From Adorable Laotian Babies As We Set Off On The Mekong.
We woke up bright and early and were escorted to our private boat for our Mekong River cruise. Our escort service couldn’t have been any more adorable if it tried. Heart. Melt.
11. Our First Laotian Meal Of Various Flavors Of….Buffalo Jerky.
Steph, Audrey and I set out to try our first Laotian meal since arriving in Luang Prabang. We turned down a sleepy road in the early-to-sleep city, and perused a menu of our selected restaurant. There were so many oddly named items, so we took it upon ourselves to order the ones that stood out the most to us. I believe mine was called “Day Meat Smashed Style”. Basically, we all got variously flavored versions of buffalo jerky. Needless to say, we were not impressed and stuck to baguettes from the street food vendors for the remainder of our stay in Luang Prabang.
12. This Pleasant Lady And Her Amazing Baguettes.
This woman had such a pleasant aura about her, and call me a weirdo, but I loved watching her make her sandwiches. She was so calm, and her sandwiches were so amazing. They were massive and I scarfed them DOWN. I always got her chicken, brie, tomato, avocado, lettuce and cucumber sandwich and boy did it satisfy. I also loved that she was one of the only street food stands that had all of her food covered and away from the flies. Sanitation!!!
13. Meeting A 16 Year Old Monk Who Loves to Speak English With Foreigners.
We were making our way up to Wat Chom Si atop Pousi Hill just before sunset when we met this friendly monk, Bee. He is 16 years old and was so sweet and friendly. He told us about how he loves studying English and hopes to one day travel to America, and loves hanging out on that walk up to the top because so many foreigners come through and it gives him a chance to practice his English. It was so refreshing to meet someone as young and eager as him to learn and practice, especially after working with Korean students who a lot of the time can care less about learning English. We exchanged information and are now Facebook friends! 🙂
14. Taking This Glorious Photo Atop Pousi Hill.
Audrey was traveling by herself, and was a lovely addition to our stay in Luang Prabang. Im so glad we got this awesome photo of the three of us!
15. Going to Kuang Si Waterfall And Doing A Boob Flop Rope Jump.
We made the journey out to Kuang Si Waterfall with Audrey and 5 Germans that we met. It was a gorgeous hike in, and once there we got to swim in the springs, and if we wanted, jump from the rope hanging from the tree. I of course wanted to do it, but was deathly scared once I got up onto the tree. It was SO slippery, and I was trembling as I used the wooden stick to grab the swinging rope to clutch between my shaking hands. I was a ball of nerves! Klutzy McKlutz over here. Well, I didn’t hold high enough on the rope, and when I swung I barely swung and BOOB FLOPPED flat into the water so hard that my top came off under water. FAIL. But awesome. This is the face I made upon emerging and confirming my breasts were still in tact.
16. Observing A Man In a Diaper Walk Down The Street Carrying A Machete.
As the heading says, a man with deathly leather colored skin traipsed down the street wearing nothing but a sheet-like diaper, while carrying nothing but a machete. I felt safe.
17. Temple Hopping And Bicycle Riding.
One thing I always try to do while traveling is spend a day with a map in hand and my tuchous on a bicycle seat. It’s so whimsical and I think the best way to see a city. Luang Prabang is probably one of the best cities to do this in because it’s so small and quaint. So, we spent a day temple hopping, monk spotting and drink sipping on our bikes, and it was a beautiful, hot and sweaty day!
18. Bargaining My Face Off At The Most Colorful Night Market I’ve Ever Been To.
I LOVE night marketing while I travel, and the market in Luang Prabang exceeded my expectations. It was by far my favorite night market I’ve ever been to. The colors were so bright everywhere I turned, and the handmade items being sold were so fun and vibrant and unique. I bargained like it was my job and ended up snagging a pretty awesome travel bag for a sweet deal. I love this photo I took, and every time I look at it I just want to pop back there!
19. Meeting New Friends At The All Vegetarian Buffet At The Night Market.
While Instagramming, Steph stumbled upon a guy’s posting of this all vegetarian buffet just off of the night market. There was a massive spread of food that you put on a plate and then a guy heated it all up for you in a wok. It was for something outrageous like $5, and was so delicious! We pulled up a seat with everyone else and nommed down on our food. We met some fascinating friends from France, Argentina and Mauritius that we spent the rest of our last evening with. It’s moments like this when I realize why I love traveling.
20. Sitting In The Back Of Our Second Pick Up Truck Crossing The Thailand Border.
We did it once, and we did it twice. Southeast Asia seems to follow Mexico’s lead when it comes to border crossing, because I’ve never felt more illegal in my life. Sometimes it feels good to live life on the edge. At least we had a stamp in our passeporto.
21. Stumbling Upon This Awesome Art Shop In Chiang Mai.
On our last day in Chiang Mai, we randomly stumbled into this art studio/shop filled with a man’s artwork strewn about with every life and travel quote imaginable. We spent a wild amount of time wandering and finding the perfect purchases for ourselves and our parents. We both chose pieces for our parents with quotes about our own need to wander the world, and how no matter where we are they’re always in our hearts.
22. These Young Boys Getting Massages In Bangkok.
Because they were such babies and they looked so funny and adorable getting a group massage. I couldn’t help myself. They were 18 years old. BABIES!
23. These Gangnam Style Sandals On Khaosan Rd.
Well, because there would be no better send off back to Koko than to see Psy displayed on some footwear.
Well, there you have it. Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang in a somewhat brief pictoral nutshell. I hope you enjoyed despite my tardiness! Better late than never!!
HI guys! It’s Wednesday today so that means I get to share something weird, wacky, silly, horribly written or just plain ridiculous with you, per the usual here in the Koko. Anything that makes me utter a WTF?!
It’s spring now, which means that the weather in Korea is becoming muggy and completely and utterly clammy. Basically, I’m one uncomfortable human being 95% of the time. Between my school keeping the AC under lock and key because “WE MUST SAVE ENERGY”, and the subway and bus Gods taking the liberty to turn the AC on and off whenever they feel like suffocating us in a confined space, my skin is constantly sticky and in desperate need of a bath.
However, one of the splendiferous perks of spring and summertime in Korea is the patbingsoo. This my friends is heaven in a bowl. It’s made of shaved ice, condensed milk, mixed fruits, ice cream, sometimes red bean which I prefer it without, and any other assortment of cereals or nuts. It is usually served in a big bowl so you can share with a few people and cool yourself down from the inside.
Two Thursdays ago was Memorial Day in Korea, which meant we had the day off of school. My friend Veny and I went down to the Han River and got our couple on by sharing a tandem bike ride along the river. After we biked around for an hour, we wandered for something sweet. We ended up choosing a cafe that wasn’t too packed except for this little Panda man sitting outside at his own table havin’ a cuppa joe. Strange yet inviting we thought.
We were really confused at first because we didn’t know if it was someone’s table and they just brought their cute lil friend along for a treat. We finally figured it wasn’t being occupied, and pulled up a couple chairs to sit with the Panda and his joe while we enjoyed our delicious patbingsoo. I do LOVE Pandas afterall.
If we were going to join Panda, we might as well include him. Here he is trying a taste of our treat.
Absolutely nothing about the following song reminds me of the Baller, except for one significant opening line…..”You remind me of my Gucci shoes.”
During our first year out of college, Bret and I used to talk on the phone every morning on our horrendously long traffic filled commutes to work. Along with hearing about his morning coffee consumption and other morning *movements*….I got to hear his sweet “sweet” rendition of Monica’s A Dozen Roses. Only for the longest time, I had absolutely NO idea what song he was singing because his annoying, nasally, almost Urkel-esq version was so far off from the sultry jam, that I was floored when I finally heard the actual song he was mimicking. He still doesn’t understand where my auditory disconnect went awry.
His awful singing voice aside, per his Facebook page, Bretty is turning a ripe 65 years young today, and his bone structure wouldn’t let you believe he’s a day over 31. He is the reason I love White Russians, why I’ll always find being called a whore endearing (but only by him of course), why I’ll always refer to that *classy* blue liquor that only grill-wearing ballers drink as “The Hypo”, why I’ll always remember my Women in Film class because of his incessant knee shakes, why men’s ties and the word “Façonnable” will always roll off my tongue, and why a New Years Eve will always be somewhat empty if he’s not there to grace me with his *sensational* hip-swiveling and claptastic dance moves. He’s the best roomie I’ve ever had, and the best platonic manfriend a girl could ever ask for. He’s the baller to my whore, and thank you UCSB and that lovely apartment complex on one Segovia Rd. for introducing us.
Oh, and Happy 31st Birthday old man. I hope your racquetball ankle sprain heels in a jiffy.
Now for a little time travel complete with a dance video, or two, because this post would be incomplete without. Apologies in advance for the embarrassment.
I think this is the first photo we took as the best foursome of neighbors on the block. By this time I knew his name and wasn’t calling him “the Matthew McConaughey guy” anymore.
Winter came, Natty Lite and White Russians got us super acquainted, I called him Doug Funnie nose, and I actually remember this hug quite vividly. We totes became BFFs then and there.
I turned 21. White Russian, sweaty face and awful tank top. He also cracked open his very special bottle of “Hypo” on my very special day.
He especially loved 2am wake-up calls from his awesome sisters and their friends down the way when he had water polo practice in 4 hours.
He loved repaying the favor by jumping on his sister while he was intoxicated and she was trying to sleep. This is actually still one of my all time fave Baller/Jones photos. High 5!
We also had Three’s Company naptime on the famous couches after a long day of watching Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives, two of Bretty’s favorite TV shows.
Then the Baller and Whore 1 & 2 graduated ❤ Santa Barbara would have never ever been the same without these two.
After graduating, Bret moved back up north to Coup Town and me to LA, and I was SO sad, but it honestly never really felt like it, aside from not seeing him everyday. Since then we’ve spent I think nearly every New Years Eve together and a couple trips either him down to LA or me up to San Francisco within the years.
Botched trips up north for Oktoberfest, only to be greeted with the alternate gay Love Fest, have never been sweeter.
And mind-altering afternoons in LA laughing our asses off while watching Borat have never been funnier.
When I came home after a year and a half in Korea, the Baller (and Rami!!) came to LA for my birthday weekend, and it was the best gift ever!!
We of course danced, and he spent a lot of time practicing his dance moves and gettin’ low…..his “specialty”.
A tribute to the Baller wouldn’t be complete without documentation of some of those masterpieces he likes to whip up. Please. Indulge your eyeballs.
Here he is dancing to his own natural rhythm. His own essence. Really feelin’ that music. Pardon the side angle.
And rounding it all out with my personal fave. Everytime I watch this video I can’t not laugh. It gets me every, EVERYtime.
Love you to the moon Baller, and I hope you get over your fear of Asian cuisine and come visit me in the Orient. I’ve got a live octopus with your name on it waiting.
HAPPY 65th BIRTHDAY, DOUG FUNNIE!!! YOU’VE NEVER LOOKED BETTER!
Well, it appears that I have been served up a second serving of him, and it tastes just as foul as I remember. My school A) doesn’t care about the English its students are learning and B) travels to planet Moron to retrieve specimens of idiot to throw into a classroom with me and see how well I can tolerate their just.standing.there.doing.nothing. I AM NOT HAPPY. Especially when I had finally been graced with a young, lovely, SMART, new co-teacher who had a strong enough grasp of the English language and a spectacular eagerness to learn more. Hong-Eon was my new little dream boat and she was snatched away before I could even say “Thank you”. Good thing I didn’t get a chance to.
A homeroom teacher in the 3rd grade had to go and get pregnant (the nerve!!!….totally jk) and the school decided that since Hong-Eon is young and new she could be moved easily, so that’s what they did. The Vice Principal actually asked her if she knew anyone looking for a job and could fill in for a month and a half, regardless of their ability to speak English, just so they could finish out the semester, and a new English co-teacher would be hired at the new semester in September. She and I were both severely annoyed by that. The school ended up posting the job opening somewhere, and that’s where they got this guy. Thankfully he’s only here for a month and a half, but still.
When I met him, my principal actually told me (thru Jin), to learn Korean so that I can help him out since his English is really poor. Excuse me, but I am here to teach English to the students, not do my job AND his job for him. During the upcoming year I’ll probably finally get my ass into gear and take some Korean classes, but I’m definitely not going to say anything to the school, especially after they said this. I was so irritated by that comment. What nerve! Hire someone who is qualified for the job they are applying to work, not just to have a body fill a space.
I know I have come into this situation with preconceived notions about the whole arrangement, but so far it’s shaping up just as it did last year with Mr. Jang… Me leading all of my 3rd and 6th grade classes with a man who literally stands in front of the classroom leaning against the white board not paying attention to the lesson or the kids in the class. Not picking up on cues to their lack of understanding and need of translation. Him not disciplining them at all, even while he’s standing directly in front of them and they have not responded to my scolding in English. And me jumping around like a monkey between touchscreen and handing out points because he doesn’t help out AT ALL, even after I’ve asked him to multiple times. Worthless!!!
I have also picked up on some of his mannerisms at lunch, and I just think he hates kids. He makes weird faces whenever they’re messing around and doing things kids do with each other, and it annoys me. Maybe that’s just one of my weird neuroses, but it does.
I’m trying to breathe and bare with the fact that I only have about a month-ish left with him. I’m just crossing my heart and hope to die that my school pulls through and hires someone like Hong-Eon or Jin for the coming semester. It makes a world of difference teaching with someone you have a rapport with, and someone who even if they can’t speak perfect English, they are willing and eager to learn from you and work together.
Hi guys!! Quick lil thang first off! I’ve decided to make an ever-so-slight change to my Wednesday weekly posting and will now be calling it WTF?! Wednesday.
Since Korea is a dream boat for all things weird and WTF, this will give me free reign to show you all the great Engrish fails PLUS all the other amazingly ridiculous things this country has come up with. It’s absolutely fascinating.
SO, for today’s WTF?! Wednesday, I’m treating you to one of my personal faves. This photo just goes to show that anything goes and zero f*cks (or many, according to this young lady’s head piece) are given over here in the name of fashion. In this girl’s case I wouldn’t really qualify a bucket hat as fashionable, but that’s neither here nor there.
I was sitting across from this girl on the subway, and when I looked up from my phone I had to do a double take and reread because I thought my eyes were fooling me. They weren’t, and BOY what a statement she chose to make!
The hat really is a masterpiece.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. It does in fact say “FUCK IT” around the entire bucket and rim.
Perhaps her boyfriend broke up with her the day she made the purchase? Or she just liked the style? Or she’s never listened to rap music? Or foreign movies? I’m at a loss.
Whatever the reason, she gave zero fucks that day and it definitely made my day!
seoul | tapperilla 