Korea: Midnight snackies & Korean convenience food love

While big sexy dishes like their fabulous fried chicken and grilled meats tend to steal the show when talking about Korean food, there's a lot of other areas in which the South Korean food scene excel. One especially under-respected arena in both Japan and South Korea are their highly innovative approach to baking and bakeries, where uptight beliefs about traditional techniques can be tossed aside and unusual (at least compared to those who view French baking as the standard) combinations proliferate. Red beans and cream cheese? Sure! Handheld pizza with corn kernels and spinach? Why not! For a savory food lover like myself, who will generally reach for something salty or cheesy long before eating sweets, this seemingly endless variety of handheld baked savory goodies is a blessing. Any grocery store, whether it was the smaller farmer's market near the train station I loved to frequent, or the larger supermart buried underground down another corridor inside the train station itself, there was a bakery doling out goods. Heck, if I walked outside of the building I lived in with Yonie, there was a small standalone bakery just across the street churning out wholesome loaves baked in-house to fancy fruit-decorated cakes for special celebrations. Some of the best, though, were the ones you grabbed while hauling through the train station during the morning commute, heated to steamy eggy goodness as you mow through it waiting for the train to arrive... 

Speaking of which, coincidentally, brings me to another arena in which South Korean ingenuity avails: Convenience foods. Not only is there a convenience store nearly a stone's throw away from you at any point in the city of Seoul, but they are replete with an incredible array of ready-to-consume or can-be-consumed-after-minimal-effort-exertion foods, from hot and cheesy pizza buns to questionably made tubes of meat-like substance ready to squeeze into your face hole as your drunk ass stumbles home. There's also plenty of desserts, too, like this tasty little Cookie and cream parfait I devoured one chilly evening on my little sofa-bed in Hwajeong. Not the most glamorous thing, but tasty enough and undeniably convenient! Plus, it was marked down because with the cold weather rolling in ice cream sales had tanked. Is it weird that I like to eat ice cream when it's cold out? Maybe it's because I'm from a place where the summer temps are routinely over 110 degrees, so ice cream on a hot summer day doesn't stand much of a chance...

So, while it's maybe not the kind of thing you're used to finding at your local bakery or convenience store, don't be afraid to try new things when traveling! You could miss out on some real hidden gems!

Korea: Simple snacks at home and lessons in simplicity

This may come as something of a surprise to you, but I'm a person who absolutely and utterly adores food. Not only is food a necessary form of fuel to power us through the routine tasks of everyday existence, but it's also a form of entertainment and escape, an art in and of itself. The foods that speak most strongly to each person's soul are going to be as unique to that individual as their thumbprint, due in large part to what they grew up eating but also to the formative food experiences they've had over the years. I know, some of you probably rolled your eyes so hard at the phrase "formative food experiences" that you're reading this sentence through your nostrils. That's fine. I understand your hesitance, the skeptical glare sweeping your eyes. For a lot of people out there, walking around, food is solely fuel and therefore maintains a lowly stasis as something that must be done, not something that should be done, and that's a shame. A formative food experience, however, is a resplendent and unimitable experience, where something simple takes on all new elevation. 

    

Fish was one of these formative food experiences for me. Growing up I was pretty lucky, for a desert dweller, to be blessed with the opportunity to try various kinds of seafood at an early age. I was a pretty adventurous eater from youth, so I was more than happy to mow down mussels or join my dad for a crab leg night at the local buffet, and an obsession with the original Japanese Iron Chef (dubbed over for American television) didn't hurt either. Even so, fish itself wasn't something we ate much of- definitely never was it ever cooked it in our home. It was looked down upon as a diet food, something bland and boring to be breaded and deep fried and only eaten on a whimsical flight of fancy in the form of a filet o'fish on some drunken eve. Plus, there's that notorious smell it's known for releasing, so it just wasn't around much. One fateful day while living in Japan, however, I found myself introduced to a new approach to eating fish- skewered, simply grilled for a long, slow cooking period over charcoal. The skin was crackly, crispy and had that deep, unmistakable charcoal essence while the juices ran down the stick and along my arms. I sat hunched over among the stones at a temple near my home, a festival raging around me, focused on my fish. It was ridiculously affordable, and in the end it changed my approach to fish. Now, any time I confront an unfamiliar type of fish at the market, as I had while living in Korea and found a package of these long iridescent belt fish, I would grill them, simply, with salt. While using a frying pan sorely lacks the charcoal essence, you're still able to get a decent level of crispiness to the skin and the salt brings out the flavor in the fish without burying it in unnecessary extravagance. The method is simply called 塩焼き or shioyaki, salt-grilled. While Korea has taught me to appreciate soups, Japan taught me to enjoy rice and the simple pleasure of a well-seasoned fish.  

And, of course, dessert is always nice, too.

Korea: Further protests in Insadong

Time: Mid-December, 2016. 

Place: Seoul, South Korea- more specifically, in this particular instance, the Anguk-station adjacent Insadong neighborhood. 

What: the Park Geun-Hye protests. 

In case you missed what was one of the most outrageous and unusual political scandals to rock the world in 2016, that was the time-frame that the standing President of South Korea was uncovered to have deep and possibly traitorous ties with a cult figurehead. The extent of the findings and her collusion were far-reaching and incredible, the charges sounding more like a ridiculous television drama plotline than reality, with severe ramifications and implications for her Presidency. As a result of the shocking news hitting international headlines, scores of Korean citizens took to the streets to voice their disdain, and they did it in style. Despite the streets flooding with upset people and a variety of vehicles it remained largely peaceful, too, with harmonious chants rippling through the crowds, which ranged in age from toddler to senior citizen. The protests went on for quite some time, in different areas of the city, and they grew and grew as the news spread. As of early April, Park Geun-hye has been sentenced to 24 years of prison for her abuse of power, corruption, along with the long list of her other failings as the leader of her country. Ah, sweet justice. Her failures are especially disappointing given that her father was also President of South Korea in his time, though his time was fraught with its own unbelievable dramas like assassination and the beginnings of his daughter's cult connections. Naturally, the trial has had its own share of dramas and conflict surrounding it. 

As an American, that falls somewhere pretty safely within the definition of "Millenial", the protests in South Korea were especially interesting to me in this time of turmoil back home. With the Presidential election roiling on and the bitter back and forth of the primary political parties and their pundits, I was more than happy to be outside of the country for the chaos. While I definitely have some opinions about politics, I'm not much keen on them or being around the vehement battles during election years. I've been outside the US for the 2012 election and 2016 election and watched the results with surreal detachment (and utter disappointment in the more recent year's). Coincidence that is not. It's far more enjoyable to watch the fall of democracy from a semi-safe distance, after all. Being there, in the midst of the protests, yet safely removed from the political ramifications was its own surreal experience. I'm grateful for having been able to walk among the passionate people and appreciate the cause and concern from which they were coming from, though. I can't help but wish that protests here at home were half as well organized or respectfully sociable. Despite being composed of disgruntled individuals, the general tone of the protests felt more like a spirited pep-rally than a call to arms. 

Vegas: Jjolmyeon in Greenland Market

After spending an incredible six months living over in Seoul, South Korea, it shouldn't catch anyone off guard that I absolutely adore the food there. In fact, true hardcore readers (if such a thing exists) might recall one of my earliest ever blog posts (on my much neglected food-oriented sister blog, Culinarily Curious) being about a simple Korean soup with beef and radish- and that was back before I had even ever traveled to Korea! I was enamored with the clean, simple dishes full of complex flavors, and my love of Korean food has only deepened since the days of wandering the many narrow corridors of the city streets and eating anything I could find. Not only is the food itself often exceptionally healthy due to being predominantly vegetable based, but the flavors are often complex and comprised of fermented ingredients that bolster gut health and add incomparable depth. Suffice to say, it's good stuff and I am always happy to find an excuse to dig in on some K-grub.  

Here in the city of Las Vegas, one of your better options for finding a variety of common-place (in Korea) dishes (and ingredients) at a reasonable price point with expedient service is to head over to Greenland market, on the corner of Rainbow and Spring Mountain. Spring Mountain road is pretty much our version of Chinatown, with a huge assortment of different restaurants and businesses catering to all things from the East, whether it be cars, banks, food or fashion. If you're hankering for some dim sum or conveyor belt sushi (or an izakaya, Korean barbeque, hot pot, etc) and don't want to linger in a casino, you'll find the bulk of your pick of restaurants on Spring Mountain. Greenland, however, is especially oriented to the Korean population, which is pretty large here in Vegas. It's my favorite destination for Korean foods and groceries, with the fresh food cafeteria by the front doors offering all sorts of tasty meals to fill your belly before buying your groceries. While out and about on this particular adventure, we popped in and I finally was able to satisfy the fiendish craving I'd been having for jjolmyeon, a cold chewy noodle dish made with wheat noodles and a sweet and spicy sauce that coats the fresh, crispy veggies and makes each bite a savory mix. It's good stuff, and while not as commonly seen as bibim-naengmyun or bul-naengmyun, which also consist of cold noodles in a savory sauce, it holds its own. Ever since summer settled in and started grabbing us by the balls, I've had a need to stuff cold, spicy noodles in my face hole. Am I the only one?  

It ain't a rounded Korean meal without banchan and some soup! This meal came with some kimchi, braised potatoes, macaroni salad and a clean, simple beef broth alongside my big heaping bowl of noodles. Even with Antho's help I wasn't able to finish the whole portion! 

Awesome!

Seoul: Industrial District at night

This could be called an industrial or market district, really. This neck of the woods was just a little way out past Dongdaemun, after walking through the underground tunnels for a while. This definitely wasn't the glitzy, glamorous side of Seoul you typically see in K-drama / K-pop, but it was certainly an interesting one. I even found the back-end of Bangsan market, the food-industry supply area where I purchased my gyerrang-pang pans on an earlier-in-the-day-visit.  Inevitably, businesses do tend to close for the day and shutter their doors so that their employees can eventually get home.  Most malls close pretty early, while markets might linger into the evening, but these areas evidently had no need or want for late-night exchanges. Busier areas stay open later, but I guess this is not one of them. It was pretty interesting, for me, to walk through these deserted areas and at times I did have to wonder if I was really supposed to be here or not. It was so empty that it almost felt like humans consciously avoided the coordinates, you know what I mean? 

Was this a gang or crime-heavy area or something that I was oblivious to?  I, of course, cannot say because I simply don't know.  There was a remarkable amount of graffiti covering the walls and shop-fronts, but I'm in no place to distinguish whether these were simply youthful rebellious expressionisms or territorial tags meant to outline boundaries in the face of rival groups. I walked with my head high and no one messed with me during my journey, but to be fair there wasn't really that many other people around to interact with...

Seoul: Dongdaemun underground at night

Dongdaemun is an absolute hub of business for Seoul, with immense buildings and alleys packed to the brim with an incredible array of goods- from an eye-melting mass of ribbon edging spooled onto massive holders pouring from one storefront to finished dresses with quaint details and quirky English phrases pressed into the fabric at another. There's something for everyone, and while much of the market is active into the late hours of the day, many of the smaller shops will shutter as their owners head home for the night. This can lead to a disorienting change in the volume of traffic as you turn from one street onto another, going from the well-lit crowded corners of Dongdaemun Culture and History park to the lesser-trafficked alleys. This is going to be true of most cities, of course- not every street in Vegas is going to be a non-stop flurry of activity, after all. As someone who walked about the city fairly frequently, though, I was surprised by the quiet, shabbier corners I found. There are less-well-to-do areas in Jogno that I'd passed through before, but this was distinctly more industrial in feel. 

This post will focus on the underground corridors I wandered this evening. I liked to explore a little after work when I was off early enough to be able to take a bit of time for it, and this was one such evening. Rather than walk the familiar route towards Gwangjang market area, I went the opposite direction and found myself in this expansive underground shopping complex after it's prime hours of operation. Being such a populated area, there were precautions in place for the potential of attack, given that Seoul is really quite close to the North Korean border and the terrifying attacks of cults in crowded areas like these in the past...I've noticed these little preparedness centers in the past, and they still leave me with a sense of disquieting surrealness. It doesn't feel real, more like stepping into a Fallout game, but this is life in the modern world, where terror attacks happen. Better to be prepared than not, I suppose, though I don't like the shadow cast on the collective consciousness by having these objects hovering in the peripheral.  

Cheonggyecheon river part two

This river is one of the more serene paths you can take while walking through Seoul.... there will be times of year when it is bustling wall to wall with life, but those are more infrequent than not. Most nights you will find the river quiet and hosting an array of Seoul's citizens, from young to old, appreciating the free-flowing water and live entertainment as musicians may choose to demonstrate their skills from time to time alongside its banks. You can avoid the car traffic for several blocks while listening to the gentle tones of water over rock or flute in air. There's no shortage of restaurants and conveniences nearby, so if you want to grab a bottle of wine and get romantic with an impromptu convenience store fueled picnic, go for it! You can even have food delivered to you riverside should you want it, given Korea's incredible convenience and delivery economy. 

This will always be one of my favorite haunts in Seoul because it's atmosphere changes so much from hour to hour, day to day. Naturally, I like it best when it's at it's quietest and I can enjoy the river for what it is and the juxtaposition of urban busy-ness with the gently cascading water. 

Korea: Ssamziegil and President Park Geun-hye protests

During the time of my stay in South Korea, a bit of political scandal broke out involving the President of the country at the time, Park Geun-hye. There were all sorts of rumors and stories going around, and it was making headlines around the world with the outlandish theories and revelations gaining light of day.  At Fun Caricature, customers would sometimes speak about their feelings on the matter and chastise or judge each other for their past voting decisions... I remember one man, in particular, being especially offended that his date had been a supporter of the President years prior. Ironically, the climate back in the US wasn't too different in that sense- since it was nearing election time the Clinton versus Trump debate was raging loud and heavy on social media and especially vocal citizens were voicing or wearing hats emblazoned with their stances at gatherings. Reddit was awash in trolls who's simpering obsession with one of the potentials led them to try to sabotage and domineer various other subreddits, leading to a clap-back that rippled through nearly the entire site...it was a wild time. It's not a coincidence that I happened to be outside the country for this last election cycle, or the one prior... I certainly could have gotten more involved, of course, and still participated from a distance with the right forms and efforts, but I was too busy living in the moment and too under-informed to really want to make that decision. I've historically had little faith in my singular ability to contribute or effect much change when it comes to these things, so aside from having my own opinions on Facebook, I try to disengage. I've met plenty of ex-pats who doggedly follow the debates, news, and trends, though... and when the actual election time came, I can't deny that I, too, was glued to my screen waiting to see the final verdict. There was a certain irony in watching the whirlwind of publicity and soap-box orators surrounding the US elections as the scandal broke in Korea. The scandal had nearly everything; President Park was charged with misappropriation of funds, allegiance with a cult leader going decades and multiple generations back, there were multiple assassinations in her history: tragically, her parents, who were the leaders of the country at one point, too. So she's like a political Batman? She seemed born and bred to be a leader, and her father was a much-liked figure who's prestige likely helped in her election.  This made the fall from grace and the resultant fallout all the more intense. There were protests throughout Seoul with hundreds of thousands of citizens coming out to show their outrage. The most outstanding thing, to me, however, was how despite their upset the overall tone of the protests was positive and communal- there were trucks driving down the crowded streets blasting music that the masses would sing to. There were men with babies strapped on their backs holding candles, and mothers holding the hands of their young children in one hand and a candle in the other as they walked down the streets expressing their discontent. Though the citizens were upset, the protests were extremely peaceful and I felt very safe as I navigated my way through the densely packed crowds trying to make my way home for the evening. There were, indubitably, a lot of police there to oversee the proceedings- but it felt remarkable, to me, as an American, where news of the election results lead people to destroy private property and try to block traffic on busy highways. There were food trucks proliferating the streets, busy roads closed by the police to vehicular traffic outside of the protest vans pumping tunes to motivate the chants of the citizens... it seemed like a good balance of freedom of speech: expressing your disdain and upset with the current situation while maintaining a jovial, block-party-like atmosphere where people literally felt safe taking their children. It had snowed earlier in the day, which made it all the more magical. 

Korea: Simple noms at work and home

Tornado potato!!! These are one of those foods that you see in all the travel blogs and videos espoused as a "must-try" street food... I had walked by a few places that sold it, but never stopped to buy one for myself. Well, lucky for me, one of my amazing coworkers at Fun Caricature grabbed one for me to try while they were out on their lunch break! I think they got the onion flavor? Whatever they chose, it was delicious! To make these pretty looking spirals of spud, they'll take a whole potato and cut it in one go before deep frying it to crispy carbtastic perfection and drenching it in flavored powder fresh out of the fryer. Delicious. It's a bit of a novelty- I mean, it's just a glorified potato chip / french fry hybrid, but you only live once so get you one if you ever get the chance. Live a little. We can always eat more kale tomorrow, right?

 

Of course, a girl can not live by potato alone... though some have tried... so I had to round out my night after getting home with some more carbs- ramen. I gussied it up with some form of crustacean I found at the market, along with soybean sprouts. It's not fancy, for sure, but it was an easy way to stretch my budget and get a little more bang for my buck. Kongnamul, or soybean sprouts, are extremely cheap and fairly healthy. I'd add a heaping amount to any bowl of ramen, so that the bowl was more bean sprouts than noodles! If I had it, I'd toss in an egg, too, and some green onions. Since I had the crustaceans/mollusks here, I opted to skip the egg this time. Not every day living abroad is going to be an epic adventure of hiking a mountain or eating unusual new foods that you picked live out of a tank. Sometimes you just want to go home from work, kick off your shoes, eat some junk food and watch a bad movie. It's okay. This is real life. 

 

Check back next time for more adventures!

🍜

XOXO,

NAU

Seoul: Hangover stew in Dongdaemun and snacks

After having lived and worked in Seoul for a while, the company I worked with opened a new location in Dongdaemun. If you're unfamiliar with the area, it's a fashion shopping mecca and houses multiple buildings tailored to a variety of textile needs, whether you're a casual shopper looking for something cute and unique or a maker searching for your latest inspiration. There's truly something for everyone! And it's a massive area, too, because despite the relatively small footprint there are multiple high-rise buildings packed with shops on every single floor to explore, along with many small shops spilling onto the streets and alleys below. On top of all that, there's a thriving immigrant community with Cyrillic menus and writing popping up alongside buildings. If you've been missing some Russian or Eastern European classics, this would be a good neighborhood to find some. There are also many food stalls, street vendors, restaurants and chains proliferating here, so there's no shortage of options when it comes to food. I tried Korean Street Toast in this neighborhood for the first time and found myself hooked, unfortunately. So tasty, but not the sort of thing that really made it's way back to the US yet. It's not the most difficult of things to make, I suppose, and it was a lot of fun watching the ladies make it on their hot griddles in a stall the size of most bathrooms stateside. The billowing steam, rife with the smell of hot butter and sizzling ham, would attract many visitors and there was often a line. Some days, however, you need something more substantial, and that's where the hangover stew comes in.

It's not going to win any awards for beauty, but it's a hearty, filling soup to heal what ails you. If you're squeamish, don't ask what cuts of meat are used. It's full of protein, though! And the broth is studded with enough spice to wake you from a half-drowsed state and reinvigorate your senses. Good stuff. Not to mention the serve-yourself banchan bar so you can load up on all the crunchy pickled radish (spicy kkaktugi this time), kimchi and other goodies your heart desires. It's good stuff. I ate it a couple of times during my stay and I'd recommend it to any brave eater. It kind of reminds me of posole, actually, so if you're familiar with that dish it might be an easy one. 

The restaurant I ate this in, this time, was right behind the building I worked in and I think it was actually more of a barbeque restaurant than a stew one, but I digress. There were at least 20 restaurants nestled among the buildings and alley, though, to be fair. No shortage of options, believe you me. They left me to my stew and banchan with no fuss, though they may have judged me. I left happy with my belly full, reenergized and ready to tackle the remainder of my day!

More photos below!

Korean Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken is an absolutely glorious thing. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the term "KFC"- for many people it brings up images of a white-haired dude in a suit, and for the rest it conjures crisp, crackling batter encasing steaming hot chicken in a rainbow of sauce options served with little cubes of sweet-tart pickled radish to cleanse your palate. For me, I'm firmly in the latter camp. No trip to Seoul is complete without eating some chicken at some point, it's a cultural institution! You can get it delivered anywhere, whether you're next to a river watching the sunset or nestled in at home against the winter cold. Out and about? You can pop into any number of chains that serve it up fresh from the fryer, or grab some in a cup from a streetside stand. And did I mention the seasonings?! Good lawd, there's so many options! You can go with a dry approach, where your hot chicken is doused in the powdery seasoning that packs a serious punch, with flavors ranging from sweet corn to cheese... or you can opt to go the saucy route, as I did, and drench your bird in the flavor. 

 

Being a girl who loves all things hot and spicy, I'm partial to the yangnyeom sauce, which is sweet and spicy and all around delectable. It's a popular sauce, but there are countless options ranging from mild and sweet to face-melting and each chain is going to have their own unique options to choose from, too. This chicken came fresh from a little shop on one of the main roads in Hwajeong, about a block and a half walk from where I resided. Along the way, I'd pass a farmer's market, ssamgyupsal restaurant, quick-casual noodle joint serving $3 jjajjangmyun and $5 jjampong, a pizza place, and a cellphone store. I went to this restaurant a couple of times, though, because it was really good! They had some goofy mottos on the bags, too, something like "Mom chooses the best chicken and papa provides for happy family" or something... Always interesting to encounter random English on otherwise native language packaging. It was a lot of chicken, so I had leftovers for a day or two, though it's never as good the next day... They definitely intend for this to be a family portion! There were several side dish options, like corn or rice cakes, but I already had more than enough food to contend with when it came to just the chicken alone, so I never opted for more. Those radish pickles are absolutely essential, however, and come included I believe. They're so refreshing, cool, crisp and cleansing after mowing through a spicy-sweet mass of chicken.  

If you ever find yourself in Seoul, don't hesitate to stop into a chicken restaurant and indulge. It's so very worth it!

Cheers!

🍗

XOXO,

NAU

Korea: Jjajangmyun in Hwajeong

Hwajeong is a little suburban area outside of Seoul city proper. It's a short drive, about 20-30 minutes to the heart of the city, and about forty-five minutes to an hour by train/subway into Insadong and the Jogno area. With it's close proximity to the big city and all its entertainments, I still enjoyed taking some slow days to wander around the neighborhood and try some of the restaurants. It's really no less convenient than being in the inner-city, as Hwajeong had a plethora of shopping options and restaurants all relatively close to the apartment. Yonie's place in particular was SO close to the station that you could literally walk out the entrance and hit 5 convenience stores, 7-8 cosmetic stores, 5 different grocery markets (from sprawling Wal-mart type department stores of food and housewares to a roughly10-foot square farmer's market that spilled onto the sidewalk in front)... Then there were all the restaurants! From fast food favorites like Lotteria and McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and KFC to specialty restaurants serving specialty wild boar meat barbeque and fish fresh from their tanks. There was even a restaurant serving boshintang, dog meat soup. Yes, that's right, you can still find dog meat throughout Seoul. They've definitely tried to tone it down over the years and protests occur quite regularly in the more densely populated tourist centers, but if you look in some tucked away alleys or narrow hallways of large food centers you might find a restaurant serving it quietly.  This post, however, is far more dog-friendly! No dogs were harmed in the making of this post! Huzzah.

What I ate instead was jjajangmyun, a chewy, springy noodle with savory black bean sauce stuffed with meat and vegetables. It's delicious and comforting, not at all spicy, which makes it a kid-friendly nostalgic favorite I'm told. This is a dish that was originally based on a Chinese noodle dish but has been adapted to suit Korean palates and taken on a life of it's own, so it's often found in places that serve similar dishes, like jjampong, a spicy seafood noodle soup or tangsuyuk, sweet and sour pork or beef. While jjajangmyun arrives with the sauce piled on top, you get to stir it all together at the table which can be quite fun. This is not a dish to eat when wearing a light colored shirt, though, so be warned. Slurping the noodles can sometimes cause a bit of sauce shrapnel spillage if you're inexperienced or clumsy, but a lot of places that serve jjajangmyun offer napkins or bibs to protect your dignity. I know that I, for one, have a mild meltdown over stains. The shame, I tell you! 

Since the sauce itself is decidedly pretty tame, you'll typically get some sides to perk up your meal. Pickled radish is common, as are chunks of sharp raw onion and a bit of black bean sauce. I like onions and pungent funky things of that nature, so this is all fantastic and perfectly acceptable to me. This dish has, of course, become a nostalgic favorite for me so I'm always happy when I find places that serve it in my area, whether it be in Hwajeong or Vegas. I enjoyed this meal and then went about exploring the area a bit more, for a relaxing day off. Sometimes the slower days were the nicest, just taking in the cool autumn breeze as the weather gears towards winter and the trees start to change their tones. 

More photos below!

Korea: Yangjae-river Neighborhood Park

Seoul is a city that puts a lot of consideration into the creation of and maintenance of shared public spaces. The city as a whole is one of the most easily traveled I've been to with an extensive network of subways, trains, buses, and taxis connecting every corner of the city along with rideshare services taking the streets...all on top of being an exceptionally walkable place... but all that vehicular transportation would still fall short if there weren't places actually worth going to! Luckily for any visitor or resident to the city, Seoul has no shortage of things to do during the day. At night your options might constrict slightly due to trains stopping in the early morning, but you still have plenty of options for getting around. Most neighborhoods are so well stocked with convenience stores and restaurants that you wouldn't need to go far to find food or beverages, alcoholic or otherwise.  Drinking in public is perfectly legal, too, so long as you aren't an ass about it, so feel free to pick up a beer and have yourself a lovely little picnic while out strolling! On a warm day like this one it would certainly be a refreshing idea. I opted for an iced coffee this time through. 

The Yangjae-river neighborhood park is quite close to the Citizen's Forest park, though I believe they're separate entities. There's a train station that will deposit you directly in front of the park, but that would have required changing train lines and looping out of the way and back around from my particular angle of approach, so I got out about a mile away or so and walked. I certainly needed the exercise and the day was so lovely out that it would have been a waste to not take the stroll and soak up some sunshine. There's always something of interest to see! I was able to find my way to the park with little difficulty and took plenty of photos on the way and after arrival. 

I found my way to the Yangjae river, where I sat upon a stone as the water rushed by. I was talking to Antho, able to connect over Facebook messenger using my portable wi-fi egg to get my phone online. I'd send him photos spontaneously and we'd talk about our days, trying to stay connected as best we could despite the oceans between us. It wasn't always easy, and I remember being particularly distraught during this conversation, but that's life. No one ever said that a long-distance relationship would be easy, and a disturbing number of our acquaintances had dismal condolences and lackluster predictions for our success. We made it, of course, and are still going strong years later! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, though Antho is determined to never let us be separated like this again. He'll be with me next time. So for those of you who might think that a LDR isn't worth it,  or can't survive, you're really underselling yourself. Have some faith in yourself! We did, and here we are. I'm able to share my adventures with you all and get a foot rub and snuggles from the guy who's been there for me the whole time. That's pretty fantastic. We even pledged our loyalty in front of the Dark Knight, so you know we're not kidding around. 😉 

More photos after the cut!