Korea: Nostalgic Views in Hwajeong

One of the best parts of living in the little make-shift office turned bedroom I had in Korea was the largely unobscured view offered by the large windows within, offering me a glimpse out onto the city of Hwajeong as the sun rose or faded into the horizon and all the various shades in between. Hwajeong, while not really Seoul proper, is still quite a bustling little suburb and full of life, so I'd often overhear whooping shouts and excited calls from people celebrating below, at all hours of the night. It was fascinating, and often quite beautiful. The trade-off was that occasionally I'd be awoken early on my day off and told that the office was needed for the home owner's work purposes and to, more or less, make myself scarce. These things. In theory, I could have found a small apartment somewhere in Seoul and rented it for cheaper than what I paid for my sometimes less-than-private space, as many of my friends and their cohorts in a different field emphasized, but my living arrangement was already predetermined in a contract that outlined my work requirements and obligations prior to my even arriving to Korea. I'm not bitter about it, though there were times during my stay where I'd get frustrated by feeling trapped in a situation that wasn't always to my benefit. The other rooms in the apartment were rented out on AirBnB for a higher rate than what I was paying, so I was getting a deal, but there were often strangers coming and going outside my bedroom, or an awkward wait for the shared restroom in the morning when several of us had obligations to tend to. Some of the AirBnB guests stayed on for a longer term, and we got to know eachother a little better in the brief encounters in the kitchen or hallways, but some nights I'd find myself answering the door to an exhausted stranger I hadn't been told to expect, a potentially spooky situation depending on the circumstances. I digress. In the end, I'm immensely grateful for having had the opportunity to live and work in such an incredible place as South Korea, and while I certainly wish I'd had more information going in, I'm still very much glad I went. 

Seattle: AJ's Day out in Green Lake

These days, my job has me scurrying all over the city of Seattle to attend gigs, so I've been getting a lot of time behind the wheel exploring quite a lot of the city's streets. One day I might be out in SoDo working at an LGBTQ+ automotive shop, the next I might be working in a small bungalow in the heart of the university district. I'm not complaining one bit, because what better way to get to know a new city than by traversing it on a day to day basis? Sometimes I even find myself way out in Kirkland or making a special trip into the heart of Occidental Square. Driving through the city has given me the opportunity to witness protests in action, sea-planes gliding into the city, countless squirrels scampering and given me a glimpse into the inner workings of businesses I might never have set foot in otherwise. It's absolutely fascinating, and while I can't divulge too much about any particular place I work in, the surrounding neighborhoods themselves have endless surprises to offer. Given the nature of my work, flexibility is a major plus, and thankfully I consider that to be one of my strengths. Antho, too, has needed to be quite flexible these past few months as we've been sharing the van due to my Volvo being in the shop. After the drive from Vegas, and years spent living in the dehydrated den of sin where temps above 110 degrees Fahrenheit are normal during the summers, and her only form of tending coming from drunk questionably qualified friends of the family, the old girl was in need of some serious TLC. In fact, after getting into her transmission my trusted mechanic informed me that my situation was primarily caused and then exacerbated by the misguided efforts of the drunken sailors who'd poked around the engine prior. The poor mechanic sprained his back and given that he's a one-man operation, that slowed his progress on repairing the old girl quite a bit... Thus, our shared vehicle situation has extended on and on, a fair bit longer than we'd initially intended or hoped, but being flexible is a strength in this life we live.  

When you're always on the go, days can rapidly bleed into each other, a procession of driving along seemingly countless winding little roads, navigating parking in new corners of the city, and cloudy sunrises and sunsets all melting together. Every so often, though, Antho's day off will align well with a gig of mine, allowing him to escort me to my work and then explore a new area. His work keeps him closer to home, after all, so I've seen much more of the city, and I like to try to re-balance the scales when the opportunity arises. I had to spend a few hours working in the Green Lake area, so he dropped me off and went exploring at the nearby parks. He found a Japanese confectionary, squirrels galore, fall foliage in fiery shades of red and orange, and so much more! We hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes of our adventures. 

Korea: 홍어회 in화정 or Hongoe in Hwajeong

Throughout my entire stay in South Korea, I lived in the small town of Hwajeong, in Goyang prefecture. It's only a short commute outside of Seoul, about 30 minutes by train in to Anguk area which was without a doubt one of my favorite neighborhoods to spend time in. Hwajeong was a charming little suburb to reside in, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time living there! Not only was it easy (enough) to commute to and from work on the daily, but there were multiple options for shopping, recreation, and dining throughout the area. While your typical suburb in Las Vegas has at least one convenience store nestled in its midst, there's no real guarantee that you'll be able to get to a grocery store on foot, not in any timely manner anyway..this issue is referred to as "food deserts", where fresh foods are less readily available and residents need to commute to have access to amenities. In Hwajeong I could walk 5 minutes and have my pick from several small groceries, multiple convenience stores (of different brands/names) and countless fast or slow food restaurants. Who says that Americas the greatest country in the world? For sheer capitalistic indulgences and opportunity, South Korea certainly seems to have learned from us and upped the ante.   

Another thing South Korea does well, that we don't really do much here, is fermented fish. Tangent much, eh? In the United States, you might find some form of pickled fish hiding in a dusty, forlorn corner of the grocery store's "ethnic" section, but in Korea, there's a famous fermented fish whose name strikes fear into the hearts (and nostrils) of those familiar with it: Hongoe. This funky beast is the result of fermenting skate, those cute little mini-mantas who have the peculiar habit of urinating through their skin. This, naturally, gives the fermented variety of their flesh a distinctly ammonia-heavy odor that even I, a girl whose sense of smell is laughably non-existent, found challenging. To be fair, hongoe is a challenge even for native Koreans who grew up around the stuff. Typically eaten with super-ripe kimchi and sweet milky rice alcohol in the form of makkgeoli, you can also find hongoe prepackaged at some grocery stores. It's much more affordable to buy the prepackaged variety, and so I decided to give it a go, but I have to admit I wasn't able to eat the whole package on my own. The texture of the fish is unusual, too, with a cartilaginous crunch that's hard to compare to anything that hasn't been rotting in its own urine for an extended period of time. 

Even just looking at these photos is giving me olfactory flashbacks. Oof. Enjoy the photos of the pretty view from here out, to hopefully get some of the funk out! You might also enjoy noticing the little bird, who perched atop the tower here. 

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

🐟

XOXO,

NAU

Vegas: Textures and light

The heart of the Las Vegas strip is a hub of activity all year round, whether it's the peak of tourist season with pedestrian traffic mobbing and ebbing through the streets and alleyways or the slower season when construction swings into high-gear in it's stead. Sometimes you get a mix of both, with canvas banners and steel pole structures cobbled together to direct the mass of traffic around the work being done. Back when I lived in Japan, and true in Korea as well, construction was covered up and hidden away behind a barricade to keep the procedure (and possible debris or eye-sore) safe from the eyes of passersby... so coming home and seeing all the bones of buildings, some in varying stages of abandoned decay during their unfinished construction, is fascinating for me. When all is said and done, of course, the end result is more or less the same: another shiny new playground in this adult theme park, where you'll find ample booze and entertainments waiting just inside the air-conditioned doors. 

To be fair, though, it's the small details that make everything interesting, whether it's traveling to a foreign country and realizing that their beverages are sized differently due to different units of measurement (because America) or the decorating decisions that differentiate one house from the neighbor's... No matter where you choose to stay in Las Vegas, you should take the time to walk around the area and try to get a feel for the casino and the city itself. No two stays will ever be the same here, that's for sure. Some days you witness someone being carted off on a gurney to a waiting ambulance, another day you might find a large drunk woman splayed out spread eagle in front of the bathroom doors with a flock of brightly-shirted security staff surrounding her. I absolutely recommend staying in different resorts, in different parts of the city, at different times of year to really get a feel for what this city is like, and WALK! I love walking anytime we travel anywhere, because you get an exceptional up-close view of the city and it's textures. 

Photos in this post were kindly provided by Antho once again. Enjoy!

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.  

Seoul: Dongdaemun Morning

Mornings were typically not all that exciting for me.  I had my routine, where I'd wake up at least an hour or hour and a half before I had to leave for my day... there'd be the required shower to rinse away any sweat or sleep funk that had accumulated over the evening, and a meal- most mornings toast with eggs. Always some coffee. Back home in the states I often use a French press for my morning brew, as I like the balance in flavor and intensity, but I experimented with pour over brewing methods and instant coffees while living in Korea due to limited counter/cabinet/kitchen space and a hesitance to purchase any sort of appliances I'd have to leave behind or try to take home. Some mornings I might have a bit of worry as one of the other housemates occupied the bathroom and I panicked over whether I'd have time, but more often than not it all worked out fine. Once the house routine was all managed, off I'd go- to the elevator, then down the street at a brisk clip, then plodding down the stairs or escalators at Hwajeong station. The destination would change: some days I'd be working in Anguk, other days I'd be at Lotte world, so I'd have to plan accordingly. Some routes took much longer than others, but I was almost always on time! The trains tend to run pretty regularly, though some odd times I'd find myself switching trains as the car I had originally hopped on was retired for the time being. These things happen.

So, too, does pigeons finding their way inside the train stations from time to time. There are many smaller rural stations that are more open to the outside elements, but finding this poor bird so far inside Dongdaemun seemed a bit strange. An entertaining moment in the morning ritual. 

With the winter chill settling in more and more each morning, I was finding the brisk walks especially pleasant. Also good for taking photos, as the crowds hadn't really gathered yet as at this early hour many of the shops hadn't opened for business. I took advantage of this and captured a bit of the early morning calm as I enjoyed it. 

More photos below!

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. 

Seoul: Dongdaemun views

View from the Dongdaemun building we had a Fun Caricature location in. Not the worst view of the city, eh? I discovered this scenic spot in the stairwell, as I strove to hit my step count for the day and stay active. Some days it was a bit less colorful, with the winter grey skies coming in heavy but inconsistently by this point. There was definitely more need for steaming hot cauldrons of bubbling stews and soups, of which the surrounding neighborhood was ready to supply. Not only were there a coffee shop and several restaurants inside the building itself, but the neighborhood of Dongdaemun is a bustling hub of commerce that has a steady influx of humans coming through needing to eat at some point in their long days. Just look at all those multistoried buildings! It's always something of a novelty to me, as skyscrapers are still relatively few and far between in my hometown of Vegas. I mean, sure, we have the Stratosphere and some gleaming monoliths on the Strip, but the majority of the valley is limited to 6 stories or less for the vast majority of structures, and the residential sprawl typically only sees second story buildings unless you're in the part of towns with mansions... Anyway, I especially found that clusterf**k of air conditioning units fascinating to see. It's kind of an interesting visual symmetry to the buildings beyond. 

On top of food, of course, there are plenty of entertainment options! That's where the Fun Caricature location came into play, as we had recently opened this new spot near a Van Gogh art exhibition. It seemed only proper for a caricature spot to cozy up to this beautiful Van Gogh exhibit, no? That was the premise, anyway. It wasn't a very busy location compared to some of the more bustling ones, at least while I was there, as most people were more focused on the stunning art inside the showroom rather than us, though we did get the occasional client. There was a cafe in the same area, but it was infrequently open. The other floors of the building were primarily fashion oriented, with the floors divided into Men's, Women's, accessories, but there was also a gym, indoor putting range, and the aforementioned restaurants and cafes. I imagine the other buildings nearby were similar, packed with busy workstations and shops, then restaurants and things catering to their needs.  Dongdaemun is essentially a working fashion hub, the actual business behind and retail shops side of things, but there are museums and other culturally beneficial activities to enjoy aplenty.

  

I didn't take any photos inside the exhibit, but I did take plenty of photos of the view from the building as I enjoy the urban scenery. Check those out below!

Seoul: Bus ride from Hongdae to Hwajeong

Having satisfied my craving for Taco Bell and gotten the results of some lab work I'd had done at a nearby clinic, it was time to pack it in and head back. Hongdae is an excellent area if you want to hang out for awhile, though! There are tons of restaurants, trendy shops from big name to indie creators, street food stalls, bars and plenty more. I, however, had plans that evening somewhere else and it was nearing go-time.  

I found the public buses to be rather comfortable for the most part, though some of the busier routes (like Namsan tower) could get claustrophobic during peak times... This route was rarely crowded when I took it, and it was quite an affordable method to take, too. I could take one bus from a shopping mall a few blocks from where I was staying straight into the heart of Hongdae! So convenient. Funny thing is, I had posted a photo of some street food from a stall near the apartment and someone on Instagram recognized the area! They clued me into the bus route and I'm so very grateful for that. Social media can be pretty amazing sometimes, right?

This is going to be a pretty photo heavy post, but I wanted to capture as much of the experience as I could. I know it's routine for many people, but this is a novelty for me and I feel very honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to live like a local for a little while. I think it's the best way to explore and experience any new culture, personally, so I strive to do that whenever I can... so far I've lived in Japan and Korea, and the week I spent staying in Hong Kong was fantastic- though I stayed in a hotel for that one. It was nice, though I'd like to try an AirBnB next time we visit. It's definitely on my to-do list, but for now, enjoy these photos from my stay in Seoul!

 

 

Kyoto Day 2- Part 6 - Gion

After refilling my tank with a robust and delicious meal, I still had some energy to burn so I decided to continue exploring the city by night. For a minute, though, I stopped in at yet another kissaten, or small coffee shop, for a quick cup of the beany brew before hopping back atop the bike and venturing onwards. I managed to find my way to Gion, a district of Kyoto with a bustling night life and beautiful streets, where Geisha wander the alleys and exorbitantly priced and likely equivalently incredible restaurants jostle for advertising space in the narrow passageways. Every area of Kyoto that I explored had it's own appeal while still maintaining an overall essentially Kyoto-esque aesthetic... it's a bit hard to put into words what exactly that is, though. There's a classic minimalism and simplicity with meticulous attention to detail that elevates the mundane to the luxurious, from the creation of humble tofu curds to the lacquer adorning the wood... being somewhat distant to the seas compared to much of Japan, there's more of an earthy feel to Kyoto, especially when compared to the bustling neon megatropolis that is Tokyo. People seem more reserved, to move more slowly and with more consideration, here. There's a quiet pride and contentedness in the precision and continuation of traditions carried on into modern chambers. Old meets new, without forgetting where it came from. and relishing in that history. It's a place that really resonated with me, and one that I very much look forward to visiting again someday. 

Photos, of course, will proliferate beyond the cut.

Kyoto Day 2- Part 3- Heian Jingu

After my adventure to Kiyomizu-dera and zipping back down the steep mountain at dangerous speed on my rental bike from the 9Hours capsule hotel, it was time to appraise my options for the next portion of the day. I stopped at a small kissaten for a cup of coffee and to sit on my phone and research where to go next. It was a lovely break and the small coffee shop was next to a river, providing a serene view by which to sip my caffeine. Once I ventured back out onto the road, I started towards another temple- but grew lost. I asked a jindikushaw (rikshaw) driver if I was heading the right way and he informed me my destination had closed for the day, but suggested my next stop; Heian Jingu!

Back onto my rental bike I hopped, pedaling away happily. Heian Jingu is easy enough to find- you'll know you're close when you see the giant red torii gate looming over the street, making the cars look like wee little toys. After the crowds at Kiyomizu-dera, Heian Jingu was a bit of a respite with a relatively small populace of visitors. This is not to diminish the beauty of the location- it's absolutely beautiful, having been a palace at one point in it's long life. Brilliant red paint gilds it's frame, decorated with ornate gold and green designs. There's a large expanse of open space leading up to the temple itself, providing a sense of isolation and sanctuary despite being deep within the city.

It was well worth visiting, and I was pleasantly surprised to have found it in such an unexpected manner. After exploring the grounds, I wrapped it up and headed back onto the road. I only had so long with the bike and wanted to take in as much as I could before my sojourn was cut short..

Hong Kong Day 4- Walk from Downtown to Central

Waking refreshed and recharged, I was eager to explore another of the islands that encompassed Hong Kong after a quick breakfast of spicy beefy noodles at a small shop around the corner from my hotel. There are several, including Lantau island , Hong Kong island proper, Chek Lap Kok, Tsing Yi, Kau Sai Chau, Po Toi Islands and Cheung Chau, along with my destination for the day: Lamma island! This post will focus on the journey to Central, the pier. For much of my trip, I hadn't really spent a lot of time in downtown Hong Kong as it was quite crowded. This trip was little different, with groups of people congregating on the sidewalks and alcoves. 

Despite my general reluctance to willingly put myself into extremely crowded situations, I knew there would be a peaceful retreat at the end of my journey so I soldiered forward and faced my anxieties. I could have taken a bus, but instead I opted to simply walk the entire way and in the end it was well worth it. The views of the city and gradual dissipation of the crowd as I approached Central set my mind and body at ease.