Korea: Mahabodhi Temple in Jogno District en route to Gwangjang

 Seoul, is, of course, a highly modernized city. There are electric and hybrid cars buzzing past on the busy city streets, multiple forms of public transportation vying for your dime and time, flat-screen tvs advertising on the trains, and any number of modern conveniences. You don't have to walk more than a block or two to find a convenience store or food stall, no matter what part of the city you stay in. Through summer to end of 2016 I was living in Hwajeong, about a half hour commute outside of Seoul on the #3 line. Some of the more centralized locations for Seoul would be quite a bit farther, of course, but Hwajeong put me at a relatively convenient location for commuting to the Jogno area of Seoul frequently.  This works out especially well for me as the Jogno area comprises the northern-half of the historical core of Seoul, housing 4 out of the 5 grand temples of Seoul along with many historically significant locations (like the Seoul City wall) . You can access the area from Anguk station on Line 3, or Jogno-3ga (lines 1, 3 and 5). Line 3 was most convenient for me while living in Hwajeong at Yonie's AirBnB. 

This means the perfect compromise between modernity and historically significant sites. My first time in Seoul I stayed at Yim's House, and I rather enjoyed my stay. It was a more private experience than staying at Yonie's because despite being a "guest" house, you have your own private room and facilities (fridge, shower, restroom), whereas at Yonie's I was renting a room with shared access to amenities (bathroom with shower/tub, fridge, kitchen, washing machine). This meant that there were sometimes mornings at Yonie's where I'd be in a rush to get ready for work, trying to grab that quick pre-work shower to freshen up (especially in summer when I'd be sweating a lot during the night from the heat and humidity) and find someone else in there, with no idea how long they'd take or how late it might make me...but, these things. Luckily this didn't come up as a problem too terriby often, and in trade off I had access to a washing machine at Yonie's whereas at Yim's house I'd have to do my laundry by hand or take it to a laundromat. My first stay in Seoul was short enough that laundry didn't really matter, so it didn't factor into my estimation of the establishment so much. Knowing what I know now about how much of a pain in the tuckus hauling dirty laundry about really can be, I highly value access to laundry facilities in-building. 

After filling up on this delicious crepe stuffed with a snappy hot dog, coleslaw and a generous blop of ketchup, I made my way into the city. This isn't the first time I've stumbled upon this temple, so it was rather amusing to find it once more. I had to take some photos and commemorate the experience before heading onwards towards my destination. I hope you enjoy these photos and glimpse into what life was like when I lived in Korea!

Korea: Myeongdong

Myeongdong district in Seoul is a trendy youthful area with tons of food, shopping, fashion, and fun to go around. Whether you're looking to stock up on some new skincare products, try the latest street food sensation, try a trendy new restaurant or get a new piercing you can find it here. There's no shortage of trendy youth districts proliferating around the various college campuses of Seoul, whether it's the Hongdae area near Hongik university (where I personally tended to spend more time due to it's proximity to my residence and ease of getting there) or Ewha Women's University (where I visited to join my friend Carmen for an epic adventure I'll be posting about later). Myeongdong, in this post, is an especially excellent area for foodies and people who want to be close to the heart of Seoul. From Myeongdong you can see Namsam Seoul Tower or walk to Namdaemun, which I later returned to towards the end of this post. Because of the youthful and trendy nature of the neighborhood, you'll find a lot of foreign style restaurants (from American barbeque to Thai), though not with quite the density you might find in the dedicated foreigner districts of Itaewon. There's a lot to see and do here and it would be especially nice on a date, though I was here by myself on this visit and particularly feeling the absence of my partner... I opted not to spend too long in Myeongdong, promising that I'll return on my next visit to Korea with Antho. Of course, don't let my existential ennui and homesickness prevent you from going to Myeongdong and seeing all that it has to offer! It's a vivacious and bubbling neighborhood ready to entertain and amuse, catering to a wide array of fashion-forward aesthetics.   

There are seriously so many things to see, do, or shop that it's a shame I didn't get to spend more time here. I didn't exactly have a lot of spending money, either, which was also a contributing factor to why I didn't linger in a renowned shopping mecca for too long. There were a LOT of super cute clothes and so many fun new skincare items (Tony Moly was promoting their Pokemon themed items pretty hard at the time), this area could be dangerous if you had a budget. Like I said, though; this area is readily accessible from a lot of Seoul's most renowned landmarks and locations, so on my return to Seoul (with Antho in toe) we'll definitely be exploring this area more in depth. It's too enticing not to!

More photos below!

Korea: Namdaemun Market

If you happen to find yourself in Seoul and in need of doing some shopping, Namdaemun Market is an excellent place from which to start! Whether you're looking for some traditional ginseng tonics to cure what ails you or an itty-bitty-Korean-traditional-gown (AKA Hanbok) for your itty-bitty-beauty, a watermelon print neck pillow to ease your travels or some western booze, you can find it all here. This place is MASSIVE and there are so many different shops and items available it's a bit mind-boggling. I found my way into a labyrinthine building specializing in import goods and almost felt like I was going to bump into the Goblin King around a bend.  I wasn't exactly rolling in the dough as a foreign artist working on commission, so I didn't have an exorbitant amount to spend here...nor was my Korean sufficient enough to really haggle with any of the vendors, so I didn't purchase much during my visit. I did snag one of those adorable watermelon neck pillows, which still proved itself to be insufficient protection/support when I ended up accidentally sleep-head-butting the girl next to me on my return flight to the US. Womp. But the pillow is still adorable and comfortably practical for short trips, especially road trips. I also grabbed a tank top with a sewn-in-bra, which summarily fell out after the first wash. I was living in a shared apartment with a perpetually rotating supply of roommates (male and female) due to the apartment being shared on AirBnB by the owner, and as much as I like to rip off my booby-holsters and let my girls hang free after a long day, I'm not at a point where I want random people to see my nipples, either. Sewn-in bras and padding on tank tops makes the hot, humid months of Seoul a little more tolerable without having to add too much additional weight or fabric.  Trust me, when there isn't central air and the cement and tall buildings trap the heat you'll take nearly any reprieve you can find.

There's also tons and tons of food stands and restaurants proliferating throughout the area, meaning you're never too far from a tasty meal. I tried a few different things during this visit! Believe me when I say that Seoul's street food is worth sampling, often. There are so many food carts and stalls near the major stations and intersections and they're fiercely competitive. The food is almost always guaranteed to be outstandingly good because if it wasn't, the stand wouldn't be able to last long. You can always veer towards popular restaurants, as each station is going to have it's keystone venues, too. Residents and visitors of Seoul are often eager and willing to travel from one station to the next in search of that perfect meal, and with the convenience and ease of transit here combined with incredible quality of food at affordable prices it's easy to see why. Eat all the things! Enjoy your visit. Try something new.

I had a blast here and since it's pretty close to Myeongdong, I walked that way after spending a few hours here. All the photos in this post will be from Namdaemun, however.

Lots more photos below!

Korea: Bukchon hanok village part two

If you tire of admiring the traditional architecture and cobblestone streets, you can always make your way to one of the busier streets back towards the major streets. You'll find these areas a lot more populated and bustling, and also filled with an additional bounty of shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and snack-stands ready to fill the gaping void in your gastrointestinal tract. When my belly demons started piping up from their slumber, I opted to grab a cup of goguma matang or Korean sweet potatoes that have been deep fried then glazed with a sweet and sticky sauce that makes them glisten like candy. I have to say; TOTALLY delicious! SO good! I had to make them when I came back from Korea and forced them upon Antho, who had to admit that even with my amateur recreation were pretty craveable. They're SO MUCH BETTER when freshly made on the spot and the thick, syrupy glaze is borderline hardening.  It's something so deceptively simple that is undeniably comforting and homey....something I think the Korean cuisine does exceedingly well. 

There's no shortage of delicious things to try while wandering the streets of Seoul, to be sure. 

There's also a lot of charm and innovation to catch here. If you can make your way through the throngs of tourists ambling through the bigger streets, you might find yourself stumbling upon the Chicken Museum... well, let's be clear; this is the Ginseng Chicken Soup museum or Samgyetang museum. Samgyetang, if you've never had it, is a quintessential summer food during the doggiest of dog days during the unrelenting heat waves of peak-summer. Summer in Seoul is hot, swampy, humid and oppressive. Eating a hot, steamy bowl of the light but flavorful and rejuvenating soup can help power you through it. Typically made with a whole chicken (ideally a younger, smaller, bird) stuffed with medicinal herbs and sweet, sticky rice, samgyetang is absolutely delicious, and a must try when you're in Korea. You can absolutely check out the museum here and try their version, or more specifially you could head towards Tosokchon, which is one of the most prolific names in Samgyetang, and not far from here.  Personally, I ate samgyetang for the first time at a tiny restaurant just across the street from the apartment I lived in out in Hwajeong, where the ahjummas running the joint were bemused by my presence and the food was cheap, delicious, and absolutely felt like homemade. But to each their own, my friends. 

Many more photos below!

Japan: Daily life & unique foods 2011-11-27

MOS Burger! 

A Japan-specific burger chain, they're actually pretty tasty. One of the things they're most known for is being among the first burger chains to offer rice buns, essentially rice balls subbed in for the regular bread buns. Who knew the Japanese were early adopters of the gluten free movement? ;)

A typical Japanese taxi, classy in black.

Japan: Icho Namiki Ginkgo Avenue 2012-11-24

The Japanese have a profound appreciation for all things seasonal, including the changing of the leaves as summer slides into the chilly grip of winter. To celebrate, Yuka & A-chan and I went to Icho Namiki, a street lined with resplendent ginkgo trees who's leaves turn a stunning shade of yellow.

Braving the sleepy crowds, we met up and began our adventure!

Japan: Urayasu Fresh Market 11-23

My favorite neighborhood fresh market was a brief 10 minute bike ride from my apartment, so I frequented it fairly often. There was always a bounty of beautiful fresh foods! 

Hopping atop my trusty mamachari or "mama's bike", the equivalent of a minivan on two wheels, I'd take advantage of the handy basket and stock up on reasonably priced produce while there.

There was also a small fish market with fresh sushi and prepared fish inside, along with a butcher wrapping packages of meats in cellophane. All your necessary staples were there (as long as you're comfortable with cooking and/or Japanese food), but sometimes unexpected items like grasshoppers or seasonal sweet cakes would appear on the shelves.

Their flowers were among some of the most reasonably priced I encountered; usually around ¥300-700 whereas the somewhat closer Yaoko supermarket's flowers were often twice the price! 

One option that makes shopping in Japan more affordable is to visit stores late in the day or evening, closer to closing time. Fresh things, like sushi, precut vegetables, cut flowers, etc. will get marked down and the later it is, the greater the discount. I've had many a satisfying sushi or sashimi centered dinner for under $10! Of course, the people at the fresh market were so pleasant and friendly, and the prices so reasonable to begin with, that I'd make a point to shop there on my days off as their hours didn't pan out on days I had work. 

Leaving L.A. April 2015

As the clock was winding it's way ever later it was eventually time to return to Union Station to catch our ride home. We opted for the Megabus, which departed some time after 12:30. There was some issue with the bus causing it to arrive late and our departure to be delayed some, but wasn't a terrible inconvenience as we were pleased just to be seated somewhat comfortably for awhile.