Somedays, I feel like describing where I live is like telling a tale of two Cheonggye’s 청계면. A 30 min busied north of Mokpo in Muan County 무안군, Cheonggye is a farming community, a fishing community, and a college town nestled between mountains and the sea in Jeollanam-do South Korea. I live in the centralContinue reading “Small Town Living in South Korea Featuring A Cult, Mud, and Some Chickens”
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The Wildest 24 Hours of My Life: My First Hoesik
They told me I was going to Boseong 보성군. I did not sign up for what happened next. Since covid, the Korean Hoesik 회식 has been canceled. Hoesik is really any gathering of people to eat, get drunk, and marry; however, it has become synonymous with workplace culture in Korea. Pre-covid, you were expedited toContinue reading “The Wildest 24 Hours of My Life: My First Hoesik”
A Lasting Impression, Busan Part 2
After a night of rest and a strong coffee in the morning to melt the discontent with our run-in with the law the evening before, my friend and I set out on a long bus ride from Haeundae 해운대 to Gamcheon Cultural Village 감천문화마을. The bus ride took us past the ports and Chinatown andContinue reading “A Lasting Impression, Busan Part 2”
Jeonju
Jeonju 전주 is the Ancestral home of King Yi Sŏng-Gye 이성계, known as King Taejo 태조, the founder of the Joseon 대조선국 dynasty. This dynasty united (or conquered) Korea for over 5 centuries from 1392 until 1910, when Japan annexed Korea after years of fighting, including two wars on Korean soil. Jeonju is sacred toContinue reading “Jeonju”
Suncheon Bay Gardens
순천만국가정원 Have you ever had one of those days that fill you with immense joy? My trip to Suncheon Bay Gardens 순천만국가정원 was just that. A combination of beautiful weather in a strikingly stunning place with the best company I could hope for made the day joyful. To quote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, daysContinue reading “Suncheon Bay Gardens”
Olle Market 올레 시장
My first memory of going to a market was the Dixie Flea Market in Waterford, Michigan. My grandparents, mom, dad, and brother dug through the antiques and purchased fresh vegetables from the farmers in the summers. I remember the chaos of people walking around, the stalls piled sky-high with junk and treasures, and I rememberContinue reading “Olle Market 올레 시장”
Allergy Update
It’s been a while since I’ve talked a lot about food. My original intention was to use this blog to discuss the difficulties of having food allergies and traveling; however, since I moved to South Korea, something has changed. I started to notice 4-5 months after being here that when I would accidentally eat somethingContinue reading “Allergy Update”
Summer on Jeju Part V Hallasan
Hallasan 한라산, the tallest mountain in South Korea, is not a mountain but a dormant (though some argue extinct; I am no scientist) sacred volcano that rises up from the center of Jeju into the clouds. The sacredness of this striking mountain comes from Korean folk beliefs tell the creation story of Jeju by GrandmotherContinue reading “Summer on Jeju Part V Hallasan”
Summer on Jeju Part 2
I watched the towns go by on my hour and a half ride to Seongsan Ilchulbong 성산 일출봉. In my head, I had dent connected to the seemingly unreal futures that I had seen of a Tuff cone on Jeju, but as soon as I saw it off in the distance, I knew I wasContinue reading “Summer on Jeju Part 2”
Summer on Jeju Part 1
Jeju 제주도 is lovingly referred to as the Hawaii of Korea by many ex-pats. They are not wrong. This semi-tropical volcanic paradise is the ultimate getaway for many Koreans. An hour’s flight out of Seoul, Jeju island has some of Korea’s best surfing and diving spots. You can spend a week here without seeing halfContinue reading “Summer on Jeju Part 1”
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