coffee

Hanoi Cafe Culture

Coming from Korea to Vietnam, I had low expectations of the drinks and food in cafes. What I have found recently while living in Korea is 80% of places I see on Instagram, vlogs, and blogs are being promoted solely based on ascetics. I, however, am all about coffee and food when I go toContinue reading “Hanoi Cafe Culture”

Hanoi

It’s easy to see the beauty of Hanoi, but for some visitors, it may be hard to look past the chaos and the hustlers trying to make a dollar or two off of fixing your shoe or making you buy their product. At times these ‘scams’ feel violating and can be very unsettling, especially whenContinue reading “Hanoi”

Gangneung

With a short KTX ride or a 2-hour bus outside of Seoul, it is easy to see why Seoulites make this city and the surrounding beach towns their weekend destination in the summer, even though I went in the middle of February. Unlike the southern coastline of Korea, Gangneung 강릉시 and the surrounding beach townsContinue reading “Gangneung”

Hongdae and Yeonnam

I feel like I have barely scratched the surfaces of these two neighborhoods in Mapo-gu 마포구 on the west side of Seoul. I can’t quite do them justice yet. Still, I hope to inspire you to explore these areas surrounding three major universities in Seoul. Yeonnam-dong 연남동 Yeoman is one of the hottest cafe districtsContinue reading “Hongdae and Yeonnam”

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”