Besties in Busan

During the last days March, we welcomed my best friend and her travel companions to Korea just as the warm spring weather decided it wasn't ready yet and hid away for a few more days. We celebrated this short visit by heading straight off to Busan, the second-largest Korean city (after Seoul, of course) for a weekend adventure. I had packed my bag for a spring weekend in the beach city - skirts, light pants, not much else - and immediately regretted it upon arrival. It was chilly, windy, and rained off and on the entire time. But we didn't let that dampen our spirits!

Immediately after work on Friday, we greeted Brittany and her friends Catalina and Win, who had just landed earlier that day after spending about two weeks in Myanmar. Their stay in Korea would be shorter, but we were ready to host some familiar faces. We took the high-speed SRT train for about 2.5 hours southeast to Busan, arriving around 9:30pm. We checked into our guesthouse which was just a couple of beds and only served toast for breakfast, but it was a place to lay our heads at night. Famished, we headed out for Dueji gug-bap, or pork soup rice, a dish famous in Busan. It was hot and comforting, perfect for a chilly, damp night.

Mmmm, comfort food on a chilly night

Soon after, our coworker Taylor arrived with her Korean boyfriend Dongjun and his friend Yoonwon, who are both incredibly sweet. Initially, we had worried about traveling in a group of 8, but these two really helped us figure out how to best manage our time in the city.

Our multicultural group! From left to right: (back) Yoonwon, Tony, Brittany;
(front) Taylor, Win, Catalina, Dongjun, me

After a late night getting everyone acquainted over beer, makoli (Korean rice wine), and snacks; and following too few hours of sleep, we began our hour+ voyage to Beomeosa, a famous Buddhist temple outside of the city. This temple was established in the 7th century! We also heard and caught a glimpse of many visitors chanting and praying together, which was a neat thing to witness.

Besties at Beomeosa

I'll never get over the beautiful details.

Next, we went to the Gukje traditional market back in town. It was enormous! As we shopped, we snacked on lots of street food, like fish cake, corn dogs, soup, fresh juice, shikhe (sweet rice water), red bean, and more. Most of the group also ate some milmyeon (cold noodles), another Busan-famous food, but Brittany and I were so full from the street food, we decided to roam a bit more instead. Britt, Win, and Catalina bought tons of souvenirs and gifts to bring home, and it was cool to be more local than tourist for once; Tony and I are so used to being the foreigners, but now we were somewhere between Dongjun/Yoonwon and Brittany and her friends.

Later, we stopped at the Gamcheon Cultural Village, a very popular site in Busan, known for its colorful buildings and whimsy. So many visitors were roaming around with pins in their hair - little yellow chicks, red fuzzy hearts on springs, sparkling messages in hangeul, and even working plastic pinwheels! I had to buy some for my kindergarteners; they were so cute and whimsical. Our snacking continued: Pikachu-shaped pork cutlet, sugary nut pastries, and even a snack frozen with liquid nitrogen that caused smoke to pour out of our mouths as we ate it! Our tongues were numb and tingly after the experience, but it was unlike anything we've ever done before, and it made for some great photo and video ops. We shopped and took photos of our bright surroundings until he wind whipping our pinwheels became unbearable. Ready to move on, most of us fell asleep in the taxi to our next destination.

Snacking, dragon-style

Hippie pants in the cultural village

Tony says I'm projecting, but this view reminds me of Valparaíso!

Soon we arrived at the beach! Still cold and now quite hungry, we admired the crashing waves and bought some jewelry from a street vendor before settling into a seafood restaurant where we sat on the floor, traditional-style, at tables with built-in grills. We ordered clams and scallops with cheese, ramen soup, mixed fried rice, and plenty of soju (seven bottles, to be exact). This meal was my favorite part of the trip; one of those warm, cozy dinners spent with good company and delicious food; we took our time and savored every bite. Before we knew it, almost two and a half hours had passed and it was past nine o'clock.

This meal was approximately $20 per person.
Including 3 courses, unlimited sides, and booze.
Korea, I love you.

Delicious shellfish on the grill!

Having satisfied our hunger, our moods, and our body temperatures, we headed to a nearby building for some fun at the noraebang - karaoke room! Karaoke is a HUGE pastime throughout Asia, and Koreans love it. After 8 months here, we finally checked this off our list! Brittany sang some Alanis Morisette, Tony and I sang our Aerosmith duet, Win sang Avril Lavigne, and Dongjun and Yoonwon sang some Korean ballads (and Backstreet Boys!); there was even some Frozen thrown in there for Taylor's and my sake (throwing back to our Elsa/Anna costumes for Halloween). We had a blast!

Our last adventure for the evening was mostly thanks to my husband's crazy streak: he changed into his swimsuit and dove into the ocean - at 11pm in 44 degree weather! Tony feels strongly that any body of water visited must be done so fully - with his entire body emerged. So he swam at the Gwangalli Beach as the lights from the famous Gwangandaegyo bridge shone on the water's surface. Meanwhile, the rest of us froze, fully clothed, and cheered him on from the dry sand.

Tony swam here.

The next morning, we had only 6 hours or so left before our train would return us to Pyeongtaek. So, we visited some more tourist spots, did some more shopping, and walked the streets of the markets once more. We enjoyed one more Busan-style lunch, this time of jokpal (cold pig's feet) along with all the typical fixings of a Korean meals - tons of tiny dishes filled with a variety of sides. After lunch, we visited Lotte Department Store, whose name is extremely misleading; this mall is ENORMOUS - over a dozen floors including plenty of restaurants and a movie theater. However, our interest was peaked not by the wares inside the building, but rather the top floor, which was an observatory which offered an amazing aerial view of the entire port city.

Vinegar-soaked pig's feet with veggies

Stormy skies over the harbor

At last, it was time to return to the train station to say goodbye to Busan. We returned to our apartment and rested a bit, had one more dinner at our favorite chicken galbi place nearby with the whole group. Finally it was midnight and we had to work in the morning. We managed to have sleeping spaces set up for all three of our guests (Brittany, Win, and Catalina), plus blankets and pillows, in our little apartment. In the morning, we gave one last hug and farewell to our friends, who would spend their last two days in Seoul before heading back to the USA. Fifty-four hours reunited with my best friend was not enough, but it's a hell of a lot better than zero!

BFF

안녕히 가세요 부산~~~

Seoul Searching

When we tell people in the West that we live in South Korea, their first question is usually about our proximity to Seoul. One nice thing about Pyeongtaek is that it's really nice to be away from the overwhelming population and resulting traffic of such an enormous capital city, while still being able to take bus or subway up once in while. We live down the street from a train station, and after an hour and a half - and a transfer or two - we make our way to Seoul maybe once a month. Recently, though, we've ventured north 3 times within 20 days. Fun, yes! Exhausting, even more so!

Most people that visit South Korea beeline to Seoul for sightseeing and tourism, and though Tony and I are much more interested in the island and mountains and National Parks, even we can't deny the allure of this international city. One of my favorite things to do in Seoul is the themed cafés. There are so many types! Perhaps you've heard of cat cafés (my hometown of Pittsburgh just acquired its own!), but the furry creatures that accompany you as you sip a warm beverage don't stop there. No, not in Seoul. Here we have dog cafés, raccoon cafés, and even a sheep café! The dogs are usually pretty small but very comfortable and cuddly with customers; the sheep are aloof and standoffish, yet adorable; and the raccoons are lively, playful, and rambunctious - maybe you've read of them already at my previous post. Surprisingly, the cleanliness of these places is not a big issue. In some cafés, the animals are in a separate section from the "dining" area, but in the ones that have critters and coffees in the same location, the pups are well-groomed and employees are quick to scoop and sanitize.

Lulu the sheep at Thanks Nature café in Hongdae

If you're not an animal-lover, or if you're still not convinced about consuming products with creatures in such close proximity, there are other fun cafés to check out. One popular one in Insadong is the 또옹카페, or Poop Café. Childish, sure, but remember: everybody poops. Maybe it's time we embrace it. Personally, I wasn't particularly impressed by this theme, but the coffee was surprisingly good, as was the turd-shaped sweet bread. 

Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase "eat sh*t."

 
Wait! Now, before you give up on me entirely (Sipping alongside animals? Eating poop-shaped dessert? What's wrong with this girl?), let me tell you about Tony's favorite themed café: the Get & Show (Lego café) in Hongdae. This was a real treat! For about $30, you can get 2 lattes, a delicious sandwich, aLego set to rent for an hour (or pay a bit more to extend). This is such a fun date idea! Tony and I built a Batman/Joker vehicle set, and Fallon and Taylor build a Disney Frozen castle. Considering how expensive it can be to purchase new Lego sets from the toy store, to build them perhaps a handful of times, this was a much more cost effective and fun way to be like children again for the afternoon.

Lego café "Get & Show" in Hongdae

There are other themed cafés, such as a K-Pop café, a hanbok café, and a ring-making café, all around Seoul. The best part? The whimsy and fun is not bargained at the expense of quality. Some of the best coffees I've had were at these shops, and I'm honestly considering returning to the Lego café just for the chicken and basil sandwich. The cost is fair as well; of course, the novelty causes a bit of a price increase, but I think it's quite worth the extra dollar or so.

Besides the fun cafés, some of the highlights from my recent visits to the city include: 

 An incredible variety of delicious restaurants,

 a very talented tattoo artist (check her out on Instagram: @naleak_tattoo),

and the iconic Namsan Seoul Tower.

I am not afraid to admit I'm still quite a newbie at the Seoul life. Every time I step off the subway upon my arrival, the love-hate feelings return - the crowds and traffic are enough to drive you mad, but after twenty minutes, I can't get over the amazing and diverse sights, flavors, and activities that the city offers. But for now, I think I'm ready to kick back at home for a while, away from the hustle and bustle. What about you? If you were to travel to Seoul, what would you want to see or do first? If you've been to Seoul or read about it, what do you suggest we do next? 

Taipei - the Unexpected Gem

Happy Lunar New Year to you! The year of the rooster has already brought much happiness to us as we embarked on our first international voyage and explored the beautiful island country of Taiwan.

To be completely honest, a visit to Taiwan had never really crossed our minds when we began our year in Korea. We knew that we would want to visit Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and hopefully Indonesia, among a few others, but Taiwan was never even in our top ten potential destinations. But, because of our limited travel time while working at a year-round private school, we had to be practical. We had a Monday and Friday off, and our next break isn't until well into spring. So, we weighed our options: we could travel to somewhere like Cambodia or the Philippines for over $1000 per ticket and a further flight, or we could look into Taiwan for a considerably lower price and less air-time. Can you believe we actually toiled over this decision?

Taiwan it is, we said! We booked our flights a mere 12 days before departure. On that Friday, January 27th, we woke up an hour late and barely made our flight (we won't go into the details of our continual "episodes" as our supervisor Sophie calls them - like sitting in three hours of Seoul traffic on the way to Gimpo for a flight with my family, or when I left my wallet on the bus before flying back to the USA). The point is, we made it (thanks to a helpful Eva Airlines staff member who scooted us through check-in and security and rushed us ahead of numerous crowds - thank you, D. W. Song!).

Two hours after take-off, we arrived in Taipei Airport, converted just over $200 cash, and took a bus to where we hoped our hostel was located. Finally, our traveling luck turned around. We managed to get off the bus at the right place and, without really trying, wandered toward the subway station and stumbled into a fair there. As we peered at different colored tags hanging from a string-light-lit tree, a local girl wished us a happy new year and told us how to hang our new year's wishes on the tree.

New year's wishes

After that, we boarded the subway toward our hostel two stops away, located a block away from the well-known Shilin Night Market. Happy Taipei, our home for the next two (and a half) nights, was a fine hostel, complete with comfy bunk beds, hot showers, quite a superior complimentary breakfast, and even hair dryers and a Foosball table; it did not leave us wanting. That evening, we wandered through the night market, trying about a half dozen street foods - sausage on a stick, marinated chicken, steamed dumplings - as our dinner as we meandered. After a game of Foosball, it was off to bed before our real adventure began.

In the morning, we caught a bus to the Yangmingshan National Park, and almost immediately realized that our trip to Taiwan was going to be more than worth it. We saw monkeys up in the trees! The locals were unfazed, but we were thrilled! Tony whipped out our zoom lens and took some Nat Geo worthy shots of one of the monkeys before he ran off with almost a dozen of his pals.

Soon, we wandered the maze of a park, seeing beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, green foliage, and enjoying the sunshine and warmth after too many months of cold air and pollution. The great outdoors on a beautiful day was a perfect remedy that we didn't even realize we had been needing after half a year of living in an urban area.

After the park, we headed back to another part of town to check out two neighboring temples: one Confucian and one Buddhist. The first gave off a more ancient, honorable, and historic vibe of reverence, while the latter was bustling with more worshipers carrying incense and offerings, bowing before the red and gold colored shrines. Both were absolutely stunning in their architecture and atmosphere.

Confucian temple

An ornately painted ceiling, evidence of enormous spiritual dedication

Buddhist temple full of worshipers ready for a new year of blessings.

On the way back to the subway station, we grabbed a to-go container of about a dozen sushi for just about $3 USD and chowed on it at a local fair. We checked out the products at the rows of tents and vendors - food, drink, tea, wooden goods, crafts, festival games. We returned to the Shilin night market near our hostel and it had exploded in popularity - vendors had multiplied, and visitors had accumulated exponentially. Truly, the difference from the night before made us gasp.

Bubble tea came to be in Taiwan in the '80s,
so I had to try some in its homeland!

We stopped for dinner at a restaurant that had graciously provided a menu in English after they sat us at a table for two. We ordered ginger beef rice, Taiwanese steamed dumplings, beef noodle udon, stir-fried vegetables, beer, and oolong tea, and they had to change our seats to a table for four because our small table wouldn't fit all the food. Everything was delicious, and we left with happy bellies.

When we woke up for our last full day - how was this trip already coming to an end? - we were torn on how to spend our limited time. We threw around ideas: the beach, the hot springs, the museum, downtown landmarks. We knew there wasn't time to do it all, so we chose the most exotic and most authentic experience - wild local hot springs. Tony found a blog written by a man who recorded his exact process to arrive at the isolation location, complete with shady clues including an passing an out-of-order outhouse, crossing a shallow brook, and trespassing past a warning sign. Technically illegal; totally worth it!

Oopsies

We arrived at the springs and enjoyed the variety of pools with different temperatures - from unbearably hot to bath water to chilling fresh water - and varying degrees of sulfuric egg-stench. We soaked, steamed, swam, and slathered our bodies with clay found in crevices between rocks, just like the locals. It was relaxing; it was paradise.

Too hot!

Too cold!

Just right!

A (sorta) secret, local gem.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the foresight to bring enough water or snacks to survive in that isolated location for more than a couple hours, so we began our journey back - after rinsing in the freezing waterfall to spare neighboring bus-riders the stinky egg smell that had surely seeped into our hair and skin.

After a shower back at the hostel, we prepared ourselves for one last venture out. We boarded the subway toward downtown, where we found Taipei 101 - a famous skyscraper that had been the tallest building in the worth from 2004-2009 until the Burj Khalifa in Dubai trumped its enormity. Its appeal for visitors: a high-end, fancy pants shopping mall. Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Burberry... So, we ate dinner in the food court because that's what we could afford!

Taipei 101

Afterward, we relaxed across the street at a block party complete with a variety of vendors offering craft beers, tapas, and international foods, while a DJ tried to get people to dance. There we stayed, chatting, people watching, and enjoying the music and warm evening air, until about 11 o'clock. It was there we realized that this was perhaps the best trip we've ever taken, and that Taiwan was a totally underrated vacation destination. There was so much we had to leave unseen: the National Palace Museum, largest museum in the world; Sun Moon Lake in the central part of the island, famous for its beautiful landscapes; the beautiful beaches; and surely more than we even knew.

We returned to the hostel for a 2 hour nap, woke up at 2:30am, caught a cab to the bus terminal, boarded a bus to the airport, and waited at the terminal - finally early for our flight, and this time, we were there three hours before boarding.

She was

Fiercely loyal

Exceedingly generous

Bright and spirited

Radiant

Adventurous

Loving and well-loved

Immensely faithful and God-loving

Positive

Selfless

Genuine

She was a collection of superlatives, the owner of the most enormous heart, the possessor of a personality that is hard to put into words, whose description requires too many adverbs.

She was fun. Her spirit, her laugh, and her smile were contagious. She transformed mundane events and daily life into joyous, thematic celebrations.

She loved her mother enormously; her brother unconditionally; her aunts, uncles, and cousins proudly; her friends fiercely. She loved children warmly. She loved the church intimately. She loved God devotedly.

There was something about her that made everyone near her yearn to gain her friendship.

I knew that I’d been accepted into the family when she accepted me.

 

You are so missed, Lyndsey.

!!! The Blumers Come to Korea !!!

We’ve had our first visitors from abroad! I’m thankful that I’ve never had to spend a major holiday alone – four years ago, I was in Chile for Thanksgiving, and Tony visited (and proposed); this year, my whole family came to Korea to spend some time with us. 

My dad, brother, sister, and nephew landed in Incheon last Wednesday evening. They spent Thursday touring the DMZ and seeing parts of Seoul, like Gangnam and Itaewon. The DMZ turned out to be one of their top highlights of the trip, and I can’t believe they beat us to it! We have yet to go, but now we know it’s definitely worth the hype.

After one night in Seoul, they taxied into Pyeongtaek, where we live, and Erica checked into her second hotel of the trip (Matt and Dad were crashing in our living room for a night). We met them at the train station and, after dropping their luggage in our apartment, treated them to dinner at our favorite spot across the street, which we visit weekly because it’s cheap, delicious, and somewhat healthy. There, they sampled a true smorgasbord of Korean cuisine: mandu (dumplings), kimbap (a sushi-like roll without the raw fish), bibimbap (a mixed rice dish), donkasse (pork cutlet with a barbeque-like sauce), tteokbokki (rice cake in spicy sauce), mandu ramyan (ramen noodle soup with egg and dumpling), along with the typical (and plentiful) Korean side dishes – dried fish, lotus root, kimchi, pickled radish, boiled quail egg, etc. They really enjoyed the dumplings and ramyan, though I was disappointed they didn’t like the texture of the rice cake – my favorite! I was pleased, however, to find that for the first time ever, my spice tolerance has surpassed that of my father! We were happy to welcome them to town by footing the bill – but it’s easy in Korea because the food is so cheap. All of that for around $30 fed five hungry adults and one picky child; not bad!

Next, we stopped at Paris Baguette, a ubiquitous bakery chain all over the country, for a birthday cake for Dad’s belated 60^th. They threw in some candles, matches, and party poppers for free, and we headed back to the apartment to celebrate. After some cake and plenty of catching up, Erica and Vinny eventually caught a cab back to their hotel and agreed to meet us in the morning for breakfast, so that we could take the family to school with us to see where we work, meet some of our colleagues and students, and so that Vinny could join us on our field trip!

Friday was the best – we arrived at school around 9:30, and the students were buzzing with excitement because we had told them that an American boy their age would be coming to Kids College to visit! He was initially so shy, he wouldn’t leave Erica’s lap. I was nervous he’d be too anxious for the field trip, but after touring the classrooms where Tony and I teach, seeing our office, and meeting our workmates, Vinny suddenly overcame his shellshock and nearly ran toward the bus without turning back to wave goodbye. He would be just fine.

Bus buddies

Vinny fit in perfectly with my kindies
His friends ate kimbap for lunch, but luckily his Aunt Meghan packed him a PB&J

How perfect are they!!

Vinny had the time of his life on the field trip, and fit right in with my kindergarteners, the Starfish class. He played and sang and snacked with them, and by the end of the day, when I said “Starfish, raise your hand!”, he raised his own as well. While we took the kids to a space exhibit and a palace, Erica, Matt, and Dad visited Main Gate, an area near the Air Force base, for touristy shopping. Our principal Heather, her parents, and head teacher Fallon took my family out to a barbeque lunch which they have yet to stop raving about. After that, they visited a superstore called HomePlus, checked out the markets near our apartment, where locals sell street food, produce, exotic (live) seafood, and other goods, and returned to the apartment and passing out.

But there was no time to rest! Soon we were back from school and threw our luggage into a van taxi, squeezed into the limited seating, and were on our way to Gimpo airport. This should-be 1.5 hour voyage cost us 3 hours and $130 USD, and if our flight hadn’t been delayed, we likely would have missed it. We ran through check-in and security and sprinted to the gate at 8:05, the cut-off for the 8:25pm flight. I’ve never been relieved that my flight has been delayed before, but there’s a first for everything.

Soon, we were island-bound. After our hour-plus flight, we landed in Jeju, the premier island destination in Korea. Heather had set us up with a student’s grandfather, Iwon Gi, who owned a beautiful, brand-new guesthouse on the island and offered to drive us to all the must-see points of interest for the whole weekend for a small fee. The accommodations and guide cost us about $700, split among 5 of us (plus Vinny). Especially after seeing how nice the house was where we stayed (though our expectations have been lowered since the pensions we stayed in in Ulleungdo and Deokjeokdo), it was a very fair price.

All day Saturday, we saw an EcoPark, a lava tube cave, and a forest, along with a delicious lunch and decent dinner. It was a chilly and damp time to be on the island, which is famous for its outdoorsy activities – beaches, hiking, sightseeing – but we certainly seized the day. The lava tube was amazing; it took about a half hour to walk from the entrance to the hardened lava column at the end, the source of the cave’s creation, where we learned that it is the tallest lava column in the entire world! By the time we returned to the house, everyone was exhausted. Within two hours, everyone had fallen asleep on the floor, although it was only 9 o’clock.

Half our gang with our leader and guide, Iwon Gi on the train

Serene landscapes at EcoLand

The awesome lava tube, Manjanggul Cave

Posing in front of the tallest lava column in the world, at the end of the Geomunoreum system!

Exploring the misty Bijarim Forest

The next day, we awoke early and packed up our bags once again. Iwon Gi, our guide, took us on our next round of sight-seeing, which began with an extraordinary visit to a modest home among an enormous expanse of tangerine trees. A friend of his had invited us to a morning tea, where she taught us the proper method of drinking tea and shared various treats with us. What an authentic experience, and such hospitality! After tea, the couple encouraged us to pick some tangerines off their trees and take them back to the mainland with us – we took home at least two dozen delicious and juicy Jeju tangerines. Next, we were on our way to stroll around a National Park and take in the sights of a cliff along the coast, which boasted geometric forms in the hardened lava rock. After a lunch of Jeju-famous black pork at a barbeque restaurant, we were back to the airport to return to Gimpo.

Enjoying the flowering tea, traditional snacks, and hospitality in a local couple's home

 

Stuffed sweet juju, frozen tea powder cookies, sweet radish flowers, syrupy rice cakes, and candied tangerine

An intimate, once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience

Picking tangerines

Found the summit at the Hallasan National Park

Amazing views of the Jusangjeolli Cliff

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye again. It was 6 o’clock on Sunday evening, and we had to journey our way back to Songtan on the subway before returning to work the next morning. How those three days together had flown! It may seem silly that family spent almost as much time on an airplane as they did with us, but we were so grateful that they used their holiday time to travel across the globe to see us and learn first-hand what we do each day, and they were so open-minded about it all: the food, the customs, the language! My incredible dad had even been secretly studying Korean since we left the States, and I’m proud yet embarrassed that he knows more than I do! What an amazing and supportive family I am so blessed to have, I am reminded of how fortunate I am during this time for being thankful.