Cards you may also be interested in
I'm Obsessed with the Korean Kittens
An all-female Korean vocal group called the Kittens were pretty radical Korean ladies. They wore mini skirts, sang in English, toured the world. They were the first real international idols. Here, they're performing for soldiers during the Vietnam War! And here they are performing in London, covering the Beatles :D You go girls!
I Was Stalked and Filmed on a Subway? :(
Recently I had a very creepy experience on the subway. A had a very odd man sit next to me and start filming me secretly (though obviously not so secretly since I noticed) He also tried to follow me but luckily I tricked him. For more info you can check the video below. **this is not common AT ALL in Korea, it only happened to me in Seoul because that's where I live. This could, and does, happen all over the world no matter what culture~** What I hope you take from this: 1. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. If someone sits next to you (even if it seems totally normal) just take a millisecond to recognize that - don't just stay zoned in on your phone. 2. If you feel uncomfortable - get up and move. I didn't do this but I should have. I didn't need to "prove" he really was creepy, regardless of if he was or not, I have every right to just move away. 3. If someone made you feel uncomfortable, trust your gut and keep an eye on them in some way. If I hadn't noticed him earlier, he might have followed me off the train without me knowing. 4. Let someone know where you are and what was up. Even if its just texting a close friend that is dependable "hey I'm at XYZ bus stop, there was a weird guy on the bus lol" just so someone knows. In case something happens to you, it could help people find you. 5. If you see something weird happening to another girl, try to do something. When I see guys getting too close to girls on crowded trains I always try to make it seem like I'm with the girl too so he's outnumbered, or I stare them down so they know they aren't being sneaky. Be safe out there everyone, and just be alert :)
This Cafe in Seoul is An Artist's DREAM!
This weekend I went to a cafe called Peach Gray that I am absolutely in love with! It's a completely normal cafe that happens to also serve yummy pancakes, but they give you a little something extra that makes this place absolutely amazing. With any thing you order on the menu, they give you a tray filled with watercolors and a water color brush pen (which if you dont know what that is, watch the video and prepare to be amazed!) It was so calming and lovely! Here's the video plus some footage at one of my favorite museums in Seoul! Who else thinks this is heaven?
Kpop, Korean Food, and Gangwon-Do
A little over a year ago, I was on a bus to Eastern Korea. I had never been to Gangwon-do, and only knew that that is where the winter Olympics would be held in 2018. My friend was visiting Korea and wanted to see at least ONE kpop performance while she was here, so my best friend and I found free tickets to a concert about 3 hours outside of Seoul. We took the bus through fields of golden rice (the rice changes colors in fall and its gorgeous) and stopped at a rest stop to get AMAZING cheese and sweet potato ddeokbokki. Eventually, we made it to the ski resort where the concert was being held. It was a great show! We saw tons of groups including BTS, SHINee, GOT7, EXID, VIXX, CLC and more! I'm so glad my friend got to see all these groups and I'm extra glad that I was able to experience how great Gangwon-do is :)
Dog in a Small Korean Town Follows Street View Photographer and...
PHOTOBOMBS EVERY PHOTO. GET ME THIS DOG. Thank you Ulleung-gun, Gyeongbuk, Korea for blessing us with this creature.
Tour The Food Capital of South Korea!
Everyone knows Korean food is amazing, but even living in Korea I had never tasted food as good as what I got in Jeonju. Jeonju is a city in the south of Korea that is famous for its bibimbap, but also just for foods of all kinds!!! I went there with my boyfriend for a weekend and we ate SO MUCH! My favorite was the kalguksu (์นผ๊ตญ์ˆ˜) and the mandu (๋งŒ๋‘) but seriously, everything was amazing. What's your favorite Korean food?!
Why Is This Baskin Robbins Commercial So Epic?
Chuseok is coming up here in Korea and that means people are preparing to visit their hometowns + families. That ALSO means they have to buy gift boxes for their loved ones, which is usually ddeok or canned tuna ro fresh fruit. But apparently this Korean king has something else on his mind... He's literally like 'I NEED TO BUY MY FAMILY A CHUSEOK PRESENT. STOP!" and demands the "Ice Monaca" gift box (ice monaca is basically an ice cream sandwich lol) but like...why is an ancient king buying baskin robbins? who pitched this idea?! hahahhaah
Alone in Korea: Solo Travel Tips and Vocab!
Hi guys! I know a lot of you are looking to travel to Korea in the future and you may or may not have a travel buddy. I thought I'd share some of my tips and activities I'd suggest for solo travelers here in Seoul! The first 4 tips deal with activities that are often hard to do alone here in Seoul such as eating, going to a spa, and going to noraebang! The last one, however, are some survival words to learn before your trip. Here's the video with clips of Seoul to show you examples: Here's the vocab! Obviously if you can learn more words you should definitely try, but if you struggle to learn languages, just try to get these 10 down and you'll do great! If you're more talented with languages, learning hangul (the korean alphabet) before coming here will help you out a TON! If you have any Korean language questions feel free to leave them in the comments! 1. ์–ด๋””์—์š”? / eo-di-e-yo?/ Where? This is a really important thing to know if you're traveling alone and are worried you'll get lost. You can just say the name of the place you're looking for (or if you have a picture just point to it) and then end with "์–ด๋””์—์š”?" People will understand what you're trying to ask even if it isnt 100% correct :) 2. ์–ผ๋งˆ์—์š”?/ eol-ma-e-yo?/ How much is it? If you're looking to buy something and can't see the price, just ask "์–ผ๋งˆ์—์š”?" and usually if you're at a street stall or small clothing store they'll whip out their handy calculators and show you the price on the screen so you don't need to worry about understanding big numbers :) PRO TIP: If you're nervous about getting money out of your wallet quickly (a random fear of mine) in Korea there is no tax so the price that is listed on anything is the price it will be at the cash register. So you can add up the things you're buying in your head, get out the exact change ahead of time, and make your paying faster :) 3. ์ด๊ฑฐ/ ee-geo / this The next three words are ones you can mix together a lot :) The first is ee-geo which means "this." You can use it like ์ด๊ฑฐ ์–ผ๋งˆ์—์š”? --> how much is this? or if you're ordering food you can point to a photo and say ์ด๊ฑฐ ์ฃผ์ƒˆ์š” --> this please 4. ํ•˜๋‚˜/ hana / one Since you're traveling alone you're probably going to get one of a lot of things lol. In Korea they use counters and different number systems, but its totally okay and understandable if you just say ha-na. People will get it and even Koreans sometimes dont use the right counters :) So if you're ordering food you can say ha-na ju-se-yo --> one of these please! or if you go in a restaurant and they ask how many people you can just say ha-na :) its okay to not be perfect, you'll be understood! 5. ์ฃผ์„ธ์š”/ ju-se-yo / please give to me juseyo isn't just please so dont be throwing it around like you would say please in english hahaha but you'll use it a LOT. When ordering food you'll say juseyo after everything :) PRO TIP: Water is usually self-serve in Korea or they'll hand you a giant bottle so you don't need to order water, just look at the other tables and if they have a bottle wait for yours, and if you see a water machine go get your own! 6. ์‚ฌ์ง„/ sa-jin/ picture Depending on how you say this you could be asking "can i take a photo/are photos allowed" or "can you take a photo of me?" You're literally just saying the word "photo" but with a little miming your point will totally get across no worries! 7. ๊ฐ์‚ฌํ•ฉ๋‹ˆ๋‹ค/ kam-sam-ni-da/ thank you the most important word!! use this all the time! politeness is really important so you can literally never over-use this word. kam-sam-ni-da, kam-sam-ni-da,kam-sam-ni-daaaaa!!!! 8. ๋„ค/ ne/ yes easy! it just means yes :) 9. ์•„๋‹ˆ์š”/ a-ni-yo/ no easy! it just means no :) 10. ์ž ์‹œ๋งŒ์š”/ jam-shi-man-yo/ excuse me please move lol Korean has a lot of words for 'excuse me' or getting people's attention, but this is the one used specifically for 'please get out of my way' ;) Korea is really crowded and if you're on a subway and can't reach the door or something just say jam-shi-man-yo or else no one will get out of your way. Be brave and use it!! Most people wont even look at you and notice you're a foreigner if you say this word but at least they'll move! hahhahaha Do you guys like solo travel? It's my favorite :)
First Blossoms in Seoul and a Cherry Blossom Latte?!
Spring has finally reach Seoul! To celebrate I visited the first apricot blossoms to bloom and then grabbed a giant, BEAUTIFUL cherry blossom latte from my favorite cafe. The footage of the blossoms is super calming so I suggest at least watching the last half of this video if you're having a stressful day :) PS thank you to everyone who helped me out on the last video, its never nice to see so much hate on the internet but you guys always remind me there's a lot more good in the world^^ Is it feeling like spring wherever you are in the world!?
Seoul: A Sensory Delight of Culture, Cuisine, and Nature
Seoul is a fascinating city that attracts millions of visitors each year. It is a bustling metropolis that boasts a rich blend of ancient history and modernity, making it the perfect destination for all kinds of travelers. From breathtaking natural beauty to tantalizing cuisine, Seoul has it all. If you're looking for an adventure of a lifetime, then Seoul is the place to be. To make your Seoul adventure a memorable one, we have handpicked five of the best tours that will immerse you in the city's rich culture and vibrant atmosphere. These tours are perfect for those who want to explore the city's hidden gems, taste its delicious food, and learn about its fascinating history. One of the best ways to experience Seoul's unique culture is by exploring its historical and cultural landmarks. A guided tour of the Korean Palaces is an excellent way to discover the city's history and learn about the Joseon Dynasty, an ancient Korean empire. The tour takes you through fivee iconic palaces, each with its own distinct architecture and stories to tell. Another must-do experience in Seoul is a private street food tour. Led by a local guide, this tour will take you to the city's bustling streets, where you'll have the opportunity to try some of the best street food that Seoul has to offer. From savory pancakes to spicy stir-fried rice cakes, the variety of dishes on offer will leave you spoilt for choice. And don't forget to wash it all down with some traditional Korean rice wine. If shopping is more your thing, then a visit to the traditional markets of Seoul is a must. From the massive Noryangjin Fish Market to the Gwangjang Market, famous for its silk goods and handicrafts, these markets are a treasure trove of unique souvenirs and local products. And while you're there, don't forget to sample some of the mouth-watering street food on offer. For a more personalized experience, a tour of Bukchon Hanok Village is an excellent option. This charming neighborhood is home to hundreds of traditional Korean houses, known as Hanok, and is a window into Seoul's ancient past. Your guide will tailor the itinerary to your interests, taking you to popular spots like the Changdeokgung Palace and the Bukchon Asian Art Museum. For the nature lover in you, a private hiking tour of Seoraksan National Park is a must. The park is home to breathtaking scenery, including the Biseondae Rock and the Geumganggul Cave, which boasts a small well of natural spring water. The tour also includes a visit to the Sinheungsa Temple and a delicious Korean chicken soup for dinner. Finally, after a day of exploring Seoul's many attractions, you'll need a comfortable place to rest your weary feet. Booking.com offers a vast selection of hotels, guesthouses, and apartments, ensuring that you'll find the perfect accommodation to suit your needs. In conclusion, Seoul is a city that has something for everyone. Whether you're interested in exploring its history and culture, indulging in its delicious cuisine, or simply taking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city, Seoul is a destination that will captivate all your senses. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your Seoul adventure today!
๐ŸŒธLast Weekend of Cherry Blossoms in Seoul๐ŸŒธ
It's been a gorgeous week here in Seoul with all the cherry blossoms out, but it looks like the season is coming to an end :( Rain is scheduled for this weekend and that will probably push most of these gorgeous blossoms off the trees to make way from green leaves. They were lovely while they lasted! This Wednesday I took you guys to a cafe/bookstore that overlooks a gorgeous tree and then had a photoshoot in the park where I saw the biggest cherry blossoms trees I've EVER SEEN. Check it out here: There's a scene of a ton of blossoms falling and it looks like its straight out of an anime ;)
Win a 5-Day Trip to Seoul with Your Love of Kpop/Kdrama!
Yes, you read that right! The Korean Tourism Organization is holding a contest and they want to bring two people (the one winner can choose a friend!) to SEOUL! They're looking for people who love Korean entertainment and I have a feeling some of us fall into that category lol. Here's how to enter: Upload your photo or video to the official site. OFFICIAL SITE IS HERE! This means you can upload a cover dance, a parody of a K-drama scene, recreate a makeup look by a famous celebrity, ANYTHING! Good luck!!!* *I'm just passing along the info, so I won't be able to answer your questions further than this! Sorry^^
What a $420/Month Apartment in Seoul Looks Like!
About a month ago I showed you guys my empty sad looking apartment (watch it here) But now I have finally moved in!!! My apartment is in Gangnam and costs me about $420 per month, including my water bill. I still have to pay wifi, gas, and electric but that is pretty cheap :) Let me know what you think! In case you're thinking of moving to Korea one day, you can definitely find cheaper apartments. I just prefer to live close to my office which is in an expensive area (Gangnam) but areas near universities like Hongdae or Sinchon can be much cheaper!
์ดˆ๋ณด๋„ ์‹คํŒจ์—†๋Š” ๋š๋ฐฐ๊ธฐ ๊ณ„๋ž€์ฐœ ๋งŒ๋“ค๊ธฐ ๊ฟ€ํŒ
ํญ์‹ ํญ์‹ ๋ถ€๋“œ๋Ÿฌ์šด ๊ณ„๋ž€์ฐœ์€ ์—ด๋ฐ˜์ฐฌ ๋ถ€๋Ÿฝ์ง€ ์•Š์ฃ ? ๋น„์œจ๊ณผ ๋ถˆ์กฐ์ ˆ๋งŒ ์ž˜ ํ•ด์ฃผ๋ฉด ๋ง›์ง‘ ๋ถ€๋Ÿฝ์ง€ ์•Š์€ ๋š๋ฐฐ๊ธฐ ๊ณ„๋ž€์ฐœ์„ ๋งŒ๋“ค ์ˆ˜ ์žˆ๋‹ต๋‹ˆ๋‹ค. ์ดˆ๋ณด์ž๋„ ์ ˆ๋Œ€ ์‹คํŒจํ•˜์ง€ ์•Š๋Š” ๋žจ๋ธ”๋ ˆ์‹œํ”ผ๋กœ ๋งŒ๋“ค์–ด๋ณด์„ธ์š”! ^^
Korean Thanksgiving Treat: Songpyeon!
Don't these look delicious?! Next week on October 3, Korean Thanksgiving, called Chuseok, will begin! People will go visit their families and eat a ton of stuff like Songpyeon~ They're typically made to be in a half-moon shape because Chuseok is a lunar harvest celebration and the moon is a big part of it! They're filled with delicious things like sesame seeds and honey, sweet red bean paste or chestnut paste, all steamed over a layer of pine tree needles (song in songpyeon means pine!) My favorite Korean youtuber will teach you how to make it! For the full recipe: visit maangchi! Actually, she just uploaded a more recent version (better video quality lol) thanks @ivyheart13 for letting me know!
Cozy Day at Home: Namjoon
Que tal peeps! It is a chilly lazy day at home. Namjoon and you already slept the day away. You both awake from a nap and Namjoon whines about how hungry he waa feeling. You roll out the bed from his warm embrace and throw on some comfy pjs. Yukgaejangย ์œก๊ฐœ์žฅ The day was chilly so you decide to make Spicy beef soup. You grab some fresh ingredients and make sure to use plenty of meat for your handsome carnivore. Namjoon walks into the kitchen following the sweet aromas. He wraps his arms around your waist. You pour some coffee in two cups and take it to the living room. You both cuddle while watching the rain drop as the soup is cooking. @strawberrylover @sukkyongwanser @TaeSky @divanicola05 @BabydollBre @SimplyAwkward @QueenPandaBunny @Vay754 @MissMinYoongi @EvilGenius @punkpandabear @Seera916 @VeronicaArtino @RKA916 @jiminakpop @PolarStarr @jjrockstar @SarahHibbs @kitkatkpop @simpsonsamantha @AraceliJimenez @SweetDuella @CArcelia @Gracielou0717 @DefSoul1994 @EvodiaEbraheem @JustBrea @FernandaMedina @aliendestina @KayLeeRose94 @IsoldaPazo @AgentLeo @Starbell808 @KoizuniHime19 @AlexisJ15 @impulsegurl666 @MonieManhiM @EvodiaEbraheem @Ttwolf74 @gyapitt @krystalrikpop @Indiglow @KarenGuerra93 @StephaniePoore @MRich @JJiBin @JohannaTlatench
Cozy Day at Home with Jimin
Que tal peeps! After playing around in the sheets for most of the morning Jimin and you work up an appetite. Jimin whines about how hungry he was and you too could feel your stomach rumble. You knew Jimin was watching his weight regardless if you felt that he was perfectly fine and did not need to diet. Jimin was trying to look his best for the BTS comeback. But he is your papi chulo x you will support him. Suddenly it hit you! You kissed him and threw on your pjs. You run into the kitchen to make something yummy yet healthy. You already had some yummy healthy side dishes made from last night like spinach side dish and Cheonggyeongchae doenjang-muchimย ์ฒญ๊ฒฝ์ฑ„ ๋œ์žฅ๋ฌด์นจ. Sigeumchi-namulย ์‹œ๊ธˆ์น˜๋‚˜๋ฌผ You begin making his favorite dish stew kimchi jjigae. You make sure to add healthy fresh ingredients to balance with the tender pork used in this dish. As you are cooking for a while Jimin wonders downstairs wanting to cuddle. You let him taste the broth of stew and he smacks his lips before kissing you. You both enjoy warm hot apple cider as the stew continues to cook while cuddling watching the rain fall.
Traditional Korean Elements in Kpop!
Kpop draws a lot of inspiration from its rich musical history so I pulled together a few examples of where you can see it today! From fashion to instruments, here are a few: TWICE - Cheer Up All playing different roles, one lucky lady wears hanbok...can you find her? Topp Dogg - Arario This video includes a ton of traditional Korean elements like instruments and of course hanbok! Big Bang - Bae Bae The ladies on the moon are all wearing modern takes on hanbok! Crayon Pop - Uh Ee Using a really modern-traditional (?) style of music called Trot! G Dragon - Niliria Niliria is actually a traditional Korean song! You can listen to it here (scroll right or click here!) Infinite - The Chaser The song uses really traditional Korean instruments in the back track and their entertainment company convinced Infinite that they'd be performing in hanbok haha! Which are your favorite instances of traditional Kpop?
Korea's Most Beautiful Cupcakes + Wander Hongdae
If you guys have seriously looked into going to Seoul, you will know about the neighborhood of Hongdae. It's the area around an art college (called Hongdae lol) so its filled with artists, musicians, and all other kinds of creators - its a ridiculously hipster place with great music, food, and cafes. Last weekend I went to Hongdae for one thing and one thing only: Flower cupcakes. And let me tell you, it was worth the trip. Let me take you on a little adventure to Hongdae where I'll show you the cupcakes and then we'll just wander around for a little bit. Plus I have a fun annoucement! Enjoy!!! 1. Here's where you can find the cupcakes! 2. My favorite street art I found that day in Hongdae :) 3. LOOK AT HOW LOVELY HONGDAE IS IN SUMMER
Are Any of You Gluten-Free (Can You Eat in Korea?)
A lot of people message me on YouTube and Tumblr asking about dietary restrictions in Korea and to be quite honest, it can be tough. Not many people in Korea have food allergies like I am used to in the US (peanut allergies, being lactose intolerant, etc) So when non-Koreans come to Korea and start to ask for certain foods to be changed (like, please don't add carrots) because of an allergy, its uncommon so restaurants often aren't sure what to do. Recently though, there has been a movement to make vegetarianism and veganism more accepted in Korea, a country famous for its meat dishes, and as a result people are learning more about food and different diets! My friend Sunny is Korean and in her late teens she developed allergies to a ton of different things, including gluten. Because her diet because so restricted, she started cooking for herself. She then discovered a small but hungry group of gluten-free people in Korea who wanted some of the desserts she had been baking for herself. After gaining more and more popularity, she opened Sunny Bread and now serves everything from cheesecake to tiramisu to pumpkin pie, all vegan and gluten free! She also knows how hard it is to have an allergy, plus she speaks English really well, so if you go in nand talk to her about what you can and can't eat, I'm sure she'll have suggestions for where to eat in Seoul :) Here's a look at her bakery~ Do any of you have food allergies? What can't you eat?