Haggis and offal at the dogs

No trip to Scotland would be complete without trying haggis. I've heard many stories about how disgusting and awful it is, but Markus and I always try foods that are native to their country. You understand a country and it's people better when you live and eat like they do.  It's part of the whole experience.

Our dear friend, Ari, was great at finding really posh restaurants for a reasonable price. We ate and drank at some amazing places all throughout our trip. The first place that we ate at in Edinburgh was at the dogs. On their website they're described as, "a place for everyone who wishes to partake of great value food and wine, in a chilled environment with no frills or fuss, great kids to help, and a pretty eclectic soundtrack." I think this is a perfect description for the dogs. 

After in being in Asia for a year, we almost forgot what Western life is like. Eating at the dogs was a great way to reacquaint ourselves. The menu isn't very extensive and they focus on Scottish and British staples. We decided to order food with offal ingredients. In the UK, they tend to eat more meals with offal in them than we do in America. I know many of my friends and family can't stand blood sausage or liver, but my parents were very adamant about making sure that I had a broad pallet. As I've gotten older I try not to be discriminatory with my food, and try everything at least once. Although, I believe there are exceptions to the rule.  Durian, anyone? 

So with my mind set on adventurous eating, I quickly ordered a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties, which happen to be turnips and mashed potatoes. Markus decided to try deviled ox liver, onions, bacon and mushrooms on toast. Our friend James chose the British staple black pudding hash, but with a twist, the addition of a fried duck egg. 

Once our food arrived to our table, I knew that this was going to be a meal that I would never forget. My first bite of haggis was really delicious. There wasn't a hint of any unpleasant flavors. You would think that there would be a hint of metallic taste from the heart, liver, stomach or lungs, but there wasn't. The chef at the dogs created a savory and tasty haggis that I wish I knew how to recreate in Korea. The black pudding was delicious and the fried duck egg balanced out the flavors created in the hash. The biggest surprise was the deviled ox liver. I didn't expect to like it. When I first tried it, the flavors were overwhelming. It was cooked in a very spicy sauce, but it melded well with the tinny flavor of the liver. The toast really helped soothe the mouth from the hot spices. 

Overall my first experience with British offal was amazing and one that I will not forget. Markus and I spent the rest of our two weeks reminiscing on our first Scottish meal. We kept wishing that we could eat that same meal again and again. When the days turn cold here in Korea, I'll hold close the memory of haggis to keep me warm and comforted. 

 *Credits*
the dogs logo: the dogs

It's never too late

Lake District, England: August 2012

After living in South Korea for one year, there is one thing that I learned that rang true throughout the year and continues to be true. "It's never too late."

Before we moved to Korea, Markus and I were settled. We had our lives in order. We followed all the rules. We both graduated from college. We dated for X amount of years and then married. We owned a home. We had job security, we could've stayed at these jobs for a long time. All that was left was kids. If we did what we were supposed to do, then why were Markus and I always feeling like something was missing?

I think that we have this predisposed idea of what "normal" is. We are told from a young age that if you do A,B,C and D, you'll be happy. If you don't do these things, then maybe you won't be so happy. As I've gotten older, I've started to really think about what "normal" is. Is "normal" what everyone is telling me it is, or is it something else? Either way, I don't think that everyone is meant to follow the same course in their lives. There is no road map for a perfect and happy life. We are all meant for something specific. We were all created for a specific purpose and reason, and it is up to us to find out what that is

When Markus and I were still living in South Florida, we found ourselves in a bit of a bubble. We worked with our closest friends. We went to the same events, ate at the same restaurants and did the same thing every weekend. Nothing really changed, we were in this endless cycle. Markus and I spent six years doing this and only taking two weeks every year to go on adventures. We found ourselves persevering through the other 50 weeks of the year in anticipation for those two weeks. The only two weeks out of the year where we really felt alive. 

I don't know why we didn't think of moving to South Korea sooner, but I am a firm believer in "things are meant to happen when they happen". I know it sounds cliche, but in my case, this is how everything in my life has worked out.

I write all this to say, "it's never too late." I thought that my life was set, and that my chance to live abroad had passed because I was settled. I thought that if I did something crazy like move to another country at this stage of my life, my friends and family would think there was something wrong with me. I remember thinking one night, "I will never be happy unless I do this. I'll always regret not trying." However, the lure of being safe and never taking chances was just as strong.

We all tend to do what's safe, what we know, because venturing outside the norm is scary. Failure is always present in our minds. No one wants to fail. The worst feeling is making huge sacrifices to do something, and then failing at it in the end. On the other hand, when you succeed the feeling is indescribable!


This past year in South Korea has been a massive success. I have learned so much about myself, about Markus and our marriage. This experience was what was missing in my life. I've never felt more alive and free. To be honest, I still don't know what my purpose in life is, but I'm having an amazing time trying to find it.

Calton Hill │ Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh has many amazing sights, but my absolute favorite place was Calton Hill. When I first read about Calton Hill, I thought it would be far away from the city and a lengthy hike. I was completely wrong. It's only a 15 minute walk from the city. The views are absolutely breathtaking. On one side is the city and on the other is Arthur's Seat. We weren't able to hike up Arthur's Seat and it was our biggest regret. The chance to say we visited Camelot passed us by, but there's always next time!

There are some really wonderful monuments and lots of places to relax on Calton Hill. If we had more time, I'm sure we would've packed a lunch and spent hours lazing about. That's one thing that Florida lacks. The weather is always so hot and humid that it's hard to go out and have a picnic. It's possible, but if you want to be comfortable you can only do it for a short time. In Edinburgh, the weather was perfect. I hear such horrible things about the weather, but while we were there it only rained one night and every other day it was beautiful. It was cool and sunny and perfect for exploring. 

UK Tour 2012

Map image: mellowmint

Recently, Markus and I came back from a whirlwind trip through England and Scotland. It was a dream come true and I was finally able to experience Britain like a native. 

The first stop on our itinerary was Edinburgh in Scotland. I was completely blown away. When Markus and I went to London for our second honeymoon in 2006, I never thought I would love a city more. I was completely wrong. I've fallen in love with almost every city we've visited, but Edinburgh quickly became my favorite city in the UK. 

Edinburgh was not only beautiful but there was so much to do. We were only there for three days, so we didn't get to explore as much as I wanted, but it was enough to leave me wanting more. Markus and I are already planning to go back one day and spend our entire time in Scotland. 

After Scotland, we spent the rest of the trip traipsing about various cities in England. It was exciting to see other cities in England. Our friends, Ari and James, were very adamant about showing us the "real" England. They said that many people rarely venture away from Southern England much less London. They think that London is England, but there is so much more. It's like saying New York City is America, when we all know that every state is unique.

We went to Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Oxford, Lake District, Peak District and of course, London. After seeing other cities in England and then going back to London, I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed. London was the first international city I visited and I think I had a romantic view of that experience. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. It's an amazing place and if I could afford it, I would love to live there. Although, it's no longer my first choice. 

This trip to the UK was an eye opener. It showed me that even though you think you know a place, it can still surprise you. This is why I love about traveling. Cities are always changing and evolving. You can visit a place one year and then when you visit again, it's completely different. I love being surprised. You always think you know what you love, but there are other places and things that you didn't even know existed and you never knew a piece of you was missing until you go there.

Time to move on: moving from Tumblr to Blogger

Thanks for the memories Tumblr, 2010-2012

For the past two years, I've been actively blogging on Tumblr. While it's been quite good to me, I've begun to feel the limitations. I think that Tumblr is a great blogging website, but for a specific audience. I do feel that it can be limited in terms of blog design. I'm not keen on feeling like there are restraints on the look of my blog. I want to be able to spread out a bit more. 

I want to be able to write long blog posts and not be overlooked. I know that a lot of my followers read my longer posts, but I feel that the Tumblr crowd tends to lean more toward the visual. I am neither a photographer nor an illustrator, so I always felt a little lost in the mix.

I enjoy posting about all sorts of things. I like to write posts that are closer to articles. I love that Blogger is customizable and I can make it look exactly how I want and not have limitations. I'm free to do anything I want. I enjoy the freedom that Blogger provides. The possibilities are literally endless. So, I felt like it was time to move on to a platform that suited all my blogging needs. 

Now that I've switched over to Blogger, I'm excited to explore all the possibilities that I didn't have before. I've already spent heaps of time watching tutorials, re-learning Photoshop and HTML and creating this new version of Ganda-Ganda. Feel free to look around and see all the changes that I've made.  Also, I hope you join me on this new blogging adventure!

Thank you dear readers for sticking with me so far. I don't feel like I could do this if it weren't for you and I appreciate you so much. xoxo