Korean BBQ, Yakitori and a Reunion

Markus and I have been very lucky to meet some amazing people in Korea. We were worried that we would become hermits and never hang out with anyone. We, creative types, tend to get like that. It's very easy for Markus and I to spend all day at home working on our respective projects.

Early in our first year, I met Dae-hwannie while working at the library. He was doing a part time internship in his last semester of college. I actually thought he was one of the regular employees. Despite his short time at the library, we became fast friends. He taught me Busan dialect (Satoori), which is very different from a Seoul accent. Every day at work, we spent an hour or talking and he helped me learn a lot of Korean. 

After a while, he stopped working at the library but he still wanted to hang out. He kept saying that he wanted to meet Markus and as soon as they met, they instantly became friends. He calls Markus hyung, which means older brother and he calls me noona, which means older sister. It's the cutest thing.

After that first dinner, we spent lots of time with Dae-hwannie. He became the epitome of a little brother for us. He introduced us to his older sister and many of his friends. It's because of him that we have another amazing Korean little brother. We went to movies and ate traditional Korean meals. I know a lot about Korean culture because of him. He came over to our house for Christmas and we showed him how we celebrate in America. We've even gone to his hometown of Gimhae a few times and went to his older sister's wedding.

In December of 2011, Dae-hwannie told us that he found a job. He had been searching since September. We were excited for him, but when he told us the job was in Seoul,we were heartbroken. We couldn't imagine Busan without him. It wouldn't be the same. We only spent five months with Dae-hwannie but he became like family to us.  

After he moved away, we were sad, but alas life goes on. When he comes back to Busan, he always tries to make time to see us. Recently, he came down for Chuseok and we were able to have dinner with him. This time, it was like he was the foreigner and we were the locals. We took him to places he had never been. It still felt the same, but a little different.

We still really miss him, but we're glad that we were able to have that time with him. He helped make Korea feel like home. It wasn't just a place that we were temporarily, it was a place that we knew we had a little brother. Even though he's in Seoul, he will always be an important part of our lives and our time in Korea.

Edinburgh, Scotland │ 2 of 3

As I've said before, Calton Hill was my favorite area of Edinburgh. I think this was where I took the most photos. I just kept snapping away and it's very obvious to see why. There was so much I wanted to document and remember. 

Edinburgh is such an outdoor city and reminded me of Busan. It's so easy to go out and go for a walk or a hike. I loved the beautiful architecture. Everything felt so authentic and antiquated. There were moments where I felt like I was being transported back into time. That's something that I really wish I had more of in the cities I've lived. Edinburgh really is the perfect city. 

Arthur's Seat

 

 Edinburgh 1 of 3, Edinburgh 3 of 3

Wandering Wednesdays | Beijing, China 2006

In 2006, I used to work for a Chinese travel agency, FlyChina. When I graduated from college, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. My career path was unclear and I spent a few months trying to figure it out. One day I saw an ad for travel agent job. I applied thinking that it was unlikely they would hire me. They called that same day, I had an interview and was hired.

Within three months of working there, they offered me an opportunity to go on a fam trip or familiarization trip. It's basically a trip that travel agents can go on to familiarize themselves with the country they are trying to send tourists. This trip was for five days to Beijing. Included in this trip were flights to Beijing, five-star hotel accommodation, transfers from airport, tours everyday and all meals. The total cost for this trip? $300. How could I say no?

I was able to go with another agent from work and we had a great time bonding. We spent those five days going all over Beijing. We visited every tourist attraction possible. We saw The Great Wall, The Forbidden Palace, Temple of Heaven and more. The best part was that we didn't have to plan a single thing. Every minute of the day was planned. Usually, I don't like that sort of thing, but who am I to complain for such a cheap trip?

It was my first time in Asia and I was surprised at how much I loved it. It was crowded and full of people that looked like me, it was perfect. My trip to China was my first taste of the Eastern world. I was amazed at how different it was from everything I knew. I spent the next 5 years plotting a way to make it back to Asia. 

Great Wall of China

Tiananmen Square

Forbidden Palace

Oktoberfest 2012

This year, we went to the annual Oktoberfest at the Nongshim Brau in Busan. I've never been to any type of Oktoberfest before, but I'm glad that this was my first experience with the German celebration. Celebrating in Korea is a bit kooky and eccentric, but it was a lot of fun. There were Koreans dressed in traditional German garb and the fest was held in September. It's a bit strange, but it's Korea, we usually don't try and question these things.

For this event, there were 3 types of beer that were created in house by a gentleman that studied brewing in Germany. In Korea, it's very hard to find a good beer. There are 3 popular brands here, Hite, Cass and Max and they all taste horrible, like Natty Light or Coors. I'm not a beer aficionado, but I know a good beer when I taste it.

We went with our dear friends Hazel & Charlie, a delightful British couple. The place was packed full of foreigners and Koreans. I felt like I ran into every foreigner I've ever met in Korea. For the price of admission 10,000 won ($10) you received a souvenir mug with the culturally relevant mustache and 500cc of beer. Each 500cc serving of beer after was only 3,000 won ($3). It was definitely a great deal.
 
We spent the night enjoying the home brewed beer, playing games, catching up with old friends and making new friends. There was even great entertainment. Foreign bands singing hits from the 80s, 90s and even "Gangnam Style".  They even had dance offs and three dancing mugs of beer.

Even though we celebrated Oktoberfest far from it's origin, it still felt genuine and an experience I won't soon forget.

Creepy Cinema 2012

If you know me, you know that I cannot handle anything that is remotely scary or suspenseful. The minute a movie or TV show gets too intense, I either get up and walk away or I cover my eyes with my hands and peek through them.

I remember when I was younger I couldn't even watch episodes of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" without screaming or turning away. I attribute my fear of all things spooky to my two older brothers. They are much older than me and were always trying to scare their little sister. I can't tell you how many times they tricked me. My little heart couldn't handle it, so I was always afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Due to my complete lack of tolerance for scary things, I have missed out on many years of scary movie watching that is mandatory as an adolescent. No one in my family really likes scary movies, so I was never really exposed to them. However, Markus is an avid fan of all things horror. When we first started dating, he was completely appalled by this fact. For years, he's tried to get me to watch scary movies with him and every time he asked, I refused. The only way I would watch the movie is if he would tell me what would happen beforehand so I could cover my eyes. Silly? Yes, I know, but hey at least I tried. As time has gone by, I just refuse to watch a scary movie. I can't do it. I get all panicky and my heart beats really quickly. This year, I'm determined to break the curse. 

I'm going to spend all of October, all 31 days, watching some form of scary movie. I feel like after 9 years of watching scary movies alone, it's the least I could do for Markus. He's compiled a list of 31 movies that span the course of horror film history, and will introduce me to the world of Creepy Cinema. There are lots of moves that I haven't seen, some that I haven't seen in ages and a few that I really love. You know, some family friendly movies; I need to have some levity in the midst of all the suspense.  When making the list Markus tried to stray away from the blood and gore (i.e. Saw, Hostel, etc). There is no way I could last through 31 days of that. I think I would go crazy.

I must admit, I'm a bit worried for the next 31 days. I don't think I'll be able to handle it, but I'm determined to do this. I know I can do this. I have to do this, for Markus. Oh, the things we do for love. 

So how about you, dear readers, are you going to spend this October watching horror flicks?  Do you like scary movies? What are your favorites?

*Credits*
Skeleton, tree & paper clip art: The Graphics Fairy

Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Hotties of Creepy Cinema