Banteay Srei | Angkor Wat, Cambodia

On our second day in Cambodia, MJ, our tuk-tuk driver, took us to Banteay Srei. It's the farthest temple in the Angkor complex, so it took us about an hour or so to get there. The drive there was amazing and so relaxing. We passed through countryside and little villages. It was nice to see the "real" Cambodia and not just the temples. It was a bit surreal sitting in a tuk-tuk driving through rice fields, but I really enjoyed it. 

Banteay Srei is very popular and known for being constructed with red sandstone. It was built in the 10th century as a tribute to the Hindu god, Shiva. When we arrived, it was packed full of tourists. They filled every inch of the place and I'm surprised I was able to get as many photos as I did. I have to be honest, I wasn't a fan of this temple. Yes, it was nice to see something made of red sandstone, but I just wasn't blown away. If MJ didn't take us there, I don't think I would've felt like I missed anything. It was very underwhelming and we went through the whole area in about 20-30 minutes. Of all the temples we saw in Angkor Wat, I would easily have passed on Banteay Srei.

Buddha's Birthday | Samgwangsa Temple 삼광사 | Nighttime

Last week, I posted the photos from Samgwangsa Temple during the day. It's definitely beautiful during the day, but at night it's stunning. The lights illuminate the temple and it's a brilliant sight. You can see the temple from the street. It sits high up on a hill and the colorful lights pop out amongst the darkness. I've really never seen anything like it before. It's almost like something out of a movie. It really is a must see and I'm glad we were able to see Samgwangsa in all it's glory.

Buddha's Birthday | Samgwangsa Temple 삼광사 | Daytime

Today is Buddha's Birthday and a national holiday in Korea. Thankfully, we get the day off from work. So, thank you Buddha for being born and making it possible for me to rest. Earlier this week, Jeff, Markus and I headed over to Samgwangsa Temple. It's one of the most popular temples in Busan and they go all out for Buddha's birthday. The entire complex is filled with colorful lanterns. We planned to go before today in order to beat the crowds and still see the lanterns in all their glory.

As I've said before, most Korean temples look very similar. Samgwangsa had the same look and feel as other temples, but with the lanterns it was transformed into something completely different. There are lanterns in every nook and cranny. Each lantern is placed in the temple for a specific reason and they aren't there just for decoration. Dangling from each one is a wish that someone has made. When they visit the temple, they can find their wish. They then bow and pray before it in the hopes that it will come true. While were there, we saw many people walking around looking for their wishes.

During the day, Samgwangsa was amazing, but at night it was stunning. I can't believe that I've been able to experience something like this. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself because this is my everyday life. It will be over soon, but until then, I will soak in every moment.  Later, I'll be posting my photos that I took at night. Until then, happy birthday Buddha!

May Volunteering | 2 of 2

Me and Eunbi

While volunteering at the shelter, there were two little girls that I really doted on, Eunbi and Soyoung. Running around with these girls felt so natural. It even felt like I was playing with my own nieces. It was that comfortable. I will admit that the time I spent with these girls really tugged on my heartstrings. I started thinking that I could have fun like that every day with my own daughter. Until that time, I'll just have to settle for afternoons with these girls, which is definitely the next best thing.

Eunbi's little sister, Dambi

Soyoung

When we were still at the shelter waiting for everyone to gather, I spotted Soyoung. Her hair was done up in a little bow and pigtails. When I saw her and the red-haired boy, I told everyone around me, "We're definitely gonna be best friends." At the park, Soyoung and I started playing a bit. Even though she didn't speak much English, we were still able to communicate. I started chasing her around and I would catch her. Then I would pretend to be scared of her and run away. While she was chasing me, a bunch of the other kids saw and then they all started to corner me. I ran around for a good 15 minutes and then I was completely exhausted. It was worth it though, because I was able to gain that relationship with Soyoung. On the way back to the shelter, we walked hand in hand the whole way. Even though our hands were clammy with sweat, she didn't let go once.

Eunbi will always be special to me because she was the first girl that I talked to. When we were walking to the park and things were still awkward, I grabbed her hand. She looked at me surprised, but I could tell that she was happy. She was wearing this adorable panda jacket and she showed Markus and I how it worked. When she started to feel warm she took off her jacket and I gave it to Markus to hold. She loved that and started calling him "servant" in Korean. I was the "queen" and she was a "princess". Later, Jeff joined us and he became "poop pig", a bit mean but kinda funny. I loved that we were the royalty and all the guys were some kind of horrible thing.

I seriously, loved these girls. They were so sweet and so much fun. I feel that even though most of these children go through something traumatic, they are still able to be kids. It makes me really contemplate a lot of the things I complain about. Even though they've had to deal with something difficult in their life, they don't let it affect them. It's really something admirable and amazing. It's really tempting to stay in Korea longer, just so that I could see them more. It's moments and experiences like this that make me want to stay in Korea and never leave.

Eats with Jeff #7: Sundae Bokkeum

Sundae Bookeum

On our last Eats with Jeff, we were walking through the streets of Seomyeon and spied a restaurant that offered sundae bokkeum. Some of the restaurants have the kitchens on the outside and you can see what chefs are cooking. The three of us walked over and our mouths instantly watered. I told Jeff that we wanted to eat that and he noted it for another time. Later he did what only he does best and found one of the best sundae bokkeum restaurants in Busan.

Ingredients ready to cook

Those faces...

Ready to eat!

Sundae is Korea's version of blood sausage. I am no stranger to this kind of food. I love Cuban style blood sausage and one of my favorite Filipino dishes is dinuguan, or pork blood stew. When I first tried sundae, it was at a street stall and it wasn't good. I have to admit that ever since then, I've sort of stayed away from it. You know how one bad experience can ruin your impression of something. Markus loves sundae and he was really adamant about having sundae bokkeum, which is sundae stir fried and mixed with vegetables. I'm really glad that I didn't let that bad experience hold me back forever, because this sundae bokkeum was delicious. It was spicy and savory. It's something that I would definitley eat again.

Various sundae

We also ordered a plate of various sundae. There were some that had more blood than fillings and others with more filling than blood. I could tell that these were made in house and not pre-packaged like most places. I really enjoyed these sundae, maybe a bit more than the bokkeum. They didn't have any metallic or tinny flavor. I preferred the one with less blood, because it tasted a bit more savory and meaty.

Everyone always takes pictures with this dude.

Strawberry and Custard Puff Pastry

I love my cranberry juice!

After stuffing our faces full of sundae, we of course continued on in search of dessert. The sundae restaurant was really close to my favorite cafe, Tokyoloose. We decided that it would be the best place for something sweet. I love this place. It's really cute and girly. The servers all dress in the same uniform and they all talk with a really high and cutesy voice. Markus and I go here least one a week or every 2 weeks. They don't speak any English, but they know us. The owners are really sweet and always give us little extra things. Sometimes we don't need a common language to understand one another. We ended this installment of Eats with Jeff as we normally do, stuffed to the brim and happy with the company.