Korea's Traditional Beverage Dichotomy

My time in Korea is quickly drawing to a close, so this will most likely be my last blog before I return to Canada. But fear not! - I have plans for a Canadian blog when I return; well a blog about things I learned to do on my new addiction Pinterest, but that's another story...

In a last ditch effort as my final weekends dwindle away, I got out and finally did some 'touristy' things. A fun souvenir shopping trip to Insadong resulted in a lovely tea party at O'Sulloc Tea House, upstairs in the O'Sulloc tea shop. I've been to O'Sulloc several times over the past year. If you are looking for high quality, high flavor loose leaf tea, look no further than here. Their infinite varieties are unbeatable in Korea and they pride themselves on the fact that they are 'locally' grown and picked on Jeju Island.

The tea house upstairs was humbling, dark, quiet and peaceful - an almost impossible moment of peace from the bustle and jam packed crowds on the cobblestone street below. Oldies by the Beatles and others played quietly on a Haegeum - a traditional Korean string instrument played with a bow, allowing us to hum and sing along to familiar songs. The tea service was beautiful and the tea, delicious. We each received our own tray and set, which we realized after were sold in the shop below for W400 000 (that's about 400 Canadian folks - good thing we didn't break anything!) The tea cakes here are superb - I recommend for everyone to try the Earl Grey tea Cake if you find yourself here. I will in fact, make the bold claim that it will probably be one of the best desserts you can find in Seoul.

The following day, we went to a cafe of a different tradition. The Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae had been on my 'to-do' list since arriving in Seoul. This place, can only be described as the exact opposite of O'Sulloc tea house. It was loud, jam packed with people (we were the only one's in O'Sulloc for most of our tea) and the bright obnoxious pink walls were a stark contrast to the black and grey of the day before. This place is a novelty, everyone here brings a camera to take photos of themselves in this cult phenomenon and of course to take photos of their Hello Kitty drinks. How do they get the face on there?

If you come here, be patient and don't expect good service. I feel like the people working here hold up to a stereotype I would typically give to someone brave enough to work here - ditsy. Our service buzzer went off four times before we actually ended up getting all our drinks and meal. That was 4 trips up a narrow winding staircase to our table, with hot drinks and food. The coffee was alright. You don't pay for a quality, tasty drink when you come here, you pay for Hello Kitty's face in the foam. We tried an onion and cheese bread and true to Korea, was tasty until you reached the sweet coating. Note to Korea: PLEASE STOP MAKING SWEET BREAD. NO ONE LIKES IT. The French fried onions on the top however were a welcome taste of home I had missed. Going to buy a can of the French's ones when I get back to Canada!

The entire weekend got me thinking about how things that are so inherently similar in concept can be so different here. These two touristy beverage adventures couldn't be more different from one another. Both are in themselves 'Korean,' as Korea prides itself for both its Jeju teas, its love for the finer things in life, and it's devotion to Hello Kitty, pink, and all things cutesy. If there is one thing I have learned in Korea this year, it is to expect the unexpected.
Cheers for now,
Sarah

A Daily Dose of Smiles!

This happened a few weeks ago, so it's not entirely recent. It does however continue to creep into my brain, making me smile whenever I need a pick me up :)
The dialogue below remains true to the actual situation. It will make you smile too!

Me: "When we do descriptive writing - if you start your story 'Once Upon A Time' what tense do you need to use?

Student D's hand goes up. I am surprised because she is usually reluctant to answer questions, so I offer her a chance.

Me: "Student D! What tense should you use?"

Student D jovially responds to my question excited to share her answer.

Student D: "You should use sen-tense Sarah teacher!"

Me: "Say it again? I didn't hear you clearly..."

Student D: "Sentence Sarah teacher. You need to use sentence!"

Me: "Oh sweetheart, you're right. Please use sentences. But if you start Once Upon A Time, Once Upon A Time has already happened. You need to use past tense. "

Student D proceeds to stare blankly.

Me: "Was, were, went.... "

Student D continues to stare. Then responds, "I'll make sure I write good sentence."

Me: "Just make sure it starts with a capital letter, and ends with a period."

Cheers for Now,

Sarah

The Jehovah Method: Educate, Harass, Stalk, Repeat.

Wow, two months since my last blog! Time flies when you get settled into a routine I guess.

Today's blog is brought to you by the power of the Jehovah's Witnesses. As you know, when I first moved to Seoul, they came to my apartment and attempted to 'educate' me with a 15 minute conversation in which I could not get rid of them. Since that time, I have arrived home nearly monthly, to a friendly post - it note raising awarness of the fact I missed them and a copy of both 'The Watchtower' and 'Awake' taped over my door handle, so I had to physically have them in my hand before I opened the door. Very clever Jehovah's... very clever indeed.

So apparently, I narrowly avoided any further encounters with them for months. Today my luck ran out and I got a double dose of 'Why I need more God in my life' and 'why I need to follow with the Jehovah's.' I thought I was safe. I was caught completely off guard, in two different moments where I was unable to avoid or escape from them. This is the story of how a simple trip to the convenience store (at the end of my street) and back, went so terribly, terribly wrong.

After a lovely dinner at Burger Hunter, my apparent craving for a Coke Zero had not been satisfied, so I decided to bypass my apartment and keep going to the end of the street to pick up a pop and a snack (Thursday nights are the nights I catch up on all my 'North American' T.V. shows, snacks are mandatory). I walked into the store as I normally do, blissfully unaware I was actually being followed. How long had I been followed? Who knows. As I closed the fridge doors, I turned around to hear "Sarah! How are you??" As I look in her direction I recognized her instantly. I tried to continue to walk to the cash, but she had me blocked. Trapped in the back of the store; there was no escape. I made awkward conversation, still wondering just how long she had followed me for and how on EARTH I managed to not see a bright lemon- lime colored blazer following me down the dimly lit street. Apparently, I need to go to an eye doctor. Eventually she handed me over an obligatory copy of the Watchtower and backed away to finally give me a passageway to the cashier to pay for the crap I was buying that I didn't really need anyways. I walked out of the store laughing at the entire encounter as I replayed it in my head. Little did I know, there was about to be a round two.

I left the store and walked down the street, laughing to myself about how ridiculous the whole situation was. I made it all the way down to the end of the hall to my apartment building and opened the lock for my door code. All of a sudden, out of no where, I hear "Excuse me!! Excuse me!! Sarah? How are you!" Instantly, I recognize her too. It's Becky, the one that leaves me the post it notes to let me know that, yes, I too, can still be saved! I heard roughly the same lecture for a second time, and make her aware her counterpart nabbed me first at the store. I held up my new copy of the Watchtower from Sara (good thing I didn't trash it outside) to refrain her from handing me a second copy. She continued to talk my ear off about God and why I am never home when they come by. I actually AM never home when they come by, thankfully. But I still think she believes I'm putting them off and no wonder, I can only imagine how much rejection they get everyday. As I tried really, really hard to not burst out laughing in her face, she could see I really wanted to get inside and said her goodbyes. She asked me if she could still leave me magazines, I said yes. Why? Because: a) Have you ever read one??? They are downright hilarious and even have an activity / coloring page in the back. and b) I get great amounts of entertainment from her post-it's. I'll just have to continue to 'be out' when they stop by. :)

Cheers for now,

Sarah

Paradise Found: 동대문 종합시장 (Dongdaemun Market)

I've been to Dongaemun Market a few times since arriving in Seoul. The first time, I didn't really know where to go and stuck to the 'outdoor' areas. Recently, I did a little research looking into where to get beading supplies and found out that Dongdaemun was the place to go.

The shopping complex consists of 4 interconnected buildings (aptly name 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D') spanning an entire square block. The entire market is a crafter's haven. You can find any fabrics, textiles and accessories and much more here. Most importantly, they 5th floor of the entire market is devoted to beads, findings and anything you could possibly ever imagine for making your own jewelry. Needless to say the first time I went, I  nearly died. I was completely under prepared for how overwhelming this shopping experience was going to be. There were so many things, so much selection and an overwhelming number of vendors. I ended up losing sight of what it was I actually needed and left purchasing only enough to get me off the ground.

Throughout the week, I made a list of what I actually needed. I returned to the market yesterday more composed, with a bottle of vitamin water, a baggie of cheerios, my list and nothing but time. I ended up taking my time, finding everything I needed and even a little more. There are certainly deals to be had if you are willing to spend the time to look around. I ended up finding baggies of seed beads for W500 (50 cents for you North Americans) and every 5th bag I bought was free. There are lots of different items you won't find in North American stores. Different varieties of glass beads, pendants and even some metal pieces that I haven't seen anywhere's else (and trust me, I have done A LOT of bead shopping since taking it up as a hobby about 5 years ago). It just astounds me that I have been here for 6 months and had no idea this many beads were sitting right in my own backyard the entire time!

Does this mean the return of my bead shop? Possibly. 

Has it enriched my life? Fully. 

Will I be going back next weekend? Most likely. 

Can you all expect a 'Baby Got Beads' special order as your Christmas gift? Yes. 

I'll leave you with a few photos I snapped at the market yesterday. 

My bead tray - a sauce plate from Daiso.

You can get any beads you could possibly imagine, and more at 동대문.

Lots of bulk strands, at good prices.

The beads just keep on going... forever.

Happy Beading!

Sarah

Mongolia: Where Eastern Europe and Asia meet...

I apologize (again!) for my poor ability to keep track of time. I've been meaning to post this blog for ages, but time (once again) seems to have escaped me now that I don't get home before 7pm on any given day of the week.

Before heading to Mongolia,  I didn't do a lot of research. The trip was largely planned out as I was going with a large group of friends; it was probably one of the most hassle free trips of my lifetime in fact. I don't know what I was expecting when I actually got to Mongolia, but somehow what I was seeing with my own eyes, did not conform to any preformed notions idling around somewhere in the back of my head.

Day1: Beijing airport pretty much summed up all my dislikes about China in a few hours!! When we arrived it was so hazy you couldn't see two feet in front of you. The air was so stifling hot, it felt like you were in a very stinky sauna sitting next to someone with bad B.O. We got ripped off exchanging our currency (typical) and ended up having to get off the airplane not at a gate but on the tarmac, at one of the largest airports in the world, where we were then shuttled to the terminal, no explanation given (typical!). Departing Beijing the antics continued. We waited for another 3 hours in the plane ready to go, with mysterious 'delays' they worked very hard to keep disclosed from us - which at the time was very worrisome! Thanks China.

Beijing - blech. You can barely see the plane taxing the runway in the background. 

Finally, we arrived in Ulaan Bataar. Flying in, it was literally like the city was plopped down in between the mountains in the area. The airport looked like it was simply placed by a hand into the middle of a farmer's field. It was all very surreal. We didn't do a lot our first night, grabbed some beer and some Thai and rested up for the long trip ahead.

On our way into UB

I could seriously write a novel about my week, our play it out day by day, but it would be entirely too long and too boring to read. So I will try to sum it all up now in as few paragraphs as possible.

If I had to describe Mongolia in one word, it would be breathtaking. At every possible second I felt like my eyes were unable to keep up with everything they were trying to observe. The skies were beautiful - between blue with white clouds, to rolling thunder all around us throughout the night and the stars - It's one memory I will never forget. The stars were incredible. Being in the middle of nowhere allowed us an environment with no light pollution. We could literally see the milky way (galaxy) streaking through the sky - it left me in awe and still does to think about it. I saw some of the craziest, longest, brightest, reddest meteors I have and most likely will EVER see in my entire life. You could look up at the sky and see at least 10 meteors in 2 minutes at any given time - on a regular ol' night. I can only imagine the light show they receive when there is an actual meteor shower in their atmosphere.

These blue skies made me quite homesick for Canada. The air temperature was also about the same as what Nova Scotia normally is at this time of year.

Thunder storm skies. Equally as beautiful.

We spent the entire week living in Gers with nomadic families. The hospitality was great and it really helped to enhance the rugged beauty of this country. The food was phenomenal - lots of stick to your ribs hearty meals - pasta, potatoes with meat and veggies, dumplings... ah, I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

Gers or 'Yurts'. We stayed in them for the entire trip. Aside from a few which contained spiders, they were pretty cozy. Some of them even had electricity (solar powered of course!)

Mongolian dumpling soup on the first day. It was only a small taste of the food to come. 

We had a rainbow one evening across the field - can this place possibly be any more spectacular?

The Gobi:

The Gobi desert was never really on my 100% 'to do list' radar. Would I recommend it? Absolutely - 100x over, I think it is a place everyone should get to experience in their lifetime. The landscape is incredible and ever changing. The dunes make you feel insignificant and make you realize the true nature of beauty in unexpected places. There was always mountains to any side of us. The desert is a place full of life and a place equally full of death. Drive two minutes and you can pretty much see a full skeleton of a camel or horse beside the dirt path they use as a road.

These camels were just hanging out in the middle of the road.

Rainstorm over the dunes. Proof it rains in the desert!

Touches of a Soviet Era:

This aspect of Mongolia seriously caught me off guard. Again, when I used to think Mongolia, I would always think 'Inner Mongolia' or 'Manchuria' words that for me had strong Chinese connotations. I was surprised driving around Ulaan Bataar our first day. The buildings are very old an many falling apart - peeling paint and plaster. They have a very 'soviet' feel about them and look much like photos I have seen coming from Russia and Ukraine during that era. I was surprised that while there, I felt much more like I should have been in Europe, rather than Asia. We toured a few temple / monastery ruins as well. The temples were ordered destroyed in the 1930's by Stalin himself in an attempt to unite the nation through communism and wipe out traditional Buddhist beliefs of the time. The ruins lay exactly as they were left during that time.It left me with a very eerie feeling, but I think it's important to remember the past rather than to restore it and ruin the ideals that sit behind what was originally in it's place.

The van the other half of our party had to ride in all week.

Tile remnants lay strewn about at monastery ruins.

monastery ruins - probably where an altar once stood.

The People:

I went into Mongolia feeling like they look a lot like Northern Aboriginal Canadians - specifically the Inuit. I left Mongolia feeling like that was the case even more so. I often felt (in rural areas) like I could have been in Northern Canada a lot on this trip. The facial features are nearly identical and culturally, there are many commonalities between them both (including throat singing!). They are probably some of the friendliest, kindest, warmest people I have ever met while traveling and getting to live life alongside them for a week is an experience I will cherish forever.

I want a pet sheep too!

One of the families we stayed with.

Couldn't have asked for better company!

On our final day. :( 

I'll leave you with a few of my personal favorite photos. For all of my photos, and even a couple videos, check out my facebook.

Cheers for now,
Sarah