Whew! In Korea birthday's last at least a week. It's the best.
Joseph is now 30...something. He says he is remaining 30 so I have to stick with that. Hahaha.
January 8th is Joseph's birthday. It was on Tuesday and we didn't get paid until the 10th. No problem! Ray took Joseph out for a boys night out and I went with a few girls for our girls night in--to Lisa'a apartment.
Saturday rolls around and Joseph and I head to Techno Valley which is a newish neighborhood north or Daejeon but still part of it, and we had a couple Thai massage. A true Thai massage. Joseph had 1.5 hours and I just had 1 hour. Fantastic!
At 6pm we met up at Weisen Haus with a group of friends and enjoyed the buffet and German beer this place has to offer. It's a really nice place. For 20,000W you have all you can eat and drink from 6pm-10pm. It's nice. It isn't Korean food and it isn't Korean beer and it is about a ten minute walk away from our apartment.
We had a really enjoyable time with good friends and a lot of laughter, speeches, declarations, and honesty. It was so much fun.
About 11pm we headed around the corner to norabong. This is Korean for Karaoke. Each group has their own room and you sing to your hearts content for at least an hour. Usually foreigners are given extra time for free but alas, not last night!
We sang everything from Billy Joel's, Uptown Girl and ended the night on Bohemian Rhapsody and lots of genres in between. It was a really fun time.
Here's to birthday's!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Bendy Straws and Tape [4-21-12]
No, I'm not talking about some strange Korean custom. It's Korean Take-Out!
You can get ANYTHING delivered to your house from lunch to a spouse.
Really? Yup.
Woah.
Clothes, food, electronics, worldwide items, furniture, a new house, home maintenance, rental cars, car repair, brides...all of these items can be delivered to your home--usually with no delivery fee (it's included in the price).
Korea has perfected it's delivery service. There are always motorcycles about delivering things. There's several businesses where that is their sole purpose: deliveries.
Running Man is such a business. The company has many motorcycles and hires fearless young men to deliver items small and large to the people who order them.
It's amazing. And terrifying.
You can be an invalid and still have a full life. You can be housebound and not feel as if you are missing out.
Anything can be bought and delivered to your home in some way. Just use your phone to scan and pay then select delivery or pick up. Simple. Amazing. Scary...?
You can get ANYTHING delivered to your house from lunch to a spouse.
Really? Yup.
Woah.
Clothes, food, electronics, worldwide items, furniture, a new house, home maintenance, rental cars, car repair, brides...all of these items can be delivered to your home--usually with no delivery fee (it's included in the price).
Korea has perfected it's delivery service. There are always motorcycles about delivering things. There's several businesses where that is their sole purpose: deliveries.
Running Man is such a business. The company has many motorcycles and hires fearless young men to deliver items small and large to the people who order them.
It's amazing. And terrifying.
You can be an invalid and still have a full life. You can be housebound and not feel as if you are missing out.
Anything can be bought and delivered to your home in some way. Just use your phone to scan and pay then select delivery or pick up. Simple. Amazing. Scary...?
Korea is Enjoyble Part 2
In addition to really good food, Korea has interesting places to visit. I wouldn't go so far to say it is a tourist place, but if you live here there are really interesting places one must visit. If you wanted to buy touristy things such as T-shirts and things, it isn't a good country to visit--although you can find these items for purchase in Seoul.
If you are into new culture, good food, and a country that is unashamedly themselves then you're visiting the right place.
Some of our favorite cities to visit are as follows. No particular order; just as they come to my head.
Sockcho--on the north east side of Korea. This is a really pretty area of Korea. The beaches are lovely and look more like a Florida beach. The water is COLD so try not to make the mistake of running full speed into the sea. We had a lovely experience here and there are a lot of things to do there from an expat perspective.
Jeju--it takes a full day to get there and back but if you have the time it is worth a visit. Going during the summer it can be expensive, but if you go any other time the prices are great as it is off season. Hiking Hallasan mountain is a must--as the tallest mountain in Korea--but the views are fabulous and not to be missed. Renting a car is also a must. The local busses take a long time and can be confusing. There is not a subway and taxis can be expensive as it take an hour or so to go to another part of the island. All you need is an International drivers license to rent a car. Rentals are cheap including the insurance.
Seoul--overrated but worth it to find the special neighborhoods. If you only go to the foreign places you'll miss out on truly special experiences. The French neighborhood is lovely as well as Pongyo and the COEX area of Gangnam. It depends on what you want to experience. The Han river near Yueoido (the financial district) has a lot to offer. This is the location of the cherry blossom festival and there is a great "central park" feel to it. If you Google, "unique Seoul neighborhoods" then you will have a better idea of what will work for you.
If you live in Korea versus just visiting then the following cities can be helpful for foreign food or foreign shopping.
Chungju--has Old Navy and larger H&M (as well as Gwangju) plus a few decent English bookstores and foreign food selections-all in the same area.
Gogje Island--south east coastal area of Korea. Great to rent a car and drive around. Good for a weekend away and feel as if you have left Korea. Only 2.5 hours away from Daejeon. Korean food is everywhere but the views and prices are good. There's not a lot to do but what is there is quality and well done.
Busan--highly over rated BUT worth it to eat foreign food and have foreign cocktails. You can also have a really good time at the fish market. Like Seoul but a little rough around the edges. A car is a good idea to get around if you will do a lot of sightseeing away from the city center. This is also where you can find the Buddhist temple on the sea. It is gorgeous and worth the taxi ride.
Muju--an easy car ride away and has excellent powder during ski season. The rest of the year is easy peasy and there are a few national parks to explore. An easy day trip to enjoy nature. There's really good Korean food as well.
Gyeongju--lovely in Fall or Winter. Has a beautiful temple, grotto, and pond to check out. The food is delicious. Easy drive from Daejeon (approx 2.5 hours). A nice day trip or a lovely weekend. Slow and easy.
Korean cities are *kind of* similar. Not exactly the same, but you can generally find the same things at each city. The cities above have more character in that they offer more than other cities. If you have a couple of weeks to visit, I'd recommend Gyeongju, Busan, and Sokcho (in addition to Seoul). You will have enough variety while still viewing all that Korea has to offer.
If you only have a week I'd visit Busan and Gyeongju (in addition to Seoul).
If you'll be in Korea for a few months but with limited time I would recommend Gyeongju, Busan, and Sokcho (as well as Seoul). These cities encompass most of what Korea has to offer while still experiencing true Korea. You can spend one or two days in each city (3 or 4 in Seoul) and experience the main points. You should feel that you have experienced what you wanted to.
Korea is a changing place. Hurry and experience true Korea while it is still here.
If you are into new culture, good food, and a country that is unashamedly themselves then you're visiting the right place.
Some of our favorite cities to visit are as follows. No particular order; just as they come to my head.
Sockcho--on the north east side of Korea. This is a really pretty area of Korea. The beaches are lovely and look more like a Florida beach. The water is COLD so try not to make the mistake of running full speed into the sea. We had a lovely experience here and there are a lot of things to do there from an expat perspective.
Jeju--it takes a full day to get there and back but if you have the time it is worth a visit. Going during the summer it can be expensive, but if you go any other time the prices are great as it is off season. Hiking Hallasan mountain is a must--as the tallest mountain in Korea--but the views are fabulous and not to be missed. Renting a car is also a must. The local busses take a long time and can be confusing. There is not a subway and taxis can be expensive as it take an hour or so to go to another part of the island. All you need is an International drivers license to rent a car. Rentals are cheap including the insurance.
Seoul--overrated but worth it to find the special neighborhoods. If you only go to the foreign places you'll miss out on truly special experiences. The French neighborhood is lovely as well as Pongyo and the COEX area of Gangnam. It depends on what you want to experience. The Han river near Yueoido (the financial district) has a lot to offer. This is the location of the cherry blossom festival and there is a great "central park" feel to it. If you Google, "unique Seoul neighborhoods" then you will have a better idea of what will work for you.
If you live in Korea versus just visiting then the following cities can be helpful for foreign food or foreign shopping.
Chungju--has Old Navy and larger H&M (as well as Gwangju) plus a few decent English bookstores and foreign food selections-all in the same area.
Gogje Island--south east coastal area of Korea. Great to rent a car and drive around. Good for a weekend away and feel as if you have left Korea. Only 2.5 hours away from Daejeon. Korean food is everywhere but the views and prices are good. There's not a lot to do but what is there is quality and well done.
Busan--highly over rated BUT worth it to eat foreign food and have foreign cocktails. You can also have a really good time at the fish market. Like Seoul but a little rough around the edges. A car is a good idea to get around if you will do a lot of sightseeing away from the city center. This is also where you can find the Buddhist temple on the sea. It is gorgeous and worth the taxi ride.
Muju--an easy car ride away and has excellent powder during ski season. The rest of the year is easy peasy and there are a few national parks to explore. An easy day trip to enjoy nature. There's really good Korean food as well.
Gyeongju--lovely in Fall or Winter. Has a beautiful temple, grotto, and pond to check out. The food is delicious. Easy drive from Daejeon (approx 2.5 hours). A nice day trip or a lovely weekend. Slow and easy.
Korean cities are *kind of* similar. Not exactly the same, but you can generally find the same things at each city. The cities above have more character in that they offer more than other cities. If you have a couple of weeks to visit, I'd recommend Gyeongju, Busan, and Sokcho (in addition to Seoul). You will have enough variety while still viewing all that Korea has to offer.
If you only have a week I'd visit Busan and Gyeongju (in addition to Seoul).
If you'll be in Korea for a few months but with limited time I would recommend Gyeongju, Busan, and Sokcho (as well as Seoul). These cities encompass most of what Korea has to offer while still experiencing true Korea. You can spend one or two days in each city (3 or 4 in Seoul) and experience the main points. You should feel that you have experienced what you wanted to.
Korea is a changing place. Hurry and experience true Korea while it is still here.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Korea Is Enjoyable Part 1
When you feel acute dislike expats usually will have a few pointed discussions with themselves and close friends/other expats:
*why did I move here
*when can I leave and go somewhere else/home
Currently, Joseph and I are having these conversations but more importantly we are taking steps to feel better about being expats.
We are choosing to focus on the good and the positive rather than the annoying and negative.
That thinking led me to this post.
What do we truly enjoy and like about living in Korea?
The first think we thought about was the food. It is impossible to live here for any length of time and not try Korean food. Korean food is a juicy, flavorful, and thoroughly satisfying food group. It has it outliers but for the most part the food is savory and delicious.
When most Korean and expats leave Korea for vacation they will talk about (with fellow Koreans/expats) what dish they want when they return. It never fails. All Koreans and Korean expats have this conversation. For us, a good baekbang (beck-bawn) place is always our go to. This is the famous Korean food with rice, meat, and many, many side dishes all over the table. It. Is. The. Best. Each person gets their own rice and then the entire table shares the rest. There is enough food for 2-4 people and the side dishes are ENDLESS. For FREE.
Healthy options, mostly vegetables, and oh so good.
If there is meat or fish, there is a fee should customers wish for more of them, but overall, all side dishes are free refills.
At about $4--$15 a person that's not too shabby.
Dalkgalbi (dawk-gall-be) is another go to. This is a spicy chicken dish that hardly disappoints. It is not appropriate for children or people who are sensitive to spices, because depending where you go you'll need that glass of water or cold beer to help you through. Cabbage, lettuce, spice, chicken, spice, dalk (rice cakes), and more spice are the just beginning of this magical digestion journey.
It comes with a few side dishes such as soup, lettuce, and maybe a steamed egg dish but overall you don't really need anything to go with this. Add cheese, rice cakes to the steaming table pot and enjoy! At the end of your meal if you still have some left you can call for 밥 (rice) and they will cook/mix your leftovers with the rice making fried chicken rice with spices. SO YUMMY.
Bibimbap/Dosot bibimbap are the next most delicious food dish we enjoy eating.
It is a bowl of rice and fresh vegetables that you mix together with gochujjang [go-chew-jang] (red pepper paste). Dolsot simply means "hot pot" so it comes piping hot with a raw egg yolk on top that you mix in. Cooks immediately and is really good. 
There are other dishes we enjoy but these are our top ones that tell us, "We live in South Korea." It's our Expat Comfort Food.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Trip to America; July 2017
Now that Jasper is born Joseph and I try to take him home to visit family once a year.
This was the second time Jasper has been to America and it was great. He was so much more aware and moving around and just really enjoyed himself and all of the s p a c e that was around him.
First, Jasper and I spent almost 2 weeks in Virginia to spend time with Joseph's family: his brother and sister in law.
We had a really nice time and spent the 4th of July there. They live close to Monticello so it was interesting. Jasper got sick for a few days while there-an ear infection. Went to the doctor and it was $119 for the visit. Not too bad for not having health insurance. Jasper really liked playing with his cousins. Playing in the pool, going to the park--we saw a deer!--and just being a kid playing with his family.
Then Jasper and I flew to Orlando. This was an all day adventure and by the time it was over I onl had ONE diaper left. ONE DIAPER. Things were getting serious.
Our original flight time had us reaching Orlando at 2pm. No problem.
Due to other weirdness we waited at the Richmond airport until ONE PM then flew to Chicago and then getting to Orlando by about 10:30PM. WOAH. With a 2 year old this was interesting but Jasper did a great job.
Mom and dad picked us up and to their house we drove. Swimming pools, parks, riding bikes, the beach, visiting Gigi...such a great time. We went in the pool almost every day and we went to McDonalds one day so Jasper could get a Happy Meal: he got a Minion's toy which he promptly dropped into a puddle on the way to the car (bye-bye toy). It was really hard to come back to Korea. Really, really hard.
Jasper's English drastically improved and at school now his teacher says he speaks mostly English but he still remembers Korean.
Billie Jo and I spent a lot of time together too which was fabulous. Her boys helped me clean out our storage unit and then we got rid of everything and kept a small amount. It was really nice to spend a lot of time with each other.
Jasper was speaking small compound sentences before going to America but now they are larger compound sentences with more inflection and larger vocabulary words.
Hopefully we will begin making plans to visit again soon.
This was the second time Jasper has been to America and it was great. He was so much more aware and moving around and just really enjoyed himself and all of the s p a c e that was around him.
First, Jasper and I spent almost 2 weeks in Virginia to spend time with Joseph's family: his brother and sister in law.
Then Jasper and I flew to Orlando. This was an all day adventure and by the time it was over I onl had ONE diaper left. ONE DIAPER. Things were getting serious.
Our original flight time had us reaching Orlando at 2pm. No problem.
Due to other weirdness we waited at the Richmond airport until ONE PM then flew to Chicago and then getting to Orlando by about 10:30PM. WOAH. With a 2 year old this was interesting but Jasper did a great job.
Mom and dad picked us up and to their house we drove. Swimming pools, parks, riding bikes, the beach, visiting Gigi...such a great time. We went in the pool almost every day and we went to McDonalds one day so Jasper could get a Happy Meal: he got a Minion's toy which he promptly dropped into a puddle on the way to the car (bye-bye toy). It was really hard to come back to Korea. Really, really hard.
Jasper's English drastically improved and at school now his teacher says he speaks mostly English but he still remembers Korean.
Jasper was speaking small compound sentences before going to America but now they are larger compound sentences with more inflection and larger vocabulary words.
Hopefully we will begin making plans to visit again soon.
August Birthday's
Two of our friends have birthdays on the same day: August 27th.
It's interesting. Joseph has the same birthday as Elvis (THE Elvis), but I have never met anyone with the same birthday as myself.
One friend, Lee Ann, was speaking about different places to celebrate her special day and decided she wanted to go to a 5 star hotel to have High Tea. It was AMAZING! So cute and fun. Joseph, Jasper, her and I went yesterday (Saturday) and had an adventure from start to finish.
We had red velvet pancakes for breakfast and then drove to Seoul. The drive was quite long and when we arrived at the hotel we put our name on the list. After an hour and a half of waiting it was finally our turn.
We left there and drove to the Palace to walk off our tea. So pretty at night. We had not been to the Palace yet--or any other tourist attractions since being in Korea. It was lovely! The photos do not quite show how lovely it is.
Next, we drove around to Itaewon in case we were hungy and nothing sounded or looked quite right so we headed on the drive back to Daejeon.
Arriving home around 2am. It was such a nice day.
On Sunday we went to a lamb restaurant and ate lamb chops and lamb skewers. Delicious! We went to Starbucks for dessert and coffee: blueberry cheesecake and coffee. Back at our house we each had a glass of Moscato to bring the festivities an end. Happy Birthday, Lee Ann!
It's interesting. Joseph has the same birthday as Elvis (THE Elvis), but I have never met anyone with the same birthday as myself.
One friend, Lee Ann, was speaking about different places to celebrate her special day and decided she wanted to go to a 5 star hotel to have High Tea. It was AMAZING! So cute and fun. Joseph, Jasper, her and I went yesterday (Saturday) and had an adventure from start to finish.
We had red velvet pancakes for breakfast and then drove to Seoul. The drive was quite long and when we arrived at the hotel we put our name on the list. After an hour and a half of waiting it was finally our turn.
We left there and drove to the Palace to walk off our tea. So pretty at night. We had not been to the Palace yet--or any other tourist attractions since being in Korea. It was lovely! The photos do not quite show how lovely it is.
Next, we drove around to Itaewon in case we were hungy and nothing sounded or looked quite right so we headed on the drive back to Daejeon.
Arriving home around 2am. It was such a nice day.
On Sunday we went to a lamb restaurant and ate lamb chops and lamb skewers. Delicious! We went to Starbucks for dessert and coffee: blueberry cheesecake and coffee. Back at our house we each had a glass of Moscato to bring the festivities an end. Happy Birthday, Lee Ann!
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