When I first arrived in Korea last year I wrote about the 12 Little Ways Life is Different in Korea. It’s funny how much can change in a year and the extent to which we accustom ourselves to our environment. These days, I don’t bat an eye at corn on pizza, face masks are the… Continue reading 5 Things That Are STILL Strange About Korea
Tag: Living in Korea
Weird Korea: Forced to Fake Vote in a Bamboo Theme Park
On my 25th birthday my (awesome) friends hung posters around my house saying the 25 things they loved about me. Along with phrases like, “She’s the only one I’d go to an Indian buffet and then try on spandex with” (because it really happened), one poster read, “You can meet the strangest people on the… Continue reading Weird Korea: Forced to Fake Vote in a Bamboo Theme Park
A Korean Road Trip To Goeje and Namhae Islands
The 5am alarm obliterated my peaceful slumber, and the butterflies immediately fluttered in my stomach. Today was the day! My first Korean road trip. And I was somewhat terrified. One of my best friends from home was visiting me in Korea for two weeks and I’d promised to give her a tour to some… Continue reading A Korean Road Trip To Goeje and Namhae Islands
Green Beer and Colored Paint: A Festive Weekend in Busan
“Let me get this straight,” my friend said skeptically into the phone. “You live in Korea, but this weekend you’re celebrating an Irish holiday and going to an Indian festival?” Well, when she put it like that I realized it did sound a little funny… The homogeneity of Korea doesn’t usually lend itself to… Continue reading Green Beer and Colored Paint: A Festive Weekend in Busan
This Adventure Was Not My Cup of Tea
Despite the sweltering summer heat, my friend, Allie, and I spent a casual Sunday in June wandering to various sites around Daegu in a half-hearted bid to do something “cultural”. We meandered through the oriental medicine district near downtown and I suddenly had the bright idea that this would be a good area to find… Continue reading This Adventure Was Not My Cup of Tea
Falling in Love… Or Fish Tanks
When I began telling people back home that I was moving to Korea, there seemed to be an inevitable and predictable thought process for the listener: confusion (“wait, where?”); shock (“but, umm, why?!”); fear (“but isn’t North Korea trying to bomb them or something?”); and excitement (“oh it sounds like such an adventure!”). Then came… Continue reading Falling in Love… Or Fish Tanks
2013 In Review: One Wild Year
It’s incredible how quickly a year can pass. And the older I get the faster it seems to go. What’s up with that?! Yesterday I told of my “most ridiculous moments in 2013” because, let’s be honest, my life can be a bit strange at times. But I also wanted to do a more typical… Continue reading 2013 In Review: One Wild Year
My 13 Ridiculous Moments of 2013
I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but rather than Cupid shooting me through with an arrow of love, some other jokester angel must have sprinkled a dust on my head that has magnetized me to strange, awkward, and sometimes hilarious encounters. It is an ongoing phrase amongst my friends to say, “this… Continue reading My 13 Ridiculous Moments of 2013
Making Our Own Holiday Spirit for Christmas in Korea
One of my best friends is a few months pregnant right now but I’d venture to say that my food baby is bigger than her real baby. The last week of Christmas festivities has impregnated me with a belly so full of butter and sugar that I wouldn’t be surprised if I sneezed and gave… Continue reading Making Our Own Holiday Spirit for Christmas in Korea
The Tale of a Wannabe Runaway
Have you ever wanted to run away? I think we all have at some point. When I was young I sometimes gave my parents that stereotypical childish threat of packing my suitcase and leaving. They, of course, never believed me so one night I grabbed a backpack and snuck out. I made it as… Continue reading The Tale of a Wannabe Runaway
Say Kimchi! A bizarre photo experience
There was a (much more glamorous) time of my life when I was a “pageant queen” and little girls flocked to get my autograph and a photo with me. Akin to being a princess at Disneyland, it was a novelty I relished as a once in a lifetime opportunity; for, surely, never again in my… Continue reading Say Kimchi! A bizarre photo experience
An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea
I love the feeling of a home once the last guest has left a party. The air is warm and cozy and an energy clings to the air, echoes of laughter still ringing from the walls. The few remaining dishes and scattered chairs don’t bother me; they’re a sign of the life lived and… Continue reading An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea