Tag: South Korea

Hitting the Slopes (and why I will probably never ski again)

Everyone raved about the ski trips in Korea. Having lived in California my whole life I don’t even know how to walk in snow, much less strap large boards to my feet and propel myself forward in snow. But I let my friends persuade me to give it a try and I figured after teaching… Continue reading Hitting the Slopes (and why I will probably never ski again)

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

The Story of a Letter and the Kindness of a Stranger

I love mail.   I still remember the excitement that the mailbox brought to birthday season. On a warm summer morning, birds chirping lazily from the branches while bees darted busily from the fragrant jasmine bushes by the windows to the vibrant purple honeysuckle blossoms that lined the walkway, I would hear the squeak of… Continue reading The Story of a Letter and the Kindness of a Stranger

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

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

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

This. Is. SPARTA! Conquering the Reebok Spartan Race in Seoul

Have you ever dreamed of crawling through mud and under barbed wire, scaling 10 foot walls, carrying sandbags up and down hills, throwing a javelin, or climbing a 20ft rope out of a pool of freezing water? No? But I thought that was everyone’s idea of a good time! Well, I suppose I always have… Continue reading This. Is. SPARTA! Conquering the Reebok Spartan Race in Seoul

Mommy, Where Do Ajummas Come From?

This story first appeared in Platform, Daegu’s newest magazine aimed at “reconnecting the people living here with the everyday highlights the city has to offer”. Read the November issue HERE. All illustrations done by the talented Stephen Elliott. Koreans have a saying that there are three sexes: Men, Women, and Ajummas. It’s not hard a hard claim… Continue reading Mommy, Where Do Ajummas Come From?

A Chuseok Stay-Cation with the Sis and Only One Disaster

While everyone and their mom were off in Japan acquiring radioactive super powers during the five-day Korean holiday of Chuseok, my sister and I were rocking a stay-cation in the good ol’ ROK. I suppose it wasn’t quite a stay-cation for my sister, considering it took her a 13 hour flight to get here. But… Continue reading A Chuseok Stay-Cation with the Sis and Only One Disaster