Eating in Hongdae

Other than, ‘How’s life in Korea?’ the question I most often get from friends is ‘How’s the food?’ Because food runs the world, people. Not money, girls, power hungry leaders, no. FOOD RUNS THE WORLD.

Overall, I try to be pretty adventurous with my palette. Trying everything at least once is virtually painless. BUT If you are an anxious introvert who doesn’t want to offend the nice lady who brought a steaming bowl of mystery, it doesn’t stop at one bite.

I’m wary about my seafood intake. I have to see the ocean to trust the freshness. I know this country is a peninsula and the seafood quality is probably high, but I’m just funny about this.

I ordered a vegetable soup. I got this.

There were onions.There was also shrimp, octopus, squid and other strange gangly critters. I ate some spongey thingys, and noodlesque forms. Ate ALL the pickled sides, because YUM. I tried to drink the broth to make it look like I ate something in the bowl. This makes me sound like such a picky eater, but really I’m not!! I just don’t want seafood in my soup. (unless it’s the marvelous chowda from Mo’s).

That has been the only bad experience. Everything else has been delicious.
Exhibit A: Patbingsu

 

This is shaved ice (consistency of snow) topped in this case with green tea cake and a chocolate mousse cake. It makes dessert feel healthier, because it’s mostly water right?

I got it in Sinchon, a fun, artsy part of the city. There were a few live performances along the boardwalk.

Exhibit B: Bibimbap

 

This is by far my favorite thing ever. It’s a hot stone bowl filled with rice, veggies, sometimes meat, and an egg. As you mixed it together, the egg cooks with the heat of the bowl and rice. So good. So filling. And I’m going to say healthy.

Another place to get some good grub is Hongdae. It’s really close to Hongik University, so it’s always crowded with college kids. In turn, the area has a young n’ hip feel to it.

This is Sangsangmadang. It’s an extension of the Design school and showcases buy-able products in the gift shop. I want everything in there.

The fashions here are so bizarre, but fun nonetheless.

I went to an ‘american style’ burger joint and was pleasantly surprised. This was a mushroom & onion burger with crisp, hot fries. The best part? The shot of vanilla ice cream to dip my fries in.
South Korea understands me.

Their drinks had the most random names, but I especially enjoyed the fruity non-alcoholic selection.

While in the area, I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow artist.
This is Nada Salama. She is a flautist. She started her career in Egypt, gaining quite the following (she has over 48K followers!) and is now touring the world, learning to play as many different types of flutes as she can. This isn’t a sponsored tour, it’s purely for her own discovery. I love it. She jumps from country to country to learn from the local artists, plays a few live shows, and moves on to the next.

I felt very privileged to have met her. She is so full of life and happiness.

I was so mesmerized by Nada’s tattoo, she allowed me to take a photo. The translation is hazy, but it means something along the lines of ‘Generous Love’. I think that describes Nada perfectly. I love seeing women my age traveling the world and getting the most out of life, unhindered by the stigma put on single women.
Here’s my soapbox people.
I’m not against marriage, or marrying early in life. I’m just saying it’s not the only option for women. We have dreams and aspirations that sometimes reach beyond a husband and a 9 to 5 day in suburbia. So when I’m asked, ‘Have you met anyone yet?’ I get a little sad. I’m not in Korea to find a man, I’m here to gain new experiences and live in a different culture than my own. I came here to be uncomfortable. To upset my routine. To reset my outlook on life and my future.

 

Hongdae at night is great. So many live performers are out. Lip syncers (with dancing), rappers, acoustic singers, etc. Night life is a big thing here.

 

Exhibit C: Chicken & Beer

I don’t know how ‘Korean’ this cuisine is, but it was delicious. We got teriyaki and spicy chicken and Hite beer. A great South Korean lager. Another great thing about food here, it’s cheap!!

A Birth(day) Mark

Turning thirty is a pretty big deal. Big enough that it needs to be marked in your memory as ‘one of the greats’ in terms of birthdays.

I’ve planned my share of parties for people. I love making their day be as perfect as possible with all their favorite things. It may be grand and full of fun, but after all my hard work, it’s usually forgotten in a week’s time.

So, this year, my sister was turning the big 3-0 and I decided to throw out my fun manual and pull out the epic-remember-this-forever bible. She needed to love this birthday and never ever forget the time we had.

Obviously this involved a road trip.

We drove down to Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk and Gloucester. She and her husband lived there years ago, leaving tons of friends behind, along with her hairstylist and tattoo artist.

This was the first trip my sister and I had ever taken together, just the two of us. We couldn’t believe it had taken this long to happen. I mean we went all out. Shania Twain. 98 Degrees. Even Brandy made an appearance.

What is it about Girls and Guys and rest stops? I love rest stops. I know they all seem the same. Travel maps, gnarly bathrooms, strange people who seem to linger longer than necessary. But I like them. I like to stretch my legs. Look at the decorative tiling on the floor, and pretend that I’m ‘from the area’. Which is crazy, because you can’t be ‘from a rest stop area’. But it’s what I do.

First stop: Gloucester.

She got her son’s birthday on her wrist and we both got a matching tattoo. I was going to get a second one as well, but…well let’s just call it ‘artistic differences’ prevented me from getting it. Someday though.

Next we stopped in Suffolk to meet up with friends and get ready for the evening’s shenanigans. Then, on to Virginia Beach for Keagan’s Irish Pub (her favorite spot).

Last but not least, we stopped in Norfolk on the way home to get her hair done. Well, fixed really. (it had been butchered a month earlier by a so-called hairdresser)

Overall it was a great trip. Tattoos. Beer. Dessert. Friends. Hair. Road trip.
How’s that for having an indelible 30th?