Spinning in Korea

My coteacher and I decided to sign up for some classes at a gym just a couple blocks down, and our first class we attended was a Spinning class. This is not your normal spin class.

Instead of adjusting the tension level on your bike, your butt is off the seat basically the entire time. We would do some sort of choreographed biking that includes butt slapping, chin grabbing (like Psy), and snapping, with our butts off the seat, then we would rest for less than a minute, sip some water, then get back to it. To make it even better, there are flashing lights and a disco ball to keep you feeling motivated. I almost felt like a K-pop star. Remixed K-pop music is blasting in your ears and we borrow some moves the from the music videos in our choreographed spinning.

It wasn't the workout I was expecting, but I definitely sweat a lot, and am totally going back.

Plastic Surgery in Korea

My first weekend in Korea was interesting... I went under the knife. Well, not really. I got laser hair removal surgery, which was weird. My coteacher and I were talking about it and she called a place so we decided to check it out. Our curiosity got the best of us when we realized we had actually set up an appointment for a consultation and the procedure. No one really spoke English, but the place looked really fancy and the price was great! For 5 sessions of underarm hair removal it cost us a whopping 30,000 won (a little less than $30). What a steal! I heard people paying $80 per session, and you need minimum 5 to 6 sessions for it to actually make any lasting effect.

So yeah... that's what I did my first weekend in Seoul. I'm sorry for this awkward, rushed post. It's a Friday night and I'm in a hurry. But I highly recommend this article about Korea and it's idea of beauty. It's super interesting and sad. Read it HERE. After reading this article I walk around noticing the high amount of women and men who have had plastic surgery. The eye widening is definitely the most popular.

My Life in SEOUL

HELLO WORLD!

Some of you may know those, some of you might not, but I'm back in Korea, but this time I'm out of the boonies and in the big bad city of SEOUL! I didn't get my visa or my actual ticket until less than 48 hours before I took off so I truly apologize to those who didn't get to hear it from me in person.
 I'll try to quickly summarize my last month here. So far, I love it here. I live in an awesome location with few (I've only seen 2 others) foreigners in the neighborhood, and it's full of noraebangs and Korean restaurants I have yet to check out. I really like my school too. I work at a kindergarten hagwon (private school) with a bunch of Burberry wearing cuties, and in the afternoon I teach elementary kids. My apartment is twice the size of my last, which isn't saying much, but I love it.

I've been able to back to my roots, the wonderful town of Inje which was absolutely amazing to see some of my best friends and family. My friend Connor and I surprised the crew down there and it was an epic night. I also had my first sauna experience in Inje. A sauna in Korea is what it sounds like, a sauna with hot and cold pools, showers, and an old woman who will scrub your body down for a fee. Growing up in western culture, nudity was not a very common thing, but nooo not in Korea. After a short panic attack and a lot of talking to myself I stripped down and hustled in quickly and was greeting by two naked woman and a baby. I also ran into the woman who worked at the local Paris Baguette who told me about the tasty mineral water in the sauna.

This weekend I'm going on a biking tour in another province to check out the cherry blossoms so I'm stoked about that. I can't believe a month has already gone by... city life goes by so much faster! I'm working on a new blog since I can't post anymore pictures, but I'll try to update this in the meantime (and make it more exciting!)

However, I do have a new collaboration blog with my dear friend Connor. It's a music blog, something we are passionate about, and something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. So if you're interested in hearing new music check it out! Here it is! http://noiselikefallingoffporches.tumblr.com/

Sorry for the boring update, talk to you soon! BIBIMBAPPIN AROUND TOWN IS BACK.

My Dirty Little Secret

I've been avoiding writing about this for some time now, but this is such a magical wonderland I realized I have been selfish. It is time to talk about the one and only Gwangjang Market!

Thrifting and vintage shops are a passion of mine. I love the idea that "one man's trash is another man's treasure", or "one old woman's frock is my new summer dress!" I was bummed when I heard that thrift stores aren't very common in Korea; everyone's trying to wear the latest styles and newest clothes. After intense Google research and extensive blogger fishing, I finally discovered the hidden gem.

Gwangjang Market is a dream land! Inside is a labyrinth of dozens and dozens of tiny shops.

Shoes! Glorious shoes!

A cat denim vest

A hallway with stalls everywhere

A plaid suit for 56,000 won. What a deal!

The first time I went, I was in such awe of everything I didn't buy anything. It's such a maze! I've been back several times since and bought dresses, denim vests, awkward track jackets, and shoes. One thing I learned that I think is essential to know, if you see something buy it. Numerous times I saw something I liked, decided I'll look around more and come back. When I decided to go back to a specific stall to make the final purchase, I could never find it. It would take me ages to finally find the same stall again. Something else I noticed, is that they are very seasonal. I went in August and there were denim vests and tank tops galore! Two weeks later, a dress I had my eye on was gone, as were most of the denim vests, which were replaced my denim jackets and long sleeved shirts.

How do you get to this magical wonderland, you ask? Well let me tell you my way and what I think is easiest (other people may tell you differently)

1. Take Line 1 (dark blue line) to Jongno 5-ga
2. Walk to Exit 12
3. Walk out of Exit 12
4. On your left you should see an alley with an NH Bank on the left, and the Pharmacy (약) on the right.
5. Walk through the alley
6. When you reach the first intersection in the alley, on your right, you will see a staircase that says "Textile Gallery Joong Ang"
7. Go upstairs. 
8. Enter the door.
9. Walk straight through the fabric stalls. You should see a staircase at the end of the hallway, which is at the end of the vintage clothes market.
10. Then the adventure begins. 
11. If you didn't see the staircase, you went the wrong way. 

You should walk down this once you enter the market area

Gwangjang Market sign

If you explore a little more, at the edges of the stalls with young, hip Koreans working, explore the outskirts.  I went down a creepy hallway and found myself in an area with ajummas working and the selection was older, muskier, and better. There were leather coats, fur coats, purses, cardigans, and a cat dress that I so regret not buying. (I went back later, and it was gone).

The cat dress!

If you go to the market, let me know what you end up finding!

My Day at a Cat Cafe

Dreams DO come true! I finally went to a Cat Cafe.

My friend Marjan was visiting from Minnesota and this was our second weekend in Seoul before she left to head back home. Going to a Cat Cafe has been on my Korean Bucket List since I even knew such a thing existed. Luckily, we were shopping around Myeongdong and when we needed a break I saw a sign. I knew this was a sign, figuratively and literally. We had to go in.

Taken with Instagram

The rules of the Cat Cafe are simple:

1. Go up to the 4th floor via stairs or elevator
2. Enter
3. Take in the glorious view of cats draped everywhere around the cafe
4. Pay 8,000 won per person
5. Choose your complimentary beverage (typical coffee shop drinks offered)
6. Find a place to sit and store your belongings
7. Play with cats for as long as you want!

The cafe had a great variety of cats: they had a Scottish fold, a hairless cat, various fat cats, and a Persian cat with a very unfortunate haircut. There was even a board in the front with information about each cat, the breed of cat, it's name, and other various information that was written in Korean.

Upon entrance I freaked out. I squealed at a pitch I didn't even know I was possible. I then proceeded to run around the cafe like a crazy woman and took self portraits of me and cats that were half asleep and allowed me to exploit them. It was amazing. My inner 13 year old and taken over my body, and there was no stopping her. After a green tea latte, she finally calmed down. You basically just chill out and enjoy your drinks while watching cats sleep and play. You can purchase treats at an additional cost (about 2,000-4,000 won) that you can feed the cats with. I recommend doing this, because some of the cats flocked over to me as soon as I ripped open the packet of tasty seafood. You cannot pick up the cats or hold them, but you are allowed to pet the cats to your heart's delight!

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

This cat cafe in particular was awesome. This was my first and only, but I heard other cat cafes can be dirty, smelly, and sometimes the cats aren't well taken care of. That was not the case here. It was clean, smelled nice, cats were well groomed and well fed, there were many platforms for the cats to climb and jump from, and there were many secret cubbies for the cats to sleep in and hide from people like me.

If you want to check out this cat cafe, all I can tell you is that it's in Myeongdong in Seoul and it's near a Pizza Hut and maybe a Guess store. My best bet is to walk the main streets and look for a sign, or a person in a cat outfit. Good luck!

Sign on the entrance

I would also like to note, that I am not a crazy cat lady! I love all animals. There are even dog cafes in Korea you could check out, though they aren't as common as cat cafes.

Ukulele Time!

This may come as a surprise for those that know me, but I have dabbled with a ukulele, and even had one before my quest in Korea began. However, silly me left it at home. But ho! I bought a more beautiful, better quality one in Korea and I am in love. Now I just need to name my new uke...

My beautiful baby

If you're looking for a ukuele, or pretty much any musical instrument or music related equipment in South Korea, I highly recommend going to Nagwon Arcade in Seoul. The Nagwon Arcade is pretty much a giant mall dedicated solely tp musical instruments or equipment. It has two floors and with over 200 stores in the mall you'll surely find whatever you're looking for. It is music heaven!

I initially went in set on purchasing a tenor ukulele. However, after several shop visits I realized a tenor ukulele was out of my price range and not recommended for a beginner. One shop in particular was very helpful. The guy who helped me was honest and told me his favorites. While comparing Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian ukuleles he admitted that even though it's the most expensive, the Korean made one wasn't the best. Gasp! (To Koreans, anything that is Korean made is the best.) When I finally made the commitment to a concert soprano I asked how much a case was and this clever guy responded "We are in Korea, not America. It is free!" He even included a tuner and an extra set of strings. Whatta guy! This wonderful, amazing, super helpful shop is called Acoustic Guitar. Their website is http://acousticgt.com/ and it has their exact location and phone number. All I remember was that it was on the second floor, in a corner, near an outside exit.

The Nagwon (Nakwon) Arcade can be tough to find. Getting to the correct subway exit was an adventure. The best way to get there would be to take the blue, orange or purple line (1, 3, or 5. I took the purple line) and exit at Jangno 3(sam)-ga. I looked for exit 4 and it was a maze to get through. When I got out it was the left, across for the street. Look for a bank, then look for a large staircase, then head up to the second floor and let your musical fantasies begin!

Here is another link that will help you find the building: Nagwon Arcade

Good luck my friends!

Seoul Searching

I finally went to Seoul last Saturday! It was not what I expected. I had always pictured Seoul to be a big metropolitan city with big skyscrapers, but was just all apartment buildings. Everywhere.

After a 2 hour bus ride, and a 30 minute subway ride, we found ourselves in Insadong. Insadong was a really cool arts district with cobblestone roads and lots of shops with traditional Korean paintings, pottery, and sculptures, along with tourists traps with "I Love Korea" t-shirts and key chains. When we reached the main shopping street on Insadong it started pouring so we took cover in a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where we both enjoyed jigae, a Korean stew.

Umbrellas everywhere in Insadong

When the rain calmed down we ventured back out to the main street.  We stopped at this really cool shop with scrolls that the shop owner hand painted, they varied from landscape paintings, to paintings of flowers or birds, to sayings written in Korean script.

There were also a lot of street vendors making and selling various foods. We stopped at one stand with two Koreans guys who were making a desert called kkultarae. They started with a big block of honey, then put a hole through it so it was like a donut of honey, then the guy continued to wrap the honey in loops so he ended up with thousands of strands of hardened honey that were dipped in flour. With those strands, they stuffed jam or chocolate and nuts inside so it was like a little pocket with the filling. They were so cute and friendly and had such a cute song to go along with their demonstration that I had to buy it. For my fellow Persians, it tasted a bit like Pashmak, but slightly thicker and sweeter.

The Korean vendors making KKultarae

After Insadong we went back on the subway to check out Myeong-dong. Myeongdong is a shopping district in Seoul with lots of local shops and international shops. They had a Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Zara, Puma, and get this: a four-story Forever 21! It was like heaven's gates opened right in front of me. Myeongdong was incredibly crowded and had random people dancing and dressed up in animal costumes, a 'magician' who blew bubbles to the crowd, and a group of old people singing songs. There were a lot of foreigners here too, which was a big change from Inje.

Creepy pig who scared me

Umbrellas and people everywhere in Myeongdong

Overall, Seoul was pretty cool, but a little dissapointing. There's still so much more to see in Seoul so I can't really judge it now, and the rain and miserable weather put a damper on everything.

The Forever 21 with four floors!